Cheshire Observer

DEPARTURE FROM OSBORNE. GRAND NAVAL PAGEANT. I The remains of the late Queen were on irnday removed from Osborne to the Royal yacht Alberta and brought across the Solent to Gosport for conveyal to London on Saturday morning on their journey to Windsor. The scene at the de- parture from Osborne was one of pathos and stately simplicity. Over the coffin as it was borne out of the House to the gun-carriage was a rich white pall, with embroideries of crimson and gold, with the Crown at the head and the sceptre near the feet. Following the remains came the mem- bers of her Majesty's family, walking three abreast, the King, the German Emperor, and the Duke of Connaught leading. The Queen and the Royal princesses followed on foot, and then the members of the late Queen's household. The distance to Cowes Pier was traversed in forty minutes, and the body was placed on the pier on board the Alberta, which, at twenty minutes to three, steamed into the Solent. Meanwhile, the King and Queen, with several Princes and Princesses, entered a pinnace, which conveyed them to the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert lying in the Roads. Other members of the Royal family embarked on the Osborne, and the German Emperor, with the Crown Prince and the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, went on board the Hohenzollern. The three vessels followed the Alberta across the Solent. Precisely at five minutes to three o'clock the first note of warning to the Fleet at Spithead that the Alberta had left Trinity Pier was given by the firing of a gun from the ironclad Alexandra, off C. Im- mediately afterwards minute guns were discharged from all the ships, the salute being fired from the aides of the vessels facing the shore, this rule being observed by the foreign as well as the British men-of-war. The crews alse "manned ship," and guards and bands paraded. The destroyers led the procession, formed in columns of divisions line ahead, one column being off the starboard and the other off the port bow of the Alberta. The torpedo-boats steamed along the carefully buoyed channel leading into the bar bour, and during the passage the Royal yachts were within a short distance of the shore, which was lined with dense masses of spectators. The catafalque on the Alberta containing the body of the late Queen was an object of intense interest. As the flotilla approached, minute guns were fired from the Garrison Battery aad the aaluting ships in hasbour. The firing did not cease until twenty minutes te five, whea the Alberta was taken alongside the Pier at the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard.

ARRIVAL AT LONDON. VAST CROWD: SILENT GRIEF. Shortly before nine o clock on Saturday morn- ing the coffin of her Majesty was removed from the Royal yacht Alberta, at Portsmouth, sad placed in the special carriage of the King's train, which left for London to the sound ef a last salute of the guns from the forts and the ahips in the harbour. In the metropolis itself the morning broke cold and ohill upon huge crowds ailsatly streaming towards the route sliwtg which the funeral procession was to pass. As aanh hoar' went by the putp thoroughfares hscaiwe thronged more densely; the oonptloaa stands which had been erected filled with their ooou- pants, and from roofs, wiDdows,8M cwmney- tops there looked down innumerable faces. The tedium of the long w?it lwmbitalum Mr the move- ments of the 30,000 troops wh? kept ql"r the sanded p"sage-way and by the inarthaUing of the procession, and the decMWM behaviour of the multitude was beyond <U pr?*. They did not forget, that the brilliant military spectacle they were to witness marked the passing to the tomb of a dead Queen, who was the mother of her people. Punctually to time the train which bore the Queen's coffin reached Victoria Station from Portsmouth; the body was reverently trans- ferred to the gun-oamage whioh awaited it; the King and Queen received the foreign Kings aDd Princes and representatives of the foreign nations; and the signal was given fer the pageant to start close upon half-past eleven. First came an officer of the Headquarters Staff and the bands of the Household Cavalry, followed by detach- ments of the Volunteer infantry, engineers and artillery, and of Yeomanry. After these marched otly hand of Colonial troops, from a score of regiments, most of them clad in khaki, and some of them bearing unmistakable traces of recent wounds. Then succeeded, in the order given, four companies of Militia, an infantry detachment from the Honourable Artillery Com- pany, representative contingents from the ancillary corps of the Regular forces and from the Indian Army, six companies of infantry of the line, one from each of the Guard Regiments, Royal Engineers and Garrison artillery, a battery of field artillery, three troops of line and three of Household Cavalry, a battery of horse artillery, drafts of marine infantry and artillery, and a long column of Blue- jackets. In all cases arms were carried reversed. Behind the sailors rode the foreign military attaches, in their varied and unfamiliar uniforms, and these were succeeded by the Headquarters Staff of the British Army. culminating in the single figure of Lord Roberts, whose face was one of the saddest that day. The Commander-in- Chief was followed by the square formations of four bands, which, in turn, took up the strains of Chopin's funeral march or the stately elegiac movement out of Beethoven's Eroica Sonata. The frames of the drums, as were also one or two colours carried in the procession, were draped in black, and the solemnity of the music was augmented by these mournful symbols and the deliberate tramp of the players. Murmurs, faint but significant of what would otherwise have been tremendous ovations, broke from the crowds as certain figures in the pageant went by, but a deep hush fell upon all when the central object came into sight. The simple military bier was drawn by eight of the Queen's favourite Hanoverian steeds, surrounded by officers of State, aide-de-camp, and the privileged bearer company, and preceded by Earl Marshal the Duke of Norfolk on horse back. On the pall were the Crown, orbs, and sceptre, ever and anon flashing in the sunlight that had but lately struggled through the clouds of the earlier day. As the coffin slowly receded from view, the throng turned from the dead to behold the living, and saw the King of England, riding alone, with sad, downcast face, yet with truly kingly bearing. Almost in line with him, in the full uniform of an English Field-Marshal, rode the German Em- peror, looking worn and pale, but resolute, stern, and commanding, with the Duke of Connaught at his left hand. Close behind him came a phalanx of kings and princes, amongst whom the two youthful figures and boyish faces of the Crown Prince of Prussia and the Duke of Saxe- Coburg drew the attention of every onlooker. Then the six Royal carriages, the first containing the Queen of England, with her three daughters, clad in the deepest mourning, and finally the closing escort, followed by a long stream of officers of all branches of the Services in uniform, who, after the procession had passed the Mall, fell in without regular formation in rear. London has never seen a more touching spectacle, appealing at once to its pride of strength and to its deepest emotions of sorrow.

