CROWDING AT WESTMINSTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7869, 3 August 1911, Page 7

CROWDING AT WESTMINSTER

(By the Eev. W. H. Fitchett.)

It is not a little thing. but a great and memorable tiling to have been in London on Coronation day and on the days immediately preceding and following it. The present writer has seen nearly all the great cities of the world, and seen them in many moods, but he lias not yet seen one which compares with London at this precise juncture. It was as though some strong wine was burning in every drop of tlio great city's blood. And the Briton takes such an experience in a fashion of his own. Ho does not effervesce into oratory, ns Frenchmen do. Ho does not organise himself into vast processions and blossom into flags and symbols, as the Americans do. But the general pace of his life is quickened. He grows warmly hospitable. Ho loses his solitary habit. And in such mood a city like London crystallises easily into vast crowds. They make their appearance in any neighbourhood and on any pretext.

On Coronation Bay some GO.OOO troops, to say nothing of 20,000 police, were in the capital. The parks were turned into miles of tents; and, as the soldiers went off duty they betook themselves into the streets, and crowds of the city were everywhere pricked, as with moving points of flame, with the red uniform of the troops, Horace Walpole, writing of the London of his day at a similar time, said, “ This century ought to be called the century of crowds." But he never saw or Imagined such crowds as those London saw during Coronation week. And the vastness is almost less noticeable than their good temper, their obedience to order, tire respect of each struggling and much-squeezed human atom to all the other atoms being squeezed about him. It is a sober truth that no crowds of exactly the scale and quality of tlieso London crowds have ever gathered before in history. Rome never saw such crowds, or Paris, or Berlin. There may have been crowds of equal scale, but those Loudon crowds are a replica in little, of the whole world. Men of every race and speech and clime are here; and, they are not here as spectators and foreigners, but as fellow-citizens. And when before in history did the free citizenship of a single Empire sweep round in curves so vast, or include such diversities of type? This was perhaps , the profoundest significance of tho great function in Westminster Abbey. In that one golden hour tho abbey was the centre and heart oi London. London was the nerve-centre of the British Isles, set in their girdling seas, tho British Isles in their turn were tho living heart of the groat circle of self-governing dominions which girdle the world and constitute the British Empire. FIRST IMPRESSIONS. And what did an Australian see as he studied the great function on June 22nd?

To eyes which eagerness had made critical the first aspect of the great abbey, waiting for tho coming of tho Coronation of the King was, it may be frankly admitted, somewhat disappointing. It is not easy to transmute into what may be called bridal splendour a building on which lies tho shadows of so many centuries. The time-stained walls kept their stains in defiance of all upholstery. Tho great slopes of seats, north and south and west, were yet almost empty, and the fawn-coloured drapery upon them , looked dull. Tho deep Garter-blue carpet covering tho floor had, by way of compensation, a look of kingly and indescribable richness. It was fit for the feet of a king to tread. But a committee of ladies, with the severe feminine sense of harmonies in colour, would never have Tolerated tho great altar carpet. In detail of work, no doubt, it must be very rich, but as a whole, and looked at from a distance, it seemed to be a patchwork of gaudy aud irrelevant colours. It was neither in artistic harmony or artistic contrast with the sea-blue carpet on which it “was stretched, and which underlay tho whole scheme of decoration like a sea. The grey brocaded gallery hangings again embossed in velvet, when running' in long lines lacked both expression and colour.

But the decorations of the abbey were, of course, planned to serve as a mere frame of a groat human picture; and as the spectator watched, and from every door the stream of guests flowed in—each stream a rivulet of colour—the frame of the picture was filled and the whole abbey put on an aspect of many-tinted splendour. THE COLOUR SCHEME.

