40 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN 



Her late august Majesty spoke to you in 

 the night seasons, and caressed you in our 

 presence, affectionately witnessing before us 

 to your Serene Highness as her successor. 

 She acquainted you with your name, and 

 told you of the mysterious vital disposition 

 of our race. We have obeyed her to her very 

 latest charge, not alone for fear of penalty, 

 but also because we revere the spirit of the 

 colony, which to us is the spontaneous, un- 

 spoken, but authoritative voice of the Al- 

 mighty. We now salute you as our Royal 

 Highness, whose beauty equals that of any 

 exalted Princess of our kind, whose grace 

 shall ever increase, whose sway is supreme 

 over all this colony, and whose will it shall 

 be our happy duty to obey both in letter 

 and in spirit as long as we shall live. Ador- 

 able and gentle Sovereign, be you the mother 

 of thousands of millions, and may your chil- 

 dren possess the gate of them that ever 

 vilify or dispute you! Fellow Colonists, 

 salute and pay homage to our henceforth 

 glorious Majesty, the sovereign Queen of 



