Ceronation of Edward VII.

Evening Star, Issue 11694, 27 September 1902, Page 2

Ceronation of Edward VII.

|||i£. ~tPsois Or* Special Cokebsponbbst.] K- LONDON, August 15. ife •"* &a<* can. the khaki language of the eolot|p£ aial describe the thrice gorgeous ceremony WZ" «f th* Coronation? Its story should be SO" told in the quaint and sublime words t.f W, ami medieval chronicler, and erablagoned If T%h nttanatrtic ptetr, patience, and loving; if/ in some silent, secluded cell, in rich "' ; V*ttwiag a£ crimson and blue- and' gold in •ane - magnificent missal, instead of being r lustily scribbled by an overwrought- joari mdifri; in the midst of the Citv's roar, and ' then mceremoniotndy clicked off like a business invoice by a»tirdess typewriter. The |<H9 a»4 order of the set-rice, with its jimpfe and eenoiaa description of the seof the solemn symbolic ceremonies Mtd tae order ©f the prooeasione, which your jourMk will doubtless print in full, give the ookeoaal -reader on excellent idea of the proerw of the pageant as it unfolded itself in golden splendor before us. I shall ther«#nt» take it fee granted that the reader «f them lines has before him the serrioe and order of procession, and I sbal\ endeavor to enclose in the formal frame thus provided a '" mere pen-annd-ink "impression,"leaving the l f detajb to be filled in by the imagination of fo. these el whom I draw. What, I take it, i Joyel Antipodeana want to know is how the [W" OorOßatiaa i«remony appealed to a parti- |'* i»tic hot matter-of-fact colonial, with, no ¥*' &rea& r«TWence for hoary traditions or mef& «orral ceremonials and a srroog contempt w' fcp the e3«ggerated gush with which most W BMdern chronio'eni anoint royalty as thonu'i> P r 14* djyine right of kings were still a reality. W' I lw» written severely cynical words of the P «ottart for tjepoaitianof Lord Chamberiaiu. , &• ]py« been sated with Coronation notes, j ff-j,-HBW«, rumors, and reports until the very ] JK* yrwti wearied, and went to the ceremony f§£-.. 'wjtit atooat an expectation that the medio- i W\ •val eoatnirus", tlie coronets and crimson ! W : v wb* the robing and disrobing of the Kiuir | |- ■ Mid <iueen, and tha elaborate formalities ol I vh ■nrTftit times would seem ludicrously out of j lig days of tall r cars, and dera was a strong especially—us I he close of the peeresses, with fort than their images, in the ; im silvery light i meta, eobtumes, the pomp and rent in the or--8 would be apt i quite 'in the eended all the in iu soft karligntty, its dra- , and its awedignjty of this r of kings and s a great pa- j >erf«ctly rtaged j le was set with rs played their ireedom of ges- ! . worthy prota- I chat the evergreat national I id acted with j of intense huconcourse must- ' overwhelmini: 8-t shout or to Archbishop of ] ed away from Beply oflectinj, j homage to his j ony merged in i ather and son. ! emotional, tha at every poinr, of prayer and mbotism of the appeal to tha nost cynical a ' combined wiih responsibility, i „ 0 ... Make' I yaw way new wrtk me by underground to the Bruul Hanctnary, and then tip to the aerie in the triforhun of the Abbey, whence, we journalist* surveyed every phase of tho swelling scene. Our pink tickets, embossed with the Imperial crown and seal of the Earl Marshal, and marked with a blue triangle, bade us eeme in morning dress, enter i by the north transept door, and ascend to ' the ' triforium north." The police regulatioos stated that no person proceeding to the Abbey would be permitted to cater the line of route after 9 a.m.. and that the Abbey doors would be closed at 9.50 a.m. Saturday morning was as still as a Sunday. i The bases could not get near the route, and the underground waa packed with a motley throng. Diplomats, in blue and uold and ladies commanded to the Abbey in whito evening gOWW and ostrich plumes were penned in with Jack Jill of the streets without respect to persons. Shortly after 8.30 a>m. I entered the Broad Sanctuary, which enclosure was sacrosanct. Great barricades, whose gates were opened from time to time to admit the carriages of tho Abbey guests, kept out the populace. The great Ktanda in the Abbey grounds and around the Westminster hospital were full to overflowing.-. %H» Guards and Foot Guards were forming a scarlet cordon from Victoria street to the Houae of Parliament, although the pavements were kept clear of spectators. A fawn-colored awning spread from the CcnJmww' entrance to the door of the annexe, where a gold-embroidered crown and monogram formed its sole adornment. Kand-<3iMrt3 were sprinkling sand of orange irae on the roadway like water. I would fain have paused and watched the gilded -carnages With their gorgeous attendants discharge their aristocratic freight, but was ' bade, not ta loiter, and was soon climbing tha) dusty, tortuous, and narrow stairway tha£ lad to tile iriforhun. Here a steward in blue-back court drew with scarlet stive tipped with gold in his hand, and a ere mi badge of office with Royal crown and crossed sceptres on bis arm, piloted me to my seat on the west aids of the north triforium •under one of tha graceful double arches formed bT clustered pillar* of Purbeek marble. Here were already assembled familiar faces of the Anglo-colonial journalistic warW- Two rows of wooden benches lined the whole of the triforium, and behind us, in the long grey gallery, waa ample space to walk to and fro. A heap of tumbled chain, ami an improvised telegraph oifiee formed our background, and where the triforium ran aboye the nave to the west were the tetiring rooms with which every part of the Abbey was provided. If we were so high above the scene that the facta of the principal actors were hardly distinguishable, we possessed a coign of vantage such as was granted to few even of the most privileged spectators. We could move to the nave and scrutinise the guests taking their places, look down upon the choir and the great official.} in the choir seats, and view the progress of the procession up the nave; we obtained from our eeata an nnmterrupted view of the King and Queen in their first seats, of the actual CcTonatior- 'ef the King, and by standing up and craning our necks could witness the enihronisaaon , By going to the angle formed by the junction of the nave and north transept and peeping through the spaces left by those in front we had a glimpse o{ the proceedings at the altar, and by proceeding to the nave again we viewed" the did departure and the outburst of popular enihosnuwu A broken pane or two in the windows at oar back enabled us to see the approach to the annexe of the Royal procession outside. Already the Abbey was well filled. But first for the building itself. Never have > seen the Abbey to advantage before. Turn vbere you, will in normal times soma groat a uuuble monstrosity, t>hstructa yottr view; you cannot see the Abbey for the monument*. But at last here it waa as . one hag longed to see it—a long and per- . jfcdsy. proportioned cross, the avenue* of

A SPLENDID AND STATELY SPECTACLE. THE IMPRESSIONS OF A COLONIAL.

