magnificence of the whole; and words muft fall thort of that innate joy and fatisfaction which the fpectators felt and expreffed, efpecially as their majefties paffed by; on whofe countenances a dignity fuited to their ftation, tempered with the most amiable complacency, was fenfibly impreffed. It was obfervable, that as their majefties and the nobility paffed the corner which commanded a profpect of Weftminster-bridge, 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 stationed 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. only fifteen minutes. This done, Hary fays he faw very diftinctly his majesty fubfcribe the declaration, and take the coronation 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 most 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 paint of his hands; after which he was prefented with the fpurs, and girt with the sword, and was then invefted with the coronation-robes, the armills, as they are called, and the imperial pall. The orb with the cross was also prefented, and the ring was put upon the fourth finger of his majesty's right hand by the archbishop, who then delivered the fceptre with the crofs, and the other wish the dove; and, being affifted by feveral bishops, he laftly placed the crown reverently upon his ma jefty'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 bifhops did their caps, and the reprefent You are obliged to him, therefore, for feveral particulars which I could not otherwife have informed you of. He tells mc, as Loon as their majefties entered the church, the choir ftruck 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 communion-atives of the dukes of Aquitaine and Norfervice was read; after which a fermon was preached by the bishop of Salisbury, now archbishop of York. I was not near enough to hear it, nor, perhaps, will you fay, did I much defire it; but, by my watch, it lafted mandy 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 com moners Silence again affumed her reign; and the fhouts ceafing, the archbishop proceeded with the rest of the divine fervice; and after he bad prefented the Bible to his majefty, and folemnly read the benedictions, his majefty kiffed the archbishops and bithops 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. moners knights of the Garter; confequently, | Roman Catholics has robbed the tomb of that inftead of eaps and veftments peculiar to their royal confeffor of fome of its precious ornaorder, they, being all peers, wore the robes ments; here their majefties received each of and coronets of their refpective ranks. I them a crown of ftate, as it is called, and a fhould mention, that the kings of arms alfo proceffion was made in the fame manner as put on coronets. before, except in fome trifling inftances, back again to Weftminster-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 to overtake it. This was the cafe, in the prefent inftance; for, to whatever caufes it might be owing, the proceffion most affuredly fet off too late: belides, according to what Harry obferved, there were fuch long paufes between fome of the ceremonies in the Abbey, as plainly thewed 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 spectators, even in the open air, had but a very dim and gloomy view of it, while to thofe who had fat patiently in Westminsterhall, waiting its return for fix hours, fcarce a glimpfe of it appeared, as the branches were not lighted till juft upon his majefty's entrance. I had flattered myself, that a new fcene of fplendid grandeur would have been prefented to us in the return of the proceffion, from the reflection of the lights, &c. and had therefore pofted back to the Hall with all poffible expedition: but not even the brilliancy of the ladies jewels, or the greater luftre of their eyes, had the power to render our darknefs visible; the whole was confution, irrcgularity, and diforder. The coronation of the queen was performed 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 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 thro' the moft serious and folemn 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, proper recollection of the confecrated place in which they were. Prayers being over, the king and queen retired into St. Edward's chapel, juft behind the altar. You must reacmber it-it is where the fuperftition of the However, we were afterwards amply recompented for this partial eclipfe by the bright picture which the lighting of the chandeliers prefented to es. Your unlucky law-fuit has P 4 maric made you too well acquainted with Weftminfter-hall, for me to think of defcribing it to you; but I affure you, the face of it was greatly altered from what it was when you attended to hear the verdict given against you. Instead of the inclofures for the courts of Chancery and King's Bench at the upper end, which were both removed, a platform was raised with feveral afcents of steps, where their majestics in their chairs of ftate, and the royal family, fat at table. On each fide, down the whole length of the Hall, the reft of the company were feated at long tables, in the middle of which were placed, on clevations painted to reprefent marble, the deferts, &c. Conceive to yourself, if you can conceive, what I own I am at a lofs to defcribe, fo magnificent a building as that of Weftminfter-hall, lighted up with near three thousand wax-candles in moft fplendid branches; our crowned heads, and almoft the whole nobility, with the prime of our gentry, moft fuperbly arrayed; and adorned with a profufion of the moft brilliant jewels; the galleries on every fide crowded with company for the most part elegantly and richly dreffed but to conceive it in all its luftre, I am confcious that it is abfolutely neceflary one muft have been prefent. To proceed in my narration-Their majefties table was ferved with three courfes, at the first of which earl Talbot, as fleward of his majesty's houthold, rode up from the Hallgate to the fteps leading to where their majeftics fat; and on his returning, the fpcctators were prefented with an unexpected fight, in his lordship's backing his horfe, that he might keep his face ftill towards the king. A loud clapping 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 serious effect on thofe ladies who were