1837.J T/te Lord Mayors Journey to Oxford. 38,5 



Mayor's breakfast-tablet that the beauties of Nuneham were not seen to the best 

 advantage." 



And, at Clifton, notwithstanding " the expense that had boon incurred 

 for the supply of water," the country having been " comparatively 

 drained for several miles along the upper districts" (it is well that great 

 men do not travel very often) it appears that the City Barge, or Shallop, 

 " was detained a considerable length of time" or, in plain English, we 

 apprehend, stuck in the mud. 



In the interim, the company amused themselves with throwing half- 

 pence to the children as they ran along the banks of the water by the side 

 of the barge; a diversion which has at least the recommendation of some 

 charitable feeling about it, and in which Mr. Alderman Atkins is related 

 to have entered with great spirit. 



At half-past three, " dinner' again restores the exhaustion produced by 

 this exercise ; and at Caversham, where the river runs close along the side 

 of the public road, a vast number of persons, on foot, on horseback, and in 

 carriages, were collected to see the barges as they passed, aud afford enter- 

 tainment to the voyagers. 



" Among the equestrians, two are deserving that their looks and equipments 

 should be alluded to in more than general terms. The animals they bestrode were 

 a couple of broken-down ponies, gaunt and rusty, who had possibly once seen 

 better days. The men, themselves, were not unsuitable figures for such a pair of 

 steeds. They rode with short stirrups, that brought their knees almost under 

 cover of the shaggy mane, that overspread the ewe necks of the poor creatures, 

 and carried their short thick sticks perpendicular in their hands !" 



Persons like these, were of course very proper objects for a display of 

 civic wit. And, indeed, it turns out that 



" So mightily pleased was. the Lord Mayor with their uncouth and ludicrous 

 appearance, that he hailed one of them, and asked him to be the bearer of a 

 message to Reading, touching his Lordship's carriage."' 



The effect of this jest is very pleasantly described : 



" The fellow seemed to feel as he never felt before ! An honour was about to be 

 conferred "upon him alone to be the avant-courier of the Lord Mayor of London - 

 above and beyond all the other riders, drivers, .and walkers, of whatever quality 

 and degree, who had thronged to the view of the civic party. And no sooner had 

 his Lordship flung him a piece of money, and told him to " make haste to the 

 Bear Inn, Reading, and order the Lord Mayor's carriage to meet the barge at 

 Caversham Bridge," than the fellow instantly belaboured the starveling ribs of the 

 poor animal that carried him, with kicks and cudgel, who, in a moment, dashed 

 briskly forward, snuffling and snorting across the fields. In the eagerness of his 

 flight, the doughty messenger had much ado to maintain his seat ; he sometimes 

 slipped on one side of the saddle, and sometimes on the other ; while the skirts of 

 his unbuttoned coat fluttered far out behind him, &c. &c." 



Again, we cannot too deeply regret, that our already copious extracts 

 from Mr. Dillon's work, compel us to omit all account of the " sump- 

 tuous supper," which took place on this night at Reading, or even of the 

 re-embarkation which followed it on the next morning. Similar oblivion 

 must await the reflections at Cliefden, upon the character of the (Charles 

 the Second) Duke of Buckingham, " whom Dryden," as our author says, 

 " has doomed to a painful immortality,** but whose crimes we cannot 

 afford to immortalise any further. 



It is right, however, that we should state, that reports having been cir- 

 culated that - 



MM. New Series. VoiML No. 16. 3 D 



