At the end of Wood street, the standard there was finely embellished with royal portraitures and a number of flags, on which were painted coats of arms and trophies, and above was a concert of vocal and instrumental music.

At the upper end of Cheapside was the aldermen’s station, where the recorder addressed the queen in a very elegant oration, and, in the name of the citizens, presented her with a thousand marks, in a purse of gold tissue, which her majesty very gracefully received.

    At a small distance, by Cheapside conduit, was a pageant, in which
    were seated Minerva, Juno, and Venus; before whom stood the god
    Mercury, who, in their names, presented the queen a golden apple.

    At St. Paul’s gate was a fine pageant, in which sat three ladies
    richly dressed, with each a chaplet on her head, and a tablet in her
    hand, containing Latin inscriptions.

At the east end of St. Paul’s cathedral, the queen was entertained by some of the scholars belonging to St. Paul’s school, with verses in praise of the king and her majesty, with which she seemed highly delighted.

    Thence proceeding to Ludgate, which was finely decorated, her
    majesty was entertained with several songs adapted to the occasion,
    sung in concert by men and boys upon the leads over the gate.

At the end of Shoe lane, in Fleet street, a handsome tower with four turrets, was erected upon the conduit, in each of which stood one of the cardinal virtues, with their several symbols; who, addressing themselves to the queen, promised they would never leave her, but be always her constant attendants.  Within the tower was an excellent concert of music, and the conduit all the while ran with various sorts of wine.

At Temple-bar she was again entertained with songs, sung in concert by a choir of men and boys; and having from thence proceeded to Westminster, she returned the lord mayor thanks for his good offices, and those of the citizens, that day.  The day after, the lord mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs, assisted at the coronation, which was performed with great splendour.—­Stow’s Annals.

    Note.  The same historian informs us, that queen Elizabeth passed
    in the like manner, through the city, to her coronation.

    The admirers of the descriptions of pageants may be amply gratified
    in Henry’s History of England.  The field of the cloth of gold shines
    “luna inter minora sidera.”—­Ed.

PREFACE TO THE ARTISTS’ CATALOGUE, FOR 1762.