joyous day, and amongst the first to con- Painting has depicted it, poetry has describgratulate her on the happy event was Prince ed it, and history will record it; but neither Albert, her now admired and beloved con- painting, poetry nor history, can do it jussort. Many were the princes who were there. tice. There stood the graceful and the There were the Prince of Orange and his two fair, the young and the noble-minded girl of noble sons, the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha, eighteen, bereft of her father in her youngest Prince Albert and his brother, and most of days, succeeding her venerable grandfather the foreign ambassadors and representatives George III. and her illustrious uncles of the courts of the world did homage to the George IV. and William IV. to the throne of future Queen of Great Britain. But none were her ancestors. There she stood, young, more welcome than him who, when she was confiding, generous, timid, anxious to do all little more than fifteen, had inspired in her that was right, loving her family, her country, young heart a love for his person, his talents, and her God, and desirous, above and before and his virtues-Prince Albert. It was a all things, to govern righteously. Around singular fact, however, as connected with the her were aged and wise men, warriors who history of the House of Orange, that the had fought the battles of their country, prince and his sons were visiting the court judges who had decided rightly and well in of London at the same time as Prince all matters of high dispute and contest, Albert, his father and brother, and that again statesmen who had devoted their lives to the the house of Orange was disappointed in its honor and happiness of their beloved Engdesire to ally itself with that of Britain. land, and men of all parties who loved the Prince Albert was then also eighteen years house of Brunswick and were attached to the of age. In height and features he resembled constitutional monarchy of these realms. the youthful princes of the Netherlands; but Albert was the favorite at Kensington, and those initiated in court-secrets predicted the result. The festivities which took place on occasion of the eighteenth birthday of the princess were on the most splendid scale. Nothing could exceed the magnificence of the entertainments, and the splendor of the scene at St. James's Palace will never be forgotten by those who were present at the Victoria ball. Scarcely, however, had the princess returned to the calm and dignified occupations of her ordinary life, than the venerable and excellent King William IV. was seized with a dangerous illness, and expired on the 20th of June, 1837. And then came the proclamation: "We publish and proclaim that the high and mighty princess Alexandrina Victoria is the only lawful and rightful liege lady, and by the grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, defender of the faith." The princess was now a Queen, and, though young, artless, and blooming, she looked a queen, spoke as a queen, felt as a queen; and the country did her homage. But, though a queen, she felt also as a daughter and a niece, for she threw her arms round the neck of her mother and wept like a loving child. And when the Duke of Sussex, her favorite uncle, presented himself to take the oath of allegiance to her majesty, and was about to kneel in her presence to kiss her royal hand, she gracefully prevented him, bestowed an affectionate kiss on his cheek, and said, "Do not kneel, my uncle, for I am still Victoria your niece." The Duke of Sussex was wholly overcome by this proof of her condescension and love. At the early hour of five in the morning the Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl Albemarle, and Sir Henry Halford arrived at the palace of Kensington to communicate the event, and Lord Melbourne followed at nine, and had an interview of half an hour alone with the Princess Victoria. Lord Brougham, Mr. The first drawing-room of the queen was Bathurst, and the Speaker of the House of most splendid; and the scene on the 17th of Commons, followed. The lord mayor and July, when her majesty prorogued parliament the city marshals succeeded, and amongst in person, was one of deep interest and unprethe first of the members of the royal family cedented excitement. That also was one of to do homage to his niece as queen was that those pageants which must be seen and felt, very King of Hanover, who had been so often for it cannot be described. The breathmisrepresented to the Princess Victoria as less anxiety of the Duchess of Kent, the her enemy. deep and intense curiosity of the assembled The first privy council at Kensington Pal-peerage of the country, the roar of the canace was then held by her majesty. Upwards non, the shouts of the populace from without, of one hundred of the members of his late the solemn circumstances of a new reign, a majesty's most honorable privy council were youthful reign, and a woman's reign, over a there. It was a solemn and imposing scene. country unequalled in the world, cannot be on every side. The queen advanced towards the altar with an air of calm and dignified composure, the royal robe of crimson was gracefully upon her, and on her head was a circle of gold. She knelt devoutly; she prayed fervently. I here present unto you Queen Victoria, the undoubted queen of this realm," said the Archbishop of Canterbury; "wherefore all you, who are come this day to do her homage, are you willing to do the same?” painted or depicted on the canvass or on storied page. Her silvery voice, with all the freshness of her age, added music to the scene, as she delivered, with an easy dignity and a natural grace, her speech of prorogation. The admirable manner in which the queen of eighteen managed her naturally musical voice whilst reading her first address