"The day fortunately turned out one of the most beautiful that could be conceived, and the crowds of persons who assembled to witness the grand military display, were very great. It was estimated by some of the military officers, who are accustomed to form pretty accurate notions of vast bodies of men, that at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, there were not less than two hundred thousand spectators present, in and around the Park.
MARSHAL SOULT'S STATE CARRIAGE.
"Early in the day the troops began to arrive, and by ten o'clock all the regiments to be reviewed were on the ground. Shortly after, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Hill, and a great number of English military officers, as well as Marshal Soult, and all the foreign ambassadors, attended by their brilliant suites, arrived, and were every where received with great cheering.
"At half-past eleven her Majesty arrived accompanied by her suite in four carriages, each drawn by four horses, and escorted by a detachment of Life Guards. She was attended by her Aides-de-Camp in full military uniform. The arrival of the royal party was announced by a discharge of cannon, the band striking up the national anthem, and the soldiers presenting arms as her Majesty approached.
"The great attraction among the foreign visitants was Marshal Soult, who, as usual, excited much attention. As he rode close past the spot where Peter Parley and his friend Major Meadows had taken their stand, his stirrup broke, and we feared he would have fallen from his horse, but the Marshal is a good rider, and quickly recovered. Peter Parley afterwards saw a curious anecdote in the newspapers connected with this accident. On learning what had happened, Sir H. Vivian immediately dispatched a messenger to the saddlers to the Ordnance, to procure a pair of stirrups to replace the broken one. It happened, singularly enough, that the Saddlers had in their possession the stirrups which Napoleon used in many of his campaigns; so that Marshal Soult, during this review, actually did what was next to standing in his master's shoes!
"Seeing that Peter Parley was very much interested in the Marshal, Major Meadows, who had been engaged in the Peninsular war, and had fought against him in some of his most celebrated battles, continued, when our attention was not completely occupied by the evolutions of the troops, to relate many most interesting anecdotes of his distinguished career.
"'Marshal Soult,' said Major Meadows, 'is a very singular man, Mr. Parley, and like many of Napoleon's generals, rose from the very humblest rank. He entered the army as a private soldier, and, after serving some time in this capacity in a royal regiment of infantry, he became sub-lieutenant of grenadiers.
"'He afterwards rose through the various ranks, till in 1796 he was appointed general of brigade, and sent to join the army of Italy. Here he soon won for himself new laurels, and his fame attracted the notice of Napoleon, who henceforth honoured him with his personal esteem.