"May it please your Majesty,
"The Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of this City, beg leave to offer their most humble acknowledgments for this great honour to the City, by the presence of your Majesty, your Royal Consort, the Princess Royal, and her Royal Highness. Their joy is inexpressible, to behold their Sovereign condescending to accept their good-will and affections, and in the most engaging manner vouchsafing here to receive their homage and duty.
"This day will be ever remembered by them with the highest satisfaction: this happy day, which gave birth to their most gracious King, who is pleased thus to honour them, and who protects them in the enjoyment of all their rights and privileges: a Prince who takes pleasure in promoting their happiness, and who thinks it gives the truest lustre to his Crown, to preserve the religion, the laws, and liberties of his people. Fortunate is their present condition, and delightful is their prospect while they have in view your Majesty, their most gracious and justly admired Queen, and the illustrious branches of your Royal
Family. Permit, Sire, these your Majesty's most faithful subjects to take this opportunity of assuring your Majesty of their unalterable attachment to your Royal Person, and of their warmest zeal for the support of your government.
"The best, the only security of our excellent Constitution in Church and State, and of every thing which is dear and valuable to Englishmen, Gratitude and Interest, make these the unanimous sentiments of this your Majesty's most loyal and most dutiful City of London."
Their Majesties (preceded by the Lord Mayor bearing the Sword) went to the Hustings, where they dined in company with the Princesses and the Ladies of the Bed-chamber. The entertainment was of the most sumptuous description, and served at different tables, prepared for the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, the foreign Ministers, the Nobility, Privy Counsellors, the Judges, ladies, &c. &c. After silence had been commanded, the Common Cryer announced that the King drank to the health of the Lord Mayor, and prosperity to the City of London and the trade thereof, and, that her Majesty drank, confirming the same. He then proclaimed that the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council drank health, long life, and a prosperous happy reign to our Sovereign Lord King George; and that they drank to the health, long life, and
happiness of our most gracious Queen Caroline, and all the Royal family.
When the dinner was concluded, their Majesties returned to the Council Chamber, where they were seated till 11 o'clock during a ball in the area below. The City was illuminated on this occasion.
An author of this period, treating on the number of poor, and their manner of living, very justly observes: "If any person is born with any defect or deformity, or maimed by fire or any other casualty, or any inveterate distemper which renders them miserable objects, their way is open to London; where they have free liberty of shewing their nauseous sights, to terrify people, and force them to give money to get rid of them; and those vagrants have for many years past been moved out of several parts of the three Kingdoms, and taken their stations in this Metropolis, to the interruption of conversation and business.
"The Quaker workhouse is an example for each parish: the poor orphans among them, as well as the children of such poor as are unable to subsist them, are put to their workhouse, where they are taught to read and write certain hours of the day, and at other times are put to spin, or other employments. And as the Nation has found great advantage by those workhouses, which have been established by Act of Parliament, it is a great pity that so profitable an