near him (though his hore was very gentle) as he came up, accompanied by lord Effingham, as carl marthal, and the duke of Bedford, as lord high constable, likewife on horfeback: it is needlefs to repeat what paffed on this occafion. I am told, that the horfe 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 should 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 lefs than fixty haunches of venifon, with a furprifing quantity of all forts of game, were laid in for this grand feaft. but that which chiefly attracted our eyes, was their najefties defert, in which the confectioner had lavished 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 inficad 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 pecreffes within, nearest to the walls. You cannot fuppofe that there was the greatest order imaginable obferved during the dinner, but must conclude, that fome of the company were as eager and impatient to fatisfy fatisfy the craving of their appetites as any of your country 'fquires at a race or affize ordinary. 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 It was pleasant to fee the various ftrata-on a ftool, on account of a broken thin, which gems 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 purpofe. Some had been fo provident as to bring baskets with them, which were let down, like the prifoners boxes at Ludgate or the Gate-houfe, with a Pray, remember the poor. he got by a kick from a trooper's horfe, as a JAMES HEMMING. You will think it high time that I should bring this long letter to a conclufion. Let it fuffice, then, to acquaint you, that their Pajefties returned to St. James's a little after P. S. The Princefs Dowager of Wales, ten o'clock at night; but they were pleated with the younger branches of the royal family, to give time for the peereffes to go first, that did not walk in the grand proceffion, but they might not be incommoded by the pref-made up a leffer proceflion of their owns of fare of the mob to fee their majefties. Af-which you will find a fufficient account in the ter the nobility were departed, the luf-public prints. They had a box to fee the trious mobility were (according to cuftom) coronation in the Abbey, and afterwards dined admitted into the Hall, which they prefently in an apartment by themselves adjoining to cleared of all the moveables, fuch as the the Hall. victuals, cloaths, plates, dishes, &c. and, in fhort, every thing that could stick to their fingers. Since my writing the above, I have been informed for certain, that the fword of state, 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 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.placed upon the altar. Some, it is faid, were alfo thrown among the pecreffes 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: the was bugcony pleafed with the fight. All Our friend Harry, who was upon the scaffold, 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 majesty's claret; and, in the univerfal plunder, brought off the glafs her majetty P5 drank drank in, which is placed in the beaufait as a § 42. Curiofity. The love of variety, or curiofity of feeing new things, which is the fame, or at leaft a fifter paifion to it,-feems wove into the frame of every fon and daughter of Adam; we ufually fpeak of it as one of nature's levitics, though planted within us for the folid purposes of carrying forward the mind to fresh enquiry and knowledge: ftrip us of it, the mind (I fear) would dose for ever over the prefent page; and we fhould all of us reft at cafe with fuch objects as prefented themselves in the parish or province where we first drew breath. fights, augmented with that of getting clear from all leffons both of wisdom and reproot at home-carrics our youth top carly out, to turn this venture to much account; on the contrary, if the scene painted of the prodigal. in his travels, looks more like a copy than an original-will it not be well, if fuch an adventurer, with fo unpromising a fetting-out, without care, without compafs,-be not caft away for ever;-and may he not be faid to efcape well-if he returns to his country only as naked as he firft left it? But you will fend an able pilot with your fon-a scholar. If wisdom could fpeak no other language but Greek or Latin-you do well-or if mathematics will make a gentleman, or natural philofophy but teach him to make a bow,he may be of fome fervice in introducing your fon into good focieties, and fupporting upfhot will be generally this, that in the mot preffing occafions of addrefs, if he is a mere man of reading, the unhappy youth will have the tutor to carry, and not the tutor to carry him. It is to this fpur, which is ever in our fides, that we owe the impatience of this defire for ,travelling: the paffion is no ways bad, but as others are-in its mifmanagement or ex-him in them when he has done-but the cefs-order it rightly, the advantages are worth the purfuit; the chief of which areto learn the languages, the laws and cuftoins, and understand the government and intereft of other nations, to acquire an urbanity and confidence of behaviour, and fit the mind more cafily for converfation and difcourfe; to take us out of the company of our aunts and grandmothers, and from the tracks of nurfery mistakes; and, by thewing us new objects, or old ones in new lights, to reform our judgments-by tafting perpetually the varieties of nature, to know what is goodby obferving the addrefs and arts of men, to conceive what is fincere,--and by seeing the difference of fo many various humours and manners-to look into ourselves, and form our own. This is fome part of the cargo we might return with; but the impulfe of feeing new But you will avoid this extreme; he shall be efçorted by one who knows the world, not merely from books-but from his own experience:--a man who has been employed on fuch services, and thrice made the tour of Europe with fuccefs. That is, without breaking his own, or his pupil's neck;-for, if he is fuch as my eyes have feen! fome broken Swifs valetde-chambre-fome general undertaker, who will perform the journey in fo many months, "if God permit,"-inuch knowledge will not accrues-fome profit at least, he will learn the amount, to a halfpenny, of every stage from Calais to Roine; he will be carried to |