stones; the cap within is made of purple velvet, lined with taffeta, and turned up with ermine.

The Crown of State, which is so called, because worn by the King or Queen when they go in state to parliament,* was also made at the coronation of king Charles II. It is exceedingly rich, being garnished with a profusion of diamonds and other stones; but is particularly remarkable as being embellished with an emerald seven inches in circumference, a pearl, the finest in the world, and a ruby of inestimable value.

The Queen's Circlet of gold. This was worn by queen Mary, consort of king James II., in proceeding to her coronation: it is a rim or circle of gold, richly adorned with large diamonds, curiously set, and around the upper edge a string of pearl; the cap is of purple velvet, lined with white taffeta, and turned up with ermine, richly powdered.

The Queen's Crown, being that with which the Queens are crowned, is a very rich crown of gold set with diamonds of great value, intermixed with other precious stones and pearls; the cap is similar to the preceding.

Another Crown, which is called the Queen's rich Crown, is worn by the Queen on her return from Westminster-hall, after the ceremony of her coronation. It is of gold, most splendidly adorned with diamonds and

In ancient times our Kings observed the principal feasts with great hospitality and pomp, particularly those of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, when they always wore their Crowns of State. William the Conqueror usually kept his Christmas at Gloucester; Easter at Winchester; and Whitsuntide at Westminster. The strict observance of wearing the crown at these festivals was first neglected by king Edward the First ; and afterwards the custom gradually became forgotten.

pearls, and like the other imperial crowns, composed of crosses and fleurs-de-lis, rising from a rim or circle of gold.

The Orb, which rests in the King's right hand at his coronation,* and is borne in his left on his return to Westminster-hall, is a ball of gold, six inches in diameter, encompassed with a band or fillet of gold, embellished with roses of diamonds encircling other precious stones, and edged with pearl. On the top is an extraordinary fine amethyst, of an oval shape, near an inch and a half in height, which forms the foot or pedestal of a cross of gold, three inches and a quarter high, set very thick with diamonds, and adorned with a sapphire, an emerald, and several large pearls.

The Ampulla, or Eagle of gold, which contains the holy oil at the ceremony of the coronation, is in the form of an eagle, with wings expanded, standing on a pedestal; all of pure gold finely chased. The head screws off about the middle of the neck for the convenience of putting in the oil, which is poured out through the beak into a spoon, called the Anointing Spoon, which is likewise made of pure gold, with four pearls in the broadest part of the handle. These are considered to be of great antiquity.

The Curtana, or the Sword of Mercy, which is borne naked before the King, between the two swords of justice at the coronation, is of plain steel, gilded. The blade is

* The Orb was an ensign, the intention of which was borrowed by our early Saxon kings from the Roman emperors, by whom it was used with their title, Imperatores Orbis Terrarum, as an emblem of their pretended power over the whole world. After the conversion of the Romans to Chrisity, they surmounted it with a Cross, and with this acpaniment we find it on most of the coins and seals of our gs from the time of Edward the Confessor,

thirty-two inches in length, and nearly two in breadth: the handle is covered with fine gold wire, and the point flat. The Swords of Justice are the Spiritual and Temporal; which are borne, the former on the right hand, and the latter on the left, before the King or Queen at their coronation. The point of the Spiritual Sword is somewhat obtuse, but that of the Temporal Sword is sharp their blades are about forty inches long; the handles cased with fine gold wire. The scabbards of all three are alike, covered with a rich brocaded cloth of tissue, with a fine ferule, hook, and chape.

Saint Edward's Staff, which is carried before the King at the coronation, is a staff or sceptre of beaten gold, four feet seven inches and a half in length, and about three quarters of an inch in diameter, with a pike or foot of steel, four inches and a quarter long, and a mound and cross at the top.

The King's Sceptre, with the Dove, is of gold, in length three feet seven inches, and about three inches in circumference. It is set with diamonds and other precious stones; and upon the mound at the top, which is encircled with a band or fillet of rose diamonds, is a small eross, whereon is fixed a dove with wings expanded, as the emblem of mercy.

The King's Sceptre, with the Cross, or Sceptre Royal, likewise of gold, is two feet nine inches in length, and of the same size as that with the dove: the handle is plain, but the upper part is wreathed, and the pommel at the bottom set with rubies, emeralds, and small diamonds: the top rises into a fleur-de-lis, enriched with precious stones: out of which issues a mound, made of amethyst, garnished with table diamonds: and upon the mound is a cross covered with precious stones, having a large table diamond in the centre.

The Queen's Sceptre, with the Cross, is also of guld, adorned with diamonds and other precious stones, and, in most parts, is very like the king's, but not wreathed, nor quite so large.

The Queen's Ivory Rod, which was made for queen Mary, consort of king James the Second, is a sceptre of white ivory, three feet one inch and a half in length, with a pommel, mound, and cross of gold, and a dove on the apex.

Besides these, there is another very rich and elegant Sceptre with the Dove, which was discovered in 1814, behind a part of the old wainscoting of the Jewel-house, where it seems to have lain unobserved for a great number of years. This nearly assimilates to the King's Sceptre with the Dove, and there is every probability that it was made for queen Mary, the consort of William the Third, with whom she was jointly invested with the exercise of the royal authority.

The Armilla or Bracelets, which are ornaments for the King's wrists worn at coronations, are of solid fine gold, an inch and a half in breadth, and edged with rows of pearl. They open by means of a hinge, for the purpose of being put on the arm, and are chased with the rose, thistle, fleur-de-lis, and harp. Than the bracelet, there is not, perhaps, any ornament more universally known, or of higher antiquity, and we generally find it, as a distinguishing mark, worn by kings and chieftains. It is frequently mentioned not only in the history of our Saxon and Danish ancestors, but in the writings of far more ancient nations.*

"And I took the crown that was upon his head, and the 't that was upon his arm, and have brought them To my lord." 2 Sam. ch. i, 10.

The Royal Spurs, are also made of fine gold curiously wrought, and are carried in the procession at coronations by the lords Grey of Ruthven ; a service which they claim by descent from the family of Hastings, earls of Hastings.

The Saltseller of State, which is a model, in gold, of the "White Tower;" a grand silver font, double gilt, generally used at the baptisms of the royal family; and a large silver Fountain presented to king Charles the Second by the town of Plymouth, are likewise worthy of notice. There is also, reposited in the Jewel-house, a magnificent service of Communion plate belonging to the Tower chapel: it is of silver, double gilt, superbly wrought; the principal piece containing a beautiful representation of the Lord's Supper.

CLERKENWELL CLOSE. JOHN WEEVER.

Clerkenwell Close was the residence of Weever, the industrious, but inaccurate, transcriber of our ancient Sepulchral Inscriptions. He was born in Lancashire in the year 1576, and educated at Queen's College, Cambridge, under Dr. Robert Pearson, Archdeacon of Suffolk. Whilst young he travelled - on the Continent, and visited Leige and Rome. He was strongly attached to the study of antiquities, and after his return, being encouraged and patronized by Sir Robert Cotton, and the learned Selden, he collected materials for his well known work on "Ancient Funerall Monuments," which was first published in 1631, and the Epistle to which is dated from his "House in Clerkenwell Close, this 28th day of May."* He died in the following year, and was inHistory of Christ," in verse, which is sup

* There is a 66