ever met with. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught,
opened the Horticultural Exhibition at Lower Grounds, June 24, 1872. The
Duke of Edinburgh was at the Musical Festival, Aug. 26, and following
days, 1873. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the town Nov. 3,
1874, and received a most enthusiastic welcome. Prince and Princess Teck
were here Dec., 6, 1875; and the Prince and Princess Christian, with the
Marquis of Lorne, visited the Cattle and Dog Shows, Dec., 1883. The
Prince of Wales having accepted the Presidentship of the Agricultural
Exhibition Society, it is believed he will again visit the town shortly.

_Royal Visitors from Abroad_.--The great workshops of Birmingham, and
especially the Soho Works (in their day), have, for the last hundred
years, attracted many crowned and coronetted heads from other parts of
the world, though, in many respects, it is to be feared our town no
longer holds the pre-eminence in manufacture it once did. The Hereditary
Prince of Brunswick came here, January 2, 1766. The Empress of Russia
inspected Soho in 1776. The Duc de Chartres came on a similar visit,
February 22, 1785, and there were newspaper flunkies then as now, for it
was gravely recorded that the Duke's horses were stabled at the Swan
Inn. His Serene Highness the Statholder and the Prince of Orange called
at Boulton's, August 8, 1796. The Grand Duke Nicholas, afterwards
Emperor of Russia, was here, November 9, 1816. His Serene Highness
Prince Nicolas Esterhazy, visited us in the month of August, 1821.
Prince Louis Napoleon, afterwards Napoleon III., was seen here
occasionally while in exile. The King of Portugal went the round of the
manufactories, June 26, 1854; Prince Oscar of Sweden, May 8, 1862; the
Emperor of Brazil, July 28, 1871; the Sultan of Zanzibar, July 2, 1875;
Archduke Randolph, Crown Prince of Austria, and Prince Esterhazy,
January 31 1878; and the Duke of Braganza, Crown Prince of Portugal, in
December, 1883.

~Sabbath Breaking.~--In 1776 the churchwardens threatened to punish
everyone caught playing at ball on the Sabbath. In 1779 they frequently
stopped waggons travelling on that day, and fined the owners for so
doing. In December, 1781, thirty-eight publicans were fined for allowing
"tippling" on Sundays.

~Sailor's Return.~--There are several public-houses in the town with the
sign of "The Sailor's Return," but few of the landlords can tell the
history of the first so-named, which is in Watery Lane,