CORONATION CEREMONIES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11347, 9 August 1902, Page 5

CORONATION CEREMONIES.

AUTHOR OF "SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN."

CEREMONIES WHICH gXVE BEEN RETAINED

SOME FEATURES OP TO-DAY'S PAGEANT.

X_ *> mB F°P^ e th* delicate grace of the ggpUng may command itself more than the jgggtd majesty of the aged oak. Its bark is smooth, defaced by no sears and darkby no moss; its foliage is gladsome ggd beautifully poi«ed. It is a picture of -ppptrfrv and fair promise. The ancien-t tfft on the other hand, is rough to the it harbours many parasite growths, pjjjflas it shows signs of decay in some of jt, limbs, and it has been warped and gyimed in its contest with the gales of centßr j». Yet it possesses virtues which canpgiibechumed for-its youthful rival; store of VMB& timber in its massive bole, and _&iter for man beast from the storm ot from summer heat. Even** ' l i* vrith an ancient monarchy Hk* ours. We are reminded by the occurreace of * Coronation, a ceremony which ten few English people now living have -jiflgssed, how much of an it que ceremony „,,_ custom of another kind of #qM and another condition of society have gathred round the (Bthronement of the British Sovereign. Critics may carp and cynics may sneer at (fat fantastic rites with which our forefather* in successive generations have enoMfUMSsed this act of State; they may «,_it to young and vigorous communities w &o_ manage to thrive without so much faa about a new ruler. Yet, after all, - tjwybody must admit that neither tree nor _bte can help growing old, that age is no dishonour to either, and that the various • attaint observances retained in the Coronation ceremonies are but outward symptoms of eld tie accumulation of centuries. They an proofs, not of decay, but of length of &n fir exceeding the span c£ human genentfcm. v HCT«rtf»l«»> following the comparison of the Beiha to a growing tree, no good forester »ifl permit the unchecked growth of parasitic plants upon the object of his ttft; sat thus it was provided that those who hid hereditary claim to the performBSM of special services at Coronations, tioofr) mbmifc to the decision of a Court of Clsics appointed to examine their titles, and 19 prevent the undue accumulation of obtMT_ao*s not founded upon ancient usage. therefore, however fantastic and unpractical kmhb of these ceremonies may appear |» modern minds, we may rest assured/ that ftjy once had their meaning and use, and ij»t th? care which has been exercised for dtuy centuries to preserve the tradition tad practice at our Coronation without any additions, and with as little diminution as pgnible, entitles these ceremonies to the respect due to their high and honourable latiquity. On to-day's occasion many of these observances will disappear, owing to the discontinuance of the procession between Westminster Hall and the Abbey, i_d the subsequent banquet, although due recognition will be given to those who have established their claims to special service. .THE ANCIENT PRACTICE OP "THE UNCTION.