Archbishop. "Let us give thanks unto our Lord God."
Answer. "It is meet and right to do so."

Archbishop." It is very meet, 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, by whom kings reign, and princes rule and decree justice; who makest kings to be the nursing fathers of thy church, and queens her nursing mothers; and especially this our gracious Queen, defender of thy faith and protector of thy church, that under her we may lead a quiet, peaceable life, in all goodness and honesty ; therefore, with angels," &c.

The Prayer of Address.

"We do not presume to," &c.

The Prayer of Consecration.

"Almighty God, our heavenly Father," &c.

When the Archbishop and the Bishop's assistant have communicated in both kinds, the Archbishop administereth the bread, and the Dean of Westminster the cup to the Queen,* the Bishop's

• Connected with this most solemn part of the ceremonial are two anecdotes related of George the Third, which, when put in apposition, are remarkably characteristic of his peculiar views on religious matters. The first is from Bishop Newton's Memoir of himself, prefixed to his "Works," where he tells us, that "when the King approached the communion-table, in order to receive the Sacrament, he inquired of the Archbishop whether he should not lay aside the crown? The Archbishop asked the Bishop of Rochester, but neither of them knew, or could say, what had been the usual form. The King determined within himself that humility best became such a solemn act of devotion, and took off his crown and laid it aside during the administration."

The second is told by Wraxall in his "Historical Memoirs," ii. 21. "Towards the end of the month of January 1805, at a time when the

assistant holding a towel of white silk or fine linen before the Queen, which she receives.

The Archbishop goes on to the post communion

"Our Father which art in heaven," &c.

"O Lord, our heavenly Father, we thy humble," &c.

The choir sings

"Glory be to God on high," &c.

And in the mean time the Queen returns to her throne upon the theatre, and the Archbishop reads the final prayers.

THE FINAL PRAYERS.

"Assist us mercifully, O God, in these our supplications," &c.

"O Lord, our God, who upholdest and governest all things in

King was much occupied in preparations for the installation of the Knights of the Garter destined to take place on the approaching 23rd of April, and while conversing on the subject with some persons of high rank at Windsor, one of them, the late Earl of Chesterfield, a nobleman much distinguished by his favour, said, "Sire, are not the new knights now meant to be installed, obliged to take the Sacrament before the ceremony ?" Nothing could probably have been further from his idea or intention than to have asked the question in a manner capable of implying any levity or irreverence; nevertheless His Majesty instantly changed countenance, and assuming a severe look, after a moment or two of pause, No," replied he," that religious institution is not to be mixed with our profane ceremonies. Even at the time of my Coronation I was very unwilling to take the Sacrament, but when they told me that it was indispensable, and that I must receive it, before I approached the communion-table I took off the bauble from my head. The Sacrament, my Lord, is not to be profaned by our gothic institutions." The severity of the King's manner while he pronounced these words, impressed all present, and suspended for a short time the conversation.

heaven and earth, receive our humble prayers with our thanksgivings for our Sovereign Lady Queen Anne, set over us by thy grace and good providence to be our Queen; and so, together with her, bless Catherine, the Queen Dowager, and the whole Royal Family, with the dew of thy heavenly Spirit, that they all, ever trusting in thy goodness, protected by thy power, and crowned with thy gracious and endless favour, may continue before thee in health, peace, joy, and honour, a long and happy life upon earth, and after death obtain everlasting life and glory in the kingdom of heaven, by the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Saviour, who with thee, O Father Eternal, and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end. Amen."

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Almighty God, who hast promised to hear," &c.

"The peace of God, which passeth all understanding," &c.

THE RECESS.*

The Coronation and Communion being performed and ended, the Queen, accompanied and attended as before, descended from her throne, crowned, and carrying her Sceptre and Rod in her hand, and went down into the area eastward of the theatre; and as she passed by the altar, the rest of the regalia lying upon it were re-delivered by the Dean of Westminster to the Lords that brought them in the procession, to be again borne before Her Majesty, and so they proceeded in state into King Edward's Chapel, the organ playing all the while.

The Queen being come into the chapel, and standing before the altar, took off her royal and imperial Crown, and delivered it to the Archbishop, who laid it upon the altar there, and the rest of the regalia were given into the hands of the Dean of Westminster, and by him laid there also.

The Queen then withdrew herself into the traverse prepared

.

From MS. in College of Arms, quoted by M. Planché.

for her upon the western wall of that chapel, and the Queen within her traverse was disrobed by the Lord Great Chamberlain, &c., of her royal robes of state, which were forthwith delivered to the Dean of Westminster, and were laid also upon the altar, and again she was arrayed in her robes of purple velvet furred with ermine, which were worn the rest of that day, and which were before laid in the traverse for that purpose. When the Queen, thus habited, came forth of her traverse, she stood before the altar; the Archbishop, being still vested as before, did set the Crown of State (provided for the Queen, and laid ready upon the altar to be worn for the rest of the solemnity) upon her head, and this being done, the Archbishop, the Dean of Westminster, and Bishop's assistant who had read the Litany, divested themselves of their copes, and left them there, proceeding in their usual habits.

The Queen took the Sceptre with the Cross in her right hand, and the Orb in her left, and the Sword and the Rod with the dove being borne before her Majesty, and the Officers of Arms having put the rest of the proceeding in order, they went from King Edward's chapel to the theatre, and thence through the midst of the choir and the body of the church, and so out of the west door, and returned unto Westminster Hall in the same manner as they came, saving that the Peers, who in the former proceeding carried any of the regalia, which were then left behind in the church, or which the Queen then wore, did not go, as they then did, immediately before the Queen, but fell into the proceeding, and were ranked in place according to their degrees or consecrations, and in this proceeding all the Nobility had their coronets, and all the Bishops their caps, on their heads, and the Kings of Arms their crowns.

They proceeded in the following manner; the Officers of Arms having arranged the procession for the return while the Queen was in St. Edward's chapel.

Baronesses wearing their Coronets, as did the rest of the Peeresses.
Barons wearing their Coronets, as did the rest of the Peers.