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ACCESS TO STATE PAPERS DENIED—BUT GRANTED BY LORD NORMANBY—PRINCESS VICTORIA—THE CORONATION—ROYAL IMPROMPTU VERSES BY AGNES STRICKLAND—GRACEFUL SELF-POSSESSION OF THE YOUNG QUEEN.

The settlement with Colburn being now concluded, the sisters proceeded with the volume so urgently demanded by their publisher. Elizabeth remained in town, whither, as soon as Agnes was able to travel, she must also follow.

As soon as Agnes Strickland’s health was fully re-established, she joined her sister in London, and resumed her labours in the British Museum. She found close employment in the proofs and revises of the new volume, which she endeavoured, in conjunction with her sister, to render as perfect as possible. Their joint labours were eminently successful.

The third volume of the Queens, when concluded, fully realised the expectations of the public; but, in order to render the fourth volume a truthful and valuable record of the lives of Henry VIII.’s consort-queens, access to the State Paper Office was absolutely necessary. Agnes Strickland’s application to Lord John Russell for permission to examine these historical treasures met with an uncourteous repulse. She was AGNES DENIED TO THE RECORDS. surprised, and somewhat indignant, but was determined not to give the matter up, as she must examine legal documents before commencing the biographies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—delicate and difficult tasks, requiring great research and considerable tact.

Mr Howard of Corby Castle had already, in the Howard Memorial, given our female biographers valuable information respecting his ancestress Adelicia of Louvaine, the second wife of Henry I. In expressing her thanks to this learned gentleman, Agnes informed him of her intention of presenting him with her work as the serial volumes came out. His manner of accepting the gift was very gratifying to her, and his commendations induced her to apply to him for assistance respecting the guarded documents so jealously excluded from her examination in the State Paper Office, which he readily granted. Sir George Strickland, whose help she also engaged, united with him in using their influence with Lord Normanby to procure the admission she required. The noble Marquis conferred the favour in a very courteous manner, and the sisters were each given separate orders of admission at any hour or time it might please them to attend.

The British nation had not taken that care of the national records that the French people had, for these had been preserved throughout the reign of anarchy and terror, and were beautifully and methodically arranged. A better order of things in England had indeed taken place, but not before an immense collection had been destroyed by rats or used for waste-paper.

The production of the serial volumes of the royal biographies occasioned considerable expense, as both the authors must spend a large portion of their time in London, in order to study authorities not to be procured FIRST SIGHT OF PRINCESS VICTORIA. in the country. If they had not had some independent property they could not have found the requisite funds for carrying on their popular work. After a time Elizabeth took the lease of a pretty cottage in Bayswater, near Kensington Gardens, where Agnes only occasionally joined her studious sister. She was fond of society, and had formed warm friendships with many persons in whose families she was a beloved and welcome guest.

The death of King William had taken place while Agnes was in London the year before—an event which gave a regnant Queen to Great Britain in the person of a princess in the early bloom of eighteen, in whose accession Agnes Strickland had felt deeply interested. Her Jacobite predilections did not prevent her from being a loyal subject to the reigning family. She venerated George III., and had regarded the young orphan princess, the presumptive heiress of the kingdom, with enthusiastic interest. “I went yesterday with some ladies,” Agnes had formerly written in a letter to a friend, “to see the Princess Victoria of Kent return from the Drawing-room. She is a sweet smiling girl, as yet unsmitten by the storms that ere long will be smitten into her heart and brain by those who at present shout loudest in her praise. She is now the idol of the multitude; but for how long? Her joyous days will soon be over.” Such were the reflections of the author of the ‘Lives of the Queens of England’ while contemplating the lovely and youthful princess who in a few weeks was to become the sovereign of the greatest empire in the world.

Agnes was in London at the time of the proclamation of the young and interesting sovereign, whom she had seen a year before as Princess Victoria, a lovely and sweet young girl in her early maiden bloom. The grandeur of the pageant, which recalled so many historic recollections, made a lively impression on her THE YOUNG QUEEN. fancy, and kindled in her bosom an enthusiastic flame of loyalty, which indeed was shared by all; for never had the accession of any British monarch occasioned such a general feeling of loyal joy—no, not even that of Elizabeth, or indeed of George III., for in both cases strong parties were ready to oppose, if they dared, their just claims; but round the young royal Victoria clustered united wishes, ardent hopes, and pious prayers for her long life and prosperous reign, which in her merciful rule and personal example have been indeed answered.

