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

THE ABBEY-AFTER.

At the departure of their Majesties from the Abbey, the
Itst waving plume or fluttering robe of satin of their at-
tendant train had not passed beneath the antique portal,
over which the marble figure of William Pitt attitudinizes
so imposingly, ere the gay and well ordered rows of spec-
tators who had witnessed the Coronation had been broken
op into confused, but glittering crowds. The Peers and
Peeresses, in Particular, trouped together about the throne
in a large circle, had as miscellaneous an appearance as
perhaps the unarranged library of some Countess bleu, all
the books of which had been bound in morocco, and gilt.
Gradually, however, they dropped off, and with them all the
old militaites, Admirabies, &c. marching in their com-
pany, or sailing under their convoy. Most of the tenants
of the platforms and galleries had also retired. A few,
who had not had a very satisfactory view during the Coro-
nation, pressed forward for a few moments to indulge in a '
closer inspection of the theatre on which the sacred spectacle
had just been exhibited, but they were too much wearied
with their day's imprisonment to gratify any further curiosity
at the expence of any further delay. They also departed ;
and thus, in about an hour after the King's departure, not
only all the living glories which moved in the lower and
disguised half of the Abbey had departed, but, amongst the
high galleries and grey cloisters, all the fair things which
laud contrasted so singularly with their naked antiquity
" had faded away" like the bright colours refracted on
them through their stained and storied windows,which, as
the sun sets, gradually vanish till each one is gone, anti
" all is grey." To stand alone in that part of the old
Gothic pile, at that conjuncture, without thoughts melan-
choly as moonbeams, or something thereanent, was, I
ween, impossible. The hoar old stone of the tall shafts,
which seemed to have defied the climbing mummer, and
the many-arched roof, wherein the reminiscences of cen-
turies dwell as in a sanctuary, seemed to look down with
austerity ou the unseemly trappings which encumbered
their nether terminations, and tacitly to reproach the taste
which had hidden more than half of those as ails, every atone
of which could speak in accents, " not laud but deep" of the
olden time, arid which would have connected with the
memory of Saxon and Norman, of Tudor, Plantagenet
and Stewart, the hereditary Royal title of the House of
Guelf. But these thoughts would lead us further into a
decidedly sail-coloured train of rumination ; and, there-
fore, the puissant Earl Marshal bath ordered that no man
do were mourning at the Abbey on this day. We shall
e'en eschew the subject, for fear of a pratmunire. But,
in sooth, we have but to proceed some dozen yards beyond
this scene, and, behold, we find ourselves in goodly com-
pany and a right merry mood. For, look you, there were
all our valiant Peers and most fair Peeresses, robed and
cot onetted, in motley mob with every body in the world,
squeezed into the narrow compass of the winding passage
to the great western entrance. It rains most densely and
fiercely—none can walk, and coaches are so slow a-draw-
ing up—and all are confusion, higgledy-piggledy—and
old Townsend is swearing alternately at his Majesty's cousins
and his Majesty's beef-eaters ; the former for putting them-
selves in the way—the latter for putting their boven bo-
dies out of the way, and not keeping a passage clear. All
the other doors of the Abbey are closed for the sake of
confusion ; and, in the midst of the matter, no more than
400 of the Grenadier Guards, who had been in the Abbey,
ire marched in single file through the crowd. Well, flesh
is grass ! some of the dear Duchesses will get home to

dress for dinner at one o'clock to.morrow morning. For
our part, we shelter ourselves, not being of inordinate slice,
under a Grenadier's cartouche-box, and evade—sic nos
servavit, &c.

CORONATION ANECDOTES.

(FROM A CORRESTONDENT.)

His Majes'y was much affected on entering the Abbey
yesterday. Trumediatoly after descending front the state
carriage, and on entering the robing room, he desired a
glass of water to be brought hint.
The finest or most imposing part of the ceremony was
that portion in which the crown was placed upon the Mo-
narch's head, and when all the Peers put their coronets
upon their brows, the visiters giving at the same moment
loud buzzas. The signal was given outside, that the King
was just crowned, a royal salute was fired by the Park
guns, a telegraphic despatch was ognveyed to Ports-
mouth, announcing the event, and a Royal salute was
fired there within three minutes of the time, anti whilst
his Majesty remained seated upon the thrc.na.
The fluke of Wellington an the Lord Chancellor were
engaged in earnest conversation for a short time during a
part of the ceremony.
Mr. Hume was seated in an excellent position; having
a front seat in the gallery devoted to the Members of the
Commons. He wore a co74rt dress. it will be recollected
that the Hon. Gentleman in a debate in the Commons, a
few days back, endeavoured to persuade the House Pram
appearing in Court dreto.es.
The scene in which the Herald showered down medals
excited considered); laughter. There was a want of de-
corum in it.

When the choruses were singing the Cormtiwa Anthem
of Handel, the Duke of Ciinaberhuad walked the time most
accurately with hie baton,

he Lord Mayor yesterday gave a splendid entertain-
ment to the Court of Aldermen, and many leading citizens,
in honour of their Majesties' Coronation. The Mansion-
house was moat spiendidiy illuminated with a bright va-
riepted crown, encircled with laurel leaves, and other
appropriate devices. The effect war most imposing. His
Lordship also gave a magnificent tlittnrr, an Wednesday,
IWO:4:as and citizens, and proposes
to upwards of seventy
to entertain twenty patties, during the present months tit
the Mansion-house.

