On the 1st of May the Marquis of Wellington was created a Duke, and on the 10th of the same month the House of Commons granted him an annuity of £10,000, in addition to the grants already bestowed upon him—which might be redeemed for a sum of £400,000 to be spent in an estate.
At last we had got Peace, so long desired, which was to be the panacea for all evils. The war had been so long, that its taxation almost ceased to be burdensome. The farmers had had a fine time of it, and had coined money, and, somehow or other, our trade with the world had not come to a standstill, in spite of Napoleon's fulminations, and our own Orders in Council. Still the return of Peace brought with it a drop in the prices of most things. Pepper fell from 21d. to 14d. per lb. Sugar from 120s. to 90s. per cwt. Brandy could be bought at 4s. 6d. to 4s. 10d. per gallon, and a general drop of about 20 per cent. took place on all manufactured goods. Here is a picture of "Peace and Plenty, or, Good News for John Bull!!!"
Louis XVIII. proposes "Here's the Prince Regent, and his Allies!" to which John Bull replies, "Huzza! with all my heart, and may we never want better friends." There is a board ladder, down which come provisions lowered in price, as Porter 3d. a pot. Bread 9d. a quartern. On the table, Beef is 4d. a pound. Claret 1s. 6d. a bottle; whilst Burgundy in the wine-cooler is priced at 2s. a bottle. On the left, the land is being tilled, and goods are being landed, whilst Napoleon is seen in the distance sitting disconsolately on the island of Elba.
"PEACE AND PLENTY, OR, GOOD NEWS FOR JOHN BULL!!!"
We were now to have an influx of visitors to England. The Duchess of Oldenburgh was still here, being fêted and lionized, having dinner at Carlton House, or a steak done on a shovel, and washed down with stout, at Whitbread's Brewery. The Prince of Orange landed at Harwich on the 29th of April, and, after seeing the Prince Regent, "would a-wooing go," and accompanied the Regent on a visit to his daughter as her acknowledged suitor. Marshal Blücher (old General Vorwärts) came over here very early in May, and took up his residence at the Foreign Hotel in Leicester Square. But all arrivals paled before the expected visit of the Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the King of Prussia. The kitchen in St. James's Palace was repaired, and newly fitted up for the establishment of the two first-named potentates. And "A pair of massy golden Eagles, nearly as large as life, were made a few days since by Messrs. Rundell and Bridge, for the Prince Regent's table. This beautiful ornament is to be placed, as we understand, at the head of the dinner table near the Royal Guests, as a respectful compliment to the Emperor of Russia, and the King of Prussia, whose standards bear this imperial bird. The eagle is placed with his talons on the verge of a nest, which is most admirably formed after Nature. The beak is turned to a horizontal position, and his eye fixed on the object below; the wings are gracefully extended, and raised above the head. In the back of the bird is concealed a lamp to contain burning spirits, over which any plate may be applied with ease, and made warm."
At length the promised day arrived, and on the 7th of June, the Emperor of Russia, and the King of Prussia, came into London quite unannounced, and quietly.
Morning Chronicle, June 8, 1814: "His Imperial Majesty, Alexander of Russia, his Prussian Majesty, and the illustrious Princes and Princesses in their respective suites, arrived yesterday in London, at different hours, and by different routes, to avoid the éclat of a public entry, and, consequently, to avoid the pressure of the multitudes who had assembled to welcome their approach. The Crowds, which had gathered from all parts of the Metropolis, in the direction which they were expected to take, was immense. In fact, from Charing Cross to Blackheath the way was almost impassable; and it was well that the Royal Visitors were advised to come incog., for it would have been with infinite difficulty that the escort could have penetrated through the compact body of the people assembled, without the interference of military force, by which mischief might have ensued.
"We are informed, indeed, that the route which was taken, arose from an arrangement previously made, in consequence of certain recent events, which made the appearance of an illustrious Personage in a Procession, inconvenient: and that as he could not go forth to meet and receive his high guests, it was determined that they should be advised to enter the Metropolis privately. We do not believe this sarcastic method of accounting for the disappointment which was so generally felt; as we cannot suppose that, because his Royal Highness could not himself partake of the magnificent display which was prepared for the occasion, he would prevent it from taking place altogether. We believe, on the contrary, that the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia have uniformly expressed their earnest desire of avoiding all ceremony, and of being allowed to do in London as they did in Paris, to go about and see everything worthy of notice without ostentation.