Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales: 1863-1888 Part 15

It was not in the Metropolis alone, that the rejoicing was universal.

Every city and town had its festivities, and its services of thanksgiving in Church and Chapel. Addresses came, by hundreds, from all quarters, and the announcement was made of holiday gatherings, of crowded meetings, of illuminations, and every form of public rejoicing.

The telegraph flashed news of similar excitement throughout the whole of the Empire; and religious services were held wherever Englishmen are found on the Continent, in the Colonies, and in India. If ever a rejoicing could be called national and imperial, it was this, on the Thanksgiving Day for the recovery of the Prince of Wales.

The service commenced with the _Te Deum_, composed expressly for the occasion by Dr. Goss. The music of the anthem, from the words of Psalm 118th, verses 14-21, and 28, was by the same composer. Among other musical pieces was the choral hymn, "Gotha," by the Prince Consort. The whole of the service, devotional and musical, was most impressive, and the special prayers and thanksgivings were joined in by the vast congregation with devoutest feeling. It was noted by one who was present, with regard to the familiar "General Thanksgiving," that "the sublimity of the service culminated, and reached its highest and intensest expression, during the silent pause which followed the inserted words: "Particularly to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who desires now to offer up his praises and thanksgiving for Thy late mercies vouchsafed to him."" The famous words which close the poem of the Seasons: "Come then expressive silence muse His praise," could be well understood in that perfect pause of a few moments, almost awful in its intensity, in the service at St. Paul's Cathedral. When the anthem had been sung, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a short sermon or address, from Romans xii. 5: "Every one members one of another." This was followed by the special Thanksgiving Hymn, written by the Rev. J. S.

Stone, author of "The Church's one foundation," and "Sonnets of the Sacred year." It was sung to the good and familiar tune _Aurelia_, by Dr. S. Wesley. Then the Archbishop p.r.o.nounced the benediction. When the organ sounded the grand notes of the National Anthem, Her Majesty came forward and bowed twice, and the Prince bowed also. The organ continued to play variations of the anthem as the Royal procession moved down the nave. Thus ended this grand and joyful service, which will be remembered in English history.

Altogether it is with the utmost gratification we can look back upon that memorable 27th of February. A demonstration more general and spontaneous has not been recorded even in the annals of this loyal nation. Among high and low, rich and poor, there was one harmonious spirit of thankful joy, in regard to the recovery of the Prince. But apart from the special and personal aspect of the occasion, there was much to cause national gratulation. The combined feeling of religion and of loyalty showed that in this England of ours, the divine precepts: "Fear G.o.d, Honour the King," are as inseparable as they are powerful, and that their influence pervades the nation, when circ.u.mstances call them into exercise.

The words of the "Thanksgiving Hymn" well express the sentiment of the whole service of the day:--

"O Thou our soul's salvation!

Our Hope for earthly weal!

We, who in tribulation Did for Thy mercy kneel, Lift up glad hearts before Thee, And eyes no longer dim, And for Thy grace adore Thee In eucharistic hymn.

"Forth went the nation weeping With precious seed of prayer, Hope's awful vigil keeping 'Mid rumours of despair; Then did Thy love deliver!

And from Thy gracious hand, Joy, like the southern river, O'erflowed the weary land.

"Bless Thou our adoration!

Our gladness sanctify!

Make this rejoicing nation To Thee by joy more nigh; O be this great Thanksgiving Throughout the land we raise, Wrought into holier living In all our after days!

"Bless, Father, him Thou gavest Back to the loyal land, O Saviour, him Thou savest, Still cover with Thine Hand: O Spirit, the Defender, Be his to guard and guide, Now in life's midday splendour On to the eventide!"

What may be the depth of the duration of the feelings thus alluded to, it is not for man to judge; but it is not as mere forms, that in tens of thousands of churches there are still uttered, week by week and day by day, prayers for the Queen, and for the Prince and Princess of Wales,--expressing the faith, and the goodwill, and the loyalty, of the people of this empire, as truly and heartily as on that special thanksgiving day in St. Paul's.

NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

_June 19th, 1872._

The loyal people of King's Lynn and its neighbourhood retained pleasant remembrance of the festival time when, in 1869, the Prince and Princess of Wales came to open the new Alexandra Dock. In 1872 they were gladdened by the announcement that the Royal visitors were again coming from Sandringham, on the 19th June, to visit their ancient town, at the annual exhibition of the Norfolk Agricultural Society. At the east gate of Lynn the Royal carriage was met by the Mayor, who, with the Town Clerk, and two leading citizens, asked permission to conduct the Prince and Princess through the town. The Earl of Leicester and Lord Sondes were in the Royal carriage, a third carriage containing Lord Sheffield and Lady Anne c.o.ke. At the entrance of the Show, an address was read, from the Norfolk Agricultural a.s.sociation, to which the Prince made the following reply:--

"Gentlemen,--I thank you sincerely for this address. It has been a source of the greatest gratification to have had it in my power to contribute in any degree to the success of your a.s.sociation and to promote the interests of agriculture in Norfolk. It is with these feelings that I have endeavoured to make myself acquainted with some of the operations of farming, and to acquire some knowledge of stock, and if I have not always been successful in the path of compet.i.tion, I have at least obtained prizes sufficient to encourage me to persevere, and to indulge in the hope that I shall obtain more. The Princess is always willing to come among you,--and to be present on occasions like the present. We both desire to take this opportunity of expressing the deep sense we entertain of the sympathy and interest which were manifested towards us in our late trials by yourselves and by every cla.s.s in the county of Norfolk."

Then followed the inspection of the Show, and the parade of the prize animals before the Grand Stand. The Prince was a successful exhibitor, having taken a second prize in Shorthorn heifers, a second prize in the cla.s.s of ponies not above thirteen hands high, a first prize for the best Southdown ram, the second prize in Southdown ewe lambs, a second prize for ten wether lambs, two prizes (second and third) in the cla.s.s of Norfolk and Suffolk red-polled cattle.

In the afternoon at a banquet attended by a large number of guests, the Prince took the chair, with the Princess of Wales on his right. Grace having been said by the Bishop of Norwich, the toast of "The Queen" was received with enthusiasm, and the Earl of Leicester then gave "The Health of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family." He tendered the thanks of the society to the Prince of Wales for the aid which he had extended to agriculture, for his liberal a.s.sistance to the local charities, for the interest which he had displayed in county affairs, and, last but not least, for his support to the fox-hounds. The society was also still more indebted to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales for her gracious presence that evening.

Ladies ought always to interest themselves in their husbands' pursuits, and he believed that agriculture came quite within their province. The Earl next alluded to the illness of the Prince of Wales in December last, and expressed his hope that His Royal Highness's life might long be spared, as it would be devoted to the welfare of the people of England, and the promotion of all that was good and n.o.ble. The toast was drunk with rounds of cheering, renewed when the Prince rose to reply.

His Royal Highness said that "he and the Princess were deeply thankful for the reception which they had experienced during the day. He was very glad that it had been in his power to fulfil the promise which he gave some time since that he would preside over the meeting. It had been a success, and he should ever esteem it a high compliment to have been a.s.sociated with it.

During the ten years in which he had lived in Norfolk, he had endeavoured not to lag behind those other county landlords who so ably fulfilled their duties. It would always be his earnest endeavour to promote the welfare of the county, in which he was much interested. He had to thank the meeting for the kind reception which the Princess of Wales always experienced whenever she appeared in public. It was most desirable that ladies should a.s.sociate themselves in their husbands' pursuits, and when the Princess did not accompany him he always felt that there was something wanting. With regard to his illness, he should never forget the sympathy which had been extended towards him. He accepted that sympathy as a token of the feeling of this great and enlightened country towards himself and the Princess, the Queen, his mother, and the Monarchical system which we had adopted."

