and jewel, as Patron. The Brethren then, according to ancient custom,
saluted the Prince as Patron of the Order in Ireland, the Grand Master
himself giving the word. His Royal Highness then said:--
"Most Worshipful Sir and Brethren,--I have now to thank you
heartily and cordially for your fraternal reception, and for the
honour you have done me, and I beg to assure you of the pleasure
I feel on having been invited to become the Patron of the Order
of Freemasons in Ireland. It is a source of considerable
satisfaction to me to know that my visit to this country has
afforded this opportunity of meeting you, Brethren, in Lodge,
and so interchanging these frank and hearty greetings. It is
true I have not been a Mason very long. I was initiated, as you
perhaps know, in London, a few years ago, after which I visited
the Grand Original Lodge of Denmark, and a short time afterwards
I had the signal satisfaction of being elected a Past Grand
Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. Last year I had the
honour of being elected Patron of the Order in Scotland; and,
Brethren, though last, not least, comes the special honour you
have conferred on me. I thank you for it from the bottom of my
heart. I may, I think, refer with some pride to the number of
Masonic meetings I have attended in England since my initiation
as a proof of my deep attachment to your Order. I know, we all
know, how good and holy a thing Freemasonry is, how excellent
are its principles, and how perfect the doctrine it sets forth;
but forgive me if I remind you that some of our friends outside
are not as well acquainted with its merits as we are ourselves,
and that a most mistaken idea prevails in some minds that,
because we are a secret society, we meet for political purposes,
or have a political bias in what we do. I am delighted,
Brethren, to have this opportunity of proclaiming what I am
satisfied you will agree with me in--that we have as Masons no
politics; that the great object of our Order is to strengthen
the bonds of fraternal affection, and to make us live in pure
and Christian love with all men; that though a secret we are not
a political body; and that our Masonic principles and hopes are
essential parts of our attachment to the Constitution and
loyalty to the Crown."
His Royal Highness's address was received with great applause. The Lodge
was then closed in due form.
THE ILLNESS OF DECEMBER, 1871.
How much the Prince of Wales had endeared himself to all classes
in the nation was attested by the deep anxiety and the universal
sorrow when he was struck down with illness in December, 1871.
Those who remember that time, can tell how, for some weeks, all
thoughts were turned to the chamber of sickness at Sandringham;
with what earnest anxiety the daily bulletins were looked for; and
with what fervent devotion the prayers of millions ascended to the
throne of grace. The "dark December" of 1861, when the good
Prince Consort lay on his deathbed, increased the ominous foreboding.
Touching incidents of that critical period are still told. The
watchful attendance of the Princess of Wales was illustrated in no
way more strikingly than in the anecdote of her request to the clergyman
at Sandringham to alter the order of the morning service so as
to let her, after joining in the public prayer for recovery, hasten
back to her husband's side. We remember, too, the affectionate
anxiety of the royal mother, and brothers and sisters; and how the
Prince himself, when he recovered consciousness, asked thoughtfully
about the condition of the servant, who died of the same fever
which nearly proved fatal to his master.
Had the Prince been "taken" at this period of his life, history would
have recorded the loss in terms of tender regret, such as had been, more
than once, felt towards Princes of Wales who died before coming to the
throne. The eldest son of James I., for instance, was long remembered
with deepest sorrow, so much was he loved, and so large the hopes of the
nation which had been centered in him. Had our Prince been lost in that
illness, there would have been another instance of what inspired one of
the noblest of all passages in classic literature, the "_Tu Marcellus
eris_" of Virgil. Happily it was otherwise ordained, and the enthusiasm
of joyful thankfulness at the recovery of the Prince was as truly
national as had been the anxiety and grief at his illness. The special
Thanksgiving Collect, written by the Archbishop of Canterbury, expressed
well the universal feeling of the nation:--
"O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, we thank Thee that Thou
hast heard the prayers of this nation in the day of our trial. We praise
and magnify Thy glorious name for that Thou hast raised Thy servant
Albert Edward Prince of Wales from the bed of sickness. Thou castest
down and Thou liftest up, and health and strength are Thy gifts. We pray
Thee to perfect the recovery of Thy servant, and to crown him day by day
with more abundant blessings both for body and soul; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen."
