The canopy borne by gentlemen of the privy chamber Ten gentlemen pensioners with their axes reversed Gentleman usher The ROYAL BODY, a canopy Garter principal king of Supporter to the chief mourner,< a duke arms Supporters of The canopy The procession having entered the church, passed along down to the end of the north aisle, and then crossed to the south aisle, and from thence to the said steps, and there fell off on each side, until the judges, the knights of the the bath, the privy-councillors, the peers, body, and chief mourners, &c., were placed in borne by gen- king Henry the VIIth's chapel. tlemen of the Ten gentle- axes reversed Gentleman usher of Two dukes and fourteen earls, assistants to the chief mourner Lords of the bed-chamber Second gentleman usher of the privy-chamber The remaining part of the band of gentlemen pensioners Yeomen of the guard to close the ceremony. The procession went from the prince's chamber through the Old Palace-yard, on foot, to the great north-door of the abbey; and the At the entrance within the church, the dean and prebendaries in their copes, attended by the choir, all having wax tapers in their hands, received the royal body, and fell into the procession just before Clarencieux king of arms, and so proceeded singing into king Henry the VIIth's chapel, where the body was deposited on tressels, (the crown and cushion being laid at the head) and the canopy held over it by the gentlemen of the privy chamber, while the service, according to the liturgy of the church of England, was read by the bishop of Rochester, dean of Westminster; and the chief mourner, and his two supporters, were seated on chairs placed for them at the head of the corpse; and the lords assistants seated on stools on each side; and the lords of the bedchamber, &c., were seated; and the peers and others took their seats in the stalls on each side of the choir. When the part of the service before the interment was read, the royal corpse was carried to the vault, preceded by the lord chamberlain of the household, the chief mourner, his supporters and assistants following, Garter going before them, and the white-staff officers of his late majesty's household, who placed themselves near the vault. The royal corpse being interred, the dean of Westminster went on with the office of burial, which ended, and an anthem sung in the choir, Garter, king of arms proclaimed his late majesty's style as followeth : Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto his Divine mercy, the late most high, most mighty, and most excellent monarch, George IId, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, and sovereign of the most Now they are numbered among the saints, and their lot is among the children of men. They shall receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as burnt-offerings. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their lord shall reign for ever. They shall be our guide unto death. We subjoin some interesting passages from Horace Walpole's letters. They are written in parts, with a levity somewhat discordant with noble order of the garter, duke of Brunswick and Lunen- the sorrow then so justly felt by all parties; burg, arch-treasurer and elector of the holy Roman empire. but they contain also so much that is honourLet us beseech Almighty God to bless and preserve, able to the character of our late revered mowith long life, health, and honour, and all worldly hap-narch, that we cannot refrain from inserting piness the most high and most excellent monarch, our them. sovereign lord George IIId, now, by the grace of God, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and sovereign of the most noble order of the is garter, duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, arch-treasurer and elector of the holy Roman empire.-God save king George the Third. The following anthem, composed by Dr. William Boyce, master of his majesty's band of musicians, was performed at the funeral. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. Arlington-street, Nov. 4, 1760. I am not gone to Houghton, you see my lord Orford come to town, and I have persuaded him to stay and perform decencies. King George II. is dead; richer than sir Robert Brown, though perhaps not so rich as my lord Hard wicke*. He has left 50,000l. between the duke, Emily, and Mary: the duke has given up his share. To lady Yarmouth, a cabinet with the contents; they call it 11,000l. By a German deed, he gives the duke, to the value of 180,000l., placed on mortgages not immediately recoverable! He had once given him twice as much In the sight of the unwise, they seem to die, but they more, then revoked it, and at last excused the revocation are in peace. on the pretence of the expenses of the war; but owns he For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet was the best son that ever lived, and had never offended is their hope full of immortality. him-a pretty strong comment on the affair of ClosterThe hope of the ungodly is like the smoke driven with seven. He gives him besides all his jewels in England, the wind, and passeth away like a shadow. but had removed all his best to Hanover, which he makes crown-jewels, and his successor residuary legatee. But the righteous live for evermore. George II, was considered to die immensely rich, but it is certain that his property did not amount to that sum which was currently reported at the time. Indeed it was not generally known, that he employed his surplus money in the purchase of lands and the aggrandizement of the electorate of Hanover. At his accession, the revenue of Hanover did not exceed 300,000l., but it was increased by the purchase of Bremen and Verden by the king for rather more than 500,000l.; he also bought in for above 100,000l. the revenue of the postage of the electorate, which was an hereditary grant to the counts of Platen: He also paid 30,000l. for the fortress and estate of Steinhorst; and it was computed that he expended above a million sterling on the purchase of other lands in his favourite electorate. The duke too has some uncounted cabinets. My lady Suffolk has given me a particular of his jewels, which plainly amount to 150,000l. It happened oddly to my lady Suffolk. Two days before he died, she went to make a visit at Kensington; not knowing of the review, she found herself hemmed-in by coaches, and was close to him whom she had not seen for