at the steps of the altar, the carpets and cushions being spread and laid there for her, in like manner as they had been before for the king.

Then the archbishop, being on the north side of the altar, said this prayer:

"ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, the fountain of all goodness, give ear, we beseech thee, to our prayers, and multiply thy blessings upon this thy servant, whom, in thy name, with all humble devotion, we consecrate our queen," &c.

This done, the queen rose, and went to the faldstool, at which she was to be anointed and crowned, placed between king Edward's chair and the steps of the altar, where the groom of the stole to her majesty (with the two ladies of the bedchamber, assisted by the queen's women) took off her rich circle or coronet.

Then the queen kneeled down, and the archbishop poured the holy oil on the crown of her head, in form of a cross, using these words, " In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, let the anointing of this oil increase thine honour," &c.

After which, the same ladies opened her apparel for the anointing her majesty on the breast, which the archbishop also performed, pouring on the holy oil in form of a cross, and using the same words, viz. "In the name of the Father," &c.

After this, the archbishop said this prayer:

"ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, we beseech thee, of thy abundant goodness, pour out the spirit of thy grace and blessing upon this thy servant queen CHARLOTTE," &c.

Then the ladies having first dried the place anointed with fine cotton wool, closed the queen's robes at her breast, and after put a linen coif upon her head, because of anointing.

Which done, the archbishop put the ring (which he received from the master of the jewel-house) on the fourth finger of the queen's right hand, saying, "Receive this ring, the seal of a sincere faith," &c.

Then

Then the archbishop took the crown in his hands from off the altar, and reverently set it on the queen's head, saying, "Receive the crown of glory, honour, and joy; and God, the crown of the faithful, who, by our episcopal hands, (though most unworthy) hath this day set a crown of pure gold upon thy head, inrich," &c.

The queen being crowned, all the peeresses present put on their coronets; and then the archbishop put the scepter with the cross into her majesty's right hand, and the ivory rod with the dove into her left, and said the following prayer: "O LORD, the fountain of all good things, and the giver of perfection, grant unto this thy servant CHAR

LOTTE, our queen," &c.

The queen being thus anointed and crowned, and having received all her royal ornaments, the choirs sung an anthem performed by the whole concert of voices and instruments.

As soon as the anthem began, the queen rose from her faldstool; and, being supported by the two bishops, and her train borne, and attended as before, went up to the theatre; and, as she approached towards the king, bowed herself reverently to his majesty sitting upon his throne; and so was conducted to her own throne on the left hand of the king, where she reposed herself till the anthem was ended.

After which, the archbishop pronounced the benediction, viz. "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, &c.

THE MANNER OF THEIR MAJESTIES RETURN TO

WESTMINSTER HALL.

The ceremony of their majesties coronation being thus performed, the king rose, having the crown on his head, and both the scepters in his hands; and being attended by the great officers, and the lords who carried the four swords, and the other lords who carried St. Edward's staff, the spurs and orb, having again received them from off the high altar, and bearing them before his majesty, the king descended from the theatre, and passed through the door on the south VOL. I. No. 21.

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side

side of the high altar, into St. Edward's chapel, and came before the altar, at the head of St. Edward's shrine or tomb, where the regalia before mentioned, viz. the staff, spurs, and orb, were delivered to the dean of Westminster, who laid them on the altar.

The queen also, descending from the theatre at the same time with the king, passed by the high altar, through the door on the north side thereof, into St. Edward's chapel, having her crown on her head, and her scepter and ivory rod in her hands, (attended as before), and repaired also to the altar in the chapel.

Then the king delivered the two scepters to the archbishop, who laid them upon the altar; and his majesty, taking off his crown, delivered it also to the archbishop, who placed it upon the said altar.

The queen also delivered her two sceptres to the archbishop; and, taking off her crown, delivered it likewise to him; all which he placed upon the altar.

This done, the king withdrew into his traverse, at the west end of the said chapel, where he sat down in his chair, and was disrobed, by the lord great chamberlain, of the robes called St. Edward's, which were delivered to the dean of Westminster, who laid them upon the altar before mentioned.