THE PROCESSIONS. Shortly after hiilf-pajjt nine we heard the sound of subdued chanting in the cloisters. It was the singing 0 f the Litany which waa to be omitted iio.n the service. At 946 the first of tho series of striking procession*, began. The bishops in their red-and-«old embroidered copes advanced up the nave bearing the Regalia, which they took to tit Edward's Chapel for reconseenvtipn. At ten o'elcck the red-cassoeked choir, singing ' O God our help ia ages past,' and tbe pared slowly to the west entrance to await the arrival of their Majesties. During the. wait of an hour the orchestra played several Coronation marche*. At eleven the Princes and Princesses began to arrive, and thereafter a stream of purple and gold and silver trains flowed slowly and majestieaUy up the nave, each costume mora gorgeous thai) the last. As we eraned forward to watch th.: processions emsrge from the pava one of the mo*-: picthresque effects of the whole pageant me; our eye. In ihe unteroom j«ijt outside the west door, and framed in that door, sttotid a group of waiting figures in scarlet. A shaft of silver light fell aslant the entrance and made the red gowns gU>w

detder clustered columns soaring t© the too; to commingle their fan tracery like the ; lC , :Dg f ° la S° ■«" P the pointed, grr.celul arcade* running round the build- ">■? tier upon tier The galleries, sloping £»<>*> to thi trifornim. hid all the'distract" iijs de-tails of the tombs ,-.ud sweuteated the *wiu-fflii!i ( ity of the GotJbk architfcotur.. ihe color schr.nse wrs so quier. unci harmonious that only gradually was its r..-it\iro horn-, in upon the oye. The rich, 1 (,ee P- watial blue of the thick carpet that spread num the altar tr> tho western door. over a blue n-r.-y frit, gave th* key-note to the whole. The tapestry hangings at tao base of the galleries were alternate bine anil amber. »ive above the oaken choir stalls, where umber alone prevailed. Tha seats of galleries themselves -were an Unobtrusive grey grern. Vcder the lantori: at tho junction o*" the cross is tho large open space tailed tins theatre." On a dais five steps lijgh stands a golden chair, and close to it, on a daw three steps high, another golden. a *' l throae s of the King and Queen. A rich fawny Oriental carpet covers the d*ls where the thrones stand, and another spreads from the altar down the steps of the '• area." as the spate between the theatre and the altar is railed. The altar step? aro masked with gilid braid, a necessary pre. cauu.m for tlie aged prelates. Halfway betwe.it theatre and altar stands King' Ed wam chair, unadorned save for the giltlams ou which it rests. Before hj were two blue iddstools with white cushions and golden tassels f„ ; - ,hj,. King tind Queen to ki.eel at when making their devotions at the altar. 'lke tomb „( Anne of (Mere* on the south ot tho :ireii. i:- !i.dcn wirli gold plate an l chalices, and before ;i. fueintr north, are two lime chairs gilt-fram.-d. That nearer : the altar is the Chair of lltuugnition for the K;i>S ,the other the s,;u of the Queen until she is enthroned. Al-ove the tomb is a rich bine hanging embroidered with (he arms oi the three kingdoms. To the north of the ! area ate seats and cushions for the bishop*, ' but these we cannu: see. Above the meadow of blue below rises the gold of th* alt,ir of the chased plates, and of the thrones. that is the -cone on which the great national Shakespearian diuma is to be played. How doscr-b? tb> audience that is to gaze nr on itr On both sides of the area on the ground floor are the Roval boxes reserved for Ro.-p.hies: in the gallery above on the south of the area are the" King's guests, a galaxy of heautifnl women robed Ml m white, like bridesmaids: in the oppo, -sits railery Slt t h e q Ui arrayed in like fashion.

In the south transept tines a gallery full | ot peers, in the north a bevy of peeresses s opes upwards directly underneath us, their crimson trains hidden away, a oreamv hill spangled tvith diamonds and precious | strr.es. Lofty galleries above peereaes and (peers are mil of M.P.s and their wives In the north transept are the Government Mipportets. in il:e south the Opposition. On the topmost -Ji.it of the Government galery sit All- Cat heart Wason and his wife, l«s head a taiw on a level with our feet site arrayed in scarlet. In the choir stalls tire Cabinet Ministers, colonial Premiers, iiiomn princes, and diplomats. As we crane down t,, try to identify the magnates of our Kmpiro my ft li,nce lights first on Ur .Soddoii, looking hroatl in I,earn in the -old lace of bis Windsor Uniterm. On hi.-, kit is Mrs Seddou in violet velvet. Her dress. 1 am told bv a spectator in the west nav--. wa.s one of the handsonest in the assemblage. On Air Seddon's Wdrridm the deep blue mamtle of the >t ,'' J k m yim iov Sir Edmund and Barton, but find that thev ore m i.iediately below us, and therefore invisible to i ; ». The two tiers of galleries «11 rhe .-.v.- ire tilled with distinguished visitors ot alt* ranks and from all climes. i-i?h up on the south I catch a glimpse rorni! a pillar of Sir John toid Lady Forrest m seats commanding a splendid view of the Coronation r-inl enthix»pi»at:on. Near the entrance is C«lonr-l Davits, of the Australian Kitle feaiu, in his khaki uniform \ hand _of civic diguii;iriea halfway up the nave m brown and russet makes a break in the white and scarlet of the throng. Here is an Aremiau in brown gaberdine and plum-colored biretta; there a swarthy Indian m t'ol.l and cream tunic and pale." bine turban between two slender fair-haired *.ngU«h ffirls. On the door of the nave js'a lure ot officers in scarlet, varied at one spot by t-. group of knights in pale roa* mantles with large silver stars and white rosettes on their shoulders. Th.e navo is lined by alternate grenadiers and beefeaters. At thq entrance a gimrdsman xvith 'a crimson standard stands like a stutne. Underneath us on the north of the naye, are the Ageuts-tjieneral and the colonial guests. lhey wtU see nothing but the processions. Many of the ladies' drwse.s (ire of delicate shades—tuae, pale olue. amber, tiate pink and pale green, but all theso colors arc "f c ( l ge . d "iu a 1 ma,u of white, dotted with scarlet, and relieved here fn d ttere by a note of deep blue. The soft eflect w aJißost indescribable. I can only liken it tcMhuda of wJnte and scarlet pelargcniuma, of to a soft silken tricolor Althoagh we have three hours to waife tune gallops by: there is so m Uu h to see. Pr.cmg to and fro is ihe Earl Marshal in a elose-bttina scnrlet coat, a pi»i r of sinvpeiv limbs encased in white knee breeches ami sdk stockings. He bears a baton in his right hand, preew the guests, motions them"to tkejr } ,mces, and gives a direction here and there to the officials. Peeresses, then- long crimson trains .weeping along the soft carpet, sail up the nave as noiselessly and as gracefully as swaus. Their stately necks, the proud can;age of their heads, and their undulating motion make the the comparison inevitable The peers, on the contrary, advujice to their Chippendale chairs with more modern gait. Some of them have their coronet.-- und-v their arms like a foothall, other- dangle them nonehalantlv. A p«rsLivant appears, th,-- first I have seen outside the pa-es of ' Alice in Wonderland.' J-li.l tabard of crimson and blue and gold b.ayoned with the royal arms falls leas stiffly than I had imagined, and makes him a striking fiff-iio. By-and-hye a troop of \\ estminsif-r boys in white surplices iom ns in the triforium. and pack the benches above; the organ loft, which also fills with wtue surpkees. behind which gleams the gold of th-i irunipeters, and out of which rises Sir Frederick Bridge's roseate hood Stately li s uie and "culled tavalier" t»ass by us in succession, but long after the hour for closing the doors peers and peeresses stiil airive. The Abbey j a well filled, u H t there is plenty of space for all, and these rumors about the close paekino of spectators prove baseless. Many iflvitad gvests have left England or been prevented liom comiii;-, mid their vacant places givu the rest plenty of sp*ue hi which to spreiid theuselvci-. i .

