solemnity appertaineth, and answerable to the dignities and places which every one of them respectively holdeth and enjoyeth; and of this they, or any of them, are not to fail, as they will answer the contrary at their perils, unless upon special reasons by Ourself, under Our hand, to be allowed, We shall dispense with any of their services or attendances.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, the 8th day of July, 1761, in the 1st year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

The Monday following being the 13th, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the Officers of Arms, Serjeants at Arms, and others, mounted their horses, and at Westminster Hall gate, Windsor Herald (after the trumpets had thrice sounded) read the Proclamation aloud; which being done, a procession was made to Temple-bar (where the Constables of the City and Liberty of Westminster retired, and were replaced by those of the City of London, the City Marshal attending) in the following order :

A party of Constables, with their staves, to clear the way.
High Constable of Westminster, with his staff.

Knight Marshal's Men, two and two.

Drums, two and two.
Trumpets, two and two.

Serjeant Trumpeter in his Collar, bearing his Mace.

Blue-Mantle, (Isaac Heard, Gent.) and Rouge-Dragon, (Thomas Sheriff) Pursuivants, in their Tabards of his Majesty's Arms.

Rouge-Croix Pursuivant, (Henry Hastings, Gent.) in his Tabard of his Majesty's Arms, having a Serjeant at Arms on his left hand.

Lancaster Herald, in his Tabard and Collar, having a Serjeant at Arms on his left hand.

Windsor Herald, (Henry Hill, Esq.) in his Tabard and Collar, between two Serjeants at Arms.

A party of Constables, to close the procession.

At the end of Chancery-lane, Lancaster Herald made proclamation; and, lastly, at the Royal Exchange (in 'Change time), Rouge-Croix

Pursuivant proclaimed it a third time, which ended with loud acclamations from multitudes of people present.

As the nature of the Court of Claims has been fully explained in the foregoing Proclamation, the following account of its proceedings will elucidate and bring forward some of the claims themselves.

SERVICES USUALLY CLAIMED AT THE CORONATION OF THE
KINGS AND QUEENS OF ENGLAND:

Setting forth those which have been allowed or rejected, according to the Record of the Court of Claims, the 1st of James II.

1. The Lord Great Chamberlain of England claimed to carry the King his shirt and clothes the morning of the Coronation, and with the Lord Chamberlain to dress the King, to have forty yards of crimson velvet for a robe, also the King's bed and bedding, and furniture of his chamber where he lay the night before, with his wearing apparel and night-gown; also to serve the King with water before and after dinner, and to have the basons and towels, and cup of assay.*-Allowed, except the cup of assay; but, as chief officer of the ewry, he had two large gilt chased basons, and one gilt chased He received the forty yards of velvet, and the rest of the fees were compounded for two hundred pounds.—Counterclaimed by the Earl of Derby, but disallowed.

ewer.

2. The King's Champion claimed his office, as Lord of Scrivelsby manor in Lincolnshire, to perform the said office, and to have a gold cup and cover, with the horse on which he rides, the saddle, armour, and furniture, and twenty yards of crimson satin. Allowed, except the twenty yards of satin-the cup thirty-six ounces.— -Counterclaimed by another branch of the family, but disallowed.

3. The Lord of the Manor of Lyston, in Essex, claimed to make

* A vessel to contain a portion of the water in which the King is to wash, as a specimen or sample of the remainder. The word assay is derived from the French noun Essai, a proof, trial, or taste. The office of the Ewry in the King's Household, includes the care of the linen for his table, and the serving up of water in silver ewers and basons, after dinner.

wafers for the King and Queen, and to serve them up to their table, and to have all the instruments of silver and other metal used about the same, with the linen, and certain proportions of ingredients and other necessaries, and liveries for himself and two men.-Allowed; and the vice,* with the Lord's consent, performed by the King's officers. The fees compounded for thirty pounds.

4. The Lord Mayor and Citizens of London claimed to serve the King with wine after dinner in a gold cup, and to have the same cup and cover for his fee; and, with twelve other citizens by them appointed, to assist the Chief Butler of England in the butlership, and to have a table on the left hand of the Hall.-This claim was not allowed in the reign of King James, because the Charter of the City was then seised into the King's hands. They were, however, permitted, ex gratiâ, to execute the office, and to dine in the Hall; and moreover they had a cup and cover of twenty ounces of pure gold for their fee.

The said Lord Mayor and Citizens also claimed to serve the Queen in like manner; but the claim, for the before-mentioned reasons, was disallowed.

5. The Mayor and Burgesses of Oxford, by Charter, claimed to serve in the office of butlership to the King, with the Citizens of London, with all fees thereunto belonging.-Allowed, and to have three maple cups for their fee; and also, ex gratia regis,† a large gilt bowl and cover, of one hundred and ten ounces.

