450 PEESONALIA : 1898-1906 



. 



Mrs. Lyell (August 12) and Mrs. Paisley (August 20), are 

 worth recording. 



You may like to hear our experiences of the Coronation, 

 which we managed with much less time and trouble than I 

 had anticipated. We had to sleep in town, of course, and be 

 up by 5 A.M. to get the dressing and breakfast over by 7f 

 when we started, and after many stoppages reached the 

 Abbey at 9.30 to a minute. The crowds of orderly people 

 in the streets were really imposing, and the troops of soldiers 

 of all countries and of sailors, drawn up along the whole 

 length of Whitehall, with dashing officers of all ranks capering 

 about, were a wonderful spectacle for colour. On being set 

 down we were at once conducted to seats in the nave, almost 

 within hand-shake of the procession. The Ceremony itself 

 we could not see, as the central area of the Abbey was 

 crammed with officials and Peers and Peeresses, &c. The 

 Procession was most imposing, stately and dignified every- 

 thing in perfect order. (L.) We were deeply impressed with 

 the solemnity and stateliness of the whole proceedings, 

 broken only once, and then by the volley of cheers for the 

 Crowned King, the effect of which in the Abbey was a spasm 

 of wonder, love and awe. The multifarious, many-coloured 

 garments of the officials were striking, but their gorgeousness 

 almost suffocating, and the width of gold lace tawdry 

 especially on the clericals ! (P.) Bishops, Deans, Canons, 

 who, as it appeared to me, could hardly stagger under their 

 resplendent mantles ; had they been all in pure white robes 

 the effect would have been far more to my liking and more 

 effective too. (L.) The darkness of the Nave was a great 

 drawback the sky was all but black, and the windows 

 were blocked by the tiers of woodwork for the accommoda- 

 tion of those invited. It was difficult to recognise the most 

 familiar faces. (P.) In the theatre, as the central area is 

 irreverently called, electric light was turned on. As it was, 

 in the nave the jewels did not sparkle, not even in the King's 

 crown. The Archbishop and Dean were both evidently 

 very frail, the latter literally tottering along, and the D. of 

 Cambridge was rather dragged than walking. The King 

 and Queen bore themselves with quiet dignity. (L.) I had 

 no idea that the coronets of peers were so hideous when on 