with warm intensity. That was ;dl, but it will live iu my tuemory wh«n crimson • and geld are blotted out. Last in the preliminary procession came the Prince and Princeie of Wales, side by side, her long purple train borne by pages in scarlet. In their wake followed a group of equerries, and Indian officers. Then the«j was a pause of silence, broken by the cheers outside. From niy peep-holo in tho broken diamond pane I could see the head of Ebe ptrocession advancing. A cavalcade of Indian officer* and generals, a compact body of the Horse Guards, the colonial and Indian liodyguard, and then sandwiched in between two more squadrons of Horse Guards the topmost golden knobs of the Royal carriage, bobbing just above the awning. There elapsed a few moments of waiting, during which we were literally on the tiptoe of expectation, and then, as the orchestra with crash of kettledrum and blare of trumpet burst into the Coronation March, began that regal progress so full of stateliness and splendor. Take your order of progress from the west door tind picture it for yourself as silver boils chime in tho Queen and her ladies. The chaplains in their scarlet robes, the deans in red and gold, the pursuivants in gorgeous ttibayds, the silken atandiwdf* borne proudly aloft, the Union by the Duke of Wellington (what thoughts it evokesi, knights and officers, of State bearing rings and swords and regalia on cushions, their coronets, carried by dimpled pages in Georgian coats ot scarlet, with wlute silken rosettes on their shoulders, and white knee breeches and stockings. And after all these paced slowly ten gentlemt-n----atranna, whito plumes drqoping down their lofty helms, halberds in their hands, eseortr hjg as their convoy the most beautiful and graceful group within the Abbey. At its head glided the Queen, draped, it seemed to ma, from throat to foot in pure cloth of gold, a circlet- of diamonds in uer hair; on either side a bishop in white and gold supported her. Her long train of purple velvet, bordered with gold and sprinkled with golden crowns, was held by four tjoarlet pages on either side, and its tail was, borne by the Duehoss of Baccleuch, Misfcmis of the Robes, whoso train in turn flowed behind her. Whereyer the Queen moved thja group accompanied her, folding UP the train as she. took her seat, and Bprea.s»g it out again aa she rose. Ladies of the Bed Chamber and maids of honor succeeded. The trains of the leaders were of glistering gold, but were surpassed in effect by the shimmering sparkling cascades of silver of the ladies who brought up the rear. When they were halfway up the naye the choir burst into 'Viy*t, Regiua Alexandra,' ami when tha choir ceased the Wttrtrainster boys, representing the populace, took up the try in half chant, half . cheer: 'Vivat, Itegina Alexandra. Vivat, Regina- Alexandra. Vivat—Vivat—Vivat.''

This was one of the happiest featurev-,\f c ceremony. And so the Queen passes'Hvi id her pages to her ch,ajr in the area, and there, standing, awaits the King's arrival. Again the vivat breaks out, but this time it is "Rex Kdwaxdus," But the shout is

prematnre. Ifc is not tlje King yet, but the head of his procession spurs and swords, sceptres and crowns, borne by great officers, t*e Lord Mayor with the mace, the kings of arm?, the patjna, Bible and ehaltae barne by the bishop*. For a m* m«lt there ia a pause as the gentlenjeiyat-

poo subject ] ~~~Z : — ~r~. —7" — Court now or b/>alniost funereal solemnity "adn?*nd towards the cho.r. Than the drenestra, swells out again,. and to the strain of the' Coronation March, ■ interrupted - for a moment by .the Vivat, advances the King in his crimson cap of "state and robes,

a bkhop on either side, his crimson train borne by eight pages, More magnates follow him, and''then'the. Lords in Waiting, among whom is Lord Kitchener, and twenty Yeomen of the ; Guard close the cortege. As the King passea the Quean they bow

yery peurteouajy tho one t« the other, their trains are thrown wer the arms of tbieir chairs by the pages, who as they pass before he King and Queen make deep •beisance, and then line both sides of the dais of the theatre. By one of the pillars clusters a

group of ptprsuivanta and kings of arms. By the King's side stands a crimson cluster of great officers, Cm either side the King and Queen ia a bishop. Opposite them is a row of clergy. The King and Queen kneel, tvnd. in deep silence the service begins.

The rscogaitten cornea first. TJie «*«*- bishop presents frhe King to US. »et few* tba foup quarters but once only, speaking in that hirih, rasping voice pecu-iar- to bito. li\ pounU:iiance and voice the prelate might be one of those soldier-priests who forced King John to sign the- charter. Amid a fanfare/Qf tFUinpefs we- all shout, but raiheT B.s if we were airaid of brawling, "God jsave King Edward." The Lit<wy is omitted, and the clergy proceed straight to the eomn;unjou strvioa. In. the Nicene Creed, during which the King and Queen both turn to ihu cast, the boys' voices ring out clear #U(} sweet, with thrilling effect. The sermon is out out, and then comes the administration of the oath, which the King takes at hid ehaiiv aaid not at the altnr, w Bt*te4 in the gervipa. Although. £he service is shortened, ap4 movements (o and fro are avoided for his sake, there is nothing gf the sick man about him. On the contrary, be strikes us all as the strong num of ail the participants in the service. He walks with a firm step, and the words " the things which I have here before promised I will perform and keep," perfectly enunciated, resound in full clear- (ones ail over the Abbey. Then the King kisses the Bxble, and signs the oath on a sheet of parchment, dipping his pen ynto » gold inkstand, which one of the bishops holds before him. The next tableau is the anointing- The King is divested of bis crimson robes, and iu his shirt of aT'k proceeds to King Edward's chair. Four men in court dress hold over bim 3. glistening golden canopy, adorned with whita eagles, and when it 18 in position relinquish the four poles to the four Knights of the Garter,. whoso duty it is to hold the pall. Tha anointing we cannot behold. It is q, solemn, mystery not, to bo seen of the people, but we no.te that the prayers are read by the Archbishop. of Canterbury from scrolls of red, white, and blue held before him by one of the clergy, and that he has difficulty in reading the worda. Meanwhile the choir sing with great breadth the anthem 'j&adok the priest.' When the pall is lowered we see the King rise to be robed, This part of the ceremony might easily be farcical, hit it is accomplished with dignity. First the King is invested in a long lawa garment, above this is placed the supertimica, * loose jaeket of shining gpld, tied with a golden girdle, which the King himself; helps to fasteu. The ceremonies with the epnrs and swords follow, but the King does not kave his chair, hut sends the sword to the altar by the hands of a peer. The King stands up, the armilla.,■ or golden stole, ia placed across h : s shoulders, the King himself, without waiting fpr assißtaace,jjndoing the twist in which jt forms. W»n the Imperial mantle is clasped over his shoulders, and he stands before nu arrayed in glittering gleaming gold- Ttje- orb, the ring, tha soepfcr-es, *nd the glove are each delivered in turn, and then comes the moment for which the whole Empire is wait-

