ECCLESIASTICAL PLATE
The Ampulla or Golden Eagle—Its great age—Repaired for Coronation of
Charles II—The lapis lazuli eagle lost or sold—The Ampulla escapes
the Commonwealth—Hidden in Westminster Abbey—The Ampulla at the
Coronation—Filled with holy oil—Oil costing £200—Height of eagle—A
prototype of the lecternes in churches—The anointing spoon—Of
Byzantine origin—The spoon described—Its use at a coronation—Oil on
the King’s head—The Maundy Dish—Its severe simplicity—Inaugurated by
Charles II—Maundy money for the aged poor—The ceremony of
presentation at Westminster—The baptismal font—For Princes and
Princesses of the Blood Royal—The alms dish—Queen Victoria orders a
new font—The bacchanalian flagons—The alms dish and flagon of
William and Mary—Used in the chapel within the Tower.
THE ecclesiastical plate, if so it may be called, which is kept at the
Tower, appertains to religious ceremonies, chiefly in connection with
coronation of the sovereigns called upon to reign over the British
Empire and the baptism of the Royal children. But also there are pieces
of church plate which are used on certain set occasions, as is in due
course set forth. The oldest piece of plate, ecclesiastical or secular,
preserved in the Tower, is the Ampulla or Golden Eagle. This bears
distinct traces of Byzantine origin, and thus may be fourteen hundred
years old. It was for long attributed to Sir Robert Vyner, and was
supposed to have been made for the Coronation of Charles II. But recent
exact examination by experts has shown that the eagle is of a very much
earlier origin. To one skilled in such matters it is, for instance, at
once apparent that the screw with which the head is attached to the body
is of a pattern that was ancient even in the days of Charles II, and
further a close examination of the body of the eagle shows distinct
signs of Byzantine workmanship.[7] It may thus be concluded that this
eagle was used in very early days for the Coronation of English Kings.
It then was supplanted perhaps for centuries by a much more ornate and
intrinsically valuable emblem of lapis lazuli, with a golden eagle at
the top enriched with pearls and diamonds, mentioned by Mezeray. This
valuable bird has disappeared altogether, and whether it was disposed of
to meet the necessities of Charles I, or whether sold or destroyed by
the Commonwealth, is not clear. But the older eagle survived these
troublous times owing to the fortunate circumstance that it was hidden
and forgotten in the Treasure House at Westminster Abbey. Much
mutilated, and with the wings broken off, it was handed over to Sir
Robert Vyner, who restored it for the Coronation of Charles II to the
form in which we see it at present in the Tower.
The eagle, far from being of life size, is only nine inches high, and is
in truth a very poor representation of an eagle, thus further
emphasizing its ancient origin. It is, however, of solid gold hollowed
only sufficiently to contain a small quantity of holy oil. This is
introduced by unscrewing the head and pouring the oil into it, the holy
unguent being composed chiefly of olive oil and balm. Of so great a
value is it, that it is on record that James II paid no less than £200
for the small quantity required for his Coronation ceremony. The Ampulla
is the prototype of the large brass eagle which we see in many churches
bearing the Holy Bible on its back, emblematically about to fly to the
four corners of the earth carrying the sacred message of the gospel.
At the Coronation, when the moment for the anointing of the King
arrives, a small portion of the holy oil is poured into the anointing
spoon, the beak of the eagle forming the channel.
The anointing spoon, into which the oil is poured from the Ampulla, can
probably claim almost equally ancient origin. On this, too, recent
examination has discovered distinct traces of Byzantine workmanship. So
ancient a spoon has naturally been repaired and renewed from time to
time during the centuries, but that it has existed for more than a
thousand years is quite evident. The handle of the spoon is seven and a
half inches long, tapering towards the top, showing that it is intended
to be gripped with the whole hand, instead of being balanced on the
fingers as are more modern spoons. It is richly ornamented and set with
pearls. The bowl of the spoon is two and a quarter inches in length, and
is curiously divided longitudinally by a ridge. When in use at a
coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury dips his two first fingers into
the holy oil resting in these two compartments, and with the oil thus
raised makes a cross on the King’s head, on his breast, and on the palms
of his hands. The Coronation service directs the Archbishop to pour the
holy oil on to His Majesty’s head, but being a kindly prelate, he does
not obey these instructions too literally, thus saving the Royal person
and robes from a devastating deluge.
That this Ampulla and the spoon escaped the studied destruction of the
Commonwealth is proved by the records of the Restoration, for it is
expressly stated that, “All the Regalia, _except the ampulla and spoon_,
both of which were constantly kept in the Church of Westminster, were
sacrilegiously plundered.”
One of the most impressive pieces of ecclesiastical plate, impressive
from its severe simplicity, is the Maundy Dish. In contrast to the
highly decorative alms dish of William and Mary, it is perfectly plain.