*' Of all the passage- in the Coronation? service, none is, so distinctly solemn—none, if it he not the act of crowning itself—more ancisot than the Unction, or anointing with _ory oil. This is a rite whereof the origin CKUJOt be traced. It was never universal Wttog civilised nations, but it existed •Brag some of them long before the Ohristtat «*7«nong the Jews, for instance. Ap • Cbristian rite, it ia first specifically rentttfad as part of the combined christening M 4, Coronation of (lovis of France at Sftfims, about the year 496; on which gftfct occasion, according to an old writer, flying down a dove as white « »ilk, and that was the Holy Ghoet, taufeg in her bill a* vial full of creme to th» bishop, and when he opened the vial tan* eaine out so sweet a smell that oil lli* ptople had great wonder thereof, and Wi» greatly comforted thereby." B*2ai(y, the rabbinical writers allege tJattbe holy oil used in anointing the JewiA ki_g» had been originally consecrated bj Hosti, and was kept miraculously with- «* dSmhuition for 900 years. & Wat be admitted, however, that there fc » ignition of the use of oil in the Ooo_4tsin of Clovis until more than three -aftdrtdi years later, when it was claimed t&*Ms* oil or cream (probably the English **W£ above quoted ignorantly used the *«& -"cream" for "chrism") thus miracufyfy *ent from Heaven, had been as *&itoiimtty preserved for tha Coronation tf (&tr!ai the Bald in 825. In England, •ft-fflhujie has to be invoked to prove the &&s&s of the anointing of our kings. ®|HPearliest English writer (c. 516S«W,4«>cribi_g the anarchy of Britain after w*iqj6rtare of the Romans, says—"Kings i **ftt&ni&ted, not according to God's ordi•*W»l_t because they showed themselves than their fellows." **«»g on to the 12th century, we find _Bft_M» » Be_tet explaining to Henry H. **' *&&» of the anointing, as follows: — *Wff» we anointed upon the head, the *?fct t od the arms, whereby gtory, holi- ***, *ad power are signified." Selden, a "j* authority on such matters, declares wj| the Kings of England used the style by the grace of God—only in *"*<* Of their being the Lord's anointed, *** quotes the old provincial© jlamanum J^* 1 * that but four monarch- were en- "**» to t_e unction, namely, those of ****», England, Jerusalem, and Sicily. j** kings might request and receive the « did Hako IV., of Norway, *™» but oriTy as an act of the Pope's ' . , MIRACULOUS STORIES. craving for the supernatural caused j* Ration of a miraculous o£ for Eng--i?fr**-». uroilar to that claimed for the Walaingham tells us that Henry '**f*** *w>uited- at. his Coronation in ft* same celestial oil which of *» ha blessed Mary, Mother of God, be- !!?■** upon Thomas of Canterbury, the *™^ T ' *° be preserved by him while he . *h» «xoe, predicting to"him that those • yjjj* ri England who should be anointed !**'***& would prove defenders of the -£? 8,! » *nd benign rulers." The object of f_ft!_f!r appears in the sentences jT^? Wne re we are informed that 'the 'j*™** l «1 remained hidden in the Tower - "AOBdoB for more than two hundred ; '*"'*» until Richard U., enquiring curife__L__! <> ** P ro P ertr lrft k? *"* p l ** ;, oa the throne, discovered the C F*«*» eagle and stone ampulla in which it *-'* I!!!___ 1 ** enr ' d ' Straightway he desired t -inuri-l of Canterbury to ! ; #"">*»» tJrsrewhh, but the primate ut< to do fio for tae reason that Srl?^* 1 * J»* had already received was mS I™**B*'1 ™** B *' Kitt4T -RwAard than gave up th#

