At ten o'clock the procession began, amid the roar of the Park guns, and the scarcely less noisy acclamations of the multitude. On its arrival at Charing-cross, the procession moved in the following order : Mr. Lee, High Constable of Westminster, with a number of Officers to clear the way. Two Horse Guards. The Farrier of the Horse Guards. The Beadles of St. James's and St. Martin's Parishes in their The Band of Horse Guards in their State uniforms. The Knight Marshal and his Men. State Band, Kettle-drums, and Trumpets. The King-at-arms, supported by Sergeants with their maces. It is difficult to conceive any thing more imposing than the appearance of Charing-cross and its immediate vicinity on the approach of the procession. The streets were lined with spectators in thousands, coaches and vehicles of every description thronged the way, and the houses from basement to roof were crowded with persons anxious to witness and offer the tribute of their cheer to the passing pageant. The ringing of the church bells, the discharge of ordnance, and the shouts of the multitude, added greatly to the excitement of the occasion. From the opera house to Charing-cross every position that afforded the chance of a view of the cavalcade was occupied by clusters of human beings; and the whole scene presented an extremely animated appearance, the gay dresses of the females not having been as yet superseded by the sombre garb of mourning. The procession having halted, the following proclamation was read:- "Whereas, it hath pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign Lord King George the Fourth, of blessed memory, by whose decease the imperial crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the high and mighty Prince William, Duke of Clarence; we, therefore, the lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, being here assisted with those of his late majesty's privy council, with numbers of other principal gentlemen of quality, with the lord mayor, aldermen, and citizens of London, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince William, Duke of Clarence, is now, by the death of the late sovereign, of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege Lord William the Fourth, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith (and so forth). To whom we acknowledge all faith and constant obedience, with all humble and hearty affection, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless the royal prince, William the Fourth, with long and happy years to reign over us. "Given, &c., GOD SAVE THE KING!" At the conclusion, the air was rent by cries of "Long live King William!" and hats and handkerchiefs were waved in a manner the most loyal and enthusiastic. The procession then moved slowly along the Strand towards Temple-bar, the gates of which were closed according to custom. On a herald demanding admission in the name of King William IV., the gates were opened by the city marshal, who conducted the herald where the lord mayor, attended by the sheriffs, and other municipal authorities, awaited in their carriages the approach of the cavalcade. At the end of Chancery-lane the proclamation was again repeated, and the dwellers east of Temple-bar afforded satisfactory evidence that their lungs and loyalty were as strong as those of the inhabitants of the court-end of the metropolis. At Wood-street, Cheapside, the proclamation was also read, and again at the Royal Exchange, under circumstances precisely similar to those already described. The last proclamation took place at Aldgate. At the conclusion of each proclamation, "God save the King!" was played by the state band, and the assemblage displayed the utmost enthusiasm. Throughout the whole of the line of road, the windows and tops of the houses were filled with spectators: every spot that commanded a bird's-eye view of the procession was crowded, and the streets presented an immense mass of living loyalty. The procession was splendid without being gorgeous or extravagant. The assemblage attracted by it was immense, the Strand, from Charing-cross to Temple-bar, presenting the appearance of a sea of heads; and we may say, that few public ceremonies within the memory of the present generation, have been received with more distinguished marks of enthusiasm and interest. Mrs. Chapone, who was niece of Dr. Thomas, Bishop of Winchester, formerly preceptor to George III., and used to spend much of her time at her uncle's residence at Farnham Castle, relates the following anecdote of the young Duke of Clarence :-"I was pleased with all the princes, but particularly with Prince William, who is little of his age, but so sensible and engaging that he won the bishop's heart; to whom he particularly attached himself, and would stay with him while all the rest ran about the house. His conversation was surprisingly manly and clever for his age; yet with the young Bullers he was quite the boy; and said to John Buller, by way of encouraging him to talk, 'Come, we are both boys, you know.' All of them showed affectionate respect to the bishop." DOMESTIC HABITS OF KING WILLIAM IV. There are few more regular or temperate men in their habits than the present king. He rises early, sometimes at six o'clock, and after having written for some time, takes breakfast. His Majesty then hears a report read to him of the various claims on his benevolence, and sometimes visits personally the objects of his bounty who reside in the neighbourhood of his residence. At dinner he seldom eats of any made dish, but restricts himself generally to one dish of plain boiled or roasted meat, drinking only sherry, and that in moderation-never exceeding a pint. During the day, when not engaged in business, he amuses himself in cheerful conversation with men of all parties, and retires to bed early. His Majesty is constitutionally subject to asthma; but with such habits we must hope that he will live to a good old age. It is a curious fact, but one not more strange than true, that his present majesty is at one and the same time King William the First, Second, Third, and Fourth! The following explanation will reconcile this apparent contradiction:-As King of Hanover he is William the First; that country giving only the title of elector to its rulers previously to George the Third. As King of Ireland, William the Second; that kingdom was not added to the British crown until the reign of Henry the Second, and consequently William the Conqueror and William Rufus were not sovereigns of Ireland; therefore, as there were no native kings of that name, William the Third of England was the First of Ireland, and our present monarch is, of course, William the Second. As King of Scotland, William the Third; the only monarch of that name previously to James the First (who united the two kingdoms) being the celebrated William the Lion. And as King of England, William the Fourth. THE NEW VERSION OF "GOD SAVE THE KING," BY MR. ARNOLD. God save our noble king! Long to reign over us! God save the king! O Lord our God, arise, May peace, with plenty crown'd, Or should some foreign band May our brave William's name, Thy choicest gifts in store To sing with heart and voice, PRIVATE HABITS, CHARACTER, AND AGE OF THE REIGNING SOVEREIGNS. Charles X. of France, was the oldest sovereign in Europe. He is seventy-three years of age, tall in person, and very hale. The Pope, Pius VIII., is sixty-eight, about the same age as his late majesty, and in tolerable vigour. The church is usually considered favourable to longevity. Bernadotte, king of Sweden, is sixty-six, and has recently had a severe illness, but is a strong and healthy man. William IV. of England, our sovereign, is sixty-five. He is at present in good health, and does not appear to be more than fifty. His temperate habits and practice of early rising are well known. He loves exercise, travel, and society. M m |