The Sun.
London, England, 1831-09-09 00:00:00

THE CHOIR.

The arrangements in the interior of the choir presented
a scene of solemn splendour', which peculiarly harmonized
with the occasion. The doors were not opened till five
o'clock,an hour not far advanced enough at this selson
of the year to render objects clearly disc';:rnible, and, as a
dice religious light" broke through the rich Gothic win-
dows directly over the altar, the effect was sublimely grand
and interesting. Among the official personages of distinction
who attended at this early hour was the Lord Chief Justice
of the Court of King's Bench, who entered leaning on the
arm of Mr. Serjeant Pell, and bearing in hie hand his
coronet, as a Peer of the realm. nil
ordship seated
himself is a small angular recess immediately in front of
the altar and back of the throne. Mr. Justice Gaselee,
L
Mr. Justice Bosanquet, Mr. Justice Pattison, and Sir
William Horne (the Solicitor-General), followed shortly
afterwards, and took their seats in a compartment close to
Lord Tentetden, Here also several naval and military

officers of rank stationed themselves as they continued to
arrive in succession. The galleries on both sides were
quickly occupied in every part. The assemblage of ladies
was exceedingly numerous. They were well attired in
the most elegant and costly manner, and wherever the eye
turned it lighted upon a splendid display of nodding plumes
and sparkling brilliants. But by far the most interesting
object in the fair host of fashion and beauty was the
young Marchioness of Hastings. She was dressed in a
rich robe of crimson velvet, with a long train, which was
supported by a page. In advancing towards her seat her
Ladyship leant on the arm of the Marquis, and car-
ried a coronet in her hand. The long line of vaultings
all round the body of the choir and in the transepts was
thronged in every part with spectators, both male and fe-
male, and with every fresh accession of visiters, diversified
in costume, rank, statioo, and display, the coup dcril was
heightened to a degree which called forth the admiration of
each beholder. That part of the choir technically called
the theatre was grand and gorgeous in the extreme. Their
Majesties' thrones, resting on an elevated dais, covered
with splendid cloth of gold, formed a conspicuous feature
in the magnificent scene ; and corresponding with it in
richness of effect was the altar, on which was now laid a
ttreat quantity of tnassve communion plate. About seven
o'clock the persons composing her Majesty's private band,
together with a vast number of choristers, ranged themselves
along in front of the organ, headed by the Minor Canons
of the Cathedral, and under the direction of Sir George
Smart. To particularise the number of Peers who, with
their Ladies, now continued to arrive almost without in-
mission, would be only to go over the greater portion of
English, Irish, and Scotch titles. The Judges already
named were by this time joined by all the remaining number
of their Learned Brothers, and the benches on which they
sat very soon became particularly remarkable for the
strange admixture they presented of civil, military, and
naval professions;—Judges congregated with Generals;
City Aldermen found themselves in close proximity with
Admirals ; while Physicians, Surgeons, Colonels, and
Majors, were mingled together without any regard to order
or precedence.
At a few minutes after eight o'clock the Duchess of
St. Alban's presented herself, blazing with brilliants, and
having the upper part of her crimson robe surmounted
with a rigid circlet of gold lace. The Lord Mayor, on
being conducted to his scat, was familiarly addressed by
several Peers, who shook him cordially by the hand, con-
gratulating him on his recent elevation to the Baronetage.
At nine o'clock the elevated benches, rising to a consi-
derable height above the altar, and which were exclusively
appropriated to the accommodation of the Members of tke
House of Commons, served to give a distinctive character
of solid and imposing grandeur to the whole array. Such
of the Members as were military men, or belonged to mi-
litia regiments, appeared in uniform, and all the others wore
full Court dresses. It was observed that those who were
habited a la militaire formed a very large proportion
of the whole body. At twenty minutes past nine the
Speaker took his seat at the head of the Legislative Body,
attended by the Serjeaut-at-Arms and the other officers of
the House. In the long list of the distinguished foreigners
who attracted public attention in a particular degree, by
far the most conspicuous, as well as most important per-
sonage, was Prince Talleyrand. He was accompanied by
his niece, the Duchess of Dino, and feebly dragged on his
tottering frame to the gallery where the other members of
the diplomatic corps were seated. Shortly after this cele-
brated functionary had made his appearance the Duke of
Wellington came in, looking in excellent spirits, for he
smiled and talked as he passed along, and then entered into
close conversation with his former political opponent, the
Earl of Faltnouth. Hitherto the Duchess of St. Alban's
was allowed to have no rival in the profusion and costliness
of sparkling gems which she exhibited to the general
gaze; but two fair competitors now presented themselves
in turn, and each completely eclipsed Ler— still less, per-
haps, in display than in refined and tasteful embellishment.
The Marchioness of Londonderry and the Lady of Viscount
Stafford might equally claim the palm for a model of ex-
quisite attire ; and it was universally allowed by the ladies,
who, it must be admitted, are the best judges of such
matters, that their triumph over her Grace of St. Alban's
was decisive and absolute.

