Officium Coronationis Reginae. IE quo regina sola coronanda est, conveniant in palatio regali apud Westmonasterium prælati et nobiles regni, et ordinetur processio per archiepiscopos, episcopos, et prælatos, abbatem et conventum Westm. in capis sericis, et aliis, quia processus requirunt honorificentiam: et sic induti 67 The Pontificals differ in the first rubric of this office: the earlier books are very short in their directions; and some refer to an "Ordo Romanus," not now followed by the pontifical of the Church of Rome, for the benediction "ad introitum," or, "ad ostium ecclesiæ. " Thus the imperfect Salisbury pontifical in the Bodleian, the Cotton MS. Tiberius E. viij, and B. viij, (of the xijth century), commence:* "Benedictio reginæ dicenda in ingressu ecclesiæ secundum ordinem Romanum: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fons, etc." It may be as well to give here, in brief, the full order as it continues in those MSS. "Post hanc sequitur benedictio dicenda ante altare: Deus, qui solus habes." (Here the Bodleian MS. is imperfect.) "Item post hanc in sacri olei unctione sequitur hæc oratio: Spiritus" Sancti gratia humilitatis. Hic unguatur oleo sancto: In nomine Patris et Filii. Hic detur annulus. Accipe annulum. Sequitur oratio. Deus cujus est. Benedictio corona. Deus tuorum corona. Item in eodem ordine, ad coronæ impositionem. Postquam benedicta fuerit, coronabitur. Accipe coronam. "The MS. Tib. B. viij. alone adds: "Alia. Officio indignitatis nostræ. Oratio. Omnium Domine fons bonorum." To these may be added, the Evesham Pontifical, before cited: which has the same rubric: but the authority of that MS. (an abbatial pontifical, it must be re membered) is very much lessened by its constant mixture of, and reference to, in many offices, other Uses: not only the Roman, but the Gallican. reginæ coronandæ processionaliter occurrant in palatio antedicto. It In the Order of K. Edwd. II. we find this benediction, but, as in the text, no reference is made to the "Ordo Romanus." seems now to have become a settled part of the English Office, and not requiring any longer an external authority. "Ad bene dictionem sive consecrationem reginæ, dicetur ab episcopo ad ingressum ecclesiæ oratio. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fons etc." This Order generally corresponds, except in the shortness of its rubrics, with the text: and I shall mark the chief variations as we proceed. In the Order of K. Henry I., with which, generally, agrees the Winchester pontifical, this benediction is omitted altogether: whence we may conclude that it was introduced very shortly after his time: the earliest MS. in which I have seen it, being that cited above, Tiberius B. viij. It will be well, in this case as before, to give at once the whole arrangement at this date. A.D. 1100. Lastly, we have the very valuable and important order of K. Ethelred, which has a rubric at the beginning of somewhat greater length, and of no little interest. "Finit consecratio regis." See above, Note 54. "Quam sequitur consecratio reginæ, quæ propter honorificentiam ab episcopo sacri unguinis oleo super verticem perfundenda est, et in ecclesia coram optimatibus cum condigno honore et regia celsitudine, in regalis thori consortium, benedicenda et consecranda est; quæ etiam annulo pro integritate fidei, et corona pro æternitatis gloria decoranda est. Incipit consecratio regina: ab episcopo dicenda est: In nomine Patris etc. Oratio. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, affluentem. Hic detur ei annulus. Accipe annulum. Alia. Deus cujus est. Hic coronetur. Accipe coronam. Alia. Omnium, Do "Benedictio reginæ quæ ab episcopo in ecclesia, coram optimatibus, ante altare facienda est. Oratio. Deus qui solus habes. Hic effundatur oleum sanctum super verticem ejus in modum crucis, dicente episcopo: mine, fons bonorum.” In nomine Patris. etc. Sequatur 68 Quæ quidem regina induta erit tunica, et cyclade cum fimbria longa et defluenti; quæ quidem tunica et cyclas unius erunt coloris, videlicet purpurei, et unius texturæ, sine opere aliquo alio artificiali desuper intexto: capite nudato, laxatos circa humeros decenter habens crines, gestabit circulum aureum gemmis ornatum, ut honestius crines capiti ejus constringantur. Hanc sic ornatam præcedet rex regalibus suis indutus, si præsens esse placuerit, tunc subsequentur duo magnates, quorum primus præcedens portabit sceptrum reginæ. Alius vero reginæ portabit coronam, quos subsequetur regina, quam reverenter hinc inde sustentabunt duo episcopi ad hoc per regem assignati: et ibi erunt