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THE WEEKLY MESSENGER
Boston, Friday, October 14, 1814
THE GREAT PERSONAGES OF THE CONTINENT IN LONDON
Extract of a letter from an American gentleman in London, to his friends in the vicinity of Boston, dated June 15, 1814."I expected to have been in ______ before this, but my curiosity to view the great fetes in honor of peace, and to behold the great personages of the continent in their visit to this country, has kept me here.
There are now in London more than 20 foreign princes -- also the great Emperor Alexander, and the King of Prussia. These two sovereigns arrived in town about a week ago, and contrary to our expectations, in a private manner. I went in full belief of witnessing their entre, but was disappointed with the rest of the people -- the Emperor Alexander, who dislikes all show and parade, having come in a private carriage, and taken a circuitous route here. The two next days I spent in endeavoring to get a sight of them, and was very fortunate, for I have seen the Emperor Alexander no less than fourteen times, so that I am quite familiar with his face -- the King of Prussia once -- Also, Marshal Blucher, five or six times -- Count Platoff, three or four times -- besides Generals De Yorck, Bulow, &c. -- all whose names must be perfectly familiar to you from the distinguished parts they have acted in the great scenes just closed. The Emperor Alexander, I am quite in love with. He has every mark of a great mind. His countenance is an uncommonly fine one, a fair complexion, rather light hair, a stout, well made figure, a very cheerful benevolent expression, and on the whole, a face, the perfect index of the conduct he has every where exhibited. When I first saw him, he was dressed in a military suit of green with two epaulets and with stars of different orders, and was conversing with his sister, the Duchess of Oldenburg, at the window of his hotel. I saw him with his sister again in the superb coach of the Prince Regent, going to the court of the Queen. In a few hours after, I saw him in the balcony of the Pulteney hotel, dressed in a red suit, with a broad blue sash over the right shoulder, in which he appeared to great advantage. He came forward and bowed to the people, and stayed about five minutes. I saw him again five or six times in passing, during the day -- but resolving to get a nearer and better view, I went down to his hotel about ten o'clock the next day, when he was to leave it. Here was a carriage drawn up, the top opened in the middle, and thrown back before and behind, when the Emperor and his sister made their appearance and got into it. As the carriage started, I pressed forward and got hold of the ring of the door and kept pace with it for about a quarter of a mile. I was as near as I was to Louis XVIII, when he was here, so that I could have touched him. He was in a plain dress, a brown coat, and altogether like any other gentleman. The duchess also was dressed in a very plain, unattractive manner, and if it had not been for the crowd that followed, they would have been taken for a gentleman and lady taking an airing. In this unostentatious manner does he conduct himself, despising all pomp, and seems intent on inspecting the charitable, the useful and the ornamental establishments of the country, with a view, probably, of benefiting his own country by his observations, rather than on displaying his rank by all the splendour of dress and equipage. His condescension in these and other things is remarkable -- an instance or two will exemplify it:
On the morning after his arrival, he was up at six o'clock, and while the inhabitants of this great city were fast asleep in their beds, he was walking with his sister in Kensington gardens. As he came across Hyde Park, he observed a corporal drilling some recruits, upon which he went up to him and entered into familiar conversation with him, asking him a variety of questions, and when he had seen the end of the exercise, he shook him heartily by the hand and left him.
When he was riding on horseback, he shook hands with all who came round him.
A few days ago, as he was coming out of the gate of the London docks on foot, from inspecting them, a great crowd waiting to see him, there was among them an old woman of about 70 years of age who seemed very anxious to get near him -- but the crowd, pressing very much, she exclaimed, "Oh, if I could but touch his clothes." The Emperor overheard her and turned round and advanced to her, pulling off his glove, gave her his hand, and at the same time, dropping a guinea into it, said to her, "Perhaps this will do as well." The old woman, quite overcome, cried, "God bless Your Majesty," til he was out of sight.
An old woman in her 91st year, sent a couple of pair of woollen stockings to the Emperor, with a letter stating that she had knit them with her own hands expressly for him, as she could not afford to send him silk; and that she thought woollen would be much more acceptable and more useful in his climate. The Emperor, very much pleased, determined on giving her his miniature set in gold and diamonds, but upon learning that her situation in life was such that money would be more suitable, he wrote here an answer, thanking her heartily for her presents, and enclosed a hundred pounds. These anecdotes speak more than volumes in praise of Alexander.
The King of Prussia I have seen but once, and then had but an imperfect view of him; he came to the window with the Prince Regent, at St. James Palace, and bowed to the people. He is tall and thin, has an agreeable countenance, but rather dejected, in consequence of the late loss of his Queen, to whom he was very much attached.
Gen. Blucher (now Prince Blucher), I have seen five or six times. I saw him on his entrance into the city, all covered with dust, and in a very ordinary kind of vehicle; on the day after, I saw him several times in his carriage drawn about wherever he wished by the mob. He is John Bull's greatest favorite, and they have almost pulled the brave general and his companion, Count Platoff, to pieces, out of pure affection -- Platoff had his coat actually torn off him and divided into a thousand pieces for mementos of him by the good people.
Blucher is a veteran looking soldier; a very fine head, monstrous mustache; his head is bald, his hair grey and powdered. Platoff, Hefman (?) of the Cossacks, has also a very fine countenance; a high and broad forehead, dark complexion and dark hair; he is tall and well made, as I think the Cossacks are generally.
I was at the review in Hyde Park last Monday, where I had a fine sight of the Emperor of Russia, the King of Prussia, Prince Regent, Sir Charles Stewart, Blucher, Platoff &c. so that I now have an idea of these great characters in their proper stations in the field. The illuminations and fetes given on the occasion of the peace and the royal visit, are said to have certainly been splendid in the extreme. The great fire works are yet to take place, and are to exceed any thing in ancient or modern times.
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