In diameter it is somewhat over two feet, and it weighs two hundred and
two ounces. It was made in the reign of Charles II in 1660-61, who
decided, in place of continuing the ancient custom of distributing the
Royal Bounty, to make instead an offering to the aged poor. The number
of the aged poor to be thus beneficed is regulated by the King’s age,
that is to say, if he is fifty years of age, fifty old men and fifty old
women receive the bounty. The bounty itself consists of a silver penny,
a silver twopenny, a silver threepenny, and a silver fourpenny, making a
total of tenpence. This in Charles II days was a fairly handsome dole;
whilst even at this day the set of four silver coins is of a value far
above its intrinsic merits. Indeed, on one occasion a five pound note
was given at the Abbey door for the purchase of one of these sets. In
addition, however, to the coins, the aged poor who are yearly selected
by the Dean of Westminster receive other handsome doles from the King in
money and clothing.
The ceremony takes place in Westminster Abbey on the Thursday before
Good Friday, known as Maundy Thursday. The dish is taken from the Tower
to Westminster, where at the ceremony a yeoman of the guard carries it
in procession, holding displayed the little red bags containing the
Maundy Money. The aged poor are marshalled on each side of the aisle,
and to them after an impressive service the little bags of money are one
by one distributed, by the clergy, in the King’s name.
It will be noticed that William and Mary have placed their cypher in the
middle of the Maundy Dish, but the plate mark clearly shows that it was
made at the beginning of the reign of Charles II.
After the ceremony at Westminster the Maundy Dish is conveyed back to
the Tower, and there rests behind iron bars for yet another year.
Of the ecclesiastical plate the most prominent piece is the gold
baptismal font made for Charles II, and intended to be used for the
baptism of all Royal children born thereafter. If the original intention
had been carried out a very long successions of Princes and Princesses,
including those now living, would have had this historic connection with
an ancient piece of church plate. Unhappily, however, owing possibly to
the inadvertence of Court officials or the clergy, the font has only
been spasmodically used. The first recorded occasion is at the
christening of the Princess Augusta, afterwards Duchess of Brunswick,
the third daughter of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales in the year 1737.
We also know that it was used at the baptism of George IV, and for the
same ceremony in the case of twelve of the children of George III.
Then it seems to have been lost sight of, or perhaps was mistaken for a
punch bowl, for we find that in 1840-41, Queen Victoria ordered a
baptismal font to be made of silver-gilt, which is now at Windsor
Castle, and in which all Princes and Princesses from that date have been
baptised. It may confidently be hoped that at some future date the older
font will again come into use, and will not again be lost to sight.
Charles II’s font gives the general impression of a large, covered bowl
standing on a slender, rounded column, and has a somewhat top-heavy
effect. In height it is about 3 ft. 6 in., whilst the bowl is about 18
in. in diameter. On top of the cover is a group of gold figures
representing St. Philip baptising the eunuch, whilst below is the cypher
of Charles II surmounted by a Royal crown. The same device is repeated
on the base of the font. As part of the set is a very handsome and
massive golden alms dish with the Royal arms of the Stuarts engraved
large in the centre.
The flagons which have become associated with this font are, as their
plate-marks show, of later origin, and the association, therefore, was
only temporary, and might without doubt be dissevered. They are, in
fact, tankards made and intended to be used at the festal board, and not
for sacramental wine. The designs in high relief on these tankards is
sufficient evidence of this, for they depict bacchanalian scenes of the
most realistic nature. It is possible that it was these flagons, which
were thought to be indissoluble from the font, which caused the whole
set to be put aside by Queen Victoria. The flagons are of German origin,
made in Hamburg, and though their date is uncertain, may rightly be
ascribed to the Hanoverian dynasty.
Amongst the ecclesiastical plate is a very handsome golden alms dish and
flagon made for William and Mary, the plate-marks on which show they
were made in 1691-92. The alms dish is more than two feet in diameter,
and has in the centre in high relief a fine representation of the Last
Supper. Below this is a panel on which is displayed the cypher of
William and Mary, surmounted by a royal crown. Round the wide rim, also
in high relief, are four winged cherubs, and between these golden
foliage, garlands, and fruit. The flagon stands about a foot and a half
high, and has a handle and cover. The body is covered with boldly
embossed cherubs’ faces, foliage, and festoons of roses and fruit. The
cypher of William and Mary, surmounted by a royal crown, is on the front
of the flagon.
These two pieces of ecclesiastical plate have the privilege of replacing
much older plate three times a year on the altar of the Chapel of St.
Peter ad Vincula within the Tower. These three occasions are Easter
Sunday, Whit Sunday, and Christmas Day. On these three days the Keeper
of the Jewel House hands them over to the Tower authorities for the
period of morning service, and then, reclaiming them, replaces them with
the Regalia.
The altar plate, which the alms dish and flagon of William and Mary
replace on these three occasions, dates to the reigns of Charles I and
Charles II. This older set of plate, though quite plain, is in the eyes
of connoisseurs more impressive than the more ornate and finely designed
insignia of the later reign. The origin of this curious routine is lost
in antiquity. It may, however, have been ordered so as to emphasize the
arrival of a new dynasty and the death of the old; thus with large and
resplendent plate to outshine the smaller and plainer vessels of the
Stuarts. But the origin, be what it may, the custom has become
established, and will without doubt continue year by year as long as the
Tower stands, and England is England.
------------------------------------------------------------------------