The next day [after Gainsborough’s celebration of the Treaty of Paris of 1814] [Thomas] Miller and I laid our young heads together, and enlisted […] lads we knew, to accompany us on an adventurous expedition to Lea.  Papers were coloured and inscribed, and ribbons procured, and flags formed; and away we went to Lea, to try our fortunes.  I was “Wellington,” and was so labelled on the front of my blue cap; and Miller was “Emperor of Russia;” and [Bob] Mason was “Blucher;” and Jack Barton was “Prince Platoff;” and Joe Cawthrey was “General Salt” (Soult was always so named, in our hearing); and Tom Aram (dear old Gatty’s grandson) was “Buonaparte” (for, as I said before, we knew nothing of the name “Napoleon”); and the other lads were named after other military or regal celebrities.

We went to Squire Western’s, and Farmer Swift’s, and Farmer Ashford’s, and Mr. Longden’s, and Sir Charles Anderson’s; stood and sung “Awake, my soul, and with the sun,”, and “Glory to Thee, my God, this night,” and other hymns we had learned at school, or in the church; gave three cheers, after shouting “Peace and Plenty!  God save the King!” as we had heard them shout on the procession-day; and then one of us held his cap for coppers, with a low bow.  We were well received.  The beloved and venerated Sir Charles himself stood and smiled to hear us; and called us “very good boys,” as he gave us a real silver half-crown!  Many a time, in after-life, has some old playmate pleasurably reminded me of our boyish expedition to Lea, to celebrate the General Peace.