PREFACE

The grand review was over. The Armed Freemen, who had been paraded, in their thousands, before the Queen of the Isles, had dispersed, and had sought the homes they had shown themselves worthy to guard. The great day, the memorable Saturday, Twenty-third of June, MDCCCLX, was done.

The Sovereign, who bad surely felt that day that one Throne stood upon foundations of adamant, had retired to her rest. And the Queen dreamed a dream.

“I know it, Phipps,” replied Mr. Punch to Sir Charles, as that courteous Courtier announced the fact in Mr. Punch’s breakfast chamber the following morning.

“Astounding man!” said Sir Charles Phipps.

“I breakfasted, and am dressed thus early, Phipps, knowing that my Queen’s Onirocriticus and Conjector would be wanted.”

“Preternatural man!” said Sir Charles Phipps. “Accompany me to the Palace.”

“Attend me to the Palace, Phipps,” said Mr. Punch, but with a pleasant smile, that spoke forgiveness of the Courtier’s lapse. But Sir Charles could bot forgive himself, and the journey was performed in solemn silence.

The State Coach with the Cream Steeds stopped, and in three minutes Mr.Punch had made The Unapproachable Bows, which he performs in one Presence only.

“I have had a Dream, dear Mr.Punch,” said the Royal Lips, with that smile upon them which is reserved for the Chief Counsellor and Favourite of the Lady of Kingdoms.

“To save Your Majesty the faintest care and slightest trouble os the object and glory of my life,” said Mr. Puch. “Might I venture to recal that Dream?”

“I think you know everything,” replied the Majesty of England.

“I believe that I do, Madam,” responded Mr.Punch, modestly. “And I know what has come to my Sovereign through the Gate of Ebony.”

“Ah! it is a true Dream, then?” asked the Queen.

“Your Majesty’s self shall judge,” replied the Onirocriticus and Conjector. “It is not for me to question my Monarch; but unless contradicted, I will believe that Her Dream was in this wise.”

“Tell me,” said his Royal Mistress.

“A Daughter of the House of Brunswick stood ob a Mountain, and could see not only the English Isles of her inheritance, and her strongholds in the Southern Lake, which is not a French Lake, yet, if it please Your Majesty – The Royal Eye sparkled.

“But all her distant dominions. She saw a broad, happy, loyal American colony, which was preparing all honour and welcome for her Eldest Son. She saw the gigantic Asian Peninsula , recently subdued by her armies, and now her Own in name as well as in fact, and a veteran hero was leaving its shore to receive the laurel at home.”

“Yes, I did see Lord Clyde,” said the Royal Auditor.

“She saw her vast possessions in the Austral world, with their rapidly growing peoples, resolved, energetic, prosperous, and, while bent on making their new world what a freeman’s home should be, retaining a deep love for the home whence they came.”

“The Prince of Whales must visit Australia next,” said his Royal Mother.

“And, Madam, She saw the rest of her Fifty Colonies, and her flag waving over each, and the Englishman everywhere performing his mission of civilization, order, and law. And then She saw, sailing statelily on every sea, her majestic Fleets. And She beheld, parading haughtily on the plains around her, and in many a far-away land, her gallant Soldiery. And closer yet, and her very fleet, She saw the Household Guard of England – the Guard that stood before her yesterday, and gave her the proud and stern assurance that the manhood of Britain is ready to close with any foe whom the Devil may stir up to do his work.”

“That – yes – that was the Dream,” said the Lady of the Land.

“But there was one Thought more,” said Mr.Punch, in a lower voice, and with an inexpressibly arch, yet profoundly respectful smile stealing over his intellectual features.

“Was there?” asked his Sovereign, with a frank look of inquiry. “Well, now you mention it – yes.”

“Dare I complete my story?” said Mr.Punch. “It was not precisely that something was wanting to the perfect satisfaction and happiness of my Queen – let me rather say that She had a hovering impression that it was possible for some additional gem and glory to be added to the period – that some Koh-i-Noor, or other Mountain of Light might be laid at her feet.”

“I will not deny it,” said Her Majesty, smiling; “but I cannot recollect what form the new pleasure was to take.”

“Deign, Gracious Mistress, to look upon this Mirror,” said the Magician. And, stepping to this side, and waving gracefully his baton, after the manner of Cornelius Agrippa before his famous Glass of the Future,

But the words had power enough. Medea could not have chanted more awfully to the palpitating stars. The curtains glided aside, and the Mystery was revealed, the Dream solved, the new Gem and Glory of the Period disclosed.

In another moment, bending at hi Gracious Sovereign’s knee, Mr.Punch presented his

Thirty-Eight Volume.

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