BOOK
VIII.

We invoke thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God, that this thy servant, (whom, by the wisdom of 'thy divine dispensations from the beginning of his formation to 'this present day, thou hast permitted to increase, rejoicing in the flower of youth,) enriched with the gift of thy piety, and 'full of the grace of truth, thou mayest cause to be always advancing, day by day, to better things before God and men: 'that, rejoicing in the bounty of supernal grace, he may receive 'the throne of supreme power; and defended on all sides from 'his enemies by the wall of thy mercy, he may deserve to govern happily the people committed to him with the peace of 'propitiation and the strength of victory.'

"Second Prayer.

O God, who directest thy people in strength, and go'vernest them with love, give this thy servant such a spirit ' of wisdom with the rule of discipline, that, devoted to thee ' with his whole heart, he may remain in his government always 'fit, and that by thy favour the security of this church may 'be preserved in his time, and Christian devotion may remain in tranquillity; so that, persevering in good works, he may ' attain, under thy guidance, to thine everlasting kingdom.'

"After a third prayer, the consecration of the king by the bishop takes place, who holds the crown over him, saying,—

Almighty Creator, Everlasting Lord, Governor of heaven. and earth, the Maker and Disposer of angels and men, King ' of kings and Lord of lords! who made thy faithful servant 'Abraham to triumph over his enemies, and gavest manifold 'victories to Moses and Joshua, the prelates of thy people; ‹ and didst raise David, thy lowly child, to the summit of the 'kingdom, and didst free him from the mouth of the lion and 'the paws of the bear, and from Goliah, and from the malig'nant sword of Saul and his enemies; who didst endow Solo'mon with the ineffable gift of wisdom and peace: look down 'propitiously on our humble prayers, and multiply the gifts ' of thy blessing on this thy servant, whom, with humble devo'tion, we have chosen to be king of the Angles and the Saxons. 'Surround him every where with the right hand of thy power, that, strengthened with the faithfulness of Abraham, the 'meekness of Moses, the courage of Joshua, the humility of 'David, and the wisdom of Solomon, he may be well-pleasing

'to thee in all things, and may always advance in the way of CHAP. 'justice with inoffensive progress.

'May he so nourish, teach, defend, and instruct the church ' of all the kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons, with the people 'annexed to it; and so potently and royally rule it against all 'visible and invisible enemies, that the royal throne of the 'Angles and Saxons may not desert his sceptre, but that he 'may keep their minds in the harmony of the pristine faith and 'peace! May he, supported by the due subjection of the peo'ple, and glorified by worthy love, through a long life, descend 'to govern and establish it with the united mercy of thy glory! 'Defended with the helmet and invincible shield of thy pro'tection, and surrounded with celestial arms, may he obtain the 'triumph of victory over all his enemies, and bring the terror of his power on all the unfaithful, and shed peace on those 'joyfully fighting for thee! Adorn him with the virtues with which thou hast decorated thy faithful servants; place him 'high in his dominion, and anoint him with the oil of the grace of thy Holy Spirit!'

"Here he shall be ANOINTED with oil; and this anthem shall be sung:

And Zadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anointed Solomon king in Sion; and, approaching him, they said, May 'the king live for ever!'

"After two appropriate prayers, the swORD was given to him, with this invocation :

God who governest all things, both in heaven and in earth, by thy providence, be propitious to our most Christian 'king, that all the strength of his enemies may be broken by 'the virtue of the spiritual sword, and that Thou combating for him, they may be utterly destroyed!'

"The king shall here be CROWNED, and shall be thus addressed:

:

May God crown thee with the crown of glory, and with 'the honour of justice, and the labour of fortitude; that by the 'virtue of our benediction, and by a right faith, and the various fruit of good works, thou mayest attain to the crown of the 'everlasting kingdom, through His bounty whose kingdom ' endures for ever!'

I.

BOOK
VIII.

"After the crown shall be put upon his head, this prayer shall be said:

:

'God of eternity! Commander of the virtues! the Conqueror of all enemies! bless this thy servant, now humbly ' bending his head before thee, and preserve him long in health, 'prosperity, and happiness. Whenever he shall invoke thine aid, be speedily present to him, and protect and defend him. 'Bestow on him the riches of thy grace; fulfil his desires with every good thing, and crown him with thy mercy.'

"The SCEPTRE shall be here given to him, with this address:

Take the illustrious sceptre of the royal power, the rod of thy dominion, the rod of justice, by which mayest thou govern thyself well, and the holy church and Christian people com'mitted by the Lord to thee! Mayest thou with royal virtue 'defend us from the wicked, correct the bad, and pacify the upright; and that they may hold the right way, direct them with thine aid, so that from the temporal kingdom thou mayest ' attain to that which is eternal, by His aid whose endless dominion will remain through every age!'