Amongst the most splendid of th, equipages at the
Coronation of their Alajestitti yesterday was that of the
Austrian Ambassador, Prince Esterbszy, and suite, in
three nar;i:ges. It attracted much notice, and, with the
exception of the Royal cortege, was consie,:.7iNi pre-emi-
nently striking. In the liouseha-.1 of her Majesty the
amiable Countess of 13.rownlow was conspicuous from the
richness of ha; dress, and the valuable jewels she wore
an the occasion. The chaste simplicity of the dresses,
and the beauty of the distingv,kihesi ladies forming her
Majesty's Maids of Iloilo excited also very genera; oh-
servation.

During the ceremony of the homage the Choir sang an
Anthem, and the Treseurei, of his 3lajesty's Household
threw 4bqut the Medals of the Coronation. The genera;
scramble that here took place was highly ludicruoa—even
the Judges forgot their gravity for the rnotoeor, and seemed
as anxious as the most volatile pd those around them to
secure one of the flying ;.-6cords of so memorable an even'i.
The sevtlat 74-1-zetators who hal an opportunity f witness-
;;,g what was passing directly in front of 'ilia' throne, ob-
served that the King apuetred dkoatisfied with the awk-
wardness and irregulariV with which some of the Ve;,rs
did homage. Ik'or instance his Majesty had to call the
Dike of St. Alban's back, and rew,i74l him that he bad
neglected to touch the top of tae Royal Crown. The man-
' ner in which the Ki;:g received certain of the Peers that
approached him excited more or less emotion in the vast
a;seniblage. His reception of the Dukt: of Wellington,
Earl Grey, and Lord Lyndhurst; c4iied forth very strong
marks of approbation ; 'tot when Lord Brougham dhl
homage the slic,utz ci applause that were uttered from the
gallwy, where the Members of the Ilouse of Commons
were,were ardently responded to by thousands of acclaiming
voices. The choristers Cuse mea,n time gave Attwood's
oCrogra7. a tlk
'l ice Duke ,;11-I,l\cititzoono lai}, wureenl f
the presidingceretn ceremony
the
yof
doing homage was concluded, exclaimed, " God s,ait
William IV." and loud• and long were the *era that
followed.

THE COIVINNI,ION- of. QUEENS.
The pritni,
of titcc, form of the creation of Kings was too
I°u 11. i
be participatedc gentle usage and soft delicacy" to
the ceremonies of unction and coronation were adopttkd
(evi'd
by their consorts, and it was not till after
that these could be publicly initiated in the honours of
Royalty. The Coronation of Queens, however,
fhougli performed with the same solemnity as that of
Kings, is not to be regarded in the same political
view, or to be considered as of the same political im-
portance. Its object is to con'er a sanctity of character
on her wiAct is the. wife and the mother of dings, and to
admit her to the honours of her exalted station. In the
Coronation of the Queen no consent is asked from the
people as to the person to be crowned ; no oath is admi-
nistered; no homage or allegiance is offered. The
Queen's Coronation, though pet ffirtned at the same place
and usually on the same day with that of the Sovereign,
is a subsequent and a distinct solemnity; it proceeds from
the King, and is granted to his consort for the honour of
the Kingly office. Among the Romans the wife of their

I,A A
--)
..-ye...\11.
At)
4)'‘. i -4

Ii ~
f~
W ti

"Tonp(roi Lad chi ,irle of Augusta, which was always
vonferred with- Rome ceremonies, and latterly by that of
consecration. In Germany the Empress is both orowned
.id anointed. The same honour is now common to the
rives of European Sovereigns. Thus" of France are
,ot crowned with the but it; the Abbey of St.
grac;lrywietahriy"taimilmthenreozrael ntii,aekincgosn4uofesat
!),,nis, near Paris. The consorts of our English Princes
')see been
Queen"..:s4, a. Itvse
oreffr.aot4cortkin • crowned, and eat with the Kings

'The only accident of which we heard, if it may be digni-
with such a name, was one which happened to a
lialant Colonel, well known just at present by his vigorous
apposition to the Reform Bill in the. House of Commons,
r to an Honourable Irish Member, for they were both
Inplicated, so that the accident may be attributed to either.
l'he Gallant Colonel, while in his pace as a Member of
the Commons, suddenly caught:sight of a fair lady's face,
which was, however, no sooner found than lost, by the.
thrupt interposition of the head of the Hon. Member fur
Middlesex between the Gallant Colonel's eyes and the fair
Lady's beautiful countenance. The Gallant Member, who
was entirely smitten—for a minute—sprang upon his legs,
,nd endeavoured to rush two seats forward, where there
hould be no head to intercept his glances ; hut, as ill-luck
would have it, another Hon. Member's sword (the afore-.
,aid Hon. Irish Member's) lay across hi. path, the come.-
quence of which was, that the Gallant Colonel, in his en-
thusiasm, snapped it in two with a hasty stamp of his foot.
Of course a thousand apologies were offered, all of which
were accepted, though the Hon. Irish Member mild not
help adding that it was a mighty unfortunate affair—be--
cause the sword was not his own !