When kept was fair Victoria’s natal day—
London in gas, and oil and tallow gay,
Look’d a vast isle of artificial light;
Anchors and crowns and roses beaming bright;
Stars, garters and triangles shone around;
Lions or unicorns all chained and crowned,
And other blazonings—yellow, green, red, white—
Dazzled the air. But, more delighted, we
Welcomed one blazing letter, everywhere
Playing a double duty. Hail, great V!