Название: Social England under the Regency, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Автор: Ashton John
Издательство: Public Domain
Жанр: Зарубежная классика
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"The Prince then delivered to the President of the Council a Certificate of his having received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at the Chapel Royal of St. James, on Sunday the 27th of January, which was also countersigned, and delivered to the Keeper of the Records, who deposited all these instruments in a box at the bottom of the table.
"The Lord President then approached the Regent, bent the knee, and had the honour to kiss his hand. The Royal Dukes followed, and afterwards, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all the rest, according to the order in which they sat at the long table, advancing to the chair on both sides. During the whole of this ceremony, his Royal Highness maintained the most graceful and dignified deportment; and it was remarked, that there was not the slightest indication of partiality of behaviour to one set of men more than to another.
"The Ceremony being closed, a short levée took place in the drawing room, where his Royal Highness addressed himself to the circle; and, afterwards, he gave an audience to Mr. Perceval, who had the honour of again kissing his hand as First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer."
The Regent did wisely in not changing his Ministry, and Perceval turned dutifully towards the rising sun. It was said that in a visit he and the Chancellor (Lord Eldon) paid the King on Jan. 26th, that he turned his back on the King, a monstrous piece of rudeness in Court etiquette. Probably the poor old blind, half-demented Monarch never observed it; but others did, and there were several epigrams thereon, the following being the best —
"The people have heard, with delight and surprize,
That his Minister's conduct has op'd the K – 's eyes;
That with just indignation his Royal breast burn'd,
When he thought he saw Per – l's back on him turn'd;
Exclaiming, 'Thank G – d! I've recover'd my sight,
For I now see you, Sir, in your own proper light.'"
The Queen had the Custody of the King's person, but had to account to a Council consisting of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and several Noblemen of high rank, and her first Council under the Regency was held on Feb. 13th.
About this time there was an improvement in the King's health; so much so that on the 8th of February the Queen and the Princess Augusta were allowed to have an interview with him, and on the next day and for two or three others, he appeared on the Terrace and walked for a time accompanied by the Physicians in attendance upon him.
CHAPTER III
And now, for a while, we will leave Royalty alone, and note anything particular that occurred – not that there ever was much general news recorded – there were no country correspondents to the London Newspapers, which were but of small size, and with very little space to spare for what we call News. As these little scraps of information will be scattered throughout this book, I may at once say that they will, perforce, have no sequence one to another except that of Chronological order.
At the beginning of February, as a dragoon was returning from duty to his quarters, which were at a small public-house called "Barndean Hut," near Petersfield, in the New Forest, his attention was arrested by the cries of some person in distress, which induced him to ride up to the spot from whence they proceeded, where his humanity was shocked on beholding a woman tied to a tree, with the tears, which her situation and suffering had produced, actually frozen to her cheeks, and, horrid to relate, quite naked, having been stripped and robbed of every article of dress, by two villains, who, afterwards, left her in that deplorable condition. The dragoon instantly cut the cords that bound her hands and feet to the tree, and, having in some measure restored her to the use of her limbs by rubbing them, wrapped her up in his cloak, placed her on his horse, and proceeded on to his quarters, where he soon after arrived; and, as he was conducting the shivering object of his care into the house, she looked through a window that commanded a view of the kitchen, and, in a faint voice, exclaimed, "There are the two men that robbed me of my all, and used me so cruelly." The soldier, in consequence, entered the kitchen and secured the men, who were the next day taken before a magistrate, and, after the necessary examination, fully committed to Winchester jail, for trial at the next assizes.
Ireland has always been a sweet boon to England ever since the Union; and faction fights used to abound. Among others were those of the Caravats and Shanavests – the Capulets and Montagues of their time; and the etymon of the names of two formidable factions, which embraced the greater part of the lower order of people in the two counties of Tipperary and Limerick, is thus given: —
It was at a trial of some of these at a Special Commission at Clonmel, and James Slattery was under examination.
Chief Baron. What is the cause of quarrel between these two parties – the Shanavests and the Caravats?
A. I do not know.
Q. What's the true reason?
A. I cannot tell.
Q. So, then, according to your account, I am to understand that each party attacks each other by way of defence.
Q. (by a juror). Were the men who were concerned in the affray in the month of August, the same that were concerned at the races of Coolmoyne?
A. They were.
Q. Do you know a man of the name of Pauddeen Car?
A. I do.
Q. He is your uncle; was not he the principal ringleader and commander of the army of Shanavests?
A. He is a poor old man, and not able to take command.
Q. (by Lord Norbury). What was the first cause of quarrel?
A. It was the same foolish dispute made about May-poles.
Q. (by the Chief Baron). Which is the oldest party?
A. The Caravats were going on for two years before the Shanavests stirred.
Q. Why were they called Caravats?
A. A man of the name of Hanly was hanged; he was prosecuted by the Shanavests, and Pauddeen Car said he would not leave the place of execution until he saw the Caravat about the fellow's neck, and from that time they were called Caravats.
Q. For what offence was Hanly hanged?
A. For burning the house of a man who had taken land over his neighbour's head.
Q. Hanly was the leader of the Caravats?
A. Before he was hanged, his party was called the Moyle Rangers. The Shanavests were called Pauddeen Car's party.
Q. Why were they called Shanavests?
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