The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-25
London Gossip
BY HENRY DEVEREAUx.

DI
London, May 17.-All England is talk
ing, and the talk may be divided under
three heads; viz: One: Will the Beers
make peace? second: How far will the
American invasion extend; and Thirdly,
the Coronation. Mr.. Labouchere has
spoken with his usual frankness and En-
gland has proven itself good listener.
He points to the loss of Englands su-
premacy as a commercial nation, to her
lavish expenditure of treasure and lie
in South Africa, to her need of improve
ment in training our people to meet the
changed conditions and resist American
encroachment in the trades, he says;
shall we attend to these matters at
once; or shall we finish our wine, and
think about the Modes and Persians af-
ter dinner? 1t is practically decided
that 1t shall be after dinner, meaning of
course the Coronation. The same lively
Radical deplores that at the moment the
earth absorbing Morgan has decended on
England the whole nation should be alb
sorbed, to the exclusion for the moment
time, money and energy on the empty
ostentation of a Coronation ceremony"
But, England loves a spectacle as much
as the circus and the Coronation, there
fore, is the happiest of the three themes
for general conversation.
Next to your gallant young sailor-man
Hobson the King will hold the medal for
being the most kissed man among liv-
ing men in the world. The homage part
of the ceremony provides that the peers
of the realm and the clergy shall kiss
him on the cheek. AS 1t would take
whole day for the peers to go through
the OSCILLATION 1t is proposed that only
the senior peer of each rank Is to do the
homage. In this case the duty will rest
on the Duke of Norfolk, the Marquis of
winchester, the Earl of Switzerland,
Duke of Southerland) Viscount German
ston, the Bishop of Gloucester and Baron
de Ros. It is said in Mayfair, If the
King had his way he would prefer that
this part of the ceremony to be handed
over for performance by young and
beautiful peeresses. This ceremony rails
ed a great row in 1881 When the cere-
monial was submitted for approval to
William ", he vowed that nothing
would induce him to go through the or
deal of being kissed by the Bishops. His
Majesty did not object to the salute of
the peers but he protested that he would
sooner not be crowned than submit to
being kissed by the prelate5, and he or
dered that part of the programme to
be cut out. However, the Archbishop
demonstrated vigorously. and the King
knocked under, but with bad grace,
and at the Levee on the day before the
Coronation his Majesty's ill-temper was
the subject of general remark, and he
xxrit n ha Officer Of bn
Guard who was publicly rebuked by the
King for not having his cap on. 1t was
on this occasion that somebody was pre-
scented as Lord-Lieutenant of Clackman-
| shire, county of which his Majesty had
apparently, never heard for he exclaim-
ed: "Clack, Clack, ClacK the Devil! 1
will have no d joking here, by G-!"
The queen Is taking very deep interest
in the religious side of the Westminster
ceremony. and particularly in the musi-
| cal programme. The anthem, II was
| glad" is to be sung to a new setting by
! Sir Hubert Parry as the King and Queen
| enter the Abbey. Their Majesties will be
| received at the west door by the Dean
| and Canons of Westminster, arrayed in
| their golden copes, and the scholars Of
| Westminster School will welcome the
| King and Queen with shouts of "Vivat
|
andra." After the oath has been taken
| by the King and just before amounting.
| the hymn "Veni Creator" will be sung,
| as 1t has been sung at every Coronation
during five centuries. During the anoint-
| ment Handels anthem "Zadok the
Priest will be sung. After the Arch
| bishop of Canterbury has blessed the
King. the "re Deum' will be sung. The
| Queen will be anointed and crowned by
the Archbishop of York, before the cele-
| bration of the Holy Communion in which
| only their Majestes, the officiating pre-
| lates and the Dean of Westminster will
| join. After the crown has been placed
on the Kings head. a short choral an
them BE strong and play the man."
composed by Sir Walter Parratt Is to
be sung. The leading musical novelty
will be an anthem by Sir Frederick
Bridge, Kings shall see and arise"
Other elaborate musical numbers have
been selected. Efforts were made to
shorten the religious service, but the
Archbishop of Canterbury could not be