18 JANUARY 1845, Page 14

THE QUEEN WITH THE FARMER'S FRIEND.

A NATURAL association of ideas has led the Queen to follow up her visit to the pigs of the Smithfield Club by a visit to "the farmer's friend" at Stowe.

Her reception at the ducal mansion was "got up" in a style that must have gladdened the heart of Young Faiglarid, if Young England were present on the occasion. The laten.s and pleasure- grounds of our English aristocracy defy the influence of the season, and look rich and beautiful even in the dead of the year. Theelastic turf beneath, and the "old patrician trees" stretching their embrowned arms across, are beautiful to the eye and impervious to the ruder winds. On the present occasion the sheltered lawn at Stowe was thronged with appropriate figures in appropriate costume. Five hundred burly farmers on horseback with red rosettes on their hats, and five hundred stout labourers is white -smock frocks with green ribands en theirs, the Duke himself with his blue riband, and a guard of the Bucks Yeomanry wearing uniform in the taste of George the Third's days, were a 'living presentment of English rural loyalty. But these villanous reporters spoil everything: they have let out that the wearers of the white smocks and green ribands were selected from all the parishes round about, and received a crown and a good dinner for the day's attendance. The scene was a masque representing ' rural sturdiness and comfort : pity that the good old fashion of producing an anti-masque at the same time was not observed— the personnel could easily have been recruited from the stone- I breakers and poachers round Stowe. The Royal visit has afforded an opportunity to "our own reporters" of the upholstery department to publish a catalogue raisonnee of the furniture of Stowe. Right English the " plea- ishing" of the apartments appears to be. Of rich and rare there is crowded into one room what sufficed in former days to fur- nish forth suites of apartments in the palaces of French kings and Eastern Sultans and a round dozen of Venetian or Low Country -Senators and Burgomasters. There is something amusing in our modern combination of the boudoir with the old-curiosity-shop ; and doubtless the effect is quaint and pretty when seen : but read- ing about "hangings which once adorned the halls of Venetian atatesMen," and "quaint rich gildings and carvings which have graced the salles of Louis Quatorze," is apt to leave an impression that, from economical motives, our great lords are in the habit of , using second-hand furniture. e crowning ornament, however, of the festival—second only , in interest to her Most Sacred Majesty, if indeed second even to Iter in the estimation of the noble host—was the grand "heraldic lantern," which "lit up" the entrance-hall in the evening. Thereon were displayed in coloured glass the shields and sup- porters of Grenville, Temple, Nugent, and Chandos, with "shields , of quarterings commemorating the most important matches with the heiresses of many distinguished families, through whose alliances so large an accumulation of heraldic honours has de- , amended to the present head of the Grenville family." Among -the ancestral devices, be sure that of Henry the 'Seventh, 4‘ fa= , whom the present Duke of Buckingham and Chemins is lineally descended," was conspicuous, to remind her Majesty that the . phrase "our cousin Buckingham" was more than a mere con- ventional recognition of his rank. Indeed, it 75 questionable whether the Queen of England might not be impressed—despite her regal line and all her German quarterings—with some , )ealousy of the brilliant pedigree of " high-reaching Bucking- ham." Prince Albert was probably reconciled to the ostentation by seeing how many of the family honours had been acquired by aitarliage. But, alas for poor Sara eldsaye? its illustrious -owner will be unable to astonish his Royal viiiiter with such a "feast of lanterns."

The Duke of Buckingham, like Male-olio, had "the humour of state" on him for the time, and he indulged it to the utmost. The distinction of ranks was preserved with a ripur worthy of the days when Leicester entertained Elizabeth. While the noble kin and compeers of the lord of Stowe were feasted in the ducal halls, a dinner was provided for his retainers—and among them, the Members for his Grace's borough of Buckingham—at the *men- inn.

After all, amid this blaze of aristocratic splendour, the Dula has remained true to his homelier character of" farmer's friend." This is shown in the entertainments provided for her Majesty. They are exactly such as an honest farmer on his first pleasure- excursion might be supposed to admire most, and wish his friends to share in. Jullien has been summoned to give the Queen an idea of his promenade concerts ; and a funny professor has been brought from Oxford, who besides describing the megatherion in a graphic and amusing style, is accustomed to imitate its mo- tions with most masterly pantomimic action. After witnessing his representation her Majesty cannot fail to have a lively idea of the greatest beast the world has ever seen. If the Duke has only a clever Punch in petto, his circle of rustic amusements will be complete.