When the Thanksgiving day was proclaimed, it was still doubtful whether
the Prince himself would be allowed by his medical attendants to risk
the winter journey for Osborne, along with the Queen. But his own desire
to be present nerved him for the effort, and he obtained the assent of
Sir James Paget, who had gone specially to give his opinion.
The danger had increased in the end of November and the first weeks of
December. The first hopeful announcement was made on December 17th, and
on January 3rd convalescence had decidedly begun. A public thanksgiving
service was proclaimed for the 21st of January. On February 22nd the
Letter of the Queen to the nation was published, and then followed the
National Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul's on the 27th.
With regard to the Royal procession, and the display inside the
Cathedral, the scene was far less imposing than on that famous day, the
23rd of April, 1789, when King George III. and Queen Charlotte went to
St. Paul's to return public thanks for His Majesty's restoration to
health. On that occasion there was more of heraldic pageantry, and more
of official display, than accords with modern usage. But everything was
done to make this assemblage as far as possible representative of all
classes in social and public life. Not fewer than 13,000 persons had
places allocated to them in the Cathedral. In the _Times_ of Wednesday,
February 28th, a full classified list of the ticket-holders will be
found. About 300 Mayors and Provosts from all parts of the kingdom had
places. There were 560 places for representatives of the Army and Navy.
The Peers and Commons had 885 tickets for each house. The Dean of St.
Paul's had nearly 1300 tickets at his disposal. The Corps Diplomatique,
"distinguished foreigners," London School Board, the Board of Works,
Learned Societies, Nonconformists, and numerous other bodies figure in
the catalogue. The wearers of uniform and official dress, besides the
gaudy civic corporations, gave variety to the scene. The Judges,
English, Scotch, and Irish, with robes and wigs, gave warm tone to the
Law corner. Special state chairs were occupied by the Lord Chancellor
and the Speaker, representing Parliament. The Press had 80 places, and
the "General Public" made up the number 12,480 tickets--those who took
part in the procession--the stewards, police, firemen, and the officials
bringing up the total to about 13,000.
The crowds lining the streets, for about seven miles along which the
procession passed, were innumerable; and every window and coign of
vantage, with numerous scaffoldings along the line, appeared filled with
spectators. Not even when the Princess of Wales entered London was there
such a dense multitude seen, and it is only on rare occasions that one
can see "all London in the streets." In our time we can remember some
such occasions--the funeral of the Duke of Wellington, the reception of
the Princess of Wales, and the entrance of Garibaldi, being among them.
It was not in the Metropolis alone, that the rejoicing was universal.
Every city and town had its festivities, and its services of
thanksgiving in Church and Chapel. Addresses came, by hundreds, from all
quarters, and the announcement was made of holiday gatherings, of
crowded meetings, of illuminations, and every form of public rejoicing.
The telegraph flashed news of similar excitement throughout the whole of
the Empire; and religious services were held wherever Englishmen are
found on the Continent, in the Colonies, and in India. If ever a
rejoicing could be called national and imperial, it was this, on the
Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the Prince of Wales.
The service commenced with the _Te Deum_, composed expressly for the
occasion by Dr. Goss. The music of the anthem, from the words of Psalm
118th, verses 14-21, and 28, was by the same composer. Among other
musical pieces was the choral hymn, "Gotha," by the Prince Consort. The
whole of the service, devotional and musical, was most impressive, and
the special prayers and thanksgivings were joined in by the vast
congregation with devoutest feeling. It was noted by one who was
present, with regard to the familiar "General Thanksgiving," that "the
sublimity of the service culminated, and reached its highest and
intensest expression, during the silent pause which followed the
inserted words: "Particularly to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who
desires now to offer up his praises and thanksgiving for Thy late
mercies vouchsafed to him."" The famous words which close the poem of
the Seasons: "Come then expressive silence muse His praise," could be
well understood in that perfect pause of a few moments, almost awful in
its intensity, in the service at St. Paul's Cathedral. When the anthem
had been sung, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a short sermon or
address, from Romans xii. 5: "Every one members one of another." This
was followed by the special Thanksgiving Hymn, written by the Rev. J. S.
