in the city, upon the day of the
solemnity, the archbishops were conducted to the palace, in order to
place the crown upon the king's head. Therefore Dubricius, inasmuch as
the court was kept in his diocese, made himself ready to celebrate the
office, and undertook the ordering of whatever related to it. As soon as
the king was invested with his royal habiliments, he was conducted in
great pomp to the metropolitan church, supported on each side by two
archbishops, and having four kings, viz., of Albania, Cornwall, Demetia,
and Venedotia, whose right it was, bearing four golden swords before
him. He was also attended with a concert of all sorts of music, which
made most excellent harmony. On another part was the queen, dressed out
in her richest ornaments, conducted by the archbishops and bishops to
the Temple of Virgins; the four queens also of the kings last mentioned,
bearing before her four white doves, according to ancient custom; and
after her there followed a retinue of women, making all imaginable
demonstrations of joy. When the whole procession was ended, so
transporting was the harmony of the musical instruments and voices,
whereof there was a vast variety in both churches, that the knights who
attended were in doubt which to prefer, and therefore crowded from the
one to the other by turns, and were far from being tired with the
solemnity, though the whole day had been spent in it. At last, when
divine service was over at both churches, the king and queen put off
their crowns, and putting on their lighter ornaments, went to the
banquet, he to one palace with the men, she to another with the women.
For the Britons still observed the ancient custom of Troy, by which the
men and women used to celebrate their festivals apart. When they had all
taken their seats according to precedence, Caius, the sewer, in rich
robes of ermine, with a thousand young noblemen, all in like manner
clothed with ermine, served up the dishes. From another part, Bedoer,
the butler, was followed with the same number of attendants, in various
habits, who waited with all kinds of cups and drinking vessels. In the
queen's palace were innumerable waiters, dressed with variety of
ornaments, all performing their respective offices; which, if I should
describe particularly, I should draw out the history to a tedious
length. For at that time Britain had arrived at such a pitch of
grandeur, that in abundance of riches, luxury of ornaments, and
poli