f bunting down the streets. Goods were removed
from shop windows and spectators took their places. There was an
enormous concourse of people to see the young Queen and her royal
consort. It had been arranged to run up a flag upon a flag-staff on
the top of the London Cutting as soon as the royal carriage was seen
coming down Reed Hill, as a signal for the bells to commence ringing.
This was in charge of Mr. Hale Wortham, in whose absence for a few
minutes some mischievous boys ran up the flag signal, which set the
Church bells ringing, and placed the whole concourse of people on the
tiptoe of expectation and excitement long before the Queen's arrival,
with a corresponding tax upon their patience. A tremendous gale was
blowing, which played havoc with the linen and devices on the arches
and tore down the flag-staff and pinnacle to which it was attached on
the tower of the Parish Church. When the carriage came, however, {188}
it was at a very great speed. By the arrangement of the Earl of
Hardwicke a regular military escort was dispensed with as soon as the
county of Cambridge was reached. In Melbourn Street a large body of
horsemen, including many gentlemen of Royston, was assembled, which was
in fact lined by them, for the purpose of falling in by threes as the
royal carriage passed. During a pause the Earl of Hardwicke went up to
the carriage and spoke to the Queen and the Prince Consort. The royal
carriage was escorted by soldiers and members of the Herts. Yeomanry as
far as the borders of Herts. at Royston, where members of the Cambs.
Yeomanry were to take their places. The carriage travelled at such
great speed that though the Herts. Yeomanry, mostly farmers and others
used to hunting and well mounted, easily kept their places, yet the
Cambs. men, including Fen men more heavily mounted, soon found
themselves actually dropping off, and many of them were left hopelessly
behind when the journey was renewed en route for Trinity College,
Cambridge. Those left behind were able to come up at Melbourn where
there was a change of horses.

[Illustration: TRIUMPHAL ARCH AT ROYSTON.]

At Melbourn the scene was a memorable one as the mounted horsemen and a
vast crowd of people from the whole neighbourhood gathered around the
old historic elm tree, where the change of horses took place. Such a
crush of mounted horsemen had never been seen in the village. Upon the
gigantic branch of the old elm tree, which then exten