royalty and aristocracy, the French which this event filled the borougharmy was, on this memorable occasion, mongers and all those who lived on the commanded by a mau who, only people. They from that time looked twelve years before, had been an ap-on the industrious part of the nation as prentice to a printer, at LIMOGES, a so many beasts of burden, made to city in a southern province of France, work for them and to administer to called the LIMOSIN, whence he went their luxuries and their sport. All became under the appellation of "the printer's military in this country, the laws of boy of Limosin." which once detested the idea of a standing BELGIUM, thus won by France, was soldier. No reduction of military ex(and with the hearty good-will of the pense: the answer to every complaint people) incorporated with the French on this score was, "the gratitude due Republic; and thus it continued until to the heroes of Waterloo"! The conthe year 1814, when Napoleon was sequences of these things are now before banished to ELBA. Then this fine us, and need not be dwelt on here. country, with its industrious and pious. Thus were the chains, apparently for and moral and brave people, were, by a ages, rivetted on the unhappy people of treaty to which England, Austria, Belgium, whom the king-makers had Prussia, Russia, and (by compulsion) saddled with Judge Bailey's blessing, the Bourbons, were parties, severed from a national debt; that is to say, with part France, and united to Holland (detested of the debt of Holland and with the by the Belgians), and the two countries amount of part of the expenses which were formed into "a kingdom," of Austria and Prussia had incurred in enwhich the Dutch Stadtholder was made slaving them! Their king, who hated king, having the royal dominion over them because they hated him, treated these countries GUARANTEED to him them accordingly. His Dutch subjects by the five Powers above-mentioned. were Protestants, the Belgians were Catholics, and there soon arose disputes very much resembling those between the Protestant Government and the Catholic people of Ireland. The press, always the object of hatred and oppression with tyrants, unless they can corrupt it to their purposes, was honest, and therefore was persecuted. Imprisonment, banishment, or ruinous fines, were the certain lot of all men who used the press for the public benefit, and in defence of the people's rights. Taxes the most oppressive and most odious were imposed, and enforced with a degree of rigour approaching to that of our Excise and Custom laws. The jails of Belgium rang with the cries of the victims of the fiscal system.

In 1815, on the return of Napoleon from Elba, Belgium became the scene of the battle that finally decided his fate. WATERLOO, which is in Belgium, and at a few miles distance from the city of Brussels, witnessed that base treason by which the defeat of Napoleon was occasioned. There were one million and eleven thousand men, all to be paid by the people of England, to fight against the French people on this occasion; yet, had there been no treachery, all would have failed. However, these things were overlooked: it was the interest of our government, and its endless swarms of tax-eaters, to ascribe the victory solely to our own valour and that of the Hanoverians, and to cry up the commander as something In this state was Belgium, in July far surpassing Alexander or Cæsar. He last, when the brave people of Paris, was created a Duke by our Prince setting at nought the cannons and the Regent, and" Prince of Waterloo" by bayonets of the mercenary and bloody the King of Holland. But th great Swiss, drove their tyrants from their evils to us were, first the immense sums palaces and their throne. All men of of our money heaped upon him, amount- sense, accustomed to think of such ing, in the whole, to more than a million matters, saw that Belgium would of pounds on this one man! A greater speedily revolt against the king that evil, however, was, the insolence with had, as above stated, been forced

