The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-30 00:00:00

CORONATION OF THE E.VPEROR OF RILYSIA.

I,From the Emile, dated :MondMoay
Low, A
co.
4.
in the Cathedral of fluspenskoi (the Assumption), in the Kroh.
lin, the Coronation will ta:ee place. This church i very small, like
all the other churches in Russia, where the rigour of the chrome
does not permit great dimensions ; it is ewirely decorated with paint-
ings and images, enriched with gold, silver, and precious stones.
Its vault is supported by four columns, likewise painted from their
base to the cornices ; and between these column, has been con-
structed a pla'fortn, raised twelve steps, on which are erected the
thrones of the Emperor and the Empress. This erimitructon Gm.
pies almost three-quarters of the church, and all mound ate emu
',fished circular galleries reserved for the foreign Ministers, and
for the persons of the Conn who are not called by their offices to
take part in the ceremony. All the decoration of the church is of
crimson velvet and gold, and under the canopy placed above the
imperial throne arc drawn the arms of the empire, surrnurded by
those of Kit fl; of Wladiudr, of K:aan, of Asuman, of Siberia, sap
, of Tattrk.

On the eve of the day fixed for the coronation prayers shall ha
offered up In all the churches of the :icy for the Imperial Family;
and their Majesties, as well as the whole Imperial Family, will at.
tend the service in the church of the Saviour.
Lorin three days the solemnity will be proclaimed in the • coy
by a General, two Grand Masters, and four Masters of the Core.
monies, two Ilcralds at Arms, and two Secretaries of the Senate,
escorted by two squadrons of the guard, and employed to make the
following proclamation
" Our very august, v Lry high, and very puissant Lord, the Em.
peror Nicholas having ascended the paternal and her.
dimity throne of all the Hussies, after the example of the orthodox
sovereigns, hie almost ancestors, has deigned to order that
the Coronation of his Imperial Majesty, as well as Lis con.
serration, shall take place, by the assistance of the Almighty,
un the 29th of August, when his Illaktity will cause to
participate in Vli4 holy ceremony his august spouse the
Empress Alernedri Fetylorowna. This solemn act is announced
by theyx to nil 11;,, riithful subjects, that on that happy day
they may redouble tie fervour of their prayers to the ICing of
that he may suet:, by his omnipotence. his grace and benediction on
the reign of his 31ajesty ; and that during its continuance he may
maintain it in peace and tranquillity, to the glory of his holy name,
and for the immoveable prosperity of the empire.,
The third day two Masters of the Ceremonies, in state carriages,
will proceed to the houses of the Ambassadors and Foreign Minis.
ters. and announce to them the day, the hour, and the place, fixed
for dlr. cerement'.
This date is not yet officially communicated ; it is generally be.
lievcd that it will be the lthh of August (old style), or the 21bh of
ours. It was at first said to be the Ilth, but on the Ist, the fast of the
Assumption commences, which lases a fortnight. This is one of
the grantl solemnities of the Greek Church ; and as it is customary
that the cironation should be followed by a grand dinner, at which
the Emperor eats in public, it was necessary to postpone the
ceremony till alter the season of abstioeoce, which is rigorously
l observed.

