LEAVES THEY HAVE TOUCHED. 631 



seen in Latin books printed here has an Italian look — E prelo 

 Pittiano.) Pitt was of Pembroke College, and also M.P. for the 

 University. I give a transcript from my manuscript relic of this 

 great statesman and Cambridgeman ; it is the cii'cular addressed by 

 the head of the government to his friends in Parliament, when a 

 session is about to open : " As Parliament," he says, " will certainly 

 meet on Tuesday, the 15th of January, I take the liberty of request- 

 ing your attendance in the House of Commons on that day ; and of 

 apprizing you that business of the greatest importance may be 

 expected immediately on the opening of the session, which will render 

 a full attendance particularly desirable. I have the honor to be, &c., 

 W. Pitt. Downing Street, 27th Nov., 1804." 



I close with an autograph sign-manual of the Queen. I place it 

 among my Cambridge mementoes, because it has happened with me 

 that the Queen is mixed up with Cambridge associations. It was as 

 one in the retinue of a deputation from the University that I had 

 the good fortune once to have a close view of the Queen for several 

 minutes, and to hear her voice. She had recently been shot at " from 

 Oxford," as some one expressed it at the time : shot at, that is to 

 say, by a maniac named Oxford. Addresses of congratulation at 

 the happy escape from injury poured in, and amongst them one from 

 Cambridge. Joining at the Thatched House Tavern the party 

 deputed to present it, I walked with them in solemn procession to 

 Buckingham palace. I have preserved the vpsissima verba which I 

 heard the Queen speak on this occasion as a kind of royal autograph 

 in the mind. Pronounced with peculiar correctness and with a very 

 remarkable beauty of intonation, they were as follows : — " I grate- 

 fully acknowledge with you the providential interposition of the 

 Father of all mercies in our recent preservation from unexpected 

 pei'il. I thank you for the prayers which you offer up for my 

 welfare, and I trust that I may continue to receive, as I shall always 

 study to deserve, those expressions of loyalty and attachment which 

 this occasion has so universally called forth." — This was on the 24th 

 of June, 1840. On the Queen's left stood the Prince Consort, to 

 whom she had been married about five months ; and behind her were 

 the Duchess of Sutherland, Lady Barham and other ladies. Near 

 her right hand stood Lord Melbourne and others. The Prince looked 

 unconcerned and even ennuye. The Queen's countenance, I observed, 

 assumed an expression of lively interest, as the address proceeded. 



