As in duty bound, upon his accession to the throne of his ancestors,
a loyal congratulatory address was voted by the members of the
University of Cambridge in full senate. This was shortly afterwards
presented to his Majesty at St. James's Palace by the then
Vice-Chancellor, Dr. George Thackery, D.D., Provost of King's College,
at the head of a large body of the heads of colleges, and others, _en
robe_. His majesty not only received it most graciously, but with that
truly English expression that goes home to the bosom of every Briton,
told Dr. Thackery he "should shortly take pot-luck with him in
Cambridge." The term, too, is worthy of particular notice, since it
expresses his Majesty's kind consideration for the contents of the
university chest, and the pockets of its members. Oxford, it is well
known, is still _smarting_ under the heavy charges incident upon the
memorable visit of his late Majesty, George the Fourth, in 1814, with
the Emperor Alexander and the King of Prussia and their _suites_. It
would be no drawback upon the popularity of princes if they did take
"_pot-luck_" with their subjects oftener than they do. Let there be no
drawback upon hospitality, but let the "feast of reason and the flow
of soul" suffice for the _costly banquet_. In olden times, our
monarchs _took pot-luck_ both at Oxford, Cambridge, and elsewhere,
without their subjects being the less loyal. Queen Elizabeth and James
the First and Second were frequent visitors at both those seats of
learning. Elizabeth, indeed, that flower of British monarchs, suffered
no designing minister to shake her confidence in her people's loyalty.
She did not confine her movements to the dull routine of two or three
royal palaces,--her palace was her empire. She went about "doing good"
by the light of her countenance. She, and not her _minister_, was the
people's _idol_. I therefore come to the conclusion, that the
expressed determination of his majesty, William the Fourth, to take
_pot-luck_ with his good people of the University of Cambridge, is the
dawn of a return of those wholesome practices of which we read in the
works of our ANNALISTS, when
"'Twas merry in the hall,
And their beards wagged all."