en, among the thousands assembled around our Sovereign in
that eventful scene, but felt his joy heightened by gratitude, that his lot
had been cast in these happy days.

It was a proud day for Queen Victoria, for her Illustrious Consort, for all
who had had "art or part" in the great work so happily conceived, so
admirably executed. And we would add (even at the risk of reminding our
readers of Dennis' energetic claim, "That's my Thunder!") that it was also
a proud day for all who, like ourselves, desire to promote
intercommunication between men of the same pursuits,--to bring them
together in a spirit, not of envious rivalry, but of generous
emulation,--to make their powers, faculties, and genius subservient to the
common welfare of mankind. In our humble way we have striven earnestly to
perform our share in this great mission; and although in the Crystal Palace
cottons may take the place of comments, steam-engines of Shakspeare, the
palpable creations of the sculptor of the super-sensual imaginings of the
poet, the real of the ideal,--still the GREAT EXHIBITION OF THE INDUSTRY OF
ALL NATIONS is, in more senses than one, merely a MONSTER NUMBER OF "NOTES
AND QUERIES." So palpable, indeed, is this similarity, that, if the
long-talked-of _Order of Civil Merit_ should be instituted, (and certainly
there was never a more fitting moment than the present for so honouring the
cultivators of the peaceful arts), we make no doubt that "NOTES AND
QUERIES" will not be forgotten. Should our prophecy be fulfilled, we need
scarcely remind our readers of Captain Cuttle's injunction and our Motto.
{362}

And here, talking of prophecy, we would, first reminding our readers how,
in the olden time, the Poet and the Prophet were looked upon as identical,
call their attention to the following vision of our Queen in her Crystal
Palace, which met the eye when in "fine phrensy rolling" of the Father of
English Poetry, as he has recorded in his _House of Fame_. Had Chaucer
attended the opening of the Exhibition as "_Our own Reporter_," could his
description have been more exact?

THE TEMPLE Y-MADE OF GLAS.

_A Prevision by Dan Chaucer_, A.D. 1380.

Now hearken every manir man
That English understande can,
And listeth to my dreme to here,
For nowe at erst shall ye lere:
O thought, that wrote al that I met
And in the tresorie it set
Of my braine, nowe shall men see
If any vertue in thee bee
To tellen al my dreme