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their Majesties retired into King Edward's Chapel; where they took off their Crowns, and delivered them, with the Sceptre, to the Archbishop, who placed them upon the Altar. The King then withdrew into a part of the Chapel prepared for him to unrobe; and being dismantled of his Robe of State, and again arrayed in that of purple velvet, which he had previously worn, he came with her Majesty to the Altar, where they were invested with their Crowns of State; which were intended to be worn through the remainder of the Ceremony. (Vide plate 4, figures 3, 17.) The King also received the Orb into his left hand, and the Sceptre with the Cross into his right. To the Queen were given the Sceptre with the Cross into her right hand, and the Ivory Rod into her left. The Archbishop and Bishops then divested themselves of their Copes, and proceeded in their usual habits. The Procession back to Westminster-Hall was next arranged, which differed but little from the former one, excepting that the Peers, &c. who bore the Regalia, which was then left in the Abbey, were ranked according to their Degrees or Consecrations.

CORONATION FESTIVAL IN WESTMINSTER-HALL, AND THE CEREMONY OF THE CHAMPION'S CHALLENGE.

As six hours had been occupied in the Coronation Ceremony, the return of the Procession was so late, that the Spectators on the Scaffolds without the Church, had but a dim and imperfect view of it. Those in Westminster-Hall were, however, still worse off, being kept entirely in darkness until a short time before the Procession entered, when the whole interior of the building was illuminated for its reception.

In several of the periodical works for 1761, was published an extended account of the Coronation Cere

mony

and Dinner, in the form of a letter, which, whether written under a real or a fictitious character, frequently gives a very amusing detail of those splendid scenes: "Conceive," says this descriptive epistle,-"Conceive to yourself, if you can, conceive what I am at a loss to describe, so magnificent a building as that of WestminsterHall, lighted up with near three thousand wax candles, in most splendid branches; our crowned heads, and almost the whole nobility, with the prime of our gentry, most superbly arrayed, and adorned with a profusion of the most brilliant jewels; the galleries on every side crowded with company, for the most part elegantly and richly dressed; but to conceive it in all its lustre, I am conscious that it is absolutely necessary to have been present."

Until the Dinner was prepared,* their Majesties retired into one of the Chambers adjacent to the Hall, and on their public entrance they were conducted to their States at the upper part of it. At the end of the same table, on the King's right, sat their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Cumberland; and at the other end, upon the Queen's left, was seated the Princess Augusta. The other tables, the disposition of which, as well as the laying out of the Hall itself, may be seen by the Plan; were appropriated to the Peers and others, who had walked in the Procession. They were, as usual, placed lengthways with the building, while the Royal one, elevated on several steps, crossed them at the

* The dishes were provided and sent from the adjacent temporary kitchens, erected in Cotton-Garden for this purpose. No less than sixty haunches of venison, with a surprising quantity of all sorts of game, were laid in for this grand feast. The King's table was covered with one-hundred-and-twenty dishes, at three several times, served up by his Majesty's Band of Gentlemen Pensioners; but what chiefly attracted notice was their Majesties desert, in which the Confectioner had lavished all his ingenuity in rock-work and emblematical figures. The other deserts were no less admirable for their expressive devices.

top. The Peers were placed on the outermost sides of the tables, and the Peeresses within, nearest to the walls. When the Company was seated, the first course was served up to the King's table in State; at the head of which were Earl Talbot, the Steward of his Majesty's Household, on horseback, properly attended by the Earl Marshal, the Lord High Constable, several of the Officers of his Majesty's Household, and the Serjeants at Arms. On Lord Talbot's return, the manner of backing his horse, that he might keep his face still towards the King, surprised and delighted the Spectators, who, notwithstanding the Royal presence, gave him loud and repeated applauses. The first course was followed by the Lord of the Manor of Addington, in Surrey, serving up a dish of Grout, according to his claim.* Between the first and second courses, the King's Champion, John Dymocke, Esq. who enjoyed that office as being Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby, in Lincolnshire, entered the Hall, completely armed, in one of his Majesty's best suits of white armour, mounted on a fine white horse, the same which King George II. rode at the battle of Dettingen, richly caparisoned, and attended in the following manner:†

The word Grout signi

* Vide the account of Claims, page 16, number 6. fies a sort of coarse meal, and the following is the method of preparing the dish mentioned above. The Grouts are to be boiled in water, according to the intended thickness; when they become soft, mace, wine, sugar, and currants, are to be added. It is then usually served up in a bowl; with a toast laid round it, cut in narrow pieces.

+ There seems to have been what may be called a dressed rehearsal of this ceremony a few days before it actually took place; for in the Public Advertiser of Sept. 19th. 1761, is the following curious paragraph :

"Last night Westminster-Hall was illuminated, and John Dymocke, Esq. put on his armour, and tried a grey horse, which his late Majesty rode at the Battle of Dettingen, before his Royal Highness the Duke of York, Prince Henry Frederick, the Duke of Devonshire, Earl Talbot, and many other persons of distinction. There were also another grey, and four other horses, which were walked and rode several times up and down the Hall. Earl Talbot rode one of them, a very fine brown bay horse, which his Lordship proposes to ride on the side of the Champion, on the Coronation-day."

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