the Queen, having a Copy of the printed Form and Order of the Coronation Service in Her Hands, answers each Question severally, as follows. Archb. Will You solemnly promise and swear to govern the People of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Dominions thereto belonging, according to the Statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the respective Laws and Customs of the same? Queen. I solemnly promise so to do. Archb. Will You to Your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all Your Judge ments? Queen. I will. Archb. Will You to the utmost of Your Power maintain the Laws of God, the true Profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law? And will You maintain and preserve inviolably the Settlement of the United Church of England and Ireland, and the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, and Government thereof, as by Law established within England and Ireland, and the Territories thereunto belonging? And will You preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England and Ireland, and to the Churches there committed to their Charge, all such Rights and Privileges, as by Law do, or shall appertain to Them, or any of Them? Queen. All this I promise to do. Then the Queen arising out of Her Chair, attended by Her Supporters, and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Sword of State being carried before Her, shall go the Altar, and there make Her Solemn The Bible to Oath in the sight of all the People, to observe the Pre- be brought. mises: Laying Her right hand upon the Holy Gos And a Silver pells in the Great Bible, which was before carried in the The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.19 Then the Queen kisseth the Book, and signeth the Oath. SECT. VIII. THE ANOINTING. The Queen having thus taken Her Oath, returns again to Her Chair on the South Side of the Altar; and kneeling at Her Faldstool, the Archbishop beginneth the Hymn, Veni, Creator Spiritus, and the Choir singeth it out. HYMN. NOME, Holy Ghost, our Souls inspire, COM And warm them with thy Heavenly fire. Thou who th' Anointing Spirit art, To Us thy sevenfold Gifts impart. 18 There is certainly some ob- James I. speaks of "the Bible:" that for K. Charles II., which was followed by James II. directs the King to take the Oath "laying his hand upon the Evangelists." 19 So help me God, and the contents of this book." James I. Charles II. and James II. The weakness of our mortal Sight: And Spirit of Both, to be but One. This may be our triumphant Song; In Thee, O Lord, we make our boast, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This being ended, the Archbishop saith this Prayer: hand upon the LORD, Holy Father, who by anointing with Oil didst of old make and consecrate Kings, Priests, and Prophets, to teach and govern thy People Israel: Bless and Sanctify thy Chosen Servant VICTORIA, who by our Office and Ministry, is now to Here the Arch- be anointed with this Oil, and consecrated bishop lays his Queen of this Realm: Strengthen Her, O Ampulla. Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter; Confirm and Stablish Her with thy free and Princely Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Government, the Spirit of Counsel and Ghostly Strength, the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godliness, and fill Her, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy Holy Fear, now and for ever. Amen. This Prayer being ended, the Choir sing: ANTHEM. ZADOK the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, 1 Kings, i. 39, anointed Solomon King; and all the People re joiced, and said; God save the King, Long live the King, May the King live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah. 40. At the commencement of the Anthem, the Queen rising from Her Devotions, goes before the Altar, attended by Her Supporters, and assisted by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Sword of State being carried before Her, where Her Majesty is disrobed of Her Crimson Robes. The Queen will then sit down in King Edward's Chair placed in the midst of the Area over against the Altar, with a Faldstool before it, wherein She is to be Anointed. Four Knights of the Garter hold over Her a rich Pall of Silk, or Cloth of Gold; the Anthem being concluded, the Dean of Westminster taking the Ampulla and Spoon from off the Altar, holdeth them ready, pouring some of the Holy Oil into the Spoon, and with it the Archbishop anointeth the Queen, in the Form of a Cross: 20 On the Crown of the Head, and on the Palms of both the Hands, saying, 20 The orders for K. Geo. II. and IV. appoint as follows: "1. On the crown of the head, saying, Be thy head anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed. "2. On the breast, saying, Be thy breast anointed with holy oil. "3. On the palms of both the hands, saying, Be thy hands anointed with holy oil. "And as Solomon, etc." My copy of the order for K. Geo. IV. is corrected as it was used on the occasion, by the then York Herald, C. G. Young, Esq., and I must add, that although in the Service itself, the form of anointing stands as I have just transcribed it, yet the second anointing, (of the breast) has been crossed through with a pen, and I have no doubt was in fact omitted. We may easily trace the subsequent alterations, first for King William IV., and followed by the Order for her present Majesty: the anointing not only being omitted, but the two unctions thrown, as it were, together, and no distinct benediction appointed for each. These changes and omissions, to be referred to the coronation, probably, of Geo. IV. are, I think, to be regretted. But we must compare the Form Be Thou anointed with Holy Oil, as Kings, Priests, and Prophets were anointed : as it stood in the 17th century: I shall quote from the Order of K. James I., which was followed, generally, by Charles I. and II., and James II., except that in the case of Charles II. the oil having been consecrated previously, the proper preface and benediction were of course omitted. "The Litany being ended, the Archbishop beginneth to say aloud, Lift up your hearts. Answ. We lift them up unto the Lord. 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, 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 unto the earth, and again didst consecrate thy servant Aaron a priest, by the anointing of oil, and afterward 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 foretel, that the countenance of thy Church should be made cheerful with oil: We beseech thee, Almighty Father, that thou wilt vouchsafe to bless and sanc tify this thy servant James, that he may minister peace unto his people, and imitate Aaron in the service of God. That he may attain the perfection of Government in counsel and judgment, and a countenance always cheerful, and amiable to the whole people, through Christ our Lord. "This done, the king ariseth from his devotion, and reposeth himself a while in his chair of estate. After a while, he goeth to the Altar, and there disrobeth himself of his upper garments, his under apparel being made open, with loops only closed, at the places which are to be anointed. "The archbishop undoeth the loops, and openeth the places which he is to anoint. "The archbishop first anointeth his hands, saying, "Let these hands be anointed, as kings and prophets have been anointed, and as Samuel did anoint David to be king, that thou may'st be blessed, and established a King in this kingdom over this people, whom the Lord thy God hath given thee to rule and govern, which he vouchsafe to grant, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost. etc. "The mean while the quire singeth the Anthem: "Sadock the Priest. etc. |