of His Majesty King George the Third,
gave his consent. He accordingly made all necessary arrangements for an
ascent, and his fondest expectations seemed about to be realised. He
was, however, doomed to disappointment, owing to the failure of a rival
balloon. Writing to a friend at this time he says, "The events of this
extraordinary island are as variable as its climate. It was but lately
everything relating to my undertaking wore a favourable and pleasing
appearance, but I am at this moment overwhelmed with anxiety, vexation,
and despair."

This rival balloon was constructed by a Frenchman named De Moret, who,
having succeeded in attracting a concourse of fifty or sixty thousand
people to see his ascent, failed in the primary part of his
undertaking,--that of filling his balloon. The people, after waiting
patiently for three hours, and supposing "the whole affair an imposture,
rushed in and tore it to pieces." In consequence of this failure, and
the riots with which it was followed, the Governor forbade Signor
Lunardi to make his ascent from Chelsea Hospital grounds. He writes
again to his friend, "The national prejudice of the English against
France is supposed to have its full effect on a subject, from which the
_literati_ of England expect to derive but little honour. An
unsuccessful attempt has been made by a Frenchman, and my name being
that of a foreigner, a very excusable ignorance in the people may place
me among the adventurers of that nation, who are said to have sometimes
distinguished themselves here by ingenious impositions." In vain did he
try to obtain another place to launch his aerial ship; he was laughed at
and ridiculed as an impostor, and the colleague of De Moret. At length,
after much exertion, he obtained leave to ascend from the ground of the
Honourable Artillery Company. By twelve o'clock on the day fixed for
the ascension, an immense mass of people had assembled, including the
Prince of Wales. The filling of the balloon caused some delay, but, in
order to keep the patience of the populace within control, it was only
partially filled. At five minutes past two the balloon ascended amid
the loud acclamations of the assembled multitudes, and Signor Lunardi
had proved himself no impostor. He writes to his friend, "The
stillness, extent, and magnificence of the scene rendered it highly
awful. My horizon seemed a perfect circle, the terminating line several
hundred miles in circumfer