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Expleta missa, descendent rex et regina de soliis suis, et procedent ad magnum altare, pontificibus et magnatibus ipsos comitantibus. Qui mox ad altare cum pervenerint, dictus pontifex qui missam celebravit, et eisdem vestimentis quibus fuerat prius pontificaliter indutus, altaris ministris, ut prius indutis, cum ceroferariis et thuriferariis reverenter ipsum præcedentibus, usque ad feretrum sancti Edwardi est devote incessurus, rege et regina suis indutis regalibus, cum dictis pontificibus et proceribus, dictum episcopum subsequentibus. Quo cum pervenerint ante altare dicti feretri, dictus pontifex deponat coronas de capitibus eorum, ponetque eas super altare præfatum: et cætera.66

66 The following long note is introduced into the text of the rubric of the Liber Regalis, and concludes in that MS. the Office of the Coronation of a King. Being too long to be written, as usual, on the margin of the Sarum Pontifical, an extra folio has been inserted, upon which it is written, not in red, but in black: with marginal notes, which are introduced also below.

"Deinde magnus camerarius Angliæ exuet regem regalibus antedictis, quæ per dictum camerarium singillatim, sicut a rege auferuntur, tradentur abbati Westmonasteriensi, vel vicem ejus agenti, ut sæpius præscriptum est,

a Camerarius magnus Angliæ exuit regem.

b Locus clausus, juxta altare.

super dictum altare reponenda.

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Eritque ibi locus clausus, juxta altare, cum curtinis, per regios ministros præparatus, in quo rex de suis ut prædictum est exutus regalibus, usque ad tunicam sericam et camisiam, ac caligas regales et sandaria, a dicto magno camerario aliis vestibus de novo erit reindutus. Regina interim coram dicto altare regem expectante, deponet etiam rex dictas caligas et sandaria, quæ a dicto camerario prædicto abbati Westmonasteriensi vel locum ejus tenenti integre restituantur, et aliis caligis et sandariis induetur a camerario præfato.

"Rex" igitur ut prædictum est

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aliis vestibus honorifice reindutus, procedet humiliter ad altare feretri antedicti. Quo cum advenerit, dictus archiepiscopus, sive episcopus, revestitus eodem modo quo fuerat quando missam celebravit, alias coronas capitibus regis et reginæ reverenter imponet. Qui sic a dicto pontifice coronati, et sceptra' tantum de regalibus in manibus portantes, a dicto feretro per magnum altare, et dictum pulpitum ascendentes, per medium chori eadem via qua venerant in ecclesiam, prænominatis comitibus prædictos gladios coram rege deferentibus, cum magna gloria sunt reversuri.

"Et sciendum quod exterius indumentum, quo dictus rex illo die ante coronationem fuerat indutus, pertinet ad monachum qui habet pro tunc custodiam vestibuli dicti monasterii.

Et providebitur illo die conventui Westmonasteriensi per regios ministros, quod dictus conventus percipiet die eodem centum similas, et modium vini, ac etiam de piscibus, quantum convenit dignationi regali. Quid vero sit modius vini, et quæ mensura, ex verbis Papiæ in suo elementario in .M. litera hac dictione modius, et in .S. litera hac dictione sextarium manifeste declaratur.

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"Dicta vero sceptra liberabuntur, statim finito prandio et rege thalamum ingresso, abbati Westmonasteriensi sive alio monacho ad hoc assignato, per manus dictorum regis et reginæ, ut una cum aliis regalibus in dicto monasterio, prout per bullas papales, et regum chartas, ac antiqua et semper observata consuetudine, plenius habetur; quod sit locus regiæ institutionis et coronationis, ac etiam repositorium regalium insignium in perpetuum, sub hac enim ratione in rescriptis papalium privilegiorum et regalium cartarum, ecclesia præfata, scilicet ecclesia beati Petri Westmonasterii, diadema regni nominatur, caput pariter et corona, tanquam ea quæ sola inter ceteras Angliæ ecclesias speciali prærogativa præfulget.

