Andrew Pringle, my son, having got the ticket, left us sitting, when
shortly after in came a nobleman, high in the cabinet, as I think he must
have been, and he having politely asked leave to take his tea at our
table, because of the great throng in the house, we fell into a
conversation together, and he, understanding thereby that I was a
minister of the Church of Scotland, said he thought he could help us into
a place to see the funeral; so, after he had drank his tea, he took us
with him, and got us into the Castle-yard, where we had an excellent
place, near to the Glasgow manufacturer that drank the champaign. The
drink by this time, however, had got into that poor man's head, and he
talked so loud, and so little to the purpose, that the soldiers who were
guarding were obliged to make him hold his peace, at which he was not a
little nettled, and told the soldiers that he had himself been a soldier,
and served the king without pay, having been a volunteer officer. But
this had no more effect than to make the soldiers laugh at him, which was
not a decent thing at the interment of their master, our most gracious
Sovereign that was.
However, in this situation we saw all; and I can assure you it was a very
edifying sight; and the people demeaned themselves with so much
propriety, that there was no need for any guards at all; indeed, for that
matter, of the two, the guards, who had eaten the king's bread, were the
only ones there, saving and excepting the Glasgow manufacturer, that
manifested an irreverent spirit towards the royal obsequies. But they
are men familiar with the king of terrors on the field of battle, and it
was not to be expected that their hearts would be daunted like those of
others by a doing of a civil character.
When all was over, we returned to the inns, to get our chaise, to go back
to London that night, for beds were not to be had for love or money at
Windsor, and we reached our temporary home in Norfolk Street about four
o'clock in the morning, well satisfied with what we had seen,--but all
the meantime I had forgotten the loss of the flap of my coat, which
caused no little sport when I came to recollect what a pookit like body I
must have been, walking about in the king's policy like a peacock without
my tail. But I must conclude, for Mrs. Pringle has a letter to put in
the frank for Miss Nanny Eydent, which you will send to her by one of
your scholars, as it contains information that may be serviceable to Miss
Nanny in her business, both as a mantua-maker and a superintendent of the
genteeler sort of burials at Irvine and our vicinity. So that this is
all from your friend and pastor, ZACHARIAH PRINGLE.