ing with breathless .jwnefcy. •!&» if, a great hush; e*ery,\Bye fa fixed on Khgif 114; ward's chafe, wb*re tbe King eita with, bowed head, Outcide, Mif by wjy <rf ««' OQuragemeat, t&k crowd already oheer. The prayer end* and the archbishop ssoop» »ad sl.ts the csrw iqpqax the King's head «t twenty minutes tp, one. The sOvery djmsess of the, Abbey fffves -way <*> golden radiance aa tite <a?«!ptß of electric ItfflM high up round tie pillars buret into Ugl*. The King's mantle gleams, the diamond* on his crown and at the Queen's throat scintillate, and the whole congregation burst into repeated shouts of " God save the King." The peers put' on their coronets, the trumpets,.blare, the thud of the guns in the park punctuate the archbishop's admonition " Be strong And of a good courage." It is accompußned. The Empire heaves a, sigh of relief, A messenger boy snatches a cable from my hand—"King crowned." It tells the news to the loyal Ni»w Zealanders. And so the tidings flash from shore ; to shore, as the choir with robust good-mil bid tie King " Be strong, and play the man. Keep the commandments of the I<b«i- tfcr .Q6d, pdwj* i» *Hf ways." The Bible 3» delivered, and' the benediction pronounced' while we settle,' down to our sesits again, v : . "•' . ,' .. i Qrtftjpg the Te Derim fer the present, we coma direct to the next tableau, the lni throa.isa.ttion. ~ Qrfe sceptre in each hand, the King unaided walks steadily his throne, ; in which he sits of his own accord, osr- ; tainly not being ,* lifted " into it. As the King goes down-from the area he bows low la the Queeq, so do the peers and the pages wio pass before be?. The pages stand'for a moment before, the King, and having bowed retire to iris leffc. The great officer? qf state group on lyß right and l>e- | hind hjjn, TJie qlergy stand at the foot of the steps of the dais, Then; archbishop and bishops, do homage As the venerable prelate rjses from his knees to j kiss tfae King's cheek be falters, the King clasps his hands and lifts him up, and tw> Cplle&gues holding his arm support him to his seat by the altar. The most touching incident of the day follows, 'ihe Prince leaves the trip of chairs before the PWb, is whjch Ue and the Pukes of Couoaught and Cambridge have been sitting, and, ascending the steps, takes ofi liis coronet, kneels befo»e his father, touches his orown with his riaht hand, kisses Ins father's oheek, and then his hand. The King respond* by kis.iug his sou on the cheek and grasping his liand warmly. It is the greeting of father and son as"well as of Sovereign and liege man. The Princes of the blood royal first, and then five peers, the first of each order, do their honmge individually, one of the live sbaking (he King's hand warmly instead of kissing it. The drums roll, the trumpets sound, and again—this time in mora whole-souiled fashion —we shout in loyal unison. So the King's Coronation rncied. The Queen's Coronation followed in jmch the same fashion as the King's, but the knelt at the altar, and four lovely duchesses—they of Portland, Marlborousih, Sutherland, and the golden canopy above her. As the Archbishop if York placed the crown on her head the peerenaes put on their qoronelg, giving .;s the Cflmic relief in the otherwise serious drama, I? was pretty enough, as each fair head was framed in an oval of alabaster arms, but we smiled almost audibly as each pair of ladies turned to one •tnolber, so evidently asking anxiously: "Is it on straight?" 'For u moment some <i the coronets wero at an angle, like the now discarded pill-box of the Guards, but then there were pushes and pats and tilts from the wearers themselves and their neighbors, much stroking and smoothing of the hair, and here and there a. peeress made assurance doubly sure with the indispensable hairpin, for a time, too, their beads were held somewhat stiffly, as wlen one tries to balance tomething on his head; and some little while elapsed b fpre llie peeresses felt sure that their coronets were secure on their «>ft perches. We had re id much of mirrors in fans, but (hey were not in evidence. '

Prom the.iUlar the Queen and htr attendant; bishops, ladies, and pages', w.ilh -'ulj state paced down the area, to tie < hroiie, all bowing or curtseying to the" King as they passed before hjm. As the King and Queen stood before their thrones,, a Jong line of bishops bohind them, the phrjise " the field of the cloth of gold" rose \t> the brain, " Kvery man that stood showed like a mine." The King's mantle, the Queen's eown, the bishops' cow-s of scarlet and. white, Ptjff shone with dazzling splendor ':be>. crimson and scarlet ring that fenced them round. After a short prayer and ananthem from the choir, the Kinsf and Qi/een' went tip to the altar, and there kneeling took the sacrament. There were many prayers and addresses, and to the congregation this part of the . service seemed to lirag. The prayers might, without lack of reverence, nave been curtailed, and the solemnity of the occasion would have been immensely increased thereby. AittP the King .had taken the cup a contretemps nearly occurred, for the venerable Dean, of Westminrter, carrying the golden chalice to tha altar, tottejed on the steps, and would have fallen had not two colleagues caught him by the arms. It was no surprise, therefore, to learp the following day that Doan Bradley had resigned. Prom the altar the "King and Queen passed direct by.different entrances tpsilicon covered '■ traverser" or curtained rooms in Bt. Edward's Chapel. Here they linger**..! half an hour rest iu if and donning tbc.r loyal robes of purple velvet, while Die choir sang the previously omitt'd Tt? Derm, followed by two vc-rses of the National Anthem. As the King and Queen passed out of the Abbey to the royal withdrawing room in a stately procession, the ster boys, at the instigation of Dr Cow. their head-master, broke into triad hurrahs, in which the congregation joined with enthusiasm. When the Royal personages had been escorted to their carriages, peers und peeresses, bishops, princes, premiers, pages. all hastened to the door to be out first, and to avoid a long wait, and became entangled with Grenadier Guards and one another >n tt dense blook. which only gradually pated itself. Menuwhi'e,' hastening down the steps, I made, with >nue of the Westminster boys, fur the north gjite to view the departure of the pioctssiun. Outside there was mounting in hioite. Hussars, each with ;] number on hi* arm. brought up the horses of the headfjuarti :> staff, and assisted the shorter oflUrrs ;<> mmtnt by ineanij of a stool, while .Indian chiefs, gorgeous in gold and bine, vault.-d lightly into the saddle amid cheers. Mr Allerdale Grainger, in dark diplomatic triform, passed by, towering even above the Guardsmen. He had emerged early. Then came a peer strolling along the pavement, coronet on head, gown thrown over his arm, spooking a cigarette. In the open air he seemed incongruous. Recollections uf ' lolantho' flashed across your mind, find you half-expected him to sing ' Bow, bow, ye lower middle classes. Bow, bow, ye tradesmen; bow, ye masses.' And when the Lord Chancellor emerged, his coronet perched on his full-bottomed wig, the drollest of figures, you wouldn't have been a bit surprised if the band had struck up, jind he had capered nimbi}' from side to side in the broad sanctuary, while the delighted crowds in the stands called loudly for a treble encore. As good as a play*! Jt was a great deal better, for real personages were their own caricatures. After some waiting the procession moved off, lord Kitchener, stern and unmoved in yisago, receiving, it seemed to me, almost iw great an ovation as the King himself, * Bobs," benignantly beaming, was cheered, but not quite so after colonials and Indians and How Guards there rumbled along, drawn by cream ponies, the great, unwieldy, swaying golden coach, in which you hafi-expectld to see Cinderella with the glass slipper tad the Fairy Priiicet But Jfl«4!? it were a »al Kwg'-'agcl|jwen, with diamond crowns on their heads, bowing and smiling io each side, while bells were pealing, kernhic-fs fluttering, people, hurrahing, and one band after the other striking up the National Anthem, A'iter them came, at irregular intervals, more state CArriaEes, with be,wigged coachmen and footmen in scarlet and gold, and inside princes and peers. Arms were presented and ' God save the King' played, sold in the midst of it all New Zealand's enterprising Premier managed to get his <-ed liveried carriage to the door and drive away Jn the Royal stream, greeted all the wav along with a Royal sahtte and Natirnil Anthem. Last of all the Royal coaches came one drawn bj six champing black

«ecda. e»d m it Oe Oram Pifaee. «f Sav mark, IWnceesae Victoria, art "fieo g*J»*m «» onatd. mi v* ■nm j 9to the altuel, amniaaadmi of all aoqMtriem, in amen, gold, blae, bdsftlicw im tam watirailkringr freely in a fee? for crowd. 4 Chdy twoChmea; wmnl a/ Qhinese: lady, in richly embroideredrobes, stood' impassively in toe nipping air and waited without airy sign of impatience lor their carriages. ' And suddenly ananny of ! footmen swooped down upon them and i formed up lite a company of soldier*. I awaiting orders, or seeking to let their masters know where their varied vehicles I were stationed. In Broad Sanctuary the aeene partook almost of the nature of a pantomime. Flunkey* of rainbow hues, danlmg in their brilliancy, electric blue, gleaming cold startling scarlet, ran hither and thither' Equipages with saver arms on gorgeous hammer cloths, picked out in every (bade of color, drew up' to the door pf the annexe, which was now crowded with people. Peers and peeresses.,' unwilling to wait indefinitely for their turn, threw their robes over their arms (Ike topcoats, tw*ed ~p th«r' skirts, and walked i briakiy tn the barricaded streets, which were choked with carriages. Here was a Scottish peer jn coronet, green velvet jacket, and felt, ermine and crimson robe over a]}, talking to a Life Guardsman ; there a lady in sjjkeu evening dress, with light wrap erer Jjer Khoujders, njakjng for the underground. One stout old peeress, her voluminous s£rrts drawn well above her ankles, a small ooronet perched op her heed, like tbo&e thy hats nigger minstrels sometimes wear, her feet shod in gilt shoes, wandered disco*Bolatoly up and 4owb }ooki«g her carnage. Some wag on the pav#aießt trolled Oh, dem golden slipper;, 7 and the crowd laughed. Time had brought in his revenges. It was now the turn ef the titled to wait, and the occupants pf the Stands, delighted with the incongruity of the scene, showed not the slightest disposition to leave their sent*. All this was far P6tt*r foi than the fennaJ procession. Then a fUgbt shower came on. (3orynased peers a»d peeresses picking their way ja jjia rain sen* not stand on their dignity. Some took shelter in the doorways an's porches of the Aquarium and qf tft* Uogtrff the*tw. and rude persons of the vulgar hard thronged round and inquired .pf'one act<Jlh?r./T l °^ u « at Woke, Biiir "V«» flook. the Marquis of Anglesey walked ' ,r th , th . en ? on "t« PJecadaiy, Gradually the 4,006 privileged AbW folks found their way home in earrUge, on foot, by underground, one even by njotor car, the crowd melted slowly away, and King jjd. ward s Ouroriftnotf* v W & of the.

