Naturally a sword of this magnificence is meant more for display on State occasions than for use on the field of battle; indeed, from a swordsman’s point of view, it would be quite impossible to firmly grip a hilt made of diamonds and other angularly cut stones. The scabbard and jewels are not ancient, whatever the history of the blade may be, having been made for the Coronation of George IV, just one hundred years ago. Since that reign this has been the Sword which the King at his Coronation hands to the Archbishop of Canterbury as symbolising that he places his Sword at the service of the Church. Happily for the financial stability of the empire, it is arranged between Church and State that after each Coronation the Keeper of the Jewel House is empowered to redeem the said Sword by paying to the Archbishop the apparently inadequate recompense of 100 shillings. The Sword was rarely used except at coronations, and not being carefully guarded as it now is, got lost or mislaid in the reign of Queen Victoria, possibly because a queen has no use for a sword. For some decades this priceless weapon disappeared entirely, and then was only accidentally found at the back of an old disused cupboard. How truly British, both friends and semi-friends, will alike exclaim! Doubtless numbers of people had seen the box containing it, but as this box closely resembles an ordinary gun case, it was probably taken for one and left undisturbed. In this box, which looks like a gun case, are the emplacements for two swords. One is for the Jewelled Sword, but what lay in the other is not recorded—possibly a less ornate weapon for the King’s ordinary use when in uniform. This latter has disappeared probably amongst the cast-off accoutrements of some bygone monarch. The Sword of State which is carried before the King at the opening of Parliament is quite a different weapon. It is a long, two-handed sword, with a gold hilt and quillion, and is encased in a crimson velvet scabbard. The length of the blade alone is 32 in., and the breadth of the same about 2 in. This is the Sword with which the King knighted the Prince of Wales when he was created a Knight of the Garter. The quillion of the sword is formed of an elongated lion on one side, and a similarly maltreated unicorn on the other. On the hilt are raised representations of a portcullis, a fleur-de-lis, and a harp. On the pommel are a thistle, an orb, and other emblems. Down the scabbard are various designs in gold, such as portcullis, the lion standing on a crown, orb, and cross. Then more conspicuously the Royal arms of England, the double Tudor rose, the thistle of Scotland, the harp of Ireland, and the fleur-de-lis of France.