. c. 6. is to be administred to every king
and queen, who shall succeed to the imperial crown of these realms, by
one of the archbishops or bishops of the realm, in the presence of all
the people; who on their parts do reciprocally take the oath of
allegiance to the crown. This coronation oath is conceived in the
following terms:

"_The archbishop or bishop shall say_, Will you solemnly promise and
swear to govern the people of this kingdom of England, and the
dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in parliament
agreed on, and the laws and customs of the same?--_The king or queen
shall say_, I solemnly promise so to do.

"_Archbishop or bishop._ Will you to your power cause law and justice,
in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?--_King or queen._ I
will.

"_Archbishop or bishop._ Will you to the utmost of your power maintain
the laws of God, the true profession of the gospel, and the protestant
reformed religion established by the law? And will you preserve unto
the bishops and clergy of this realm, and to the churches committed to
their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall
appertain unto them, or any of them?--_King or queen._ All this I
promise to do.

"_After this the king or queen, laying his or her hand upon the holy
gospels, shall say_, The things which I have here before promised I
will perform and keep: so help me God. _And then shall kiss the
book._"

THIS is the form of the coronation oath, as it is now prescribed by
our laws: the principal articles of which appear to be at least as
antient as the mirror of justices[f], and even as the time of
Bracton[g]: but the wording of it was changed at the revolution,
because (as the statute alleges) the oath itself had been framed in
doubtful words and expressions, with relation to antient laws and
constitutions at this time unknown[h]. However, in what form soever it
be conceived, this is most indisputably a fundamental and original
express contract; though doubtless the duty of protection is impliedly
as much incumbent on the sovereign before coronation as after: in the
same manner as allegiance to the king becomes the duty of the subject
immediately on the descent of the crown, before he has taken the oath
of allegiance, or whether he ever takes it at all. This reciprocal
duty of the subject will be considered in it's proper place. At
present we are only to observe, that in the king's part of this
original cont