It is difficult to describe what may be called tho colour ©chemo of the whole scene. It was €6 rich and complex. Scarlet and ermine, flash of jewel flame of gold, dainty flutter of silk and some times a gleam of brass from a breastplate, or tho keener glitter of steel from a sword, or the flash of a star, or of a line of medals on some soldier's coat—it was delightful; and occasionally tho delight was shot through with a thrill

of' amusement as the critic tried to analyse tho great human picture and find out its elements. It is difficult to say whether the Church, tho Arm 3*, or tho Xavy expresses itself in more gorgeous attire when its higher ranks are reached. The bishops, of coxirse, in cope and cassock, hood and gown, with cross-bearers in front of them, and chaplains in the rear, were delightfully picturesque. But tho Kavy, too, has its artistic splendours, and an admiral of the fleet with heavy gold epaulets on both shoulders, a row of medals on his breast* and gold braid meandering in broad streamers over his whole person, is an object to move both wonder and admiration. /The Army, again, with its brilliant uniforms, and gleam of steel and gold, studded the w hole human mass with patches of glory. Among the Indian group were some with turbans of light blue, or pure white, above their keen dark faces. The judges and Peers with their scarlet robes and short white capes contributed a vivid splash of colour to the spectacle. Bach Peer, -as lie came in, carried with anxious care his own coronet, and in not a few cases the owner seemed, when ho eat down, not to know what to do with.

WHAT A VISITOR SAW IX THE ABBEY

AN IMPRESSIONIST VIEW OF THE CORONATION

it, whether to put it under his chair likt a hat or carry it on his knee liko a baby. THE FEMININE SIDE OF IT. It was the feminine half of the great mass, however, which gave to it that look of vivid grace and splendour of artistic colouring which it possessed. The lines of flowing silk—-generally of some soft tint, fa wn coloured, or grey—gave a curious aspect of softness to the great slopes of human figures rising in nave and transept. In the Peeresses’ gallery the triple low white feathers which nearly all wore, and the long white gloves, gave a snow-like effect to the whole slope. Everywhere ran the lines of fair brows and of fair faces. Everywhere, too, there was the flash of jewels —the white fire of the diamond, the red flame of the rnhy, the white softness of pearls, the gleam of gold on breast and wrist—until it seemed as though, some rainbow had fallen upon the slopes of living figures, and all the prismatic colours were scattered in. tiny, broken points among them. That aspect of rich many-oolonred beauty in the old abbey steadily deepened as the crowds grew and the seats were filled, until transepts and nave and choir all seemed so many sloping parterres of flowers. Later, when all the actors in the great function—bishops and he-ralds, knights and chamberlains, great ladies with tlrii-train-bearers, and nobles with their coronets—moved with stately steps, with a sort of sacredotal slowness towards the great altar, the spectacle for what may be called pomp of colour and splendour of setting cou!d_ hardly ho surpassed. And this was in every sense fitting. "A great Empire and little minds,” says Burke, "go ill together.” A magnificent fact out to he expressed in magnificent symbols. The crowned ruler of more than one-fourth of Die human race, as he passes to his throne ought to bo encompassed with all the splendour that ait can plan or skill contrive or money buy. John Bull is usually described as being of the sober heavy-footed l typo. Ho is hardly expected to shine in the realm of art. But the genius that builds a great Empire can, when need arises, find adequate artistic expression for the Empire. And in the abbey function this was done nothing leas than majestically. Certainly the scale and splendour of the scene would have delighted any Australian or New Zealander. The Australian like the Now Zealander has the quality of youth, with its quick susceptibilities, its frank ardours, its joy in braveries of dress and bearing. He loves splendour although ho does not see much of it at home. And when for a moment ■ —as in the great function in the abbey —the heavy-footed British Empire breaks into such a glory of colour, it seems, to a good Australian, at least, most fit. He sees in it the pride of a greattrace, and the strength and wealth of a great Empire, I’eporting themselves, in concrete terms, to the very senses of men. .

