of the Lord!" When he entered London, he found the streets hung with rich cloths; and in Cornhill was a royal tower, filled with personifications of the patriarchs, chanting "Sing unto the Lord a new song; praise His name in the holy church!" and they threw out living birds, which flew about the king. In Cheapside, the conduits ran with wine, instead of water (a common practice on such occasions), and on the great conduit were persons representing the twelve apostles, singing "Have mercy on me, O Lord!" while twelve others, habited as kings, cast down oblations, to welcome him. At the Cross, in Cheapside, was a castle, decorated with banners, and in the towers were personifications of angels singing "Noble! Noble !" and presenting goblets of wine to the king. At Paul's Cross, Henry was met by fourteen persons, robed and mitred as bishops,

carrying censers; while all the bells rang for joy. Here Henry alighted from his horse, and went to the altar; a solemn Te Deum was sung; and afterwards he proceeded to his lace at Westminster.

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The public entry into London of the young unfortunate Henry VI, on his return from Paris, where he had been crowned King of France, was graced with pageants, more numerous than usual, and in some instances they were truly impious. Fabian relates that "the upper part of Cheapside was set out with trees and fountains pouring forth wine, in imitation of Paradise; and at the conduit at Paul's gate was a celestial throne, on which sat a pantomimic personification of God, surrounded by a multitude of angels singing and playing upon divers kinds of music. As the young king advanced towards this pageant, the representation of

Deity gave the angels charge concerning him, in rhyme, and also gave him assurances of long life, worldly prosperity and riches, loyalty from his subjects in either realm, a numerous offspring, and perpetuity of lineage." It is not a little remarkable, that all these promises were reversed in the history of this unhappy prince he attained not the average standard of human life; his affairs were uniformly unprosperous; his subjects disaffected, both in England and in France; and he had but one son, who was assassinated in the bloom of youth, and with him his lineage ended.

DEPOSITIONS.

THE deposition of a king had its ceremonies, as well as his coronation. When Edward II. was deprived of regal power, he was brought into a room at Kenilworth Castle, amidst a great number of his enemies, and obliged to declare" that he was sorry the people should so much dislike his government; that he was very ready to resign his power; and hoped they would choose his son Edward to be king over them, in his stead." This resignation being received, a knight, named William Trussell, spoke as follows:-" I, William Trussell, in the name of all the men of the land of England, and of all the parliament procurator, resign to thee, Edward, the homage

that was made to thee some time (ago); and from this time forward now following, I defy thee, and deprive thee of all royal power, and I shall never be attendant upon thee as king after this time." This being done, Sir Thomas Blunt, knight, steward of the household, by breaking his staff, resigned his office, and declared that the late king's family were discharged. The unhappy Edward was then removed to his prison, and soon afterwards underwent a horrible assassination.

So also, at the beginning of the troubles in the reign of Richard II. Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester, and lord of the king's household, broke his white staff of office, and licensed all the king's servants to depart. And King Richard himself, when he was taken, made a forced resignation of his crown, before a great assembly of lords, at the Tower of London.