Pre-Bailway Life in London. 161 



Beyond a few trunk lines of railway's between the metropolis 

 and Southampton, Birmingham, Brighton, and a few other 

 places, London was isolated from the world at large, except 

 to those who had time and money for long and expensive 

 road journeys, and the - gaiety of the season " was as much 

 a mystery to the majority of Her Z^Iajesty's subjects, as 

 now It is a commonplace treat to our country cousins, who, 

 at a little cost, can witness with their own eyes the 

 splendoLU" of the modern Babylon. 



A Queen's birthday in the earlier portion of the fifth 

 decade of this century, was a day to be marked with a 

 white stone. There was not much romance about the 

 reigns of George IV. and William IV., but a young Queen, 

 who ascended the throne in her eighteenth year drew all 

 hearts to her. First, on the morning of the birthday, came 

 the early review of the Household Brigade, when the Queen 

 would arrive on the ground surrounded by a brilliant staff, 

 at the head of which would be the Iron Duke, accompanied 

 by the old Peninsula officers. There might be seen the 

 Marquis of Anglesea sitting on a charger, which required a 

 bold rider and a steady hand to manage, and Lord Fitzroy 

 Somerset and Viscount Combermere, the Marquis of 

 Londonderry, and Sir Henry Hardinge, and many others, 

 who had perilled life and limb in putting down the tyrant 

 of Europe, and estabUshing a peace which lasted for 'forty 

 years. Afterwards would come the drawing-room and the 

 grand show of rank and beauty, and of horses and equipa-es 

 which were unrivalled in Europe. Then came later on, 

 after the drawing-room, the display in the Park, when the 

 Royal party would appear, and receive the silent and 

 respectful homage of a brilliant crowd of the fashionable 

 world; and at night most probably the Queen would be 

 found as one of the audience at the Opern. 



And what an opera it was. There being but one the 



