by the Bishops of Oxford and St. Asaph, || lasting benefits to his people. England vested in copes, and kneeling at a fald- had very recently had a proof of the truth stool above the steps of the Theatre, on of that assertion; she had seen a religious the middle of the cast side thereof. Then ruler sit on the throne of her Kings for was read the beginning of the Communion more than half a century, and she had in Service, and after it a Sermon by the Arch- consequence been established in strength bishop of York. amidst the wreck of surrounding nations. On the Son and successor of that King she now rested her hopes in perfect security; and if the nation might take its experience of the past as a gage of his future conduct, they had good grounds for expecting that their hopes would be confirmed whenever they looked at the manner in which he had conducted himself during the late eventful struggles for the liberties of Europe. The Sovereign who was then about to undergo an important ceremony, was not unknown to the cares of his station. When called to the helm of government by the unfortunate illness of his Father, he found the country in a state of war, which threatened to destroy its very existence. To his steadfastness in a time of peril it was owing, under God, that the war had been brought to a conclusion, glorious in the annals of history, and still more glorious in the moderation of the victor, who, so far from being subdued by ambition in good fortune, had confined himself to the attainment of that which was the best justification of war-a secure and permanent peace. Under a Prince of such wisdom, both in peace and war, they had reason to look forward to all the blessings that were to be derived from a great and glorious policy-they had reason to believe that he would place his glory in the moral integrity of the empire, and that he would in consequence reign in the hearts of a loyal and happy people. The Rev. Prelate concluded his Sermon by calling on the congregation to implore the Almighty to confirm the hopes which they already entertained regarding his present Majesty, to multiply every blessing on his head, and so to direct his counsels to the advancement of true religion, that he might long continue to hold the sceptre of righteousness in peace and security.

The Text-On which the Right Rev. Prelate addressed his congregation was taken from 2 Samuel, chap. xxiii. verses 3 and 4.-"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God; and he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain." He began by stating that this text was deserving of the most serious consideration at the hands of the audience he was addressing, not merely on account of its being the declaration of a dying king, but also the inspiration of a divine prophet. He then entered into a dissertation upon the mutual advantages which accrue both to the governor and the governed from good government. He stated that one, and the chief point to produce good government was a strict attendance to universal justice on the part of the governor-not merely to justice between man and man, but between nation and nation. The records of history, both ancient and modern, fully proved that monarchs in general applied one code of morality to men, and another to nations. Now, a good ruler ought to apply the same code to both; and unless he did so, the nation which he governed could not be happy. After pointing out the dangers which arose from licentiousness in the people and tyranny in the monarch, he proceeded to draw the picture of a patriot king, whose sole aim was the good of the people, and who, in seeking to accomplish that good, always withheld his favour from the base and licentious, and exhibited in his own person an example of those virtues which he cherished in others. If a monarch fully accomplished that object, he would not be overpaid for his exertions by the largest revenues, inasmuch as those exertions were calculated to produce the most

During the sermon, his Majesty sat in his chair on the south side of the area,

opposite the pulpit; his supporters, the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, and the Noblemen carrying the swords, standing by him; the Archbishop of Canterbury took his seat in a purple velvet chair on the north side of the Altar, Deputy Garter standing near him; the Bishops were on their benches, along the north side of the area; the Dean and Prebendaries of Westminster stood on the south side of the area, east of the King's chair, and near the Altar. The published ceremonial stated, that the King would wear his cap of state during the sermon. His Majesty, however, forbore to do so.

The Oath. The sermon being concluded, the Archbishop of Canterbury advancing to the King administered the Coronation Oath. The King then arose from his Chair of State, and, attended by his supporters, and the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, went uncovered to the Altar, where, kneeling upon the cushion laid on the steps, and placing his hand on the Holy Gospels, his Majesty took the Oath.

The King returned to his Chair, but as it appeared that he had not affixed his Royal Sign Manual to the Oath, he returned to the Altar and affixed the same, the Lord Chamberlain of the House holding a silver standish for that purpose.

The King then returned again to his Chair, and the following Hymn was sung,

the Robes, the cap by the Officer of the Jewel Office. St. Edward's Chair (covered with cloth of gold) having been placed in front of the altar, his Majesty took his seat therein to be anointed; when four Knights of the Garter, summoned by Deputy Garter, held over the King's head a rich pall or cloth of gold, delivered to them by the Lord Chamberlain, and the Dean of Westminster, holding the ampulla containing the consecrated oil, and pouring some into the anointing spoon, the Archbishop anointed his Majesty on the head and hands, in the form of a cross, pronouncing the words, "Be thy head anointed," &c. "Be thy hands anointed," &c.