THE SCENE AT WINDSOR. I SAILORS AND THE GUN CARRIAGE. I At Faddington the body was again entrained, and, upon reaching Windsor, the procession was once more marshalled. Just as the head of the cortege had moved forward, a hitch occurred, which, in the light of what it led to, must not be called unfortunate. The artillery horses made a start, but it was only a step or two. One of them refused to budge further, and became quite un- manageable, threatening to overturn the limber, and even endanger the coffin. The moment was a disquieting one. Everyone was nonplussed, when the Navy once more came to the assistance of the Royal Artillery. Someone-it is said Capt. Lambton—suggested that the sailors should take the piace of the horses. The King commanded that this should be done. The sailors piled their arms while the horses were unharnessed and taken I away. The traces and rear drag ropes were hastily patched together by the seamen, who ex- hibited again their remarkable readiness of re- source. Pieces of rope were furnished from the station stores, and in rough fashion the men were able to harness themselves to the gun carriage. The band, which had begun to play but had stopped, resumed, and slowly the funeral pro- cession moved out into the street. The delay had been considerable. It was half-past two before the roll of the muffled drums sounding, for the second time, the prelude to Chopin's beautiful music, gave warning that the procession was once again moving. The procession at Windsor differed from that in London, inasmuch as all were on foot. Most of the cloaks wer- open and shewed the rich uniforms underneath, crossed with ribbons and adorned with stars and medals. When the sailors dragging their burden came out of the station exit, it is no exaggeration to say that the spectators held their breath in surprise. No one, except those who had been about the platform, knew of the cause of their appearance engaged in such an honoured task, and it was whispered about that the innova- tion was a splendid idea. Had the horses been there, they would have been accepted as quite natural, but now with these wiry sailors dressed in blue with straw hats, and no glitter of personal adornment on their simple uniform, it was uni- versally felt that nothing finer could have been done to gratify the Navy and the nation. The daughter of a long line of sea Kings, herself a lover of the sea, was being taken to her tomb by the men of her own Royal Navy. The sight was one which moved men and women alike to tears. Following behind came the King, the Emperor, and the other Royal mourners. Amid a silence broken only by the loud report of the minute guns fired in the Long Walk, the procession passed along the crowded ways. Entering the Castle grounds at the Home Park gates, it went slowly on through the crowds of awe-struck children to the George IV. Gateway, diagonally across the quadrangle, and round by the Norman Keep of the Castle. As it progressed, one could hear at intervals the strains of the bands, dying away and then coming clearer as the streets were left and the Castle entered. ThA picture it made as it advanced from behind the Cloister end of the Chapel can only be sug- gested. There was a solemn beauty, a simplicity in it which was majestic. The King looked care- worn and grieved. The Emperor walked with soldierly erectness, glancing only now and then at the various troops as he passed. King Leopold leaned heavily nearly all the way on a strong walking-stick. The escort had formed up in front of the guard-room, the roof of which was crowded, and the gun-carriage went on to the steps of the church, where the non-commissioned officers removed the coffin and carried it within. The sailors moved the carriage away, and then Emperor, and Kings, and Princes followed the bearers up the wide flight, with its load of mag- nificent wreaths, and into the Chapel. The ser- vice was conducted by the Archbishop- of Canter- bury and the Bishop of Winchester. The service itself was impressive in its simple beauty, and for those who could not hear the spoken words the music was an eloquent expression of feeling. The following is the official programme:-The Sen- tences (Croft). Psalm xc. (Felton). The Lesson. "Man that is born" (S. S. Wesley), "Thou knowest, Lord" (Purcell); these two, though part of the Service, are really anthems. "The Lord's Prayer" (Gounod), "How blest are they" (Tschaikowsky), between the two Collects after Lord's Prayer. "How blest are they whom Thou hast chosen, and taken unto Thee, 0 Lord. Their memorial is from generation to generation: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!" After Garter's Proclamation. Anthem, "Blest are the departed" ((Spohr). Funeral March (Beethoven). Memorable and imposing was the form in which Norroy King of Arms, as Deputy to Garter Prin- cipal King of Arms, standing at the foot of the coffin, proclaimed the style of her late Majesty as follows -Thus it hath pleased Almightv God to take out of this transitory life unto His Divine mercy the late Most High, Most Mighty, and Most Excellent Monarch Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Queen, Defender of the Faith, Em- press of India, and Sovereign of the Most Noble I Order of the Garter. Let us humbly beseech Almighty God to bless with long life, health and honour, and all worldly happiness, the Most High, Most Mighty, and Most Excellent Monarch our Sovereign Lord Edward, now, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. God save the King." In every heart there was an echo of thought that almost sprang to speech—"God save the King." And so the solemnity was at an end. The King, who had borne himself throughout with calm courage and self-restraint, motioned to the German Emperor at his side. With the Duke of Connaught, they passed on the north side of the hearse in the direc- tion of the Albert Chapel. There, above the spot where lie the ashes of her ancestor King Henry VIII., of Jane Seymour his wife, and of King Charles I., remained for a little while all that was mortal of the great and good Victoria. Later on the Albert Chapel was to be the halting place.

I THE WORLD'S LAMENT. The "Standard" says:-The whole world has associated itself with the mournful ceremony of Saturday. There is scarcely a civilised capital in which the churches yesterday did not call their worshippers to take part in a solemn service to the memory of Queen Victoria. Every race, every religion, every community was represented in this act of homage. Melan- choly as is the occasion, it is impossible not to feel gratified at the spontaneity und universality with which this tribute has been paid to the virtues of our Queen. Nowhere has the compli- ment been rendered more graciously than in the metropolis, which is to Englishmen the most interesting and familiar of all foreign cities. Paris seemed generously anxious to atone for the alights which a few ignoble Frenchmen may have cast upon the Royal Family of Britain. As a matter of fact, all sensible Parisians have always been anxious to behave with courtesy towards the m8mbers e! our Reigning House. The, l:,ho.Iniriruioeo of Wales? was exoeptIenaUy popular m France, and the real respect entertained for Q?? Victoria was not obscured by a tempbnuy bittemeM. At any rate Paris did its bed to exhibit a cordial sympathy in the sorrow of its English residents; and not merely in the central Anglo-American quarter, but all over the city the British flag was hoisted half-mast or veiled in crape. In Germany the gfief felt for the .pea.th of the Queen is all the more sincere because of the close relations between the Thrones of the two countries. The manner in which the Jhmpetor has linked himself with the sorrows of his English kinsmen has touched a chord in the hearts of his people. We are not surprised to learn that throughout the Fatherland the pulpits yesterday bore eloquent testimony to the virtues of the deceased Queen. It was the same in Roman Catholic Austria, Italy, and Spain. In the stately churches ef Vienna, Madrid, and Rome, prayers were said for the dead Queen of a Protestant nation. To print a catalogue of all the dignitaries, Ecclesiastical, Municipal and official, who took part in these ceremonies, would go beyond our limits. But everywhere the highest by rank, station, and personal distinction were conspicuous in the rites of reverence and regret. Another Royal family intimately related to our own is that of Russia, and it was but natural and fitting that the Czar and most of the other members of his household should attend a memorial service in honour of the Queen yester- day. In the United States the feeling is as sincere as anywhere outside the limits of these Islands and the,, Colonies. To Americans for many years past Queen Victoria was simply "The Queen," just as she was to her own subjects, and since the Spanish War it has been quite as usual, at American public banquets, to drink the Queen's health immediately following that of the Presi- dent. Mr. M'Kinley is known to have entertained a deep personal respect for the ruler whose character must have appealed to that austere and dignified simplicity which has characterised his own private life; and we doubt not that it was with a full heart that the President, and millions of his fellow-citizens, thought of the deceased lady in their churches and chapels yesterday. Nore were the marks of sympathy an d affection limited to those who are of European race, and profess the Christian religion. In India, the mourning for the past two days is described a3 unique in its intensity. In Calcutta, an imposing State servise was held in the Cathedral, and the Hindoos were engaged in a great religious cele- bration in the open air; the Mohammedans closed their shops. Bombay on Saturday was as silent and mournful as London and the English quarter of Paris. No banks or shops were open, and business was completely suspended. At dawn, we read, the natives flocked sorrowfully to the Queen's statue to lay wreaths upon the pedestal, and many deputations from various religious com- munities remained to pray beside the monument. So also in Capetown. There, while business was at a standstill, the Mohammedans, like their distant kindred in Asia, assembled before the statue of the Queen and held a mourning service. In our American and Australasian Colonies every- thing was done to impart solemnity to the oc- casion. Great military processions were organised in Ottawa, in Toronto, in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, and in many other towns. In Sydney a beautiful and touching ceremony was arranged, in the course of which four thousand children, in the presence of the Ministry, sang the "Requiem" in one of the public squares. But everywhere the sentiment was the same. For once it almost seemed as if the human race had forgotten its discords and divisions, and was united in a com- mon effort to commemorate, in fitting tones of sympathy and sorrow, the end of an august and noble life.

