ftreets through which her moft ferene highness paffed. Some of the principal ladies of the town prefented her with verfes on her majefty's approaching nuptials on velvet cufhions. At nine o'clock the whole town was illuminated, and feveral triumphal arches were erected in the principal streets; on which were placed many fmall lamps and infcriptions analogous to the feaft. The fame night their marks of public joy were reiterated. Next morning fhe fet out for Cuxhaven; and about ten, her moft ferene highness embarked on board the yacht, amidst the acclamations of the people, accompanied by the ducheffes of Ancafter and Hamilton, the earl of Harcourt and lord Anfon. She was faluted by the whole fquadron destined to convoy her to England. They were ranged on each fide the yacht. The moment fhe entered her cabin, fhe faluted the officers of the different fhips, who had crowded the decks in order to have the pleasure of feeing her, and were all charmed with her affable and polite behaviour. In the boat in which her majefty croffed a branch of the Elbe, was fixed a table, covered with all forts of fruit. When croffed, there being no houfe, huts were prepared for her attendants, and a grand tent for herself, where fhe dined. The dinner at this place was provided for three hundred people, by his majefty's cooks, who came from Hanover for that purpose. At Buxtehude her moft ferene highness was addreffed by the fellowhip of merchants adventurers of England, refiding at Hamburgh, and gave them a moft gracious anfwer. On the 28th the fleet, having on board her moft ferene highness, put to fea, but as no difpatches were received from it from that time till its arrival at Harwich, the court was in fome concern left the tediousness of her voyage might affect her health; befides the day fixed for the coronation of his majefty, by a proclamation iffued from the fame council,in which his majefty had declared his intentions to demand her ferene highnefs in marriage, was drawing near, his majefty was defirous that the ceremony of the nuptials might precede that of the coronation, fo that fresh inftructions, it is faid, were dispatched to the admiral to fail at all events, and to land his charge at any of the ports of GreatBritain, where it could be done with fafety. At length, after three different ftorms, and being often in fight of the English coaft, and often in danger of being driven on that of Norway, the fleet with her moft ferene highnefs on board arrived at Harwich, Sept. 6th. Her moft ferene highnes, during her tedious paffage, continued in very good health and fpirits, often diverting herself with playing on the hapfichord, practifing English tunes, and endearing herfelf to thofe who were honoured with the care of her perfon. As it was night when the fleet arrived at Harwich, her moft fe rene highnefs flept on board, and continued there till three in the af ternoon the next day, during which time her rout had been fettled; and inftructions, received as to the manner of her proceeding to St. James's. At her landing, the was received by the mayor and aldermen of Harwich, in their usual formalities. About five o'clock the came to Colchester, and ftop: ed ed at the house of Mr. Enew, where fhe was received and waited upon by Mrs. Enew and Mrs. Rebow; but captain Beft attended her with coffee, and lieut. John Seabear with tea. Being thus refreshed the proceeded to Witham, where she arrived at a quarter paft feven, and ftopped at lord Abercorn's, and his lordship provided as elegant an entertainment for her as the time would admit. During fupper, the door of the room was ordered to ftand open, that every body might have the pleasure of feeing her moft ferene highnefs; and on each fide of her chair flood the lords Harcourt and Anfon. She flept that night at his lordship's houfe; and a little after 12 o'clock next day, her highness came to Rumford, where the king's coach and fervants met her; and after stopping to drink coffee at Mr. Dutton's, where the king's fervants waited on her, The entered the king's coach. The attendants of her highnefs were in three other coaches. In the first were fome ladies of Mecklenburg, and in the laft was her highness, who fat forward, and the ducheffes ef Ancafter and Hamilton, backwards. On the road fhe was extremely Courteous to an incredible number of fpectators on horfe and foot gathered on this occafion, fhowing herfelf, and bowing to all who feemed defirous of feeing her, and ordering the coach to go extremely flow through the towns and villages as the paffed, that as many as would might have a full view of her. Thus they proceeded at a tolerable pace, to Stratford le Bow and Mile End, where they turned up Dog-Row, and profecuted their journey to Hackney turnpike, then by Shoreditch church, and up Oldstreet to the city road acrofs Iflington, along the new road into Hydepark, down Conftitution-hill into St. James's park, and then to the garden gate of the palace, where the was received by all the royal family. She was handed out, of the coach by the duke of York, and met in the garden by his majefty, who in a very affectionate manner raised her up and faluted her, as he was going to pay her obeifance, and then led her into the palace, where the dined with his majefty, the princefs dowager, and the reft of the royal family, except the two youngeft. After dinner her highnefs was pleafed to show herfelf with his majefty in the gal lery and other apartments fronting the park. About eight o'clock in the evening the proceffion to the chapel began in the following ordes: The Proceffion of the BRIDE. A A Quarter Waiter. Gent.Uh,bet. the 2 Sen. Heralds. Vice Chamberlain. Maids of Honour. Ladies of the Bedcham.notPeereffes. L.Car. Ruffel, Lady Sarah Lenox, L. Ann Hamilton, L. Eliz. Ker. L. Harr. Bentinck, L.C.Montagu. L. Eliz. Keppel, L.L.Grenville, L.Eliz. Harcourt, L.S.Strangways Here Serene Highness having been in this manner conducted to the chapel, the Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain, with the two Heralds, returned to wait upon his Majefty. The