6. The Lord of the manor of Bardolf, in Addington, Surrey, claimed to find a man to make a mess of grout in the King's kitchen, and that the King's master-cook might perform that service.-Allowed, and the said Lord of the Manor brought it up to the King's table.

7. The Lord of the manor of Ilmer, in Bucks, claimed to be Marshal, Surveyor, and Conservator, of his Majesty's hawks in England, with divers fees, and the nomination of under officers.Not allowed, because not respecting the Coronation.

8. The Lord of the manor of Little Welden, who at that time was also seised of the bailiwicks of Keeper of the King's Buckhounds, claimed to be keeper and master of the same, and to keep twenty-four buck-hounds and sixteen harriers, and to have certain

* Duty belonging to a superior, which is performed for him by another. + Of the King's grace-a law term used to signify the Royal Concession when no claim can be made out.

fees, and liveries for himself and servants.-Disallowed, for the same reason as the former.

9. The Master of the King's Great Wardrobe claimed to receive from his Deputy a Pall of cloth of gold, and to carry it to the altar, for the King to offer; and that his Deputy should attend near Garter King of Arms, in a robe of scarlet cloth, with a gold crown embroidered on the left sleeve.-Not allowed.

10. The Clerk of the Great Wardrobe claimed to bring a rich Pall of cloth of gold, to be held over the King's head while he is anointed, as also the Armil of cloth of tissue, and to attend near Garter King of Arms, in a robe of scarlet cloth, with a crown embroidered on the left sleeve.-Not allowed.

11. The Master of the Horse to the King claimed to attend at the Coronation as Serjeant of the Silver Scullery, and to have all the silver dishes and plates served on that day to the King's tables, with the fees thereto belonging; and to take assay of the King's meat at the kitchen dresser-bar.-Not allowed, because not claimed heretofore, but left to make application to the King, who was pleased to allow the said service and fees, as the Duke of Albemarle enjoyed them on the Coronation of Charles the Second, by virtue of the same post.

12. The Lord of the manor of Nether Bilsington, in Kent, claimed to present the King with three maple cups by himself or Deputy.-Allowed.

13. The Lord of the manor of Wynfred, in Dorsetshire, claimed to serve the King with water for his hands, and to have the bason and ewer for his fee.-Not allowed.

14. The Duke of Norfolk, as first Earl of England,* claimed to redeem the sword 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.

15. And also, as Earl of Surrey, claimed to carry the second sword before the King, with all privileges and dignities thereto belonging. Neither of these claims admitted, as not allowed at the last Coronation.

16. The Earl of Exeter, Sir George Blundell, and Thomas Snaggs, Esq. as seised of several parts of the Barony of Bedford, respectively claimed to execute the office of Almoner; and as the

*This was as Earl of Arundel, a title which was assumed in the year 1067, in the reign of King Henry II. by tenure of the Castle of that name.

D

fees of that office, to have the silver alms bason, and the distribution of all the silver therein, and of the cloth spread for their Majesties to walk on; as also the fine linen towel, a tun of wine, &c.-On reference to the King to appoint which of them he pleased, the Earl of Exeter was appointed pro hac vice,* with a salvo jure † to the other two parties. But the silver dish, and the cloth from the throne in Westminster Hall to the West door of the Abbey, were not allowed. The Court granted three hundred and five ounces of gilt plate in two large chased basons.

17. The Dean and Chapter of Westminster claimed to instruct the King in the rites and ceremonies used at the Coronation; to assist the Archbishop in divine service; to have the custody of the Coronation robes; to have robes for the Dean and his three Chaplains, and for sixteen Ministers of the said Church; the royal habits put off in the Church, the several oblations, furniture of the Church, canopy, staves and bells, and the cloth on which their Majesties walk from the West door of the Church to the Theatre, &c.— Allowed, except the custody of the regalia, and the fees referred to the King's pleasure.

18. The Churchwardens of St. Margaret's Westminster, claimed to have the cloth (lying in their parish) whereon the King goes in procession, for the use of the poor.

19. The Vicar and Churchwardens of St. Martin's in the Fields, claimed a share of the said cloth for their poor;--but these claims were only read, and not admitted.

20. The Earl Marshal of England claimed to appease the debates that might arise in the King's house on this day; to keep the doors of the same, and of the Abbey, &c. and to dispose of the places to the Nobles, &c. with all the fees belonging thereunto.Disallowed as unprecedented, and in several respects counterclaimed by the Lord Great Chamberlain.

21. The Lord of the manor of Ashele, in Norfolk, claimed to perform the office of the Napery, and to have all the table-linen when taken away.-Not allowed, because not made out.

*For that duty.

+ Saving the right-that is to say, allowing the privileges of other two claimants, although the service was performed by one of the possessors of the Barony only.

Table linen. The expression is derived from the Italian word Naperia, which is of the same signification.