ALTERATIONS IN THE SOLEMN RITES.

BY SIB HERBERT MAXWELL, BABT., M.P.,

miraculous oil to the archbishop, observing that it was obviously the divine -will that an unction bo superior should be reserved for another king. Now Henry IV., it wiLt be observed, stood in need of all the strength that could bo given to bis remarkably shaky title to the tnrona. and the faole about the miraculous oil with which he was anointed was probably a device to secure him (reverence over his immediate predecessors, who did not enjoy the same privilege. At all events the result was to invest the holy oil with a pectfiarly sacred character, as is shown by what is recorded of the coronation of Henry IV. After the anointing, "they leyd a certeyn softe thynge to all the places so annoynted. And on his hede dyd a white coyfe of silk, and so he went and lay viii dayes. And the viijth days they should wasshe it off hym." Since the Reformation, miraculous tradition having been ait a discount in the Church of England, the duty of consecrating the oil has been committed to the Dean of Westminster. A slight change was mad. in tha anointing of Queen Adelaide and Queen Victoria from what had been the custom in England ever since the Conquest. The anointing on the breast was omitted—from motives of delicacy, as Archbisho_> Howley, who performed the ceremony on both occasions, informed Mr Maskell, the author of "Monuments Rilulia." In the directions for the Coronation of Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VIL, in 1485, it is laid down that she is to bj "arraied in a hmckke of Raynes and a surcote roiall of crymsen velvett opened before vnto her wast, fastened with a lace, for the holy vnccion." As to the identity of the manuscript Gospels, whereon the King takes his Coronation oath, with those originally belonging to King Athelstane (925-940), the evidence is not conclusive, but there is nothing in the character of the document inconsistent with the lofty tradition, and certainly this was the copy of the evangels touched by Charles 1., at his Coronation, and so used on e\ery subsequent occasion of the kind. CURIOUS PROCEDURE QUESTIONS. Despite the minute regulations of procedure, and the equally minute records of ceremonial observed at past Core-nations, a doubtful point sonMitimes turns up unexpectedly. Thus when George 111. approached the altar to receive the Communion after being crowned, he paused and asked Archbishop Seeker in a whisper whether he should first remove his crown. The primate turned to consult the Bishop of Rochester, but neither of these high Church | dignitaries could answer the question, which | the good King decided by humbly removing the. crown from his head. Queen Charlotte, beside ham, tried to do the like, but the crown was fastened to her hair. No doubt in the ceremony this year the rubric for Queen Victoria's Coronation - will be followed, which runs—"The Queen descends from her throne, and goes to the steps of the altar, where, taking off her crown, she ' kneels down." This is according to ancient custom, for, although Archbishop Seeker knew it not, it is recorded that Charles 11. laid aside his crown before commuuicating. Henrietta Maria, Queen of Charles 11., being a Roman Catholic, did not receive the communion at all; neither .lid James 11., for the same reason. The right of consecrating the new Sovereign is vested, by immemorial usage, in the Archbishop of Canterbury, although a notable exception was made in the case of WiHiaim the Conqueror, who was crowned by AiLred, Archbishop of York ; Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, being disqualified at the time on account of his "evil and horrible crimes," which, after all, consisted only in his resistance to the .usurpation and conquest by William. Henry 1., also, was crowned by the Archbishop of York, but care was taken to acknowledge the superior right of Canterbury, and to explain that the Coronation had to be performed in hasjte, lest the King's elder brother, Robert, Duke of Normandy, should have preferred, his prior claim. The last exception that need be mentioned is that of Mary 1., Queen cl England, who inaugurated her unhappy reign by passing over Archbishop CranmeiT, who was in prison, and receiving her crown from the hands of Bishop Gar diner, of Winchester. There seems to be roms doubt whether or not the Archbishop is enthCed to take as his fee the monarch's oblations, which are of considerable value, consisting of an ingot of pure gold weighing one pound, a pall or altar cloth of and a purse Of gold. Archbishop Howley did not claim these at the two coronations at which he officiated, perhaps in ignorance of the right, certainly exercised by Archbishop Parker (1559—1570), but contented himself with receiving the purple velvet chair, cushion and footstool, which formed his seat on each occasion. The writer of the "Ingoldsby Legends," therefore, did Archbishop Howley unintentional justice, in that stanza of his inimitable metrical account of the coronation of Queen Victoria. "Then the owld Archbishop held a toiden

dish up, All to receive her bounty and great wexlth, Saying, 'Plase yer glory, great Queen ric-

tone, Yell give the clargy lave to .?_rln:_ ver health !**

The Bishops of Durham and of Bath and Wells have established on this ociT.v.f.n their ancient prerogative, dating ac leist frcm the Planta-genet dynasty, of supporting the King right and left during the ceremony without fee. The 0-3 an t f Westminster is responsible for instructing the King in the details of the ceremony, for which fees formerly claimed were considerable and various, but were remitted to the King's pleasure at the coronation of James H. in 16S1* A PICTURESQUE CEREMONY. As no part of the ceremony is to take place on this occasion in Westminster Hall, one very ancient and significant ••hsecvan-e will not be performed. It took its rise m the people's prerogative of electing j'uii king, a right derived from the Saxon ti_r;s. The newly-crowned monarch was ii'tea shoulder high on a shield, and so carried up Westminster Hall and set upon the "King's Bench," whence he should administer justice, either in person or through Ms judges, who thus derived their trte of the Court of King's Bench. The ancient ceremony of Election is now merged in that of the Recognition, which takes place at the beginning of the service in the Abbey, when the King, seated in the chair before the throne, is presented to the congregation b- the Archbishop, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Hig-i Constable, and the Earl Marshal, Garter King preceding them. The people are asked whether they are willing to do homage to the undoubted King of this Realm, and signify their assent by the response "God save King Edward!" Then the»trumpeta sound a flourish and the religion* cereamaiy proceeds. One more observance must be noted, still retained, and savouring much of a forgotten state of society. The Lord High Steward, oa tha occasion toe Eari of Fta&rok* and

Montgomery, holds high office at the Coronation, being in theory, as he once was in practice, responsible for the maintenance of law and order .between the demise of the monarch and the inauguration of the next.