The queen likewise retired to her traverse on the left hand of the king's, and there reposed herself until the king was re-vested.

The king was then arrayed, by the lord great chamberlain, in his royal robes of purple velvet, furred with ermin. And, the king and queen coming before St. Edward's altar, the archbishop (being still re-vested as before) put two other imperial crowns upon their majesties heads, with caps of purple velvet, viz. the crown of state upon the king's head, and a rich crown upon the queen's, which their majesties continued to wear all the rest of the day.

The archbishop also put into the king's right hand the scepter with the cross, and into his left hand the orb or globe with the cross; and into the queen's right hand her scepter

with the cross, and into her left hand the ivory rod with the dove: which done, the archbishop and bishops divested themselves of their copes, and left them there, proceeding in their rochets, or usual habit.

Then the queen, having her crown on her head, and the scepter and ivory rod in her hands, and being supported and attended, and her train borne as before, proceeded from St. Edward's chapel over the theatre, by the north side of her throne, and so through the choir, in the same manner as she came to the church (saving that the lords, who bore her regalia thither, did not go now immediately before her, but repaired to their respective places in the procession, according to their several degrees), and was again received under her canopy by the barons of the cinque ports, who attended without the door of the choir, for that purpose.

The king likewise, having the four swords and the scepter with the dove, borne before him, with his crown on his head, and in his hands the scepter with the cross, and the orb, a noble lord supporting his right arm, proceeded out of St. Edward's chapel, assisted and attended, and his train borne, as before, and passed over the theatre by the south side of his throne, and so through the choir, in the same manner as he came to the church [saving that the lords, who, in the former procession, carried any of the regalia, which were now left behind in St. Edward's chapel (as the spurs and staff,) or which his majesty did now bear himself (as the orb and scepter with the cross), went now in their respective places in the procession, according to their several degrees], and was received in like manner under his canopy by the barons of the Cinque Ports at the choir door.

Thus this most glorious and splendid assembly proceeded down the body of the church, through the great west door, and so returned to Wesminster Hall, by the same way it came; the Dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine wearing their caps of estate, the peers and peeresses their coronets, the bishops their caps, and the kings of arms their coronets.

All the way from the church to the hall, the drums beat, the trumpets sounded, and the vast multitude of beholders filled the air with loud acclamations and shouts.

On their arrival at Westminster Hall, dinner being placed on the table, their majesties sat down to dinner, as did likewise the peers and peeresses at their respective tables.

Before the second course was brought in, the king's champion, who enjoys that office as being lord of the manor of Scrivelsby, in Lincolnshire, entered the hall completely armed, in one of his majesty's best suits of white armour, mounted on a beautiful white horse, richly caparisoned in manner following:

Two trumpets, with the champion's arms on their banners; the serjeant trumpet, with his mace on his shoulder: two serjeants at arms, with their maces on their shoulders; the champion's two esquires, richly habited, one on the right hand, with the champion's lance carried upright; the other on the left hand, with his target, and the champion's arms depicted thereon; the herald of arms with a paper in his hand, containing the words of the challenge.

The earl marshal in his robes and coronet, on horseback, with the marshal's staff in his hand; the champion on horseback, with a gauntlet in his right hand, his helmet on his head, adorned with a great plume of feathers, white, blue, and red; the lord high constable in his robes and coronet, and collar of the order, on horseback, with the constable's staff. Four pages richly apparelled, attendants on the champion. The passage to their majesties table being cleared by the knight marshal, the herald at arms, with a loud voice, proclaimed the champion's challenge at the lower end of the hall, in the words following:

"If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay, our sovereign lord king George III. king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. grandson and next heir to our sovereign lord king George II. the last king, deceased, to be right heir to the imperial crown of this realm of Great Britain, or that he ought not to enjoy the same; here is the champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him; and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him, on what day soever he shall be appointed."

And