615 



Coronation of Charles the Second, by Sir Edward Walker, Knt., 

 Garter Principal King-at-Arms, published in 1820, informs us, " that 

 because through the rapine of the then late unhappy times, all the 

 Royal Ornaments and Regalia theretofore preserved from age to age 

 in the treasury of the Church of Westminster had been taken away, 

 sold, or destroyed, the Committee (appointed to order the ceremony) 

 met divers times, not only to direct the re-making such Royal Or- 

 naments and Regalia, but even to settle the form and fashion of 

 each particular, all which did then retain the old names and fashion, 

 although they had been newly made and prepared, by orders given 

 to the Earl of Sandwich, IMaster of the Great Wardrobe, and Sir 

 Gilbert Talbot, Knt., Master of the Jewell House." 



The MS. then proceeds to enumerate the various articles ordered 

 to be made for the Coronation of the King, which makes it evident 

 that the former Regalia had been destroyed*. 



The singular and fortunate discovery of the receipt of Sir Robert 

 Vyner for £5500, being part payment of £31,978 9^. lid., the charge 

 for making the Regalia and different gold and silver ornaments, 

 destined as presents at the Coronation of Charles the Second, lends 

 additional and powerful weight to the presumption, that all the plate 

 belonging to Charles the First was destroyed. 



The receipt specifies the various articles made, among which are 

 no less than "Eighteen Maces, and divers other parcells of guilt and 

 white plate." It is worthy of mention, that this receipt was found 

 by Mr. Robert Cole among the documents sold in 1838 by the then 

 Lords of the Treasury as waste paper I ! It forms the subject of a 

 short communication made to the Society of Antiquaries in 1841, 

 and printed in the 29th volume of the Archceologiaf. 



* The following interesting letter from Mr. Swifte, Keeper of Her Majesty's 

 Jewel House, confirms the above statement : — 



Her Majesty's Jewel House, 

 Dear Sir, March 15, 1846. 



You are but too right in yoar idea of the modern character of our Eegalia. 

 Whether as an Englishman, a Royalist, an Historian, or as a Gentleman, or in all 

 these capacities, you must grieve over the wicked annihilation of its ancient me- 

 morials. The barbarous spirit which descended on the French revolutionists, 

 when they destroyed even the tombs and the bones of their ancient monarchy, 

 actuated our Puritans to break up and sell the old Crown Jewels of England. 



The two Jewel Houses (for then there were two, the upper and the lower) were 

 betrayed by my predecessors, Sir Henry and Mr. Carew Mildmay, in 1649, and 

 their precious contents transferred to the Usurper. The most shameful par of 

 this afflicting transaction was the breaking up of King Alfred's wirework gold 

 fiUagree crown, and selhng it for the weight of the metal and what the stones 

 would fetch. 



A new Regalia was ordered at the Restorarion, to which additions or alterations 

 have been made as requisite, constituting that which is now in my chai'ge. 



Believe me, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours, 

 C. R, Weld, Esq. Edmukd Lexthal Swifte, K. C. J. 



t For another proof of the extraordinary want of judgment manifested by the 

 Lords of the Treasury in selling several tons weight of national records, see a 

 very curious pamphlet by Mr, Thomas Rodd, entitled " isarrative of the Pro- 

 ceedings instituted in the Coim; of Common Pleas against Mr. T. Rodd, for the 

 purpose of wi-esting from him a certain MS. roll, under the pretence of its being 

 a document belonging to that Court." 8vo, London 1845. 