A year later Agnes Strickland gives, in a letter to her sister Jane, the following brief notice of her youthful sovereign: “I saw our fair young maiden Queen in her diadem go in state to dissolve Parliament, and a sweet lovely creature she looked, all smiles and animation. It was a pleasure to see her apparently so happy.”

These brief notices will be useful to biographers in future days, when the minutest particulars relating to our excellent Queen will be eagerly sought for and lovingly recorded; for Agnes Strickland was devotedly loyal, and her Majesty could not have a more faithful subject, however limited her means of proving her loyalty might be.

As she particularly wished to see the coronation, and was presented with a ticket for that august ceremonial, rendered doubly interesting by the youth of the maiden Queen, she was obliged to shorten her slumbers that she might take possession of her seat in the Abbey as early as possible. She witnessed that splendid pageant with feelings of deep interest and admiration. It was a touching spectacle, she thought, to behold a youthful female sovereign solemnly pledging her faith to her people, to rule them well and wisely. The appearance of the maiden Queen was most interesting, and her costume suited her style remarkably well. THE CORONATION. “Her fair hair, in plaits, was simply folded, and arranged at the back of her head in a Grecian knot. She wore the picturesque garland-shaped diadem of the Plantagenet sovereigns, only in a lighter form, composed of very fine brilliants set transparently, which, from their absence of colour and pellucid brightness, resembled a wreath of hawthorn-blossoms covered with tremulous dewdrops.

“Surely never did any British sovereign receive inauguration under circumstances so auspicious and imposing. Yet she appeared serene and self-possessed when she arose from her private devotions and seated herself calmly in her recognition chair, round which her lovely train-bearers were grouped in their perfect costumes of white satin and garlands of blush-roses. There, too, were her maids of honour in virgin white, in attendance on their Queen. The ladies of the bedchamber, in their matron dignity, were not less attractive in a uniform costume of white satin and blonde, with trains of watchet-blue, white plumes, and splendid diamond tiaras.

“The pause between the recognition of the young Queen and her presentation to the people by the Archbishop of Canterbury, was broken by the whole body of the Westminster scholars rising up and saluting their sovereign, with the chorus, ‘Victoria, Victoria! vivat Victoria Regina!’ Of this their old prescriptive right they certainly availed themselves in good earnest, proud to be the first in the Abbey to hail their liege Lady.” Nothing seemed to Agnes more striking than the recognition and the general acclamations that followed the presentation of the Queen to her loyal people.

The enthusiastic loyalty of Agnes Strickland was shared by a mighty people; but while theirs found vent in acclamations, hers were mentally expressed spontaneously in these lines:— IMPROMPTU VERSES ON THE QUEEN.

Young maiden-Queen of England,

Bright blossom of our isles,

God’s blessing is upon thee—

On thee a people smiles.

How fondly we have watched thee

Since that auspicious morn,

When thou to bless three mighty realms

In happy hour wert born!

A royal child of England,

Amidst thy people reared,

By many a precious memory

To British hearts endeared.

Our ancient regal diadem,

Ne’er shone so bright as now;

It boasts a light it could not lend

To that young royal brow.

Oh may its glittering circlet ne’er

For thee contain a thorn,

But long in glory and renown

By thee, sweet maid, be worn!

And soon, its cares to lighten,

In wedded love allied,

May we exulting hail thee,

A happy, happy bride!

The mother of a mighty race

Of kings whose deathless fame

Shall rival great Plantagenet

And haughty Tudor’s name.

Our Alfred’s sacred lineage

Continued still through thee,

And true-born English princes

Victoria’s sons shall be.^[1]

“I enjoyed,” remarks Agnes Strickland, “a fine view THE CROWNED QUEEN. of her Majesty on her return and progress through the choir. Our Sovereign Lady now appeared in her purple robe, her train borne as before by her eight noble and graceful suivantes. The crown-royal was sparkling on her head, and she supported its weight with becoming dignity. The tender paleness that had overspread her fair face on her entrance, had yielded to a glow of ‘rosy celestial red,’ and this brilliant flush added to the beauty of her countenance, and set off her jewels and regal splendour. In her right hand she bore the sceptre, in her left the orb, which, though large for the grasp of her fairy fingers, she carried with peculiar grace, moving with a firm majestic step, and acknowledging the rapturous applause of her people with gracious looks and smiles of satisfaction.”^[2]

[1]	Published by Mr Colburn, in ‘Queen Victoria, from her Birth to her Bridal.’

[2]	Victoria, from her Birth to her Bridal.