J 827.] The Lord Mayor's Journey to Oxford* 331 



" The stones should rattle underneath, 

 As if Cheapside were mad !" 



but travels rather with a seemly soberness, as though conscious that it 

 carried necks of price. The whole country indeed let alone the car- 

 riage seems to be sensible of the honour it is about to receive from a 

 " Lord Mayor's" presence; and is ready to jump out of its skin ^f 

 such a metaphor can fairly be used with reference to a country before 

 we reach Kensington, for joy. 



" The weather was delightful! t,he sun, as though it had been refreshed by the 

 copious and seasonable showers that had fallen very recently, seemed to rise more 

 bright and elf ar than usual, and streamed in full glory all around. The dust of 

 almost a whole summer had been laid by the rain, the roads were, of consequence, 

 in excellent order, and the whole face of creation gleamed with joy." 



By extraordinary good luck too, (being a thing which hardly happens 

 once in seven years) a powder-mill seems to feel a sort of disinterested gra- 

 titude for the honour done to its vicinity, and blows itself up as the Lord 

 Mayor approaches Staines. As every precaution had always been taken in 

 the building to avoid danger, it appears that there was no way of account- 

 ing for the accident expept by supposing this spirit of self-devotion, Jx> 

 which we have alluded. And instances of the same description have 

 occurred. The case of the Irishman who, on hearing a report that the 

 Pope was at Bally bricken, said " Sure, won't I throw myself out of this 

 tree for joy !" and broke his leg in tke performance will be inime- 

 ; diately in point. 



Horses are changed at Cranford-bridge ; and it is recorded that : 



" Just as the carriage was about to drive away, Mr. Alderman Magnay, accom- 

 pan ; ed by his lady and daughter, arrived in a post-chaise. After an interchange 

 of salutations, the Lady Mayoress, observing that they must be somewhat crowdid 

 in the chaise, invited Miss Magnay to take the fourth seat, which had yet been 

 vacant, in the carriage. As the day was beginning to be warm, this courteous 

 ofter of her ladyship was readily accepted." 



And from hence, driven at a speed which " betokens a desire (even) 

 on the part of the postilions, that the Lord Mayor should have no cause 

 to complain either of horses or drivers on the Henley road," the happ-p 

 party arrives in Oxford at " a quarter after three o'clock," and sits down 

 to dinner with the dignitaries of that place at a quarter before seven. 



We regret, for the sake of our readers, that a view even already, 

 to our limits, compels us to cut short Mr. Dillon's description of this 

 dinner; of the persons who attended it, and the speeches which were 

 made at it. We are also obliged, though reluctantly, to take the same 

 liberty with the reverend gentleman's account of the procession, '" two 

 and two" (this is a bad mode of " proceeding:" FalstafT has a com- 

 ment upon it, if we do not mistake '* Yea, two and two, Newgate 

 fashion!"; of the Lord Mayor and his suite, from the Star Inn* to the 



*The " Star" Inn, in the street of Oxford called the " Corn Market,'' used to be one 

 of the best houses in England ; iintl will be well known, both for its excellence and the 

 enormity of its charges, to every Oxford man. Though, of lute, I hear that the students 

 affect the " Angel,' 7 which, in my recollection, was not near so good an hotel. The 

 <; Star," however, was known to all kinds of Oxford people ; the " gown'' and the 

 " town" resorted to it equally. The rich knew it lor the flavour of its wine ; and the 

 poor snufted up the o 'our of its soups a they passed. So that men of every rank made 

 it a token of amity and recognition when they met. And one night, as a troop-sbip was 

 beating about in the Bay of Biscay with two of her topmasts rolled away already, and 

 the wind increasing every moment "Can you see a star, George?" suid a young 



