the queen, save the bits and bosses; but that the liveries for their female followers, as well as their horse-gear, are to be provided by the ladies themselves, in such wise as shall do honour to themselves and the solemnity." Their own robes are to be delivered to them on demand by the keeper of the royal wardrobe, which proves that it was the custom of the crown to furnish the robes of the peeresses.

Early in May, 1534, king Henry made proclamation that all who had claims to do customary service at the coronation of a queen of England were to urge them before the duke of Suffolk, temporary high-steward of England, then holding his court in the Star-chamber. The noblest and greatest in the land immediately made good their rights to serve the fair Boleyn as queen-consort of England. The lord mayor at the same time received letters from the king, notifying that the coronation of queen Anne was to take place at Westminster the Whit-Sunday ensuing, and willing him to fetch her grace previously by water from Greenwich to the Tower. At a common council held on this matter, the lord mayor, who belonged to the worshipful craft of the haberdashers, and bore the very appropriate name of Peacock, issued his mandate to his brethren the haberdashers to fit up and ornament a foist or wafter, (which was a sort of gun-boat); likewise a barge for the bachelors, well garnished with streamers and banners.

The broad bosom of the Thames was the theatre of this commencing scene of Anne Boleyn's triumph. In obedience to the royal order, the lord mayor and his civic train embarked at New-stairs at one o'clock, May 19th. In the city statebarge was stationed a band, playing on instruments called shalms and shag-bushes; but, notwithstanding these uncivilized names, we are informed "they made goodly harmony." The great men of the city were dressed in scarlet; all had about their necks heavy gold chains, and those who were knights wore the collar of SS. Fifty barges of the city companies followed the lord mayor.

Every one in London who

could procure boat or wherry embarked on the Thames that

1 Summons to the lady Cobham, MS. Harl. 283, f. 96.

2

* Hall, p. 800.

May morning, and either accompanied the chief of the city to Greenwich, or, resting on their oars, awaited in advantageous positions to get a view of that triumphant beauty who had displaced the right royal Katharine, and was now to be publicly shown as their queen. The lord mayor's barge was immediately preceded by the foist, bristling at the sides with the small artillery called by our forefathers falcons and demifalcons, culverins and chambers. On the deck, the place of honour was occupied by a dragon, which capered and twirled a tremendous long tail, and spat wild-fire perpetually into the Thames. Round about the dragon was arranged a company of attendant monsters and salvage men, very terrible, who vomited wild-fire, and performed the most extraordinary antics. Ever and anon the city artillerymen persuaded some of the ordnance of the foist to go off, to the mingled terror and delight of the worthy commonalty, who floated round about as near as they durst. On the right of the lord mayor was the bachelors' barge, and on the left another foist, the deck of which was occupied by a pageant representing Anne Boleyn's own device, and meant especially to flatter her. It was a mount, round about which sat virgins singing her praises in sweet chorus. From the mount issued a stem of gold with branches of red and white roses; in midst of them sat a white falcon crowned, and beneath, the queen's somewhat presumptuous motto, ME AND MINE.' She had assumed the white falcon as her symbol from the crest of her maternal ancestors, the Butlers, and the whole device proclaimed her vaunt, that by her was to be continued the line of the blended roses of Plantagenet.

The barges were fitted up with innumerable little coloured flags; at the end of each hung a small bell, which, wavering in the wind, sent forth a low chime. Thus the gay flotilla

1 Camden's Remains. "A white-crowned falcon, holding a sceptre in one foot and perched on a golden stem, out of which grew white and red roses, with the motto MIHI ET MEE, 'me and nine,' was the vain-glorious device of Anne Boleyn." This device of the falcon may be seen in the grained roof of the antique gateway at Hampton-Court leading to the river, with the initials H. A. It was probably finished after the fall of Wolsey.

