and fome with filver, as they could mufter up the cash) to let them pafs between the horfes to get nearer the platform; after which thefe unconfcionable gentry drove them back again. As foon as it was day-break (for I chofe to go to my place over night) we were diverted with feeing the coaches and chairs of the nobility and gentry paffing along with much ado; and feveral perfons, very richly dreffed, were obliged to quit their equipages, and be escorted by the foldiers through the mob to their refpective places. Several carriages, I am told, received great damage: Mr. Jennings, whom you know, had his chariot broke to pieces; but providentially neither he nor Mrs. Jennings, who were in it, received any hurt. Their majefties (to the shame of thofe be it fpokeh who were not fo punctual) came in their chairs from St. James's through the Park to Westminster about nine o'clock. The king went into a room which they call the court of wards, and the queen into that belonging to the gentleman ufher of the black rod. The nobility and others, who were to walk in the proceffion, were mustered and ranged by the officers of arms in the Court of Requests, Painted Chamber, and Houfe of Lords, from whence the cavalcade was conducted into Westminster-hall. As you know all the avenues and places about the Hall, you will not be at a lofs to understand me. My pafs-ticket would have been of no fervice, if I had not prevailed on one of the guards by the irrefiftible argument of half-a-crown, to make way for me through the mob to the Hall-gate, where I got admittance just as their majefties were feated at the upper end, under magnificent canopies. Her majetty's chair was on the left hand of his majefty; and they were attended by the great chamberlain, lord high conftable, earl marshal, and other great officers. Four fwords, I obferved, and as many fpurs, were prefented in form, and then placed upon a table before the king. There was a neglect, it feems, fomewhere, in not fending for the dean and prebendaries of Westminster, &c. who, not finding themfelves fummoned, came of their own accord, preceded by the chorifters, fingers, &c. among whom was your favourite, as indeed he is of every one, Mr. Beard. The Hall-gate was now thrown open to admit this leffer proceffion from the Abbey, when the bishop of Rochefter (that is, the dean) and his attendants brought the Bible and the following regalia of the king, viz. St. Edward's crown, rested on a cufhion of gold-cloth, the orb with the cross, a fceptre with the dove on the top, another tipt with a crofs, and what they call St. Edward's ftaff. The queen's regalia were brought at the fame time, viz. her crown upon a cufhion, a fceptre with a crofs, and a rod of ivory with a dove. These were feverally laid before their majefties, and afterwards delivered to the respective officers who were to bear them in the proceffion. Confidering the length of the cavalcade, and the numbers that were to walk, it is no wonder that there should be much confufion in marshalling the ranks. At last, however, every thing was regularly adjusted, and the proceffion began to quit the Hall between eleven and twelve. The platform leading to the weft door of the Abbey was covered with blue baize for the train to walk on; but there feemed to me a defect in not covering the upright pofts that fupported the awning, as it is called (for they looked mean and naked) with that or fome other coloured cloth. As I carry you along, I fhall wave mentioning the minute particulars of the proceflion, and only obferve that the nobility walked two by two. Being willing to fee the proceffion pafs along the platform through the streets, I haftened from the Hall, and by the affiftance of a foldier made my way to my former ftation at the corner of Bridgetreet, where the windows commanded a double view at the turning. I fhall not attempt to defcribe the fplendor and magnificence of the whole; and words muft fall fhort of that innate joy and fatisfaction which the fpectators felt and expreffed, efpecially as their majeflies paffed by; on whofe countenances a dignity fuited to their ftation, tempered with the moft amiable com3 F 2 placency, placency, was fenfibly impreffed. It was obfervable, that as their majefties and nobility paffed the corner which commanded a profpect of Westminsterbridge, they stopped fhort, and turned back to look at the people, whofe appearance, as they all had their hats off, and were thick planted on the ground, which rofe gradually, I can compare to nothing but a pavement of heads and faces. I had the misfortune not to be able to get to the Abbey time enough to fee all that paffed there; nor, indeed, when