Your little Queen has made a pretty mess of her visit to the 
Prussians. She treated the king* with such contempt, that he was 
glad to get rid of her, and showed that very plainly after her 
departure. The middle classes too are highly incensed at the 
contemptuous way she treated the daughters of the “haute 
bourgeoisie” of Cologne. The daughter of the Mayor of Cologne 
had to present “her Majesty” with a cup of tea, and Vic took not 
the cup, because touched by the hand of one not “noble”. (!) She 
only took the spoon, and with it sipped the tea; at the same time 
turning her head aside, and treating the girl with the most marked 
contempt. The poor girl stood trembling awfully, not knowing 
whether to stand or to go away. Served her right; these purse- 
proud bourgeois, with all their cunning, are with their worship of 
kings and queens but spoons after all, and as such deserve to be 
treated. Your Queen carried her contempt so far as to rouse what 
little spirit they possess to show some resistance. She had sub- 
scribed 3,500 dollars (£500), to the building fund of the Cologne 
Cathedral, and the insulted Bourgeois of Cologne got up a 
meeting to discuss the propriety of returning her the money! The 
meeting was dispersed by the police and military. I hear, however, 
that they still contemplate subscribing the money amongst them- 
selves, and sending it to England or Ireland, to relieve your starving 
poor. I hope they will do so. John Bull has been made to bleed 
pretty freely for bloodsucking German princes, and it is only fair 
that the German bourgeoisie should return a little of what poor 
John has been shamefully drained. The marked contempt with 

4 Frederick William IV.— Ed. 

22762 

which your Queen treated our precious King and his court, arose, 
I hear, from the fact of the limping Queen of Prussia? refusing the 
arm of Prince Albert, and preferring that of Archduke Frederick 
at Austria, as being of higher birth. It is very comical to see these 
princes at loggerheads amongst themselves, and the bourgeoisie 
at loggerheads with the princes; all the time not seeing the move- 
ment arising in the lowest depths around them—not seeing their 
danger until too late. 

You never gave in the Star the judgment of the Paris Tribunal 
against the carpenters on strike, accused of combination—Vin- 
cent, the chief, was sentenced to three years, two others to a year, 
some more to six months, I believe (imprisonment). However, they 
are keeping out at least those whose masters won’t give way. 
Two-thirds of the masters have acceded to the workmen’s de- 
mands, and in consequence of the above sentence, the sawyers 
(scieurs-d-long) and other trades connected with building, have 
turned out too. This affair does a tremendous deal of good. 

1845 paper 

Published in the newspaper 
The Northern Star No. 410, 
September 20, 1845