his majesty king George the fourth. The city marshal having communicated with the lord mayor, his lordship ordered Athlone with his escort to be admitted. As soon as his lordship's assent was announced, the procession, amidst the loudest acclamations, the sound of trumpets, and martial music, passed through the barrier. at as quick a pace as possible. At five minutes past two o'clock the king's barouche advanced through the gate, and drew up immediately within the barrier. It is quite impossible to describe the immense reiteration of acclamations which hailed the king upon his entrance into the city; they were of the most enthusiastic and heartfelt description. His majesty stood up in the barouche and bowed repeatedly to the immense multitude around him; thousands of voices by an instantaneous impulse vociferated "God save the king." ""God bless your majesty." The king surveyed the assembled multitude with an air of condescension and affability; he bowed incessantly, waved his hat in his hand, looked towards the windows and tops of the houses, which were filled by elegantly dressed females (prince and princess Esterhazy and the marchioness of Conyngham were in one of the near windows), and smilingly repeated his obeisances in a familiar manner. The king repeatedly held up his hat, and pointed with his right hand to the large shamrock which decorated the front, and then with his finger touched his heart, as it were' to indicate that the national emblem had its root in his bosom.

The recorder welcomed his majesty upon his entrance into the

city, in a speech for which we regret we have not room.

During its delivery, his majesty stood up uncovered, and repeatedly bowed to the corporation. When the lord mayor presented his majesty with the keys of the city, upon a silver salver, the king immediately replied to the lord mayor, "Take back your keys, my lord, they cannot be in better hands." When the city sword was held up for presentation to his majesty, the king barely lifted it from the lord mayor, and immediately restored it again. When the civic forms were concluded, the corporation resumed their seats in their carriages. The procession did not move on, however, through the city, for upwards of twenty minutes. The king during that time was engaged in receiving the congratulations of his people within the barrier: they pressed upon him on all sides, and it was in vain for the cavalry to attempt to extricate the sovereign's coach from the encompassing grasp of the populace. The horses of the dragoons were almost unmanageable, they were kept by the fluctuating pressure of the crowd in a state of constant motion, just as if swimming; the barouche was at times so shaken, that the noblemen who sat opposite his majesty on three or four occasions were under the necessity of supporting the arms of the king to enable his majesty to stand in an erect posture. During this period the loudest reiteration of sentiments of affection issued from the clamorous thousands; the king, who seemed much affected, repeatedly said, "I thank you, my friends-God bless you all-I shall ever remember these proofs

of

of your attachment." After the pause we have described, the procession moved on.

66

During its progress, sir Benjamin Bloomfield repeatedly rode up to take the royal commands, and from the circumstance of his wearing a shamrock in his hat also, he was the object of much applause, even where he was not known to be his majesty's confidential attendant. Sir Benjamin exultingly said to the king in that part of the procession when the most enthusiastic demonstrations of attachment were shown by the multitude, "May it please your majesty, have I any reason to be ashamed of my countrymen?""No, no, my dear Bloomfield," replied his majesty, they are a fine, a noble people." Just as the king passed the Exchange, a living dove, whose wings were fastened to a laurel wreath drawn across from the Exchange to a neighbouring house, was let down by those who sustained the wreath into the royal carriage. The king took the bird of peace between his hands, and appeared highly gratified at this singular mark of respect and attention. At half past two o'clock the procession entered the castle gates, amid a royal salute, having been exactly two hours and a half moving from the lodge to the castle. The civic authorities and nobility here took leave of his majesty, as he alighted at the palace. The king immediately after appeared at the windows over the portico, between the lord lieutenant and lord Sidmouth, and was loudly cheered. His majesty repeatedly placed his hand upon his heart, and bowed to those who had given him so enthusiastic a reception. He held

out his hat from the window, and pointed to the shamrock; the sentiment it expressed was enthusiastically cheered. The king bowed to those around him repeatedly, and earnestly expressed the warm and lively sense he entertained of the reception he had just experienced upon his entrance to, and progress through, the Irish capital; he repeated the same satisfaction to several of the Irish nobility who were introduced to him while he remained in the castle, and more than once hinted his determination to gratify the people often with his presence, and to impress upon their gentry the duty and necessity of residing more constantly amongst a race so full (to use the royal words) of "the noblest qualities." different public bodies charged with the presentation of addresses appointed for reception this day, withdrew from the procession as the king alighted, and went up afterwards on foot to the castle, preceded by bands of music, and passing through a part of the immense cavalcade of equestrians who closed the royal procession. There were upwards of 500 carriages in the procession, and there could not havebeen less than 10,000 equestrians; add to this nearly the whole population of the metropolis, and above 30,000 visitors, who were attracted to the spot from the country.

