the left hand of the King, where she reposed herself till the anthem was ended. After which the archbishop said the benediction, viz. " The peace of God which passeth all understanding," &c.

The Manner of Their Majesties return to Westminster Hall.

The ceremony of their majesties coronation being thus performed, the King rose, having the crown on his head, and both the sceptres in his hands; and being attended by the great officers, and the lords who carried the four swords, and the other lords who carried St. Edward's staff, the spurs, and orb, having again received them from off the high altar, and bearing them before his majesty, the King descended from the theatre, and passed through the door on the south side of the high altar, unto St. Edward's chapel, and came before the altar, at the head of St. Edward's shrine, or tomb, where the regalia before-mentioned, viz. the staff, spurs, and orb, were delivered to the Dean of Westminster, who laid them on the altar. The queen also descending from the theatre at the same time with the King, passed by the high altar, through the door on the north side thereof, into St. Edward's chapel, having her crown on her head, and her sceptre and ivory rod in her hands, (attended as before,) and repaired also to the altar in the chapel. Then the King delivered the two sceptres to the archbishop, who laid them upon the altar; and his majesty, taking off his crown, delivered it also to the archbishop, who placed it upon the said altar. The queen also delivered her two sceptres to the archbishop; and taking off her crown, delivered it likewise to him; all which he placed upon the altar. This done, the King withdrew into his traverse, at the west end of the said chapel, where he sat down in his chair, and was disrobed by the lord great chamberlain, of the robes called St. Edward's, which were delivered to the Dean of Westminster, who laid them upon the altar before-mentioned. The queen likewise retired to her traverse on the left hand of the King's, and there reposed herself until the King was revested.

The

The King was then arrayed by the lord great chamberlain, in his royal robes of purple velvet, furred with ermine: and the King and queen coming before St. Edward's altar, the archbishop (being still revested as before,) put two other imperial crowns upon their majesties heads, with caps of purple velvet, viz. the crown of state upon the king's head, and a rich crown upon the queen's, which their majesties continued to wear all the rest of the day. The archbishop also put into the king's right hand the sceptre with the cross, and into his left hand the orb or globe, with the cross; and into the queen's right hand her sceptre with the cross, and into her left hand the ivory rod with the dove: which done, the archbishop and bishops divested themselves of their robes, and left them there, proceeding in their rochets, or usual habit. Then the Queen, having her crown on her head, and the sceptre and ivory rod in her hands, and being supported and attended, and her train borne as before, proceeded from St. Edward's chapel over the theatre, by the north side of her throne, and so through the choir, in the same manner as she came to the church (saving that the lords, who bore her regalia thither did not go now immediately before her, but repaired to their respective places in the procession according to their several degrees), and was again received under her canopy by the barons of the Cinque Ports, who attended without the door of the choir, for that purpose.

The King likewise, having the four swords and the sceptre with the dove borne before him, with his crown on his head, and in his hands the sceptre with the cross, and the orb, a noble lord supporting his right arm, proceeded out of St. Edward's chapel, assisted and attended, and his train borne, as before, and passed over the theatre by the south side of his throne, and so through the choir in the same manner as he came to the church [saving that the lords, who, in the former procession carried any of the regalia, which were now left behind in St. Edward's chapel (as the spurs and staff) or which his Majesty did now bear himself, (as the orb and sceptre with the cross), went now

in their respective places in the procession, according to their several degrees] and was received in like manner under his canopy by the barons of the Cinque Ports at the choir door.

Thus this most glorious and splendid assembly proceeded down the body of the church, through the great west door, and so returned to Westminster Hall by the same way it came: the Dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine wearing their eaps of estate, the peers and peeresses their coronets, the bishops their caps, and the kings of arms their coronets.

All the way from the church to the hall, the drums beat, the trumpets sounded, and the vast multitude of beholders filled the air with loud acclamations and shouts.

On their arrival at Westminster Hall, dinner being placed on the table, their Majesties sat down to dinner, as did likewise the peers and peeresses at their respective tables.

