Coronation Anecdotes Part 15

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, because of truth, meekness, and righteousness;" and be thou a follower of him. With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of G.o.d, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order: that doing these things, you may be glorious in all virtue; and so represent our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen.

Then the King, rising up, ungirded his sword, and, going to the altar, offered it there in the scabbard, and then returned and sat down in his chair: and the chief peer offered the price of it, namely, a hundred s.h.i.+llings, and having thus redeemed it, received it from off the altar by the dean of Westminster, and drew it out of the scabbard, and carried it naked before his Majesty during the rest of the solemnity.

THE INVESTING WITH THE ARMILL & ROYAL ROBE, AND THE DELIVERY OF THE ORB.

Then the King arising, the dean of Westminster took the armill from the master of the great wardrobe, and put it about his Majesty's neck, and tied it to the bowings of his arms, above and below the elbows, with silk strings; the archbishop standing before the King, and saying:--

Receive this armill as a token of the divine mercy embracing you on every side.

Next the robe royal, or purple robe of state, of cloth of tissue, lined or furred with ermines, was by the master of the great wardrobe delivered to the dean of Westminster, and by him put upon the King, standing; the crimson robe which he wore before being first taken off by the lord great chamberlain: the King having received it, sat down, and then the orb with the cross was brought from the altar by the dean of Westminster, and delivered into the King's hand by the archbishop, p.r.o.nouncing this blessing and exhortation:--

Receive this imperial robe and orb, and the Lord your G.o.d endue you with knowledge and wisdom, with majesty and with power from on high; the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness, and with the garments of salvation. And when you see this...o...b..set under the cross, remember that the whole world is subject to the power and empire of Christ our Redeemer. For He is the Prince of the kings of the earth; King of kings, and Lord of lords: so that no man can reign happily, who deriveth not his authority from him, and directeth not all his actions according to his laws.

THE INVESt.i.tURE PER ANNULUM ET BACULUM.

Then the master of the Jewel-house delivered the King's ring to the archbishop, in which a table jewel was enchased; the archbishop put it on the fourth finger of his Majesty's right hand, and said:--

Receive this ring, the ensign of kingly dignity, and of defence of the Catholic faith; and as you are this day solemnly invested in the government of this earthly kingdom, so may you be sealed with that spirit of promise, which is the earnest of an heavenly inheritance, and reign with Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The King delivered his...o...b..to the dean of Westminster, to be by him laid upon the altar; and then the dean of Westminster brought the sceptre and rod to the archbishop; and the lord of the manor of Worksop (who claimed to hold an estate by the service of presenting to the King a right hand glove on the day of his coronation, and supporting the King's right arm whilst he holds the sceptre with the cross) delivered to the King a pair of rich gloves, and in any occasion happening afterwards, supported his Majesty's right arm, or held his sceptre by him.

The gloves being put on, the archbishop delivered the sceptre, with the cross, into the King's right hand, saying,

Receive the royal sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice.

And then he delivered the rod, with the dove, into the King's left hand, and said,

Receive the rod of equity and mercy: and G.o.d, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed, direct and a.s.sist you in the administration and exercise of all those powers he hath given you. Be so merciful, that you be not too remiss; so execute justice, that you forget not mercy. Punish the wicked, protect the oppressed; and the blessing of him who was ready to perish shall be upon you; thus in all things following His great and holy example, of whom the prophet David said, "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity; the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre;" even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE PUTTING ON OF THE CROWN.

The archbishop, standing before the altar, took the crown into his hands, and laying it again before him upon the altar, said,

O G.o.d, who crownest thy faithful servants with mercy and loving-kindness; look down upon this thy servant GEORGE our King, who now in lowly devotion boweth his head to thy Divine Majesty; and as thou dost this day set a crown of pure gold upon his head, so enrich his royal heart with thy heavenly grace; and crown him with all princely virtues, which may adorn the high station wherein thou hast placed him, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then the King sat down in king Edward's chair; the archbishop, a.s.sisted with other bishops, came from the altar; the dean of Westminster brought the crown, and the archbishop taking it of him, reverently put it upon the King's head. At the sight whereof the people, with loud and repeated shouts, cried, "G.o.d save the King!" and the trumpets sounded, and, by a signal given, the great guns at the Tower were shot off.

The noise ceasing, the archbishop rose and said,

Be strong and of good courage: observe the commandments of G.o.d, 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 G.o.d the righteous Judge shall give you in that day. Amen.

Then the choir sung this short anthem.

ANTHEM IV.

The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord: exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation. Thou hast presented him with the blessings of goodness, and hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

Hallelujah. Amen.

As soon as the King was crowned, the peers, &c. put on their coronets and caps.

THE PRESENTING OF THE HOLY BIBLE.

The dean of Westminster took the Holy Bible, which was carried in the procession, from off the altar, and delivered it to the archbishop, who, with the rest of the bishops going along with him, presented it to the King, first saying these words to him:--

Our Gracious King; we present unto your Majesty this book, the most valuable thing that this world affordeth. Here is wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of G.o.d. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this book; that keep, and do, the things contained in it. For these are the words of eternal life, able to make you wise and happy in this world, nay wise unto salvation, and so happy for evermore, through faith which is in Christ Jesus; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Then the King delivered back the Bible to the archbishop, who gave it to the dean of Westminster, to be reverently placed again upon the holy altar.

THE BENEDICTION, AND TE DEUM.

And now the King having been thus anointed and crowned, and having received all the ensigns of royalty, the archbishop solemnly blessed him, and all the bishops standing about him, with the rest of the peers, with a loud and hearty Amen.

The Lord bless and keep you: the Lord make the light of his countenance to s.h.i.+ne for ever upon you, and be gracious unto you: the Lord protect you in all your ways, preserve you from every evil thing, and prosper you in every thing good. Amen.

The Lord give you a faithful senate, wise and upright counsellors and magistrates, a loyal n.o.bility, and a dutiful gentry; a pious and learned and useful clergy; an honest, industrious, and obedient commonalty. Amen.

In your days may mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other; may wisdom and knowledge be the stability of your times, and the fear of the Lord your treasure.

Amen.

The Lord make your days many, and your reign prosperous; your fleets and armies victorious: and may you be reverenced and beloved by all your subjects, and ever increase in favour with G.o.d and man. Amen.

The glorious Majesty of the Lord our G.o.d be upon you: may he bless you with all temporal and spiritual happiness in this world, and crown you with glory and immortality in the world to come. Amen.

The Lord give you a religious and victorious posterity to rule these kingdoms in all ages. Amen.

Then the archbishop turned to the people, and said:--

And the same Lord G.o.d Almighty grant, that the clergy and n.o.bles a.s.sembled here for this great and solemn service, and together with them all the people of the land, fearing G.o.d, and honouring the King, may by the merciful superintendency of the Divine Providence, and the vigilant care of our gracious Sovereign, continually enjoy peace, plenty, and prosperity, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with the Eternal Father, and G.o.d the Holy Ghost, be glory in the church world without end. Amen.

The blessing being thus given, the King sat down in his chair, vouchsafed to kiss the archbishop and bishops a.s.sisting at his coronation, they kneeling before him one after another.

Then the choir began to sing the Te Deum, and the King went up to the theatre on which the throne is placed, all the bishops, great officers, and other peers, attending him, and then he sat down and reposed himself in his chair, below the throne.

ANTHEM V.

_Te Deum._

We praise thee, O G.o.d; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth wors.h.i.+p thee: the Father everlasting.

To thee all angels cry aloud: the heavens, and all the powers therein.