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Servit ea die senescallia comes Leceystriæ, licet comes Norfolchiæ illud sibi vendicaverit obsequium. De mappario serviet .N. de Hastyng, qui extractas post prandium mappas tanquam suas recipiet. Salarium et cultellos apponet .N. de Bello Campo de Dumely, cujus est officium panetariæ. De officio pincernariæ serviet comes de Arundell."

In the above the word "pincerna" or 66 pincernarius" is thus

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explained by Ducange. "Qui vinum convivis miscet. Catholicon parvum, Pincerna, Bouteiller. Joan de Janua. Pincerna dicitur vini dispensator, vel potius propinator, qui porrigit ex officio poculum domino suo.'

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The word "simila" also occurs, which is thus explained by Ducange. "Simila, ut simenellus, panis ex simila, vel etiam placentulæ species, quæ alibi foliata dicitur." "Panis similaceus, ex Simila, Græcis σeμidaλírns, cui secundum inter panes bonitatis locum assignat Galenus lib. 1. de aliment. Anglis simnelbread. Inde regiis mensis ministrari olim solitus. Liber de situ ecclesiæ Belli in Anglia. Constituens in primo monachis ejusdem ecclesiæ ad cotidianos usus panem regiæ mensæ aptum, qui Simenel vulgo vocatur. Bromptonus ann. 1044. "Eo die præcentor loci recipiat de fisco regio dimidiam marcam, et conventus centum simenellos, et unum modium vini." Glossarium in verb.

Spelman in his glossary says that the simnels were made of the best, and not of any inferior wheat: "Panis purior, sic dictus, quod a simila, hoc est, puriori farinæ parte efficitur." This certainly would have been a reason why the simnels should be especially given to the monks of Westminster, on the festival of a coronation. At any rate it is to be hoped that, whatever they were made of, they were more tempting to look at, (of the taste I cannot speak) than simnels of the present day, which are really offensive in their appearance; *and cannot but be, as another old writer, Constantinus Africanus, has described them, "very indigestible," although possibly "very nutritious." We must commiserate the daily fare of the convent of Westminster, when simnels, such as these, were an extraordinary treat.

*The town of Devizes, in Wiltshire, has long been famous for these "simnels:" and at present, I am told, they are made of

flour, yeast, saffron, currants, and spice. They are first boiled, and afterwards baked.

Officium Coronationis Reginae.

VOL. III.

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Officium Coronationis Reginae.

IE quo regina sola coronanda est, conveniant in palatio regali apud Westmonasterium prælati et nobiles regni, et ordinetur processio per archiepiscopos, episcopos, et prælatos, abbatem et conventum Westm. in capis sericis, et aliis, quia processus requirunt honorificentiam: et sic induti

67 The Pontificals differ in the first rubric of this office: the earlier books are very short in their directions; and some refer to an "Ordo Romanus," not now followed by the pontifical of the Church of Rome, for the benediction "ad introitum," or, "ad ostium ecclesiæ. " Thus the imperfect Salisbury pontifical in the Bodleian, the Cotton MS. Tiberius E. viij, and B. viij, (of the xijth century), commence:* "Benedictio reginæ dicenda in ingressu ecclesiæ secundum ordinem Romanum: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, fons, etc." It may be as well to give here, in brief, the full order as it continues in those MSS.

"Post hanc sequitur benedictio dicenda ante altare: Deus, qui solus habes." (Here the Bodleian MS. is imperfect.) "Item post hanc in sacri olei unctione sequitur hæc oratio: Spiritus Sancti gratia humilitatis. Hic unguatur oleo sancto: In nomine Patris et Filii. Hic detur annulus. Accipe annulum. Sequitur oratio. Deus cujus est. Benedictio coronæ. Deus tuorum corona. Item in eodem ordine, ad coronæ impositionem. Postquam benedicta fuerit, coronabitur. Accipe coronam. "The MS. Tib. B. viij. alone adds: "Alia. Officio indignitatis nosOratio. Omnium Domine fons bonorum."

træ.

To these may be added, the Evesham Pontifical, before cited: which has the same rubric: but the authority of that MS. (an abbatial pontifical, it must be re

membered) is very much lessened by its constant mixture of, and reference to, in many offices, other Uses: not only the Roman, but the Gallican.

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