Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

Resp. And with thy spirit.

Archb. Lift up your hearts.

Resp. We lift them up unto the Lord.

Archb. Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.
Resp. It is meet and right so to do.

Archb. It is very meet and right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, the strength of thy chosen and the exalter of the humble, which in the beginning, by the pouring out of the flood, didst chasten the sins of the world, and by a dove conveying an olive branch didst give a token of reconcilement to the earth, and again didst consecrate thy servant Aaron a priest, by the anointing of oil, and afterwards, by the effusion of this oil, didst make kings, and priests, and prophets, to govern thy people Israel, and by the voice of the prophet David didst foretell that the countenance of thy Church should be made cheerful with oil. We beseech thee, almighty Father, that thou wilt vouchsafe to bless and sanctify this thy servant that he (or she) may minister peace unto his (or her) people, and imitate Aaron in thy service. That he (or she) may attain the perfection of government in counsel and judgment, [and a countenance always cheerful and amiable to the whole people,*] through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

[ocr errors]

The choir then sing the following anthem:

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king; and all the people rejoiced, and said, God save the king! Long live the king! May the king live for ever!

In the meantime the dean of Westminster, who performs the duties belonging to the abbot of Westminster before the Reformation, takes the ampulla containing the consecrated oil from the altar, and pours a little of it into a spoon. The sovereign having been disrobed of mantle and surcoat by the lord chamberlain, sits down in St. Edward's chair before the altar, and the archbishop unloops those portions of the royal dress which are made to open for the purpose of the anointing. He then anoints the sovereign on the hands, in the form of a cross, saying,

Be these hands anointed, and, as Samuel did anoint David to be king, that thou mayest be blessed and established as a king (or queen) over this people whom the Lord thy God hath given

*The clause within brackets is omitted in the more recent forms.

I

thee to rule and govern; which may He vouchsafe to grant, who, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth in glory everlasting. Amen.

The same form is used in anointing the breast, between the shoulders, the shoulders, the bowings of both arms, and the crown of the head; but in the ritual for the coronation of James I. the following prayer is introduced between the anointing of the hands and the anointing of the other parts:

Give

Look down, almighty God, with thy favourable countenance upon this glorious monarch, and as thou didst bless Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so vouchsafe, we beseech thee, by thy power, to water him plentifully with the blessings of thy grace. unto him of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn, and wine, and oil, and plenty of all fruits of thy goodness, long to continue, that in his time there may be health in our country and peace in our kingdom, and that the glorious dignity of his royal court may brightly shine as a most clear lightning in the eyes of all men. Grant, almighty God, that he may be a most mighty protector of his country; a bountiful comforter of churches and holy societies, the most valiant of kings, that he may triumph over his enemies, and subdue rebels and infidels; that he may be loving and amiable to the lords and nobles, and all the faithful subjects of his kingdom, that he may be feared and loved of all men; that his children may be kings to rule this kingdom by succession of all ages; and that, after the glorious and happy days of this present life, he may obtain everlasting joy and happiness, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

While the ceremony of anointing is performed, four knights of the Garter hold a pall of cloth of gold over the sovereign's head; when it is concluded the dean of Westminster carries the ampulla and spoon back to the altar, and the archbishop pronounces the following invocation, the sovereign kneeling at his footstool:

God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, which was anointed by his Father with the oil of gladness above his fellows, pour down by thy head the blessing of the Holy Ghost, and make it enter into the inward parts of thy heart, so that thou mayest receive invisible grace, and, having justly governed thy temporal kingdom, thou mayest reign with Him eternally, who, being without sin, doth live in glory, with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.

The sovereign then sits down in St. Edward's chair, and the dean of Westminster dries the places anointed, except the head and hands, with cotton wool, which, in the ritual for the coronation of Edward VI., is directed to be immediately burned. It was usual then for the chamberlain to give the archbishop a coif of lawn to be placed on the sovereign's head, and linen gloves for the hands; but the coif has fallen into disuse. In the ritual of James I. the following curious direction follows:-"If his majesty's hair be not smooth after it, there is king Edward's ivory comb for that end." This probably was the comb so contemptuously described as "worth nothing," by the parliamentary commissioners in 1649.

The folds of the sovereign's dress are closed by the dean of Westminster; but in the ritual for the coronation of Edward VI., it is directed that this should be done by the lord great chamberlain. At that coronation, and probably at all those which preceded it, the sovereign's head was anointed with some chrism, called in the ritual "holy cream," as well as with oil.

The kings of France and England alone are anointed on the head, and in all forms but the English the anointing of the hands came last. On account of the implicit faith given to the legend of the French Ampulla there was a separate procession for bringing it into the cathedral. It was borne by the abbot of St. Remy attended by his monks, each carrying a crucifix and a lighted taper; the consecrating archbishop and his attendants advanced to receive it, but before it was placed in his hands, he was obliged to make a public and solemn promise that he would restore it safely to the abbot. The French kings were anointed with oil and chrism; they knelt before the consecrating prelate, who sat in his episcopal chair while performing this office. The same form was observed at the coronation of Napoleon; the emperor

knelt before the pope, who remained sitting with his mitre on his head. Before administering the unction, the pope required Napoleon to make his profession of faith, a curious novelty to which we can find no parallel any other form of coronation.

in

THE INVESTING.

The dean of Westminster, after the anointing is concluded, brings the Colobium Sindonis from the altar, and standing before the chair of state, places it upon the sovereign, the archbishop reciting the following prayer:

O God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, by whom kings reign and princes decree justice, vouchsafe, we beseech thee, in thy favour to bless this regal ornament, and grant that thy servant our sovereign, who shall wear it, may shine in thy sight with the ornament of a good life and holy actions, and after this life ended, may enjoy for ever that life and glory which hath no end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[ocr errors]

In the same way, the sovereign is invested with the super-tunica, girdle, buskins and sandals; but at the coronation of George III. some of these were omitted, in order to curtail the ceremony. The spurs are buckled on by the lord chamberlain. The archbishop then lays the sword of state upon the altar in its purple velvet scabbard, and recites the following prayer:

Hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord, and vouchsafe by thy right hand of majesty to bless and sanctify this sword, wherewith this thy servant, desireth to be girt, that it may be a defence and protection of churches, widows and orphans, and all thy servants, and a terror to those that lie in wait to do mischief; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The archbishop then delivers the sword into the sovereign's hands, on whose side it is girt by the lord chamberlain, the archbishop saying:

Receive this kingly sword, which is hallowed for the defence of the Holy Church, and delivered unto thee by the hands of the bishops, though unworthy, yet consecrated by the authority of the holy apostles; and remember of whom the Psalmist did prophecy, saying, God thyself with thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most

« ZurückWeiter »