I SUNDAY AT WINDSOR. I BISHOP STUBBS'S TRIBUTE. I On Sunday morning the King, Queen Alexandra, and other members of the Royal family, and Royal visitors, attended service at St. George's Chapel. The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Oxford, who took for. his text "For the throne is established by righteousness," Proverbs xvi., 12. He said: All our thoughts to-day are about the same thing; the same great and gracious personality and the great goodness of God in granting us a long experience of which this day is one epoch in the way of acknowledg- ment, of love and gratitude, sorrow and hope, happy memories, and great anticipations. What has been the gift? A life of 82 years, and 64 of those years of supreme sovereignty. God's gift about her to us was the wonderful way in which He created for us out of it all a pure, honourable, energetic, judicious Mother and Ruler that we have known and loved; sixty-four years consistent, wise administration, not without wars, not with- out variations, not without change of tactics and disappointments, it may have been, or pressure on the helm of State, but never with a loss of governance, never with a loss of that which the Almighty had marked out for her guidance. There never was, so far as I can imagine, such a long life of unbroken duty, of service in such a position, and some portion of the reward was in knowing how much we loved her. For our loyalty to the Queen has not been a mere in- tellectual approbation of law and character exem- plified in noble circumstances, but in the belief in and love of something that was our own. Has not this been so, and is it not to be so? I think there never was such a life, so long, so brave, so devoted, so straight. I cannot speak now of the industrious, laborious work, tbi study of every sort of question of government, nor do I say any- thing further of the true fortitude and unpreten- tious piety which was the garb of faith, which faith was the sustaining energy of the duty done as it was done. Eighty-two years is a long period of contributing to the blessings of those whom we are to live to bless, and it is sixty-four years' experience of loving kindness which we are bringing to the security and happiness of the next age-say of the next reign—for many of us hope that the next reign will be a time of abundant harvest for our children. Certainly we have, during these last few weeks, been taking account of the changes of the century. We talk about Victorian growths of ideals, and perhaps have not dwelt so carefully on the eighteenth century, which had its experience and ideals. There were Georgian ideals and experiences and trials before that, and the Victorian ideals would not have been what they were had there not been something earlier to work upon. We will thank God for the great work that has been done in direct relation to these matters; for the last three years have brought to our conscious- ness primarily one great element in the active, prompt, sympathetical realisation of what we call our Empire, the unparalleled growth of its ex- tension, vitalised and energised by an un- paralleled consciousness of love and living service. I would not presume to enlarge on that idea. It is more than an idea, it is a fact. It will be for the generation that is coming into the place that we are departing from to make one brother- hood of effective solidarity. We, all of us, I think, rejoice that the King has determined to call him- self by the name of his great ancestor, the first Edward the creator of Parliaments, the definer of jurisdictions, the Justinian of the English law, the founder of the foreign policy of England, a pure and clean King. And accordingly England has grown on what Edward defined and energised, which same ancient liberties we now enjoy. He helped to create what has been blessed through more than six centuries, and now we ask a seven- fold blessing on the seventh Edward. "The seed of the faithful shall be blessed, the children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight. Establish the thing of the Lord that thou hast set in us." After the sermon, the hymn On the resur- rection mom was sung, and the Bishop of Win- chester pronounced the Benediction. At the close, the Royal party went into the Dean's Cloisters, where lie the principal wreaths received from distinguished people in all parts of the world. The Cloisters are now closed to the public, and the Royal party spent some time in- specting these beautiful tokens of affection.

I INCIDENTS OF SATURDAY. As the troops, with Lord Roberts at their head, emerged from the Marble Arch into Edgware-road, Bobs, our Bobs was breathed all along the crowd. There was no unbecoming attempt at a demonstration, but his country- men and countrywomen relieved their feelings by repeating the familiar word. It was a com- mon emotion which seized the mass of people, and the tone in which the name was whispered told of the national gratitude and affection. All hats were raised as he passed, and once or twice the war-worn veteran seemed to be re- pressing with difficulty his own emotion. But he looked steadily forward, never for an instant allowing his own personality to turn aside the all-dominant feeling of the vast crowd of mourners. He appeared careworn, and, as a C.I.V. remarked, Our Bobs looks much older than he did when he reviewed us at Bloemfon- tein, and later at Pretoria. I remember at Bloemfontein we cheered him as he rode away, and be turned in his saddle and waved his hand to us with such a sense of kindliness that every- one of us looked upon him as a personal friend." Certain foreign military men were conspicuous. The famous German helmet never fails, writes a London correspondent, to impress an English- man. Its superiority to our own from the point of view of the picturesque is undoubted. It "sits" better, suits the face better,, and is altogether neater and smarter. One wonders why its admitted excellences do not acclimatise it here. But the Germans had other things to show us, and a group of officers in light grey overcoats, with varying types of headgear, were much under examination. About the same time two officers, presumably a Frenchman and a Russian, standing in conversation, presented a piquant contrast. Each uniform was perfect in its way-the Frenchman in white, with elaborate crimson trimmings, cords, and tassels, and the well-known peaked cap in the same colours; the other, a man of much greater statare, in high riding boots, a pale blue tunic with much fur, and a wonderful headdress, shaped much like a woman's toque," made principally of the skin of the sable. By com- parison with these brilliant and perfectly artistic combinations there was not much to admire is the British scarlet and gold, chastened though they were occasionally by the white plumes of a cocked hat. Nor did our naTlll uniforms, of which there was a fair sprinkling, add to one's sense of satisfaction. Another correspondent writes:—I have heard of a pathetic incident in connection with the funeral pageant which is certainly worth record- ing. A tittle group of people had joined the throng near the Lssnoader Gate. They were evi- dently from the country, and. they exhibited great anxiety to prevent the crowd crushing a memorial oross which they carried. It vMs, not a very ambitious affair. A florist would probably have i laughed at its construction and derided its art, or; rather want of it. It had been fashioned by them selves with infinite care and reverent sympathy.! Attached to it was this inscription, written with ponderous paina: ,"From Right villagers who loved their Queen." The poor souls had been somehow under the belief that they would be able to add their offering to those of the Queen's otner subjects. Their grief on being told 'that.. this would be impossible was extreme, and it waa scarcely afemaged when they were given the Lord Chamberlain's address and adriaed to leave their love offering there. It may be, however, that their oross will yet find a place near the Royal tomb. Everyone was struck by the extraordinary immobility of the German Emperor, and the rind dignity with whioh he maintained a pose admirably adapted to bring into relief the most significant details of his personal equipment. His Majesty, for instance, carried his Marshal's baton as if it were indeed a symbol of command. King Edward whose horse's head was kept slightly in advance of the steeds ridden by the Emperor and the Duke of Connaught, impressed all by his grave and kingly bearing. He looked neither to the right nor to the left, but, with eyes fixed on the resplendent burden on which the Crown of England rested, rode steadily on. j Among the other potentates who composed the i princely retinue, perhaps the most conspicuous was the King of Portugal, a monarch whose massive frame and florid complexion was set off by a uniform of striking magnificence. Plumes of crimson, of blue, of yellow, of all the colours ¡ of the rainbow, waived in the headgear of the German and Austrian Princes. The Austrian Grand Duke, in a white tunic covered with decorations, looked like a regal wedding guest; and almost equally gay in his apparel was the youthful and pensive Duke of Saxe-Coburg, dressed as he was in a uniform of pale lavender. Russia's Grand Duke Michael heir presumptive to the Czar, made a gallant figure in light grey with an astrachan kepi jauntily worn on the side of the head. + ————

