by Anonymous
CHAPTER VI.
PARLEY DESCRIBES WESTMINSTER ABBEY ON THE MORNING OF THE CORONATION,AND RELATES THE LEGENDS CONNECTED WITH ST. EDWARD'S CHAIR.
"EARLY in the morning, Peter Parley was up and dressed. He had hardlyfinished his devotions when, early though it was, Major Meadows knockedat the door of his room to enquire if he was stirring.
"After partaking of a hurried breakfast we got into a carriage anddrove to the Abbey. As we passed along, we found people, even at suchan early hour, already begun to congregate in the streets, and to takeup stations from which they expected to obtain the best view of theday's proceedings.
_Madeley lith. 3, Wellington St. Strand._
HER MAJESTY LEAVING HER PRIVATE APARTMENTS IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.]
"Peter Parley was pleased to find, on our arrival at the Abbey, thatthe doors had been opened a short time before, and the crowd of eagerexpectants who had been waiting, some of them upwards of an hour, hadbeen already admitted. We were thus saved the necessity of exposingourselves to being crushed by stronger and more energetic claimants foradmission.
"On entering the venerable building I was struck mute with astonishmentat the magnificence of the preparations which now burst upon the sightwith all their breadth and effect; though I had seen it so recently,I was not at all aware of the greatness of the scale on which they hadbeen undertaken.
"The approach to the theatre was by six broad steps leading from thevestibule under the music gallery. At the termination of the choir,just where it is intersected by the north and south transepts, asimilar number of steps led to a large platform, covered with asplendid carpet in rich puce and gold colours. Upon this platform wasraised a second of a smaller size, approached by four broad steps,each covered with carpeting of the most magnificent description. Thefifth step, which formed the platform, was covered with cloth of gold,and in the centre was placed a splendid throne of a rich gilt ground,tastefully embellished with rose-coloured sprigs at short intervals,and the royal initials in the centre.
"A little further in advance of this splendid throne, and nearerthe altar, stood a chair of a more humble bearing, but far moreinteresting, from the legendary stories connected with it. This was St.Edward's chair, of which Peter Parley must say a few words.
"The chair is made of solid oak, and beneath the seat is depositeda large stone, on which the Scottish kings used to be crowned. Thelegendary history of this stone is very curious. It commences as earlyas the time of Jacob, who is said to have rested his head on it in theplain of Luz, when, as you will recollect, he fled from the anger ofhis brother Esau. It was afterwards carried to Spain, by the Scythians,whence it found its way into Ireland in the time of Romulus and Remus,the founders of Rome. Here, it seems, from all accounts, first to haveexhibited miraculous powers--making a 'prodigious noise, and beingsurprisingly disturbed,' whenever a prince of the Scythian line wasseated upon it. Peter Parley would not have you believe any of thesemarvellous legends, none of which are true, but which are interestingnevertheless, as they serve to show in what manner the people offormer times were misled by the silly and ridiculous legends of thedarker ages.
"From Ireland this singular stone was carried into Scotland, and placedin the Abbey of Scone, where the coronation of the Kings of Scotlandusually took place. One of the Scottish kings caused an inscription tobe cut upon it, an ancient prophecy, as it was said, but more probablyan invention of some monkish chronicler of the time:--
"If Fate speak sooth, where'er this stone is found, The Scots shall monarch of that realm be crown'd."
"When Edward I. dethroned Baliol, he sent this celebrated stone, onthe possession of which the Scots set great value, to London, alongwith the Scottish regalia. In the following year, the monarch presentedthese trophies at the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor; and itappears soon afterwards to have been placed in the coronation chair,where it has remained ever since.
"Peter Parley has heard that the ancient prophecy, to which even at solate a period the more superstitious amongst the Scottish nation clung,was held to be fulfilled when James I. ascended the throne of England;and it is also said not to have been without a certain influence inreconciling many of the people to the Union with England.
"But we must not forget the coronation in Westminster Abbey, in ourinterest in the legend connected with St. Edward's chair.
"On each side of the platform on which the thrones stood, were thegalleries appropriated for Peers and Peeresses and their friends, alsothose for the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Privy Councillors.
"There were two other galleries rising above these on each side, thehighest quite among the vaultings of the roof, which were appropriatedindiscriminately to the rest of the visitors.
"The whole of these extensive galleries were covered with crimsoncloth, and trimmed with gold fringe, which had a very rich effect whencontrasted with the sombre colours and antique stone walls of thebuilding.
"The decorations of the chancel and altar were of the most gorgeousdescription; the draperies being of the richest purple silk, brocadedin the most sumptuous pattern with gold. Behind the altar thedecorations were of a still more delicate character than the rest, boththe ground-work and the gold being of a lighter shade. Against thecompartment behind the altar stood six massive gold plateaux, two ofthem being of very large dimensions. The table itself was loaded witha gold communion service, as well as with other articles used in theceremony.
"Peter Parley had time to notice all these things from being in theAbbey so early in the morning, before the visitors were so numerous,and the place so crowded as it afterwards became. The good sense andknowledge of Major Meadows led him to select a seat from which, whilewe could see as much of the ceremony as nine-tenths of those within theAbbey, we could readily retire to the roof, from which we could obtainan admirable view of the procession outside.
"By six o'clock in the morning the visitors began to arrive in theinterior of the Abbey, and bustle and confusion began to prevail,where, but an hour before, all had been stillness and silence; therich and elegant dresses of the ladies giving an air of gaiety tothe scene. An hour later the Peers and Peeresses began to make theirappearance, and the attention was kept completely on the alert by somenew arrival of a distinguished personage, or of a rich or picturesquecostume."
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"At length the sound of the Park guns announced that the Queen hadentered her carriage and was on her way to the Abbey. This joyfulannouncement seemed to inspire every one present with joy andanimation. The Peers, who had hitherto dispersed themselves overvarious parts of the building, giving, by their rich and picturesquecostumes, additional brilliancy and variety to the already gorgeousscene, now retired to their appointed places, and a certain degree oforder began to prevail within the Abbey.
"As the procession began to draw near, Peter Parley took advantage ofMajor Meadows' foresight, and, with some little difficulty, made hisway to the roof, to view its approach."