Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-09-01
EDWARD G. DAN 4.
PROCLAlMiNC THE KING.
Il Is the Same In England as II Was 400
Years Ago.

Il Is the Same In Engl land rs II Was 400
Years Ago.
When the time comes (Which may
heaven delay for new king of Eng
land the College Of Arms will proclaim
him, just us they have proclaimed
every monarch for hundreds of years
past.
Times change and dynnstics. We
are less like the Englishmen of Edward
| than We are like the modern Japs'
We talk different tongue, we eat
different foods. we wear different
clothes, we think different thoughts.
Nothing Is the same, except the col
llmns on Stonchcngr and the College
Of Arms. The college abidcs. varying
by not so much as detail of procedure
OF Il button on Il uniform. What Is, Is
good. and cannot be improved. There
fore the business of proclamation Will
be the same In the twentieth century
us it was in the fifteenth.
When the time unhappily comes for
Il new king to reign. the prlvy council
will meet and declare the throne to
have devolvrd on the Prince Of Wales.
Orders will mt once br given to the earl
marshal and the officers of the College
Of Arms to proclaim him. The first
proclamation will he made in the
courtyard of st. Jamcs's Palace, where
the guard is changed.
Garter king, the chief officer of the
college will make the proclamation In
solemn form. with the earl marshal.
the kings the hcralds. and the pursul-
wants IN full uniform and mounted
hard by. At this proclamation the
monarch is present sitting ut the will
dow where all his predecessors have
| sat
That is the chief OF the proclama-
tions; but the news has to be carried
far and wide to the distant city, the
rank of the procluiming officer de-
scending ns the business proceeds. The
second pronouncement Is made ut Char
ing Cross, and the third ut the corner
of Chancery Lane.
| At this proclamation there will be a
modification of the ancient form. owing
to the disappearance Of Temple Bar.
| Within the city of London the lord
mayor and sherffs preserve their an
cient sovereignty, and allow no ruler
within their gates except after peT'
mission asked and granted.
The old form was for the Junior pur-
suivant to rap Mt the gate and show
his warrant for proclamation. THEN
the lord mayor ordered the gate to be
opened, and joined in the stately pro-
cessiU.
The ceremony will doubtless remain.
barring the knock ut the gate, which
does not exist. The last proclamation
is made either at the corner of Wood
street, Cheapside, or beside the royal
exchange. In the provinces the proc
lamations are made by the local may
Ors.
Being proclaimed and crowned, the
king has to offer to fight for his throne.
In the Olden times. when king reigned
by the power of his right arm, this
was necessary formality, and be-
cause 1t was necessary once 1t Is done
still. But the king no longer does his
own fighting. He has champion, the
hereditary champion Of England.
whose business it Is to do battle with
all cOmers for the crown.
The champion is always n member
of the Dymoke family. When fhe king
is crowned, he rides into Westminster
Hall, mounted and in full armour, just
as the champion was 600 years ago.
He is accompanied by the earl mar
shall and the lord great chamberlain,
also on horseback. The hall is GRO Au-
ed with ticketed sightscers.
A proclamation Is read by one Of the
heralds challenging anybody who dis
putes the right of the sovereign to
combat in an open space. The cham
pion throws down his gauntlet rs n
guarantee of good faith. and then the
hearts of all the ladies tiutter In anti
cipatiOn of fight.
But it is all disappointing sham.
If some enterprising person We're to
take up the challenge and the gauntlet
he would probably be run In by the
police for creating disturbance! The
herald takes up the glove and hands
1t back to the champion, AND then tho
king Is firmly seated on his throne.