THE THANKSGIVING AT ST. PAUL'S.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 121, 22 May 1872, Page 2

THE THANKSGIVING AT ST. PAUL'S.

(Correspondent of the Australasian). London has been stirred to its depthß by loyal enthusiasm. There has been no such demonstration in England for many years as that which accompanied the progress of the Queen and the Prince of Wales to St. Paul's on the now historical 27th of February — the day of. the national thanksgiving. Old King George IH., who went there in state on a similar errand, would have been overwhelmed ' with amazement could he now have revisited our million-peopled streets. I have been in many crowds on festive occasions, but never before felt the power of numbers. The royal procession was an attractive sight, but the multitudes were a far grander spectacle. AU things favored the celebration. We . had " Queen's weather " of the best kind. The showers of the previous day had laid the dust, the clouds parted, the chilling winds moderated, and the sun shone on banner and helmet, and sent its cheering light through the cathedral windows. The street arrangements were excellent. Horse Guards barred the approach at points where collision would have been dangerous, and long lines of soldiery in picturesque array kept the roads clear for the Eoyal party. There were 10,000 troops thus brought under review, besides a iarge body of sailors. The police, too, did their work well — not adding much to

the pageantry of the day, but loyally breasting, many of them for nearly 40 hours, the good-humored crowds that swayed to and fro like a great sea. The cathedral doors were opened at 8 o'clock, and from that time there was a steady stream of arrivals, although the time fixed for her Majesty's departure frora Buckingham Palace was not till nearly noon. The newspaper columns that describe the Royal progress with elaborate detail cannot reproduce the enthusiasm of the scene ; they read tamely, like all such reports, to those who have felt the full tide of human life sweeping by, and are as uninteresting as the empty stalls " the day after the fair." Dense crowds had i gathered round Buckingham Palace from early morning. The Emperor Napoleon, the Empress Eugenic, and the Imperial Prince, who had been invited to the Palace, watched the preparations from the balcony. Presently the band in the inner court began to play '' God Save, the Queen," and from point to point aloog the whole of the journey, the familiar strains were caught up, scarcely once dying out, as the Royal cortege came in sight, by the

