Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1896 — CROWNING A CZAR. [ARTICLE]

CROWNING A CZAR.

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES IN THE CATHEDRAL AT MOSCOWA Journal by the Daughter of the British Ambassador Describing the Coronation of the Late Czar of Russia. Miss Mary Grace Thornton, daughter of •Sir Edward Thornton, describes “The Crowning of a Czar” in the Century. Miss Thornton writes as follows: 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. 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 bis 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 metropoli tan, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” placed it on his head, and. holding the sceptre in his right hand and the globe in his left, seated himself ui>on 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. Tlie czar lifted his own crown from his head, and placed it an instant on hers ltefore 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 were Countess Adlerberg, Princess Yiasemski, Princess Kotehoubey. and one I did not know—the oldest in rank in Russia, I believe: and they also helped to fasten the imi>erial 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-Vit her hand, and he taking it and (trooping 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 drowne»l 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. 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. 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, 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 l>efore 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 her 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, dozily attended by the colonel of the Chevaliers Gardes with his drawn sword, and preceded and followed try endless high dignitaries, returning in the same order after the anointing and the holy communion. After this there was 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.