338 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



queen arrived, and after her ma- 

 jesty had joined the company, the 

 fire-works began, at the conclusion 

 of which there appeared on a sud- 

 den, and as it were by magic, on 

 a beautiful piece of water opposite 

 the garden front of the house, two 

 triumphal cars, drawn by two sea- 

 horses each, one occupied by Nep- 

 tune, and preceded by the other 

 with a band of music. The cars 

 had a very superb appearance. On 

 coming to the temporary bridge 

 erected over the canal opposite to 

 the garden front, transparencies 

 were displayed in an equally sudden 

 and unexpected manner on the bat- 

 tlement, with the words, " Rule 

 Britannia, Britannia rule the 

 Waves," inscribed on them. At the 

 same moment the band struck up 

 the tune. Opposite the bridge, an 

 elegant Grecian temple was erected 

 on the mount, surrounded by eight 

 beautiful marble pillars. The inte- 

 rior of the temple was lined with 

 purple, and in the center was a large 

 transparency of the Eye of Provi- 

 dence, fixed as it were, upon a 

 beautiful portrait of his majesty, 

 surmounted by stars of lamps. — 

 From the temple a double staircase 

 descended to the water's edge. On 

 the windings of the staircase were 

 erected nine altars with burning in- 

 cense. 



On the lawn twelve marquees 

 were erected, where the company 

 partook of tea and coffee during the 

 fire-works. Covers were laid in the 

 prmcipal dining-rooms, and at 12 

 o clock the company sat down to an 

 elegant supper, consisting of all the 

 delicacies of the season. The 

 frames were beautifully done in em- 

 blematic figures, part of which re- 

 presented Britannia kneeling by the 

 lion, the eye of Providence above, 



and underneath was written by her 

 royal highness the princess Eliza- 

 beth, " Britannia, grateful to Provi- 

 dence, celebrates the 50th year of a 

 reign sacred to piety and virtue." 



On the island, in the middle of 

 the sheet of water in the gardens at 

 Frogmore, there has been erected a 

 temple; it is a square pile of build • 

 ing, decorated with Doric columns 

 and a dome, with emblematical 

 figures descriptive of the happy e- 

 vent represented thereon. Fronting 

 the noble vista, orgrand promenade- 

 walk, leading from the palace to the 

 lake, there was a bridge, consisting 

 of only a single arch, and like the 

 celebrated Rialto at Venice, it was 

 decorated in the same manner and 

 illuminated. In the center of the 

 temple was an altar, classically or- 

 namented with figures, &c. the de- 

 signs were furnished by the princess 

 Elizabeth, and executed under the 

 direction of Mr. Wyatt. In the 

 front of the altar there was a female 

 figure of Gratitude, in a kneeling 

 posture : this figure exactly resem- 

 bles the Venus of Cleomenes. The 

 altar, &c. could be seen in perspec- 

 tive, by means of open arches, from 

 the house and gardens on every side. 

 The temple and the bridge were the 

 only erections made at Frogmore 

 expressly for the celebration of the 

 Jubilee. Tents had been erected 

 sufficiently capacious to entertain 

 from twelve to fifteen hundred peo- 

 ple. The fanciful and romantic 

 bower, or rustic ball-room, erected 

 under the superintendance of the 

 princess Elizabeth, about ten years 

 since, and which was suffered to fall 

 into decay, has been repaired and 

 decorated with laurel leaves, the 

 rose, thistle, and the shamrock ; it 

 was illuminated withcoloured lamps. 

 In the town of Windsor, the grand 



triumphal 