so many years, and to my lady Yarmouth, but they did not know her; it struck her and made her very sensible to his death. The changes hang back. Nothing material has been altered yet. Ned Finch, the only thing my lady Yarmouth told the new king she had to ask for, is made surveyor of the roads, in the room of sir Harry Erskine, who is to have an old regiment. He excuses himself from seeing company, as favourite of the favourite. Arthur is removed from being clerk of the wine-cellar-a sacrifice to morality. The archbishop has such hopes of the young king, that he is never out of the circle! He trode upon the duke's foot, on Sunday, in the haste of his zeal, The duke said to him, "My lord, if your grace is in such a hurry to make your court, that is the way." Bon-mots come thicker than changes. Charles Townshend, receiving an account of the impression the king's death had made, was told, Miss Cudleigh cried. "What," said he, "Oysters?" And last night, Mr. Dauncey, asking George Selwyn if princess Emily would have a guard? He replied, "Now and then one, I suppose." Arlington-street, Nov. 13, 1760. Even the honey-moon of a new reign don't produce events every day. There is nothing but the common saying of addresses and kissing hands. The chief difficulty is settled lord Gower yields the mastership of the horse to lord Huntingdon, and removes to the great wardrobe, from whence sir Thomas Robinson was to have gone into Ellis's place, but he is saved. The city, however, have a mind to be out of humour; a paper has been fixed on the Royal Exchange, with these words :-"No petticoat -government, no Scotch minister, no lord George Sackville;" two hints totally unfounded, and the other scarce true. No petticoat ever governed less; it is left at Leicester-house lord George's breeches are as little concerned; and except lady Susan Stuart and sir Harry Erskine, nothing has yet been done for any Scots. For the king himself, he seems all good nature, and wishing to satisfy every body; all his speeches are obliging. I saw him again yesterday, and was surprised to find the leveeroom had lost so entirely the air of the lion's den. This sovereign don't stand in one spot, with his eyes fixed royally on the ground, and dropping bits of German news; he walks about, and speaks to every body. I saw him afterwards on the throne, where he is graceful and genteel, sits with dignity, and reads his answers to addresses well; it was the Cambridge address carried by the duke of Newcastle in his doctor's gown, and looking like the Medecin malgre lui. He had been vehemently solicitous for attendance, for fear my lord Westmorland, who vouchsafes himself to bring the address from Oxford, should outnumber him. Lord Lichfield, and several other jacobites, have kissed hands. George Selwyn says, "They go to St. James's, because now there are so many Stuarts there." Do you know, I had the curiosity to go to the burying t'other night: I had never seen a royal funeral; nay, I walked as a rag of quality, which I found would be, and so it was, the easiest way of seeing it. It is absolutely a noble sight. The prince's chamber, hung with purple, and a quantity of silver lamps; the coffin under a canopy of purple velvet, and six vast chandeliers of silver on high stands, had a very good effect. The ambassador from Tripoli and his son were carried to see that chamber. The procession, through a line of foot-guards, every seventh man bearing a torch; the horse-guards lining the outsides, their officers with drawn sabres, and crape sashes, on horseback, the drums muffled, the fifes, bells tolling, and minute guns-all this was very solemn. But the charm was the entrance of the Abbey, where we were received by the dean and chapter, in rich robes, the choir and alms-men bearing torches; the whole Abbey so illuminated, that one saw it to greater advantage than by day; the tombs, long aisles, and fretted roof, all appearing distinctly, and with the happiest chiaro obscuro. There wanted nothing but incense and little chapels here and there, with priests saying mass for the repose of the defunct; yet one could not complain of its not being catholic enough. I had been in dread of being coupled with some boy of ten years old; but the heralds were not very accurate, and I walked with George Grenville, taller and older, to keep me in countenance. When we came to the chapel of Henry VII., all solemnity and decorum ceased-no order was observed; people sat or stood where they could or would; the yeomen of the guard were crying out for help, oppressed by the immense weight of the coffin. The bishop read sadly, and blundered in the prayers: the fine chapter, "Man that is born of a woman," was chanted, not read; and the anthem, besides being immeasurably tedious, would have served as well for a nuptial. The real serious part was the figure of the duke of Cumberland, heightened by a thousand melancholy circumstances. He had a dark-brown adonis, and a cloak of black cloth, with a train of five yards. Attending the funeral of a father could not be pleasant; his leg extremely bad, yet forced to stand upon it near two hours; his face bloated and distorted with his late paralytic stroke, which has affected too one of his eyes; and placed over the mouth of the vault, into which, in all probability, he must himself so soon descend-think how unpleasant a situation! He bore it all with a firm and unaffected countenance. This grave scene was fully contrasted by the burlesque duke of Newcastle. He fell into a fit of crying the moment he came into the chapel, and flung himself back in a stall, the archbishop hovering over him with a smelling-bottle; but in two minutes his curiosity got the better of his hypocrisy, and he ran about the chapel with his glass, to spy who was or was not there, spying with one hand and mopping his eyes with the other. Then returned the fear of catching cold; and the duke of Cumberland, who was sinking with heat, felt himself weighed down, and turning round, found it was the duke of Newcastle standing upon his train to avoid the chill of the marble. It was very theatric to look down into the vault where the coffins lay, attended by mourners with lights. Clavering, the groom of the bed-chamber, refused to sit up with the body, and was dismissed by the king's order. I have nothing more to tell you but a trifle, a very trifle. The king of Prussia has totally defeated marshal