ue
beneath her; and Mary Cleophas with her four children, of the which
children one made a goodly oration to the queen, of the fruitfulness of St.
Anne, trusting that like fruit should come of her."[436]

With such "pretty conceits," at that time the honest tokens of an English
welcome, the new queen was received by the citizens of London. These scenes
must be multiplied by the number of the streets, where some fresh fancy met
her at every turn. To preserve the festivities from flagging, every
fountain and conduit within the walls ran all day with wine; the bells of
every steeple were ringing; children lay in wait with song, and ladies with
posies, in which all the resources of fantastic extravagance were
exhausted; and thus in an unbroken triumph--and to outward appearance
received with the warmest affection--she passed under Temple Bar, down the
Strand by Charing Cross to Westminster Hall. The king was not with her
throughout the day; nor did he intend to be with her in any part of the
ceremony. She was to reign without a rival, the undisputed sovereign of the
hour.

Saturday being passed in showing herself to the people, she retired for the
night to "the king's manour house at Westminster," where she slept. On the
following morning, between eight and nine o'clock, she returned to the
hall, where the lord mayor, the city council, and the peers were again
assembled, and took her place on the high dais at the top of the stairs
under the cloth of state; while the bishops, the abbots, and the monks of
the abbey formed in the area. A railed way had been laid with carpets
across Palace Yard and the Sanctuary to the abbey gates, and when all was
ready, preceded by the peers in their robes of parliament, the Knights of
the Garter in the dress of the order, she swept out under her canopy, the
bishops and the monks "solemnly singing." The train was borne by the old
Duchess of Norfolk her aunt, the Bishops of London and Winchester on either
side "bearing up the lappets of her robe." The Earl of Oxford carried the
crown on its cushion immediately before her. She was dressed in purple
velvet furred with ermine, her hair escaping loose, as she usually wore it,
under a wreath of diamonds.

On entering the abbey, she was led to the coronation chair Where she sat
while the train fell into their places, and the preliminaries, of the
ceremonial were despatched. Then she was conducted up to the high altar,
and anointed Queen of England