to the country, so as without the least apparent effort making herself heard at the very farthest part of the House of Lords, called for the general admiration of all who heard her. It The assembled multitudes replied by their was known, indeed, that her majesty was an smiles, their tears, their looks of affection, accomplished vocalist, and that she frequent- respect and love. The holy communion of ly entertained her noble circle by popular the body and blood of Christ succeeded. airs accompanied by the Duchess of Kent The queen partook of the same. How gloon the piano but it was feared, by those rious the association! She was a queen. who loved her best, that the moment of ap- Yes; but, what was far better, she was a pearing for the first time as queen before her Christian queen. Ah! who will forget the parliament would somewhat discompose her. sublime solemnity of that moment when the The queen formed her household. It was glorious anthem, "Come, Holy Ghost, our Whig. The queen continued the advisers of souls inspire!" preceded the anointing of the her uncle William IV. They were Whig. queen; nor yet those shouts of "God save The queen paid her first visit to Guildhall. the Queen!" "May the queen live for ever!" The Whigs again preponderated. Do I blame her for this? No. The queen's father was a Whig; the queen's mother and uncle Leopold were Whigs; the society in which she had most frequently associated had been Whig. She was a girl of eighteen. It would have been too much to expect that on ascending the throne she should have called at once to her councils other men entertaining other opinions, and viewing all great public questions in an opposite light. Besides which she had been led to believe that public opinion was Whig, that the new elections would be Whig, and that the Conservatives would still have to contend for some years with that spirit of democracy which the foreign revolutions and the domestic reformbill of 1830 had called into life or vigor. It was a charming thought of her majesty when she determined that the first message she should send down to the parliament in the following December should be one asking for a suitable provision for her royal mother, -for that mother who had watched her every hour with a maternal benignity and wisdom which could not be excelled, even if it could be rivalled. when the crowning had taken place, and when the venerable archbishop had placed on the youthful head of Victoria I. the crown of this mighty Christian land! That was a pageant which the oldest of us can never forget, and which the youngest still love to dwell upon and admire. That, too, was a remarkable and a solemn sight when the young and graceful monarch of these realms assembled the privy council and announced to the old, the sage, the reflecting men who surrounded her, that she had come to the resolution to ally herself in marriage to the Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg of Gotha. 'Deeply impressed," said the youthful queen, "with the solemnity of the engagement I am about to contract, I have not come to this decision without mature consideration, nor without feeling a strong assurance that, with the blessing of Almighty God, it will at once secure my domestic felicity and subserve to the interests of my crownand people.” The privy council smiled satisfaction. The old men gave her in their hearts their blessing. Men less advanced in years predicted much of happiness. And throughout the whole country but one feeling was displayed-it was that of unalloyed joy and unfeigned satisfaction. Next came the coronation. Never was such an event celebrated with more delight or enthusiasm. The Abbey was gorgeous The marriage followed. The old Chapel in attractions; the loveliness of our fair coun- Royal of St. James's looked splendidly gold trywomen surpassed description; the young and scarlet. None were sad or sorrowing and graceful monarch looked a goddess but the Duchess of Kent. She approved amongst her fair and beauteous ladies of the match, and she rejoiced at the choice honor and of rank. Tens of thousands of which had been made. But still the queen diamonds and precious stones glittered in the was her daughter, and from that moment she sunbeams, and sparks of light appeared to fly | became the property of another. Ay, so it was, and so it ever will be; no mother can see with unmixed satisfaction her daughter carried away from her embraces, and united by other ties to a man and a stranger. The queen looked pale and anxious; the scene was calm, solemn, and effective. As at her coronation, so at her marriage, she embraced her mother and the Queen Dowager of England; and in this she did well, for in the length and breadth of the land she cannot wellfind their equals. Who does not know that that marriage has led to the birth of the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess Alice Maud Mary? the first born on November 21, 1840, the second on November 9, 1841, and the third on April 26, 1843. And who does not know that the marriage has also been productive of nothing but happiness to the illustrious pair, and of the most unfeigned satisfaction to the whole country? The consort of the queen is, with the single exception of His Grace the Duke of Wellington, the most popular man in the land; and his conduct has been invariably such as to secure for him the respect of the old, the love of the young, and the admiration of all. But the queen is now surrounded by Conservatives: those who were once uncalled to her councils now indicate to her her policy and advise her in her high station. How is this? Is the queen less a Whig? No. Is the queen less mindful of the personally loyal conduct of Lord Melbourne, the Marquess of Lansdowne, or Lord John Russell? No. Does her majesty view all public questions in precisely the same light as