Next followed music:  a good organ, very well played, anthem-ed and voluntary-ed us for some time.

The presentations :  Retiring backwards.

After this, the vice-chancellor and professors begged for the honour of kissing the king’s hand.  Lord Harcourt was again the backward messenger ; and here followed a great mark of goodness in the king:  he saw that nothing less than a thoroughbred old courtier, such as Lord Harcourt, could walk backwards down these steps, before himself, and in sight of so full a hall of spectators — and he therefore dispensed with being approached to his seat, and walked down himself into the area, where the vice-chancellor kissed his hand, and was imitated by every professor and doctor in the room.

Notwithstanding this considerate good-nature in his majesty, the sight, at times, was very ridiculous.  Some of the worthy collegiates, unused to such ceremonies, and unaccustomed to 389

such a presence, the moment they had kissed the king,’s hand, turned their backs to him, and walked away as in any common room ; others, attempting to do better, did still worse, by tottering and stumbling, and falling foul of those behind them some, ashamed to kneel, took the king’s hand straight up to their mouths; others, equally off their guard, plumped down on both knees, and could hardly get up again; and many, in their confusion, fairly arose by pulling his majesty’s hand to raise them.

As the king spoke to every one, upon Lord Harcourt’s presenting them, this ceremonial took up a good deal of time but it was too new and diverting to appear long.

It was vacation time; there were therefore none of the students present.

When the whole was over, we left the theatre in the same form we had entered it.  The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, the Marquis and the Ladies Spencer, attended the king and queen to their carriages, and then went back to the theatre, to wait for their own.

I cannot now go on with our progress regularly, for I do not remember it.  I will only, therefore, in general, say, that I was quite delighted with the city, and so entertained and so pleased with such noble buildings as it presented to me, that I felt, as I have told you, a consciousness to pleasure revived in me, which had long lain nearly dormant.

The colleges visited:  A stealthy collation.

We went to all the colleges in the same order that we came to the theatre.  I shall attempt no descriptions ; I shall only mention a few little personal circumstances, and some of those court etiquettes which, from their novelty to me, will, I judge, be new also to my Susan ; and what is new in customs or manners is always worth knowing.

At Christ-church college, when we arrived at about three o’clock, in a large hall there was a cold collation prepared for their majesties and the princesses.  It was at the upper end of the hall.  I could not see of what it consisted, though it would have been very agreeable, after so much standing and sauntering, to have given my opinion of it in an experimental way.