Stone, author of "The Church's one foundation," and "Sonnets of the
Sacred year." It was sung to the good and familiar tune _Aurelia_, by
Dr. S. Wesley. Then the Archbishop pronounced the benediction. When the
organ sounded the grand notes of the National Anthem, Her Majesty came
forward and bowed twice, and the Prince bowed also. The organ continued
to play variations of the anthem as the Royal procession moved down the
nave. Thus ended this grand and joyful service, which will be remembered
in English history.
Altogether it is with the utmost gratification we can look back upon
that memorable 27th of February. A demonstration more general and
spontaneous has not been recorded even in the annals of this loyal
nation. Among high and low, rich and poor, there was one harmonious
spirit of thankful joy, in regard to the recovery of the Prince. But
apart from the special and personal aspect of the occasion, there was
much to cause national gratulation. The combined feeling of religion and
of loyalty showed that in this England of ours, the divine precepts:
"Fear God, Honour the King," are as inseparable as they are powerful,
and that their influence pervades the nation, when circumstances call
them into exercise.
The words of the "Thanksgiving Hymn" well express the sentiment of the
whole service of the day:--
"O Thou our soul's salvation!
Our Hope for earthly weal!
We, who in tribulation
Did for Thy mercy kneel,
Lift up glad hearts before Thee,
And eyes no longer dim,
And for Thy grace adore Thee
In eucharistic hymn.
"Forth went the nation weeping
With precious seed of prayer,
Hope's awful vigil keeping
'Mid rumours of despair;
Then did Thy love deliver!
And from Thy gracious hand,
Joy, like the southern river,
O'erflowed the weary land.
"Bless Thou our adoration!
Our gladness sanctify!
Make this rejoicing nation
To Thee by joy more nigh;
O be this great Thanksgiving
Throughout the land we raise,
Wrought into holier living
In all our after days!
"Bless, Father, him Thou gavest
Back to the loyal land,
O Saviour, him Thou savest,
Still cover with Thine Hand:
O Spirit, the Defender,
Be his to guard and guide,
Now in life's midday splendour
On to the eventide!"
What may be the depth of the duration of the feelings thus alluded to,
it is not for man to judge; but it is not as mere forms, that in tens of
thousands of churches there are still uttered, week by week and day by
day, prayers for the Queen, and for the Prince and Princess of
Wales,--expressing the faith, and the goodwill, and the loyalty, of the
people of this empire, as truly and heartily as on that special
thanksgiving day in St. Paul's.
NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
_June 19th, 1872._
The loyal people of King's Lynn and its neighbourhood retained pleasant
remembrance of the festival time when, in 1869, the Prince and Princess
of Wales came to open the new Alexandra Dock. In 1872 they were
gladdened by the announcement that the Royal visitors were again coming
from Sandringham, on the 19th June, to visit their ancient town, at the
annual exhibition of the Norfolk Agricultural Society. At the east gate
of Lynn the Royal carriage was met by the Mayor, who, with the Town
Clerk, and two leading citizens, asked permission to conduct the Prince
and Princess through the town. The Earl of Leicester and Lord Sondes
were in the Royal carriage, a third carriage containing Lord Sheffield
and Lady Anne Coke. At the entrance of the Show, an address was read,
from the Norfolk Agricultural Association, to which the Prince made the
following reply:--
"Gentlemen,--I thank you sincerely for this address. It has been
a source of the greatest gratification to have had it in my
power to contribute in any degree to the success of your
association and to promote the interests of agriculture in
Norfolk. It is with these feelings that I have endeavoured to
make myself acquainted with some of the operations of farming,
and to acquire some knowledge of stock, and if I have not always
been successful in the path of competition, I have at least
obtained prizes sufficient to encourage me to persevere, and to
indulge in the hope that I shall obtain more. The Princess is
always willing to come among you,--and to be present on
occasions like the present. We both desire to take this
opportunity of expressing the deep sense we entertain of the
sympathy and interest which were manifested towards us in our
late trials by yourselves and by every class in the county of
Norfolk."
