§ 11. Of the Sergeants at Arms, Gentlemen Pen

sioners, &c.

THE Sergeants at Arms are the most antient kind of guard waiting on the person of our kings; they commonly walk before the sovereign, and in going to his coronation they attend the several bearers of regalia. The sergeants at arms were first instituted by king Richard I. in imitation of a corps of the same name formed by Philip Augustus king of France : their duty originally was to watch round the king's

139 "Item a la grevous compleint de la communalte fait a nostre seignur le roi en cest parlement del excessive et outrageous noumbre des sergeantz darmes, et de plusours grantz extorsions et oppressions par eux faitz

tent in complete armour, with a mace, bow and arrows, and a sword; and occasionally to arrest traitors and other offenders about the court, for which the mace was deemed a sufficient authority. Their number was at first twenty-four, all being persons of good birth; but in after times they were so much increased as to become a public grievance, and in the reign of Richard II. a statute was past, limiting the company to thirty 189: in later times the number has usually been much less. The sergeants at arms are still distinguisht by their maces, which are of silver gilt, and they are decorated with the silver collar of SS.

The honourable band of Gentlemen Pensioners is the immediate guard of the sovereign's person in the procession to his coronation, as well as on other occasions of state. They also bring up the dishes of the second course at the feast, and after the ceremony the honour of knighthood is generally conferred on two of their number. There are forty of the pensioners, and their officers are a captain, lieutenant, standard-bearer, &c. : their usual arms are pole

axes.

The Yeomen of the Guard march at the close of the procession, and are armed with partizans or hal

au poeple le roy voet qils soient trestoutz deschargez et qe de eux et de autres soient reprises bones et sufficeantes persones tunqal noumbre de trent sanz pluis desore enavant," &c.—Stat. an. 13 Rich. II. cap. vi.

berts; their well-known dress has been preserved from the time of their first establishment in the reign of Henry VII. The officers of the guard are the captain, lieutenant, ensign, clerk of the cheque, and four exempts or exons; the yeomen are one hundred in number.

§ 1. Of the Proclamation and Summons.

THE present division of our subject will comprise a Ceremonial drawn from the practice of the later reigns, with such remarks as may serve to point out the most important deviations from antient usage.

When a day is appointed for the coronation it is usual for the king designate to name commissioners for holding the Court of Claims, and to issue a Proclamation giving notice to such as are bound to service by their offices or tenures to appear and perform their respective functions. The proclamation is pub

M

lisht in the usual form by the heralds at arms, at the accustomed places in London and Westminster.— Letters of Summons are then sent to the peers in the following form, adapted to the several ranks.

G. R.

day of

Right trusty and right well-beloved cousin, we greet you well. Whereas we have appointed the next for the solemnity of our royal coronation; these are therefore to will and command you, all excuses set apart, that you make your personal attendance on us, at the time above mentioned, furnisht and appointed as to your rank and quality appertaineth, there to do and perform such services as shall be required and belong unto you. And whereas we have also resolved that the coronation of our royal consort the queen shall be solemnized on the same day; we do further hereby require the countess your wife to make her personal attendance on our said royal consort, at the time and in the manner aforesaid: whereof you and she are not to fail. And so we bid you heartily farewell. Given at the day of

&c.1

To such noble persons as are not able to attend the

See the Additional Notes and Appendix.

"Sir George Buck, in his valuable history of Richard III. remarks that it was "the auncyent manner and custome that the prince whoe was next to succeede the kinge deceased, should goe to the Tower of London, the castle royall and cheefe howse of safetye in this kinge