thk music at the abbey. Before the arrival of the Kjn g and Queen several marches were ,*ifniW| by the prutestTS. hir Alexander Miickejijup'a 'Cof\>nation march,' rendered with difflijty, wa» followed by one written ? w t$ ewaaop by M. Sfujitrfcasjift which, with its middle section based on an old English sir *»4 powerful cUmar, proved hhjlily efffurtive Mr Cowen aud Mr Percy Gotfraiy v«n «.!<*> represented, the. (psfr-nwaßtiowed by tJtanwoh u Uich rw?ent,y gained the arize Gffwrf by the Worshipful Company of M»ewi»Dß, The service proper commenced with Sir Hubert Parry s anthem 'I was glarL' the first strains of'which were heard 4* their M»i»(ies entered the w«# d«W. The 'Vrvat Ilegiafi, Alexandra' a,nd. 'V'Vfti fts* K4wardus,' the ffl-tetiagd of tfje boys of W«tminster School, which th«.<*mpo«r has incorporatcd into his anthem, were delivered with vigor. The Bernd-cherus ' 0 pray for the peace of Jenrealom,' pe*f Uie ehwe, is short but very beautiful. The communion service commenced with' Sir Arthur gallivau'a brief inlroii ' O huirkeu thou,' and after the reading of the Goep#l wu heard H. g. Westley'g uharnoteriatie setting of the Nicene Creed, j« the centre of which Uve 1 toys' dew voices unaccompanied and in the quiet close of which the rich t»P* of the choir created a particularly solemn impression. Handel's noble nwKJe, ' Zadok the. Priest.' sung with breadth and wgor after the anointing, teem* destined, to last for all time. After the Archbishop kadpUiced (he crown on the King's head, Sir W»dt«r Paiv ratt conducted his oonfort&re 'Be strong and play the man '.; in alj if, counts only seventeen bare, but though short S»d unpretentious it inaies a direct appeal. The uiithem 'Kings shall bee and hear,' specially v.n-itten by Kir Frederick Bridge for the "homage" ceremony, js of simple character but.effectively Written far the voices, «<nd. was done full justice to by the tsingers. During the communion in the Queen's (soronatiou was sung an ejmarpt from PurcaU's setting of the Latin Psalm ' Jehovi, quant muiti sunt hostes.' adapted to the words ' Ltt my prayer cuine up iijto thy presence,' a wonderful piece pf music, full of power iind feeling. The i«mainisg vocal music consisted of the late Mir John Stajner's '.Sanctus' (with orchestral accompaniment by Sir G. Martin), his 'Sevenfold amen,' and ' CHoriit hi exeelsis,' the "Threefold amen' of Orlando Gibbous (taken from his anthem 'Great King of Gods'), und last of all Kir Charles V. Stanford's 'Te Deuiu.' The du'.iiw of conductol ship were principally undertaken by Sir F. Bridge; a few numbers were grv«u under the direction of fjir W. Parratt. After the service were performed Wagner's 'Kaiser' march, with the uie'pdy sung by the choir to words specially written by Mi- A. C. Benson, the prelude to the third act at ' Lohengrin, 1 Gounod* march liiiin, "La, Heine de Jin by.,' and tiuiilly L)r Elgar'j- dignified ' 1 nifMiriid' mai-ch. TUK t)F THK KING AND QUOJ.V.

your sui:iity uotsijw wi!l be anxious to knew who \\yrn the gue«U »f the King »Ui] Qu.eu, J. Iwve tetiii Nothing like & compli.tr. list of tli;-. "' loveliest lad.ea in tb* loosa box ".(us y. fellow journalist with a levity u|-]jriulcLiiiiu' soiuetkinir vary near les«f m,v jests ttniiid ilit special gallery shove the urea uf.ilii: "A peares}" in her lively imprewswiM. in the ' Daily Express ,; u»l!:-- tits buinethiug »| the ladies Bpeci.'My invitul by the King, who, the t;tvs, " seemed to hti legion." "Mum noticeable of than were Mrs Harin.'tiiii, Hearing niagnifiuenr. diamond tiajn; Mrs C'dven.iish-Heminck, wearing her lov4y lurquuis+i' ,uul diamonds!; Mrs Arthur Paj;ci, ,-tIJ ;i blaze wjtl* jewels; Mrs William ,1.-itrio--, wearing the loveliest! tiara of pinjk (n.irl* 11ml diwnouds; Mrs Oeorge Oom-variy-VVfti ; Mrs Komtld Grevjjle, wearing her liiiji'ltHinw emeralds: Mrs Adair, whin** pt-ur)* were most beautiful; Lady Sarah WiUoii, Lady Fto Sturt, Mrs George J£epj.» 1, Lady Kusjsopn; La/iy Nay lor-Ley land, in while embroidered in silver lilies; LaJy Edmone.one, Mre Jul ward Bourke, liarwiesi. I)e Meyer, Madame Mai ah Bernhardt, and Miss Mario Oordli. Mn George Kenpel, sitting on the extreme right of .the ir«mt row', locked very lovely wjth a- suspicion of liuiuve about hoc dreas, B*4 two large orchids in her corsage. Among the Queen's Hix*ts." adds (his peeress, "were Lady De Grey, who came looking regally handsome in a long white coat, and wore a beautiful crown. With her wan Lady Juliet Lowther. Lady Blandfonl was in the same box, bo were Litdy William Neville, Mrs Conoids, Jjody kaye, Mise Yznaga, as well ps Madame VVaddlnglun, who was onea here as Ambassadress of France, and this time waa especially invited by the Queeu." The peerebs also tells us that Princess Charles of Denmark, in tha RoyaJ box Wat much taken up during the aeranony w *> tending to her little nephews, the Royal Princes, who, however, wer* wonderfully good during the long arid tiring wait, both being deeply interested in watching 'every movement of their aogwst grandfather. Only one* did little Pasco Edward show sign* of wearioflff, and then Ptiaoea* ghafles, in qpite of all hef ReyaJ m&gniflcence, took his* on hey knee, vhm peanu once more leigued. The little Pri&ceta took vast inteeet, too," in what w«w the cause of u alight distraction. ¥bi» occurred when the book programme beWgißg to Princess Henry of B&tteDherg fall with a rustling uoiEo' on to a pieoe of Wii»d»Pr gold pUte (of wbwh rnaaae* w«*e W»ged ivmzim&Y under the Royal enclosure), jipd ao coaqerned were, the RoyaJ ahjldren that it wa» witU difficulty the rtwtraioed a hutab, The little Prince* ia white aajlor niitK had a great reception aa th«y drove to the Abbey, one standing at each window of 1h« carnage looking «$ and gr*v«ly never uttering a word to one another, then whole attention concentrated oj) their new of fcwte. Tr«9«dowTy cheered, io-j, vere ths Kia.g'e two uotseii, whose carriage waa-one-of tite-firrt tto^Ahbet-

