THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 1. 
! G0 
I 
I 
so uncertain, that I put off the visit, from clay to day, till I I 
heard of the Emperor’s visit to England, and then, 
judging that he would go to see the Crystal Palace, I 
put oft' my intentions till the grand day, knowing, that 
on much smaller occasions gardeners generally put the 
best foot foremost, and that 1 could see the Palace and 
gardens in apple-pie order. But when I learned that 
none but season-ticket holders would be admitted on the 
occasion, I made up my mind for a grand treat, without 
much crowding, and resolved to see everything that 
could be seen with my own eyes. 
As soon as it was announced that Her Majesty would 
take her Imperial visitors to see the Crystal Palace, the 
managers sent out special tickets for the occasion to | 
the shareholders, and if they, and the season-ticket | 
holders, were the only parties who could see the grand 
sight, I thought the company must be out of pocket. 
But they managed much better:—they kept to the strict 
letter of the law, but pleased everybody who had a mind 
to he gratified for twenty-one shillings; and thus they 
made a handsome sum of it, which I have heard variously 
estimated at from eight to twelve thousand pounds. 
There were yet a few days to the expiration of the 
season tickets of 1854—they expired on the 30th of 
April; and all that you had to do at any of the entrances j 
to the garden was to buy a “ family season ticket,” which 
would last for ten days ; see that the “ family ” consisted 
of one person only ; pay 21s. for it; pass the barrier, and 
swim among the crowds into any parts of the park and 
gardens, but not into the Palace till the Imperial and 
Royal visitors were once round at their leisure. Nothing 
could be more satisfactory, if you leave out of the 
questiou that fools and rogues could get in on equal 
terms with honest folks. 
To make sure of a “ true and particular account,” I 
went to see the rules at all the entrances, public and 
private. I even went to the secretary’s office, at the side 
of the north entrance to the middle transept, where I had 
a very polite invitation to join the gentlemen of the 
press, in a private room, till the arrival of the Queen and 
party; but I had two good reasons for telling that I had 
“ other fish to fry.” In the first place, 1 should have to 
pay for half-a-dozen of wine, to drink the Emperor’s 
health, and to pay for my own “ footing” of equality with 
the said gentlemen ; and, on the other hand, they would 
vote me into the chair, to get a leaf out of my book 
about the garden, when all was over; and that might 
involve a night’s lodgiug in London, at the “ Gardener’s 
Arms.” I was most anxious to see under the Palace—the 
Paxton Tunnel, the boilers, flues, and all that is out of 
sight,—therefore I chose to go in by the “ Tunnel 
Entrance;” asked for a season-ticket, and was asked, in 
return, if it was for a lady or a gentleman. I said, 
“ Yes,” of course, and got No. 26,801; then, after putting 
my watch and what little money 1 had about me into the 
safety valve, I entered the lower regions, where I saw 
a man in his shirt sleeves, and,-but I must say no 
more of that, as, perhaps, I may have broken the law 
without knowing it. 
On gettingout on the terrace, shortly after nine o’clock, 
the scene was most animating—thousands and thousands 
were coming up, in one continuous crowd, on all the 
walks leading from the different entrances, while from 
the tunnel entrance the stream seemed to come up from 
another world Before half-past twelve, when the grand 
attraction was announced, there could not be much 
short of 30,000 persons in the garden, and chiefly on 
the terraces. The crowd in front of the great middle 
transept by this time was terrific, but as orderly as if 
they were in a Cathedral. Several ladies fainted, and 
were carried back over the shoulders of the multitude. 
The police were round about, and in all parts of the 
crowd, in their very best smiles; all the pulling and 
pushing they had to endure here, and at the barriers 
and doors, never produced a hasty word or au angry 
look, that 1 could see, all that day. 
The bands on the lower terrace, and companies of 
soldiers, with flags and glittering armour, were straining 
their instruments and panoplies of war to attract the 
crowds from the pressure on the upper terrace, but 
almost all to no avail. Were the bombardment of 
Sabastopol going on at the bottom of the grounds, the 
mighty masses on these terraces would not lose the 
chance of seeing the Emperor instead. 
In the centre of the open colonnade, over the grand 
entrance from the garden into the great transept, a 
Crystal-Palace-fashion pavilion was erected, which com¬ 
municated with the middle of the transept by a passage, 
which opened through rich folds of purple velvet. 
Through this passage Prince Albert led the Empress 
out into the open paviliou directly over the centre of 
the crowd; Her Majesty, leaning on the arm of the 
Emperor, following. The crowd burst into a deafening 
cheering, which lasted the whole time the party were in 
sight. Of the four, I think Her Majesty was the most 
pleased. Prince Albert with great animation, was 
pointing out to the Empress the best points in the 
distant landscape, and Her Majesty was most earnest 
in her attention to the Emperor. There was a small 
sofa and two chairs in the pavilion, but none of the 
party sat down. They acknowledged the uproar re¬ 
peatedly, although they could hardly hear themselves 
speak. You could not tell who had the most cheering; 
but as the party were leaving the pavilion, “ the Queen ! 
the Queen! the Queen!” burst forth from at least 30,000 
persons at once. I never saw such a sight before. Her j 
Majesty turned round to the crowd, advanced a step or 
two, and with that earnest expression which she knows I 
so well how to bestow, she curtsied three times as low 
as she could strain, holding out one hand towards the 
crowd, and the other after the Emperor. The effect was 
magic itself; it would pierce the heart of the hardest 
republican on earth, and reconcile him to a monarchy 
on the spot. 
Soon after this they retired to luncheon, and the 
doors were opened ; but it took more than an hour-and- 
a-half to pass the whole multitude into the Palace 
Here, again, the police were put on their metal, but i 
they were in better humour than ever, and everybody j 
vied with everybody else to make the best of the time 
and space. The whole bottom-floor of the Palace, and ! 
large spaces in the gardens, were crammed from end 
to end, except a small space in the centre of the 
avenues, which was reserved for the public procession 
of their Majesties and suites. Along these open j 
vistas, crimson cloth was laid down and fastened like \ 
carpets. 
When all the arrangements for the public promenade 
were completed, Prince Albert led the Empress from 
the luncheon-table, leaning on his right arm, and Her 
Majesty took the left arm of the Emperor, making the 
second pair in the procession, and there were seven 
other pairs followed. They entered the avenue in the 
nave, at the bronze fountain, near the extreme east 
end of the building, and walked westwards to the 
centre of the great transept, where they turned to the 
north, and walked up a flight of steps to a square plat¬ 
form, called a dais, on which were four chairs, which 
were covered with green damask, the frames being ot 
gold or gold gilt ; here they sat for a while, listening to 
j the strains of a band in the south side of this transept, 
I deafening cheers resounding all round them ; then they 
I descended for the other half of the promenade, walking 
westwards to the Crystal Fountain, round the south side 
of it, passed north, iu front of the Screen of the Kings 
and Queens, then turning eastwards on the north side 
of the Crystal Fountain, and to the left, along the south 
transept to the north door, through which they left the 
