gifts and at christenings, 18 large maces, and diverse other parcells of guilt and white plate; All which, together with some necessaries for the Jewell House, amounting to the sum of £31,978 9s. 11d., are acknowledged under the hand of Sir Gilbert Talbot, Master of His Majesty's Jewell House, to have been delivered in by the said Robert Vyner, and accordingly received for His Majesty's service."

On March 18th, 1852, an account appears in the "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries" of a communication from Mr. Robert Cole respecting a further discovery of an interesting document from the same mutilated Exchequer Records. Those he exhibited previously furnished only a list of the articles which comprised the Regalia, without the weights or prices, but that subsequently produced was dated 23rd February 1685, and the object of its preparation appears to have been that of an estimate of the expense of putting some objects in a fitting state for use on the coronation of James II. and his Queen, which took place in the April following, and the providing of articles such as on the former occasion were delivered to the officers of state for fees, and therefore to be then made new for similar delivery.

A LIST OF THE REGALIAS provided for His late Majesty's Coronation (CHARLES II.), and are now in ye custody of Sr. Gilbert Talbot, Knt. Master and Treasr. of his Matys. Jewells and plate, viz:

oz. dwt. gr.

Imprim. St. Edward's Crowne poiz. 82 05 16

For ye addition of gold and Worke

li. C. d.

350 00 00

Itm. One other Scepter with a Cross poiz. 32 11 10

For ye gold, Jewells, and Workeman

Brought forward

oz. dwt. gr.

li. s. d. 10,410 06 02

Itm. One Gloobe with a Crosse . poiz. 49 07 12

For gold, Jewells, and Workeman

A List of ye Regalias provided for his late Maties. Coronation, which were delivered for Fees, &c., by order, and are out of the Custody of Sir Gilbert Talbot, Knt., Master and Treasr. of his Majs. Jewells and Plate, and are now to be provided, &c.

Itm. Jewells, 75 for Knts. of the Bath,

of which 7 are in custody. poiz. 35 10 12

For Gold and Workemanship

433 04 4

G. TALBOT.

£1,067 19 4

We annex these documents to show that all the ancient "Regalias" which had been ruthlessly destroyed in the civil wars, by King or Parliament, were remade for the Coronation of Charles II. They are of gold with the exception of the silver-gilt spoon which weighed only 3 ounces 5 dwt., the cost, with the fashion, being £2. Hence it is evident that the coronation spoon, as well as the other pieces, were actually made at this time, the shape being retained, as nearly as could be remembered, of the ancient one. This spoon is described by H. Shaw ("Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages") as being of gold, and he has given a drawing of it, with the enamel restored, in all its presumed pristine brilliancy, attributing it to the 12th century. On close inspection of the drawing itself, we are of opinion that he was mistaken, and that it is not really more

ancient than the latter part of the 17th century, the ornamentation being clearly of the time of Charles II. In fact, the interlaced C's of that King will be easily recognised, the oval bowl also indicating the form of the rat-tail spoons of that period. The ancient Ampulla used at the Coronation of English sovereigns was, according to Mezeray, of lapis lazuli, with a golden eagle on the top, enriched with pearls and diamonds, the tradition being that it was miraculously presented by the Virgin Mary to St. Thomas of Canterbury (Becket) when he was in France. We may add that the old crown of State mentioned in the Goldsmiths' bill, weighing 72 ounces, was broken up at the Coronation of her present Majesty Queen Victoria in 1838, and a new crown more suitable for a lady's brow substituted, its gross weight being only 37 ounces, made by Rundell and Bridge, who took the framework of the previous crown in part payment.

The prices set against some of the Regalia in the bill did not include the total cost, for we have shown that £32,000 was paid by the Treasury to Sir Robert Vyner on the 20th June 1662. The total cost of St. Edward's crown is not here stated, but only the addition made to it for the coronation, for gold and workmanship £350 and the loan of the jewels £500, making £850.

In the list of Fees provided for the coronation of Charles II. will be found"two ingots of gold." One of them was for the first oblation at the high altar, of a troy pound (12 ounces) of gold. The other, for the second oblation, of a mark (8 ounces) of gold.

This custom was very ancient, and mention is made in old chronicles of these offerings by sovereigns at the high altar on their coronation. Edward I. at the first oblation offered a pound of gold (12 ounces troy), in the likeness of a king holding a ring in his hand; the second was a mark of gold (8 ounces of avoirdupois) in form of a pilgrim putting forth his hand to take the ring, which represented the legend of St. Edward receiving a sapphire ring from the hand of St John the Baptist in Waltham forest (still worn at coronations and actually used by Her present Majesty). Henry III. also offered a pall (pallium) or mantle of cloth of gold, and a plate of gold. The custom has been continued to the present day. George III. at his coronation, for the first oblation, laid upon the altar a pall of cloth of gold, and an ingot of gold of a troy pound (12 ounces). After the ceremonies of anointing and crowning, &c., the King made a second oblation of a mark of gold (8 ounces.) At the coronation of Her present Majesty, her oblation was a pall of cloth of gold, and an ingot or wedge of gold of

a troy pound weight. The pieces of gold were probably fees for the officials; the fee of the præcentor or leader of the choir was of old a mark of gold (8 ounces). The pound of gold was for a more exalted personage.

A curious incident in the coronation of George III. may be mentioned. After the investiture the King's sword was ungirt and offered by the King upon the altar, but it was immediately redeemed by the King's appointment for a hundred shillings; the nobleman so redeeming it drew it out of the scabbard and bore it naked before the King during the rest of the ceremony.

There was formerly a prohibition against any person's entering a sacred edifice with arms or warlike accoutrements; if they attempted to do so the weapons were removed by an attendant, and deemed forfeited, only to be redeemed by the payment of a fee, probably according to a scale of charges. They were usually deposited in the porch while the owner remained inside, the fee being claimed before they were returned. Even spurs were not allowed, and "spur money was always levied upon the wearers. Thus we meet with the following items:

1530.-In the Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry VIII. "Item to the Coristars of Wyndesore in reward for the Kyng's spurres, vj viijd." The same custom prevailed abroad. The Duke of Burgundy had to redeem his spurs on leaving the church:

1427.-"Aux petits enfans de Cuer de la dicte église de St. Jehan que M. D. S. (Le Duc de Burgogne) leur donna pour ses esperons qu'il avoit apporté en icelle église, xiiij sols."

The description of the Imperial crown made for the coronation of Queen Victoria has been given us by the late Professor Tennant, mineralogist to Her Majesty.

"The Imperial state Crown of Queen Victoria is adorned with jewels from other crowns. It had a crimson velvet cap with ermine border, lined with white silk; the band above the ermine border has a row of 112 large pearls at top and 129 at bottom, between which, in front of the crown, is a large sapphire purchased for the crown by George IV. At the back is a smaller sapphire and six others round, between which are 8 emeralds. Above and below the 7 sapphires are 14 diamonds, and around the 8 emeralds 128 diamonds; between the emeralds and sapphires are 16 trefoil ornaments containing 100 diamonds. Above the band are 8 sapphires surrounded by 8 diamonds, between which are 8 festoons of 148 diamonds. In the front of the crown and in the centre of a diamond Maltese Cross is the famous