The King then kneeling, the Archbishop, standing on the north side of the altar, pronounced the benediction. The Knights of the Garter delivered the pall to the Lord Chamberlain.

Investing with the Supertunica.-The Dean of Westminster then received from the officers of the wardrobe, the supertunica of cloth of gold, and a girdle of the same for the sword, with which he arrayed the King. The Spurs. After this, the Dean took the spurs from the altar, and delivered them to the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, who, kneeling down, touched his Majesty's heels therewith, and returned them to the Dean, by whom they were laid upon the altar.

The Sword.--The Nobleman who carried

the Archbishop reading the first line---the sword of state delivered it to the Lord

Chamberlain, and in return received another

swerd in a scabbard of purple velvet, which his Lordship delivered to the Archbishop, who laid it on the altar, and said the prayer -"Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee; and so direct and support thy servant King George, who is now to be girt with this sword."

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire." The Anointing. Upon the conclusion of the hymn, the Archbishop read the prayer preparatory to the anointing ("O Lord, Holy Father, who, by anointing with oil, didst of old make and consecrate Kings, Priests, and Prophets," &c.) At the conclusion of this prayer, the choirs sang the anthem, "Zadok the Priest," &c. During this anthem, the King was disrobed of his crimson robes by the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, who handed them to the Master of the Robes; and his Majesty taking off his cap of state, the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain delivering the same to the Lord Chamberlain; and the robes and cap were immediately carried into St. Edward's Chapel, the robes by the Groom of rose, ungirded the sword, and went to the

The Archbishop, assisted by other Bishops, then delivered the sword into the King's right hand, saying "Receive this kingly sword," &c. His Majesty then standing up, the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain girded his Majesty with the sword. The King being again seated, the Archbishop repeated, "Remember IIim of whom," &c. Offering of the Sword.-The King then

the body of the great aisle, and through the seats of the Peers and Peeresses.

During the Homage, the sceptre with the cross was held, on the King's right hand, by the Lord of the Manor of Worksop; and the sceptre with the dove, by the Duke of Rutland.

The Holy Sacrament.---After the Homage, the two Bishops, who had read the epistle and gospel, received from the altar, by the hands of the Archbishops, the Patina and the Chalice, which they carried into St. Edward's Chapel, and brought from thence the bread upon the Patina, and the wine in the Chalice. His Majesty then descended from the throne, and went to the altar where, taking off his crown, he delivered it to the Lord Great Chamberlain to hold. Then the Bishops delivered the Patina and Chalice into the King's hands; and his Majesty delivered them to the Archbishop, who reverently placed the same upon the altar, covering them with a fair linen cloth. His Majesty then received the Sacrament: the Archbishop administered the bread, and

the Dean of Westminster the

cup.

The Choir then sung the last Anthem, "Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel," &c.

and at the conclusion, the trumpets sounded, the drums beat, and, amidst the acclamations of the assembly, the King put on his crown, and, taking the two sceptres in his hands, again ascended the Throne, and sat there, supported and attended as before, until the conclusion of the post-communion service and the blessing.

After which his Majesty, attended as before, descended into the arca, and passed through the door on the south side of the altar, into St. Edward's Chapel; and the Noblemen who had carried the regalia received them from the Dean of Westminster as they passed by the altar.

The King being come into the Chapel, and standing before the altar, delivered the sceptres to the Archbishop, who laid them upon the altar. The rest of the regalia were delivered to the Dean, to be by him laid

also on the altar.

Then the King was disrobed of his royal robe of state, and arrayed in his royal robe

of purple velvet, by the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain.

The Archbishop delivered the sceptre with the cross into his right hand, and the orb into his left. The Dean delivered the sceptre with the dove to the Nobleman who had before borne it, and who carried it in the returning procession.

As soon as the King had gone into St. Edward's Chapel, the Officer of Arms began to call over and arrange the procession for the return to Westminster Hall; and at the moment when his Majesty came out of the Chapel, the procession moved forward in the following order: except that the Noblemen who, in the former procession, had borne the gold spurs, and St. Edward's Staff, left in St. Edward's Chapel, and the orb and the sceptre with the cross, borne by his Majesty, now walked in their due places, according to their degrees in the Peerage. His Majesty's fatigue from the pressure of so long and complicated a ceremonial became apparent on his quitting the Abbey. By this time the numbers in the body of the Church had greatly diminished, but his Majesty received from those who remained, the loudest expressions of their allegiance. His Majesty, however, though much incumbered with his splendid attire, moved forward with great cheerfulness and good humour.