numerous bands, stationed on the route. The multitudinous roar that greeted the Royal carriages.'as they emerged into the road, drowned completely the voices of several thousands of children who stood near by, and. had been brought together to sing the National Anthem. Without the interval of a second, the cheers floated on in mighty waves of sound, that broke along the streets, and never paused till St. Paul's was reached. The Queen, who looked in excellent health, bowed with hearty frequency, and was deeply moved ; the PHnce of Wales, sfili pale from the lohg'conflict, could not refrain from baring his. head; and the Princess of Wales looked radiantly happy. It was a redletter day in the Royal calendar. The procession moved at a walking pace along Pall Mall, across the top of Trafalgarsquare, and down the Strand. At Temple Bar, the old city gate, the civil authorities had gathered, according to time-honored custom. There the lord mayor and sheriffs, accompanied by eight members of the Common Council and six of the aldermen, awaited Her Majesty. When the Queen's carriage approached, there was a halt, ; and the Lord Mayor advancing, uncovered, presented her with the sword of the city. The Queen thanked him, and said she had much pleasure in returning it to his worship. The Lord Mayor, bearing the sword," then resumed his place at the head of the civic deputation and escorted the Queen tb the cathedral. There was a little merriment at this point, and even the .Queen could not forbear a smile, as stools were brought forward to assist these long-robed functionaries in mounting their steeds', but their horsemanship proved equal to the occasion. Tremendous cheering welcomed the entrance of the Royal family into the city, and the Queen, greatly moved, stood up in her carriage to acknowledge it. The decorations along the whole distance, though not of any high order of merit, were such as surpassed all previous efforts in London; but they were most elaborate here, where the streets led directly up to the cathedral. From house to house in Fleet-street, on either side, a band of crimson cloth was stretched above the first floor windows, and gave unwonted color; at intervals, groups of standards were placed, while countless flags waved aloft. The lampposts also were painted blue and gilt, and for the ordinary lamps tasteful designs in crystal glass were substituted, each lamp alternately showing the Royal arms and tbe Prince's leathers. The great structure of the day, however, was the triumphal arch at the foot of Ludgate-hill, erected, it is said, at a cost of £4,000. It was of large proportions, Gothic in style, its width being 86ffc., and its height to tbe top of the cross which surmounted it, 70ft. Over the arch was the inscription " God Bless the Prince of Wales ;" and the whole pile was rich with gilding and varied traceries and emblazonments, while bright-hued pennons floated at the summit. The climax of adornment was reached on Ludgate hill, where fall Venetian masts were planted in long array on either side. They were painted red, and crowned by carved and gilded caps, while at about half their height were shields and stands of colors draped . Festoons of artificial flowers connected them, and were carried also across the streets, while doves of peace, modelled in papier mache, and held aloft by wires, hovered over the scene, and seemed to let fall other wreaths. From the crowded windows spectators, at a given signal, waved little flags. Looking down with a grandeur that seemed the greater from contrast with tbis tawdry display, the cathedral was now in sight, bearing in large gilt letters on a crimson ground, stretched high over the grand entrance, the conspicuous inscription " I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL. The whole assemblage rose to its feet as the Royal procession entered the nave at 1 o'clock, and the organ pealed forth the National Anthem. First, the Speaker of the House of Commons came, duly ushered in by his mace-bearer ; then the Lord Chancellor ; then the Lord Mayor with civic sword and keys. The surpliced clergy of the cathedral waited at the door, and in double line thus headed the procession proper, which came marshalled in due order, with all the formalities and attendants of state. Every eye was strained. " A lady in black velvet," says one spectator, " broadly trimmed with white ermine, , leaned upon the arm of a man in a soldier's dress, who walked slowly, and as it seemed with some, difficulty, leading with his right hand a little boy in velvet. On the other side of her' walked a younger lady, dressed simply in blue, covered with a black Jacs mantle, and.she too led another! little boy by the hand. The place and the. occasion. forbade any. .external expression of the emotion which filled all gazers j but a deep bush L 6f attention in-: dicated thejthrill that went all through, that great, assemblage, as they saw at last the central figures -for which they hact ' *'• *'? ''■> 'v-* i*i'i.-?'< '..is. w ; ; ■___ <■__ ; . ________*_

waited so long — the Queen with her children and grandchildren, and, above all, the Prince of Wales, restored beyond hope frora the sick bed, on whose fluctuations the -whole nation had hung for so many days in anxious suspense." Behind them came the other Royal Princes, with the Princess Beatrice. liio sooner had the Royal party knelt in their places than the Te Deum broke upon the silence with its volume of lofty praise. It was a Te Deum expressly composed for the occasion by Mr. Goss, long tbe organist of St. Paul's. Then followed a few responses, the Lord's Prayer, and other responses from the Prayer Book, clearly intoned; next came a collect, and prayers for the Queen and tbe Royal Family. The General Thanksgiving was then said with these inserted words : — Particularly to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who desires now to offer up his praises and thanksgivings for Thy late mercies vouchsafed to him." And with the last word the reader paused for a few moments, in a silence that was the sublimest part ot the service. The special thanksgiving prayer composed by the Archbishop of Canterbury was then read. " All through the service," says one close observer, "those Who were at ail near the Royal pew knew that it was not imagination which perceived in the demeanor and attitude of tbe Queen, the Prince, aud the PriDcess a most solemn mood, and thoughts which must not be touched with the pen." The religious purpose of the day was forgotten by the multitude but not by the Queen, whose grateful heart. bad desired this public acknowledgement. There must have been another who was deeply affected by those words of the anthem : — "I shall not die, but live? and declare the works of the Lord. " The Lord hath chastened and corrected me; but He hath not given me over unto death." The address of the Archbishop fell, perhaps, below the occasion, but was brief and simple, grounded on the words, " Members one of another." — Romans xii. 5. '-..'•;■ \ ' : At the conclusion of the address, a thanksgiving hymn was sung, which had been composed for the day by Mr. Stone, a London clergyman. The archbishop pronounced the benediction, and so the service, which had not lasted quite an hour, was brought to a conclusion.