HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



230 



rattles. In the pit they presented 

 their backs to the players, except 

 when they thought proper to grin 

 and make faces at them. Many 

 came witli the symbolical charac- 

 ters of O. P. in their hats, or upon 

 their clothes, forming rings and 

 making mock fights, or the whole 

 joined in the notable O. P. dance, 

 as it was called, which consisted 

 iti an alternate stamping of the 

 feet, accompanied with the regu- 

 lar cry of O. P. in monotonous ca- 

 dence. The managers, of whom 

 some were also players, continued 

 their pantomimical representations 

 for week after week with wonder- 

 ful patience. At last they lost their 

 tempers. Bands of boxers, Jews, 

 chairmen, and butchers, were intro- 

 duced into the theatres, as well as 

 multitudes of Bow-street runners 

 and constables. Bruises were in- 

 flicted and received, and some 

 blood flowed. At last, after a cam- 

 paign of three months, the servants 

 of the public made overtures for 

 peace, and they were accepted.* 



On the 22nd of September the 

 two secretaries of state, lord Cas- 

 tlereagh and INIr. Canning, met 

 each other, pistol in hand, to settle 

 a dispute : for a full and particular 

 account of which we must refer our 

 readers to the Chronicle of Inci- 

 dcnts.f Mr. Canning supposed 

 himself, and was supposed by many 

 others to possess greater talents 

 than lord Castlereagh : lord C. 

 again possessed very considerable 

 influence by the number of votes 

 he could command in the House of 

 Commons, as well as great dexte- 

 lity in managing members, and, 



withall an extraordinary share of 

 activity in whatever business was 

 committed to his charge. Mr. 

 Canning intrigued for the removal 

 of lord C., on the ground of his in- 

 capacity, from office, while at the 

 same time, his deportment towards 

 his lordship, on all occasions, was 

 such as if he had not harboured in 

 the least any such lurking inten- 

 tion. This (though it does not 

 seem to ftUl within the circle of 

 points of honour) lord C. consi- 

 dered as a personal insult. On 

 the second fire, Mr. Canning re- 

 ceived his lordship's bullet in his 

 left thigh, and the combat was ter- 

 minated. They had both of them, 

 previously to the duel, resigned 

 their places. The duke of Port- 

 land died in a few days thereafter. 

 The remaining ministers nou- offer- 

 ed a coalition with the lords Grey 

 and Grenville, which was rejected. 

 The marquis of Wellesley was 

 then called from Spain, to fill the 

 place of secretary for foreign affairs, 

 that had been held by Mr. Can- 

 ning. 



In the midst of these transactions 

 his majest}- entered on the fiftieth 

 year of his reign. A reign of fifty 

 years had happened but twice be- 

 fore in this kingdom. It was there- 

 fore thought by many to be a 

 proper time for paying a signal 

 mark of respect for the king. The 

 proposal for celebrating the daj'^, 

 was received with pleasure through- 

 out the united kingdom, and every 

 where the 25th of October was dis- 

 tinguished by a singular display of 

 loyally and affection towards the 



person of the sovereign;}: ; nor was 



this 



• For a particular account of the riots at Covent Garden theatre, see Chro- 

 nicle, p. 34(). 

 t Append. Chhon. p. 516. 

 + See Ckron. p. 337, and p. 6Mi. 



