RICHARD II.

Otago Witness, 21 June 1887, Page 16

RICHARD II.

The coronation of this king w<l3 more magnificent than any of the preceding:. The procession of the kins? from tho Tower to Westminster on the day preceding the coronation, is thus described by Holinshed :— " Tho oitie \yas adorned in all sorts most richlie. The water-conduits ran with wine for the space of . three hours together. In the upper end of Cheape was a certain castcll made with foure towers; out of the which castell on two sides of it ran forth wine abundantly. In the towers were placed foure beautiful virgins, of stature and age like to the king, apparelled in white vestures, in every tower one, the which blew in the king's face, at his approaching neere to them, leaves of gold; and as ho approached also, they threw on him and his horsse counterfeit florens or gold. When ho was come before tho castell they tooke cups or gold, and, filling them with wine at the spouts of the castell, presented the same to the king and to his nobles. On the top of the castell; oetwixt the foure towers, stood a golden angell, holding a crowne in his hands, which was so contrived, that when the king came he bowed downe, and offered to him the crowne. In the midst of the king's pallace was a marble pillar, raised hollow upon steps, on the top whereof was a great gilt eagle placed, under whose feet in the chapiter of the pillar divers kinds of wine came gushing forth at foure several places all the daie long, neither was aine forbidden to receive the same, were he never so poor or ablest.