upon them. Revolt they did; and, In short, this thing is done. Fielding with the cordial good wishes of every says, that, when both parties are of a just man on the face of the earth to mind, whether it be to fight or to marry, cheer them, they, without organization, it is extremely difficult to keep them without commanders, without any pre-asunder; but that, if either of the paration for the combat, finally suc-parties have no stomach for the enterceeded in driving their oppressors from prize, a team of horses will not get their country. Having done this, they them together; a striking instance of had to settle upon a new government. which latter I once witnessed in a man A Congress, chosen by the people, who was always boasting of his pugilhave, for many weeks, been deliberating istic might and prowess, but who, on this subject. What the people having taken a cuffing and kicking as wanted was, a re-union with France silently as a wool-pack, and having at once; but, LOUIS-PHILIPPE and his been driven (in order to save his coward Chambers (for they are not those of the hide for the moment) to postpone the French people) being essentially fund-sequel of the salutation by the accepting holding, and thinking that such re- of a challenge for the next day, disunion would rouse the other four gua-covered, in shuffling out of the chalranteeing Powers to war, and knowing lenge, more ingenuity than timid hare that war would shake to its foundation ever discovered to avoid her pursuers, the funding system of France, have and, in resisting the arguments in fabeen constantly against this re-union. vour of the necessity of fighting, more Then, the other four Powers have been courage than St. DUNSTAN discovered working, too, towards the same point. in all his immortal battles with the At first, they expressed their resolution devil. Far otherwise is it in the preto adhere to their guarantee of 1814, and sent case. Here is a marriage in to compel the Belgians again to submit question; and the parties are both to their Dutch king; but, though they of a mind, and ready to leap into each probably had the fund-holding govern- other's arms. It signifies not a straw, ment of France along with them, they therefore, what Louis-Philippe and his had not the French people with them. insolvent bankers may think or say of They next insisted, that the Belgians the matter: the rich and beautiful bride should have for king some one of the fa- offers her hand to her brave and strong mily of the Dutch king. But the Belgians and ardent lover; and it is not the inhaving observed, I suppose, that wolves trigues of the old grannies and the do not breed lambs, thought, apparently, fribbles at Vienna and Whitehall; no, that like father like son; and, therefore, nor their weighty arguments into the they rejected that proposition. Next, the bargain, that will keep the parties guaranteers insisted that they should asunder for any length of time. have a King of some breed or other, but that he should not be of French breed! Alas! the Belgian Congress have finally fixed their choice upon the DUKE DE NEMOURS, second son of LouisPHILIPPE ! And this is, in fact, neither more nor less than a resolution to be re united with France. The news of to-day is, that LOUIS-PHILIPPE will not assent to this! Poh! His scruples will be soon overcome! The first tailed upon us, and which accursed engrand review that he has on the Champ tail is now producing riots and fires and de Mars will remove all his scruples, all sorts of calamity and disgrace. and make him as bold as a country France must give the fashion to Europe. girl at her second appearance before a There she is, having swept away tithes, quorum, one half of whom are her lovers. now sweeping away the nasty dregs of

This reunion will be, and must be, accomplished; and what an event is here! An event that at one blow oversets all that was accomplished by the twenty-two years of war that our THING carried on, and by the six hundred millions of debt that it contracted, and by the six annual millions of poorrates, and the six annual millions of Dead Weight, which that war has en

aristocracy, which English money and we may safely set all foreign nations at Austrian, Prussian, and Russian bayo- defiance; for that will soon give us cheap nets had re-imposed upon her. There Government, cheap religion, and will she is at work, establishing equal laws make us all, even the poorest of us, and cheap Government. The example feel, that we have something to lose; is too alluring not to be followed. Ac- that our lot may be worse; feelings that cordingly we see all Europe in commo- the millions of us have not had for many tion. Every-where the people are look-years past. ing to France as their friend. Belgium For these reasons I hail with joy this was the door, doubly and triply barri- great event. I look upon its accomcaded, to shut the French out of the plishment as inevitable, though intrigue rest of Europe, and prevent her from and bribery may cause it to be postlending a hand to oppressed people. This poned for a short time. The French event opens this door. It is, therefore, nation burns with impatience to wipe an event at which the people of all out the stain of Waterloo; for, though nations must rejoice, and at which the they well know the treason by which oppressors of all nations must tremble. they were defeated, yet the despots, and their own amongst the rest, with the aid of an enslaved and mercenary press, have caused it to be regarded as a stain. They know well how false our Government's pretensions are, relative to the "glory" of that affair; but this knowledge does not tend to diminish their resentment; and every Frenchman, except he be a downright sold traitor, absolutely fries with eagerness to regain the "field of Waterloo," which, he feels, will bring back everything to where it stood before the first fall of Napoleon! And what a triumph for THE PEOPLE of every country!

