in a robe of fcarlet cloth, with a Crown embroidered on the left fleeve. Not allowed, but left to take his course at law, if he thought fit.

14. The mafter of the horfe to the king, claimed to attend at the coronation as ferjeant of the filver fcullery, and to have all the filver difhes and plates ferved on that day to the king's table, with the fees thereto belonging, and to take affay of the king's meat at the kitchen dreffer bar.-Not allowed, becaufe not claimed heretofore; but left to make application to the king; who was pleafed to allow the faid fervice and fees, as the duke of Albemarle enjoyed them on the coronation of king Charles II. by virtue of the fame poft.

15. The lord of the manor of Nether Billington, Kent, claimed to prefent the king with three maple cups, by himfelf or deputy.-Al

lowed.

16. The lord of the manor and hundred of Wynford Dorfet, claimed to ferve the king with water for his hands, and to have the bafon and ewer for his fee.-Not allowed, but left to make his application to the king if he thought fit.

17. The duke of Norfolk, as the firft earl of England, claimed to redeem the fword offered by the king at the altar, and to carry it before his majesty, in his return to his palace, and reservation of other rights and dignities, with fees, &c.

18. And alfo, as earl of Surrey, claimed to carry the fecond fword before the king, with all privileges and dignities thereto belonging.Neither of which allowed, the claims not being made out, and the fame being difallowed at the laft coronation.

As

feifed

19. The earl of Exeter, 20. Sir George Blundel, 21. Thomas Snaggs, of feveral parts of the barony of Bedford, refpectively claimed to execute the office of almoner; and, as the fees of that office, to have the filver alms-bafon, and the diftribution of all the filver therein, and of the cloth fpread for their majefties to walk on; as alfo the fine linen towel, a tun of wine, &c.-On reference to the king to appoint which of them he pleafed, the earl was appointed, pro hac vice, with a salvo jure to the other two; but the filver difh, and the cloth from the throne in Weftminster-hall to the weft door of the abbey-church were only allowed.

22. The dean and chapter of Weltminfter claimed to inftruct the king in the rites and ceremonies ufed at the coronation; to aflift the archbishop in divine fervice; to have the cuftody of the coronation robes; to have robes for the dean and his three chaplains, and for fixteen minifters of the faid church, the royal habits put off in the church, the feveral oblations, furniture of the church, canopy, ftaves and bells, and the cloth on which their majeflies walk from the weit door of the church, to the theatre, &c.-Allowed, except the cuftody of the regalia; and the fees referred to the king's pleafure.

23. The church-wardens of St. Margaret's Weftminster, claimed to have the cloth (lying in their parifh) wherein the king goes in proceffion, for the ufe of the poor.

21. The vicar and church-wardens of St. Martin's in the fields, claimed a share in the faid cloth,

for

for their poor.-Which claims were only read, and not admitted.

25. The earl marshal of England claimed to appease the debates that might arife in the king's houfe on this day; to keep the doors of the fame, and of the abbey, &c. and to difpofe of the places to the nobles, &c. with all fees belonging thereto. -Difallowed, as unprecedented: and feveral of the particulars being counter-claimed by the lord great chamberlain; but with a salvojure, to the earl marshal.

26. The lord of the manor of Afhlee, Norfolk, claimed to perform the office of the napery, and to have all the table linen when taken away. Not allowed, because that he had not the evidence ready to make it out, but with a salvo jure.

27. The earl of Derby, as feifed in fee of the ifle and caftle of Pelham, and dominion of Man, claimed to prefent the king with two faulcons on this day.-Which was allowed, and the faulcons prefented accordingly.

28. The earl of Kent claimed to carry the great fpurs before the king; but not being made out was not allowed.

29. The fame counter-claimed by the lord de Grey of Thyn, and allowed.

30. The fame counter-claimed by the duke of Norfolk, as earl of Surrey; but difallowed for want of evidence, and because it was not admitted at the preceding corona

tion.

31. The barons of the cinque ports claimed to carry the canopy over the king, and to have the fame with the ftaves and bells for their fees, and to dine in the hall on the king's right hand. Allowed,

32. The lord of the manor of Scoulton, alias Bourdelies, Norfolk, claimed to be chief larderer; and to have for his fees the provifions remaining after dinner in the larder. Which office and fees, and also that of caterer, were likewife

33. Counter-claimed by the lord of the manor of Efton at the Mount, Effex; and on reference to the king, it appearing that other manors were alfo feverally held by the fame fervice, the former was appointed pro hac vice, with a salva jure to the other.

34. The lord of the manor of Wirkfop, Nottingham, claimed to find the king a right hand glove, and to fupport the king's right arm while he holds the fcepter.-Allowed.

35. Bifhops of Durham, and Bath and Wells, claimed to fupport the king in the proceffion.-Allowed; the king having gracioufly confented thereto; and the bifhops of Lon don and Winchefter being appointed to fupport the queen.

36. The lord of the manor of Fyngrith, Effex, claimed to be chamberlain to the queen for the day, and to have the queen's bed and furniture, the bafons, &c. belonging to the office; and to have a clerk in the exchequer to demand and receive the queen's gold, &c Difallowed, becaufe not made out; but left to profecute it at law, if he thought fit.

37. The lord of the manor of Great Wymondley, Hertfordshire, claimed (as chief cup-bearer) to ferve the king with the first cup of filver gilt, at dinner, and to have the cup for his fee.Allowed.

38. The lord of the manor of Heydon, Effex, claimed to hold the bafon and ewer to the king, by vir

tue

His majefty being this day prefent in council, was pleafed to make the following declarations, viz.

