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

•

House of Commons, mostly clad in military uniforms. The
coup d'cil afforded to the spectators, from either end of the
choir, at this time must have gratified even those who re-
collect the excellence of the grouping at this part of the
Coronation of his late Majesty.

THE RECOGNITION.
As soon as the anthem was concluded, the Archbishop
of Canterbury, accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, the
Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord High Con-
stable, and the Earl Marshal, these noble personages being
preceded by Garter, advanced towards the east side of the
theatre. From this position the Archbishop made the re-
cognition in the following words :
" Sirs,—l here present unto you King William IV., the right-
ful inheritor of the Crown of this realm : wherefore all ye that
are come this day to do your homage, service, and hound duty,
are ye willing to do the same ?"
The reply to this demand, which was delivered with great
solemnity of manner, and in a clear and distinct tone, was
a general and hearty acclamation of " God save King WU-

lirm the Fourth."
The Archbishop and his noble colleagues in this cere-
mony repeated the recognition from points of the south,
west, and north sides of the theatre, and at each repeti-
tion the reply was still, " God save William the Fourth."
The King acknowledged his people's recognition with re-
peated bows, and at the last recognition there was a
flourish of trumpets. The King's scholars of Westmin-
ster School, who were placed in the corner of the lower
gallery, at the south side of the Abbey, and near the organ
loft, immediately made a short Latin recitation, under the
direction of one of their masters, which concluded with a
shout of " Vivant Rex et Regina."
Then followed another Anthem, taken from Psalm xxi.
ver. 1-6 : " The King shall rejoice in thy strength, 0
Lord," which was sung by the choir ; their Majesties being
in the mean time seated in their chairs of state.
On the words " God save the King" being uttered, all
the Peeresses curtsied in obeisance. At this moment one

of the Ladies of Honour handed a sealed letter to the
Duchess of St. Albans, and the circumstance excited a
great deal of curious interest among all those who witnessed
it. Her Grace did not open the letter, hut continued in •
tent on the proceedings that were going forward.
THE OFFERING.
While their Majesties were thus reposing on their chairs
of state, the altar and the approaches thereto were pre-
pared for the solemnity of the " Offering."
The Bible, the Patina, and the Chalice were placed
upon the altar by the Bishops who had borne them in th•

Royal procession.
Upon the steps of the altar the officers of the wardrobe
spread a cloth of gold of costly richness, which extended
over the spare immediately adjoining the altar. The
officers of the wardrobe also placed upon this cloth of
gold two cushions of splendid workmanship for their Ma-

jesties to kneel upon.
The Archbishop of Canterbury then arrayed himsel
in his cope, and the Bishops who were appointed to the
duty of reading the Litany also vested themselves in
their copes.
These preparations being completed, the King, attended
by two Bishops as his supporters, and preceded by the
Dean of Westminster, and by the great Officers and
Noblemen, bearing the Regalia and the Four Swords,
proceeded towards the Altar. Here his Majesty, un-
covered and kneeling, reverently made his offerings.
The King's offerings were two in number. The first
was a pall, or altar-covering, of cloth of gold, which,
having been provided by the Master of the Great Ward-
robe, was delivered by an officer of the Wardrobe to the
Lord Great Chamberlain, win, handing to it the King, his
Majesty placed it in the hands of the Archbishop of Can-
terbury. The Right Rev. Prelate placed the costly gift
upon the altar. The King's second offering was an Ingot
of Gold, of the purest metal, and weighing one pound in
troy weight. This had been provided by the Treasurer
of the Household, and was delivered by him to the King,
who placed it in the bands of the Archbishop of Can-
terbury. The Right Rev. Prelate put the ingot into the
oblation-basin.
The Queen's r ffering was a pall of gold cloth, similar to
that of the King, and her Majesty presented it with the same
formalities as the King had presented his, kneeling all the
while on a-cushion to the left hand of her Royal consort.
Their Majesties continuing to kneel before the altar, the
following prayer was offered up by the Archbishop of Can-
terbury :---
" 0 God, who dwellest in the high and holy place, with them
also who are of an humble spirit, look down mercifully upon these
thy servants, William our King and Adelaide our Queen, here
humbling themselves before thee at thy footstool, and graciously
receive these oblations, which, in hutnble acknowledgment of thy
sovereignty over all, and of thy great bounty to them in particu-
lar, they have now offered up unto thee, through Jesus Christ
our only mediator and advocate. Amen."
This prayer being concluded, all the Regalia, with the
exception of the swords, were delivered by the respective
officers who bad borne them in the procession, to the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury. His Grace handed them to the
Dean of Westminster, who placed them upon the altar.
Their Majesties were then conducted to the south side of
the altar, where chairs of state, covered with damask figured
cloth, had been provided for them. Around his Majesty's
chair all the Great Officers and Noblemen who had taken
part in the procession arranged themselves ; the distin-
guished personages who bore the swords hieing most pro-
minently stationed.
Her Majesty was surrounded by the principal officers
of her household, by the Mistress of the Robes and her as-
, sistants, the Ladies of the Bedchamber, and the Maids of

Honour.
The Litany was then read by the Bishop of Lichfield
and Coventry and the Bishop of Lincoln, whe, vested in
their copes, kneeled at a faldatool that was placed in the
midst of the eastern part, above the steps of the theatre.
Their Majesties, during this portion of the ceremony,
kneeled upon cushions that were placed before their chairs
of state.
The commencement of the Communion Service followed.
The Bishop of Landaff reading the Epistle, which was
taken from 1 Peter, ii. 18—" Submit yourself to every
ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake," &c. ; and the
Bishop of Bristol reading the Gospel, which was selected
from Matt. xxii. 15—" Then went the Pharisees, and
took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk," &c.
Then following the sermon, which was preached by the
Bishop of London, the Right Rev. Prelate taking for his
text the passage which we have just quoted from the
Epistle of St. Peter.
During the sermon their Majesties reposed in their
chairs of state, at the south side of the altar. The King
wore a superb cap of crimson velvet, turned up with
ermine ; and, throughout the sermon, his Majesty was
still supported by the Lords who bore the swords, and by
the Lord Great Chamberlain, and other distinguished per-
sonages. Her Majesty's supporters, too, continued stand-
ing around her chair, and to the number of them were
now added several of the Bishops.
The Archbishop of Canterbury took his seat upon a
purple velvet chair, on the north side of the altar. The
Garter stood beside Ids Grace ; a long bench, covered with
purple velvet, extended from the Archbishop's chair,
mediately opposite to their Majesties, being placed on the
north side of the area. This bench was assigned to the
Bishops, most of whom were present. The Dean and
Prebendaries of Westminster were stationed on the south
side of the area, to the east of the King's chair, and close
to the Altar. They remained standing during the whole
of the ceremony.
The appearance of the " Sacrarium" was at this moment
peculiarly striking. The gorgeous appearance of the Altar,
laden with service-plate of massive gold, and glittering
with the splendid Regalia which had for a time been depo-
sited upon it, was surpassingly magnificent. The grouping,
too, of the Royal supporters, who were clad in the most
sumptuous apparel, presented a scene of the most graceful
and dignified character.