re, as elsewhere,
the celebrations were on a grand scale. At Royston it was one of the
social land-marks of the first quarter of the century. The peace
rejoicings took place here on June 29th and 30th, 1814. On Wednesday,
about 12 o'clock, the Under Sheriff of the county, preceded by a band
of music--and such a band of music! made up of some thirty or forty
players on instruments--followed by a numerous cavalcade, proceeded
first from the Bull Hotel to the Cross, and there the proclamation was
first read. The procession then returned to the Market Hill, where it
was read a second time, and from thence to the top of the High Street,
where it was read for the last time. In the evening, "brilliant
illuminations" took place with transparencies and variegated lamps. On
the following day (Thursday) the bells rang merry peals, and at one
o'clock about nine hundred of the inhabitants sat down to a good dinner
on the Market Hill. At four o'clock the gentlemen and tradesmen sat
down to an excellent luncheon on the Bowling Green at the Green Man
Inn, after which many appropriate toasts were given by the chairman,
Hale Wortham, Esq. At intervals the Royston Band, "who very politely
offered their services," played some popular pieces. To conclude the
day's festivities, a ball was given at the Assembly Room at the Red
Lion. I believe the only person now living who remembers sitting down
to that famous dinner on the Market Hill is Mr. James Jacklin, who was
then a very little boy with his parents.

The rejoicings were unbounded and images of "Boney" were carried about
in almost every village on donkeys or men's shoulders, and afterwards
burned on the village green. No one dreamed that Waterloo was still in
store, but alas it soon appeared as if all this patriotic eloquence,
and peace rejoicing, would have to be _un_said, for in a short time
there came the alarming news that Napoleon had escaped from Elba and
was returning to France! He did return, and so did Wellington!
Waterloo was fought and won, but, the English people having, as the
Americans say, been a little too previous with {73} their rejoicings
over Elba, made less of the greatest battle of the century than they
might otherwise have done.

So passed away a figure which had troubled the peace and conscience of
Europe for a generation, the tradition of whose expected advent on our
shores did for many a year after discolour the pages of our country
life, like some