crofs into the queen's right hand, and the ivory rod into her left. The archbishops and bithops divefted themselves of their copes, and proceeded in their ufual habits.

The four fwords being borne before the king, and the heralds again putting the reft of the proceffion in order, they went out of the church at the weft door, in the fame manner that they care in, faving that the peers who brought any of the regalia that were left in the church, returned not as they came, immediately before the king, but were ranked in their places according to their degrees or confecrations.

Their majefties retired into the court of wards till dinner was ready; and then fitting in their chairs of ftate, the first courfe was brought ap with the ufual ceremony, his royal highness the duke of York, and his royal highnefs the duke of Cumberland fitting at the end of the table on his majefty's right hand, and her royal highnefs the princefs Augufta, at the other end of the table, on the queen's left hand. Before the fecond courfe the champion was brought up between the high conftable and earl marfhal, followed by four pages, and preceded by the herald, who pronounced the challenge, the champion's two efquires with his lance and target, two ferjeants at arms, the knight marfhat going before to clear the paffage.

Immediately after the return of the champion, Garter king of arins, attended by the reft of the heralds, proclained his majetty's ftyle in Latin, French, and English, three feveral times: first, upon the top of the steps near the table; next, in the middle of the hall; and lafily, at the bottom of the hall.

The fecond courfe was then ferv. ed up in the fame order as the first. The feveral fervices, which had been allowed by the court of claims, were performed; and his majefty was pleafed, after dinner, to confer the honour of knighthood upon John Bridge, Efq; ftandard bearer, and Owen Jones, Efq; fenior gentleman of the band of gentlemen penfioners, and Charles Townley, Efq; Clarencieux king of arms.

A little before their majefties reffion began, proceeded that of

royal highness the princess wager of Wales, from the house of lords, acrofs Old-palace-yard, on a platform erected for that purpofe on the fouth crofs of Weftminfter-abbey. This platform was covered with blue bays, and an awning over head in cafe of rain. Her royal highnefs was led by the hand by his royal highnefs prince William Henry, dreft in white and filver. Her train, which was of filk, was but fhort, and therefore not borne by any perfon; and her hair flowed down her fhoulders in hanging curls. She had no cap,

but only a circlet of diamonds.

The reft of the princes and princefles, her highnefs's children, followed in the following order.

His royal highnefs prince Henry Frederick, alfo in white and filver, handing his fifter the princefs Louifa Anne, dreft in a flip with hangingfleeves. Then

His royal highness prince Frederick William, likewife in white and filver, handing his youngett filter the princefs Caroline Matilda, dreft alfo in a flip with hanging fleeves.

Both the young princeffes had their hair combed upwards, which was contrived to lie flat at the back of their heads in an elegant tafte.

The

The other perfons who made up the remainder of this proceffion, were those who had not a right to walk with their majefties.

The procellion was clofed by the three Mahometan ambaffadors, then at our court, in the proper dreffes of their country, having their turbans, of fine mullin, on their heads, and long gowns of flowered and laced filk; their scabbards were crimson, and in each of them were inclofed a dagger and a poniard, They carried no fabres, nor had any thing about their necks.

As this proceffion was preceded only by a drum, it did not alarm the populace waiting to fee the king and queen, otherwife fome difturbance might have happened.

L. Ligonier, as commanding of ficer of the guard on duty, had a fmall tent fixed on the left fide of the platform in Old-palace-yard, where he paid his falute to their majefties, as they paffed in procef fion: 2800 of the foot guards were on duty all the time.

A number of failors, all clean dreffed, came to the platform, and infifted on standing there to fee the proceffion, which had like to have occafioned a quarrel between them and the foldiers; but the commanding officer, to prevent a difturbance, ordered that they fhould remain there, provided they would be quiet; which they punctually complied with; but when the king paffed by, they could contain themfelves no longer, the boatfwain began with his call, and the failors gave three loud cheers, with which his majefty appeared highly delighted.

His majefty, foon after his arrival at St. James's on Tuefday evening, exprefed very great fatis

faction, on hearing that no mate rial accident had happened among the spectators at his coronation.

The perfon who undertook the awning over the stage on which the coronation proceffion past, had 5001. and took the chance whe ther the cloth covering would be wanted or not.

