he king and queen, and of investing their persons with
the royal robes and emblems, was performed with the usual grand and
imposing solemnities. After this, the royal cortege was formed again,
and the company returned to Westminster Hall in the same order as they
came. The queen walked, as before, under her silken canopy, the golden
bells keeping time, by their tinkling, with the steps of the bearers.

At Westminster Hall a great dais had been erected, with thrones upon
it for the king and queen. As their majesties advanced and ascended
this dais, surrounded by the higher nobles and chief officers of
state, the remainder of the procession, consisting of those who had
come to accompany and escort them to the place, followed, and filled
the hall.

As soon as this vast throng saw that the king and queen were seated
upon the dais, with their special and immediate attendants around
them, their duties were ended, and they were to be dismissed. A grand
officer of state, whose duty it was to dismiss them, came in on
horseback, his horse covered with cloth of gold hanging down on both
sides to the ground. The people, falling back before this horseman,
gradually retired, and thus the hall was cleared.

The king and queen then rose from their seats upon the dais, and were
conducted to their private apartments in the palace, to rest and
refresh themselves after the fatigues of the public ceremony, and to
prepare for the grand banquet which was to take place in the evening.

The preparations for this banquet were made by spreading a table upon
the dais under the canopy for the king and queen, and four other very
large and long tables through the hall for the invited guests.

The time appointed for the banquet was four o'clock. When the hour
arrived, the king and queen were conducted into the hall again, and
took their places at the table which had been prepared for them on
the dais. They had changed their dresses, having laid aside their
royal robes, and the various paraphernalia of office with which they
had been indued at the coronation, and now appeared in robes of
crimson velvet embroidered with gold, and trimmed with costly furs.
They were attended by many lords and ladies of the highest rank,
scarcely less magnificently dressed than themselves. They were waited
upon, while at table, by the noblest persons in the realm, who served
them from the most richly wrought vessels of gold and silver.

After the first part of the b