The Red Cloud chief., 1901-04-12
EDWARDS CORONATION
CURIOUS PRIVILEGES OF CERTAIN
OFFICIALS ON THAT DAY.

All Hts Apparel, Keeping the Royal
bed as Recommendations as Odd
The coronation ls already a general
topic OF conversation. writes the Lon
don correspondent Of the New York
Sun. and much ancient lore Is being
repeated. The Lord Mayor and citi-
zens OF London have an Importance Of
their own on the occasion Of corona
ti0n. BY the mouth of the Recorder
they have claimed. and successfully
In the past, "tO ofiiciate In the office Of
the Butlery on the Coronation Day,
and to assist the Chief Butler at table
In the Hall, and after dinner In the
chambers, and there to serve the no.
billty." Accordingly IL was ordered.
80 far back as In the reign Of Richard
H.. that when the King should after
enter into his chamber and call for
wine the Mayor of London should
serve him Herewith In a gold cup. and
then have the same. together with its
cover. as OF the Kings gift" Though
n year or more Is to elapse before these
gay deeds he done the goldsmiths and
the silversmiths will meanwhile have
plenty Of occupation.
| The family Of Dymoke. the heredt.
airy champion OF England, Is still ex.
tant, and. moreover, In possession of
highly interesting collection Of COB
let's bestowed upon their ancestors in
the past. Sir Walter Scott, who was
| present at the coronation Of George
w., has left us an interesting account
OF that ceremony, In which he informs
us that the Dymoke, who was cham.
piOn on that occasion, "was a fine
looking youth, who. however. bore too
much the appearance of q maiden
knight to be the challenger of the
world. His armor was I'm good taste,
but his shield, a round target or ron.
dache. was out Of all propriety, and
impossible to use on horseback: so that
1t was as well no one responded to his
challenge" .......~-
Another privilege was granted at
this same pageant to Miss Fellowes as
herb strewer," and the quaintest of
all the many privileges brought into
play was that Of the Archbishop of
Canterbury. who has the right to pre-
sent the King with mess of porridge.
which was accordingly served up at
the banquet. the sovereign tasting a
spoonful. King Edward VII. will
probably abolish many of these medi-
aeval formallties.
The present holder of the quaint title
of THE Honorable, the Kings Cham
pion." is Mr.. Francis Seaman Dy-
moke. OF Scrivelsby Manor, Lincoln
shire. who. according to tradition,
should at once lodge his title before
the Court Of Claims I'm order that he
may ofticiate as champion of Eng
land' at the coronation Of King Ed
ward VII, and. it is said, intends to
do so. In bygone days the appearance
OF the champion riding into Westmins.
ter Hall, throwing down his gauntlet
ana challenging TO mortal combat any
one who should gainsay the sover-
eign's title to the throne. was the most
striking ceremonial of the coronation
banquet. From time immemoral a
DymOke has been the Klng's or Queens
champion, as the case may be. but 1t
Is wrong to suppose In consequence
that the office is hereditary one
vested In this ancient family, for,
apart from Scrivelsby, no one Is enti.
tied to be called champion to the reign
ing sovereign. The office Is of Norman
origin.
The office OF Almoner at the corona
ton was successfully claimed. on sew
eral past occasions, by the Earls and
Marquises of Exeter of the day, who
were also Lords of Burghley. This
claim they made as holders of the bar
ony of Bedford, and the fees and ad.
vantages of the Office were set forth as
follows:
The basin or silver dish of the al.
monary accustomed to be set on the
table before the King; the distribution
OF all the money put into that dish: a
cloth OF fine linen. towel TO hold
therein the money that shall be given
III AIMS; likewise to have the cloth w.
ing ON the ground in all places where
the hing shall walk that day: also a
tun OF good wine and all other profits
TO the said office attendant"
pu, 'he most personal of perquisites
are those that appertain to the Great
Chamberlain. To center the KINGS
bedchamber on coronation day before
ne rises. and to give him his stockings.
shirt and drawers. and to dress the
! King in all his apparel" was n claim
allowed by Charles III. and James III.
TO the Earls Of Lindsey, who had their
reward in forty yards of velvet for
| lheir robes. and also "the bed whereon
the King lies on the night preceding
! ms coronation, together with the
hightgown the King wears, and all the
cushions and cloths hung round the
same chamber" When William and
Mary succeeded the case became n lit.
tie delicate. so that the claim was nj.
lowed only conditionally on the service
TO the Queen being discharged by a
deputy, who. In that instance, was the
Countess of Derby.