The appearance of the Abbey during the ceremony of the Coronation was a scene of grandeur of which description can convey but a faint idea. The King was seated on splendid and sumptuous description. Around his throne, dressed in a robe of a most him stood on one side the Bishops with their copes of gold, and robes of black velvet, and close by them the Heralds, with their gorgcous and many coloured vestments. On his right and left were the Peers with their different coronets on their heads, with their robes of state loosely flowing around them, laden with all the pomp of minever and velvet. Before him stood in front, on the extreme right, the Knights of the Bath, distinguished by the taste, lightness, and elegance of their vesture, and the unbounded profusion of their snow-white plumage; and next to them were the Knights of the Gar

ter, not Peers, in all the splendid parapher- || and the gilded cornices of its roof, he might

nalia of their order. Their gorgeous appearance contrasted well with the elegant simplicity of the blue dress assigned to the Privy Councillors, who were flanked by heralds and officers at arms. On the King's left, there stood in front five officers armed with ponderous golden or gilt maces, and dressed in most beautiful suits of blue silk and gold. These were mixed up with various officers of arms, who, by the mingled hues of their habiliments, produced a very noble and picturesque effect. In the rear of these gentlemen the grand mass of persons who had marched in the procession, || was formed in a close and serried phalanx, the Yeomen of the Guard in their splendid liveries being in the centre of it, and forming, as it were, its point d'appui. In short, the coup d'ail, which was afforded to the spectator by this condensing into one small space of all the proudest ornaments of English chivalry, was one of the grandest and most magnificent scenes, which we ever expect to see.

It is desirable for the clear conception of the ceremonial itself, and of the general scene, to endeavour to convey some idea of the new arrangements made in the Abbey, and the nature and extent of the decorations introduced in that venerable pile.

Westminster Abbey.-In order to make our description as perspicuous as possible, the reader should imagine himself placed at the grand western entrance to the Abbey, and to conceive all the screens and wood work, which usually obstruct his prospect up the centre aisle, to be, as they now are, entirely demolished, and a new and an entirely different structure to be substituted in their stead. He must also conceive the different monuments of ancient grandeur which in many places adorn, and in as many disfigure, its walls, to be subtracted from his view, and in their places, numerous galleries to meet his eye, glittering in all the pomp of modern magnificence. Indeed, with the exception of Mr. Pitt's monument, which is placed over the western gate of the Abbey, scarcely another is visible to the spectator at that point; and if it were not for the light elegance of its architecture,

almost forget that he was standing in Westminster Abbey. The middle aisle is now open from the western entrance to that point in which it joins upon Henry VII.'s Chapel, and the pavement of it up to the transept is matted, and in the middle covered, as in the platform out of doors, with a broad purple cloth. The side aisles are each divided from the main aisle by wooden partitions, which, in order to admit free communication between the different parts of the cathedral, are cut into various kinds of arches, thus hiding the nakedness which would otherwise have been discernible, had the galleries been supported on rafters thrown across from one pilaster to another. A row of galleries runs along these aisles, till you come to the entrance of the choir, elevated to nearly the same height as the grand door of entrance to the Abbey. At the entrance of the choir a kind of triumphal arch is raised, under which the procession marches, and in which are places assigned for the drums and trumpets, and also for the boys of Westminster School. Having passed this archway, under which you mount a flight of steps, two rows of galleries, one above the other, run on each side of the aisle till you come to the theatre, which is the oblong formed by the intersection of the centre aisle with the two transepts. All these galleries, as well as the benches situated just before them on the pavement of the aisle, were covered with scarlet cloth, and form a cheering and magnificent prospect for the eye of the spectator to rest on. The benches within the choir, to which we are now alluding, are the benches on which the Knights Commanders of the Bath, the Privy Councillors, and Knights of the Garter, not being Peers, the Judges, and different law officers of the Crown, take their seats during the ceremony of the Coronation. The theatre is directly under the tower of the Abbey, and on a platform of four steps, raised in the centre of it, covered with cloth of gold, and surrounded by the richest Turkey carpets, stands the coronation chair of the Kings of England, of which, as it has been so often described, we shall not attempt to give any description on the