Peter Parley's Visit to London, During the Coronation of Queen Victoria Read online

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  PETER PARLEY'S

  VISIT TO LONDON.

  LONDON: CLARKE, PRINTERS, SILVER STREET, FALCON SQUARE.

  _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.

  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 comeso far. You shall hear.

  "A Coronation, you must know, is a sight not to be seen every day inthe United States, where we have neither King nor Queen, so thinksI to myself, I hear a great deal about the grandeur of the spectaclewhich is to be exhibited at the crowning of Queen Victoria, andthough I have seen many grand sights in my day, I have never seen aCoronation, so I shall just get into one of these new steam ships whichtake one across the Atlantic Ocean so quickly, and have a look at theaffair. I shall, besides, have an opportunity of seeing the kind Londonfriends who treated me so handsomely when I was last in England, andthen I shall have such lots of new stories for my young friends. Imust--I shall go!

  "Peter Parley is not a man to spend much time in idling afterhaving formed a resolution, so the very next day, having bid my oldhousekeeper good bye, I was on my way to New York.

  "As soon as I arrived at New York, I made enquiries about the steamships, and, finding that the 'Great Western' was to sail very soon, Isecured my passage in her, and then went to visit my friends in thatcity, for I always like to fulfil the old adage, and finish my workbefore I begin to play.

  "Every body was surprised at my undertaking, and some kind folks wantedto persuade me to stay at home, thinking to frighten me by telling meabout 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 andtake my passage in the new American ship, the 'Horse-Alligator,' whichwas 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 wasquick enough for me.

  "I have already told you about my voyages across the Atlantic, so Ineed do no more now than make just one passing remark on the splendourof the fitting-up, and the admirable arrangements of the 'GreatWestern.' We passed a great many vessels as we came along, especiallywhen we were not far distant from the American and English shores. Theyhad no chance with us. Sometimes we discovered them far a-head, likemere 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 untiringwhirl of the steamer's paddles carried every thing before it.

  "We reached Bristol in thirteen days, and, as I had nothing to detainme there, I hurried on to London, and arrived in the middle of thegrand preparations.

  "Every body was as busy as a bee.--Nothing was talked of but theCoronation. '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 thatI should see every thing that was to be seen, and hear every thingthat was to be heard. This was just what I wanted to be at, so I fixedmyself with him at once."