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de Charolois reprefenting the count de Thouloufe, the count de Clermont reprefenting the count of Flanders, and the prince of Conti reprefenting the count of Champagne have earls coronets; and the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon and the prince of Conti have over their mantles the collar of the order of the Holy Ghost.

The lay-peers have no fooner taken their places, but they rife, and with the ecclefiaftical peers advance to the archbishop of Rheims, and agree to depute the bishop count de Laon, and the bishop count de Beauvais to go and fetch the King. Thefe two go accordingly in proceffion, preceded by all the canons, and the muficians, by the chanter and fubchanter, and by the great mailer of the ceremonies. They pafs through an open gallery built from the door of the church to the great hall of the arch-bishop's palace, and when they come to the King's room, the chanter knocking at the door with his ftick, the bifhiop of Laon fays that he wants to fpeak with Lewis the XVIth. The great chamberlain of France fays, The King is afleep. The Chanter knocks a fecond time, and the great chamberlain returns the fame anfwer; but the Chanter knocking a third time, and the bishop of Laon faying, that he is come for Lewis the XVIth, whom God has given us for our King; the doors are open'd, and the two bishops, introduc'd by the grand mafter of the ceremonies of France, falute his majefty with a profound obeifance. The King reposed on a magnificent bed, has a long waift-coat of crimfon fattin, with gold-lace, and open, as well as his fhirt at thofe places where his majesty is to receive the unction His upper garment is a long robe of cloth of filver, and he wears a black velvet-cap with a plume of white feathers on it, and a string of diamonds round it. After the bishop of Laon has prefented the holy water to the King, and the ufual collects have been read, the bishops take him by each arm, raife him off the bed, and lead him in proceffion to the church.

The hundred Switzers march after the clergy, in their habits of ceremony, their captain being dreffed in cloth of filver, with a belt of the fame, embroidered; a black cloak lined with filver-ftuff, and Jared, as are likewife his breeches. He

has alfo a cap of black velvet, with a plume of feathers; the lieutenant has a doublet, and cloak of cloth of filver, and a cap of the fame. The Swifs guard is followed by the hautboys, drums and trumpets of the chamber, and by fix heralds at arms in caps and cloaths of white velvet, their breeches tied with ribbands. They have over their doublets and mantles, a coat of arms of purple velvet, with the arms of France embroidered, and each a tipstaff in his hand.. The two mafters of the ceremonies who come next, have doublets of cloth of filver, capes and breeches of black fhorn velvet with filver lace, and caps of black velvet, adorned with white feathers. Thefe are followed by four knights of the holy ghoft clad in the great mantle of the order. Then comes the marshal who reprefents the conftable of France, in the habit of the lay peers, with an earl's coronet, attended by the two ufhers of the King's bedchamber, dreffed in white, and carrying their maces. After him, the King, fupported by two bishops; and after his Majefty, the grand equerry of France, appointed to take the King's cap during the ceremony, and to hold up the train of the royal cloak. On his majefty's right is the commander of the Scots guards; and on his left, the captain of the guards in waiting.

The King is attended by fix of the Scots guards in white fattin, with their coats of arms embroidered upon their cloaths, and partizans in their hands, the chancellor of France walks after the King in a caflock of crimson fatin over a great fearlet cloak lined with ermins; as is alfo his cap, which is of cloth of gold. Next come (with his ftaff in his hand) the fleward of the houfhold, the great chamberlain of France, and the

gentleman of his majesty's bed-chamber, all three in the habit of the temporal peers with earls coronets: the lifeguards clofe the proceffion.

The King is led up by the two bishops to the foot of the altar, where he kneels while the arch-bishop of Rheims prays and then they conduct him to his feat, under a canopy in the middle of the choir. The captains of the guard fit on the right and left, and a little lower, the fix Scots guards are placed on both fides of the choir.

When all the nobility have taken their feats,

feats, the arch-bishop of Rheims prefents the holy water to the King, and to thofe who officiate. Then Veni Creator, &c. is fung, and foon after the facred vial of oil arrives at the church-door, which kad been brought in proceffion from the church of St. Remi, by the grand prior of the abbey, in a cope of cloth of gold, and mounted on a white horse of the King's ftables, covered with a houfing of cloth of filver richly embroidered, and under a canopy of the fame borne by three gentlemen (who are knights of the facred vial, clad in white fattin, and cloaks of black filk) and by the bailiff of the Abbey*. A number of fryars march before it, and a baron at Each corner, attended each by his equerry, and carrying a standard with the arms of France and Navarre on one fide, and those of their families on the other. The arch-bishop having received it at the door with the ufual ceremonies, after a folemn promise to restore it again to the grand prior, returns into the choir preceded by all the canons, and places it upon the altar, near which fit the grand prior and treasurer of the abbey, and the four barons with their equerries and ftandards.