rowed merrily past Greenwich, and then all turned about, so that the barges of the lowest rank prepared to lead the way back to London; and the lord mayor and his attendant pageantry cast anchor just before Greenwich-palace, and while they waited the fair queen's pleasure made the goodliest melody. Precisely at three o'clock Anne issued from her palace, attired in cloth of gold, and attended by a fair bevy of maidens. When the queen entered her barge, those of the citizens moved forwards. She was immediately preceded by the lord mayor, while the bachelors' barge claimed their privilege of rowing on the right of the royal barge, sounding points of triumph with trumpets and wind-instruments, in which the queen took particular delight. The barge of her father the earl of Wiltshire, that of the duke of Suffolk, and many of the nobility, followed that of the queen. Thus was she attended up the Thames till she came opposite the Tower, when a marvellous peal of guns was shot off. Henry was in that ominous fortress, awaiting the arrival of her who was still the desire of his heart and the delight of his eyes. At her landing, the lord chamberlain and the heralds were ready to receive her, and brought her to the king, who, with loving countenance, welcomed her at the postern by the water-side. As soon as he met her, he kissed her, and she turned about and thanked the lord mayor very gracefully before he returned to his barge. After the royal pair had entered the Tower, "the barges hovered before it the whole evening, making the goodliest melody;" while the dragon and his attendant salvage monsters continued capering and casting forth flame with increased vivacity, as the twilight of a mid-May eve descended on the admiring multitude. The noble river in front of the Tower of London was covered with boats and skiffs of every sort, size, colour, and gaudy ornament. The city poured forth its humbler population in crowds on the neighbouring wharfs: the adjacent bridge, then crested with fortified turrets and embattled gateways, swarmed with human life. scene peculiar to its era, which can never occur again, for modern times have neither the power nor material to emulate

It was a

it. In the midst of that picturesque splendour, who could have anticipated what was in store for Anne Boleyn on the second anniversary of that gay and glorious day? and what was to be transacted within the gloomy circle of that royal fortress, of which she then took such proud possession, when May 19th had twice returned again?

The queen sojourned with her husband at the Tower some days, during which time seventeen young noblemen and gentlemen were made knights of the Bath, as attendants on her coronation. The royal progress through the city, which was usual to all the queens her predecessors on the eve of their coronations, was appointed for Anne Boleyn on the last day of May, and never was this ceremony performed with more pomp. The city was gravelled from the Tower to Temple-bar, and railed on one side of the streets, so "that the people should not be hurt by the horses." Cornhill and Gracechurch-street were hung with crimson and scarlet, and most part of the Chepe with cloth of gold and velvet. "The lord mayor, sir Stephen Peacock, went in a gown of crimson velvet and a goodly collar of SS to receive the queen at the Tower-gate. The first in her procession was the retinue of the French ambassador, in blue velvet and sleeves of yellow and blue; then the judges, and next to them the new-made knights of the Bath, in violet gowns and hoods purfled with miniver, like doctors. After them the abbots; then the nobility and bishops. The archbishop of York rode with the ambassador of Venice, and Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury, with the French ambassador,"-these ambassadors being the men whose gossiping journals have furnished us with much personal information regarding the domestic history of the court at this era. "After them rode two esquires, wearing the ducal corcnet of Normandy and Aquitaine, the ducal robes being rolled baldric-wise, and worn across the breast. Then the lord mayor with his mace, and Garter in his dress of ceremony. After them lord William Howard as earl-marshal, being deputy for the duke of Norfolk, then ambassador in France. On his right hand rode the duke of Suffolk, who that day

filled the office of lord high-constable' of England, bearing the verge of silver which denoted that office." Whether his thoughts were on the glaring pageantry around him, or on his royal and loving spouse then dying at Westhorpe-hall in Suffolk, no chronicler informs us; but we doubt if those who examine the tenour of his actions must not class Charles Brandon among the most heartless of court favourites. Then came the bright object of all this parade, Anne Boleyn, seated in an open litter,

"The litter was covered with cloth of gold shot with white, and the two palfreys which supported the litter were clad, heads and all, in a garb of white damask, and were led by the queen's footmen. Anne was dressed in a surcoat of silver tissue, and a mantle of the same, lined with ermine; her dark tresses were worn flowing down her shoulders, but on her head she wore a coif, with a circlet of precious rubies. Over her was borne a canopy of cloth of gold, carried by four knights on foot. The queen's litter was preceded by her chancellor, and followed by her chamberlain, lord Borough; William Cosyns, her master of horse, led her own palfrey, bearing only a rich side-saddle, trapped down to the ground with cloth of gold. After came seven ladies, riding on palfreys, in crimson velvet, trimmed with cloth of gold, and two chariots, covered with red cloth of gold; in the first of which were the old duchess of Norfolk and the marchioness of Dorset, and in the other chariot were four ladies of the bedchamber. Fourteen other court ladies followed, with thirty of their waiting-maids on horseback, in silk and velvet; and then followed the guard, in coats ornamented with beaten gold." In Fenchurch-street they all came to a pause to view a pageant of children apparelled like merchants, who welcomed the queen with two proper proposi

The two great offices of hereditary high-steward and hereditary highconstable of England were then in abeyance, since the first merged in the crown with Henry IV., and the last was forfeited by the duke of Buckingham. Henry's favourite, Suffolk, performed both alternately at this era.

2 The step-son of Henry's sixth queen, Katharine Parr.