I got in, could I have fo diftinct a view as I could have wifhed. But our friend Harry Whitaker had the luck to be ftationed in the first row of the gallery behind the feats allotted for the nobility, clofe to the fquare platform which was erected by the altar, with an afcent of three fteps, for their majefties to be crowned on. You are obliged to him, therefore, for several articulars which I could not otherwife have informed you of. He tells me, as foon as their majefties entered the church, the choir truck up with an anthem; and, after they were feated, and the ufual recognition and oblations were made, the litany was chanted by the bishops of Chester and Chichefter, and the refponfes made by the whole choir, accompanied by the whole band of mufic. Then the first part of the communionfervice was read; after which a fermon was preached by the bishop of Salifbury, now archbishop of York. I was not near enough to hear it, nor, perhaps you will fay, did I much defire it; but, by my watch, it lafted only fifteen minutes. This done, Harry fays he faw very diftinctly his majesty fubfcribe the declaration, and take the co. ronation oath, the folemnity of which ftruck him with an unfpeakable awe and reverence; and he could not help reflecting on the glorious privilege which the English enjoy of binding their kings by the moft facred ties of confcience and religion, The king was then anointed by his grace of Canterbury on the crown of his head, his breaft, and the palms of his hands: after which he was prefented with the fpurs, and girt with the fword, and was then invelled with the coronation-robes, the armills, as they are called, and the imperial pall. The orb with the cross was alfo prefented, and the ring was put upon the fourth finger of his majesty's right hand by the archbishop, who then de. livered the fceptre with the cross, and the other with the dove; and being affifted by feveral bishops, he laftly placed the crown reverently upon his majefty's head. A profound awful filence had reigned till this moment, when, at the very inftant the crown was let fall on the king's head, a fellow having been placed on the top of the Abbey dome, from whence he could look down into the chancel, with a flag which he dropt as a fignal; the Park and Tower guns began to fire, the trumpets founded, and the Abbey echoed with the repeated fhouts and acclamations of the people. The peers, who before this time had their coronets in their hands, now put them on, as the bishops did their caps, and the reprefentatives of the dukes of Aquitaine and Normandy their hats. The knights of the Bath in particular made a moft fplendid figure, when they put on their caps, which were adorned with large plumes of white feathers. It is to be obferved, that there were no commoners knights of the Garter; confequently, inftead of caps and veftments peculiar to their order, they, being all peers, wore the robes and coronets of their refpeétive ranks. I fhould mention, that the kings of arms alfo put on coronets. Silence again affumed her reign, and the fhouts ceafing, the archbishop proceeded with the reft of the divine fer vice; and after he had prefented the Bible to his majefty, and folemnly read the benedictions, his majefty kiffed the archbishops and bishops one after another as they knelt before him. The Te Deum was now performed, and this being ended, his majefty was elevated on a fuperb throne, which all the peers approached in their order, and did their homages. The coronation of the queen was per formed in nearly the fame manner with that of his majefty; the archbishop anointed her with the holy oil on the head and breaft, and after he had put (805) the crown upon her head, it was a fignal for princefs Augufta and the peereffes to put on their coronets. Her majefty then received the fceptre with the crofs, and the ivory rod with the dove, and was conducted to a magnificent throne on the left hand of his majesty. I cannot but lament that I was not near enough to obferve their majefties going through the moft ferious and fo. lemn acts of devotion; but I am told, that the reverent attention which both paid, when (after having made their fecond oblations) the next ceremony was, their receiving the holy communion, it brought to the mind of every one near them, a proper recollection of the confecrated place in which they were. Prayers been over, the king and queen retired into St. Edward's chapel, juft behind the altar. You must remember itis is where the fuperftition of the Roman Catholics has robbed the tomb of that royal confeffor of fome of its precious ornaments; here their majefties received each of them a crown of