the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, or the Earl of Aberdeen? Most assuredly not. But the queen is a constitutional queen. She was early taught the principles of that constitution. She knows that enlightened public opinion co-operates with, and regulates the decisions of, the crown. She perceived that parliament, the legal image of the public mind, had become Conservative; that the nation was wearied of contradictions and indecision, of feebleness, and want of power, where power ought to reside. Faithful to the friends of her father, her mother, her uncles Leopold and Sussex, and to the friends of her own youth, she tried them to the last. But the country spoke, through its constitutional organs, in a voice that could not be mistaken, and Sir Robert Peel was invited to form that cabinet to which her majesty has acted with good faith, kindness, condescension, and confidence. I am not about to discuss the merits of the two political parties between which the queen had to decide, since the queen has acted constitutionally, and her [private feelings and sympathies have not been suffered to interfere with her public duties and with the national will. The working of the political system of our British constitution is still a problem at St. Petersburgh and Constantinople, if not at Vienna and Rome; but that working is majestic, simple, and glorious. I have said nothing of the atrocious attempts to annoy, wound, and even destroy the life of her majesty. They are dark, dark spots in a reign of life and light. These attempts were viewed with unmingled horror by all her majesty's loving_subjects; and that very feeling has happily, I trust, for ever put a stop to a renewal of acts so unworthy of an enlightened, to say nothing of a Christian people. But it would be unjust and disloyal not to record, that on every successive attempt the queen has displayed a sang froid, a dignity, a calmness, a forbearance, a humanity, and a gentleness towards, or in behalf of, her blind and mistaken enemies, which has endeared her to the hearts of all who love their species, and who seek to repress crime by encouraging virtue. Those who have approached her majesty on all such occasions have been unanimous in the testimony they have borne to her magnanimity and courage, and have retired from her presence with the sentiment that she was indeed another illustrious scion of the house of Brunswick, a worthy descendant of the immortal George III. and "a liege lady and queen," worthy of wearing on her head the crown of this mighty empire. The last time I saw the fair queen of our blessed isles she was returning in her statecarriage from the late autumnal prorogation of parliament. I had seen her proceed to that ceremony with a calm, serious, decided air. She acknowledged, indeed, with dignity and grace the homage of the people, but her mind was in another spot. She was pale, thoughtful, determined. "O'Connell will have no loop-hole left," I remarked to a friend by my side. "The speech will be decisive, and treason will be abashed." Slowly moved the procession, and I was glad it did so, for I loved to see the royal pair, young, free, confiding, proceeding to meet the national representatives and the not less national peerage. It was a charming sight, and my memory occupied itself during her absence by recalling the scenes of her childhood and the changes of her still youthful years. In about three quarters of an hour the procession returned. The queen was pale and thoughtful no longer. Her face was flushed, her eyes were brilliant, her animation was great. She was conversing with Her Grace the Duchess of Bucceuch with extraordinary vivacity. She was at ease; her mind had been relieved of a burden; her face was lighted up with blushes, smiles, and the satisfaction which a queen will feel when she has done a good deed and maintained right principles. Yes, she had said to faction, "I love liberty; but I love order. I love the free institutions of my country; but I love the union of England and Ireland. I love the natural and easy progress of a constitutional government, and I would be the last to desire that Ireland should suffer from her connexion with England; but I will transmit to my children and to my children's children the sceptre and the crown undiminished in splendor and untarnished by submission to treason or to traitors. I love Ireland, too, the birthplace of so many of my best subjects, soldiers, and sailors; but I will -yes, I will maintain the legislative as well as the territorial union. I love the wild cry of the Irish mountaineer and of the Irish peasant; I love the hospitality of the Irish heart, the frankness of the Irish character, and the bravery of the Irish soul; but I love, also, the union of peace, harmony, loyalty, and obedience, with hospitality, frankness, and bravery. I am resolved, therefore, cost what it may-tears, sighs, opposition, factious clamor, and desperate effort-I am resolved for the sake of those who are deluded into the belief that the repeal of that union would be for the benefit, instead of the ruin of Ireland, yes, I am resolved, queen of these isles as I am, to maintain unimpaired and untarnished the union of Great Britain and Ireland !" The queen looked all this. The Duchess of Buccleuch was evidently delighted. Prince Albert was listening with attention and joy. The country heard her speech. The people saw her look. O'Connell read his fate; and from that moment repeal was impossible! GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! Yes, GOD SAVE THE QUEEN! BURNING OF KING WILLIAM'S COLLEGE.