Daun. This, which would have been prodigious news a month ago, is nothing to-day; it only takes its turn among the questions, "Who is to be groom of the bedchamber? What is Sir Thomas Robinson to have?" I have been to Leicester-fields to-day; the crowd was immoderate; I don't believe it will continue so. Good night. Yours ever, HORACE WALPOLE. Strawberry-hill, Monday, Nov. 24, 1760. Unless I were to send you journals, lists, catalogues, go to court to present addresses, or to be presented, I can tell you nothing new. The day the king went to the house I was three quarters of an hour getting through Whitehall: there were subjects enough to set up half a dozen petty kings; the pretender would be proud to reign over the footmen only; and, indeed, unless he acquires some of them, he will have no subjects left; all their masters flock to St. James's; and the palace is so thronged that I will stay till some people are discontented. The first night the king went to the play, which was civilly on a Friday, not on the opera night, as he used to do, the whole audience sung "God save the King," in chorus. For the first act the press was so great at the door, that no ladies could go to the boxes, and only the servants appeared there, who kept places; at the end of the second act the whole mob broke in, and seated themselves: yet all this zeal is not likely to last, though he so well deserves it. Seditious papers are again stuck up; one t' other day in Westminsterhall declared against a Saxe-Gothan princess. The archbishop, who is never out of the drawing-room, has great hopes from the king's goodness, that he shall make something of him—that is, something bad of him. On the address, Pitt and his zany Beckford quarrelled, on the latter's calling the campaign languid. ****. This is a very brief letter; I fear this reign will soon furnish longer. When the last king could be beloved, a young man with a good heart has little chance of being so. Moreover, I have a maxim, that the extinction of party is the origin of faction. Good night. and whether the sentiments of his first speech | assistance, and the blessing of Heaven upon our joint enbreathed a desire to continue the war, or to bring deavours, which I devoutly implore. it to a speedy conclusion. His majesty went to the house of peers, attended in the state coach by the earl of Huntingdon, master of the horse, and the earl of Bute, groom of the stole. The concourse of people, of all descriptions, was unprecedented; and it was generally remarked, that on no similar occasion had the crowd been so great, nor did the people ever appear so unanimous in testifying their applause. His majesty was pleased to express his satisfaction, both in his countenance and behaviour, by bowing from each window several times as he passed along. Her royal highness the princess of Wales, with the greater part of the royal family, were in the octagon-room, at Carlton-house, which looks into the park, to see his majesty. Being seated on the throne, his majesty, under evident symptoms of embarrassment, but which he overcome in a short time, delivered the following memorable speech; a speech which should ever be regarded by Englishmen, not only on account of the excellence of its sentiments, but what is of still greater import, as exhibiting a faithful picture of the corresponding conduct of him who delivered it. My lords and gentlemen, Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton; and the peculiar happiness of my life will loyalty and warm affection to me, I consider as the ever consist in promoting the welfare of a people, whose greatest and most permanent security of my throne; and I doubt not, but their steadiness in those principles will equal the firmness of my invariable resolution to adhere. to, and strengthen this excellent constitution in church and state, and to maintain the toleration inviolable. The civil and religious rights of my loving subjects are equally dear to me with the most valuable prerogatives of my crown; and as the surest foundation of the whole, and the best means to draw down the Divine favour on my reign, it is my fixed purpose to countenance and encourage the practice of true religion and virtue. I reflect, with pleasure, on the successes, with which the British arms have been prospered this last summer. The total reduction of the vast province of Canada, with the city of Montreal, is of the most interesting conse quence, and must be as heavy a blow to my enemies, as it is a conquest glorious to us; the more glorious, because effected almost without effusion of blood, and character of this nation. with that humanity which makes an amiable part of the Our advantages gained in the East Indies have been signal; and must greatly diminish the strength and trade of France in those parts, as well as procure the most solid benefits to the commerce and wealth of my subjects. In Germany, where the whole French force has been employed, the combined army under the wise and able has not only stopt their progress, but has gained advantages over them, notwithstanding their boasted superiority, and their not having hitherto come to a general engagement. The just concern which I have felt in my own breast on the sudden death of the late king, my royal grand-conduct of my general, prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, father, makes me not doubt, but you must all have been deeply affected with so severe a loss. The present critical and difficult conjuncture has made this loss the more sensible, as he was the great support of that system, by which alone the liberties of Europe, and the weight and influence of these kingdoms can be preserved, and gave life to measures conducive to those important ends. I need not tell you the addition of weight which immediately falls upon me, in being called to the government of this free and powerful country at such a time, and under such circumstances. My consolation is in the uprightness of my own intentions, your faithful and united My good brother and ally, the king of Prussia, although surrounded with numerous armies of enemies, has, with a magnanimity and perseverance almost beyond example, not only withstood their various attacks, but has obtained very considerable victories over them. Of these events I shall say no more at this time, because the nature of the war in those parts has kept the campaign there still depending. |