·-

But how will this event affect us in particular? Why, as every man of sense saw that the Parisians, by their glorious deeds of July, actually produced the putting out of the PRINCE OF WATERLOO, and the ministerial proposition to make that reform which had been scoffed at for so many years; so every man of sense must now see, that this event relating to Belgium will have a tendency to urge the Government on in the good work. For, it is another and a most striking proof that the stability of Governments now demand great concessions to the people, that the people are no longer to be ruled on the princi- The great burden of the arguments ple of fear. I am aware that, taking against reform in England has, for the into view the change that has been last 16 years, been this :"Look at made by the discovery of steam-naviga-" France; only look at France: the tion, the power of France to invade Eng- "French made a radical reform; and land and Ireland will be greatly aug- "what have they got by it? All their mented by the re-union of Belgium with" victories ended in defeat; and there France. But I know, at the same time, 66 they are, with the Bourbons back that all the power of France, if it were again, with all their fine conquests four or even ten times what it is, would" taken away, with the white flag up present nothing formidable to England" again, with the defeat at Waterloo and Ireland, if the people were cordial in " sticking to them, with a national debt, their love of the Government; this they" and taxed as heavily as ever so that, would be, if they had meat to eat (as" be silent about reform; for, it will do their great-grandfathers had) instead of " you no good in the end; you must, at the accursed potatoes; and, if they have" last, come back again to potatoes, or have not meat to eat, it signifies, in my "BENETT'S Gallon loaf and 3d. aview of the matter, not a single straw" week for FOOD and CLOTHING.' who possesses, or what becomes of, the This was the great burden of all the argucountry. I am happy, however, in the ments against reform, for sixteen years, thought, that they have again begun to ending on the 29th day of July last! eat meat. I trust that the Ministers It is gone! The brave Parisians put will give us a real reform; and then an end to it on that memorable day,

(6

""

""

66

"You

and every good man on earth clapped himself at North Cray, in Kent) said, his hands with joy on the occasion; "He shall never quit that island; for every man felt that the victory had when that really greatest captain of the been won for the people of every coun-age fell because he had become an Emtry, This union of Belgium, however, peror, and had married an Austrian; was necessary to make the thing com- when NAPOLEON was sent off to that plete. Very much mistaken are those miserable island, where he at last died who imagine that this aggrandisement of an hereditary cancer; then did I of France is an injury, or can be an in-say to this very CASTLEREAGH: jury, to the English nation. An injury," think you have triumphed, do you? indeed, it may be to the rulers of Hol-" Your triumph will be of short duraland, of Hanover, of Prussia, of the "tion: the gallant French nation will petty despots of Germany, of Russia" speedily recover: the Bourbons themand of Austria. To these rulers it may "selves must break your treaty, or be be an injury; but a benefit to the people" dethroned; France and Belgium will of every country. An injury to domi-" be together again: the debt conneering aristocracy every-where; but a "tracted in consequence of the war benefit to the industrious classes of" will hang like a mill-stone about your every community on earth. It is for "necks: the gallant French nation will our interest in all respects that Belgium "march where they please: England should belong to France. I have a "will be able to stir neither hand nor thousand good reasons for this; but," foot to retard their march, unless she one is enough, and that is, that it will" free herself from her debt; and this enable the French to establish cheap "she cannot do without breaking up Government, and will compel us to follow the church establishment, and, in their example in that respect. All our great part, the whole body of arisdangers, all our miseries, arise from dear" tocracy."-Political Register, 24th Government. There is no good reason of September, 1814.-This, then, is the why England should not be governed day of my triumph. It has not come even cheaper than the United States of so soon as I expected, but it is come; America, and maintain at the same and, amongst all the millions upon time all her just rights and authority in millions of human beings, whose hearts the world. There is no reason why leap with joy at contemplating this this should not be; and to this cheap event, not one single soul feels the joy government the example of France, to a greater extent than I do, having and the immense increase of power the happiness to reflect, that my efforts that that cheap government will give may, in some small degree, have conto France, will, in the end, compel us tributed towards the accomplishment of that event.

to resort.

