Many peers had been occasionally in the Hall at a very early hour in the
morning, and before eight o'clock they had all arrived at the buildings
near the House of Lords, and took their coronets and robes. The
archbishops and bishops assembled about the same time, and vested
themselves in their rochets, in the House of Lords and chambers
adjacent. The judges, and others of the long robe, together with the
gentlemen of the privy chamber, esquires of the body, serjeants at law,
masters in chancery, aldermen of London, chaplains having dignities, and
six clerks in chancery, being all in their proper habits, assembled at
the places, of which notice has been given, where the officers of arms
arranged them according to their respective classes, four in a rank,
placing the youngest on the left, and then conducted them into the Hall.
The King's serjeants were in red gowns. The masters in chancery (nine of
whom attended) were in the dress in which they attend the house of
lords.
The barons of the Cinque Ports took a second turn in the Hall, which, as
it began with more formality, was attended with more laughter than the
first. About this time also the four swords were brought in, and
deposited on the end of the left hand table, with the spurs, and a
cushion for the crown. The knights of the Bath now began to assemble,
and with the others who were to take part in the procession, were ranged
at the end of the Hall. The dresses of the knights of the Bath were
extremely splendid, but somewhat gaudy. The knights had all close
dresses of white satin, puckered in a variety of ways. The grand crosses
wore flowing robes of pinkish red satin, lined with white; the
commanders small mantles. The judges and privy counsellors, not being
peers, next entered; the latter in splendid dresses of blue velvet and
gold.
Among them were the Earl of Yarmouth, Lord Binning, Mr. Canning, Mr.
Bathurst, Mr. Huskisson, Sir G. Hill, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Beckett, Lord G.
Beresford, and Mr. Wallace.
The barons then entered, Lords Stowell and Maryborough (late Sir W.
Scott and W. W. Pole), being among the first. There were but forty-nine
(if we rightly counted them) present. Next came the bishops--fifteen
attended; the viscounts, nineteen in number. The earls were more
numerous--we should think seventy or eighty; but the Hall now became so
crowded that there was a difficulty in counting them accurately. The
marquesses and dukes, and lastly the great officers of state,
archbishops, and members of the royal family, entered. Prince Leopold of
Saxe-Cobourg was in the full robes of the order of the Garter. The
princes of the blood and some of the dukes placed themselves on the
right of the platform about the throne. The marquesses and some of the
earls on the left side, formed a line with those who had descended to
the floor of the Hall. The show of ermine and velvet on the descent of
the platform was of the most magnificent description.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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