Peter Parley's Visit to London, During the Coronation of Queen Victoria

"The Princess happened unfortunately to be standing almost directly under the sail at the moment, and the most fatal consequences might have ensued, had not the master of the yacht, with admirable presence of mind, sprung forward and caught her in his arms and conveyed her to a place of safety. The alarm and confusion caused by the accident was for a time heightened by the uncertainty as to the fate of her Royal Highness, who had been preserved from injury by the blunt but well-timed rescue of the honest sailor.

"'There is one thing which pleases me mightily, Mr. Parley,' said Major Meadows, 'and it is this, that with all this goodness our young Queen has a truly British heart. Often and often has she manifested this, and when quite a girl though perfectly acquainted with several European languages, and particularly with French and German, she never could be prevailed upon to converse in them as a habit, always observing that 'she was a little English girl and would speak nothing but English.' There is a healthiness of feeling in this, Mr. Parley, which is quite delightful.'

"Long before Major Meadows had finished his anecdotes about the Queen we had reached home. As it is the custom to dine late in London, we dined after our return, and during the repast, the Queen and the spectacle of to-morrow formed the chief subject of conversation, my friend continuing from time to time to give interest by some new anecdote, of which his store seemed to be inexhaustible.

"Peter Parley is fond of early hours, so we retired to bed betimes, which was the more necessary, because by sun-rise to-morrow we must be up and away to Westminster Abbey."

CHAPTER VI.
PARLEY DESCRIBES WESTMINSTER ABBEY ON THE MORNING OF THE CORONATION, AND RELATES THE LEGENDS CONNECTED WITH ST. EDWARD'S CHAIR

"Early in the morning, Peter Parley was up and dressed. He had hardly finished his devotions when, early though it was, Major Meadows knocked at the door of his room to enquire if he was stirring.

"After partaking of a hurried breakfast we got into a carriage and drove to the Abbey. As we passed along, we found people, even at such an early hour, already begun to congregate in the streets, and to take up stations from which they expected to obtain the best view of the day's proceedings.

"Peter Parley was pleased to find, on our arrival at the Abbey, that the doors had been opened a short time before, and the crowd of eager expectants who had been waiting, some of them upwards of an hour, had been already admitted. We were thus saved the necessity of exposing ourselves to being crushed by stronger and more energetic claimants for admission.

"On entering the venerable building I was struck mute with astonishment at the magnificence of the preparations which now burst upon the sight with all their breadth and effect; though I had seen it so recently, I was not at all aware of the greatness of the scale on which they had been undertaken.

"The approach to the theatre was by six broad steps leading from the vestibule under the music gallery. At the termination of the choir, just where it is intersected by the north and south transepts, a similar number of steps led to a large platform, covered with a splendid carpet in rich puce and gold colours. Upon this platform was raised a second of a smaller size, approached by four broad steps, each covered with carpeting of the most magnificent description. The fifth step, which formed the platform, was covered with cloth of gold, and in the centre was placed a splendid throne of a rich gilt ground, tastefully embellished with rose-coloured sprigs at short intervals, and the royal initials in the centre.

"A little further in advance of this splendid throne, and nearer the altar, stood a chair of a more humble bearing, but far more interesting, from the legendary stories connected with it. This was St. Edward's chair, of which Peter Parley must say a few words.

"The chair is made of solid oak, and beneath the seat is deposited a large stone, on which the Scottish kings used to be crowned. The legendary history of this stone is very curious. It commences as early as the time of Jacob, who is said to have rested his head on it in the plain of Luz, when, as you will recollect, he fled from the anger of his brother Esau. It was afterwards carried to Spain, by the Scythians, whence it found its way into Ireland in the time of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Here, it seems, from all accounts, first to have exhibited miraculous powers – making a 'prodigious noise, and being surprisingly disturbed,' whenever a prince of the Scythian line was seated upon it. Peter Parley would not have you believe any of these marvellous legends, none of which are true, but which are interesting nevertheless, as they serve to show in what manner the people of former times were misled by the silly and ridiculous legends of the darker ages.

"From Ireland this singular stone was carried into Scotland, and placed in the Abbey of Scone, where the coronation of the Kings of Scotland usually took place. One of the Scottish kings caused an inscription to be cut upon it, an ancient prophecy, as it was said, but more probably an invention of some monkish chronicler of the time: —

 
"If Fate speak sooth, where'er this stone is found,
The Scots shall monarch of that realm be crown'd."
 

"When Edward I. dethroned Baliol, he sent this celebrated stone, on the possession of which the Scots set great value, to London, along with the Scottish regalia. In the following year, the monarch presented these trophies at the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor; and it appears soon afterwards to have been placed in the coronation chair, where it has remained ever since.

"Peter Parley has heard that the ancient prophecy, to which even at so late a period the more superstitious amongst the Scottish nation clung, was held to be fulfilled when James I. ascended the throne of England; and it is also said not to have been without a certain influence in reconciling many of the people to the Union with England.

"But we must not forget the coronation in Westminster Abbey, in our interest in the legend connected with St. Edward's chair.

"On each side of the platform on which the thrones stood, were the galleries appropriated for Peers and Peeresses and their friends, also those for the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Privy Councillors.

"There were two other galleries rising above these on each side, the highest quite among the vaultings of the roof, which were appropriated indiscriminately to the rest of the visitors.

"The whole of these extensive galleries were covered with crimson cloth, and trimmed with gold fringe, which had a very rich effect when contrasted with the sombre colours and antique stone walls of the building.

"The decorations of the chancel and altar were of the most gorgeous description; the draperies being of the richest purple silk, brocaded in the most sumptuous pattern with gold. Behind the altar the decorations were of a still more delicate character than the rest, both the ground-work and the gold being of a lighter shade. Against the compartment behind the altar stood six massive gold plateaux, two of them being of very large dimensions. The table itself was loaded with a gold communion service, as well as with other articles used in the ceremony.

"Peter Parley had time to notice all these things from being in the Abbey so early in the morning, before the visitors were so numerous, and the place so crowded as it afterwards became. The good sense and knowledge of Major Meadows led him to select a seat from which, while we could see as much of the ceremony as nine-tenths of those within the Abbey, we could readily retire to the roof, from which we could obtain an admirable view of the procession outside.

"By six o'clock in the morning the visitors began to arrive in the interior of the Abbey, and bustle and confusion began to prevail, where, but an hour before, all had been stillness and silence; the rich and elegant dresses of the ladies giving an air of gaiety to the scene. An hour later the Peers and Peeresses began to make their appearance, and the attention was kept completely on the alert by some new arrival of a distinguished personage, or of a rich or picturesque costume."

"At length the sound of the Park guns announced that the Queen had entered her carriage and was on her way to the Abbey. This joyful announcement seemed to inspire every one present with joy and animation. The Peers, who had hitherto dispersed themselves over various parts of the building, giving, by their rich and picturesque costumes, additional brilliancy and variety to the already gorgeous scene, now retired to their appointed places, and a certain degree of order began to prevail within the Abbey.

"As the procession began to draw near, Peter Parley took advantage of Major Meadows' foresight, and, with some little difficulty, made his way to the roof, to view its approach."