ftate, as it is called, and a proceffion was made in the fame manner as before, except in fome trifling inftances, back again to Westminster-hall, all wearing their coronets, caps, &c. You know, I have often faid, that if one lofes an hour in the morning, one may ride after it the whole day without being able ro overtake it. This was the cafe in the prefent inftance; for, to whatever caufes it might be owing, the proceffion moft affuredly fet off too late befides, according to what Harry obferved, there were fuch long paufes between fome of the ceremonies in the Abbey, as plainly fhewed all the actors were not perfect in their parts. However it be, it is impoffible to conceive the chagrin and difappointment which the late return of the proceffion occafioned; it being fo late indeed, that the fpectators, even in the open air, had but a very dim and gloomy view of it, while to those who had fat patiently in Weftminster-hall, waiting its return for fix hours, fcarce a glimpse of it appeared, as the branches were not lighted till juft upon his majefty's entrance. I had flattered myfelf that a new fcene of Splendid grandeur would have been pre fented to us in the return of the pro- However, we were afterwards amply ftill ftill towards the king. A loud clap'ping and huzzaing confequently enfued from the people prefent. The ceremony of the champion, you may remember we laughed at, at its reprefentation laft winter; but I affure you, it had a very ferious effect on thofe ladies who were near him (though his horfe was very gentle) as he came up, accompanied by lord Effingham as earl marshal, and the duke of Bedford as lord high conftable, likewife on horseback: it is needless to repeat what paffed on this occafion. I am told, that the horse which the champion rode was the fame that his late majefty was mounted on at the glorious and memorable battle of Dettingen. The beaft, as well as the rider, had his head adorned with a plume of white, red, and blue feathers. You cannot expect that I fhould give you a bill of fare, or enumerate the number of dishes that were provided and fent from the temporary kitchens erected in Cotton-garden for this purpofe. No less than fixty haunches of venifon, with a furprizing quantity of all forts of game, were laid in for this grand feaft: but that which chiefly attracted our eyes, was their majefties defert, in which the confectioner had la vished all his ingenuity in rock-work and emblematical figures. The other deferts were no lefs admirable for their expreffive devices. But I must not forget to tell you, that when the company came to be feated, the poor knights of the Bath had been overlooked, and no table provided for them an airy apology, however, was ferved up to them inftead of a fubftantial dinner; but the two junior knights, in order to preferve their rank of precedency to their fucceffors, were placed at the head of the judges table, above all the learned brethren of the coif. The peers were placed on the outermoft fide of the tables, and the peereffes within, nearest to the walls. You cannot fuppofe that there was the greatest order imaginable obferved during the dinner, but muft conclude, that fome of the company were as eager and impatient to fatisfy the craving of their appetites as any of your country 'fquires at a race or affize ordinary. It was pleasant to fee the various ftratagems made ufe of by the company in the galleries to come in for a fnack of the good things below. The ladies clubbed their handkerchiefs to be tied together to draw up a chicken or a bottle of wine; nay, even garters (I will not fay of a different fex) were united for the fame purpose. Some had been fo provident as to bring baskets with them, which were let down, like the prifoners boxes at Ludgate or the Gate-house, with a Pray, remember the poor. You will think it high time that I fhould bring this long letter to a conclufion. Let it fuffice then, to acquaint you, that their majefties returned to St, James's a little after ten o'clock at night; but they were pleased to give time for the peereffes to go firft, that they might not be incommoded by the preffure of the mob to fee their majesties. After the nobility were departed, the illuftrious mobility were (according to cuftom) admitted into the Hall, which they prefently cleared of all the moveables, fuch as the victuals, cloths, plates, dishes, &c. and, in fhort, every thing that could stick to their fingers. I need not tell you, that feveral coronation medals, in filver, were thrown among the populace at the return of the proceffion. One of them was pitched into Mrs. Dixon's lap, as the fat upon a scaffold in Palace-yard. Some, it