Then followed the inspection of the Show, and the parade of the prize
animals before the Grand Stand. The Prince was a successful exhibitor,
having taken a second prize in Shorthorn heifers, a second prize in the
class of ponies not above thirteen hands high, a first prize for the
best Southdown ram, the second prize in Southdown ewe lambs, a second
prize for ten wether lambs, two prizes (second and third) in the class
of Norfolk and Suffolk red-polled cattle.
In the afternoon at a banquet attended by a large number of guests, the
Prince took the chair, with the Princess of Wales on his right. Grace
having been said by the Bishop of Norwich, the toast of "The Queen" was
received with enthusiasm, and the Earl of Leicester then gave "The
Health of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal
Family." He tendered the thanks of the society to the Prince of Wales
for the aid which he had extended to agriculture, for his liberal
assistance to the local charities, for the interest which he had
displayed in county affairs, and, last but not least, for his support to
the fox-hounds. The society was also still more indebted to Her Royal
Highness the Princess of Wales for her gracious presence that evening.
Ladies ought always to interest themselves in their husbands' pursuits,
and he believed that agriculture came quite within their province. The
Earl next alluded to the illness of the Prince of Wales in December
last, and expressed his hope that His Royal Highness's life might long
be spared, as it would be devoted to the welfare of the people of
England, and the promotion of all that was good and noble. The toast was
drunk with rounds of cheering, renewed when the Prince rose to reply.
His Royal Highness said that "he and the Princess were deeply
thankful for the reception which they had experienced during the
day. He was very glad that it had been in his power to fulfil
the promise which he gave some time since that he would preside
over the meeting. It had been a success, and he should ever
esteem it a high compliment to have been associated with it.
During the ten years in which he had lived in Norfolk, he had
endeavoured not to lag behind those other county landlords who
so ably fulfilled their duties. It would always be his earnest
endeavour to promote the welfare of the county, in which he was
much interested. He had to thank the meeting for the kind
reception which the Princess of Wales always experienced
whenever she appeared in public. It was most desirable that
ladies should associate themselves in their husbands' pursuits,
and when the Princess did not accompany him he always felt that
there was something wanting. With regard to his illness, he
should never forget the sympathy which had been extended towards
him. He accepted that sympathy as a token of the feeling of this
great and enlightened country towards himself and the Princess,
the Queen, his mother, and the Monarchical system which we had
adopted."
After acknowledgment had been made by Lord Leicester, for the toast of
the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, and the Bishop had responded for the
Clergy, the Prince rose to give what he called the toast of the evening:
"Prosperity to the Norfolk Agricultural Association."
His Royal Highness traced "the progress of the society and
especially the rapid advance which it had made since it adopted
the principle of holding its Shows periodically in all the towns
of the county, instead of limiting its meetings to Norwich and
Swaffham only. At the present Show there were sixty more stock
entries and one hundred more implements. Norfolk had always been
held up as a great agricultural county, and was the home of the
great nobleman, better known as 'Coke of Norfolk.' The fame of
Coke of Norfolk had not been forgotten by his son, the present
Earl of Leicester. The county was a great cattle-breeding
county, the home of such men as Lord Sondes, Mr. Brown, Mr.
Aylmer, and Mr. Overman. One other great Norfolk breeder, the
late Lord Walsingham, had passed away, but he trusted that the
present Lord Walsingham would continue to maintain the
reputation of the Merton flock.
"His Royal Highness expressed his own great personal interest in
the Society and in the cause of agriculture generally. His late
father, the Prince Consort, always felt the greatest interest
in agriculture, and used to take his children to inspect his
prize animals. It might be desirable to increase the area of the
Society on the model of the Bath and West of England Society, by
bringing in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex. For his own
part, he supported such an extension of the Society. A landlord
ought to feel a pride in having the working classes properly
housed on his estate. Those who worked from morning to night
should find a comfortable house, which would promote their moral
and social wellbeing. He had endeavoured to improve the cottages
on his own estate, and he felt pride and satisfaction in having
his workmen properly housed. In conclusion, His Royal Highness
strongly supported the idea of having a great county school for
Norfolk, and said it would give him the greatest pleasure to
support the enterprise."
