CHRONICLE. 



387 



retired under his banner when the 

 procession came opposite the same. 

 During the sovereign's return, the 

 officers .of the wardrobe removed 

 the carpet and cushion whereon his 

 majesty had kneeled ; leaving the 

 first carpet, and placing two cu- 

 shions for the knights ; and deputy 

 black rod, with the usual reve- 

 rences, returned to his place. All 

 the knights standing under their 

 banners, the provincial kings of 

 arms joined with usual reverences, 

 and went to the prince of Wales ; 

 who, in the middle of the choir, 

 made his double reverence, first to 

 the altar, then to the sovereign, and 

 was coi)du<^l:ed to the altar, where, 

 taking oil' his cap, and making ano- 

 ther reverence, he kneeled, and of- 

 fered gold and silver in the bason ; 

 and, returning in the same order, 

 went into his stall, where, making 

 his reverence, he sat down. Then 

 two officers of arms attended 

 the next knight or knights in se- 

 niority, being companions, who 

 offered in like manner, and so on 

 til! all the knights and the proxy 

 oflercd, and ascended into their 

 stalls. Divine service ended, the 

 prelate was conducted to his seat by 

 the verger of St. George's chapel. 

 Garter then summoned the knights 

 under their banners, jnniors first, 

 which done, the poor knights join- 

 ed, made their reverences, and went 

 out of the choir ; as did the preben- 

 daries, the officers of arms, the 

 knights, and the officers of the or- 

 der. The lord chamberlain, and 

 the sword of state, preceded the 

 sovereign as before. The proces- 

 sion moved to the great west door 

 of the chapel, up the south aisle, 

 and out of the south door, to the 

 upper castle ; but the proxy went 

 iu procession no farther tlnm the 



south door, where the mantle of his 

 principal was delivered to the sex- 

 ton. The poor knights and pre- 

 bendaries filed off on either side, in 

 the guard-chamber ; the officers of 

 arms, and the four Serjeants at arms, 

 in the presence chamber ; the 

 knights companions divided on either 

 side in the royal apartment. The 

 sovereign, having the officers of the 

 order before him, went under the 

 state, where he saluted the knights, 

 by pulling off his cap ; and then 

 retired till dinner time. It was past 

 five o'clock before the ceremony- 

 had finished, when the procession 

 returned in the same order as it en- 

 tered the chapel, with the band 

 jjlaying the march in Hercules. 

 DINNER. 

 The dinner was laid out in St. 

 George's hall. When the first ser- 

 vice was placed on the tables of 

 the sovereign and knights, the 

 knights and officers being in their 

 order in the presence chamber as 

 before, and his majesty under the 

 state ; a procession was made to the 

 hall in the following order, about 

 half past five o'clock : 



The officers of arms. 

 The knights in their order, accord- 

 ing to their stalls. 

 The officers of the order. 

 Lord chamberlain. The sword of 

 state. 

 The sovereign. 

 The officers of arms divided at the 

 lower end of the hall ; the knights 

 above them in a line, according to 

 their seniority (the senior nearest to 

 the state) who took off their caps 

 and feathers as the sovereign passed. 

 The officers of the order proceeded 

 before the sovereign to the Haut^ 

 pas, and then retired behind the 

 knights. The sovereign being under 

 his state, saluted the koights ; and 

 C c 2 the 



