538 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 



present occasion, has devolved on 

 me. Gentlemen, it would be a vain 

 attempt for me to describe the sen- 

 sations to which tliis sublime spedta- 

 c!(- ffives birth. — Powers, far supe- 

 rior to mine, could not do justice to 

 the scene vvliich here presents itself 

 — could pjy but an inadequate tri- 

 bute of a!;plai!sc to those gallant and 

 palriocic bands, who, rou-ed by the 

 Toice of honour, yield their plea- 

 Sur<^s and their occupations a willing 

 sacrifice at the shrine of their coun- 

 try. Yes, it remained for the pre- 

 sent ape to prove, that the citizens 

 of London inherit the same ardent 

 spirit, glow with the same devotion 

 to the sacred cause of freedom and 

 independence, as distinguished their 

 immortal ancestors, who, in the 

 proudest periods of Britain's fame, 

 were still most conspicuous in the 

 career of glory. It was reserved 

 for the present age to prove the false- 

 hood of the imputation, that the ge- 

 nius of commerce had subdued the 

 fire of freedom in our breasts; and 

 to evince that those, who by civiliza- 

 tion and industry best learn to ac- 

 quire wealth, by their intrepidity 

 and exertions best know how to 

 preserve it. Gentlemen, to your 

 perseverance and attention, as well 

 as to the ardour of those you com- 

 mand, are to be attributed their high 

 state of discipline and appearance. 

 Your own feelings, and the appro- 

 bation of your country, are the 

 most honourable, and, I am sure, to 

 you the most gratifying reward. 

 Gentlemen, in presenting to you the 

 colours, a tribute of the gratitude 

 of your fellow citizens, and the 

 best mark of their attachment to 

 their brethren in arms, allow me to 

 say, I rely with confidence, thatyou 

 will receive them as the most sacred 

 deposit which can be entrusted to 

 ] 



3'our care : and, that as the city of 

 London is the first in the united 

 kingdom, its citizens will be the first 

 to a'lTord a bright example of devo- 

 tion, in a cause of which they have 

 already shewn themselves so wor- 

 thy." This speech being finished, 

 the ensigns kneeled down, and each 

 received the colours of their re- 

 spective regiments. Colonel Birch, 

 of the tst regiment, as superior co- 

 lonel, then replied to the lord may- 

 or, in the following very elegant 

 and excellent speech : 



" My Lord — Iii the name, and 

 on behalf, of the ten regiments of 

 loyal London volunteer infantry, I 

 enter upon the grateful and distin- 

 guished office assigned me with pe- 

 culiar pride, to return your lOrdship 

 thanks for the handsome way in 

 which you have, in the name of the 

 corporation of the city of London, 

 conferred this high honour upon 

 them. The sublime and interesting 

 ceremony of presenting these co- 

 lours from the first city in the world 

 to her sons in arms, in token of their 

 approbation, confidence and esteem, 

 in the presence of so august and 

 numerous an assemblage, over- 

 whelms the mind with sensations 

 which it cannot but proudly feel; 

 and robs the tongue of that power 

 of utterance which is adequate to 

 the glorious subjeft. The foe with 

 whom we have to contend, Avith un- 

 wearied boasting, threatens to sub- 

 due a loyal and united people, af- 

 fectionate to the best of kings, at- 

 tached to the reverend constitution 

 handed down to them by their an- 

 cestors, born to the purity of free- 

 dom, and inheriting an independ- 

 ence unknown to other countries. 

 My lord, he may calculate upon a 

 mad attempt to desolate our fields, 

 depopulate our villageti» despoil us of 



our 