Having nothing fo much at heart as to procure the welfare and happinefs of my people, and to render the fame ftable and permanent to pofterity, I have, ever fince my acceffion to the throne, turned my thoughts towards the choice of a princefs for my confort; and I now, with great fatisfaction, acquaint you, that, after the fulleft information, and mature deliberation, I am come to a refolution to demand in marriage the princefs Charlotte of Mecklenburgh Strelitz; a princefs diftinguithed by every eminent virtue, and amiable endowment, whofe illuftrious line has conftantly fhewn the firmeft zeal for the proteftant religion, and a particular attachment to my family. I have judged proper to communicate to you thefe my intentions, in order that you may be fully apprifed of a matter to highly important to me, and to my kingdoms, and which, I perfuade myfelf, will be moft acceptable to all my loving fubjects.

Whereupon all the privy counfellors prefent made it their request to his majefty, that this his majefty's molt gracious declaration to them might be made public; which his majefty was pleafed to order accordingly.

W. SHARPE. The country of Mecklenburgh, which is about 120 miles in length, and 30 in breadth, is bounded on the north by the Baltick fea; by Brandenburgh, on the eaft; by Lunenburgh and Brandenburgh, on the fouth, and by Holftein, on the weft. Its ancient inhabitants were the famous Vandals, who formerly made fo great a buftle in Europe,

and, at length, had their kingdom reduced to this dutchy, by the knights of the Teutonic order, the Poles, and the Brandenburghers. The Vandals were a rude, barbarous people, who had fettled in this country at leaft twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ. They formed it into a powerful kingdom, and preferved its title and dignity till 1163; when its monarch, Pribiflaus II. was compelled to embrace the Chriftian religion, by Henry Lyon, duke of Saxony and Bavaria, and one of our king's anceftors, affifted by the duke of Pomerania. At this time the title of king of the Vandals was extinguifhed, and that of the prince of Mecklenburgh fubftituted in its ftead, who became a vaffal to the duke of Bavaria. Howeyer, in 1319, the prince of Mecklenburgh, as he was called, was created a duke, and made a prince of the empire. The remnant of the Vandals united with the Mecklen burghers about the year 1429; after that time they were divided into 3 branches; viz. of Guftrow, Swerin, and Strelitz: but the extinétion of that of Guftrow in 1689 occafioned a law-fuit between the defcendants of the two other branches, about the fucceffion; which difpute continued till 1701, when a treaty of partition was made at Hamburgh, and ratified by the emperor in the following manner: that the duchy of Guftrow fhould go to the duke of Swerin, and that the duke of Strelitz fhould have the bishoprick of Katzelburg fecularized, and 40,000 crowns a year from the tolls of Boitzenbourg, and a voice in the diet of the empire.

The duke of Swerin's annual revenue amounts to 40,0001. and

that

that of the duke of Strelitz, to 15,0001. befides his domain. The country is fruitful, but unhealthy, and exceffive cold in winter. It has often been the fcene of war, particularly in the differences between Sweden and the empire, when its principal towns, viz. Boftock, (a fea port) Guftrow, Butzow, Wilmar, Swerin, Domitz, and Gaddebufh, were feveral times taken by the Swedes, Danes, and Imperialifts, and fome battles fought near them. The country is able to raife a confiderable body of troops; but they never had a fufficient number to repel any invader. The titles of both dukes are the fame, viz. dukes of Mecklenburgh, princes of Wenden, Swerin, and Ratzelburgh, lords of Roflock and Sta: gard: which laft was the name of the final branch of the Vandals. The established religion of the country is Lutheran. Imhoff, in his Notitia Princeps Germaniæ, gives a large account of the genealogy of this family, which, he fays, is lineally defcended from the kings or leaders of the Vandals. Hubner, in his genealogy of the German princes, fays, this family, if not the most ancient in Europe, is certainly one of the most noble in Germany. The branch of Strelitz is the fecond branch of the houfe of Mecklenburgh; but its duke is one of the fecular princes of the empire, and takes his feat in the diet of Ratzelburgh, The late duke of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick III. dying unmarried, was fucceeded by his nephew, (fon to his brother Charles Lewis, who is dead) Adolphus Frederick IV. born May 5, 1738, who is not yet married; but has the following brothers and fifters:

1. Christina Sophia Albertina, born Dec. 6. 1735.

2. Charles Lewis Frederick, now a lieutenant colonel in the Hanoverian foot guards, born Dec. 10, 1741.

3. Erneft Gottlob Albert, born Aug. 27. 1742.

4. Sophia Charlotte, or Caroline [our prefent moft gracious queen] born May 16.1744.

5. George Auguftus, born Aug. 3. 1748.

The mother of this illuftrious family, who died a little before the queen's marriage, was the princess Albertine Elizabeth, born Aug. 3, 1713, the daughter of Erneft Frederick, duke of Saxe-Hildbourghaufen.

What his majelty was pleafed to fay concerning the princefs Charlotte of Mecklenburgh, in his fpeech to the council, nay, his choice alone, being a fufficient character of her. ferene highnefs, people were now obliged to look out for other topics of converfation; and thofe were principally the manner in which the king first became acquainted with the extraordinary merit of her ferene highnefs, and her perfon.

In regard to the firft, a letter was immediately produced, which, it was faid, her ferene highnefs had written to the king of Pruffia, on his entering the territories of her coufin the duke of Mecklenburgh Swerin, and which that monarch fent over to his late majefty, as a miracle of patriotism and good fenfe in fo young a princess. The letter is as follows:

"May it please your Majesty,

I am at a lofs whether I fhall congratulate or condole with you on your late victory; fince the fame fuccefs that has covered you with

laurels,