CHESTER'S SORROW. REMARKABLE MANIFESTATION. I It may be safely asserted that Chester has not since the time of the Great Plague pre- sented such an appearance of woe as that it assumed on Saturday. Nowhere has the blow the nation has sustained been more keenly felt than in our loyal old city, and the signs of mourning were innumerable. The public market and every place of business were closed; blinds were generally drawn the trams ran as on Sunday, and sombre attire was the invariable rule. These, however, were not the only signs of grief; the sorrow-stricken faces of everyone, and the subdued tones in which men and women spoke, eloquently testified to the feelings of love that the good and noble Queen had inspired in Her People. In addition to the outward signs already mentioned, the licensed houses were closed until six o'clock, the unanimity with which the hotel and innkeepers had responded to the request that had been made to them being most gratifying. The event of the day was the impressive memorial service in the Cathedral. Large crowds had assembled outside the doors of the venerable pile, and order was preserved among them, with great tact, by a posse of police under Chief Constable Laybourne. The Nonconformists held a united service, and services were held in numerous places of worship. THE CATHEDRAL. I A MEMORABLE SERVICE. I The dominant note of the memorial service held in the Cathedral at noon on Saturday was the reverent and sorrowful demeanour of the vast congregation. Never perhaps had the citizens shewn a keener desire to be present at a service, and it was significant of the love with which the Good Queen was regarded by all classes of her subjects, that this desire was shared in by rich and poor, Churchmen and women, and Nonconformists alike. Had the whole of the Cathedral been at the disposal of the authorities there can be no doubt that it would have been inadequate to meet the demands that would have been made upon it, and this difficulty was accentuated by the fact that the south transept is closed during its restoration. The public fully realised that many would be unable to gain admission, and quite an hour and a half before the time fixed for the commencement of the service they com- menced to assemble outside the doors in large numbers. It was gratifying to find, however, that there was no unseemly crushing. At 11 o'clock a few privileged worshippers were admitted by ticket at the Precentor's gate in Abbey-street. During the time that preceded the opening of the service the thoughts of all must have instinctively turned, as they sat in the dimly lighted choir, with reminders of the past on every side, to the sad and historic pageant that was then slowly passing through London. For a few minutes a death like silence seemed to pervade the edifice, but this was soon broken by the entry of detachments of military from the dep6t, and of the 1st Cheshire and Carnarvon- shire Artillery and the 2nd V.B. Cheshire Regt., numbering some 200, and a section of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, all of whom were given seats in the Nave. The rest of the Nave was next thrown open te tke public, and then the Mayor, Corporation, magistrates, and civic officials walked slowly in processional order down the long aisle into the choir, where seats had been reserved for them. The remainder of the choir was afterwards thrown open to the public, and in a remarkably short space of time the sacred edifice was crowded. During the service one or two ladies fainted. It would be impossible to give anything like a repre- sentative list of those present, but a few who were noticed included Lord and Lady Arthur Grosvenor, Lady Lettice Grosvenor, the follow- ing representing the North-Western Military District:—Col. Courtenay, chief staff officer; Lieut.-Colonel Gilbert, Army Pay department; Lieut.-Colonel Parkinson, Army Ordinance de- partment; and Major Acland Hood, A.D.C.; General Mocatta, Col. Frewen, Mr. C. Threlfall (Tarporley), Mr. H. D. Trelawny, Dr. Dobie, Mr. J. Wynne Ffoulkes, Mr. C. Coppack (clerk to the Dean and Chapter), Col. Sheringham (commanding the military from the Castle), Garrison Chaplain H. Grantham, Lieut. E. W. Swetenham (Earl of Chester's Yeomanry Cavalry), Hon. Col. Evans-Lloyd, Major F. B. Mason, Captain F. J. Bonnalie, Lieut. V. H. Dickson (1st Cheshire and Carnarvonshire Artillery Volunteers), Hon. Col. A. R. Fluitt, Captain Bromley, Lieut. Nicholson, Second Lieut. Dickson, Captain and Adjutant Brodie Thomas (2nd V.B. Cheshire Regiment), Col. Sheriff Roberts (2nd V.B. Royal Welsh Fusiliers), Capt. Clemence (Earl of Chester's Volunteer Fire Brigade), &c. About half-past eleven the civic procession entered the West door. The sword and mace bearers in their quaint attire, and with their insignia covered with crape, led the way. Then followed the Town Clerk (Mr. S. Smith), the Mayor (ia robes of office), the Recorder (in wig and gown), the High Sheriff (in his uniform), magistrates and aldermen-the latter in their picturesque robes —and the Sheriff, Under-Sheriff, councillors, citizens and officials. We append the names of the representative and leading citizens, giving them as near as we can in the order in which they came in the procession:—The Mayor (Alderman H. T. Brown), the Recorder (His Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd), the High Sheriff (Mr. B. C. Roberts), the Deputy-Mayor (Alderman H. Stolterfoth), the Mayor's Chaplain (the Rev. J. F. Howson), Alderman Sir Thomas Frost, Mr. John Thompson, His Honour Judge Wynne Ffoulkes,Mr. Fred Bullin, Alderman G. A. Dickson, Mr. R. L. Barker, Mr. J. Cullimore, Alderman G. Dutton, Mr. J. Roberts. M.D., Mr. J. raylor, F.R.C.S., Alder- man J. J. Cunnah, Mr. J. R. Thomson, Mr. J. G. Frost, Mr. J. M. Frost, Mr. Roger Jackson, Mr. J. Gooddie Holmes, Alderman W. H. Churton, the City Coroner (Mr. E. Brassey), the Sheriff (Mr. Edgar Dutton), the ex-Sheriff (Mr. R. Lamb), Messrs. J. Lightfoot, John Jones (Boughton), J. F. Lowe, A. Hamilton, A. M. Archer, M.D.. R. Cecil Davies, W. Vernon, J. Egerton Gilbert, H. Dodd, W. Ferguson, J. R. Rae, G. H. Reynolds, D. L. Hewitt, A. Mann, M.D., J. Williamson, G. W. Haswell, W. Carr, J. D. Siddall (members of the Town Council), the Rev. A. H. Fish and Mr. G. P. Miln (members of the Free Library Committee). Alderman Thomas Smith's health did not permit of his being present, and Mr. J. Tomkinson wrote that he was unable to attend. The borough officers and others who followed included Messrs. F. W. Sharpe (clerk to the magistrates), George Davison (deputy clerk to the magistrates), G. A. Kenyon (medical officer), I. Matthews Jones (city surveyor), W. Peers (clerk to committees), J. H. Laybourne (Chief Constable), W. Foulkes Lowe (public analyst), F. J. Beckett (city accountant), G. Harrison (police sargeon), N. A. E. Way, J. Lightfoot Walker, J. Duff, M.D. (medical offioer at the Isolation Hospital), F. J. Walmsley and H. Jones (city auditors), G. Avery (school attendance officer), F. Thursfleld (electrical engineer), H. Price (superin- tendent of markets and inspector of Weights and Measures), S. P. Davies and J. Johnson (Town Clerk's Department). As the Cathedral was quickly filling Dr. Bridge played on the organ Mendelssohn's Funeral March," Guilmant's Lamentation," Carl Attrup's "Funeral March," and Beethoven's Funeral March," and as the music in mourn- ful cadence wailed through the Cathedral our minds were prepared for the solemn service that was to follow. By a quarter to twelve there was scarcely standing room in the building. Everyone wore black and aeemed strangely subdued. The sombrenees was only relieved by the bright uniforms of the Military and the Volunteers, and the surplices of the Bishop-who had already taken b is seat on the Throne—and of the Revs. E. C. Lowndes and J. L. Bedford, who were in attendance upon his lordship. At twelve o'clock the choir and clergy entened the Cathedral by the door at the West end hi the Cloisters sinking as a pro- cessional the beautiful hymn When oar heads are bo d with woe." The clergy included the Very Rev. the Dean, the Canon in Residence (the Ven. Archdeacon Barber), the Precentor I (the Rev. H.H. Wright), the Revs. J. M. New, A. Baxter, and E. St. Clair Weeden (minor canons). Canon Upperton, Canon Cooper Scott, Pre- bendary Bellamy, the Revs. F. T. Stonex, L. M. Farrall, F. Edwards, T. P. Dimond Hogg, J. T. Davies, T. E. Evans, W. N. Howe, G. C. Briggs, P. F. A. Morrell, A. Radford, P. A. Miller, O. P. Fisher, G. Hindhaugb, &c. At the conclusion of the processional hymn the opening sentences of the burial service, commencing "I am the I resurrection and the life, saith the Lord," were impressively sung to the tune of My God, my Father while I stray (Troyte), and then the choir exquisitely chanted Psalm xc., Domine, refugium," to Purcell's setting. A special and novel feature was the playing by four trom- bones, stationed in the organ loft, of some inspiring Equales of Beethoven's, which were performed in Westminster Abbey at the obsequies of the late Mr. Gladstone. The special lesson, read by the Dean, was 1 Corin- thians xv., 20, and as the familiar, triumphant words," 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ?" rang through the Cathedral, many in the vast, reverential con- gregation silently wiped away a tear. Then came Sullivan's touching anthem, opening with the consoling words- Wreaths for our graves the Lord hath given, The tomb with crowns is hung, And blest with music learnt in Heav'n Onr song of praise is sung. This was its first performance in Chester, and the choir sang the beautiful composition with sublime effect. Next further passages from the Burial Service, beginning Man that is born of woman," and I heard a voice from Heaven were sung still to Troyte's tune. The Lord's Prayer and the Burial collect were intoned by the Precentor, and a rich musical treat followed, the choir giving in a faultless style Spohr's anthem from "The Last Judgment," the words of which are as follows:— Blest are the departed, who in the Lord are sleeping, from henceforth for evermore; they rest from their labours, and their works follow them. A shortened form of litany was used, the con- gregation joining in the responses with much heartiness. The Cathedral choir are well acquainted with Sir John Goss' beautiful anthem" 0 Saviour of the world," and for delicacy and accuracy of treatment this was one of the most enjoyable features of the service. After this appropriately was sung the solemn invocation contained in the last two lines of the Dies Irae Lord, all pitying Jesu Blest, Grant her Thine eternal rest. The Lord Bishop impressively pronounced the Benediction, and then the choir sweetly sang Stainer's affecting Seven-fold Amen. In start- Jing contradistinction to this rang out the notes of The Last Post," which was sounded in the triforium of the tower by two buglers, and then followed the saddening dirge, com- posed by Sir John Goss for the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. Nothing more suitable could have been selected as the passages And the king himself followed the bier," And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave," were peculiarly fitting to the mournful occasion. Tha excellent phrasing of the choir was beyond ;praise, and Mr. James gained