The

His majesty, before four o'clock, entered the presence chamber, and the ceremonial of the lord lieutenant presenting to him the sword of state took place. His majesty afterwards received, on the throne, the following address :

"We, your majesty's ever faithful and devoted subjects, the lord mayor, sheriffs, commons, and citizens of the city of Dublin, impressed with sentiments of unbounded veneration for your majesty's sacred person and government, beg leave to embrace the earliest moment of tendering to your majesty our dutiful and most heartfelt congratulations on your arrival in this part of your majesty's dominions.

"That the monarch of the greatest

empire upon earth, under whose paternal sway our rights, laws, and liberties, have been most anxiously protected and secured, should, almost the instant after the crown had been placed upon his head, in performance of the august ceremony of his coronation, have ordered arrangements for his most gracious visit to Ireland, must to us, in common with the rest of our countrymen, be matter of just exultation and pride. But there is another consideration, sire, which gives additional interest to the present scene, and cannot but contribute to render this day for ever dear to the recollection of Irishmen. "History informs us, that some

of your royal predecessors have visited this country; but, the same authority obliges us to add, under untoward circumstances, and in periods of national agitation and disunion. How delightfully contrasted the occasion upon which your majesty appears amongst us! In the person of you, royal sire, we behold the first monarch who has landed upon our shores, to receive the enthusiastic ho

mage of the entire island, and, in the rapture of a nation's welcome, to partake of the happiness he communicates. "You are now, sire, about to enter your ancient and loyal city of Dublin. The acclamations of assembled thousands accompany your majesty's advancethey are the richest offerings which love and gratitude can make, for they are the spontaneous bursts of the heart, and are sure to be received with a corresponding emotion by a sovereign, whose first ambition has uniformly been to reign in the affections of all his people."

The following answer was returned :

"

"I am highly gratified by this testimony of your affectionate and zealous attachment to my person and government. It is with inexpressible satisfaction that I visit this part ofmy dominions. I am justly sensible how largely its inhabitants have contributed to the power and glory of the empire; and the feelings which have been manifested towards me upon the present occasion, have made a deep and indelible impression upon my heart. "The manner in which you have

evinced these feelings demands my warmest thanks. Be assured that my loyal city of Dublin will ever stand high in my confidence and esteem, and that I shall at all times be anxious to promote, to the utmost of my power, its welfare, prosperity, and happiness." The king also received an address from the clergy, presented by the archbishops and bishops;

which his majesty thus graciously answered:"I return you my warmest thanks for this loyal and dutiful address. Your congratulations upon my arrival in this part of my kingdom afford me the most heartfelt satisfaction. I am highly gratified by the testimony which you now present to me of your affectionate and faithful attachment to my person and throne.

"You may be assured of my firm

and constant support of our established church, and I rely with confidence on your assiduity and earnestness in the discharge of the sacred duties of your ministry; and upon your zealous and unremitting endeavours, both by precept and example, to promote and cherish the benevolence and charities of our holy religion, amongst all classes and descriptions of your fellow-subjects."

The king's answer to a loyal address from the University presented by the provost, fellows, and scholars of Trinity College, ran thus:

"It is with the greatest satisfaction that I receive such a testimony of your feelings upon my arrival in this country, and of your affectionate and firm attachment to my person and go

vernment.

"In visiting this part of my kingdom, it is my earnest wish to manifest the high sense which I entertain of the value of those excellent institutions and establishments with which it abounds. The University of Dublin holds among them a most distinguished place. Experience at tests that within your walls

cultivation has been given to genius, useful knowledge has been acquired, and those principles implanted, from which the public has in very numerous instances derived advantages the most splendid and important.

"It will, I am persuaded, be your constant endeavour to maintain and increase the reputation which you have so justly obtained; and, in the discharge of the duties which belong to your several stations, you may be assured of my constant favour and protection."

The illuminations at night were on the most splendid scale: the weather, which had auspiciously held up during the royal procession, unfortunately changed early in the evening, and the rain fell almost without intermission; this did not prevent the illuminations from being carried on with extensive arrangements, nor the streets from being crowded with com pany.

We are not, however, to appreciate the loyalty of a people, or the attachment of a sovereign, by the set forms of address and congratulation merely; although these will reciprocally acquire a certain tone and manner from the genuine sentiments of the heart, which ceremony cannot wholly conceal; but our judgment must be dictated by other and intelligible manifestations. If ever the enthusiasm of the heart was truly displayed upon any occasion, we believe it to have been evinced on this very interesting visit of his majesty to his Irish subjects; when the former were no less gratified to bestow, what the latter was equally delighted to receive, the indubitable

tokens