THE “ TENTH OF APRIL .” 
245 
The spring of 1848 was a memorable one in London. 
On April 10th was the great Chartist meeting, and every 
preparation was made to secure the Abbey and its precincts 
from any rough treatment by the mob. Great alarm 
prevailed all over London. A hundred and fifty thousand 
volunteers from every walk and condition of life were 
sworn in as special constables. Among those who were 
thus sworn in was Louis Napoleon, afterwards President and 
subsequently Emperor. In a caricature which appeared in 
Paris he was represented in policemen’s clothes, wielding a 
truncheon, with this legend : “ J’ai fait plus que mon oncle, 
j’ai battu les Anglais dans les rues de Londres.” Buckland 
kept his stock of these truncheons stored in the outer 
drawing-room for use by the Westminster specials. Every 
precaution was taken, and a strong guard placed in the 
Record Office, which then occupied the Chapter House, 
and in other important places. It was a remarkable feature 
of the day that, along the whole line of the procession, 
from the City to Kennington Common, the appointed 
rendezvous of the malcontents, scarcely a shout was raised, 
and only a few feeble cheers were heard. 
As Feargus O’Connor was earnestly addressing the peti¬ 
tioners at Kennington, and entreating them not to damage 
their cause by any acts of violence or disorder, an eagle 
was seen to be soaring over their heads and flying towards 
Westminster! This naturally was hailed as an excellent 
augury! The bird was Frank Buckland’s eagle, which had 
escaped that morning from the little courtyard in which 
it was kept. A chicken, tied by its leg to the end of a 
high pole, caught its keen sight towards sundown. As an 
