a valuable specimen of the art of that period, the hilt
being of gold, exquisitely chased; a crimson velvet hat with feathers,
confined in the front by a costly jewel.

Space prevents my giving any more of the dresses, and I only notice that
the Earl of Cardigan appeared in the French Quadrille, clad in armour, as
_Bayard_, _the_ "_Chevalier sans reproche_"!!!

As almost everyone's dress was ablaze with diamonds and other jewels, it
is pleasant to think, that very few losses were sustained, and those
were, generally, of trifling value. The only loss of any moment was that
sustained by Prince Albert, from the girdle of whose gorgeous dress, is
supposed to have dropped a valuable brilliant of great size.

On 30 May, about half-past six in the evening, as the Queen was returning
from her usual drive, and was close to Buckingham Palace, she was fired
at by a young miscreant named John Francis, aged 20, described as a
carpenter. He was at once seized, and examined by the Privy Council.
The simplest account of the event was given at the boy's trial by Col.
Arbuthnot, one of the Queen's equerries, whose testimony was as follows:
"My general position is about five yards in the rear of Her Majesty.
Before we left the Palace, I had received an intimation which induced me
to ride as close to Her Majesty as I could; and Colonel Wylde, Prince
Albert's equerry, rode in the same position, on the other side. Between
6 and 7 o'clock, we were coming down Constitution Hill, when, about
halfway down the Hill, I observed the prisoner; and, on the carriage
reaching him, he took a pistol from his side, and fired it in the
direction of the Queen. As quickly as I could, I pulled up my horse, and
gave the prisoner into custody. The prisoner had, before this, caught my
attention as appearing anxious to see Her Majesty. The Colonel went on
to say that the utmost distance from the carriage, when Francis fired,
was seven feet. The _cortege_ had been going at the rate of eleven miles
an hour; but the Colonel had given instructions at this spot, to go
faster, and the postillions were driving at the rate of twelve or
thirteen miles an hour. The Queen was sitting on the back seat of the
carriage, on the side nearest to the prisoner. The pistol seemed to the
witness to be pointed in the direct line of Her Majesty."

On the news being communicated to the Houses of Parliament, they
adjourned in confusion, as it was found impossible to carry on t