GREAT MOMENTS. But what were the most thrilling mom. cuts in the great function? ? The first, perhaps, was when, faint and low and with a curious sense of distance, came tho sound of a hymn. It was Luther’s hymn "Bin Peste Burg.” They *, j were "consecrating" the regalia. Tha crown, the sceptre, the swords of Justice and Morey, the orb with its cross, tho ivory rod with its dove were being placed on the altar. They were pro- > sently taken off again, while with tho sound of silver trumpets running through the melody the choir sang "O God, Our Help in Ages Past” to tho old familiar tune known, as St. Ann’s. And those two tunes ran in silver threads through' the whole musical scheme of the Coronation, breaking out iu unexpected places, and to unexpected accompaniments; but . always the-instructed ear welcomed them with'delight. It was a'thrilling' moment, again, when, preceded by a fanfare of trumpets and a brazen rattle of kettle drums, and attended with rejoicing music, there came tho procession of royal representatives and guests and their .suites. All the thrones of Europe, great . '.j and small, were represented in that stately procession of shining figures; from the Crown Prince and Princess of Germany, to the Ueir Presumptive of. Siam and Prince Tsai Chen, of-China. Amongst these, and not the least striking figure, walked John Hayes Hammond, the re- ! presentative of the United States. This was the Mr Hammond who took part in the Jamieson Raid and was temporarily sentenced to death as a result. Life has •strange alternations, but the transition from the condemned cell at Pretoria to tho Coronation scene as the representative- of the great Anglo-Saxon Republic is a very long step indeed. In the procession, again, walked Prince Henry of Prussia, who might be describ- , ed as the creator of the new German navy: a little after him came the dark face of Prince Kasia of Ethiopia. No wonder each link in this picturesque human chain was watched with breathless interest. ' The entry-, preceded by another fanfare of trumpets, of their Royal Highnesses the Prince .and Princesses of tho blood royal w-as for the feminine half of tho spectators not the least thrilling moment in the whole function. Here came aU the great ladies of tho Court, each with her train borne by maids of honour, ’ and coronet carried by some red-coated soldier. It was curious to note the fixed and sudden attention with which every woman in the audience gazed on each- gorgeous figure as it- passed. She was noting and assessing every detail of ! dress and jewel, of look and manner. And the great ladies were conscious of that: keen scrutiny-, for women dress—trot for men, hut for other womenPresently, to still loader blasts of silver trumpets, came her Majesty the Queen with her household. The Queen’s train was borne by a cluster of stately dames; on either side was a gentleman at arms; then there followed the ladies of the Royal Household, a cluster of heralds, etc. Tire whole group defiled, with stately slowness, to the .right-hand ; side of the altar and stood waiting for the King. At that moment tho whole : scene was staged with perfect skill. At. 1 the altar stood the Archbishop of Canterbury- On his right were the bishops.

a double, lino ot .stately figures in scarlet ami white. On tin- oppo-dfe side stood tho Queen ami her household. The Queer, herself was the central and most striking figure of the group. Strong masculine Faces were on. either side ot' her, and in contrast with them, her face, with its rich mass of hair, its clear cut profile and pale tint, wore a striking aspect of grace. Part of her long train tvas cast, as if by accident, in front of the line on which she stood, and it lay' like a pool of rich colour on the deep blue carped:. Til is KfNG COMES.

The climax of the great day was, ot course, tho entry of tho King. As he came the music for a moment ceased, and the Westminster boys in tho choir gallery above broke out, a tumult ot clear bovish voices, "Vivat, Vivat, Long Dive King George!" That thread ot schoolboy' voices in tho Coronation service dates from .Jaimes 11. It, is vain to attempt to enumerate the sfately Figures that followed —the Knights ot the Garter, the Lord Chamberlain, all the great officers of tho King's household, the Lord High Chancellor, the Archbishops. The most .striking feature of the procession, at this stage, was the swords and their bearers- Tbe Sword of Mercy, ■with its broken point, was carried by tho Ihiko of Beaufort. On either side wnlk■ed, glittering and updifted steel in hand, * great soldier fit to carry the sword of an Empire—Lord Kitchener and Lord 'Roberts. And what other nation at the present moment can show two soldiers to surpass these in fame? After these came lus Majesty King George, and passed to tho chair waiting for Mm near to that where tho .Queen stood. As he stood there, tho -centre of the whole great scene, ho was outshone in splendour of attire by many of those about him- As yet ho wore no crown. Ills dress was a crimson robo nnd. a short white cape. TUB HOMAGE. Now tho Archbishop of Canterbury bc-.jri-ns Ms fourfold challenge. East, AVcst, ;North, and South, to tho homage of tho ■great audience. “Sirs, I hero present unto you King George, tho undoubted King of this realm. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service are you willing to do the samel’’ Tho doubt up to that moment was whether a single human voice could ehailenge and command tho hearing of go vast an audience. But tho Archbishop settled that doubt in a moment. Ho still keeps that broad-vovvclled fulness, the sharp cut consonants of his Scottish stock, and his voice rang full and clear up to tho groined roof. And from each point of the compass came raddeu and sharp, with a sort of explosive effect, tho reply, “God save King

