and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king. And all the people rejoiced, and said, God save the king; long live the king; may the king live for ever. Amen. Halle lujah." The king seated in the chair of state, the ampulla, or golden eagle, being a vessel of capacity, containing the anointing oil, is brought from off the altar, where it has been consecrated, and from the eagle's beak the oil is poured into a spoon with four pearls set in the handle, by which the archbishop anoints the king in the form of a cross. 1. On the crown of the head, saying, "Be thy head anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed." 2. Over the breast, saying, "Be thy breast anointed with holy oil." 3. On the palms of both the hands, saying, "Be thy hands anointed with holy oil." "And as Solomon was anointed king by Zadock the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be thou anointed, blessed, and consecrated over this people, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." The king then kneels at the altar, and the archbishop prays over him; after which the places anointed are wiped with fine linen. The king is next presented with the spurs and a sword, which he returns to the altar. Another sword is brought, which the archbishop lays upon the altar, and then prays:"Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee; and so direct and support thy servant King William, who is now to be begirt with this sword, that he may not bear it in vain; but may use it as the minister of God, for the terror and punishment of evil-doers, and for the protection and encouragement of those that do well, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The sword is then taken from the altar by the archbishop, who, attended by the bishops, delivers it into the king's right hand, saying, “Receive this kingly sword, brought now from the altar of God, and delivered to you by the hands of us the bishops and servants of God, though unworthy." The king being then begirt with the sword, the archbishop says to him, "Remember him of whom the royal psalmist did prophesy, saying, Gird thee with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty, good luck have thou with thine honour, ride on prosperously, &c. With this sword do justice," &c.-a service of some length, for the several specific objects of regal administration. The king, being ungirded, returns to the chair of state, when the chief peer offers the price of the sword, one hundred shillings (a nominal value, doubtless), which is the act of its redemption (from the altar, as I suppose, or from the hand of the priest). Next follows an investiture with the armillæ, or bracelets, and the royal robe, with the delivery of the orb, the mound of sovereignty, accompanied by sanctions from the priesthood. Also an investiture with the ring and gloves by similar sanctions. The king then sits down in the coronation chair, and the crown is brought from the altar with great solemnity by the archbishop and bishops, and placed upon the king's head by the archbishop, when the people, with loud and repeated shouts, cry, "God save the king;" the trumpets sound, and at the same moment, by a given signal, the great guns of the Tower, and the artillery at other stations, announce the transaction to all within hearing, the cries of the people without mingle in the general acclamations, and the bells ring joyously. The archbishop then says, "Be strong and of good courage; observe the commandments of God, and walk in his holy ways; fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life; that in this world you may be crowned with success and honour, and when you have finished your course, you may receive a crown of righteousness, which God the righteous judge shall give you in that day." The king is then presented with the Bible by the archbishop, with appropriate injunctions to obey it, "as the royal law." After which an anthem; and the king being crowned, the nobility put on their coronets and caps. 66 Next the "benediction" by the archbishop, to which the peers and people say, Amen." After which, the king, sitting in his chair, kisses the archbishop and assistant bishops successively, as they approach him, kneeling for the purpose. The "Te Deum" is then performed by the choir. The Te Deum being ended, the king, remaining passive, is conducted to and formally installed on the throne by the archbishop, bishops, and peers; which is called the act of "enthronization." Being surrounded by all the great officers, nobles, and bishops, the archbishop then delivers to the king an exhortation :-" Stand firm, and hold fast, from henceforth, the seat and imperial dignity," &c. Homage is next done by the bishops and nobles in succession, kneeling before the king. The bishops first, kneeling together, say all and each for himself, as follows:-"I, A. B., will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear unto you, our sovereign lord, &c. So help me God." Then the nobles, in the same manner kneeling, say together, each for himself:-"I, A. B., do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship, and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God." In the meantime medals of gold and silver are thrown about among the people by the treasurer of the household, as the king's largesse or donative. The peers, having done their homage, lay aside their coronets, and approach the king in succession, stretching forth their hands, and touching the crown on the king's head, as signifying their devotion to its support and honour; and kiss the king's cheek. The king delivers the two sceptres to the custody of the proper persons, and after an anthem and various music, the drums beat, the trumpets sound, and all the people shout,— "God save King William the Fourth! May the king live for ever!" After the "second oblation," a mark weight of gold, the king, having descended from the throne, approaches and kneels at the altar, and receives the holy sacrament publicly from the administration of the archbishop; and the whole ceremony of coronation is concluded by another sermon. This account is, of course, a mere sketch of the ceremonies of the day, besides that I have omitted altogether the part which the queen had in these solemnities-it being a virtual repetition, with such variations as were suited to the difference of her relations. She was crowned in like manner, and entered into similar engagements, with like forms. When George IV. was crowned, Queen Caroline having been refused participation, the service applicable to the queen was of course omitted. The entire ceremonies within the Abbey, on the present