The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-20 00:00:00

THE CORONATION.

Amid the ringing of bells and the shouts of the populace
the young Emperor and his Empress reach the entrance
of the church. And now they detach themselves from the
crowd of officials about them, and, passing along the gor-
geous screen that separates the chancel from the church,
they fall on their knees before the images of the saints,,
kiss with fervent reverence the sacred relics, and offer up
silent prayers to Heaven. Let the perfect grace and
earnestness with which the young Empress performs these.
acts be noted. She is richly attired in a white robe, studded
with the finest jewels, but her head is adorned only by
he: luxuriant hair, without a single ornament. Her right
hand is ungloved, and with this she repeatedly crosses her-
self as she performs her religious offices, not mechani-
cally, as if going through pia of a prescribed ceremony,
but fervently, religiously, and with the grace of perfect
womanhood. And now the Eniper r, followed by his
Empress, mounts the platform of the throne, and repeats
from a book delivered to him by the Archbishop of Mos-
cow the confession of his Christian faith. He then receives
the benediction of the Archbishop, and suddenly the choir,
which has hitherto preserved silence, bursts out in psalms
and praise to God, and the holy building vibrates with the
ring of their harmonious voices. There is no note of
organ nor sound of other instrument. The singers, ad-
mirably organised, and chanting with astonishing power
and precision, need no support; the pbtintive soprano.
voices of the boys rise clear and distinct above the deep
tones of the rich hassm, and the sustained harmony,
solemn and affecting, throbs through the holy building. But
already the Imperial mantle of silver and ermine, richly
studded with gems, is in the hands of the Arcbbisnep, who
proceeds to clasp it round the shoulders of his Majesty.
Next follows the great crown, which is placed by the 8:313e
hands on the Imperial head, reverently bent to receive it;
and the sceptre and globe are then delivered to his Ma-
jesty, who, invested with these royal insignia, seats himself
on the throne. The Empress now approaches with a meek
yet dignified air, and falls on her knees before the Emperor.
His Majesty, lifting the crown from his own head, touches
with it that of the Empress, and again sets it on his own
brows. A lesser crown is then brought, which the Emperor
places on the head of the Empress, where it is property
adjusted by the Mistress of the Robes, and his Majesty,
having invested the Empress with the Imperial animate,
draws her towards him and tenderly embraces her. This
is the signal for the whole Imperial family, with the
fireign princes, to approach and congratulate their A 1 ales-
ties, and nothing can be more touching than the spectacle,
from the evident earnestness with which embraces (which
are indeed the expression of the deep and cordial love
which binds in one common bond of tenderness all the
members of the Imperial family) are received and re-
turned. Oh ! for that touch of nature which makes the
whole world kin ! How electric is its effect. Here, in the
midst of a ceremony necessarily stiff and formal, there is
suddenly on the part of the principal performers a genuine
outburst of natural feeling, and mark its effect—there is
scarcely a dry eye among the masses crowded in tile
church, while the feeble frame of the Empress Mother
totters with outstretched arms towards the Imperial sun,
and passionately clasps and holds him in a long embrace;
and tears and smiles mingle together as the little Grand
Dukes are seen to clamber up to the side of their father
and uncle, who has to stoop low in order to reach the
little faces which asked to be kissed. But the most im-
portant and solemn part of the ceremony has now to be
performed, and there is a general stillness in the church as
the Emperor descends from his throne, and proceeds to
the entrance of the chancel. He is met there by the
Archbishop of Moscow, who holds iu his hands the sacred
vessel which contains the holy oil. Stretching fin-1h his
right hand, the venerable father takes a golden branch,

SEPT. 20, 1856.

with which, having dipped it in the consecrated oil, he
anoints the forehead, eyelids, nostrils, ears, hands, arid
breast of the Emperor, pronouncing the solemn words,
impres4io doni Spiritus Sancti." The act is done, and
Russian eyes look with awe upon the Anointed of God,
the Delegate of His power, the High Priest of his Church,
at once Emperor and Patriarch, consecrated and installed
in his high temporal and spiritual otlice.—M.
The Sacrament was then administered, and at the
conclusion of the service the Emperor rose from his
throne and retired from the church, followed by the
Empress and Empress Mother, and presented him-
self to his people. In the rear of the Emperor
walked