After acknowledgment had been made by Lord Leicester, for the toast of the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, and the Bishop had responded for the Clergy, the Prince rose to give what he called the toast of the evening: "Prosperity to the Norfolk Agricultural a.s.sociation."

His Royal Highness traced "the progress of the society and especially the rapid advance which it had made since it adopted the principle of holding its Shows periodically in all the towns of the county, instead of limiting its meetings to Norwich and Swaffham only. At the present Show there were sixty more stock entries and one hundred more implements. Norfolk had always been held up as a great agricultural county, and was the home of the great n.o.bleman, better known as 'c.o.ke of Norfolk.' The fame of c.o.ke of Norfolk had not been forgotten by his son, the present Earl of Leicester. The county was a great cattle-breeding county, the home of such men as Lord Sondes, Mr. Brown, Mr.

Aylmer, and Mr. Overman. One other great Norfolk breeder, the late Lord Walsingham, had pa.s.sed away, but he trusted that the present Lord Walsingham would continue to maintain the reputation of the Merton flock.

"His Royal Highness expressed his own great personal interest in the Society and in the cause of agriculture generally. His late father, the Prince Consort, always felt the greatest interest in agriculture, and used to take his children to inspect his prize animals. It might be desirable to increase the area of the Society on the model of the Bath and West of England Society, by bringing in Suffolk, Cambridges.h.i.+re, and Ess.e.x. For his own part, he supported such an extension of the Society. A landlord ought to feel a pride in having the working cla.s.ses properly housed on his estate. Those who worked from morning to night should find a comfortable house, which would promote their moral and social wellbeing. He had endeavoured to improve the cottages on his own estate, and he felt pride and satisfaction in having his workmen properly housed. In conclusion, His Royal Highness strongly supported the idea of having a great county school for Norfolk, and said it would give him the greatest pleasure to support the enterprise."

After various other toasts, the last being "The Ladies," proposed by the Royal chairman, the Prince and Princess returned to Sandringham.

AT GREAT YARMOUTH.

_July 5th, 1872._

The Prince of Wales visited Yarmouth on Thursday, the 5th of July, 1872, and remained till Sat.u.r.day as the guest of Mr. Cuddon at Shadingfield-lodge. The object of the visit was to open the New Grammar School, and more especially the official inspection of the Norfolk Artillery Militia, of which the Prince is Honorary Colonel. The good people of Yarmouth, however, were resolved to make the visit a general holiday, and great preparations were made for giving a loyal and enthusiastic reception. The town was gay with decorations, and the pa.s.sage through the streets was like a triumphal procession. In replying to the Address of the Mayor and Corporation, the Prince said:--

"It was most gratifying to me to receive in February last the congratulations you offered me on my recovery from illness, and my gratification is increased at having it now in my power to thank you personally for your kindness and sympathy."

Reference was made to the same subject, in a feeling speech, in which the Prince responded to the toast of his health, at a banquet given by the Mayor:--

"Allow me to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for the very kind and touching manner in which you have proposed my health, and to return you all my sincere thanks for the cordial manner in which you have drunk it. I a.s.sure you it gives me more than ordinary pleasure to be here to-day. This is the first occasion since my return from abroad that I have met with an official reception, and my pleasure is increased from the fact that I regard myself as a Norfolk man. I have also to acknowledge the very high honour conferred upon me last year in my having been appointed Honorary Colonel of the Norfolk Militia Artillery, and to say how glad I am to find on coming to inspect them that they have their head-quarters at Yarmouth, for although my residence is not very near you, still you will believe me when I a.s.sure you that I entertain the same sentiments with regard to your borough of Great Yarmouth as I do towards Lynn, and all the other towns of Norfolk. I have also again to thank you for your sympathy during my illness. It is difficult for me now to speak upon that subject, but as it has pleased Almighty G.o.d to preserve me to my country I hope I may not be ungrateful for the feeling which has been shown towards me, and that I may do all that I can to be of use to my countrymen. I will not detain you much longer, but before sitting down it affords me great pleasure to propose to you a toast which I am sure you will all drink most heartily, and that is the health of the Mayor. I regard him as the representative of the people of Yarmouth, and tender to him my warmest thanks for the cordial and impressive welcome I have received. I feel convinced that, although my stay among you will unfortunately be short, it will be agreeable; and I trust that the sun which s.h.i.+nes so brilliantly at present will continue to favour us during the next two days."