FARED AT 1 V \?'' ■ CORONATION. J£Experience3.of u New Zeaianders on Coro*abdtt DayJ,wer£ varied. A? the- two ex- . tames wfehad,"K:ng Dick," New Zealand's Pnme>Mmister> and his consort, ,l gleaming to purphr and, gold," in the choir stalls of l&e.Abbey, and Mr Arthur Adims, New Zealand ft "poet, in homespun, with his finger on. the, pulse, (noi purse, please. Mr Printer) of |he people on the Mall. ..Peisonallv I be the highest-placed New Zeaiatoer.at the Coronation. At least, I have not yet heard of any colonial ho occupied a more elevated posit ou than the tiifonu.a of the Abbey It is almost impossible t« gi\e an ab,*o lately correct lis-t of the New Zealander< •who «*ere actually in tht Abbey, but I h<Eeve the following to bu as nearly correct as mortal man caj ascertain:—Mr and Mrs Seddon ui the. choir stalls; Mr and Mrs Cathrart Wason m Ihc M.IV gallery m the Berth transept above the peeresses; "Hon. A. J. Cadman. Miss Douglas, Mr and Mrs P. Dyer, Dr and Mrs Findlay, Major and Mrs Nekon George, Mr H. Von Haa«t, r Lieutenant Morris. Mr and Mrs Louis Nathan, Hon. R. and Mrs Oliver. Captain Pringlo, Hon. W. P. Reeves, 0. Rous Marten. Miss ..Seddon,-.Miss May Seddon, Lieuten-ant-colonel* and 'Mrs Somnierville. Mr and Mrs Seymour Thoree-Georee, Mrs T G Williams. - . • - Mrs Seddon wore a verv handsoine dresrof deeppnrplo velvet. Tile skirt was quite plain, but the bodice, which was pointed, was trimmed with sonic, lovely lace and jet. Lace and jet were also on the sleeves. She also wore, an elaborate velvet mantle temmed with jet, and forming a hood. ■-■fi, - ?eSS was made hy ifa(3am e Frederic, ot 14 and 15 Lower Grosvenor place, S.W. In Mrs Seddon's hah- were the three diamond stars given her bv the Anglo-New Zeaianders. Her other jewels were a circlet of diamonds on a velvet band and a diamond brooch. .JP* Misses Seddon, with the majority of the distinguished New Zealand cuests, were in.the lowest 'gallery in the north aisle of the nave, whence they got a good view of the processions, but "could see nothing of the rest of the ceremony. Thev wore their white crepe de chine gowns made for them in June by Vernon, which I described at the time, diamond stars and rrreenstone pendants. After the King and Queen and the rest of the Royalties had passed out of the Abbey, the two enterprising New Zealand girls made a bold attempt to get into the theatre " and see -it least the scene of the Coronation and enthronifaticnl At first they were foiled by a firm steward, but presently a high official came up and escorted tfr.em to the seats of the mightv. The peers and peeresses were still in their places, so that a very fair view of the setting of the scene to obtained. "Can't we be queens just for a moment T pleaded in irresistible tones the Premier's two daughters, and forthwith "Queen Mary" and "Queen May ' seated themselves in turn for a moment only in the Queen's thrcne. Thev bad to wait in the Abbey until the Premier's carriage had taken him and Mrs Seddon to the Hotel Cecil and returned to the Abbey, so it was 4 p.m before they their temporary home asrain. The Agent-General, in bis dark diplomatic uniform, had literally to take a back seat. He was placed right at the back of the second gallery in the south aisle of the nave behind the group of provincial mayors. He could see nothing, and open windows at the back of a man who is only just convalescent from a chill and whose legs are cased only in silk stockings are not conducive to health, so after a very short experience he left the Abbey and watched the lung's procession arriving outside. Eventually, however, someone pointed out to bnn a seat which was remaining vacant, and the Agent-General seized the opportunity and the empty place, and in the lons run --thanks in no way to the Colonial 'Officeobtained a very fair view of the ceremony. Mrs Reeves and Miss Lascelles did not come over from Geneva for the Coronation. " The last shall be first," and perhaps the best view of the ceremony was obtained by Captain Pringle and Lieutenant Morris, newly arrived from South Africa in the Mohawk. Owing to the final refusal by the Irish members to be present at the Abbey, and to the inability of several others invited guests to attend, a large number of tickets were placed at the disposal of the War Office for distribution among colonial officers. Two tickets were left late on Friday night, and Captain Pringle and Lieutenant Morris patrollin? between the AgentGcueral's and the War Office captured them. Kent comfortably in, their khaki uniforms, sat among the M.P.s, and saw splendidly. Lieutenant-colonel and Mr; Sommerville, I believe, obtained tickets in much the same fashion. Mrs Findlay, who wore a white silk brocade, the corsage trimmed with fine Irish point lace and diamonds, had a'strange adventure. She and Dr Findlay had walked a considerable distance away "from the Abbey in search of their carriage, when suddenly she discovered her diamond and sapphire bracelet was gone. Walking back the way she had come, she put into practice the advice of the song, "Ask a policeman," Going up to the first policeman she met she asked him: "Have you seen a diamond and sapphire bracelet f He produced it from his pocket! It had evidently been trodden on, and five of the smaller diamonds were missing. The man in blue was courtesy itself," .and a Coronation medal in.gold induced further investigation by him on the pavement,, with the result that the two largest diamonds of the missing quintet were picked np in the street. It is marvellous, considering the millions of pounds value of jewels the peeresses carriea about them, and the free and easy way in which many of them walked through the streets, that big thefts ■were at least not attempted, but even among the masses of the rf hoi polloi" the cases of nocket-picking were exceptionally rare. .

Mr. A. J. Cadman shivered in his Court dress, for down below the Abbey seems to nave been chilly, ft was warm enough id tie triforhnn. Mr Seymour Thorne-George came, boldly in frock coat, and was not turned away because he had no "Coronation garment." Mrs Thome-George's gown was of cream brocade trimmed with silver applique, white chiffon, and old lace; her ornaments were a diamond and pearl necklace and brooches, and she .wore, white ostrich plumes and lace lappet? in her coiffure Mrs T. C. W. Gee and all the New Zealand ladies, in fact, were in white. Colonel Porter and Mrs Howie received their invitations to the Abbey at 5 p.m. on Friday, but some blundering War Office official enclosed with the tickets an intimation that levee dress must be worn. As Colonel Porter had only his war-stained khaki uniform, he and Mrs Howie refrained from going-to the Abbey, and witnessed the, procession from onf- of the stands outside.

