The Baron was the life of the scheme; he longed to be on horseback, and in the field at Tuggeridgeville, where he, Tagrag, and a number of our friends practised:  he was the very best tilter present; he vaulted over his horse, and played such wonderful antics, as never were done except at Ducrow’s.

And now—­oh that I had twenty pages, instead of this short chapter, to describe the wonders of the day!—­Twenty-four knights came from Ashley’s at two guineas a head.  We were in hopes to have had Miss Woolford in the character of Joan of Arc, but that lady did not appear.  We had a tent for the challengers, at each side of which hung what they called ESCOACHINGS, (like hatchments, which they put up when people die,) and underneath sat their pages, holding their helmets for the tournament.  Tagrag was in brass armor (my City connections got him that famous suit); his Excellency in polished steel.  My wife wore a coronet, modelled exactly after that of Queen Catharine, in “Henry V.;” a tight gilt jacket, which set off dear Jemmy’s figure wonderfully, and a train of at least forty feet.  Dear Jemimarann was in white, her hair braided with pearls.  Madame de Flicflac appeared as Queen Elizabeth; and Lady Blanche Bluenose as a Turkish princess.  An alderman of London and his lady; two magistrates of the county, and the very pink of Croydon; several Polish noblemen; two Italian counts (besides our Count); one hundred and ten young officers, from Addiscombe College, in full uniform, commanded by Major-General Sir Miles Mulligatawney, K.C.B., and his lady; the Misses Pimminy’s Finishing Establishment, and fourteen young ladies, all in white:  the Reverend Doctor Wapshot, and forty-nine young gentlemen, of the first families, under his charge—­were some only of the company.  I leave you to fancy that, if my Jemmy did seek for fashion, she had enough of it on this occasion.  They wanted me to have mounted again, but my hunting-day had been sufficient; besides, I ain’t big enough for a real knight:  so, as Mrs. Coxe insisted on my opening the Tournament—­and I knew it was in vain to resist—­the Baron and Tagrag had undertaken to arrange so that I might come off with safety, if I came off at all.  They had procured from the Strand Theatre a famous stud of hobby-horses, which they told me had been trained for the use of the great Lord Bateman.  I did not know exactly what they were till they arrived; but as they had belonged to a lord, I thought it was all right, and consented; and I found it the best sort of riding, after all, to appear to be on horseback and walk safely a-foot at the same time; and it was impossible to come down as long as I kept on my own legs:  besides, I could cuff and pull my steed about as much as I liked, without fear of his biting or kicking in return.  As Lord of the Tournament, they placed in my hands a lance, ornamented spirally, in blue and gold:  I thought of the pole over my old shop door, and almost wished myself there again, as I capered up to the battle