(ANOTHER ♦CCOUNT.)
THE AREA WITHIN THE CHOIR

This, of course, formed by far the gayest and the mos
interesting part of the Abbey, as the whole of the ceremony
of the Coronation, with the exception of the processions to
and fro, was performed in it. Tickets being admissible as
early as four o'clock in the morning, the company began to
arrive even before that time, and on the opening of the
.doors, the front seat in all those parts of the choir, which
were not set apart for the reception of those who attended,
either [officially, or as a right, were speedily engaged.
Amongst the earliest official arrivals, were those of the
Judges and the Bishops, who were at their post by five
o'clock. From that hour, up till ten o'clock, the company
flocked in, till at length the upper and lower galleries, as
well as the nunneries, which had galleries erected in front
of them, were nearly filled and although full Court dress
was not required as a necessary prelude to admission, the
costume was sufficiently gay and lively to be in character
with the occrsion. Between eight and nine o'clock the
Peers and peeresses began to arrive very fast, and the effect
produced by their rich robes sweeping along the floor of the
choir was very striking. About half-past nine the Members
of the House of Commons entered the I,ortian of the choir
which was set apart for their reception I the first who en-
tered were Mr. Hume and the Members for London, and the
others quickly followed, in the order in which their turn had
been decided in the House by lot : the Speaker, in his full
robes of office, entered the last, and took his seat in the
chair which had been prepared fee hirp, after which the
Serjeant at Arms laid the mace of the House on a cushion
before him : on the whole we should think that there were
about 400 Members present. Amongst the body, one of
those who attracted the most attention was Henry Hunt,
Esq., the Hon. Member for preston, who looked delight-
fully gay in a brown court suit, with bag, sword, and
cocked hat to match. When the Members of the House
had taken their places, their box (if it may he so called),
afforded one of the most picturesque portions of the whole
spectacle ; for though the Leer;; and 1-aeeresses, when seated,
presented a richer and more gorgeous coup dceil, there was
a want of variety in it that took away from the interest ;
while, on the contrary, the want of uniformity in the cos-
tume of the Members of the Lower Hoos?, —,tome Wing in
Court drer;ser, and otirert in various military and naval
uniforms—gave a diversity to their appearance that made
the seats they occupied look as if they were spangled with
a hundred different colours : and this effect was still fair,
ther heightened, when, later in the day, a number of
ladies were acconamo4ate,i with places on the back benches.
!-41,e gr_eat anxiety of those admitted to the choir had
been to obtain tickets for either the lower or the upper
galleries, which were erected on either side ; and Vie con-
sequence was, that these z,raileries were considerably
crowded, while only those who had been fortunate enough
to obtain front places, had an undisturbed view of the
ceremonies that took place in the choir. Bet, in fact,
those who had tickets to the gallery set of from the vault-
ing@ or nunneries, and were even in a still better situation
than those who were in the front of tire under galleries
because, although it is true that they we-ra further re-
moved from tim level on whicl the ceremony took place,
yet the view they hall of it was much less interrupted,
besides which, those who took up their stations immedi-
ately over the organ had the additional advantage of c.i.ra-
rnanding at one moment a prospect of the nave as well as
tire choir, which ;:aft of any of the under galleries could
any possibility afiord ; another reason in favour of the
vaultings was, that instead of being confined to one spot,
as was the case with those who were in the galleries,
there was full liberty to wander about, to that at one 1113-
ment you were enablcd to command a view of the Veers'
transept, at another of the Peeresses' transept, and at a
third of the throne; the ;hair of King Edward, the altar,
and the Members of the House of Commons.
It is very evident that that these advantages, which we
have described as belonging exclusively to the vaultinga,
were not generally known, for they were emptiest por-
tions of the choir asd, indeed; we should think there
il'ust have been come misapprehension as to the numbers
that they were calculated to accommodate, for there was
certainly room in them for four or five hundred more ner,':
sons than obtained admission; though it must he cenfeasA
that some who did obtain that privilege were not in a garb
very well suited to do hcrinar to the Coronation of a King
of I:ngind
jay ten o'clock all the arrivals, (with the exception of the
Royal Procession) were complete; and the choir; with tim.;.
exception of the middle space, which vt'cs reseiared for the
cei, roonial about to be rerfo;ineti, was filled to excess. At
the egireMe eastern end''were the Members of the House of
Commons ; in the transepts to the north and south, the
Peers and Peereses, and those who were admitted with
Peers' tickets ; while in the western portion that led up to
time Theatre and Altar was a strange and motley mixture
of Bishop's, Judges, General Officers, Law Officers, &c.,
ail of whom were anxious to have an opportunity of shout-
ing, Long live Ting William and Queen Adelaide."
lorwer etosetahteed;iinghttireQgretlolertihees,ireinft:llaefsrtaitribetyo
iito'vf,e)
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either
should find that their place was "curtailed of its fair pro-
portion," the long period from five o'clock till eleven must,
no doubt, have appeared tedious ; but in the vaultinga, the
capability, which we have already mentioned, of shifting
1 another, afforded front one position to anded a constant succession
1

of fresh scenes, all of which were sufficient to interest
and please ; so that the hours which below were dragging
on so wearily, slipped by above scarcely perceived.

THE HOMAGE.

The Archbishop ro•e and kissed his Majesty on the left
cheek, and touched the Crown with his right hand, and
after him the rest of the Bishops present did ►he like, and
retired in their respective seniorities, with the exception of
the Bishop of London, who kissed his Majesty on both
cheeks, and thus, by a superabundant display of loyalty,
gave occasion to much laughter.