THE STATE STEEPLE CHASE,

MANUSCRIPT IN INK. Folio [ 25 x20 cm], pp [12], verso of title blank; some old marks and a central fold torn in places, docketed on the last page 'State steeple chase.'; stitched as issued.


Comical doggerel verse depicting the ministers of Queen Victoria's government during what became known as the 'Bedchamber Crisis' of the second Melbourne ministry during August 1839.

The young Queen was so attached to her Whig ladies of the bedchamber that after Melbourne's resignation in August 1839, she refused to let Sir Robert Peel replace them with Conservative ladies. This was known as the Bedchamber Crisis, and led to Peel's refusal to form a government. Melbourne therefore resumed, and continued in office until the Conservatives finally won a House of Commons majority in the General Election of 1841.

The opening stanza's relate that 'Our dumpy young Queen, as she sat on the throne, / Was astonished one day to hear a great groan.' The Privy Council discover 'At length they agreed, 'twas the groan of the people.' Each of the ministers sets out to find the cause 'So they set off together by different ways / To meet the point where the whole question lays.' Obviously the cause of the 'great groan' lay at the feet of the Melbourne administration, and no doubt a Tory or disaffected Whig wrote the lines identifying the faults of various member of the Melbourne's government in turn.

'Lord Morphius [Viscount Morpeth] next passed, a pretty good Rider, / If he could but have opened his eyes a bit wider.' The next stanza describes Palmerston, then foreign secretary 'Then Cupid came next, on a smart little pony / As pretty a turn-out as you'd wish to see / But instead of before, he was looking behind / His Ma'mselle Labon, chere amie. to find.' 'Labou' here is Henry Labouchere, President of the Board of Trade. Later in the verse the Prime Minister is found to be ahead of the race with Francis Thornhill Baring, his chancellor, on his tail. Also with them was Thomas Babington Macaulay who has three stanzas devoted to him 'And there flew by his side a talking Macaw / A wonderful bird for his talent at jaw.'

Lord John Russell is described as missing his chance to take over from Melbourne, the clamour and 'groan of the people' is however quelled and Melbourne visits Queen Victoria to offer his resignation only to have it refused 'What disclosures were made between the Ex conscience Keeper and our dumpy young Queen / Must remain a State Secret - Suffice it to say, / He made a low bow and she wished him good day.' As related above Melbourne was then able to form a new cabinet, but with Prince Albert now Victoria's consort the influence of the Whig ladies on the Queen was no longer assured with the result that Melbourne's administration fell in 1841.

We have not been able to identify who the verse is by, although a clue to their authorship is given by the initials and date 'C.T. 1840' at the end of the work.