PETER PARLEY'S
VISIT TO LONDON.
LONDON:
CLARKE, PRINTERS, SILVER STREET, FALCON SQUARE.
[Illustration: _Madeley lith. 3, Wellington St. Strand._
THE CORONATION OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.]
PETER PARLEY'S VISIT TO LONDON,
DURING THE CORONATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA.
[Illustration]
LONDON:
CHARLES TILT, FLEET STREET.
MDCCCXXXIX.
TO THE GOOD
LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS
OF GREAT BRITAIN,
PETER PARLEY
DEDICATES THESE PAGES.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PARLEY ARRIVES IN LONDON Page 1
CHAPTER II.
PARLEY GOES TO SEE THE NEW CROWN 6
CHAPTER III.
PARLEY VISITS WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND
HYDE-PARK.--PREPARATIONS FOR THE FAIR 11
CHAPTER IV.
PARLEY SEES THE QUEEN, AND RELATES SOME
ANECDOTES OF HER MAJESTY 16
CHAPTER V.
PARLEY CONTINUES HIS ANECDOTES OF THE QUEEN 28
CHAPTER VI.
PARLEY DESCRIBES WESTMINSTER ABBEY ON THE
MORNING OF THE CORONATION, AND RELATES THE
LEGENDS CONNECTED WITH ST. EDWARD'S CHAIR 40
CHAPTER VII.
PARLEY DESCRIBES THE PROCESSION TO
WESTMINSTER ABBEY 52
CHAPTER VIII.
PARLEY DESCRIBES THE CORONATION IN
WESTMINSTER ABBEY 65
CHAPTER IX.
PARLEY CONTINUES HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE
CORONATION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY 81
CHAPTER X.
PARLEY GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE ILLUMINATIONS,
AND OF THE GRAND DISPLAY OF FIRE-WORKS 92
CHAPTER XI.
PARLEY ATTENDS A REVIEW IN HYDE PARK, AND
RELATES SOME PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF MARSHAL
SOULT.--CONCLUSION 103
PETER PARLEY'S
VISIT TO LONDON.
CHAPTER I.
PARLEY ARRIVES IN LONDON.
"WELL, my little friends, here is your old acquaintance, Peter Parley,
come to tell some more of his amusing Tales. You wonder, I dare say,
what could tempt such a frail old man as I am to leave home, and come
so far. You shall hear.
"A Coronation, you must know, is a sight not to be seen every day in
the United States, where we have neither King nor Queen, so thinks
I to myself, I hear a great deal about the grandeur of the spectacle
which is to be exhibited at the crowning of Queen Victoria, and
though I have seen many grand sights in my day, I have never seen a
Coronation, so I shall just get into one of these new steam ships which
take one across the Atlantic Ocean so quickly, and have a look at the
affair. I shall, besides, have an opportunity of seeing the kind London
friends who treated me so handsomely when I was last in England, and
then I shall have such lots of new stories for my young friends. I
must--I shall go!
"Peter Parley is not a man to spend much time in idling after
having formed a resolution, so the very next day, having bid my old
housekeeper good bye, I was on my way to New York.
"As soon as I arrived at New York, I made enquiries about the steam
ships, and, finding that the 'Great Western' was to sail very soon, I
secured my passage in her, and then went to visit my friends in that
city, for I always like to fulfil the old adage, and finish my work
before I begin to play.
"Every body was surprised at my undertaking, and some kind folks wanted
to persuade me to stay at home, thinking to frighten me by telling me
about the length of the voyage, &c. They did not know Peter Parley.
One wag, who wished to be very witty, asked me why I did not wait and
take my passage in the new American ship, the 'Horse-Alligator,' which
was to sail on the 25th of June, and arrive in London the day before!
I could not help laughing at the idea, but I told him that steam was
quick enough for me.
"I have already told you about my voyages across the Atlantic, so I
need do no more now than make just one passing remark on the splendour
of the fitting-up, and the admirable arrangements of the 'Great
Western.' We passed a great many vessels as we came along, especially
when we were not far distant from the American and English shores. They
had no chance with us. Sometimes we discovered them far a-head, like
mere specks on the ocean. In an hour or two we came up with them, and,
in as much more time, left them far behind. The steady and untiring
whirl of the steamer's paddles carried every thing before it.
"We reached Bristol in thirteen days, and, as I had nothing to detain
me there, I hurried on to London, and arrived in the middle of the
grand preparations.
"Every body was as busy as a bee.--Nothing was talked of but the
Coronation. 'Oh! Mr. Parley, have you come to see the Coronation too?'
was my first salute from every lip. My kind old friend, Major Meadows,
insisted on my taking up my quarters in his house, and promised that
I should see every thing that was to be seen, and hear every thing
that was to be heard. This was just what I wanted to be at, so I fixed
myself with him at once."