His Royal Highness was loudly cheered throughout his speech, especially upon his declaration that he was a Norfolk man, and still more so upon referring to his recovery.

The Mayor having responded, the Prince rose and proceeded to his carriage, and drove at a slow pace by a circuitous route through the town and along the Marine Parade to the Grammar School. Here he was received by the Head Master, and an Address was presented by Sir Edmund Lacon, Chairman of the Trustees of the School, to which the Prince replied:--

"I thank you sincerely for the expressions of your kind feeling at my recovery. It is a source of the greatest satisfaction to me to have an opportunity of a.s.sisting, in whatever form it may be, in the great work of education. It is gratifying to see the schools of Edward VI. revived and devoted to the purpose for which they were founded, and those who are actively engaged in the work deserve the hearty thanks of the people to whom they extend the benefit which a practical religious education always confers. Success tells its own tale, and the numbers of the boys present in the school, together with those whom you expect to be added to it, enable me to congratulate the people of Yarmouth on your having revived an inst.i.tution so calculated to promote their best interests."

His Royal Highness then declared the school open, and, with the permission of the authorities, prayed that the boys be granted an extra week's holiday at Midsummer in remembrance of his visit.

On the next day the Prince made the official inspection of the Artillery; afterwards dining with the officers of his regiment.

The Prince of Wales being Colonel of the Norfolk Artillery Militia, has occasion to visit Great Yarmouth more frequently than he might otherwise do. At the time of the inspection in 1887, advantage was taken of his presence for laying the foundation of the new hospital, the old one having been in use since 1838, and being too small, and unsuitable for the increased requirements of the borough. The foundation stone of the new edifice was laid with masonic ceremony on the 18th of May, 1887. The Prince was accompanied by Lord Charles Beresford, and a large muster of the brethren of the Craft a.s.sembled to meet the Grand Master. An imposing procession proceeded from the Town Hall to the site of the Hospital. The crowds in the streets were great, and the ceremony excited much interest in the town. To an address from the Corporation, the Prince replied in gracious terms; expressing his gratification at being able again to visit the ancient borough, and to a.s.sist in so good a work; adding, that though it was his sixth visit, he hoped it would not be the last, as he always looked forward with the greatest pleasure to coming to Great Yarmouth.

THE SCHOOL DRILL REVIEW.

_July 25th, 1872._

The Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington had seen many vicissitudes, and been turned to many uses, before it ceased to be the head-quarters of the science and art of gardening. But the ground was never turned to better use than when it was lent for the Annual Review of the thousands of boys belonging to the Training s.h.i.+ps and the Pauper Schools of the Metropolitan District Unions. Two of these annual reviews had been held, under the auspices of the Society of Arts, when in 1872, on the 25th of July, the Prince of Wales was asked, as President of that Society, to take the leading part in the proceedings of the day.

About 4000 boys in all mustered, each little regiment marching on the ground with its own band playing and banner flying. The Greenwich Royal Naval School, of 700 boys, were conspicuous in their nest sailor uniforms. The lads of the _Warspite_, _Goliath_, and _Chichester_ training s.h.i.+ps also made a good appearance. The Greenwich boys, having the advantage of more thorough training and instruction, were excluded from the compet.i.tion in the drill exercises for which other schools entered.

Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar watched each school at drill under its own inspector, and adjudged the prizes to be afterwards distributed by the Prince of Wales. A Serjeant-major of the Guards was in charge of the parade, and of the march past the saluting point. The arrangements of the day had been chiefly organized by Major Donelly, R.E., to whom great praise was due.