LONDON ILLUMINATIONS. THE forty years of peace so happily inaugurated by the "The very shape and body of the times, My earliest recollection of London in a fever of excitement and gladness was at the Peace of Amiens, 1802. It was by no means wonderful that the citizens should rejoice at the restoration of so strange a blessing as amity with France. Most of the existing generation were born to find the country engaged not merely in a most exhausting war, but literally in a death-struggle which threatened the utter destruction of the realm; and now, the First Consul of France, seemingly anxious for more friendly relations with his great enemy, had offered the olivebranch to England, and the deadly struggle was at an end. Reflecting minds, judging of the future from the past, no doubt had serious misgivings as to how long the calm would last, and were looking ahead for breakers, and a still more terrible tempest; but the majority regarded the welcome change with delight, and had no eyes for the black clouds gathering in the distance. All agreed that it was good to manifest both joy and thankfulness. Peace had been proclaimed with unusual pomp at all the great centres of business, especially at Temple Bar, St. Paul's, and the Royal Exchange. The French Ambassador, Count Otto, had arrived; his splendid carriage traversed our streets, followed by shouting crowds; he had been received at court with infinite éclat, and George III.-who, on receiving an envoy from the United States after the war which separated England and America, assured him that, as he was the last to sanction the peace, so he would be the last to violate it-welcomed the Gallic messenger of friendship with the same regal frankness. Of course there would be an illumination, and it must be on the grandest scale, so as equally to prove our liberality and our cordiality. Our ancestors, when they sought to make the public thoroughfares gay with artificial light, did so by a long array of wax candles of immense size, resembling more what are now denominated torches. On one occasion, there was such a light burning at every door, from St. Paul's to Temple Bar, and they were also used in splendid processions, including the nobles, the dignified clergy, military bands, and the laity. The effects thus LONDON ILLUMINATIONS. produced must have been exceedingly fine, and probably they interested the fancy above any other kind of public illumination. At present, gas is chiefly employed on such occasions, and that pure, vivid, white light, so singularly brilliant that it presents every object to our vision with a clearness only excelled by the Bude-lamp, is in some respects preferable to any other. Yet gas, when burning in the open air unscreened, as it is when emitted in countless jets to form letters and emblems for illuminating purposes, has many disadvantages, particularly if there is much wind. The tiny tongues of flame perpetually flicker backwards and forwards; one moment there is a blaze of light, and the next all is comparative darkness. Not unfrequently, indeed, when a stronger air gust than usual weeps over the igneous surface, the whole for an instant becomes black. The hero's name or the monarch's crown disappears; and, like the glories of mere ephemeral greatness, seem lost for ever. Besides, as gas while burning will admit of no variation in colour, the eye grows weary of the unmitigated brightness— “Shining on, shining on, by no shadows made tender.” We cannot look for any length of time on the midday sun, and we turn away dazzled and pained from walls or windows blazing with gas. Gas was scarcely thought of for the purpose of illumination in 1802; and for many years later, small globular lamps, about the size of a goose egg, and manufactured in all the colours of the rainbow, were employed. Each contained a few spoonsful of sperm oil, in which floated a Liliputian wick-calculated, on the principle of modern night-lights, to burn for several hours. These arranged in oblong trays, according to their colour —green, red, blue, yellow-were carried by the ingenious operators to the frontages to be illuminated, where the necessary inscriptions and symbols, in skeleton wirework, furnished with innumerable small hooks, were ready to receive them. The preparations to illuminate any large space took several days, and the final act of kindling the lamps was also a tedious process, occupying three or four hours, so that an illumination could hardly be seen at its best earlier than midnight. These difficulties surmounted, the effect produced was exceedingly gorgeous. Any spacious building thus gemmed with variegated points of light, engaged the gazer's notice agreeably, and pleased without paining the sight. Of course it was only a small proportion of even the largest houses that could be thus expensively decorated; but mingling at short distances with long rows of windows where every pane of glass boasted its candle, these sheets of fairy lanterns, contrasted yet harmonizing in colour, produced a truly charming effect. Well, the peace-proclaiming heralds had hardly disappeared when the artists in illumination lamps became amazingly busy. From what dark recesses did they extract those thousands of mimic stars? and how could they manage to prepare such elaborate devices in so short a time? All the public offices were to be brilliantly illuminated. The loyal citizens were resolved that no city in the empire should outshine London. The Company Halls were to make a splendid appearance: Wardens, Masters, Liverymen, were all equally liberal. Who could think of a shabby illumination for peace ?-peace with France!-peace with the whole world! The Bank, the Mansion House, the Exchange, and the East India House were to be rivals in splendour. The genius of commerce would be ashamed of her favourite sons should they neglect to celebrate, with honour due, an event which promised to extend her rule over the whole world. What a pity that at such grand national fêtes the mighty pillar in Pudding-lane and Wren's vast cathedral cannot be clothed with light, like the comparatively humble buildings LONDON ILLUMINATIONS. around them. We have heard of an attempt (which failed) to illuminate the Monument, but are not aware that the mighty cupola of St. Paul's was ever arrayed with a mantle of fire. Is it thought impossible? St. Peter's, at Rome, a far larger structure, is brilliantly illuminated every Easter, shining forth like a globe of flame, while the whole city is lit up by the wonderful pyrotechnic display at the Castle of St. Angelo. If the citizens were on the alert, London without the Bars was not neglected. Theatres, Government offices, especially Somerset House, squares, streets the meanest and narrowest, were alive-the poorest tenement vying, according to its means, with the proudest palatial mansion. Count Otto, the French Ambassador, resided in one of the fashionable squares, and resolved to show the taste and riches of his country by illuminating his house in the grandest possible way. From roof to basement must be a blaze of light; on the first-floor balcony, in gigantic letters, appeared the words "Peace Conquered," an odd announcement, but not meant offensively-" conquered" being used in the sense of "secured." It was an amusement with idlers to notice the preparations, and, among others, some dozen Jack tars, on holiday leave, one of whom spelled out the word "conquered," and criticised it thus: "My eyes, Thomson, do you see what that Mounsheer says? Peace Conquered!' We was never conquered, and if he don't take it away, we'll break every window in the place." His comrades warmly approved of the suggestion, and in spite of all the explanations tendered them, the doubtful word had to be changed for "secured." Many establishments, and some private dwellings, were decorated with transparencies, preferred to lamps, as being more favourable to the wit of the shopocracy. The First Consul was represented under various fantastical figures, |