The arch-bishop, having firft retired behind the altar to put on the neceffary ornaments for mafs, makes the ufual reverences to the altar and the King; and then goes, affifted by the bifhops of Laon and Beauvais, up to his feat, where he receives the Kings promife to protect all the churches fubject to the crown; which promife his majefty makes fitting and covered. Then the two bifhops raife

NOT E.

The Abbey of St. Remi is a rich Abbey in the city of Rheims, whose church was dedicated by Pope Leo the IXth in perfon, on the 1ft of October, 1049, when the body of St. Remi was born on the Pope's fhoulders from his tomb, first to the cathedral, and then to the church, where it remained on the high altar during the council of Rheims (which began the next day, and lafted five days) and was then placed in a fhrine. This church has the privilege of keeping the vial, and none can cele brate mals on that altar but the archbishop of Rheims, and the abbot of St. Remi, except twice a year, when feven priests are chofen from the cathedral.

the King off his feat, and according to ancient cuftom, afk the confent of the people; which done, the arch-bishop receives the national oath from the King, together with those of the order of the holy ghoft; that of St. Lewis; and that for obferving the edict against duels; to all which his majefty is worn by laying his hand on the holy gofpels, and kifling them.

After this, the King is led again to the altar, by the two bifhops, where, being ftript of his long robe and cap, he ftands while the arch-bifhop recites fome collects, and then, being feated again, the great chamberlain of France puts on his bufkins, or fandals, of purple velvet, embroidered with flowers de lis in gold, and the duke of Orleans buckles on the golden fpurs, but immediately takes them off again. Then the arch-bifhop bleffes Charlemain's sword, which he lays upon the altar, with the other regalia, and takes it off at the fame inftant; when drawing it out of the fcabbard, he reads a collect, and delivers it to the King, who kiffes it, and then lays it upon the altar as an ofing to God. The arch-bifliop gives it again to the King, who then receives it on his knees, and gives it to the duke de Villars, who bears it with the point uppermoft during the ceremonies of the confecration and coronation, and the royal feast.

The litany is then fung by four of the bishops at the altar, the King lying proftrate before it all the time, upon purple velvet feeded with flowers de lis, and arch-biflop in the fame pofture on his right. At the finging of that verfe ut obfequiam, &c. they all rife, and the arch-bishop with his mitre on his head, and crofs in his hand, repeats the three next verses. The bifhops of Laon and Beauvais, ftand on each fide of the King, while the litany is finging, and when the prayers which follows are ended, the arch-bishop feats himself in a chair on a very rich carpet, while the King kneels before him, the archbishop, with a gold bodkin, takes a few drops out of the holy vial, which he mixes in a gold bafon with the holy chrifm; and making the fign of the cross on the King's head with the oil, pronounces thefe words twice Ungo te in regem de cleo fancifcato, i nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus fanéi

"I ano:

"I anoint thee King with the confecrated oil, in the name of the father, and of the fon, and of the holy ghoft." Then two bithops open the King's waistcoaft and fhirt, and the arch-bifhop anoints him a fecond time on the breaft, a third, on the fhoulder blades, a fourth, on the right, and a fifth, on the left fhoulder, a fixth and feventh time on the joints of the right and left arm. After which the arch-bithop and two bifhops close the openings of the King's fhirt and waistcoat, who thereupon rifing up, receives from the great chamberlain, the tunick, the dalmatick, and the royal cloak of purple velvet, embroidered with flowers de lis of gold, lined and faced with ermine. Then the King kneeling again before the archbishop, receives the 8th unction on the palms of both hands, after which he he gives his Majesty the gloves, which he bleffed, together with the ring, and puts it upon the fourth finger of the King's right hand, takes the royal fcepter from the altar, and puts it into his right hand, and the hand of justice into his left.

Then the chancellor of France, goes to the altar, and turning his face to the choir, calls to all the peers, beginning with the lay peers, and when they they are all come to the altar, the archbifhop takes the great crown of Charlemain, which had been brought from the abbey of St. Dennis, blefles it, and puts it on the King's head with the ufual prayers and ceremonies, and the temporal and fpiritual peers lay their hands on it, while the arch-bishop recite the coronation-collects.