"After the sceptre has been given, this prayer follows:

'Lord of all! Fountain of good! God of all! Governor of governors! bestow on thy servant the dignity to govern well, and strengthen him, that he become the honour granted him by thee! Make him illustrious above every other king in Britain! Enrich him with thine affluent benediction, and ' establish him firmly in the throne of his kingdom! Visit him in his offspring, and grant him length of life! In his day may

justice be pre-eminent; so that, with all joy and felicity, he may be glorified in thine everlasting kingdom!'

"The ROD shall be here given to him, with this address:

6

:

Take the rod of justice and equity, by which thou mayest

' understand how to soothe the pious and terrify the bad; teach the way to the erring; stretch out thine hand to the faltering; 'abase the proud; exalt the humble, that Christ our Lord may open to thee the door, who says of himself, I am the door; if any enter through me, he shall be saved. And HE who is the key of David, and the sceptre of the house of Israel, who opens and no one can shut; who shuts and no one can open; may he be thy helper! HE who bringeth the bounden

'from the prison-house, and the one sitting in darkness and the 'shadow of death that in all things thou mayest deserve to 'follow him of whom David sang, Thy seat, O God, endureth 'for ever; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 'Imitate him who says, Thou hast loved righteousness, and 'hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, has anointed 'thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.'

"The benedictions follow:

May the Almighty Lord extend the right hand of his blessing, and pour upon thee the gift of his protection, and 'surround thee with a wall of happiness, and with the guar'dianship of his care; the merits of the holy Mary; of Saint Peter, the prince of the Apostles; and of Saint Gregory, the apostle of the English; and of all the Saints, interceding for 'thee!

May the Lord forgive thee all the evil thou hast done, and 'bestow on thee the grace and mercy which thou humbly askest ' of him; may he free thee from all adversity, and from all the 'assaults of visible or invisible enemies!

'May he place his good angels to watch over thee, that they always and every where may precede, accompany, and follow thee; and by his power may he preserve thee from sin, from 'the sword, and every accident and danger!

May he convert thine enemies to the benignity of peace ' and love, and make thee gracious and amiable in every good thing; and may he cover those that persecute and hate thee with salutary confusion; and may everlasting sanctification 'flourish upon thee!

May he always make thee victorious and triumphant over thine enemies, visible or invisible; and pour upon thy heart 'both the fear and the continual love of his holy name, and 'make thee persevere in the right faith and in good works, 'granting thee peace in thy days; and with the palm of victory 'may he bring thee to an endless reign!

And may he make them happy in this world, and the par'takers of his everlasting felicity, who have willed to make thee king over his people!

'Bless, Lord, this elected prince, thou who rulest for ever the kingdoms of all kings.

And so glorify him with thy blessing, that he may hold the 'sceptre of Solomon with the sublimity of a David, &c.

CHAP.

I.

BOOK

VIII.

Grant him, by thy inspiration, so to govern thy people, as ' thou didst permit Solomon to obtain a peaceful kingdom.""

"Designation of the State of the Kingdom.

'Stand and retain now the state which thou hast hitherto 'held by paternal succession, with hereditary right, delegated to thee by the authority of Almighty God, and our present ' delivery, that is, of all the bishops and other servants of God; ' and in so much as thou hast beheld the clergy nearer the 'sacred altars, so much more remember to pay them the honour 'due, in suitable places. So may the Mediator of God and 'men confirm thee the mediator of the clergy and the common 'people, on the throne of this kingdom, and make thee reign with him in his eternal kingdom.'

"This prayer follows:

May the Almighty Lord give thee, from the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn, wine, and 'oil! May the people serve thee, and the tribes adore thee! 'Be the lord of thy brothers, and let the sons of thy mother bow before thee: He who blesses thee shall be filled with blessings, and God will be thy helper: May the Almighty 'bless thee with the blessings of the heaven above, and in the 'mountains, and the vallies; with the blessing of the deep below; with the blessing of the suckling and the womb; with the blessings of grapes and apples; and may the blessing of the ancient fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, be heaped thee!

' upon

Bless, Lord, the courage of this prince, and prosper the 'works of his hands; and by thy blessing may his land be filled 'with apples, with the fruits, and the dew of heaven, and of the deep below; with the fruit of the sun and moon; from the 'tops of the ancient mountains, from the apples of the eternal hills, and from the fruits of the earth and its fulness!