

1830.] My First Lord Mayor's Show. 507 



and the fog dissipating, within the circumference of fifty yards, it was 

 perceived that the brave pageant was again marshalled ; and Solomon, 

 in all his glory, for some moments seemed something less than Staines. 

 It was but in mockery of the hopes of man j for ere the word " forward !" 

 could be given, the Sun, who had been struggling in vain to get a glance 

 into the city, all at once gave it up as hopeless, and retired to Thetis* 

 lap, in the afternoon, instead of the evening. 



And now all was " dark as Erebus, and black as night." Genius, 

 what a gift is thine ! Some more enlightened citizen, darkling without, 

 but bright within, suggested the bare possibility of procuring a dozen 

 or two of links, and like a gallant soldier adventuring with a forlorn 

 hope, himself led the way to the nearest oilman's. The " ineffectual 

 fire" was procured ; and never was it more necessary, for thicker rolled 

 the fog, dimmer and more dubious grew the way, and more and more 

 like night became the day. " Forward !" was again the cry, and the 

 procession moved through the mud and mob, in a manner truly 

 moving. 



And first came, beating out the way, to keep the press at peace, the 

 city peace-officers, breaking it all the way they went. After these 

 followed a number of matronly old gentlemen called bachelors, in blue 

 gowns, and in woollen night-caps of blue and white, carrying themselves 

 under the weight of years and beer with great difficulty, but their 

 flagging banners with more. Three times the word to halt ran along 

 the line ; but these venerables were either so deaf that they did not 

 hear the command, or hearing it, mistook its tenor, and thought it but 

 superfluous idleness to bid those to halt who already halted. Next to 

 these " most potent, grave, and reverend" seniors, came the under city- 

 marshal on horseback an attendant picking out the way for him. Then 

 a band of musicians, when their asthmas would permit them, playing 

 very pathetically (as if in mockery of those who could see nothing) 

 " See, the conquering hero comes!" Two trumpeters now tried to rend 

 the air, and between them a kettle-drum sounded, as if muffled, for 

 both catgut and parchment had relaxed under the moist fingers of the 

 morn, and their mimic thunder was now mute. 



After these came a juvenile as an ancient herald, bare-headed ; and 

 then a standard-bearer, in half-armour, which was no doubt exceedingly 

 sparkling and burnished in the morning, but now, like Satan, had lost 

 its " original brightness," and looked " like glory for awhile obscured." 

 Certain half-famished squires dogged his heels, their upper halves per- 

 spiring to parboiling under the warmth of flannel-lined armour, but 

 their lower man sitting as cold in their saddles as Charles at Charing- 

 cross. Next came an ancient knight in a suit of scale-armour, looking 

 like an amphibious fish on horseback, and just as wet as one ; and two 

 other trumpeters, exploding something like the choke-damp of mines 

 out of their trumpets, in " strains it was a misery to hear." And now, 

 another knight, in the iron armour of King Harry, came toppling 

 along, to shew the admiring age how much the strength of man was 

 decreased since the days of sack and Shakspeare : for now he bent on 

 this side, and now on the other, like a reed shaken by the wind. You 

 might have thought him the most courteous of knights, and these 

 deviations from the perpendicular but knightly recognitions of the 

 damsels he would have tilted for, if need were, in the listed field. His 



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