George.” The Bishop of London, who read tho Gospel, has a thinner voice, hut his stylo is easy and natural, and there is a curious carrying quality in his voice which makes it more penetrating than some voices of greater apparent range.. Tho Archbishop of York, who was the preacher, and who condensed some round theology and much good senso into the brief five minutes, has again a noble voice. Everybody waited with eager interest for tho administering of tho oath to tho King, for then, for the first time, the King’s voice might ho heard. His Majesty remained fitting, with capped head, while immediately before him stood tho tall figure of tho Archbishop of Canterbury. His strong masterful voice rang out, “Sir, is- your Majesty •willing to take the oath?” and the whole audience hushed to a deeper sileuec to hear tho respond. But tho King was content, to reply in accents which wore clear to those who were about him, but which failed to reach the great crowd. TILE ANOINTING. Many, no doubt,- watched with curious Interest, the anointing of tho King, and those very mediaeval performances, the presenting of the spurs, tho investiture of tho rote and ring, the gift of tho isoeptro, etc. Bat tho supreme act of tho whole groat function was tho actual crowning. Tho King sat in King Edward’s chair, beneath it the' famous stone, round which are wrapped such strange myths. With full, resonant voice tho Archbishop recited tho noble prayer, etc., ”0 God, tho orowner of tho faithful.” Thou ho took tho crown from tho Doan of Westminster, and for a moment hold it up. In its front burned tho ■ groat diamond known as the Star of Africa-,- above it shone tho red fire of tho Black Prince’s ruby. Tbe Cardinal of 'York’s sapphire shines on the other side of tho circle. As the Archbishop slowly placed the crown on the King’s head the stillness through the great Abbey, deepened.

But when the, crown actually touched the lung's head there was a sudden turn in the ritual. Every Peer had up to this fiat uncoroneted; and as most of them are bald-headed, their contribution to the general colour scheme had been very ineffective. Now each Peer rises to his feet, and lifting his coronet places it on his head, and in a moment tho whole mass of tho ,Peers shines and glitters from end to end with jewels. Then, with n burst of sound, and with a delightful note of spontaneity, came tho shont that rang along the navo and transepts and up to the groined roof, “God save tho King.” i The whole function in the Abbey had its elements both' of majesty and of beauty which will bo long remembered. And yet, how rich in paradox is tho whole Coronation service! It is, perhaps, well that an ecclesiastic, and not the Prime Minister, should put the crown on tho head of tho King, for the Coronation is a religious, rather than a political, act. But anyone who judged tho Constitution under which wo live by tho ritual of tho Coronation service, would conclude that it was hopelessly undemocratic.

Bat wo are content that mediaeval forms should cover democratic facts. This is the characteristic British method. We lovo to keep the old formulae, though we charge them with a new meaning. The wine is new, but the bottle must still bo' of an ancient pattern.

Perhaps the moat striking proof of the mediaeval element in the Coronation scene was the part in it assigned to the press. All tho representatives of modern journalism—and they were a very brilliant company—were packed into what is called the triiorum, a dark gallery high up in the very roof of tho Abbey, and most of them had to contemplate tho scone they had to describe through tiny loopholes in tho stonework of tho upper arches which bear tho groined roof. Now, it was tho task of tho press to make that great scene visible and audible to tho whole of the outside world. But for tho press tho great scene of the Coronation might as well have been performed in a dark chamber or on a desert island. It could make no appeal to tho intelligence and imagination of tho outside world. And tho officials ro-

spun si bio for tho Coronation practically packet! i.!! tin- representatives of Uu: press info an unlit parrot; ami then expected thorn to (h-d/rnho what was happening i n tho drawing-room. London, Jnno 23 rd.