or in the historians, (in the first exactly, in the last in general terms) we can trace the oath and its successive changes, from the time of K. Ethelred, to the present day. The promises and oath of William the Conqueror, are thus related. In the chronicle of Walter Hemingford: " Requisitus Eborum archiepiscopus ad tuenda, conservandaque jura et privilegia ecclesiastica eum solemniter sacramentis astrinxit." 20 More fully, by Hoveden: "-consecratus est honorifice, sed prius, ut idem archipræsul ab eo exigebat, ante altare S. Petri coram clero et populo, jurejurando promittens se velle sanctas Dei ecclesias, ac rectores earum defendere, necnon et cunctum populum sibi subjectum juste, ac regali providentia regere, rectam legem statuere, et tenere, rapinas injustaque judicia penitus interdicere." £1 21 According to the modern Orders, it is expressly directed that the sovereign should sign the oath: and there is a remarkable passage in an epistle of Thomas a Becket to king Henry, which would seem to refer to a subscribed declaration or oath at his coronation. The archbishop is particularly alluding to that solemnity, and to the rite of unction. He reminds the king; "Inunguntur reges in capite, etiam pectore et brachiis, quod significat gloriam, sanctitatem, et fortitudinem.---Audiat, si placeat, dominus meus, consilium servi sui, commonitionem episcopi sui, castigationem patris sui, ne cum schismaticis habeat de cætero aliquam fami 20 Script. x. tom. 2. p. 457. 21 Edit. Savile. p. 258. Concerning William Rufus, see Eadmer, Lib. 1. an. 1087. Of Henry I. (whose "Ordo" will be often referred to below) Knyghton, de event. Angl. Script. xv. tom. 2. p. 2396. and Giraldus Cambrensis, de instr. Principum. Anglia Christiana, p. 43. liaritatem vel communionem, nec contrahat aliquid cum eis. Memoresque sitis professionis quam fecistis et posuistis scriptam super altare, de servanda ecclesiæ Dei libertate, quando in regem consecrati fuistis." And, a little before this time, Peter Damian has an observation, which will undoubtedly admit of an interpretation in support of the meaning, which the language of the archbishop appears to convey. He says, 'inaugurandum regem manu propria jurare libertatem ecclesiarum.' 66 23 Among the riches of the library of the British Museum is a manuscript, (Cotton, Tiberius A. ij.) of the highest interest. It contains a Latin version of the four Gospels: and the tradition is, that it originally belonged to K. Athelstan, and is the identical copy, upon which, for several centuries, the kings of England took the coronation-oath. A full account of the volume, with the evidence in its favour, has been ably drawn up and published by Mr. Holmes: I cannot say the proof is very satisfactory; but one fact is certain, that, in consequence of its renown at that time, and after some enquiry (we must conclude) into its history, this book was used at the coronation of Charles I.25 I think there is clear evidence, that in the 15th and 16th centuries, the coronation-oath was not taken, as perhaps very anciently, and now in modern days, only upon the Holy Evangelists. The English MS. Order, which I have before mentioned, thus directs. "Moreovir the kyng shall make his ooth, in his co 26 25 Ellis, Original Letters. vol. 1. p. 214. 26 See above, p. xxxiv, note 10. 666 ronacion vpon the sacrament of the auter, laide vpon the high awter of the chirche before the people." So the "Devyse" for Henry VIII. all these things and euery of theym, I, Henry, King of Englande, promytte and conferme to kepe and obserue, so helpe me God, and thise holy Euangelists by me bodily touched vppon this hooly awter.' And then the king shall ryse vp of his chayer, and by the seid bisshoppes of Exetour and Ely shall be ledde to the highe Aulter. Wher he shall make a solempne oth vppon the sacrament leyde vpon the same aulter, in the sight of all the people, to observe all the premisses.' And once more; in the order of the council, cited above, regarding the coronation of Edward VI., we find both "the sacrament" and "the book" mentioned. "Then shall the king rise out of his chair, and by them that before assisted him, be led to the high altar, where he shall make a solemn oath upon the sacrament, laid upon the said altar, in the sight of all the people, to observe the premisses; and laying his hand again on the book, shall say; etc." This royal oath, in whatever sense the reader may 27 Burnet: Hist. Reform. Records. Part II. Book. 1. No. 4. The reader will observe that the order of swearing is contrary to that appointed for Henry VIII. I shall place in a note some examples of the ancient oath, both of the king, and of the people and clergy. For the Anglosaxon version of K. Ethelred's oath I must refer the reader to the Cotton MS. B. xiij. in which it is