golden opinions by his able singing of the bass solo. The Dead March in Saul" was next magnificently played by Dr. Bridge, assisted by the trombones, and the impressively solemn service, which will live long in the recollections of all who were present, came to an end. It is impossible to speak too highly of the admirable arrangements, and of the excellent manner in which the musical portions of the service were rendered. ST. OSWALD'S. A memorial service was held in St. Oswald's Church on Saturday afternoon at three o'clock, when the interior of the sacred edifice was draped with black for the occasion. The Rev. E. C. Lowndes officiated, and was assisted by the Revs. P. A. Miller and O. P. Fisher (curates). There was a full choir, and a packed congregation, nearly all worshippers wearing mourning. The hymns were 0, God! our help, in ages past," Let saints on earth, &c. and Now the labourer's task is o'er," were feelingly sung by the vast gathering. A special thanksgiving for the long and glorious reign of the late Queen, and a prayer for the new King, ordered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, were offered during the service. The organist (Mr. J. T. Dean) impressively played two funeral marches. On Sunday night a funeral anthem, "Comes at Times," was rendered by the choir. I ST. MARY'S PARISH CHURCH. I A service was held in St. Mary's Parish Church, Handbridge, on Saturday afternoon, when the sacred edifice was well filled. Immediately before the mournful ceremony commenced Mr. Wallace Hughes (organist) feelingly played the "Dead March," and a lesson from the Burial Service having been read by the Rev. H. Grantham (rector), who was assisted in the service by the Rev. Prebendary Bellamy and the Rev. A. E. Vandaleur, appropri- ate psalms were sweetly rendered by the surpliced choir and the congregation. After the reading of the lesson, taken from 1. Cor. xv., 20, the well- known hymn, "Let Saints on earth in concert sing," was impressively sung, and prayers of thanksgiving were afterwards offered. Then followed the grand old hymn, "0 God, our help in ages past," in the rendering of which the congregation heartily joined. The Rev. H. Grantham here delivered a sermon, during which he dealt with the personal and public character of our late beloved Queen. He took his text from the 90th Psalm, and the 4th verse—"For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." The preacher said that the good traits in the character of Queen Victoria, who possessed the love, affection and respect of people living in every quarter of the globe, called forth universal admiration. Might he recall to them some of the incidents in her early life? It was now 64 years since the late Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chamber- lain arrived at Kensington Palaoe at four o'clock in the morning to announce to the Princess Vic- toria the tidings of the death of King William, and of her own accession to the Throne of these kingdoms. At eleven o'clock on the same day, in the presence of a large assembly of Privy Councillors, and upon taking the usual solemn oath to govern according to the law, the young Queen delivered a short but deeply touching address. She said: 'This awful responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and at so early a. period of my life, that I should feel myself utterly oppressed by the burden were I not sustained by the hope that Divine Providence, which has called me to this work, will give me strength for the performance of it, and that I shall find in the purity of my intentions, and in my zeal for the public welfare, that support and those resources which usually belong to a more mature age, and to long experience." Surely she who thus spoke with that calm dignity must have come forth to meet the representatives of her people strengthen- ed by the offered prayer of Solomon—"Give me now, 0 Lord God, wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can judge this Thy people that is so great?" Nor were words like those the mere outcome of excited feeling at so critical and solemn a moment. No! they manifested deep-seated convictions, and firm resolutions, which had only gained strength and force as time had gone by. It was in words breathing the very same spirit that the Queen met her first Parliament. "It will be my care," she said, "to strengthen our institutions, civil and ecclesiastical, by discreet improvement where im- provement is required, and to do all in my power to allay animosity and discord if they should arise" —a pledge right royally and nobly redeemed from that day to the day of her death. It might be safely said that no Sovereign who had occupied the Throne of these kingdoms had ever displayed a like devotion to public business or a more entire self-sacrifice to the public welfare. It had often been observed that public cares had a tendency to overshadow and displace private duties. But it was not so with our gracious Queen. If any proofs were wanted oflthe deep sincerity of her public professions, an" of her dependence on Divine help, it would be found in the purity and simplicity of her private help. As a high-minded daughter, a devoted wife, a most affectionate and judicious mother, sparing no pains in the training and education of her children, she had afforded the brightest examples to every home in England. Her own experience in the furnace of affliction gave a fresh lustre to that brightest gem in her royal diadem-the spontaneous and profound sympathy always shewn in the calamities and sorrows of her people. No suffering came to her knowledge but she suffered with the sufferers. Like Solomon the late Queen was barely 18 years of age when called to the Throne. Wealth and honour in abundance had been hers. But the wealth of gold and silver was as nothing compared with the wealth of affection deep-seated in the hearts of her whole people, and which her exalted virtues, both publio and private, had made it impossible for them to refuse or conceal. Solomon with all his wisdom was foolish enough to live for himself, and im- poverished his subjects by a ruinous expenditure. They did not read that he denied himself any luxury and pomp of retinue, or any magnificence of building which he desired. But our beloved Queen lived for her people, and in some of the most momentous epochs in the history of the world-by a rigorous repression of self, by a wonderful devotion of her time and interest to the business of the Government, by the most scrupu- lous fairness and freedom from political bias, Queen Victoria allowed to the exceptionally great men, whom the vast changes in the conditions of society from time to time had called to the front, a free course in devising and carrying out those measures which were calculated to do most for the public welfare. Surely there was no history of any reign which would ever read like the history of the last 64 yeant-so full of events, in connection with which the one great object of the Queen was to promote the progress of civilisation and the. l achievement of political and religious freedom. But more than all they were astonished when they considered the extension of the blessings of our holy religion, which had especially marked Queen •Victoria's reign, and to which her known piety had j given an encouragement which was known to be I prioeless and invaluable. The marvellous growth I of our beloved Church, both at home and in the Colonies, should call for special thankfulness. With these remarks'they should, in contusion, offer their hearty thanksgiving to Almighty God! for having so many years preserved a life so valuable.—A player having been offered for his Majesty the King, the singing of a special hymn composed for the occasion, and starting with the words "Lie still, beloved," concluded the service, which was of a memorable character. CHESTER NONCONFORMISTS' TRIBUTE. IMPRESSIVE SERVICE. While the Mayor and Corporation and a large body of the citizens were attending the'memorable requiem service in the Cathedral, the members of the Evangelical Free Churches of the city paid their last affectionate tribute to the late Queen by holding a united memorial service at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, St. John-street. Although the St. John-street Chapel was in its capacity for accommodation well adapted for such a service from the fact that it is, with probably only one exception, the largest Nonconformist place of worship in the city, it would scarcely have seated all the worshippers who sought admission if it were twice as large as it is. The service commenced at noon, but long before then the chapel was being rapidly filled; and' when, a few minutes before the hour, the sacred building was filled to its utmost capacity, it was decided, in order not to disappoint the large body of people who were unable to obtain admission, to hold an overflow service in the adjacent school- room. The demeanour of the vast congregation in the chapel throughout the impressive service, which occupied about an hour and aJ half, was that of marked reverence, and they bore unmistakable traces of genuine sorrow, the deep mourning attire worn by almost every person producing an im- pressively sombre spectacle. The" pulpit was draped with black, and on it in a central position was fixed a beautiful large wreath, composed of arum lilies, lilies of the valley, and maidenhair fern. Immediately above it were the letters V.R.I. worked in violets, and on either side respectively, inscribed in everlastings in bold white relief against the black drapery, were the years in which the dead Queen commenced and terminated her reign-1837 and 1901. The wreath and flowers had been provided by subscription from the ladies of the St. John-street and City- road Wesleyan Church congregations. Every Evangelical Free Church minister in the city was in attendance at the service, and the ministers who officiated were the Revs. J. Pryce Davies, M.A., J. Bourne Jones, F. Barnes, B.A., E. L. Perry, James Travis, and J. Cairns Mitchell, B.D. The choir, which numbered about fifty voices, was under the conductorship of Mr. A. W. Butt, and consisted of representatives from all the Nonconformist church choirs in the city. While the congregation was assembling, the organist (Mr. Geo. Davies) played Mendelssohn's "0 Rest in the Lord." The service began with the opening sentences