| 818 | 819 | 820 | 821 | 822 |
| 1 | 236 | 472 | 708 | 944 |
|
CHAPTER V.
ARISTOCRATIC GOSSIP.
By degrees the seats of the House filled as the Lords arrived. The
question was the vote for augmenting, by a hundred thousand pounds
sterling, the annual income of George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland,
the queen's husband. Besides this, it was announced that several bills
assented to by her Majesty were to be brought back to the House by the
Commissioners of the Crown empowered and charged to sanction them. This
raised the sitting to a royal one. The peers all wore their robes over
their usual court or ordinary dress. These robes, similar to that which
had been thrown over Gwynplaine, were alike for all, excepting that the
dukes had five bands of ermine, trimmed with gold; marquises, four;
earls and viscounts, three; and barons, two. Most of the lords entered
in groups. They had met in the corridors, and were continuing the
conversations there begun. A few came in alone. The costumes of all were
solemn; but neither their attitudes nor their words corresponded with
them. On entering, each one bowed to the throne.
The peers flowed in. The series of great names marched past with scant
ceremonial, the public not being present. Leicester entered, and shook
Lichfield's hand; then came Charles Mordaunt, Earl of Peterborough and
820
Page
Quick Jump
|