Coronation Day

           Letusgobackwardafewhours,andplaceourselvesinWestminsterAbbey,atfouro’clockinthemorningofthismemorableCoronationDay.Wearenotwithoutcompany;foralthoughitisstillnight,wefindthetorch-lightedgalleriesalreadyfillingupwithpeoplewhoarewellcontenttositstillandwaitsevenoreighthourstillthetimeshallcomeforthemtoseewhattheymaynothopetoseetwiceintheirlives—thecoronationofaKing.Yes,LondonandWestminsterhavebeenastireversincethewarninggunsboomedatthreeo’clock,andalreadycrowdsofuntitledrichfolkwhohaveboughttheprivilegeoftryingtofindsitting-roominthegalleriesareflockinginattheentrancesreservedfortheirsort.

           Thehoursdragalongtediouslyenough.Allstirhasceasedforsometime,foreverygalleryhaslongagobeenpacked.Wemaysit,now,andlookandthinkatourleisure.Wehaveglimpses,hereandthereandyonder,throughthedimcathedraltwilight,ofportionsofmanygalleriesandbalconies,wedgedfullwithotherpeople,theotherportionsofthesegalleriesandbalconiesbeingcutofffromsightbyinterveningpillarsandarchitecturalprojections.Wehaveinviewthewholeofthegreatnorthtransept—empty,andwaitingforEngland’sprivilegedones.Weseealsotheampleareaorplatform,carpetedwithrichstuffs,whereonthethronestands.Thethroneoccupiesthecentreoftheplatform,andisraisedaboveituponanelevationoffoursteps.