The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-11 00:00:00

The Coronation of the Sing of Hungary.

(From the Tinges' Special Correspondent.)
PESTH, June 6.

The proceedings to-day were the beginning of the
great ceremonies to be observed at the coronation.
At 10 o'clock the House of Magnates (or Peers) and
the House of Deputies (or Commons) assembled to
appoint deputations to wait on the King with their
addresses, and to transact business connected with
their presentation to his Majesty. For an hour or
so before, carriages, driven by wonderfully attired
coachmen, and guarded by still more wonderfully
attired Chasseurs, went to and fro in the streets to
take up their owners, and gorgeous Leibbusaren
came out like tropical butterflies in the warm sun,
congregating around doors and standing in the pas-
sages almost aghast at their own splendour. No
colourist could give the smallest idea of the richness
of some of these uniforms ; others were .rather ex-
travagant and grotesque than effective. Some people
have a theory that the administrators and designers
who have gained for the English stage the reputa-
tion of producing the most brilliant and effective re-
sults in the way of State processions are far more
able and successful than the functionaries who mar-
shal the pageants of real emperors, conquerors, and
kings. There are men who hold that nothing ever
done by Master of the Ceremonies, King-at-Arms,
Lord Chamberlain, or the like, can equal the pro-
cession in the " Prophete," or similar exhibitions of
skill in grouping and colouring on the boards with
which we are familiar ; but it really may be doubted
if our great men in that line could not learn some-
thing from the Magyars, or if processions on the
stage are done better than they are likely to be done
on Saturday should the glimpses we got to-day
afford a fair notion of whatthe whole willbe. There
was a small gathering at the foot of an hotel stair-
case this morning of positively startling people.
One had a tall calpak of grey astrakan fur, with a
yellow satin bag, ending in a great tassel of gold
lace. On the front of the calpak was a scarlet
medallion, bearing in embroidery the badges of
the House he served—apples and leaves—his brown
face and black moustache contrasted with a white
lace frill with long ends ; the gold laced collar of his
scarlet hussar jacket was crusted with gold ; from
his shoulders hung a pelisse of green and silver
, trimmed with a grey fox-skin, and worked all over
with apples and leaves in silver ; his tight panta-
loons of flaming red wereslashed with silver, and his
boots were of yellow Morocco leather, with a band
of gold lace and tassels at the top, and gilt heels and
enormous spurs, the get up being completed by a
heavy curved scimitar, ablaze with all kinds of
metallic finery. He and his fellow regarded each
other in their new clothes with much curious won-
der, each miratur novas frondes et non sua poma.
These were but the " life hussars," or personal at-
' tendants of a Magyar noble, and were by no means
singular for finery among those with whom they
stood. There were men who shone as if they were
n armour, in their parti-coloured clothing, and it
was not possible their masters could devise greater
glory of attire for themselves—at least one might be
pardoned for thinking so. The Chamber of Depu-
ties meets in a building which was constructed
temporarily for their use, but which is likely to en-
dure many a year in its simple solidity. Well
might gentlemen of England who sit ill at ease in
the dark, uncomfortable roowwhich is the nucleus
of the vast pile at Westminster, envy the Hungarian
Commoner in his spacious, lofty, well-ventilated
hall, where every member has plenty of room, where
there is ample accommodation for strangers in the
body of the hall, and where airy galleries give space
for a number of spectators, who are as silent and
orderly as if they were on trial for their lives, and
by no means imitate the unseen, but not unheard,
vivacity of the inmates of our Ladies' Gallery. There
was a small gathering outside to see the deputies
arrive, but there was no pressure, no great anxiety,
nor, indeed, any enthusiasm. The men in their wide-
awakes, or flat round felt hats, long frock coats,
pantaloons, and Hessian boots were only distin-
guished by these peculiarities of attire and by a
certain Oriental cast of face from the ordinary crowd
of any European city, and the women were dressed
in the universal style of porkpie bonneterie and
erinolined garments which has spread over Europe.
Somehow or other the wild looking creatures to be
seen in the streets with unkempt locks, short jackets,
and very loose wide trousers or tight linen panta-
loons, as they happened to be Hungarians or Slaves,
did not venture to gaze on so much finery and did
not contribute to the spectators. On entering the
house the President was found to be reading the
protocol of the proceedings of the day, and the seats
on both sides were filled by the members in all their
splendour. The general effect was not so brilliant as
might have been expected, because the members sat
withuncovered heads; but there was a sheen of colour
over the seats as if a rainbow were playing about.