is faid, were alfo thrown among the peereffes in the Abbey juft after the king was crowned; but they thought it below their dignity to ftoop to pick them up. My wife defires her compliments to you: fhe was bugeonfly pleafed with the fight. All friends are well, except that little Nancy Green has got a fwelled face, by being up all night; and Tom Moffat has his leg laid up on a tool, on account of a broken fhin, which he got by a kick from a trooper's horfe as a reward for his mobbing it. I fhall fay nothing of the illuminations at night: the news-papers must have told you of them, and that the Admiralty in particular was remarkably lighted up. I expect to have from you an account of the rejoicings at your little town; and defire to know whether you was able to get a flice of the ox which was roafted whole on this occafion. I am, dear Sir, Yours moft heartily, P. 3. The Princefs Dowager of Wales, with the younger branches of the royal family, did not walk in the grand proceffion, but made up a leffer proceffion of their own; of which you will find a fufficient account in the public prints. They had a box to fee the coronation in the Abbey, and afterwards dined in an apartment by themfelves adjoining to the Hall. Since my writing the above, I have been informed for certain, that the fword of ftate, by fome mistake, being left behind at St. James's, the Lord Mayor's fword was carried before the king by the earl of Huntingdon, in its ftead; but when the proceffion came into the Abbey, the fword of state was found placed upon the altar. Our friend Harry, who was upon the fcaffold, at the return of the proceffion clofed in with the rear; at the expence of half a guinea was admitted into the Hall; got brim-full of his majefty's claret; and, in the univerfal plunder, brought off the glafs her majefty drank in, which is placed in the beaufait as a valuable curiofity. B. Thornton. treat them that evening. Friends are never fo merry, or ftay longer, than when they have nothing to pay: they never care too how extravagant they are on fuch an occafion. Bottle after bottle was therefore called for, and that too of claret, though not one of us, I believe, but had rather had port. In fhort, I reeled home as well as I could about four in the morning; when thinking to pacify my wife, who began to rate me (as ufual) for staying out fo long, I told her the occafion of it; but inftead of rejoicing, as I thought the would, fhe cried-" Pifh, ONLY two thousand pounds!" However, fhe was at laft reconciled to it, taking care to remind me, that fhe had chofen the ticket herself, and fhe was all along fure it would come up a prize, because the number was an odd one. ther of us got a wink of fleep, though I was heartily inclined to it; for my wife kept me awake-by telling me of this, that, and t'other thing which the wanted, and which she would now purchafe, as we could afford it. We nei I know not how the news of my fuc cefs fpread fo foon among my other ac quaintance, except that my wife told it to every one fhe knew, or not knew, at church. The confequence was, that I had no less than feven very hearty friends came to dine with us by way of wishing us joy; and the number of thefe hearty friends was increased to above a dozen by fupper-time. It is $146. A Letter from a fuccessful Ad- kind in one's friends to be willing to Sir, venturer in the Lottery. You will not be at all furprised when I tell you that I have had very ill-luck in the lottery; but you will ftare when I further tell you, it is becaufe unluckily I have got a confiderable prize in it. I received the glad tidings of my misfortune laft Saturday night from your Chronicle, when, on looking over the lift of the prizes, as I was got behind my pipe at the club, I found that my ticket was come up a 2000 l. In the pride as well as joy of my heart, I could not help proclaiming to the company-my good luck, as I then foolishly thought it, and as the company thought it too, by infifting that I fhould partake of one's fuccefs; they made. themselves very merry literally at my expence; and, at parting, told me they would bring fome more friends, and have another jolly evening with me on this happy occafion, When they were gone, I made shift to get a little reft, though I was often disturbed by my wife talking in her fleep. Her head, it feems, literally ran upon wheels, that is, the lottery-wheels: the frequently called out that she had got the ten thousand pounds; the muttered feveral wild and incoherent expreffions about gowns, and ruffles, and ear-rings, and necklaces; and I once heard her mention the word coach, In the morning, when I got up, how was I furprifed 3 F 4 |