John Ashton - Social England under the Regency, Vol. 2 (of 2)

The war on the Continent was going on, but though it does not come within my province to narrate its progress, I may mention some bon mots , which being produced here, belong to the social life of the period.

Here are some of the names by which he was assailed by The Times :

The Tyrant.

The impious tyrant.

The flagitious tyrant.

The wretched tyrant.

The Corsican tyrant.

The wretch.

The impious wretch.

The Corsican.

The impious Corsican.

The rebellious Corsican.

The usurper.

The Corsican usurper.

The homicide.

The impious homicide.

The Outlaw.

The Corsican outlaw.

The infamous outlaw.

The perjured outlaw.

The impious outlaw.

The rebel.

The perjured rebel.

The traitor.

The perjured traitor.

The Brigand.

The Thief.

The Robber.

The Murderer.

The Tiger.

The Monster.

The Villain.

The Criminal.

The notorious Criminal.

The Prisoner.

The Assassin.

The Incendiary.

The Impostor.

The bloody and perjured chief, &c.

This man of many names gave us much trouble just at this time. Lulled in false security, everything was being put on a peace footing, only to be brought again to its old dimensions, and Sergeant Kite was once more abroad, and active.

A few disjointed ana must fill up the time until we come to the next halting stage of history – the Battle of Waterloo.

Of course London has vastly increased in population since 1815, and Visitors come by rail, or steamboat, from all parts of the earth, but the difference in the number of visitors to the British Museum in one year, is very marked. In the year ending March 25, 1815, they amounted to 33,074; in that ending Dec. 31, 1889, to 504,537, and this does not include the visitors to the Natural History Department, at South Kensington, which, although removed from the parent building, is part of the Institution, and is governed by the same trustees.

The Prince of Wales was utterly reckless in his expenditure, he put no kind of curb to his extravagance, and left no whim ungratified. The consequence was he was again fearfully in debt.

Here is a list of the Prince of Wales's debts:

The Newspaper from which this is taken goes on to say: "The public will see, by this statement, how unavailing all engagements, and all Acts of Parliament hitherto passed, have been to prevent the system of incurring debts; but the distresses of the country now demand some effective prohibitory checks, and we trust Parliament will not separate without supplying them; although from the vote for the payment of the Russian debts, for the reduction of Guadaloupe, and the aids to Holland, there is too much reason to fear that the Senate, and the public, entertain different views as to the necessity of economy, and that the public must encounter the awful trial of a protracted system of profusion and prodigality."

"The statement of the debts was extracted from the Journals of Parliament, and when £339,000 was described as the known excess still due, the term known was certainly used to signify avowal , but not to embrace the total , for there is great reason to believe that treble £339,000, would not release the Prince Regent from his pecuniary embarrassments."

Needless to say, the satirical artists seized upon the occasion, and I reproduce one picture called "Answer to John Bull's Complaint." As may be perceived from his dress, poor John is reduced to a pitiable plight, and he has laid his case before the Regent. To him "the first Gentleman in Europe" replies, "Why! you unnatural Grumbler! after I have done all I could to get rid of your Money, you still grumble? Did I not give you a Fête ? Did I not build you a Bridge ? Did I not treat you to a smell of all the nice things at my Feast ? Did I not sign the Corn Bill ? Did I not refuse your Address ? Have I not drunk whole Pipes of Wine, for fear it should be wasted? Have I not spent all your Money, because you should not spend it yourself? Have you not got the Income Tax to keep you sober? and, as for your Dress, the thinner the better for the summer season. So, Johnny, go home to work, 'tis all for the good of your Country."

At a quarter past eleven on the night of the 21st of June, the Hon. Major Percy arrived at the office of Earl Bathurst, Secretary of State for War – bearing despatches from the Duke of Wellington dated the 19th, giving an account of the actions which had taken place since the 15th, and including the Battle of Waterloo. Earl Bathurst opened the despatches, and he and their bearer immediately waited, with them, upon the Prince Regent. The Lord Mayor had notification of the great Victory early in the morning of the 22nd, and the guns of the Tower, and St. James's Park thundered forth their salute of gratulation. The funds went up with a bound, Omnium vibrated between a rise of 8 to 10 per cent. and left off 81/8 per cent. higher.

The following placard was posted up: —

"Notice having been given that the Public Offices will be illuminated Friday and Saturday evening next, in consequence of the late glorious Victory,

"The Lord Mayor recommends to the inhabitants of this City to defer illuminating their houses till that time."

And, accordingly, on the 23rd, all the Government, and City public offices lit up; but it does not seem to have been a very grand illumination, probably because the time for preparation was somewhat short.

After the battle of Waterloo, 3 3 From this time until Napoleon sailed for St. Helena, I quote, sometimes at length, from my book, "English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I.," because I then wrote, thoroughly imbued with the subject, and with every authority at hand – I can do no more now, than to add a little to it. – J. A. Napoleon hastened to Paris; and, tired, and covered with dust as he was, he immediately met his Ministers, and told them the extent of his disasters. They laid the intelligence before the Houses of Legislature, and, on the morning of June 22nd, Napoleon received a deputation from the Chamber, who submitted to him, that "the state of war in which France was involved, concerned much less the nation than himself, and that the Assembly had the means at command, if he would act so disinterested a part, as to restore to it freedom of action, according as circumstances might dictate."