Before the second course was brought in, the King's champion, who enjoys that office as being lord of the manor of Serivelsly, in Lincolnshire, entered the hall completely armed, in one of his Majesty's best suits of white armour, mounted on a beautiful white horse, richly caparisoned in manner following: two trumpets, with the champion's arms on their banners; the serjeant trumpet, with his mace on his shoulder: two serjeants at arms, with their maces on their shoulders; the champion's two esquires, richly habited, one on the right hand, with the champion's lance carried upright; the other on the left hand, with his target, and the champion's arms deposited thereon; the herald of arms with a paper in his hand, containing the words of the challenge. The earl marshal in his robes and coronet, on horseback, with the marshal's staff in his hand, the champion on horseback, with a gauntlet in his right hand, his helmet on his head, adorned with a great plume of feathers, white, blue, and red, the lord high constable in his robes and coronet, and collar of the order, on horseback, with the constable's staff. Four pages richly apparalled, attendants on the champion.

The passage to their Majesty's table being cleared by the

knight marshal, the herald at arms, with a loud voice, proclaimed the champion's challenge at the lower end of the hall, in the words following:

"If any person, of what degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay, our Sovereign Lord King George III. King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. grandson and next heir to our Sovereign Lord King George II. the last king, deceased, to be right heir to the imperial crown of this realm of Great Britain, or that he ought not to enjoy the same, here is the champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him; and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him on what day soever he shall be appointed." And then the champion threw down his gauntlet: which having lain some small time, the herald took it up, and re-delivered it.

Then they advanced in the same order to the middle of the hall, where the same herald made proclamation as before; and lastly, to the foot of the steps, when the herald, and those who preceded him going to the top of the steps, made proclamation a third time, at the end whereof the champion threw down his gauntlet; which, after some time, being taken up, and re-delivered to him by the herald, he made a low obeisance to his Majesty; whereupon the cup-bearer, assisted as before, brought to the King a gilt bowl of wine, with a cover; his Majesty drank to the champion, and sent him the bowl by the cup-bearer, accompanied with his assistants, which the champion (having put on his gauntlet) received and retiring a little, drank thereof, and made his humble reverence to his majesty; and being accompanied as before, departed out of the hall, taking the said bowl and cover with him as his fee.

Immediately after which the officers of arms, descending from their gallery, garter, and the two provincial kings of arms, with their coronets on their heads, followed by the heralds and pursuivants, came and stood at the lower end of the hall, and, making their obeisance to his Majesty, proceeded to the middle of the 2 F3

hall,

hall, where they made a second obeisance; and being come to the foot of the steps, and there making a third obeisance, they ascended the steps, and, at the top thereof, Garter cried "Largess" thrice, and (having received his Majesty's Largess) proclaimed the King's stile in Latin, as follows: "Serenipimi, potentissimi & excellentissimi Monarchæ Georgii III. Dei gratia Magna Britanniæ, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ Regis Fidei Defensoris." Upon which, all the officers of arms making their obeisance, Garter the second time proclaimed his Majesty's stile in French as followeth :

"Des tres-haut, tres puissant, & tres-excellent Monarque George III. par la grace de Dieu, Roy de la Grande Bretagne, France, &c. Irlande, Defenseur de lay Foy."

The officers of arms making another reverence, Garter the third time proclaimed the King's stile in English, as followeth : "Of the most high, most mighty, and most excellent Monarch George III. by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith."

After which they all made their obeisance, and, descending, went backwards to the middle of the hall, still keeping their faces towards the King, and there, crying, 'Largess' thrice, proclaimed the King's stile in Latin, French, and English, as be fore.

And lastly, coming to the lower end of the hall in the same order, they again cried Largess,' and proclaimed his Majesty's stile in like manner; and then, repairing to their table, sat down to dinner.

Their Majesties having dined, rose from table, received again their regalia, which had been held near them all dinner time: and thus, with their crowns on their heads, and the orb and sceptres in their hands, and attended, and their trains borne as before, and the four swords and sceptres with the dove, being borne before his Majesty, they withdrew into the court of wards, where the crowns, orb, and sceptres being delivered to the Dean of Westminster, and master of the jewel-house, their Majesties de

parted