of the order for the burial of the dead, which were pronounced by the Rev. J. Bourne Jones. The grand old hymn "0 God! our help in ages past" was next sung with magnificent effect. It was followed by a prayer from the Rev. F. Barnes, in the course of which he said: With millions of our fellow men throughout the length and breadth of the world we are now gathered before Thy throne to make known unto Thee our request, and we come with the confidence of children, knowing that Thou art more ready to hear and answer our petitions than we are to present them at Thy footstool. Like as a Father pitieth his children, so Thou, our God, dost pity them that fear Thee. Thou rememberest that we are dust. Thou art our refuge and our strength. Our fathers trusted in Thee, and were never put to confusion. We have trusted Thee, and Thou hast never failed us. In the time of our deepest need Thou hast 'o Tto help, and in the been near to strengthen and to help, and in the hour of sorrow and bereavement Thou hast whispered words of comfort and of hope. 0, Thou whose providence doth reign in Heaven and in earth, by whom Kings reign and princes decree justice, we thank Thee for Thy Great goodness for so many years to our late beloved Sovereign, for all the mercies and the grace which Thou didst vouchsafe to her through such a long, happy, and eventful reign. We desire unitedly to lift up to Thee the voice of thanksgiving for her early surroundings, for all the hallowed influences which environed her and which pre- vented her from falling into the hands of the destroyer. We thank Thee for the purity of her own life, for the purity of her court. We bless Thee for the hallowed influence which she exerted in the home circle and throughout the length and the breadth of the whole nation. We thank Thee to-day, O Father. that amid many sorrows and personal griefs Thou didst sustain and keep her, and we thank Thee that so many sorrowing homes, even among the poorest subjects, were relieved in the hour of their distress by her kindly words and by her tender messages. We thank Thee for the widows and orphans who have reason to bless her memory. We thank Thee, 0 God, that as a ruler she was enabled rightly to discharge her duties, not only without fear, but with the full approbation of the whole nation. We earnestly pray that Thou wilt com- fort and console those who have lost an affec- tionate relative and friend. Be Thou at this time with every member of the Royal family who are sorrowing, not simply the .loss of their beloved Sovereign, but the loss of a loving mother and tender friend, and grant that they may take to heart the lesson which Thou wouldest teach by this solemn event, and may they learn that no earthly position, however exalted, can ward off the approach of death. We desire at the same time to thank Thee that Thou hast mercifully preserved our King Edward VII., who has now ascended the throne. We affectionately commend him to Thy loving care. 0 Thou who wast with his mother in all times of difficulty, guide, direct, counsel and help him. Be Thou with him, and may his life be long spared to reign over a united, a loyal and a prosperous people. And to this end may he be sur- rounded by ministers who shall ever seek the highest good of the people, and grant that our laws may be made and administered in Thy fear. May we remember that righteousness-exalteth a nation, and may we, as subjects, ever strive in Thy fear to give to him all due allegiance, and grant, 0 God, that under his reign we may go on not only to yet greater outward prosperity but to rise in the scale of moral and spiritual excellence. And now, 0 Father, we ask for Thy blessing to rest upon all assemblies of a similar nature that are gathered together to-day, and grant that this solemn event which has so stirred the nations of the earth may be the means of drawing the nations nearer together in peace and unity. The congregation having joined in saying the Lord's Prayer, Psalm 90—"Lord, Thou hast been our refuge," was solemnly recited, the verses being repeated alternately by the minister (the Rev. J. Bourne Jones) and the congregation. This was followed by the hymn "When our heads are bowed with woe." The beautiful and inspiring passage of scripture from 1 Cor. xv., forming the lesson at the burial of the dead, was then im- pressively read by the Rev. E. L. Perry. A beautiful rendering followed of the late Sir Arthur Sullivan's sublime anthem, Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death," which was sung by a quartette consisting of Mrs. Sparkes, Miss Pritchard, Messrs. Webster and Butt. 1 Ascending the pulpit, the Rev. J. Pryce Davies delivered a short address, in which he paid an eloquent tribute to the late Queen. We have assembled together," he said, "under the shadow of a great national sorrow. Yea, the whole world is more or less in mourning and sorrow at the present hour. The loss we have sustained is not only national, but universal. The influence of our noble and great Queen was felt, not only throughout her own kingdom and empire, but throughout the world at large, and wherever her influence was felt during her life her loss is felt to-day. She was certainly the greatest Queen that ever ruled over this country, and at her death she was the greatest woman in the world. As far as I can remember, we had only three Queens before her since the reign of William the Conqueror-Mary, Elizabeth and Anne. Of these three Elizabeth was certainly the greatest, and it is possible that Elizabeth was equal in mental capacity and energy to our beloved late Queen.. But she was very inferior to her in the conception of a queen's mission and in her ideal of human good. Queen Victoria had such a high ideal of good that she was deeply rooted in the heart of the British nation, and it strikes me that two elements blended together for her greatness-in the first place her unique position, in the second place her excellent Christian character and her noble Christian conduct. As the Queen of England and the Empress of India, she was placed in the highest position a human being could be placed in. The ramifications of her government were such that her influence was felt more or less in almost every country under the sun. Her kingdom had developed and her own personal good qualities had also developed greatly since the time of her accession, about 63 years ago. Her influence was not felt in foreign countries then as it was at the time of her death. England to-day is a much greater Power than it was sixty years ago. Colony after colony has been added to its vast territories. The Sovereign of such a kingdom must have tremendous power, tremendous authority, and her position in her own country and in the world at large must be unique. She partook more of worldly greatness than any other living person. But if we had nothing more to dweU upon to-day than her unique position and her worldly greatness our sorrow after her would not be what we all realise this moment it is. She not only filled a unique position with ability and wisdom as a worldly monarch; she adorned it with her Christian character and her noble conduct. She beautified her social position with the graces of the Christian religion. The throne of England, I venture to say, was surrounded with more beautiful flowers during her life than those that surrounded her coffin at Osborne in her death. What were these flowers? These were they-faith, hope, love, and the greatest of these is love. Queen Victoria had faith in God. She had good hope through grace based on her faith, and to crown all she had love-love towards God and love towards man. Love was the most conspicuous grace in her beautiful Christian character. She loved her parents when a young girl, she loved her friends dearly, she loved her husband, loved her children, loved her servants, loved the ministers of her crown, loved her soldiers at home and abroad, and loved all her Eeople. What a great, deep heart she had, and how she poured her love on the sorrowful and the afflicted of her people. Her love was so great that the English people have formed the habit of associating the throne of their country with a high ideal of gracious and loving womanhood. They looked on their Queen as their universal mother, and their desire was almost that she might have been immortal, for we have often sincerely sung Long live our gracious Queen. She loved much, and was much beloved, es- pecially by those who knew her best. Her ruling principle was love, and this enabled her to lead such a life in such a conspicuous position that her death is a loss to everyone. The power of love is the strongest power in God's realm. The supreme power of God Himsele is the power of love, and we may venture to say to-day the supreme power jo{ >|Queen Victoria, was the power of her love, and in this she was (jrod-like. There lay her strength. How did she k £ ep the English people attached to herjwif and to her throne for over 60 years? Not through (the- authority of her throne, not through the power of her Parliament, not through the power of her laws, but through the power-the gentle but strong attracting power—of her own love. May we long continue to live under the fascinating power of this love, and we have good prospects that it wilt be so. King Edward VII. promises to be a good son of a good mother." The singing of the hymn "What are these arrayed in white" was followed by another address by the Rev. James Travis, in the oourse of which he said that, as the Premier had wefl said, never in the whole history. of mankind had there been a death which had touched so many hearts as the death of Queen Viotoria. We had seen during the last ten days not only a great nation bowed down with grief, but with hardly an exception the whole civilised world; and peoples who were only partially included in the pale of civilisation profoundly moved because our great and good Queen had been called away. Rival nations had. for a time forgotten mutual jealousies and antipathies, and were vieing with each other to do honour to the memory of a great Queen and a noble-minded woman. We must sincerely pray that those mellowing influences which had come upon courts and cabinets and peoples might awaken the nations to more serious thought, and lead them to mitigate their sordid pride and arrogant ambitions, which menaced the peace and hindered the progress of the race. Then Queen Victoria, in her death as well as in her life, would have been a great blessing to the world. It was no exaggeration to say that the hearts of millions were at that moment moved with one common emotion. Whence came all this? Doubtless, if traced, it would be found to spring from many sources. In the numerous appreciations with which we had been favoured we had been reminded of the progress of science and of the material prosperity, and of the social ad- vancement of the nation under Queen Victoria. The late Queen was at the head of European Royalty, and kings and emperors found in her their surest counsellor, their wisest friend, and their noblest example. We have been told she was t?