By way of supplement to the foregeing account, we add the fol lowing letter from a gentleman in London, to his friend in the country, as it contains some particulars omitted in that relation.

S1R,

As the friendship of Mr. Rolles, who had procured me a pafs-ticket, as they call it, enabled me to be prefent both in the hall, and the abbey; and as I had a fine view of the proceflion out of doors, from a one pair of ftairs room, which your neighbour, Sir Edward, had hired at the final price of one hundred guineas, on purpofe to oblige his acquaintance, I will endeavour to give you as minute an account as I can of all the particulars omitted in the public papers. Firft then conceive to yourfelf the fronts of the houfes in all the ftreets, that could.. command the leat point of view, lined with feaffolding, like fo many galleries or boxes, raifed one aboveanother to the very roofs. Thefe were covered with carpets and cloths of different colours, which prefented a pleasant variety to the eye; and if you confider the bril-,

ant appearance of the fpectators who were feated in them (many being richly dreft) you will ealily imagine that this was no indifferent part of the fhow. The mob underneath made a pretty contralt to the [Q] 3

rett

reft of the company. Add to this, that though we had nothing but wet and cloudy weather for fome time before, the day cleared up, and the fun fhone aufpicioufly, as if it were in compliment to the grand festival. Had it rained, half the spectators were fo exalted, that they could not have feen the ceremony, as a temporary roof put over the platform, on account of the uncertainty of the weather, was exceeding low. This roof was covered with a kind of fail-cloth; which, on orders being given to roll it up, an honeft Jack Tar climbed up to the top, and ftripped it off in a minute or two; whereas the perfons appointed for that fervice might have been an hour about it. This gave us not only a more extenfive view, but let the light in upon every part of the proceffion. I should tell you, that a rank of foot foldiers were placed on each fide within the platform; which was an encroachment on the fpectators; for at the laft coronation I am informed they flood below it; and it was not a little furprising to fee the officers familiarly converfing and walking arm in arm with many of them, till we were let into the fecret, that they were gentlemen, who had put on the dreffes of common foldiers, for what purpose I need not mention. On the outfide were ftationed, at proper diftances, feveral parties of horfe-guards, whofe horfes fomewhat incommoded the people, that preffed inceffantly upon them, by their prancing and capering; though luckily I do not hear of any great mifchief being done. I muft confefs, it gave me pain to fee the foldiers, both horfe and foot, obliged moft unmercifully to belabour the heads

of the mob with their broad fwords, bayonets, and mufquets; but it was not unpleasant to obferve several tipping the horfe-foldiers flily from time to time (fome with halfpence, and fome with filver, as they could mufter up the cash, to let them pafs between the horfes to get near the platform; after which thefe unconfcionable gentry drove them back again. As foon as it was day-break (for I chofe to go to my place over-night) we were diverted with feeing the coaches and chairs of the nobility and gentry paffing along with much ado; and feveral perfons, very richly dreft, were obliged to quit their equipages, and be escorted by the foldiers thro' the mob to their refpective places. Several carriages, I am told, received great da. mage: Mr. Jennings, whom you know, had his chariot broke to pieces, but providentially neither he nor Mrs. Jennings, whe were in it, received any hurt.

My pafs-ticket would have been of no fervice, if I had not prevailed on one of the guards, by the irrefiftible argument of half-a-crown, to make way for me through the mob to the hall-gate, where I got admittance juft as their majofties were feated at the upper end, under magnificent canopies.

There feemed to be no small confufion in marshalling the ranks, which is not to be wondered at, confidering the length of the caval cade, and the numbers that were to walk. At length, however, every thing was regularly adjusted, and the proceffion began to quit the hall between eleven and twelve. The platform leading to the welldoor of the abbey was covered with blue cloth for the train to walk

on;

on; but there feemed to be a defect in not covering the upright pofts that fupported the awning, as it is called, which looked mean and naked, with that or fome other coloured cloth. The nobility walked two by two. Being willing to fee the proceffion pafs along the platform through the ftreets, I haftened from the hall, and by the affiftance of a foldier, made my way to my former ftation at the corner of Bridge-street, where the windows commanded a double view at the turning. I fhall not attempt to defcribe the fplendour and magnificence of the whole; and words muft fall fhort of that innate joy and fatisfaction which the fpectators felt and expreffed, efpecially as their majefties paffed by; on whofe countenance a dignity fuited to their ftation, tempered with the moft amiable complacency, was fenfibly impreffed. It was obfervable, that as their majefties and the nobility paffed the corner which commanded a profpect of Westminsterbridge, they ftopt fhort, and turned back to look at the people, whofe appearance, as they all had their hats off, and were thick planted on the ground, which rofe gradually, I can compare to nothing but a pavement of heads and faces.