extant, or to the preface to Hickes' Inst. Anglo-Saxonicæ, where it is printed. The French oath of K. Edward III. is as follows; from Rymer: "Petit. Volez vous graunter et gardez, et par vostre serment confirmer, au poeple d'Engleterre les leys et les custumes â eux grauntees par les aunciens roys d'Engleterre voz predecessours, droitures et devotz a Dieu, et nomeement les leys, les coutumes, et les franchises grauntez au cler choose to regard the term, must have been "a corporal oath." From the extracts below it will be seen "Petit. Sire, garderez vouz a Dieu et seint Eglise, et au clerge et au poeple, pees et acord en Dieu entierment, selonc vostre poair? "Respons. Jeo les garderai. "Petit. Sire, freez vous faire en touz voz jugements ovele et droit justice et discretion, en misericorde et verite, a vostre poair? "Respons. Jeo les frai. "Petit. Sire, grauntez vouz a tenir et garder les leys et les custumes dreitureles, les quiels la communaute de vostre roialme aura esleu, et les defendrez et afforterez al honure de Dieu, a vostre poair? "Respons. Jeo les graunte et promette." Fædera. tom. 2. pars. 2. p. 172. I extract also the form of the oath as it is appointed in English, to be taken, according to the "Devyse" for Henry VIII. And with this, generally, agrees the "Order" in the other English MS. 285. "The sermon ended, if any such be, the cardynall and the kyng that is to be corowned so sittyng as is abouesayd, the car dynall with an open and distincte voyce, shall aske the king vndre this forme: 'Will ye graunte and kepe to the people of England, the lawes and the custumes to theym, as of old tyme rightfull and deuoute kings graunted, and the same ratefye and conserue by your othe, and the spiritual lawes, custumes, and libertees graunted to the clergy and people by your noble predecessor and glorious kyng Seint Edward?' "The king shall answer, 'I graunte and promytte.' "And when the kyng before all the people hath promytted truly to graunte and kepe all the premysses, Then shall the seid cardynall open vnto hym the speciall Articles, whereunto the kyng shall be sworn: the same cardynall seyng as foloweth : 6 Ye shall kepe after your strength and power to the Church of God, to the clergy and the people, hoole pees and goodely concorde.' "The kyng shall aunswer: 'I shall kepe.' "Ye shall make to be done after your strength and power equall and rightfull justice in all your Domes and Jugements, and discrecion with mercy and trouthe. that the chief authorities all refer this "corporal oath" to the touching of the consecrated host, or the corporal within which it was placed.28 But in thus limit "The king shall answer: 'I shall do.' "Do ye graunte the rightfull lawes and custumes to be holden, and promytte after your strength and power such lawes, as to the honor of God shall be chosen by your people, by you to be strengthed and defended." kel as falleth to me for my temporaltees, I shall be obeissant: so help me God, and all his halwes. "Pour les serves, temporel. Homage. I become yowr liege man of lif and of leme, and erthely worship, feithe, and trowth, shall bere to yow, ayeins al maner of men y' may lieue and deye. So "The kyng shall aunswer: 'I help me God, and all his halwes.' graunte and promytte."" In the Cotton MS. Vespasian. C. xiv. is a copy of the oaths of fealty and homage to be taken by the spiritualty and temporalty of the realm; in French and English, of the latter end of the 14th century, the date of the Liber Regalis. I extract the English Form. "Pour les seigneurs espirituels. Foiaultee. 'I shall be trewe and feythefull, and feith and trowth shall bere to yow our liege lord, ye kyng of England, and to yowre heires, kynges of England, of erthely worship, for to leue and deye ayeins all maner folc, and * * shalle be entendant to yowr nedis aftir my connyng and power, and kepe your conseil, and trewly knowlech and do the seruices due of the temporaltees of my Bisshopricke or Abbaye of N, whiche I clayme for to hold of yow, and to yow and to your comaundements as my "Pour les Dames. Homage. 'I do yow homage, liege, and faith, trowth and erthely worship, y shall bere to yow, a fore all other creatures, for ye landes and tenements the whiche I clayme to hold of yow my liege lord. So help me God, and all his halwes.'" 28 Johnson (Todd's edition) cites Brand's popular antiquities. "The phrase corporal oath is supposed to have been derived_ not from the touching of the New Testament, or the bodily act of kissing it, but from the ancient use of touching the corporale, or cloth which covered the consecrated elements.” Richardson, in his very valuable dictionary, first cites Junius : "Corporale, quo Domini corpus, i, panem consecratum tegebant," and adds "corporal oath, from the custom of touching this corporal." |