ective families, many of them rich in clothes, of civil
deportment. They took their seats uppermost on the right of the State,
and whilst they walked up to their forms the citizens and boors stood up
uncovered; and when the nobility sat and put on their hats, the citizens
and boors did so likewise. A little after, at the same door, entered the
Archbishop of Upsal with a staff in his hand, who by his place is Marshal
of the Clergy. He was followed by five or six other bishops and all the
superintendents, and about sixty Ministers, Deputies, or Proctors of the
Clergy. While they walked up to their places all the rest of the Members
stood up uncovered; and when they sat down on the uppermost forms on the
left side of the State, and put on their hats and caps, the rest of the
Members did the like; these were grave men, in their long cassocks and
canonical habit, and most with long beards.

All the Members being thus sat, about a quarter of an hour after entered
the Captain, followed by divers of the Queen's Guard, with partisans.
After them came many gentlemen of the Queen's servants, uncovered, with
swords by their sides and well clad, two and two together. After them
came the Ricks-Senators in their order, the puisne first. After them the
Ricks-officers, all bare. After them came the Queen, and kept off her
hat in the hall, some of the officers of the Court and pages after her.
In this order they went up in the open place in the midst of the forms,
all the Members standing up uncovered. The Queen's company made a lane
for her to pass through, and she went up to her chair and sat down in it;
and all the company, except the members of the Council, went out of the
hall, and all the doors were shut; the Members sat in their places
uncovered.

After the Queen had sat a little, she rose, and beckoned to the
Chancellor to come to her, who came with great ceremony and respect; and
after a little speaking together he returned to his place, and the Queen
sat down again a little time; then rising up with mettle, she came
forward to the utmost part of the foot-pace, and with a good grace and
confidence spake to the Assembly, as it was interpreted to Whitelocke, to
this effect:--

[SN: The Queen's speech.]

"The occasion, my friends, wherefore you are called together to this
Diet will in some sort appear strange to you; for being so unusual,
and as it were unheard of, it cannot be understood without great
astonishm