take the arrangements into their own hands, and to lay down
the route (the shortest) by which the mournful procession should proceed
to Harwich. No fault can be found with the arrangements themselves,
which were intended to pay the greatest respect to the memory of the
deceased; but the cautions they took brought about the very result they
were anxious to avoid, and at once revived all the slumbering sympathies
of the mob in favour of the unhappy queen. A squabble took place at the
outset, Dr. Lushington, as one of the executors, protesting against the
removal of the corpse; but, escorted by squadrons of Horse-guards Blue,
the procession left Brandenburg House at eight o'clock in the morning of
the 15th of August, in a drizzling rain. The cavalcade reached
Kensington in solemn order; but on arriving at the Gravel Pits, and
attempting to turn off to the left, its progress was instantly blocked
by wagons and carts placed across the road, while a body of men formed
across the streets twenty deep and evinced every disposition to dispute
the passage. A severe conflict took place between them and the
constables, several on both sides being hurt. For an hour and a half
the procession waited for orders, and at length it moved towards London.
On reaching Kensington Gore a squadron of the Life Guards, with a
magistrate at their head, tried in vain to open the park gates, the
crowd vociferating in the meantime, "To the city! the city!" On reaching
Hyde Park Corner, the gate there was found barricaded with carts, and
the procession then moved on to Park Lane, which being also blocked up,
it turned back hastily and entered Hyde Park, through which it proceeded
at a trot, the soldiers having cleared away the obstacles at the gate.
On reaching Cumberland Gate, it was found closed by the populace, and in
the conflict which ensued the park wall was thrown down by the pressure
of the crowd, who hurled the stones at the soldiers, in return for the
use the latter had made of their sabres in clearing the passage. Many of
the military and their horses were hurt; and some of the soldiers,
irritated by their rough usage, resorted to their pistols and carbines,
and two persons (Richard Honey, a carpenter, and George Francis, a
bricklayer) were unfortunately killed, and others wounded. The Edgeware
Road was blockaded, but quickly cleared, and the procession moved on
till it arrived at the turnpike gate near the top of Tottenham Court
Road. There t