About 150 New Zealanders were on the colonial stand at the corner of Parliament Street, and obtained an excellent view of ■tb.9 procession. Time and space do not permit of jtieir enumeration, but among them were! Mr, and Mrs John Batger, Mj and Mrs Arthur Brett, Miss M. A Cargill, Mr and Mrs J. H. Cock, Lieutenant G. R. Cotterill, Mr and Mrs D. Crewe, Mr W. A. EJlis, Misses Grigg, Dr and Mrs J. Guthrie, Dr and Mrs Haines, Mr and Mrs A. P. Harper, the Misses Henry, Mr John Holmes. Messrs Horton, Mr and Miss Haydon, Mr* W. H. Levin, I)r Hope Lewis, his wife, and daughter, Dr M'Nab, Miss H. E. Moorhouse, Mr and Mr 3 W. C. Eobison, tetant Saunders, Nina Countess of Seafield and her two daughters, Mr and Mrs J. P. Studholme, Mr and Mrs D. Theomin, Lady Vogel, Mr H. B. Vogel, Mr Julius Vogef, Mies Vogel. An accident that occurred just'after the Boyal carriages had passed on their return from the Abbey and just as the. colonials were about to leave the stand somewhat marred the pleasure of their day. The torses in the carriage of two ladies returning from, the Abbey bolted and ran into the crowd just under the colonial stand; knocking-down seven or eight of the Indian soldiers lining the route, a policeman, and » woman. It was a sad end to a happy day to see several apparently lifeless forms carried away on stretchers. Two of the Indians lie in the hospital in a critical condition with fractured skulls, and the ease of the woman is also serious, but. the'remainder have not sustained very severe injuries.

THE FPvAGMENTS THAT REMAIN. The Coronation is a thing of the past, end praise be that it is so. It is with a curious sense of relief that one realises the fact of the; King's crowning being a thing accomplished; The of the pas!

4wo months have been indeed most peculiar. We—that is to'say, the journalistic portion of the community—have been livin menI tally in an atmosphere of "make believe." It is hard Jo put on paper wordt th't will convey exactly the frame of mind in which, for instance, Anglo colonial n„ws paper correspondents ha\e 'worked. The ordinary gossip of the everyday life of the Old Country, the scandals,'social and commercial, the big fires, the great athletic feats, and the petty personalties which jjo to the making of a London letter in nornul times have had no attraction whatever for oui pens Day by day we had to keep one eye on the Premiers, our ears onen for their lightest words; the other eye has been on Bihlcy—and both r-ne been at the sime time on Buckingham Palace or on the Cowes roadsteid, to wh'ch the Court wa& removed when the King's condition wnr-

ranted it. Somehow, throughout the past six weeks "we have had no ease of mind. It was no easy matter in the first place to regain one's normal mental composure after the shock of the postponement, and even the optimistic among us could not quite stifle the lurking doubt that once again something would happen to prevent the ceremony for which the nation was waiting in almost painful suspense taking place. We have ail laughed sarcastically at the old woman's tale that Edward VII. would " never be crowned," and all of us still claim to be too enlightened to take notice of the doleful predictions of South Coast gipsies or Eastern " seers," but, dear reader, you and I know that in our heart of hearts each and all of us stand in awe more or less of some old superstition or other, and who shall say how far our misgivings were due to the old and oft-repeated story of our King's encounter with the old hag of the downs, and her prediction that the crown would never be placed on his head. Saturday's splendid ceremony must assist naturally in the " enlightenment" of the foolishly superstitious among us. But whilst I should be angry if openly accused of beingjifSarluenced in the least by "old women's tales," I must confess that the boom of cannon "which carried the news of the King's crowning to those outside Ihe Abbey walls would have brought from my lips a pious ejaculation of thanks. Now nothing remains but forgather up the fragments of the Coronation and its spectacles that remain in the mind. Strange as it may seem, the grandest spectacle of all—the Abbey ceremonial—which the scribes of the London Press tell us in the purplest passages they can pen, will live in the minds of those who saw it till death claims

-them, is already with i some of-us a meremental, blur of crimson and gold. . Without referring to that which 11 have already written concerning the ceremony, I could not possibly remember the sequence rf events in the But I retain a most vivid impression of a trivial matter CONCERNING CORONETS worn by the high nobKty. The King's crown sat well and becomingly on his head, but the noWes and their dames for the most part did not wear th?m "as to'the manner born,"' nor did it appear that any of them had troubled much about "fit." Nearly all the coronets looked much: too large for the wearers, and as you know, the finest specimen of humanity, dress him how you will, cannot look or even ( altogether serous, if his hejdp'ece is too big for him Moreover, some of the peers

and their dames contrived, quite unconciously, of course, to give their headgear quite a bank holiday 'Arry and 'Arriett tilt. Another point that could not fail to strike one whose dips into Debrett are few and far between, was the tremendous number oi peers and peeresses King Edward has among his lieges. Their crimson velvet tra.ns began .to sweep up the Abbey at eight o'clock, and half an hour later the stream of "our old nobility" (and new) became almost continuous. At 9.30 it was still flowing, and it was long after ten before it.had ceased to flow. How many there were, all told, I cannot say, but of this I feel sure: the number of those who by reason of bodily infirmity or domestic trouble were excused attendance must have been very small indeed. STARVATION IN THE ABBEY. Those who did not receive invitations to the Abbey were full of pity for the unfortunates ' who did. We were affrighted with assurances that we should have to endare tortures of hunger and thirst unless we privily imported into the "sacred fane" ah ample supply of the harmless and uninteresting sandwich and something in a quart flask.. But though nobody, so far as I could see, followed this the papers record no case of death from starvation, and not a single fainting fit from exhaustion. There were plenty of the latter among the street crowds, we are told, but the six o'clock breakfast in which the Abbey unfortunates indulged must have bean a substantial meal, for the only food consumed within took the form of chocolates and similar toothsome delicacies, handed round, in a surreptitious-apologetic fashion in elegant little bonbonnieres. And once the

i actual i WSB the Abbey & I [ about material •sasttoMs^f x BOJIV/aV'I have i the ambulance in ambush bard > by. The Coronation, breakfasts fore have.b'een substantial.. XOar ! Indian" visitors, on dit, fed -chiefly on, oatmeal por> ridge! So, at least, a Wert<"End 'hotel waiter informed me amazements The idea of an Indian Prince, tackling a dish of porridge at*6 or JJ a.m. seems to have amused the loquacious waiter mightily. In his mirthful way.he indicated that Se would just as soon have thought of offering a beefsteak to a.butterfly as "papritch" to an Indian potentate. But the" dusky ones were wise in their generation. I A liberal plate of "stick-i'-me-goots" is noI broken reed to rely on when one is uncertain what hour the next meal may come at.

I CORONATION GARMENTS AND GOWNS. But, place aux dames. I have spoken, of the inner man. Let me now give space to the outer women. It is a,moral impossibility to do more than make a hap hazard selection of the dresses worn by the haate elite (if such expression is permissible! on the occasion. Among the sumptuous costumes,' that of the King must necessarily take precedence. Of course there is nothing feminine about Edward VII., but, really, a description of his Coronation habiliments seem more suitable to adorn the "lady's page" than to [figure anywhere else in a newspaper. On entering the Abbey after robing in the annexe, His Majesty wore a coat of crimson satin, trimmed with gold lace, wlu>e kn e breeches, white silk stockings, and a crimson velvet robe, trimmed with goid late, lined with ermine, and ermine cape. Then came the change to the colobium sindonis, a sleeveless surplice of pure white linen, without lace or sleeves, and fastening at the neck; then the suptrtunica, a short surcoat with sleeves, of cloth of gold, magnificently embroidered, and ..lined with crimson silk. Over the shoulders was then placed the stole or armilla, also in cloth of gold, embroidered with eagles, roses, shamrocks, and thistles, each design separated from the other by a small crown in silver. The shamrocks "were of green silk, surrounded with silver bullion, while the thistles were almost entirely of silver except the green body of the flower and the suggestion of purple in the top of the petals, and the eagles were grey and silver. At each end of the stole, which is about sin wide and nearly 6ft long, were red crosses of St. George on a silver back-

tnWa^^^^P^SbWa, .<# mir was, .made* of worked <*!!*<s&. * * AlP&>wrfe tfront and' 'th> '•bpttomrofljis »two/rows, -with a running pattern worked into, it, containing the national the'tlnW Kingdoms: "Upon the' cloth'"of srold of the Imperial mantle was,embroidered a design of laurel-leayesf"formings a background subservient. #o* the-v general adornment of the robe,,which consists of "mblems embroidered in« various colors. The emblems are encircled by the laurel leaves (which form* wreaths or charJe's), and consist of the Imperial crown, tie Imperial % eagle, the rose, shamrock, and

thistle, and the lotiis flower (the emblem of India). The eagles are embroidered in silver, the lotus flower in white, the rose, shamrock, and thistle in their natural colors. These emblems are repeated over the whole surface -of. the robe, and, with the laurel leaf ornamentation, add greatly to its richness and magnificence. The eagles are emblems of great antiquity, derived from the' Imperial .eagles of ancient Rome., They are here the symbol of Empire, .and are treated heraldically. The lotus flower is treated in a moie conventional manner than are the rose, shamrock, and. thistle. As the King left the Abbey he wore a purple velvet robe, with a train some six yards long. This had a cape and a lining of ermine, with the tails, of. which some 1,500 were used in this garment.

