was fixed on for the
whole body of the members to go to the chapel royal, and after hearing
the mass of the Holy Ghost, to take their oaths. The 2d was appointed
for a deputation to wait on the Emperor, and inform him that they were
ready to proceed on the 3d, and with his assistance to open the
important business on which they had met.]

This morning, therefore, the people of Rio de Janeiro had strewed the
way with evergreens, sweet herbs, and flowers, from the bridge without
the town by the street of St. Peter's, the Campo de Santa Anna, now
Praca da Acclamaca[)o], the Theatre Square, and the streets Do Ouvidor and
Direita to the palace; troops lined the whole space; the houses were
decorated, and the bands of the different regiments relieved each other
as their Imperial Majesties passed. I observe the Brazilians never say
_the_ Emperor, but _our_ Emperor, _our_ Empress; and seldom name either,
without some epithet of affection.

In the House of Assembly, a throne had been prepared for the Emperor,
and on his right hand a tribune for the Empress, the Princess, and their
ladies. As soon as it was known that the Imperial party had arrived, a
deputation from the assembly went to the door of the house to meet them,
and conducted the Emperor, with his crown[106] on his head, to the
throne; the Empress, Princess, and ladies, being at the same time placed
in the tribune.

[Note 106: The crown is of a purple velvet, enriched with diamonds.
There was some mistake or misunderstanding about the fact of wearing the
crown at the opening of the assembly. As the crown is only a ceremonial
badge of dignity, it should have been worn during the ceremony; but
owing to the mistake alluded to, it was not.]

The Emperor having deposited the crown and sceptre with the proper
officer, and received the oaths of several of the deputies, spoke as
follows; and it was remarked, that so far from the speech having the air
of a thing read from a paper or studied, that it was spoken as freely as
if it was the spontaneous effusion of the moment, and excited a feeling
as free in his favour.

"This is the greatest day that Brazil has ever seen; a day on which, for
the first time, it may show that it is an empire, and a free empire. How
great is my delight, to behold real representatives from almost every
one of its provinces, consulting together on its true interests, and on
these founding a just and liberal constitution to govern them! We ought