barones quinque portuum,69 qui pannum sericum quadratum ac purpureum, qui alias umbraculum nomi 68 66 Vestis undique 63" Cyclas. est muliebris tenuissima et ro- auro matica, et pretiosissimi operis, quam sub mantello ferebat, etiam auro texto induta. Cosmas Pragensis an. 1086. Et imposuit diadema super caput ipsius, et ejus conjugis cyclade regia amictæ." Ducange, in verb. 69" These barons' are the Free men of the ports, and the number deputed by each of the towns is as follows:-for Hastings, 3; Dover, 2; Hithe, 2; Rye, 2; Sandwich, 3; Romney, 2; Winchelsea, 2; the same with either canopy." Taylor's Glory of Regality. p. 139. "the The same writer says, claim of the cinque-ports is founded on a prescriptive right, recognized by the charter of King Charles II., in which considera natur, quatuor hastis deargentatis sustentatum, cum quatuor campanellis argenteis, et deauratis, ultra regem incedentem quocunque ierit gestabunt. Ad quamlibet hastam quatuor assignati, per diversitatem portuum, ne videatur portus portui præferri. Eodem modo ultra reginam coronandam a totidem baronibus portabitur pannus consimilis, cum totidem hastis et campanellis aliis consimilibus. Pannum vero stragulatum prosternendum sub tion is had' of 'the most pleasing and acceptable service which the barons of the Cinque Ports and of the antient towns aforesaid have performed and paid to us at our inauguration to the crown of this our kingdom of England, according as in times past they did and were bound to do, to our progenitors the kings and queens of England at their respective coronations, the time of the contrary being never remembered to have been."" Great and antient charter of the Cinque-Ports. 12mo. 1682. p. 68. The barons are said to have carried the "umbraculum" at the coronation of K. Kichard I.: Matthew Paris speaks of them at the coronation of Henry III."Custodibus vero quinque portuum, pallam super regem cum quatuor hastis supportantibus; quod tamen tunc scrupulo contentionis penitus non carebat." carebat." Hist. Angl. p. 355. Whence we may conclude that they then proved their right. I shall only 70 pe quote further from Holinshed's Chronicle, in the account of the coronation of Henry VIII. and Katherine of Arragon: "this noble prince with his queene at time convenient, under their canopies borne by the barons of the five ports, went from the said palace to Westminster Abbaie upon cloth, called vulgarly cloth of raie; the which cloth was cut and spoiled by the rude and common people, immediately after their repaire into the abbaie." Vol. 3. p. 801. Henry de Knyghton states, that the privileges of the cinqueports were first granted to them by K. John, on condition of their providing at all times, upon reasonable notice, ships for him to pass over into Normandy, or elsewhere: "Causa cujus dotationis adhuc clamant liberiores esse præ cæteris portubus omnibus regni Angliæ." Chronica. Hist. Angl. Script. Tom. 2. col. 2424. 70 66 Stragulatus pannus; di dibus regis et reginæ, incedentium ab aula vel camera sua usque in pulpitum," sterni faciat qui habet officium eleemosynariæ regiæ et regum et reginarum coronationibus ab antiquo. Pars autem panni illius quæ est in ecclesia semper cedet in usus sacristæ loci, et reliqua pars tota extra ecclesiam distribuetur pauperibus per manus dicti eleemosynarii. Hiis sic ordinatis et dispositis, regem et reginam processionaliter in ecclesiam ducant: ad cujus ecclesiæ introitum, ab archiepiscopo vel episcopo reginam coronaturo, dicetur super eandem reginam hæc oratio: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fons et origo totius bonitatis, qui feminei sexus fragilitatem nequaquam reprobando avertis, sed dignanter comprobando potius eligis, et qui infirma mundi eligendo fortia quæque confundere decrevisti, quique in gloriæ virtutisque tuæ triumphum in manu Judith feminæ olim Judaicæ plebi de hoste sævissimo designare voluisti, respice quæsumus ad preces humilitatis nostræ, et super hanc famulam tuam, quam supplici devotione in reginam eligimus, benedictionum tuarum dona multiplica, eamque dextera tuæ pietatis semper et ubique circumda, sitque umbone tui muneris undique firmiter protecta, quatenus visibilis hostis nequitias triumphaliter expugnare valeat, et una cum Sara atque Rebecca, Lya, Rachele, beatisque reverendis feminabus, fructu uteri sui fœcundari seu gratulari mereatur, ad decorem verso colore variatus. Chart. an. opere facta." Ducange: Glossarium. This, in short, was the "cloth of raie" of Holinshed, in the place cited in the preceding note. 71❝Infra ecclesiam Westm." Liber Regalis. |