26 THE king's guard-chamber, WINDSOR CASTLE. 



And now you may seize every point of the ridiculous in his appearance ; 

 his new blue coat — his brif^ht metal buttons ; his complexion emulous of 

 the full blown rose ; his exploits in the field, his honest self-love, his 

 blunt good-humour, his simplicity, and occasional bashfulness — all these 

 are fair sources of amusement, and, properly handled, cannot but prove 

 productive. * * The minor features of ** quizzing" I resign to your 

 own arrangement, doubting not that by the aid of a natural genius, you 

 vidll arrive at an enviable rank in the art ; but to attain this position so 

 sighed after by many, certain essentials are called for, and in writing 

 down as a dead letter the Divine injunction ** Do unto others as you 

 would that others should do unto you 1" learn to root out of your bosom 

 the sweet attributes of cordiality, gentleness, and good-will, filling up 

 the void with heartlessness, severity, envy, and malignity, for, believe 

 me, if you lack the latter qualities, you may be a very amiable indi- 

 vidual, but can never be **a quizzer." A French author has remarked 

 that '* la moqu^rie est souvent une indigence d* esprit:" but be not deterred 

 by this sentence ; do not, from the fear of being deemed a simpleton, 

 deny yourself a pleasure which though adapted to the meanest capacity, 

 is still one of the most important ingredients in fashionable " small 

 talk." Quizzing ! dear delightful quizzing ! who shall presume to 

 decry thee ! who shall venture to pronounce thee ** the bane of good 

 breeding" and " the pest of society V 



What can be more gratifying to one's amour-propre than to mark out, 

 triumphantly, the deficiencies of others ! to forget the beam in our own 

 eye, and pluck the mote out of that of our brother — to point the finger 

 of scorn at the ridiculous in our neighbour, while we walk forth armed 

 at all points with the belief that we are invulnerable I our dress, our 

 mien, our manner — all exquisite, all recherche, all comme-iUfaut ! 

 Glorious and delectable delight ! to insult merit, to abash loveliness, to 

 alarm timidity, to crush inoffensiveness ! How many a friend has been 

 for ever alienated ! how many a duel has been occasioned ! how many a 

 character has been destroyed ! how many a fair prospect overcast ! and 

 how many a noble breast lacerated by the ** harmless — the very harm- 

 less pleasures of quizzing !" Avaunt ! thou insidious tormentor ! let 

 those cultivate thy enjoyments who prefer rendering others ridiculous 

 and wretched to being themselves amiable and estimable. Such as are 

 unfashionable enough to seek for cheerfulness and tranquillity in that 

 extended charity which induces compassion for the mental and bodily 

 infirmities of their fellow beings ; and whose benevolent feelings throw 

 a shield of generous protection over the misfortunes and deficiencies of 

 others — such will avoid thee with a shudder, and pursue their inoflfensive 

 road to happiness, soothed by a recollection that much may be pleaded 

 in palliation for conduct which militates against their opinion when they 

 consider ** qucR fuerant vitia, mores sunt." 



C. L. E. P. 



THE KINGS GUARD-CHAMBER, WINDSOR CASTLE. 



The decorations of the King's guard chamber at Windsor Castle 

 have been so much altered of late, that probably a description of 

 its appearance at his present Majesty's accession may be agree- 

 able to some of our readers. This fine apartment, seventy-five 

 feet in length, is placed at right angles to the magnificent hall 

 dedicated to St. George, the entrances into which open from it. 