I had the misfortune not to be able to get to the abbey time enough to fee all that paffed there; nor, indeed, when I got in, could I have fo diftin&t a view as I could have withed. But our friend Harry Whitaker had the luck to be ftationed in the first row of the gallery behind the feats allotted for the nobility, close to the fquare platform, which was erected by the altar, with an afcent of three fteps, for their majefties to be crowned

on. You are obliged to him, therefore, for feveral particulars, which I could not otherwife have informed you of. The fermon, he tells me, lafted only fifteen minutes. The king was anointed on the crown of his head, his breaft, and the palms of his hands. At the very inftant the crown was placed on the king's head, a fellow, having been placed on the top of the abbey-dome, from whence he could look down into the chancel, with a flag which he dropt as a fignal, the Park and Tower guns began to fire, the trumpets founded, and the abbey echoed with the repeated fhouts and acclamations of the people ;which, on account of the aweful filence that had hitherto a very ftriking effect. As there were no com-: moners knights of the garter; inftead of caps and vefiments peculiar to their order, they, being all peers, wore the robes and coronets of their respective ranks. When the queen had received the fcepter with the crofs, and the ivory rod with the dove, her majefty was conducted to a magnificent throne on the left hand of his majefty.

reigned, had

for to whatever caufes it might be owing, the proceffion moft affuredly fet off too late: befides, according to what Harry obferved, there were fuch long paufes between fome of the ceremonies in the abbey, as plainly fhewed all the actors were not perfect in their parts. However it be, it is impoffible to conceive the chagrin and disappointment which the late return of the proceffion occafioned; it being fo late, indeed, that the fpectators, even in the open air, had but a very dim and gloomy view of it, while to thofe who had fat patiently in Westminster-hall, waiting its return for fix hours, fcarce a glimpfe of it appeared, as the branches were not lighted till juft upon his majefty's entrance. I had flattered myself that a new fcene of fplendid grandeur would have been prefented to us in the return of the proceffion from the reflection of the lights, &c. and had therefore pofted back to the hall with all poffible expedition: but I was greatly difappointed. The whole was confufion, irregularity, and diforder.

However, we were afterwards amply recompenfed for this partial eclipfe, by the bright picture which the lighting of the chandeliers profented to us. Conceive to yourfelf, if you can conceive what I own I am at a lofs to defcribe, fo magnificent a building as that of Weftminfter-hall, lighted up with near three thousand wax candles in moft fplendid branches, our crowned heads, and almoft the whole nobility, with the prime of our gentry, moft fuperbly arrayed, and adorned with a profufion of the moft brilliant jewels, the galleries on every

fide crowded with company, for the moft part elegantly and richly dieffed;but to conceive it in all its luftre, I am confcious that it is abfolutely neceffary to have been prefent. To proceed in my narration.

Their majefties table Was ferved with three courses, at the firft of which earl Talbot, as steward of his majefty's houthold, rode up from the hall gate to the steps leading to where their majefties fat, and on his returning, the fpectators were prefented with an unexpected fight in his lordship's backing his horfe, that he might keep his face ftill towards the king. A loud clapping and huzzaing confequently enfued.

After the first course, and before the fecond, the king's champion, Mr. Dymocke*, who enjoys that office as being lord of the manor of Scrivelby, in Lincolnshire, entered the hall, completely armed, in one of his majefty's belt fuits of white armour, mounted on a fine white horfe, the fame his late majefty rode at the battle of Dettingen, richly caparifoned, in the following manner.

Two trumpets, with the champion's arms on their banners; the ferjeant trumpet, with his mace on his fhoulder; the champion's two efquires, richly habited, one on the right hand, with the champion's lance, carried upright; the other on the left hand, with his target, and the champion's arms depicted thereon; the herald of arms, with a paper in his hand, containing the words of the challenge.

The carl marshal, in his robes and coronet, on horfeback, with the marthal's ftaff in his hand; the

champion