om morning till night with gratified crowds. Special reporters from
the daily newspapers came down from London, and sent long and special
reports for publication. The veteran magazine, now called _The
Art Journal_, but then known as _The Art Union_, gave interesting
accounts, with engravings of many of the articles on view, and the
whole matter was a great and signal success.

One morning the secretary received an intimation that Prince Albert
was coming on the following day. Preparations on a suitable scale were
at once commenced for his reception, and the principal exhibitors were
invited to be in attendance. At the time appointed, the Prince, who
had made a special journey from London for the purpose, was met by the
officials at the entrance, and conducted systematically through the
place. He made a most minute and careful examination of the whole
of the contents, took copious memoranda, and chatted familiarly with
everybody. One remark I heard him make struck me as significant of the
practical, observant character of his mind. Cocoa-fibre matting was
then comparatively unknown; the stone steps of the old hall had been
carpeted with this new material; observing this, as he walked up the
steps, the Prince turned to Mr. Aitken and said, "Capital invention
this; the only material I know of that wears better in a damp place
than when dry."

As he left the place on his return to London, he expressed, in cordial
terms, his thanks for the attention shown him, and said he had "been
very much pleased; quite delighted, in fact," and so ended a visit
which eventually led to the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Royal
Commission for the establishment of which was gazetted January 3,
1850.

The Prince came again, to lay the foundation stone of the Midland
Institute buildings. On that occasion he accepted an invitation to a
public luncheon in the Town Hall, and it was here that he delivered
the celebrated speech which placed him at once in the foremost rank of
philosophic thinkers. He was much pleased at his cordial reception on
this occasion, and it is known that it had much to do in overcoming
the avowed reluctance of the Queen to visit Birmingham, and was mainly
instrumental in inducing her to consent to open Aston Hall and Park.

The 15th of June, 1858, was eagerly looked forward to, for on that day
the Queen was coming. Taking a lesson from continental practice, it
was wisely resolved that individual attempts at decoration sh