“But as I slepte / me mette I was Wythin a temple y made of glas In whyche / there were mo ymages Of gold / standyng in dyuers stages And mo ryche tabernacles And with perle / mo pynnacles And mo ryche portretures And quaynt maner of fygures Of gold werke / than I sawe euer
Tho sawe I stonde on thother syde Strayt doun to the doris wyde From the deys[37] many a pyler Of metal that shone not ful cleer
Tho gan I loke aboute me and see That ther come entryng in to the halle A ryght grete company wyth alle And that of sondry regyons Of alle kyns condicions That dwelle in erthe under the mone Poure and ryche.
But whyche a grete congregacioun Of folke / as I sawe come aboute Some wythin and some wythoute Nas never seen ne shal be ofte.”
The Society of Arts organized a small exhibition of manufactures in 1847, at their rooms, which attracted much attention, so much, indeed, that in 1848 they had an exhibition of pottery, and in 1849 one chiefly of works in the precious metals. These shows were so successful, that it was felt that something should be attempted on a far larger scale, and it is now, I believe, generally conceded that the conception of the Great Exhibition of 1851 was due to Mr. F. Wishaw. Secretary to the Society of Arts. True it is that Prince Albert is generally credited with the idea, but this arose from the fact that he took a leading part in the movement, as President of the Society.
In this capacity he was kept fully informed of what the Society were doing; but immediately after the termination of the Session of 1849 he took the subject under his own personal superintendence. He proceeded to settle the general principles on which the proposed exhibition of 1851 should be conducted, and to consider the mode in which it should be carried out. On the 29th June, 1849, the general outlines of the Exhibition were discussed by his Royal Highness, and a portion of the minutes of a meeting of several members of the Society of Arts, held at Buckingham Palace on the 30th of June, is as follows:--
“His Royal Highness communicated his views regarding the formation of a Great Collection of Works of Industry and Art in London in 1851, for the purpose of exhibition, and of competition and encouragement.