The following is an extract from the "Flying Post," of May 17, 1698:—

"Yesterday, (Monday, May 16,) in the afternoon, Count Tallard, the French Ambassador, made his public entry. The Earl Marshal's men came first, then followed the Earl of Macclesfield's footmen, after them twenty of the Ambassador's footmen, in red liveries with gold lace; then came two of the Ambassador's gentlemen and six pages on horseback; next came two heralds before His Majesty's coach, in which His Excellency the Ambassador, the Earl of Macclesfield, and some others of quality: after them came three of His Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark's coaches, and next, three of the Ambassador's coaches, the first of them very rich, and drawn by eight horses; then followed His Grace the Duke of Norfolk's coach, with about forty-seven more, drawn by six horses each. There was a splendid entertainment prepared for His Excellency at Ossulston House, in St. James's Square."

EXPENSES AT CORONATIONS.

The quantity of provisions consumed at the feasts given by some of our early Kings, was extraordinarily great. For that of King Edward I. February 10th, 1274, the different Sheriffs were ordered to furnish butcher meat at Windsor, in the following proportions:—

Oxen.Swine.Sheep.Fowls.
Sheriff ofGloucester,60101603,000
"Bucks and Bedford4066402,100
"Oxford4067402,100
"Kent4067402,100
"Surrey and Sussex4067402,100
"Warwick and Leicester6098403,000
"Somerset and Dorset1001761105,000
"Essex60101603,160
————————
Total, twelve counties44074343022,560

In the year 1307, King Edward II. issued an order to the seneschal of Gascony, and constable of Bordeaux, to provide a thousand pipes of good wine, and send them to London, to be used at the approaching coronation. The purchase and freight were to be paid by a company of Florentine merchants, who farmed the revenues of Gascony. The coronation oath was first taken by Ethelred II., A. D. 979; that now used in 1377. It was amended in 1689. The first coronation sermon was preached in 1041. The following statement of the prices given for seats, to obtain a view of passing objects during the coronations of former times, may, perhaps, prove interesting:—

The price of a good place at the coronation of William the Conqueror, was a blank; at that of his son, William Rufus, the same. At Henry I's., it was a crocard; at Stephen's and Henry II.'s, it was a pollard. At Richard's, and King John's, it was a fuskin. It rose at the 3d. Henry's, to a dodkin. In the reign of Edward, the coin begins to be more intelligible; and we find that, for a seat, to view his coronation, a Q was given, or the half of a ferling, or farthing, the fourth part of a sterling, or penny. At the 2d. Edward's, it was a farthing; and at his son's, Edward III. a halfpenny. At Richard II.'s it was a penny, and continued the same to that of Henry IV. inclusive. At the 5th Henry's, it was two pennies; and similar prices were paid at the coronations of Henry VI., Edward IV., Edward V., Richard III., and Henry VII. At that of Henry VIII. it was a grossus, or groat; and the same was paid at that of Edward VI. and Queen Mary's. At Queen Elizabeth's, it rose to a testoon, or tester. At those of James I. and Charles I. a shilling was given; which was advanced to half-a-crown, at those of Charles II. and James II. At King William's and Queen Anne's it was a crown, and the same at that of George I. At George II.'s half-a-guinea, and, afterwards, at George III.'s a guinea was the common charge. But, at that of George IV, as high as forty guineas were given for a single seat.

CURIOUS ANTIQUE SWORD.

The engraving which accompanies this article is a sketch of the upper part of an antique Danish sword, which was found, together with several other weapons, by the labourers who were engaged in the construction of the railway from Dublin to Cashel.