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aide-de-camp general for the day, the general commanding the military household, etc. So many militaries»! Certainly a thousand swords could have leaped from their scabbards at a word. The imperial standard (each czar has a new one) was displayed on the steps of the platform, with its motto, in Slavonic letters, «God with us.»

The service began with the Emperor's confession of faith, which was so like our own that I could follow it easily. The metropolitan came forward to hear him make it, and responded at the end, «May the grace of the Holy Ghost abide with thee.» I understood comparatively little of the rest; but they say that the prayers are wonderfully beautiful.1 From the first moment to the last the Emperor was the central figure. If one looked away, it was only to see how every one was watching him. His voice certainly trembled when he began to read, but it gained confidence as he went on, and he looked (as he always does, to my mind, with or without a crown) every inch an emperor. Throughout the whole service he bore himself with great dignity, and in a manner worthy of such an occasion. After the creed and the reading of the epistle and the gospel, he ordered the imperial mantle to be brought, which was clasped round his neck with the collar of St. Andrew, lifted the magnificent crown from the cushion on which it was presented, and receiving the benediction from the metropolitan, «in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,» placed it on his head, and holding the scepter in his right hand and the globe in his left, seated himself upon his throne, looking a very noble presentment of a czar of all the Russias. The Empress seemed to have caught something of his air, for that day a certain stateliness was added to all her charm. She was very pale, but I thought that I had never seen her look more sympathetic. She now left her place, and went to kneel before her husband on a cushion which had been placed for her at his feet by Prince Waldemar. The Czar lifted his own crown from his head, and placed it an instant on hers before replacing it. Then, taking her crown from its bearer, he held it in place while the four dames d'honneur fastened it securely to her head. These

1 I was given, in Russia, an account of a previous coronation, which I have had translated. It is to be supposed that the form does not vary; so I have put in one of the prayers from this account further on.

2 « Sweet to a Russian heart,» my chronicler says, "this picture of an immense state occupying the ninth part of the world!»

were Countess Adlerberg, Princess Viasemski, Princess Kotchoubey, and one I did not know -the oldest in rank in Russia, I believe; and they also helped to fasten the imperial mantle of cloth-of-gold and ermine, of great weight. As the Czarina returned to her place, she turned a face full of emotion to her husband and held out her hand, and he taking it and stooping down, they kissed each other. His Majesty now received the scepter and globe again, and Emperor and Empress stood crowned before their thrones and wearing the imperial mantles, while the priests proclaimed the titles of the autocrat of all the Russias at full length; and the beautiful chants that followed were drowned in a clanging of bells and a noise that seemed loud enough to announce the coronation to the whole of Russia. During the singing the imperial family left their places to come and congratulate the Emperor and Empress, the little Czarevitch first. There was much embracing and plenty of tears.

2

It was after this that, as the noise of the bells and cannon died away, the Emperor took the book from the metropolitan and knelt to pray, reading the prescribed words, he alone kneeling, while priests and congregation stood. This was the prayer:

O Lord God of our fathers, and supreme Ruler of sovereigns, who hast created everything by Thy word, and in Thy wisdom hast set up man righteousness; Thou hast chosen me as Czar and that he may govern the world in holiness and judge of Thy people. I confess Thy inscrutable providence with regard to me; and, in giving thanks, bow down before Thy majesty. And Thou, my Lord and God, instruct me in the work for which Thou hast sent me; enlighten my path and direct me in this great ministry; let the wisdom of Thy throne abide with me, send it down from Thy holy heavens, that I may know what is pleasing in Thy eyes, and what is in accordance with Thy commandments. Let my heart be in Thy hand, that I may order everything to the advantage of the people intrusted to me and to Thy glory, so that even in the day of judgment I may without condemnation render my account to Thee: by the mercy and bounty of Thy only-begotten Son, with whom, and with Thy holy and good and life-giving Spirit, Thou art blessed unto the ages.

Amen.

As the Emperor rose from his knees we all knelt down, and then followed the prayer of priests and congregation for him, led by the metropolitan, the Emperor alone standing in the crowded church. As I have said before, this was the most impressive moment of all.

