Eglinton Tournament 107
The Mulready Envelope 131
The Mulready Envelope (_H. B. Caricature_) 132
Rebecca and her Daughters 201
"The Gent" 216
Prince Albert's Studio 223
Nelson's Statue 224
M. Jullien 229
Prince Albert, the British Farmer 230
"Repeal" Button 233
O'Connell's Cap 234
Tom Thumb 236
The Stage Polka (_Three Illustrations_) 238
The Drawing Room Polka (_Three Illustrations_) 240-41-42
Barry, the Clown, on the Thames 252
Railway Speculators 262
The March of Speculation 276
Deposit of Railway Plans 282
Sheriffs' Officers 288
The Original Ethiopian Serenaders 289
Lablache, Mario, and Tamburini 291
The Last Post Office Bell-man 297
Wonderful effects of Ether in a case of a 302
Scolding Wife
The Bull Fight of Smithfield 303
Eton "Montem" Costumes 314

[Picture: Decorative flower]

CHAPTER I.

[Picture: Decorative flower]

The Queen's Accession--Proclamation--Funeral of the King--The Queen and
social functions--Mr. Montefiore--Amusing letter--Electric
telegraph--Knocker wrenching--Amusements of the young aristocracy.

King William the Fourth was as sincerely fond of his niece, Alexandrina
Victoria, as he cordially detested her mother, and he earnestly hoped
that she might obtain her majority, which took place on the 24th of May,
1837, before he died, for he had a horror of the Duchess of Kent having
even the shadowy power of a Regent. Greville, in his _Memoi