The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-28 00:00:00

RICHARD I.

Duke Richard, having made all necessary
preparations for his coronation, came to Lon-
don, where he assembled the archbishops of
Canterbury, Rouen, and Tours, who had given
him absolution in Normandy for waging war
against his father after he had taken the cross
as a crusader. First, the archbishops, bishops,
abbots, and clergy, wearing their square
caps, and preceded by the cross and holy
water bearers and deacons burning incense,
went to the door of the royal bed-chamber,
and led the duke in solemn procession to the
great altar in the church of Westminster.
When they reached the altar, Richard swore,
in the presence of the clergy and people on
the holy Gospel and the sacred relics, that
he would observe peace, honour, and respect,
all the days of his life, to God, holy .church,
and its ordinances. His attendants then stripped
him to his trousers and shirt, the latter of
which was left open between the shoulders
on account of the anointing. Baldwin arch-
bishop of Canterbury, who wore rich buskins
of cloth of gold, then anointed the king in
three places, on the head, between the shoulders,
and on the right arm. A consecrated linen
coif and a cap of estate were then placed upon
his head, and he was vested with the royal
robes, the dalmatic, and the tunic the arch-
bishop then delivered him a sward, to restrain
the enemies of the church. Two earls then
buckled on his spurs, and invested him with the
pall of state. After which Baldwin conjured
him in the name of God, and forbade him to
take the crown, unless he were firmly resolved
in his heart and soul to observe all the promises
to which he had sworn.

The festivities were sullied by a sanguinary
and disgraceful riot. Numbers of Jews had
flocked to England in the reign of Henry 11.,
where they were honourably protected by that
liberal and enlightened sovereign. Grateful
for such unusual favours, they assembled at
London to subscribe among themselves, in
order to make Richard a splendid present on
the day of his coronation. Unfortunately
Richard was persuaded by some of the bigots
who surrounded him that the Jews were accus-
tomed to practise magic on sovereigns during
the time of the coronation, and he therefore
issued an edict, prohibiting any Jew from en-
tering the church while the ceremony was per-
formed, or appearing at the palace during din-
ner. Curiosity overcame prudence ; several of
the most considerable Jews mingled with the
crowd, and gathered round the gates of the
palace. One of them, endeavouring to force an
t4lltralll;e, was struck in the face by an over-zeal-

ous Christian ; this signal roused the fanaticism
of the multitude : a general assault was made
upon the Jews, who fled in confusion towards
the city. Some wretches, eager for plunder,
raised a cry that the king had given orders for
the extermination of the unbelieving Jews ;
and, as this was by no means improbable,
when the king was a crusader, it received im-
plicit credit. The city mob, swelled by the
multitudes who had come from the country,
attacked the houses of the Jews, which the
inhabitants defended with great courage and
obstinacy. The enraged populace, when night
came on, finding that they could not break into
the houses, hurled brands and torches on the
roofs and through the windows. Conflagra-
tions burst forth in various parts of the city,
which consumed not only the houses of the
Jews, but those of the Christians adjoining.
Richard caused several of the ringleaders and
most notorious malefactors to be apprehended
the next day; they were hanged as a terror to
others, a proclamation was issued taking the
Jews under the royal protection, and the tran-
quillity of the city was restored.