KING's Proceffion. Drums and Trumpets as before. The Knight Marshal. Purfuivants and Heralds at Arms. Knights of the Bath, not Peers; wearing their collars. Privy Counsellors, not Peers; Comptroller of the Treafürer of Houthold. the Houfhold. The KING wearing his collar. Capt of the Captain of Capt. of the Yeomen of the Band of Guard Life Guard. Penfioners. The Gentlemen of the Bebchamb: in waiting. The Mafter of the Robes. The RETURN. A Quarter waiter. AGent.Ufher between two Heralds. Purfuivants and Heralds at Arms. Knights of the Bath, not Peers. Privy Counsellors not Peers. Unmarried daughters of Peers. Peereffes. Lord Archbp. of Canterbury. Garter; between two Gent. Ufhers. The Earl Marshal. His R. H. the D. of Cumberland. The KIN G. The three Captains of the guard. The Gent. of the Bedchamber in waiting. Mafter of the Rolls. Two Grooms of the Bedchamber. The QUEEN. Conducted by the Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain, fupported by their Royal Highneffes theD.of York and and Pr. William, her train borne as The Ladies of her Majesty's Bed Maids of Honour. Their majesties, after the ceremony, fat on one fide of the altar on two state chairs under a canopy; her R. H. the Princefs Dowager of Wales fat facing them on a chair of state on the other fide, all the rest of the royal family on ftools, and all the peers, peereffes, bishops, and foreign minifters (including M. Buffy) on benches. There was afterwards a public drawing room, but no perfons prefented. The houfes in the cities of London and Westminster were illuminated, and the evening concluded with the utmost demonstrations of joy. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, her price is far above rubies. Strength and honour are her cloathing, and the fhall rejoice in time to come.' Solo by Mr. Beard. Hearken, O daughter, confider, ⚫ and incline thine ear, forget thine own people and thy father's house. So fhall the king have pleasure in thy beauty. Inftead of thy father's thou fhalt children, whom thou mayst make princes in all lands.' Chorus. The nobility of Ireland, having previous to this ceremony revived the difpute about the precedence of the Irish peers walking at the wedding of their majefties, the king di-have rected, that the privy council fhould enquire, and report the precedents as they happened upon fimilar occafions; upon which report the Irish peers and peereffes were admitted to walk, and were marfhalled in the proceffion, together with the peers and peereffes of Great Britain, according to their refpective degrees, taking place of the British nobility of inferior rank. The following anthem compofed by < Children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Lo thus fhall they be blessed that feareth the Lord.' On the 9th, the day after the ceremony, there was the most numerous levee of the peers and peereffes, and gentlemen of the first [P] 3 diftinc diftinction, with the foreign minif ters, all in their grand dreffes, that had ever been feen, to pay their compliments to their majefties on their nuptials, and at night a moft fplendid ball, which was opened by the duke of York and the princefs Augufta. On the 14th, the lord mayor, aldermen and commons of the city of London, in new mazarine filk gowns lined with fur, prefented an humble addrefs of congratulation to their majesties on this joyful cccafion; and the fame day the chancellor and university of Cambridge prefented their addreffes, and were moft graciously received. The fame night about a quarter after fix, their majefties, with moft of the royal family, went to Drurylane playhoufe, to fee the Rehearfal. Their majefties went in chairs, and the rest of the royal family in coaches, attended by the horse guards. His majefly was preceded by the duke of Devonshire his lord chamberlain, and the Hon. Mr. Finch, vice-chamberlain; and her majefty was preceded by the duke of Manchester, her ma jetty's lord chamberlain, and lord Cantalupe her vice-cham berlain, the earl of Harcourt her master of the horse, and by the duchess of Ancafter, and the countefs of Effingham. It is almost inconceivable the crowds of people that waited in the ftreets, quite from St. James's to the playhoufe, to fee their majefties. It is faid the crowd preffed fo violently upon her majefty's chair, that fie difcovered fome figns of fear; but upon entering the playhoufe fhe prefently recollected herfelf, and behaved with great gaiety the whole night after. Never was feen fa brilliant a house, the ladies being mostly dreffed in the cloaths and jewels they wore at the royal marriage. The house was full almost as foon as the doors were open, so that out of the vaft multitude prefent, not a fiftieth part got in, to the infinite difappointment and fatigue of many thoufands. There was a prodigious deal of mifchief done at the doors of the houfe; feveral genteel women, who were imprudent enough to attempt to get in, had their cloaks, caps, aprons, handkerchiefs all torn off; the great crowd and want of fresh air brought to the people's minds the condition of thofe unhappy people, who were fuffocated in the black hole at Cal. cutta in the Eaft Indies *. A girl was killed, and a man fo trampled on that he recovered with much difficulty. On Wednesday the chancellor and university of Oxford prefented their addrefs; and both universities feemed to have vied with each other in making the most illuftrious appearance on this happy event; there being a greater number of perfons of high rank and eminence attending the prefentation of their respeçtive addrefles, than has been known on any former occafion. The playhoufes likewife vied with each other on this occafion. On the 25th their majefties and the royal family went to Covent Gaiden theatre to fee the Beggar's Opera, with which her majelty appeared highly delighted. On this occafion two magnificent boxes were prepared; one for their majefties of a cherry-coloured velvet, the festoon enriched with a filver embroidery, lace, and fringe; in the centre was reprefented two hymeneal tqr See Annual Regifter, 1758, p. 278. ches |