PARLEY DESCRIBES THE CORONATION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
"AS soon as the Queen, the great object of attraction, had passed,
Peter Parley and his friend hurried into the Abbey to resume their
places. As they entered they encountered the most deafening and
enthusiastic plaudits, to which the announcement of her Majesty's
arrival within the Abbey gave rise.
"While her Majesty was undergoing the ceremony of robing, in the
magnificent room which Peter Parley has already told you about, the
procession, which forms part of the ceremony within the Abbey, was
arranged in order.
"Every thing having been prepared, her Majesty made her appearance
habited in a rich mantle and train of crimson velvet, over a dress
of satin wrought with gold, and the assembled thousands of her loyal
subjects rose with one accord, and welcomed their Sovereign in a manner
which must have thrilled the heart of the greatest potentate who ever
swayed a sceptre. The band of instrumental music swelled forth their
richest notes, and the choir gave magnificent effect to the anthem:--
"'I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the
Lord. For there is the Seat of Judgment, even the Seat of the House
of David. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that
love Thee. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.'
"As the procession moved slowly up the Abbey, the effect was most
magnificent; the splendour of the pageantry, the beauty of the young
Queen, whose mild blue eyes shone scarcely less brightly than the
circlet of diamonds which encompassed her beauteous brow, and the
rich effect of the music, as it reverberated among the aisles of the
building, almost made Peter Parley think it was a scene in fairy-land,
or one of those bright and unsubstantial visions which flit across the
mind in our dreams.
"The Queen having advanced to a chair which had been provided for her,
about midway between the throne and the south side of the altar, the
noblemen and others who composed the procession took up the stations
which had been appropriated for them; the choir in the mean time
continuing to chaunt the anthem.
"The cadences of the anthem had scarcely died away among the aisles
of the Abbey, when Peter Parley was startled at the sound of youthful
voices, singing at their highest pitch. He directed his eyes towards
the spot whence the sound proceeded, and found it was the Westminster
scholars, who, according to an ancient and established custom, greeted
their sovereign with a kind of chaunt, 'Vivat Victoria Regina!'
"At the conclusion of this chaunt, which, though not the most
harmonious, struck Peter Parley as certainly not the least interesting
part of the greeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord
Chancellor, the Lord Great Chamberlain, and the Earl Marshal, advanced
and commenced the ceremony of the Coronation by what is called the
Recognition; that is, advancing towards each side of the theatre in
succession, they thus addressed the assembled spectators:--
"'Sirs, we here present unto you Queen Victoria, the undoubted Queen of
this realm; wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage,
are you willing to do the same?'
"As the question was repeated on each side, the Abbey rang with the
joyful response 'God save Queen Victoria!' A flourish of trumpets added
to the enthusiasm of the scene; and even Peter Parley, carried away
by the feeling of the moment, shouted forth his acclamations, in as
heartfelt a manner as the most devoted of her Majesty's subjects.
"During this part of the ceremony, the Queen remained standing by the
chair on which she had at first taken her seat, and turned her face
successively toward that part of the Abbey to which the question was
addressed.
"When the enthusiastic cheering subsided her Majesty resumed her seat,
and preparations were made for that part of the altar service called
the Oblation. The Bible, the chalice, and patina, were placed upon the
altar, before which, two officers of the wardrobe spread a rich cloth
of gold, and laid upon it a cushion for her Majesty to kneel upon. The
Bishops who were to be engaged in the service also advanced and put on
their copes.
"Every thing being ready, her Majesty, supported by two bishops and
preceded by the great officers of state bearing the regalia, approached
the altar, and kneeling upon the cushion, made the various offerings.
"The first, which consisted of a pall or altar-cloth of gold, was
delivered by an officer of the wardrobe to the Lord Chamberlain, and
by him handed to the Lord Great Chamberlain, who delivered it to the
Queen. Her Majesty then gave it to the Archbishop of Canterbury, by
whom it was placed on the altar.
"An ingot of gold, a pound in weight, was then handed by the Treasurer
of the Household to the Lord Great Chamberlain, by whom it was placed
in the hands of the Queen, who delivered it to the Archbishop, by whom
it was put into the oblation basin, and set upon the altar.
"The Archbishop then said the following prayer, the Queen remaining
kneeling before the altar:--
"'O God, who dwellest in the high and holy place, with them also
who are of an humble spirit, look down mercifully upon this thy
servant Victoria our Queen, here humbling herself before Thee at thy
footstool, and graciously receive these oblations, which, in humble
acknowledgment of thy sovereignty over all, and of thy great bounty
unto her in particular, she hath now offered up unto Thee, through
JESUS CHRIST, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.'
"At the conclusion of this prayer her Majesty returned to the chair on
the south side of the altar, and the whole of the regalia, except the
swords, were delivered to the archbishop and placed on the altar.
"The Litany was then read by the Bishops of Worcester and St. David's,
which was followed by the Communion Service, previous to which, the
choir sang the _Sanctus_:--
"'Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God of Hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of thy Glory;
Glory be to Thee, O Lord, most High. Amen.'
"At the conclusion of the service the Bishop of London ascended the
pulpit, which had been placed opposite her Majesty's chair of state,
and preached the sermon. His lordship's text was chosen from 2 Chron.
xxxiv. 31,--'And the King stood in his place and made a covenant before
the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his
testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his
soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this
book.'
"At the conclusion of the sermon, to which the Queen was deeply
attentive, the Archbishop of Canterbury advanced toward her Majesty,
and standing before her, thus addressed her:--
"'Madam, is your Majesty willing to take the oath?'
"The Queen answered, 'I am willing.'
"The Archbishop then ministered these questions; and the Queen answered
each question severally, as follows:--
"_Archbishop._--Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the
people of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the
dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament
agreed on, and the respective laws and customs of the same?
"_Queen._--I solemnly promise so to do.
"_Archbishop._--Will you to the utmost of your power cause law and
justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?
"_Queen._--I will.
"_Archbishop._--Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the laws
of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant reformed
religion established by law? And will you maintain and preserve
inviolably the settlement of the United Church of England and Ireland,
and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as
by law established within England and Ireland, and the territories
thereunto belonging? And will you preserve unto the bishops and clergy
of England and Ireland, and to the churches there committed to their
charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain
to them, or any of them?
"_Queen._--All this I promise to do.
"The Queen then proceeded to the altar, attended by the various
functionaries, who had taken up their stations about her, and kneeling
before it, laid her right hand on the great Bible, and, in the sight of
her people, took a solemn oath, to observe the promises which she had
made, saying--
"'The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and
keep--So help me, God.'
"Her Majesty then kissed the book and set her royal sign manual to a
copy of the oath. After this solemn ceremony she returned to the chair,
and kneeling at her fald-stool, the choir sang, with the most touching
effect, the magnificent hymn--
"'Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And warm them with thy Heav'nly fire;
Thou who th' Anointing Spirit art,
To us thy sevenfold gifts impart;
Let thy bless'd unction from above
Be to us comfort, life, and love;
Enable with celestial light
The weakness of our mortal sight:
Anoint our hearts, and cheer our face,
With the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, give peace at home--
Where Thou dost dwell no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And Spirit of both, to be but one,
That so through ages all along,
This may be our triumphant song;
In Thee, O Lord, we make our boast,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.'"