War! Oh, no! We shall not go to "But" (as PEEL said to the Lord war to prevent the union of Belgium Mayor on the 8th of November), with France. The French now know" what shall we do with the Duke? (I have taken good care of that) all" What shall we do with the 'PRINCE that I know about the means which" OF WATERLOO""? What shall we this Government has of going to war; do with the memory of " Old Blucher," and they talk on the subject in a man- the drivel from whose beard the English ner which shows that they know it" ladies" vied with each other to kiss? well. They do know it well, and they What shall we do with the memory of leave us out of the question accordingly. that " dear old man," who received And now is my day of triumph; now from the Prince Regent the Order of is my day of glory. When NAPOLEON the Bath, soon after he began to rifle had been put down; when NAPOLEON the museums at Paris? What shall we had been shipped off to St. Helena; do with the splendid quarto volume, when CASTLEREAGH (who, soon after- the text by my old printer's runner, wards, cut his own throat and killed BLAGDON, and the plates by ORME, of

if I had sense to estimate the past and the present; if I had been thus raised; if I had seen a whole people experiencing what England now experiences, and in consequence, too, of transactions for which I had been praised to the skies, I should, notwithstanding I might have been as innocent in point of intention as, I dare say, the Prince has been; were this my case, I confess that, however criminal it might be, I should be coward enough to call upon the earth To have an

Bond-street, intended to hand down to posterity, the History of the immortal victory obtained over the French and the Americans on the Serpentine River? What shall we do with the mound a hundred feet high, and the brass lion thirty feet high, standing upon the mound, on the "Field of Waterloo," and put there at the expense of the poor Belgians themselves to commemorate the glory of the great George the Fourth, then the Prince Regent? What shall we do with the "Hanoverian to open and swallow me. monument," erected on that field, and adequate idea of what the feelings of with the "Prussian monument,” erected the Prince must be, supposing him to on the same field? What shall we do have as weak a mind as I have; and, for a place for the tax-eaters to visit at the same time, to furnish a warning and strut about upon, and spend our against the danger of indulging in the earnings at the sign of the Prince of dreams of glory and ambition, let me Waterloo, and that of the " Belle Al- insert here, from Debrett's Peerage, a liance"? What shall we do with "Wa-sort of history, or heraldic account, of terloo bridge," which the spinster specu- the glories of the Prince of Waterloo. lators first called the "Strand bridge," From the internal evidence of the writbut which was re-baptised in 1818, the ing, it must have come from the Prince great Prince Regent and the great himself, or have been written and proPrince of Waterloo being sponsors, mulgated by his authority. I recomaided and assisted by horse, foot, and mend it to the attentive perusal of all artillery, with all the pomp of glorious young men. They should read every war? What shall we do with the "Wa- word of it with attention; and here I terloo Places," the "Waterloo Squares," give it for that purpose, without the "Waterloo Terraces," "Waterloo Rows," addition or suppression of one single and "Waterloo Houses"? What shall we word. do to get these names out of our eyes and out of our heads? What shall we

ARTHUR WELLESLEY, DUKE OF WEL

do with the tree, under which the great LINGTON, Marquess of Douro, Marquess Prince sat while he was achieving the and Earl of Wellington, Viscount Wellington of Talavera, and of Wellington, and Baron Waterloo victory, and which was after-Douro of Wellesley, co. Somerset ; Field wards dug up and brought to England, Marshal in the army, Colonel of the Royal here to be planted, and now standing, I Regiment of Horse-Guards, Master-General suppose, in the grounds at Stratfieldsay? of the Ordnance, and Governor of Plymouth, What shall we do with the Waterloo Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable triumphal arch at Hyde Park Corner, Order of the Bath, Grand Cross of the Royal representing the glorious achievements Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Knight of the of the Prince and joining on to his own Order of St. Esprit of France, PRINCE OF dwelling-place? What shall we do with and legislative body OF THE NETHERWATERLOO, so created BY THE KING the great naked Achilles, standing in LANDS, VALUE 20001. PER ANNUM; Hyde Park, opposite the Prince's own but the right in other respects is much enwindow, erected (naked thing) at the hanced when it is considered that it is be expense of the" ladies of England"? stowed IN LANDS AND WOODS SITUATED IN THE VERY THEATRE OF HIS "But," as PEEL in his agony said, on SPLENDID VICTORY. Duke of Ciudad the 8th of November," WHAT SHALL Rodrigo, and a Grandee of Spain of the First WE DO WITH THE DUKE!" Class, Duke of Vittoria, Marquess of Torres of the Most Illustrious Order of the Golden Vedras, Count of Vimeira in Portugal, Knight Fleece, of the Spanish Military Order of St. Ferdinand, Knight Grand Cross of the Impes

Different men are of minds differently constituted; but, speaking for myself, I am sure, that, if I were in this state;