After this, the arch-bishop leads him by the right arm to the throne erected in the gallery. The fix heralds at arms march firft to the bottom of the stairs, and then the peers fpiritual and temporal. he contable of France, with a drawn fword, fupported by the two uthers of the chamber with their maces, march before the King, who has Charlemain's crown on his head, and holding the scepter and the hand of juftice, being fupported by the two captains of the guards, and having the train of his royal cloak born by the grand equerry of France. The chancellor follows the King, and after him the grand master of the houfhold, with the great chamberlain of France on the right, and the

first gentleman of the king's bedchamber on the left. The fix Scots guards who attend the King, ftand upon the stairs which are nearest the throne, three on each fide. The peers and great officers furround the throne, and the two captains of the guards are placed upon the first step of his Majefty's chair of state. The King is feated in his throne by the arch-bithop of Rheims, who still holding him by the right arm, recites the prayers of inthroning, with the usual ceremonies. Which when done, he puts off his mitre, makes a low bow to the King, and kiffes him, faying, O King, live for ever. Then all the peers kifs his Majefty with the fame ceremonies, and taking their places again, the heralds at arms afcend the gallery, the doors of the church are fet open, and the people enter in fhoals to fee their Monarch on his throne. The church rings with the joyful acclamations of the multitude, followed with the flourishes of trumpets and hautboys in the choir. At the fame time a great number of birds are let out of their cages, the regiments of French and Swifs guards drawn up in battalia, in the fquare, and about the church, make a tripple falvo with their small arms; and, during the universal acclamations of Long live the King, the heralds at arms throw among the people gold and filver medals, which have on one fide the King's effigies, with this infcription, Lud. XVI. Rex Chriftianiffimus, and on the reverfe, the figure of his coronation, with thefe words, Rex Cælefti Olco Unltus Remis

Then Te Deum is fung by the whole choir, during which the King's mufick plays, all the bells in the city are rung, and there are repeated falvoes of the artillery. After finging the mass, epistle, and gofpels, the fpiritual peers put on their mitres, and the temporal ones their coronets, and the duke of Orleans takes off the King's crown, and lays it before him, but after the reading of the gospel, he puts it on the King's head again.

At the fame time the mafters of the ceremonies go down into the choir, and being preceded by the heralds, make their bows to the altar, to the King, to the Queen, the cardinals and ambaffadors. Then the grand almoner of France, preceded by the mafters of the ceremonies, carry the King the gospels

to

to kiss, which are covered with white fattin.

In all coronations of the King's of France, the arch-bifhop of Rheims performs the ceremony of anointing and putting on the crown. The bishop of Laon, carries the holy vial; the bishop of Langres, the scepter; the biflop of Beauvais, the royal mantle; the bishop of Chalons, the ring, and the bishop of Noyon, the fword-belt; the bishop of Soiffons, officiates as deacon at the mafs, and the bishop of Amiens, as fubdeacon. The biftop of Angiers pronounces the fermon. The other ecclefiaftical functions are performed by the bishops of Rennes, Coutance, Rhodez, St. Paul, Agde, the arch-bishop of Lyons, and the bifhops of Lucon and Sarlas. The duke of Orleans carries the fword; the duke of Bourbon, the firft banner, and the prince of Conti, the fecond banner of the church. The count of Tholoufe, the fpurs; the duke of Chartres, the royal fword; the duke of Villeroy, the military standard; and the duke of Summery holds the King's train.

We apprebend a Sketch of the remarkable Occurrences which happened, from the Acceffon of the late King of France to the present Time, will not be unacceptable to our Readers, especially as the Death of that Monarch will, in all Probability, create a confiderable Change in the Affairs of Europe.

A foort View of the moft material Tranfactions which happened during the Reign of the late Lewis XV, King of France, furnamed the Well-beloved.

September, 1715, in the feventyfecond year of his reign, and the feventy-feventh of his age, his great grandfon Lewis XV, acceded to the throne in the fifth year of his age, being born anno 1710, The Duke of Orleans was declared fole Regent, during the minority of the young King. He began his adminiftration with acts of lenity and mildness, and with great appearance of zeal for the public good. The government was greatly diftreffed at the acceffion of Lewis XV, and could neither act for its own fecurity, nor the relief

of the nation, being near three hundred million Sterling in debt.

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A plan to pay off the debt of the State was propofed to the regent by a Scotchman, called John Law; and in 1716 a bank was eftablished, which was foon after united with the Miffifippi Company, from whofe commerce, that time, the people expected uncommon advantages. In 1718, Law's Bank was declared Royal, and ingroffed the farming of the national taxes. This Bank or Company, appeared to be established on fuch a very advantageous foundation, that a fhare in its flock arofe to above twenty times its original value; and, in 1719, Law had fabricated fo many notes, that the chimerical value of the funds exceeded fourscore times the real value of the current coin of the kingdom. At length, the people growing fufpicious, every one wanted to convert his notes into money, and foon exhausted the Royal Bank. Public credit dropped all at once, so that a real poverty began to fucced a profufion of imaginary riches. Law, loaded with the public execrations was obliged to fly the country he had attempted to enrich and had entirely ruined, and died, fome time after, at Venice, in a state little removed from indigence. This madness of gaming in the flocks almost undid many of the principal Citizens of London the year afterwards.