-It is with great regret we announce the nearly total destruction, by fire, on Sunday morning last, of the edifice, with its chapel and valuable library, known as King William's College, in the Isle of Man. The house of the vice-principal is the only portion of the building which has been spared. The library, collected originally by Bishop Wilson, and considerably increased by donations from the present Bishop of Sodor and Man, contained, it is stated, a curious collection of Bibles, from the time of Coverdale, in upwards of fifty different languages, and many unique manuscripts relating to Manx ecclesiastical affairs.-Ath. THE LAND OF THOUGHT. BY MRS. ABDY. From the Metropolitan. OH! prize it-'tis enchanted ground, To Man, unclaimed, unbought : The glorious Land of Thought. There, the bright treasures hoarded lie, And tales of ancient lore; There, Fancy's fresh and blooming flowers, With glittering dew-drops fraught, Sheltered from outward blasts and showers, Bloom in the Land of Thought. And there we greet a cherished host Of friends long-loved and dear, There, the lamented and the lost Before our gaze appear; Death woo'd them to his mansions chill, And won the prize he sought, But tender Memory guards them still, Within the Land of Thought. And there are glimpses pure and bright Of golden harps, of fields of light, In the wide Land of Thought. Wearied by sorrow, fear, and doubt, Oft turn we from the world without, The freedom of the lowliest hind Who owns the Land of Thought. Oh! is the land thus brightly decked The ravaged Land of Thought. Through worldly haunts to roam, How may we watch and guard it best? Oh! take it for thine own; The hallowed Land of Thought. CALENDARS AND ALMANACS. 1. Dr. C. G. Steinbeck's Aufrichtiger Ka- 2. Volks-Kalender der Deutschen, heraus- known, that an effort was made to reform the Calendar in this country as early as the reign of Queen Elizabeth-by the introduction of a bill, entitled-' An act, giving Her Majesty authority to alter and new make a Calendar, according to the Calendar used in other countries,' which was read a first time in the House of Lords, on the 16th of March, (27 Eliz.) 1584-5. This measure having however failed, for reasons which do not appear, Lord Chesterfield is entitled to the credit of having overcome, in this matter, John Bull's deep-rooted prejudice against novelty, and the following passage from one of his letters furnishes a very characteristic picture of the difficulties he had to contend with, and of the manner in which he surmounted them. After stating why he had determined to attempt the reformation of the Calendar, he 'WASTE not time, it is the stuff of which proceeds, "I consulted the best lawyers, and life is made,' was the saying of a great phi-the most skilful astronomers, and we cooked losopher who has concentrated the wisdom up a bill for that purpose. But then my dif of volumes in these few brief but most expressive words. All ages, all nations, have felt the truth of this definition of time; and as if with a presentiment of this all-wise injunction, not to waste the precious stuff of which life is made, have ever busied themselves with an endeavor to discover the best method of accurately measuring it. ficulty began: I was to bring in this bill, which was necessarily composed of law jargon and astronomical calculations, to both which I am an utter stranger. However, it was absolutely necessary to make the House of Lords think that I knew something of the matter; and also to make them believe that they knew something of it themselves, which they do not. For my own part I could just It forms no part of our present intention as soon have talked Celtic or Sclavonian to to record these different attempts; to trace them as astronomy, and they would have unthe various changes and corrections which derstood me full as well, so I resolved to do increasing knowledge has introduced into better than speak to the purpose, and to the Calendar; or to show wherein consisted please instead of informing them. I gave the superior accuracy of the Julian over the them, therefore, only an historical account Alban or Latin Calendar; or how Gregory of Calendars, from the Egyptian down to the XIII., upon finding that by the introduction Gregorian, amusing them now and then with of the Bissextile days, a difference of ten little episodes; but I was particularly attendays had arisen between the Calendar and tive to the choice of my words, to the harthe actual time, caused them to be abated in mony and roundness of my periods, to my elcthe year 1582, by having the 11th of March cution, to my action. This succeeded, and called the 21st, thereby making it for that ever will succeed; they thought I informed, year to consist of twenty-one days only. As because I pleased them, and many of them little need we dwell upon the fact that this said I had made the whole very clear to them, new, or Gregorian style, as it was called out when God knows I had not even attempted of respect to the Pope by whom it was intro- it. Lord Macclesfield, who had the greatest duced, was immediately adopted by all those share in forming the bill, and who is one of countries of Europe which recognised the the greatest mathematicians and astronomers papal authority; while, on the other hand, in Europe, spoke afterwards with infinite those who then held the opinion, so prevalent knowledge, and all the clearness that so ineven in our own days, that no good thing tricate a matter would admit of; but as his could come out of Rome, agreed in rejecting words, his periods, and his utterance, were it-so that it was only recognised by the not near so good as mine, the preference was Protestants of Germany in the year 1700, unanimously, though most unjustly, given to and by our own country in 1752. me. This will ever be the case; every numerous assembly is a mob, let the individuals who compose it be what they will. Mere reason and good sense is never to be talked Sir Harris Nicholas, in that most useful little book, his Chronology of History,' has pointed out the fact, which is very little |