The following is the programme of the ceremonial, and of the
rites observed in the consecration and coronation, as it has !tidy
been published :
" I lie Metropolitan of Nevgoro 1, First Member of the Hedy
Synod, commencesehe ceremony of the consecration, according to
custom.
" After the lesson of the Holy Evangelists, the Emperor orders
the Imperial ornaments of the coronation to he presented to hian
placed on a table near the throne, and the Metropolitan, assisted
by other persons, brings first, upon a cushion, the imperial
mantle, with which his Majesty invests himself while the prayers
of the day are reciting.
" These prayers being ended, the Emperor demands the imperial
crown. The person destined for that service takes it from the
table, and hands it to the Metropolitan, who presents it to the Ern.
peror upon a cushion.
" His Imperial Majesty, taking it from the hands of the Metro-
politan, places it upon his head, and during that time the Metropo-
titan addresses the usual speech according to the ritual.
" The Emperor demands the sceptre and the globe, which are
likewise presented to him by the Metropolitan, who recites the ap-
pointed prayer. and pronounces the address according to the ritual.
His Imperial Majesty having taken the sceptre in his right hand,
and the globe in his left, places himself upon his throne.
" The Emperor they lays down the Imperial ornaments on
cushions, held by the proper officer+, calls to him her Imperial Ma.
j"t7'
and taking the crown from off his head, places it upon that of
the Emprees, and then replaces it upon his own.
" The little crown is then brought, which the Emperor places
upon the head of the Empress, and four maids of honour approach
to fie it upon the head of her Majesty.
" They then present to the Emperor the Imperial mantle and
collar of the Order of St. Andrew, for the purpose of investing the
Empress with them ; and the maids of honour approach to :ie the
mantle and the collar.
" Then the Emperor resumes the ornaments which he had placed
upon the cushions.
The Archdeacon proclaims all the titles of his Majesty, and
sings the verse bumble rut ura far irnperatorem, which the choir
repeats three times. At the same instant the bells of all the
churches begin to ring; and at a signal given, a salute of 100 dis-
charges of cannon from the batteries in the square, on the towers
and the bastions of the Kremlin. While they chant the Durreirtc
Wilful far inrprrah».cra, the clergy and all the persons present at
the ceremony present their congratulations to his Majesty, by
making three reverences, without leaving their places.
" Immediately after, and when the ringing of the bells and the
reports of the artillery have ceased to be heard, his Majesty arising
upon his throne, and having delivered the sceptre anti the globe
into the hands of the persons who carried them in the solemn pro.
cession, falls upon his knees to read the prayer usual on this occa.
sion, in the book presented to him by the Metropolitan. As soon
as his Majesty has finished the prayer, the Metropolitan and all
persons present kneel, and address their prayers to heaven.
During this time his Majesty stands up.
" The prayers being ended, the Metropolitan pronounces, in a
few words, a discourse ; and the singers chant Te Delon, while
the bells again begin to ring. After the Te Ileum commences the
Mass. At the commencement of the Mass his Majesty takes the
crown from his head. and hands it to the persons who brought it,
in order to be resumed at the end of the service.
" Before singing the canon of the Mass, the Vice-Governor of
the city, attended by two officers, with the rank of Colonel, spreads
on the passage of the Emperur, from the throne to the altar, a
carpet of crimson velvet, bordered with gold tissue, and near the
door of the sanctuary ; above the velvet a carpet of cloth of gold.
" After the canon of the Mass, when the officiating archbishops,
and the rest of the clergy, have communicated in the sanctuary,
and its doors are thrown open, two bishops, attended by archdeacons,
advance from the altar towards his Majesty, to announce to him the
moment of consecration. Immediately, the Emperor, in the Sin-
' perish mantle, and followed by the Empress, descends from the
throne, and proceeds to the door of the sanctuary. Their Imperial
Majesties are preceded by Grand Masten of the Ceremonies ap-
' pointed to superintend the coronation, the Marshals of the Ccurr.
and the euperintendieg Marshal of the Coronation, in the same
oilier as in the solemn march of the procession. On the same forte
walk likewise the persons who had carried the sceptre and the ho-
pe:Ml globe. The attertiants of their Imperial Majesties, and the
two chief officers of the horse-gnarls walk, beside their, Majestic,.
AU these persons halt at the door of the sanctuary when the Em-
peror reaches it. The train of the Imperial mantle is borne by
, the persons who brought it to the charch.
" The Emperor places himself on the carpet of the cloth of gold
at the entry of the sanctuary, at a little distance from which he
stops. The crown, the &centre, and the globe, are held on cushions
till after the consecration and communion by the same person who
have previously borne them.
" The Metropolitan of Novgorod, holding the golden vase des-
tined to the consecration. and which contains the holy cream, dips
in it a golden bough, made for the purpose, to anoint with it the
forehead, the eyebrows, the nostrils, the lips, the ears, and the breast
of his Majesty, as likewise the palm and the upper parts of his
hand*, saying " !wreath, dud apiriltss :aura." Eugene, Metro-
politan of Kieff. charged to wipe the anointed parts, the traces of
t',e holy unction, approaches his Majesty to micros this duty.
The ceremony of the consecration being ended, the bells again begin
to ring, and the cannon fire a salute of 100 discharges.
" Der Imperial Msjesty, the Empress, dim places herself upon
the sante carpet of gold brocade, and the Alcirapolitan adminlstss
to her the unction of the holy errant, but only on her forehead.
The traces of the holy unction are wiped by the Archbishop of
Mossow.
" The Metmpolitan leads the Emperor by the door of the
sanctuary, where his Majesty stops on the golden carpet before the
holy table, and the Alestopolitan presents him with the holy eon-
munion in two kinds, according to the order established by the
imperial prerogative • another Archbishop then presents to bet
Majesty the consecrated bread and wine ; and a third the water far
ablution. Atter having communicated, the Emperor returns to lie
place, and the imperial momenta are carried before him. Tteo
the Empress approaches the door of the sanctuary ; and, after
having taken the communion in the ordinary way, mooed, to te-
juin the Emperor.
" The Emperor, accompanied by the Empress, reamnd. his
throne, where their Imperial Majesties remain till the end of the
Mass. The petsons who have carried the imperial otnaments
re-
stone the placate which they had previously occupied.
RETVIIN OF THEIR IMPERIAL MAJESTIES iirrica vas