In 1722 the Regent caufed his Majefty to be crowned at Rheims, and died the latter end of the following year, at a period when he intended carrying fome great projects into execution. The King was foon afterwards married to Mary, daughter of Stanislaus King of Poland; and the bishop of Frejus afterwards

prime Minifter. This prelate had been precepter to the young King; was a man of an amiable and focial difpofition, modeft, mild, and indefatigable in his attention to the public good. Political affairs fucceeded happily under his management, and the people, cultivating arts and commerce with emulation, foon forgot their past calamities, and a general repofe was enjoyed, by almost all Europe, for a confiderable time.

Stanislaus, father-in-law to Lewis XV, was chofen King of Poland in 1733; but the Emperor Charles VI,

alfifted

1

affifted by the Ruffians, caufed the Poles to proceed to a new election; and Auguftus, fon of the late King of Poland, elector of Saxony, carried the contest against Staniflaus, who was fupported by the French. This unfortunate Monarch was defeated in an attack upon the Ruffian army at Dantzick, and escaped with great difficulty, in the babit of a failor, from the hands of his enemies. Spain and Sardinia united with France against the Emperor of Germany, and the French had fome fuccefs in Italy; but, the Emperor fuing for peace, Fleury concluded it greatly to the advantage of his country, though by the treaty Staniflaus renounced the throne of Poland, which he twice afcended without being able to maintain it; in lieu of which the Dutchies of Barr and Lorrain were ceded to him, with a reversion to the Crown of France. A profound peace now prevailed among the Chriftian Potentates if we except the growing difputes between Spain and England concerning the trade of America, which Fleury used his utmost endeavours to conciliate.

The Emperor Charles VI. died in the year 1740, and the fucceffion of the House of Auftria was disputed, firft, by Maria Terefa of Hungary, his eldest daughter; fecondly, by Charles Elector of Bavaria; thirdly, by Auguftus, King of Poland; and fourthly by the King of Spain. This caufe, in which fo many crowned heads were concerned, was pleaded in all the courts of Europe by manifefto's and memorials, and no-, thing was expected but a general war.

Maria received the homage of the States of Auftria, at Vienna, foon after; and the provinces of Italy and Bohemia fwore allegiance to her. She infured her husband, the grand Duke of Tufcany, a fhare in all her Crowns; and, refufing to yield Lower Silefia to the King of Pruflia, who had fome pretenfions to that territory, he marched an army into her dominions, and fecured the whole of that province, of which he had been refused a part. The Elector of Bavaria, being. fupported by the Court of Versailles, and by the Kings of Pruffia and Poland, attacked the Auftrian dominions, and even fummonthe Governor of Vienna to furender. King of England had raised an

favour of Maria Therefa, who,

her

being drove from Vienna, fied to Hungary, where the was received with the greatest affection. The whole Englith nation interefted themselves in favour, and a fubfcription was raifed for her in London, to a very great amount, which the had the magnanimity to refuse.

In 1741, the French army, under the Elector of Bavaria, being reinforced with twenty thousand Saxons, under the famous Count Saxe, took Prague by furprife, where the Elector was crowned King of Bohemia, and a few months afterwards folemnly elected Emperor of Germany. He now feemed to have the profpect of a glorious and a happy reign; but fortune foon changed, and a number of rapid difafters followed bis elevation. The French troops were routed in Bohemia and Bavaria, and, in the midit of these misfortunes, Cardinal Fleury died at the village of Iffi, leaving the affairs of the kingdom in a very critical fituation.

At this time all Europe was alarmed, and France uniting her squadron with Spain, who had been at war with England fome time, a battle was fought between Monfieur de Court and Admiral Matthews off Toulon, where the two fleets were almoft equally damaged; and Lewis XV. declared hoftilities against Great Britain and Maria Therefa, who had been crowned Queen of Hungary. The marshal Noailles commanded the French army near Francfort, and, the King of England having headed his troops in perfon, a battle was fought at Dettingen on the 26th day of June, 1743, in which the English were victorious, though the lofs of both armies was nearly equal. This threw the Emperor's affairs into great diftrefs, and Lewis XV, refolving to make a campaign in perfon, repaired to the army, which had been confiderably increased by numerous bodies of troops under Count Saxe. He took Courtney, Menin, and Ypres, in a few weeks; but, news arriving that the Auftrian army had entered Alface without refiftance, the King, leaving Saxe with about forty thousand men, haftened to the relief of that province, and, during his march, augmented the foldiers pay and fubfiftence.

At this period Lewis was feized, at Metz, with a violent fever, which endangered

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