After various other toasts, the last being "The Ladies," proposed by the
Royal chairman, the Prince and Princess returned to Sandringham.
AT GREAT YARMOUTH.
_July 5th, 1872._
The Prince of Wales visited Yarmouth on Thursday, the 5th of July, 1872,
and remained till Saturday as the guest of Mr. Cuddon at
Shadingfield-lodge. The object of the visit was to open the New Grammar
School, and more especially the official inspection of the Norfolk
Artillery Militia, of which the Prince is Honorary Colonel. The good
people of Yarmouth, however, were resolved to make the visit a general
holiday, and great preparations were made for giving a loyal and
enthusiastic reception. The town was gay with decorations, and the
passage through the streets was like a triumphal procession. In replying
to the Address of the Mayor and Corporation, the Prince said:--
"It was most gratifying to me to receive in February last the
congratulations you offered me on my recovery from illness, and
my gratification is increased at having it now in my power to
thank you personally for your kindness and sympathy."
Reference was made to the same subject, in a feeling speech, in which
the Prince responded to the toast of his health, at a banquet given by
the Mayor:--
"Allow me to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for the very kind and
touching manner in which you have proposed my health, and to
return you all my sincere thanks for the cordial manner in which
you have drunk it. I assure you it gives me more than ordinary
pleasure to be here to-day. This is the first occasion since my
return from abroad that I have met with an official reception,
and my pleasure is increased from the fact that I regard myself
as a Norfolk man. I have also to acknowledge the very high
honour conferred upon me last year in my having been appointed
Honorary Colonel of the Norfolk Militia Artillery, and to say
how glad I am to find on coming to inspect them that they have
their head-quarters at Yarmouth, for although my residence is
not very near you, still you will believe me when I assure you
that I entertain the same sentiments with regard to your borough
of Great Yarmouth as I do towards Lynn, and all the other towns
of Norfolk. I have also again to thank you for your sympathy
during my illness. It is difficult for me now to speak upon that
subject, but as it has pleased Almighty God to preserve me to my
country I hope I may not be ungrateful for the feeling which has
been shown towards me, and that I may do all that I can to be of
use to my countrymen. I will not detain you much longer, but
before sitting down it affords me great pleasure to propose to
you a toast which I am sure you will all drink most heartily,
and that is the health of the Mayor. I regard him as the
representative of the people of Yarmouth, and tender to him my
warmest thanks for the cordial and impressive welcome I have
received. I feel convinced that, although my stay among you will
unfortunately be short, it will be agreeable; and I trust that
the sun which shines so brilliantly at present will continue to
favour us during the next two days."
His Royal Highness was loudly cheered throughout his speech, especially
upon his declaration that he was a Norfolk man, and still more so upon
referring to his recovery.
The Mayor having responded, the Prince rose and proceeded to his
carriage, and drove at a slow pace by a circuitous route through the
town and along the Marine Parade to the Grammar School. Here he was
received by the Head Master, and an Address was presented by Sir Edmund
Lacon, Chairman of the Trustees of the School, to which the Prince
replied:--
"I thank you sincerely for the expressions of your kind feeling
at my recovery. It is a source of the greatest satisfaction to
me to have an opportunity of assisting, in whatever form it may
be, in the great work of education. It is gratifying to see the
schools of Edward VI. revived and devoted to the purpose for
which they were founded, and those who are actively engaged in
the work deserve the hearty thanks of the people to whom they
extend the benefit which a practical religious education always
confers. Success tells its own tale, and the numbers of the boys
present in the school, together with those whom you expect to be
added to it, enable me to congratulate the people of Yarmouth on
your having revived an institution so calculated to promote
their best interests."
His Royal Highness then declared the school open, and, with the
permission of the authorities, prayed that the boys be granted
an extra week's holiday at Midsummer in remembrance of his
visit.