The exhortation being ended, all the peers present did homage publicly
and solemnly unto the King upon the theatre, and in the meantime the
treasurer of the household threw among the people medals of gold and
silver, as the King's princely largess or donative.
The archbishop first knelt down before his Majesty's knees, and the rest
of the bishops knelt on either hand, and about him; and they did their
homage together, for the shortening of the ceremony, the archbishop
saying:
I Charles archbishop of Canterbury [and so every one of the rest, I
N. bishop of N. repeating the rest audibly after the archbishop]
will be faithful and true, and faith and truth will bear, unto you
our Sovereign Lord, and your heirs, kings of the united kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland. And I will do, and truly acknowledge the
service of the lands which I claim to hold of you, as in right of
the church.
So help me God.
Then the archbishop kissed the King's left cheek, and so the rest of the
bishops present after him.
After which the other peers of the realm did their homage in like
manner, the dukes first by themselves, and so the marquesses, the earls,
the viscounts, and the barons, severally; the first of each order
kneeling before his Majesty, and the rest with and about him, all
putting off their coronets, and the first of each class beginning, and
the last saying after him:--
I N. duke, or earl, &c. of N. do become your liege man of life and
limb, and of earthly worship, and faith and truth I will bear unto
you, to live and die, against all manner of folks.
So help me God.
The peers having done their homage, they stood all together round about
the King; and each class or degree going by themselves, or (as it was at
the coronation of King Charles the First and Second) every peer one by
one, in order, put off their coronets, singly ascended the throne again,
and stretching forth their hands, touched the crown on his Majesty's
head, as promising by that ceremony to be ever ready to support it with
all their power, and then every one of them kissed the King's cheek.
While the peers were thus doing their homage, and the medals thrown
about, the King delivered his sceptre with the cross to the lord of the
manor of Worksop, to hold; and the other sceptre, or rod, with the dove,
to the lord that carried it in the procession.
And the bishops that supported the King in the procession also eased
him, by supporting the crown, as there was occasion.