(In the morning early, care was taken that the ampula was filled with
oil, and the spoon laid ready upon the altar of the Abbey church.)
The King having thus taken his oath, returned again at the chair; and
kneeling at his faldstool, the archbishop begun the hymn Veni, Creator
Spiritus, and the choir sang it out.
ANTHEM II.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And warm them with thy heav'nly fire.
Thou who th' anointing Spirit art,
To us thy sevenfold gifts impart.
Let thy bless'd unction from above
Be to us comfort, life, and love.
Enable with celestial light
The weakness of our mortal sight:
Anoint our hearts, and cheer our face,
With the abundance of thy grace:
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou dost dwell, no ill can come:
Teach us to know the Father, Son,
And Spirit of both, to be but one,
That so, through ages all along,
This may be our triumphant song;
In thee, O Lord, we make our boast,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
This being ended, the archbishop said this prayer:--
O Lord, Holy Father, who by anointing with oil didst of old make and
consecrate kings, priests, and prophets, to teach and govern thy
people Israel: bless and sanctify thy chosen servant George, who by
our office and ministry is now to be anointed with this oil, and
consecrated King of this realm: strengthen him, O Lord, with the
Holy Ghost the Comforter; Confirm and stablish him with thy free and
princely spirit, the spirit of wisdom and government, the spirit of
counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of knowledge and true
godliness, and fill him, O Lord, with the spirit of thy holy fear,
now and for ever. Amen.
This prayer being ended, the choir sang:
ANTHEM III.
Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, anointed Solomon King; and
all the people rejoiced, and said, God save the King! Long live the
King! May the King live for ever! Amen. Hallelujah!
In the meantime the King, rising from his devotions, went before the
altar, supported and attended as before.
The King sat down in his chair, placed in the midst of the area over
against the altar, with the faldstool before it, wherein he was
anointed. Four knights of the garter held over him a rich pall of silk,
or cloth of gold; the dean of Westminster took the ampula and spoon
from off the altar, poured some of the holy oil into the spoon, and with
it the archbishop anointed the King, in the form of a cross:
1. On the crown of the head, saying,
Be thy head anointed with holy oil, as kings, priests, and prophets
were anointed.
2. On the breast, saying,
Be thy breast anointed with holy oil.
3. On the palms of both the hands, saying,
Be thy hands anointed with holy oil:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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