ited by Royalty--namely, by Queen Henrietta, the consort of
Charles I., Peter the Great of Russia, and William III. There is also a
tradition of the Inn that Queen Elizabeth was present at a rehearsal
there of the _Midsummer Night's Dream_, in which Shakespeare himself
took part, and that in the course of the revel Her Majesty danced with
her Chancellor, Sir Christopher Hatton. The splendid oak screen and
music gallery at the eastern end were erected in 1572. The Hall is
graced by one of the three genuine paintings by Vandyck of Charles
I.--the other two being at Windsor and Warwick Castles--and by portraits
of Charles II., James II., William III., Queen Anne, and George III. A
bust of the Prince of Wales is also conspicuous, and a portrait of His
Royal Highness, by Mr. Watts R.A., has since been added.

The Treasurer, Mr. Runyon, Q.C., presided at the dinner, when no less
than 430 members of the Inn, Benchers, Barristers, or Students were
present, and many illustrious guests. On the right of the chair was the
Master of the Temple (the Rev. Dr. Vaughan), and next to him the
Archbishop of Canterbury; on the left the Prince of Wales, and next to
him the Lord Chief Justice. The Prince wore the silk gown of a Queen's
Counsel, and the riband of the Garter. On his health being proposed,
after that of the Queen, it was to give "respectful and hearty welcome
to Master His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales."

The Prince on rising to respond was loudly cheered, and said:--

"Master Treasurer, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I beg to tender to
you and to my brother Benchers my sincere thanks for the kind,
hearty, and cordial manner in which you have received this
toast. I cannot feel that I am quite a stranger among you,
although it is now nearly thirteen years since I had the honour
of being enrolled as a member of this Inn. My relations with you
are, unfortunately, of an almost entirely honorary character,
but I can assure you that I consider it a very high honour to be
connected with this Inn. It is, I am sure, a good thing for the
profession at large and for the public in general that I have
never been called to the Bar, for I must say that I could never
have been a brilliant ornament of it. I can assure you that I
esteem most highly the honour of dining with you and my brother
Benchers this evening, and with those distinguished men whom I
see around me right and left. I