THE " king's drawing ROOM." 127 



The king, who had, perhaps, more taste in such matters than any of his 

 contemporaries, confirmed the impression made on those around him, by 

 adverting to the beauty wliich had that day thrown sunshine upon his visit to 

 Scotland. The demeanour of the Scotch ladies, says an observer, was 

 extremely characteristic as they moved towards the state apartments — their 

 eyes motionless, yet keen with intelligence — dignified, but betraying by the 

 timidity of their advances the invincible modesty of their nature. The appear- 

 ance of the ancient palace, whether viewed in contact with the glittering 

 equipages that crowded its passages, the youth and beauty that occupied 

 its courts, or the gorgeous and antique apparel displayed on the occasion, 

 was splendid. Such a scene may never again occur in Scotland — and out of 

 Scotland no similar spectacle can occur ; for that which gave it novelty and 

 spirit, was its pure and primitive character, and the strictly national obser- 

 vances which rendered it a fete peculiar in all its aspects, and presenting 

 such infinite combination of features as no other circumstances could have 

 effected. 



The tartan plaid and sable plume of the North were never displayed to greater 

 advantage. The ladies, attended by their fathers, their husbands, or brothers, 

 advanced vrith dehcate but proud submission, to receive the royal token 

 of recognition on their blushing cheek. The j'oung and timid, shrinking 

 insensibly back as they approached the Sovereign, required the repeated 

 promptings of matronly reminiscence to entice them forward into the circle. 

 But this important step once achieved, and the stated number of courtesies 

 performed, vsdth what pleasure, (says a lady,) they opened their eyes upon the 

 mighty Rubicon they had just passed ! — examined their robes, the trains of 

 which, as the first step towards the presence, had been unlooped by the 

 page in waiting — then, retiring slowly, tried to fix the royal features in their 

 memory — tried to recollect their own feelings, whether they had performed 

 each step within the right time, and \vith the legitimate etiquette. But in nine 

 cases out of ten the whole scene appeared like a dream, and it was only on 

 meeting with their friends at the exit, that they felt assured of having per- 

 formed one of the most important roles in a young lady's career — a first 

 presentation at court. Could the young debutante on the eve of a great 

 di'awing-room-day depict her nervous anxiety, it would seem quite as formid- 

 able as the picture left us by Mrs. Siddons of her first appearance on the 

 boards of Drury-lane. 



George IV., however, had as happy a tact of restoring self-possession to the 

 timid, as he had of humbling the over confident. The slightest assumption of 