occasion, occupied about five hours, from 11 to 4 o'clock. The king and queen left the palace of St. James at 10 in the morning; occupied three quarters of an hour in the public procession to the Abbey,-three quarters of a mile by the route pursued, through Pall Mall and Parliament-street; alighted at the west door of the Abbey at a quarter before 11; returned to the palace at 4 o'clock with like pomp, wearing their ordinary state crowns, which had been substituted for those more gorgeous ones used at the coronation; and were thus exhibited from the open state carriage, as they moved slowly along, to the immense and joyous throngs which overflowed and crammed the streets, filled every door and window, were piled upon the scaffoldings erected for the occasion, hung out in the balconies, and swarmed on the roofs of every house, waving hats and handkerchiefs, and rending the air with their acclamations of joy. Six salutes of twenty-one guns were fired during the day, responding to each other from the Tower of London, three miles down the river, and from St. James's Park, immediately behind the palace: 1. at sunrise; 2. at 10 o'clock, when the king and queen left the palace; 3. when they alighted at Westminster Abbey; 4. when the crowns were placed upon their heads; 5. when they returned; and, 6. at sunset. Simultaneously with the salutes, all the bells of the metropolis rung their merry peals, with St. Paul's deeptoned and hoarse salutation as the base of the chorus, while the national flag waved in the wind from the heights of every parish steeple. While the festivities of the royal palace were being held, for the amusement of the populace the evening was principally devoted to illuminations; the theatres were opened gratuitously; fireworks were displayed in the parks, and at other public resorts; and lighted balloons sent up into the clouds-all at the command of the king and at the expense of the treasury. The throngs in the streets continued immense till late at night. I walked with a friend through the principal streets of the west end, where the illuminations were most considerable-of various, most ingenious, and fantastic devices —always, however, representing in some form the initials, or full names, of the king and queen—the principal centre of which ordinarily would be a crown. For the most part the figures and character of the devices were described by lamps of various colours, and so ingeniously arranged on wires as to produce the intended effect. Here and there a temporary gas machinery had been erected, on which the slightest breeze would occasion a sportful dance of lights and shadows by blowing out some portions, and lighting others, in rapid succession-at one moment showing the whole tracery in full blaze, and then only parts, flitting about apparently in the most whimsical manner. The vast multitudes attracted to the principal rounds of these exhibitions literally crammed the streets, and in many places nearly obstructed all passing, while the half were pushing to go one way and half the other. In the meantime all the theatres and places of fireworks were also crowded-while the king and court, the nobles and higher ranks, were feasting at their tables. The effect of the night-scenes without was magnificent and dazzling; and the gayety and hilarity of all within, in such a state of public tranquillity, were no doubt equal to the anticipations of those who sought their pleasures in festivity and the dance. At the coronation of George the Fourth, in 1821, the preparations for which had been made on such an immense and splendid scale, one would suppose that the whole must have been imbittered by the sympathy of the public mind with the disappointed, martyred, and heart-stricken queen, who retired from the insults publicly offered to her that day, to die of grief. How different the scene of the royal banquet at Westminster Hall that evening from the closet of Caro line in South Audley-street! In the former was the feasting of a king and his nobles, in a style of magnificence rivalled only by the ancient kings of the east, on the night of his coronation, where every thing bore the semblance of joy and gladness, the king himself at the head of his own royal table, surrounded and supported by the chief nobles and the beauty of his realm—all under the blaze and splendour of the artificial creations of light, by which they were canopied; in the latter at the same moment, all still and mournful, were seen the tears and heard the half-stifled sighs of his broken-hearted queen, who had that day been repulsed, not only from a participation in the dignities of his crown, but from being present at the public spectacle of her injury-Driven from the society of her husband-separated from her child-banished from the kingdom for the dissipation of her grief-she had mustered courage and determination at last to return and demand of the nation justice by a public investigation. She was tried; she was acquitted; and by that acquittal was entitled to the honours and prerogatives of queen consort; and when, on the day of coronation, she presented herself to claim, not her queenly rights, but the privilege of a spectator, she was repulsed at every point, and at last driven away by a phalanx of soldiery! Agitated and overwhelmed, she resorted, leaning on the arm of Lord Hood, to the House of Lords, to make her appeal at their bar-but met with the same reception there! The announcement of the "Queen of England" was not sufficient to gain her admittance! Such are the records of the history. Of the reasons of the case there have been, and doubtless still are, diverse opinions. The people, as a body, have always sympathized with the queen. The provisions for the royal banquet of George ÎV. at Westminster Hall, on the day of his coronation, were in gross, as follows: Of beef, 7,442lbs.-of veal, 7,133lbs. of mutton, 2,474lbs. -20 quarters of household lamb-20 legs of house-lamb -5 saddles of lamb-55 quarters of grass lamb-160 lamb sweetbreads-389 cow-heels-400 calves' feet-250lbs. of suet-160 geese-720 pullets and capons-1,610 chickens520 fowls-1,730lbs. of bacon-550lbs. of lard-912lbs. of butter-84 hundred eggs. All these independent of the various articles used in the pastry and confectionary departments. The wines ordered for the banquet were-100 dozen of Champaign-20 dozen of Burgundy-200 dozen of Claret50 dozen of Hock-50 dozen of Moselle 50 dozen of Madeira-350 dozen of Sherry and Port-100 gallons of iced punch-and 100 barrels of ale and beer. The supply of dinner porcelain was 6,794 plates-1,406 soup-plates-1,499 dessert-plates, and 288 large ale and beer |