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jesty's progress was retarded in such a manner as to detain her till the hour we have mentioned.

"The courier despatched by her Majesty from Dijon, whose arrival at Calais, and subsequent embarkation for Dover, we have already noticed, was charged with a letter to Mr. Brougham, in which her Majesty informed that gentleman that it was her intention to be at St. Omer's on Wednesday, and requested his presence at that place to confer upon the step which she was about to take, of immediately proceeding to England. At the time of the departure of this courier, her Majesty had not been joined by Alderman Wood and Lady Hamilton, although she had received letters from them announcing their intention to meet her on the road.

"After the departure of the courier, her Majesty again continued her journey to Monthard, which she reached on Saturday morning at seven o'clock. Here her Majesty retired to rest, and when at dinner was agreeably surprised by the arrival of Mr. Alderman Wood and Lady Hamilton, who, by keeping the route pointed out by Count Vasali, were thus enabled to fall in with her Majesty without difficulty. They had. missed the courier on the road, who, it was supposed, must have taken another direction. Her Majesty received the worthy Alderman and Lady Hamilton with great condescension and kindness, and expressed much pleasure at receiving such an accession to her suite. At six

o'clock the same evening they all pursued their course to Villeneuve, which they reached the next day. Here, upon consultation with Mr. Alderman Wood, her Majesty repeated her determination to proceed forthwith to England, there to assert her rights as Queen, and openly to meet the malevolence of her secret enemies. She seemed to be perfectly acquainted with many of the scandalous stories which had been circulated to her prejudice. She treated them with contempt, and relying upon the consciousness of her own innocence, she said she would fearlessly throw herself upon the justice and candor of her people. Indeed, she added, that she would long since have been in England, had not her advisers recommended her to wait until his Majesty's Government should afford her the means of going thither in a manner becoming her illustrious rank. Her Majesty, having now resolved no longer to delay her intentions, immediately sat down and wrote three letters, one to the Earl of Liverpool, another to Lord Melville, and a third to his. Royal Highness the Duke of York. The first of these important documents, we understand, was a dignified demand that a palacc should be forthwith prepared for her reception, as she intended proceeding to London without delay; the second, to Lord Melville, as First Lord of the Admiralty, was a desire that a royal yacht should be sent on Friday to Calais, to receive her on board; and the third, to the Duke of York, was a recapitulation of both demands, as well as a pro

test against the manner in which she had been treated.

"These letters her Majesty instantly sent off by a courier, and it was this messenger who, on Tuesday night, on his coming to Calais, erroneously stated that he had left her Majesty at Valenciennes. This man reached Dover on Wednesday morning, and delivered his despatches the same night in London. His orders were, to return with as little delay as possible to her Majesty, and to join her at St. Omer's.

"Her Majesty remained at Villeneuve that night, and the next morning pursued her route to Melun; from thence, avoiding Paris, she went directly on to Abbeville. She reached Abbeville on Wednesday morning, and threw herself on a bed to gain a little repose.

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During her Majesty's retirement, several English families, resident at Abbeville, requested to be permitted to pay her their personal respects. They were, however, informed of the fatigues which her Majesty had undergone, and of her inability to receive the kindnesses which were intended.

"At four o'clock a courier was sent off to St. Omer's, with instructions to have beds prepared for her Majesty and her suite; and at six her Majesty recommenced her wearisome journey. As she was about to quit the inn, the English inhabitants already alluded to were in attendance, and as she passed through the hall

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of the inn they bowed most respectfully. Her Majesty was much moved by this testimony of their affection, and uttering a few words of thanks, and gracefully returning the salute, she hurried into her carriage.

"The cavalcade now commenced the last and most difficult stage of their route. From Abbeville to St. Omer's they were scarcely able to obtain a single change of horses; and those that were procured were brought from the fields, and ridden by the ploughmen. In one instance, where the courier had called at the post-house, and announced the approach of her Majesty, the post-master, who had but three horses in his stable, was so alarmed, that he ran off and concealed himself, and was not to be found when his services were required. It was to these delays that the late arrival of her Majesty was attributable.

"M. Degacher, and his wife (an English woman), the keeper of the hotel, who had made every arrangement for the accommodation of their royal guest, had almost come to the conclusion that she had stopped at some other house on the road, when the well-known cracking of the postillions' whips as they drove down the street gave notice of the approach of some of the party.

"In a few seconds afterwards, Mr. Alderman Wood, who, with the Count Vasali, had come forward in order to see that every thing was in readiness, entered the inn-yard, and ordered fires and

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Alderman Wood M.P.

Engraved from an Original Drawing. July 1820.

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