The choirs now sang again-that beautiful, unaccompanied singing of the Greek Church,

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IMPERIAL BANQUET IN THE HALL OF THE PALAIS À FACETTES.

though here it had an accompaniment of all the Kremlin bells. After a magnificent Te Deum the mass began, in which, before communicating, the Czar was to be anointed with the holy chrism (the «seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost ») on forehead, eyelids, nostrils, lips, ears, breast, and hands. The oil for this anointing is prepared by the priests with the greatest care, in vessels of silver; and they themselves fast absolutely for sixteen hours before a coronation, spending the time in prayer. After the Emperor, the Empress is anointed at the holy doors, but only on the forehead. Also in the holy communion she receives as an ordinary member of the Greek Church; but the Emperor, on the day of his coronation, «in view of the sovereignty that resides in his person,» receives as the priests receive, in both kinds separately.

Of all this I saw nothing because of the intervening pillar. But I did see their Majesties leave their thrones, and go down the steps of the platform to the holy doors of the screen, closely attended by the colonel of the Chevaliers Gardes with his drawn sword, and preceded and followed by endless high dignitaries, returning in the same order after the anointing and the holy communion. After this there was very little more of the ceremonial in the cathedral. At the end of the usual service there were some special prayers and chants for the newly crowned pair,-«Long life to the crowned of God!»-and in the silence that followed the priests held up the cross for their Majesties to kiss, the Emperor replaced the crown, which he had laid aside at the beginning of the mass, and carrying the globe and scepter, moved with the Empress toward the cathedral doors.

My little French neighbor breathed a long sigh of relief (we had been standing just five hours), and began, so to speak, to pick up his wife and daughter and be off. «Wait a minute,» I said; «let 's hear how they greet him outside. And at that instant the people must have caught sight of the Emperor, for we heard a tremendous acclamation again and again repeated. Mr. M looked dubious when I told him of the enthusiasm. «They were probably told to do it," he said; and I'm afraid they were. For from where Esat in the tribune he could see the crowd in the inclosures perfectly well; how each man who came in showed his ticket, and was probably known without that to the police guarding the entrances; and how the cheering was led each time by the same people posted in different parts of the crowd. Be that as it may, cheering continued all along the Czar's

route as he went to each cathedral of the Kremlin to «salute» the tombs of his forefathers and to kiss the holy relics. He and the Czarina walked under a baldachin that was a replica of the one in the cathedral, only bigger. This most splendid umbrella since the world began was carried by Chevaliers Gardes (all the honorable duties of the coronation day fall to this regiment, and I really don't know how anybody could be crowned without them); but I did n't like it, for it looked very heavy, and almost hid the royal pair, though I did catch the shine of the diamond crowns and gold mantles. All this time we were waiting on the route the Emperor had already gone, and in a real crowd and a real noise, -cheering and clash of trumpets at the national hymn, -our veils pulled one way and our trains another, our heads in a very hot sun, and our feet in thin shoes on the wet red cloth, which had got soaked in the showers of rain. One tremendous crush, and we could breathe again. The Emperor had passed up the Red Stair, had turned to salute his people, receiving a tremendous acclamation in answer, and had passed into the palace.

I had thought we were now to follow his Majesty up the stair and see the imperial «banquet.» Not a bit of it. We were led at once to the «diplomatic lunch» spread in the Salle d'Or, or Hall of the Czarina. I was extremely disappointed. It seemed to me a break in the ceremonial which robbed it of half its effect, and so I found that it did when, our long meal over, we were taken to the Granovitaya Palata and ranged in order before the throne, but at some distance from it, to see the Emperor and Empress served. One could not help feeling, after so long a pause between the church services and the banquet, that their crowns had been off in the interval, and that they had certainly had a

snack» of something or other, and perhaps a cigarette. For me the pomp and dignity and splendor worthy of the coronation were over when the Czar turned from the Red Stair into the palace door.

The Granovitaya Palata is a room of endless associations in Russian history. In appearance it is very characteristic-a room that one does not forget. It was already very full when we were summoned there. The dais on which their Majesties were to be served was placed in one corner of the room, under a high canopy; and facing it at an angle, but hidden by the huge column that holds up the ceiling, were the orchestra and choir who were to make music during the feast. Tables

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