-t greatest Sovereign of the nineteenth century and i the most illustrious monarch who ever sat on the English throne. Ministers of State who had intimate official relations with the late Queen had confessed that while she never overstepped the bounds of a constitutional monarch, her unique knowledge of State affairs, her long and varied experience under varied Ministries, her sound judgment, her sense of integrity and honour, and her humaneness were often of eminent service to them in dealing with perplexing national and international problems. But they had no hesita- tion in saying that the affection which clustered round her personality, and the sorrow which had been evoked by her death-affection and sorrow unparalleled in their universality—found their mainspring in the great fact that in all the relations of her life she ex- hibited the qualities of a high-souled, whole-hearted Christian womanhood. As a ruler, as a representative of the honour and hospitality of the nation, as a woman, as a wife, as a mother, she was true, pure, dutiful and sympathetic. That combination of virtues and excellencies, in his judgment, more than all things else acoounted for her wonderful influence, and in those moral and spiritual qualities she had left an example for us all. We deeply sympathised with the mem- bers of the bereaved Royal family, and devoutly prayed that the reign of her son might be as pure, honourable and prosperous as her own reign. At the close of the impressive address the anthem "Rock of Ages" was sung by the choir, the solo being taken by Mr. M. S. Webster. Prayer was then offered by the Rev. J. Cairns Mitchell, and the Benediction was pronounced by the Rev. J. Bourne Jones. At the close of the service the "Dead March" in "Saul" was played on the organ, the congregation standing during the mournful recital. The overflow service was conducted by the Rev. A. W. Ward, assisted by several other ministers, and addresses in reference to the Empire's loss were given. On Saturday evening a largely- attended prayer meeting was held in Queen-street Congregational Church, at which prayers were offered on behalf of the King. I HANDBRIDGE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CHESTER. I A memorial service was held in this place of I worship on Sunday evening. The Rev. William Jones preached from Judges, chap. 5 verse 7—"A mother in Israel"; and also from Isaiah, chap. 6 verse 1—"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple." The preacher commenced by saying: I want to speak of the Queen more especially as a woman and as a mother. Woman reveals to us the motherly side of God's nature-its tenderness, sympathy, self-sacrifice and love. Our noble Queen was, like Deborah, "a mother in Israel," always ready to give her sympathy and love. I would like to speak first of her as the little Royal maiden. After all who stood between Princess Victoria and the throne had passed away, everybody knew except the little Princess herself that she was the next that would sit on the throne of England. Her good and wise mother, the Duchess of Kent, kept the secret from her. But on her 12th birthday the mother felt the time had arrived when her little daughter ought to know what was before her, and when the little Princess saw her name was placed as the next heir to the throne she said, "I see I am nearer the throne than I thought I was." Then she said to her governess, "I will be good. I see now why you want me to take pains with my lessons. I will be good." The resolution which she made on that day became the aspiration and ideal of her life. We must all remember that the greatest loyalty is the loyalty of goodness. Queen Victoria carried with her the loyalty of goodness for four score years, and by her good and beautiful life she has earned the title "Vic- toria the Good." She was the gift of God to this nation. The Queen was also a noble and broad- minded woman. She could see true goodness whether in the Church of England, or the Noncon- formist churches, or the Salvation Army. It is a well-known fact that she took an intense interest in the work of the Free Churches in England and Wales. She refused to be led by narrow and bigotted ecclesiastics. Queen Victoria always respected the rights of conscience in her subjects and in her servants. When her faithful servant John Brown, who was a member of Windsor Congregational Church, died, she sent for the Congregational minister to conduct the funeral service in the Palace, and her Majesty attended the service. The Queen was great as a mother. She was always like a. great and tender mother fó I her subjects. Some years ago a terrible colliery: explosion took place in South Wales, in which two hundred people lost their lives. One poor mother had lost all she had. She had lost her hus- band and son, and was crushed and overwhelmed with grief. But in a few days she received a mes- sage of sympathy and love from someone who sub- scribed herself as "A Widow and Mother." It was from Queen Victoria. She knew how to sympathise with her subjects in sorrow and trial, for she had drank of that cup herself. It has been said that it is not right to pass eulogiums on per- sons without acknowledging the source and secret of their beauty and goodness. From whence did Queen Victoria derive her goodness and power? There is only one answer to that question. She derived all her grace apd goodness and moral beauty from Him who is the fountain of all grace and light and life. It was Christ that made her great and good. "Thy gentleness hath made me great." We believe it is God's purpose to bring some great good out of this sorrow and loss. Death is a purifier and healer. The heart of the nation is now tender and susceptible. Perhaps this is God's way of opening the hearts of His people to receive the message from Him who is the King of Kings. It is only when the heart of the nation is pure and tender that it can see God. The prophet says, "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up." The most real to him that day was the presence of Almighty God. What a won- derful blessing it would be if the people of this land were to have the same vision of God as the prophet had on the death of King Uzziah. Then it could be said, "In the year Queen Victoria died we saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up." The supreme need of England to-day is a consciousness of the presence of God, and a vision of His holiness and glory. If the heart of the nation is impure it can never see the face of the King. But if the nation resolve to cast away sin, vice, gambling and drunkenness, and rise to a life of righteousness, God will surely give us a new vision of Himself and lead us to a great triumph. Let the people say at the beginning of the reign of King Edward VII. that they will have nothing more to do with those sins which are fatal to the best interests and well-being of the nation. If we do that then we shall be blessed with the same vision as the prophet. We shall see God high and lifted up, and hear His voice and understand His speech, and He will fill our land with glory and prosperity. The Queen's life was getting more beautiful year by year. That is precisely the way the true Christian expresses and manifests itself. "The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more an d more unto the perfect day." There are some rivers which widen and broaden as they approach the sea. So it is with the life of the genuine Christian, as it approaches eternity it widens and broadens. It is beautified-and glorified. It becomes grander and more glorious; and such was the life of Queen Victoria. Its end is glory and immortality. > HOOTON. On Saturday a special memorial service was held in St. Paul's Church. There was a large congre-; gation, and the interior of the c hurch. was draped in black. Ihe special form of service was im- pressively rendered by the choir and congregation. The hymns "0, God, our help in ages past," "Peace, perfect peace" and "Now the Labourer's task is o'er" were sung. At the commencement of the service the "Dead March" in "Saul" was played. KELSALL. I On Saturday afternoon the Rev. B. N. Atkinson conducted a memorial service in St. Philip's Church. The church was crowded with all sorts and conditions of people, who had assembled to shew their respect for their departed Sovereign. Previous to the singing of the last hymn the or- ganist played the "Dead March" in "Saul," the congregation all standing. HELSBY. I On Saturday signs of mourning were universal throughout Helsby and district. The Telegraph Manufacturing Company's works were closed for the day, and business generally was suspended from early morning until late in the afternoon, while blinds were drawn on every hand. A pro- cession, consisting of members of the local lodges of Druids and Foresters, headed by the brass band, marched through the village to the parish church, where a memorial service was conducted by the vicar (the Rev. E. Jermyn), who was assisted by the Rev. C. R. McKee. The service, A most impressive one, was attended by all de- nominations, the church being filled to over- crowding. A ball, which was to have been held on Friday evening next in aid of the Athletic Club, has in consequence of the Queen's death been postponed indefinitely. PLEMSTALL. h ..J Owing to the remote situation of the parish church, the service in memory of our late Queen was held on Sunday instead of Saturday. The church was draped in purple and black, and the authorised form of service was used. The hymns were When our heads are bow'd with woe" and "Now the labourer's task is o'er." Referring to the nation's calamity, the