The Queen's dress, both approaching and returning from the Abbey, was a splendid creation" in cloth of gold, veiled by an overdress of net, embroidered in gold and silver, with designs emblematic of British and Imperial flora. A high Medici co'lar was worn. The mantle,i or train, was 18it long, and of, a The embroidery design chosen symbolised the growth of the British Empire, carried out in shades of gold, purple, and 'green. The crown, ancient and modern, the fleur-de-lis, +he lotus of India, the English rose, Scottish thistle, and Irish shamrock are all introduced. At the sides of the train were two bordermgs of cloth of gold, one woven in two shades, one panel with the English rose, and the other with oak leaves, acorns, and the rose and fleur-de-lis. The train was lined with ermine, and the cape of ermine was fastened to Her Majesty's

aoul'ders : of'white .satin *:auch^^efemMerl^ fa."dejasrn' of' bows;* anWta3sUeF ffiSffiittS and gold £ **B&lSfcs&rwm\ i and>aves, 'and' sba^eifo'f^MTSlrori^ .ot train was of royal \ whtfe satin-and Dor3e^4^,«nnih»rff^j i r .Th* Duchess ,of v kiri&^f^ 'embroidered'on'each side-jirith a^design, 4 w leaves in the. .front, TofTiyqiy • satin, with pines blue,.and <rold, combined 'with gold leaver and stems^ 1 "Hie'. ermine capo, was attached. to shoulders with, gold cords and tassels**. The* ■ bodice was almost covered witb Her Grace^ f magnificent emeralds-and 3 diamonds,-'' tne I Order of Victoria v and i Albert, * and the" Jubilee medal and clasp; and Che Duchess'

I also wore a beautiful'diamond tiara and ! necklaces. I Of the many lovely.dresses of the peer- | esses, the following examples will give an idea of the satin fronts richly embroidered in silver and gold, with arms or floral devices, the priceless lace with which the bodices were trimmed, and the superb jewels which sparkled on head, throat, and bosom : —Place of honor must be given, to the four ladies who held the golden canopy above the Queen, it being premised that the peeresses' robes consisted of kirtles and mantles of crimson velvet bordered with miniver powdered with black, the width of which varied in accordance with the wearer's rank, while the capes of miniver to correspond were attached to the shoulders by golden girdles or jewelled clasps. The front of the kirtle or underdress varied according to individual taste. The Duchess of Portland's white, satin petticoat was embroidered in a design of feathers and bows in silver and gold, and trimmed with point d'Alencon, ermine, and a gold girdle. Her jewels included a diadem and large brooches and five rows of pearls. The Duchess of Marlborough's front of white satin was richly embroidered in silver and trimmed with antique lace. Her jewels comprised a diamond tiara, pearl dog collar, and below that a fine chain, from which were suspended five superb ruby drops. Her Grace wore her magnificent ropes of pearls, a belt of diamonds, and ruby ornaments on the bodice. The Duchess of Montrose's robe had a front of white satin, draped with tuDe, embroidered with gold paillettes, and trimmed with lace applique and : handsome gold cord and tassels, while the sleeves, open to show

B 'lortle opened badge 4 of|tho, rSutKtri|ncl>^&f &e family Herdiawith devices' f Ufe the 7 family arms, of Trance,' and-iife ! Tosb?r6se, aU worked jin raised gdld v \ The sleeves were of rose iwint • and in similar ' design! The mantle fwas 6 lined with* white 'st&V, ' embroidered Her Grace's ornaments were^of-diamonds, peridots, and pearls. / *"-«.* ,„ Vi » The-MarcMoness of Londonderry's white satin r petticoat- f was n superbly embrold>red name XVI. bows in^embroidery'supported at lie hem by two shields, with. the. doatof arms in fine gold thread, by" a coronet The bodice, odtlined toth a narrow edge of ermine and a" drajperyof the lace, was enriched with a stomacher of diamonds and a btTthe with'chains of pearls, and there was a go.d girdle, witii long tasselled ends, while the sleeves were made with small points, edged with fur and deep ruffles of point cfAtenconl Other jewels worn were a triple necklet of diamonds and pearls, with large diamond cross, a high diamond tiara and jewelled "veil. Countess Beauchnmp's under-dress was of ivory «atin, entirely draped v«fch beautiful old Brussels lace, &e fronts of the kirtle shaped out and caught back with go'd tassels. Her ornaments included a diaxrond a diamond bow and brooches, and pearl necklace and eainngs. Viscountess Galway"s robes had been worn at several Coronations, and were of a brilliant ruby shade, taunmed. with two broad rows of goM lace and ermine of graduated widths. The kirtle was embroidered all round in an Empire pattern of bay leaves, whJe the sleeves were tabbed and edged with gold' and fur, with a frill of finest Venetian point fu-led in beneath, and a Medici coJar of the lace was worn. The family motto ("Famam extender© factis") was worked' on a scroll at the foot, and wreaths of bay, tied with gold bows, up the whole front.. The Princess's kirtle and robe were attached by great gold clasps of intertwined serpents, with ruby eyes. Viscountess Galway wore a high diamond dkdtm, which once formed part of the Spanish crown, jewels, a' diamond collar, a ruby and diamond riviere, a -large diamond necklace with - ruby pendant, a stomacher of diamonds and and a "very long sautoir rope of pearls, reaching almost'to the knee, and caught up at the waist with a diamond clasp. A sabretache of red velvet worked in'gold was also worn. Sevtiral other robes had figured at previous Coronations. The Duchess of Roxburgh* appeared in the identical robes worn by the late Duchess of Roxburghe ai Queen Victoria's Coronation. . The petticoat was richly embroidered in' pearls, and Her Grace's jewels comprised a diamond tiara 1 and necklace. The Countess of Dartmouth were the robes of Frances, wife of the third earl,. who was present at the Coronation of George IV. They had been'so carefully preserved that the cord and tassels of rich bullion were untarnished. The petticoat was of gold tissue draped with silk muslin and Carrickmacfoss lace. Lady Garvagh's historical robes'had been worn at the Coronation of William' IV. and Queen Victoria. The front panel was of Brussels net, beautifully embro.dered in gold, as was the kirtle, and the train was bordered with gold. Mrs Seddon, wife of the Premier of New Zealand, was handsomely dressed in violet velvet, combated with' iridescent erabrot dered blonde and pale mauve chiifon, while her jewels were splend.d. Her gown was made by Madame Frederic, who also made that of the Princess of Wales. Mrs W. Langlands Jack, wife of the Portuguese Consul at Melbourne (Vic), wore a gown of ivory satin duchesse, with, pastel and gold embroideries. Mrs T. C. WiHiams's (Wellington). dress was of silver grey satin, embroidered with chenille and iridescent sequins, and' trimmed with Brussels lace. She wore diamond ornaments, white ostrich plumes, and tulio veil, and an opera coat of cream satin, and chiffon. ;*■-.■-.«.. ...--- ,<