Queen Victoria has just completed a second pleasure-voyage in her
yacht, which bore also her husband and children. Jersey, Devonshire, and Cornwall, have rejoiced in the Royal presence, and have been moved to delight in proportion to the remoteness of such a chance. Jersey was excited to an intensity highly amusing to the still sober bystanders. Under the visitationtevery form even of ordinary existence became supernaturally vivid and of momentous importance. Queen Victoria was of course a beatific vision ; her smiles were watched and appropriated with an audacity extenuated only by the sacred fervour of the appro. priators,—as the stealers of relics are not counted among common perpetrators of larceny : thus, the folks of the Jersey News office took to themselves a share of the smiles distributed by the Royal countenance, a special recognition was set down to "Miss Gibbs," and so on. But everybody else was electrified into a higher state of being by the august presence—even the postilions are recorded by name, and the perspiration of the Bailly and Jurats is em- balmed in history. All this is amusing enough—it is bathos top- pling headlong from the sublime to the ridiculous. No ridicule of extraneous circumstances, however, can make Queen Victoria's sea-voyaging other than a sensible amusement. It brings her acquainted with the several parts of her dominions ; it well suits the genius, pleases the feelings, of a maritime people ; and it bears the young princes out into the midst of healthful breezes. Such amusements are in favourable contrast with many that have been used to beguile royal ennui. Louis the Fourteenth played with vice and the fate of kingdoms ; our Charles the Second left the kingdoms alone that he might bestow the more time on the other toy. Louis the Fifteenth had his harem ; Louis the Eighteenth lived in a round of eating. Anne of England played at equality with her attendants, and quarrelled with them for taking liberties. Elizabeth played the fool with Essex, and killed him for playing the fool with her. George the Fourth plaTed at making gilt paper boxes, at tailoring, at being a petit maitre. Queen Isabella of Spain site at butaherly bull-fights, or lives secluded in her palace. Royal amusesnents are usually be- low the average in taste and sense. Queen Viciaria plays for stakes with the sea, winning health and honest pleasure.