Rector (the Rev. W. S. Johns, M.A.) dwelt upon the simple, sincere goodness of our great Queen- mother, the manifold changes wrought during ¡ her reign, and the present stability of the British throne as an institution, which stability was entirely due to the example of our late beloved Sovereign. At the conclusion of the service the "Dead (March" in "Saul" was played by the organist (Mr. Aston), the con- gregation standing. CHURCH OF CHRIST, SALTNEY. un Saturday atternoon, at three o clock, large congregation assembled, representing the various Nonconformist churches in Saltney, to take part in a memorial service. Pastor R. Dobson conducted the service, and in the course of a brief address, which was based on the words Give her of the fruit of hand and let her own works praise her in the gates"—Proverbs xxxi., 31-spoke of the universal feeling of sorrow expressed in a variety of ways by rich and poor alike in this sad national bereavement. There was but one opinion concerning Victoria, and that was that she was a "good woman." She seemed from her earliest infancy, as if by a spiritual intuition, to have apprehended the real secret of true greatness, for it was said that when the fact that she would one day be Queen of England was first made known to her she ex- claimed "I will be good." That she was born great could not be denied, and that she had achieved greatness was still more true, but hers was a moral greatness, exercising more than regal power over the lives of her subjects everywhere. Her in- fluence, both from a religious and moral stand- point, was more potent and far-reaching than that of any other exalted personage of this or any preceding age. Appropriate passages of Scripture were read, and the hymns "0 God, our help in ages past," "0 God of Bethel," and "Rock of Ages" were sung. At the close Mr. E. Davies, who presided at the organ, rendered the "Dead March" in "Saul." SAUGHALL. The services on Saturday in memory of the late Queen began at All Saints' Church with a celebration of the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. The altar and lectern were still draped in purple and black, and from the centre of the altar was suspended a beautiful white floral cross, while a lovely wreath adorned the lectern. The Vicar (the Rev. G. D. White) was the celebrant, and he read into the Holy Communion office two prayers from the burial service. Being also the festival of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the collect, epistle and gospel for that day were used, and one could not help being struck with their appropriateness also to the memory of her late Majesty. At noon the memorial service proper was held, and a large and representative congregation as- sembled. The service, which was most im- pressive, consisted of the litany and the beautiful office for the Burial of the D aad. It was conducted by the Vicar and the Rev. L. C. A. Edgeworth, curate-in-charge of Sealand. The hymns Now the labourer's task is o'er," On the Resurrection morning," and 0 God our help in ages past" were sung, and at the close Miss Lilian Trelawny played the Dead March" from Saul," the congregation reverently standing. The service closed with a few minutes' silent prayer for the King and Queen and the Royal Family. At the same hour a similar service was taking place in the Parish Church (Shotwick), conducted by the Rev. E. Dale. In the afternoon at three o'clock a combined Nonconformist memorial service was held in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, at which the Rev. C. Jones, Presbyterian Minister, presided. Reference was also made to the sad event on Sunday in the various places of worship, and a children's memorial service was conducted by the Vicar in All Saints' Church in the afternoon. ALDFORD. On Saturday, at two o'clock in the afternoon, a special service was held in the Parish Church in commemoration of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria. It was touching to note that every one wore mourning. The hymns When our heads are bowed with woe and Oh, Paradise, Oh, Paradise" were sung by the choir and con- gregation. At the conclusion of the very solemn service the organist, Mr. Scorah, impressively played the "Dead March" in Saul," the congregation standing. UPTON, CHESTER. On Saturday, at noon, a funeral service in commemoration of the Queen was held in Upton Cburch. A company of the 2nd V.B. Cheshire Regiment formed part of the congregation. The church was crowded to the altar steps, and a most solemn and impressive service was held, which will remain fresh in the memory of those present for many long years to come. The Vicar (the Rev. W. Sparling) read the lesson and prayers ordered for the day with the greatest pathos. The church was still suitably draped. All present sympathetically joined in the singing of well-chosen hymns. At the close of the service Mr. Westbury (organist) played Chopin's Funeral March with much skill and feeling. On Sunday afternoon a special memorial service for the children of the day and Sunday schools was held. The children reverently joined in singing suitable hymns. The Vicar gave an instructive address, ex- plaining why the service was held. Mr. Bullock presided at the organ. DODLESTON. A memorial service was held in the Parish Church on Saturday, at one o'clock, and was attended by a large congregation. The officia- ting clergy were the Rev. A. C. Gordon, rector, and the Rev. J. C. Trampleasure, while the form of service used consisted of the Litany and Burial Service, with the following hymns, When our heads are bow'd with woe," "Christ will gather in His own," and Peace, perfect peace." The Rev. J. C. Trampleasure occupied the pulpit, and preached an impressive sermon from Revelation xiv. verse 13, I heard a voice from Heaven," &c. The mournful harmonies of Chopin's Funeral March brought, probably, the most solemn service ever held in the church tie an appropriate conclusion. TARVIN. Saturday was generally observed as a day of mourning. The places of business were all closed for the day with the exception of the public houses, which opened at six o'clock in the evening. Muffled peals were rung on the bells morning and afternoon. At 1.30 a memorial service was held at St. Andrew's Church, and was attended by a congregation consisting of all denominations, nearly all of whom were attired in mourning. The vicar, assisted by the Rev. T. J. Nash, officiated. A deep solemnity per- vaded the congregation. The form of service as prescribed for the burial of the dead (with a few additions) was used. The special hymns Let saints on earth in concert sing," Peace, perfect peace," For ever with the Lord," "Now the labourer's task is o'er," and 0, God, our help in ages past" were sung, and the organist (Mrs. Wilkes) played, previous to the commencement of the service, Chopin's Funeral March," and at the close Beethoven's Funeral March." The vicar, taking as his text Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies her children arise up to call her blessed," Prov. xxxi., 10th and 28th verses, paid a high tribute to the life and character of our late beloved Queen. BARROW. On Saturday afternoon an impressive service was held at Barrow Church. The villagers, rich and poor, who without exception were in deep mourning, quite filled the sacred edifice, every seat being occupied. The flag floated half-mast from the tower, the muffled bell tolled out its mournful notes, and within the church the black drapery on the pulpit, choir stalls, and altar table, relieved by laurel leaves, added to the solemnity of the service. The musical portion of the service, which was feel- ingly rendered by the choir, included the kymns 0 God our help in ages past," When our heads are bowed with woe," and the late Queen's favourite Hark, hark, my soul." The litany, special prayers, apd burial service were read by the ?,otor, and the lesson by Mr. Hugh Lyle Smyth. At the close of the service the organist (Mr. Finch) played the "Dead March," the congregation standing. I BACKFORD. A memorial service was held at the parish church on Saturday at noon. The Rev. R. J. Fairclough, vicar, officiated. There was a full choir, and a large congregation, including the senior scholars of the day school, under the charge of their teachers. Everyone wore mourning,, and the service—the Burial Service of the Prayer Book with additional collects- was most impressive. The hymns, Christ will gather in His own and 0 God, our help in ages past," were sung. The ninetieth psalm and the sentences "Man that is born, &c. were chanted, the latter to the music of the familiar hymn My God, my Father, while I stray." A funeral march from Mendelssohn rendered by Mr. Howick, organist, completed the service, after which muffled peals were rung for half-an-hour. All work, except that absolutely necessary in connection with stock, &c., was suspended for the day in the district, and the very noticeable and, under the circum- stances, fitting quietness of nature itself was the subject of remark. Scarcely a twig moved en the trees, the air was so still, while the dull sky was in keeping with the settled gloom and quietness of spirit prevailing among men. Very little traffic indeed passed along the great Wirral highway leading from Chester to Birkenhead, and some of that consisted of con- veyances to and from the various places (including Chester Cathedral) where memorial services were held. The usually ubiquitous cyclist was also conspicuous by his absence, so that in every respect Saturday was indeed a day of mourning and quietness. 1. BUNBURY. A memorial service was conducted in the parish church on Saturday at 1.30. Portions of the s interior of the sacred edifice were draped in black, and a large congregation wal' present. The officiating clergy were the Rev. S. P. Townend and the Rev. J. T. Vale. The organist (Mr. J. M. Taylor) played Beethoven's funeral march as an opening voluntary. The second part of the precribed service was used, the hymn 'A few more years shall roll" being substituted for the anthem. The other hymns were "0 God, our help in ages past" and "Lead kindly light." The Rev. S. P. Townend preached an appropriate sermon from St. John xiv., 1. After the sermon the National Anthem was sung, and the "Dead March" in "Saul" concluded an impressive ser- vice. Muffled peals were rung before and after the service.