CLERICAL VESTMENTS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11347, 9 August 1902, Page 12

CLERICAL VESTMENTS.

WHAT THE CLERGY WILL WEAR AT THE SERVICE.

Though many splendid new clerical vestments will be worn by the clergy officiating at the Coronation service, none of the really old ones which are preserved with jealous care in Westminster Abbey will make their appearance. These ancient vestments are believed by experts to date from the Coronation of Charles 11. Six cf them are made of cloth of gold, two or three of these having been worn so recently as the Jubilee service of 1887 by Canons of Westminster. In addition to the above-mentioned six, there are four ether copes, two of which are made of royal purple and two of crimson velvet. They still present a magnificent appearance with the pomegranates, fleur-de-lys, and other symbolical designs worked upon them in gold" and silver. The two purple copes were worn at the Jubilee service of 1887 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York (Dr. Benson and Dr. Thomson), while a crimson one adorned the person of the present sub-Dean of Westminster Abbey, Dr. Duckworth. Sev~i new copes" have been designed in view of the cominsri Coronation for the use of the Dean and ~Canons of Westminster. They have foundations cf handsome red plush, on which is worked in splendid gold a pattern consisting of T__cr roses and the crown of St. Edward placed alternately Th_ .attorn is also repeated __o_ the

broad orphrey, which is the chief o_na__—t» smaller crowns -eing__wo.ked alternately with the Greek E. -The morse, by means of which each cope is fastened in iront, is embroidered-, with the crossed keys of St. Peter, who is tihe patron saint of-"West-, minster Abbey. The cope to be worn by the Dean is very similar to those of h& canons, only the design is sortewhat more heavily worked. Two other copes which will appear at the Coronation, and which Mc sure to evoke widespread admiration, will be those of the two supporter Bishops of Durham and Bath and Wells. Unlike the Abbey copes, the colour will for,the most oart be white, the ornamentation being furnished by means of the arms of tfce two dioceses, toaether with a considerable admixture of blue.

Last of all there come the copes which will be worn by the two Archhishopa These also are of modern workmanship, and they will consist for the most part of embroidery worked upon white material, either silk or damask. The cope of «ihe Bishop of London possesses a truly pathetic interest. The brocade of which it is composed was manufactured, in the first instance, to be the Coronation rcbe of the Empress Frederick, a robe which she was destined never herself, to wear. The wellknown historian, Mr H. O. Wakeman, who died some three years ago, presented a cope, made out of this sadly historic Coronation robe, to the See of London. It was worn by Bishop Creighten at the Diamond Jubilee service of 1897, and among all the splendid garments which were then to be seen crowded together, upon the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral, none received a greater share of admiration than this beautiful gold and rose vestment.