must take up a tedious deal of time, yet the King's Impatience hurry'd

them so fast that every thing was ready by the eighteenth of January, about a Fortnight after the Arrival of the Court. The Proclamation for erecting Prussia into a Kingdom was made two Days before the King's Coronation, with the sound of the Cannon, and all the Bells of the City, by four Heralds at Arms in Mantles of blue Velvet with the Royal Arms thereon embroider'd, and riding upon Horses richly accouter'd, the Housings being of Silver-Brocade, sprinkled with Eagles and Coronets of Gold. They went with a very numerous Train to the chief Quarters of the City, and there made Proclamation in these terms:

Whereas it has pleased the Divine Providence to erect this Sovereign Duchy of Prussia into a Kingdom, and to set up for our King the most High and most Potent Prince Frederic I. our gracious Sovereign; we have thought fit to give notice thereof to the People of this Kingdom, that they may say as we do, "Long live Frederic, our most Merciful and most Gracious King! Long live Sophia-Charlotte, our most Gracious Queen."

The King to render the Ceremony of his Coronation still more august, instituted the Day before[2] the Order of the Black Eagle, the Badges of which are an Orange Ribband with a Cross hanging to it enamell'd with Blue, in form of the Cross of Malta: In a Star of Silver which is embroider'd upon the Coat, there is a black Eagle which gripes in one Claw a Crown, and in the other a Scepter; and round the 'Scutcheon are these words, SUUM CUIQUE, (i. e. to every

one his own.) The principal Statutes of this Order are, 1. That the Number of the Knights shall not exceed thirty, exclusive of the Princes of the Royal Family, and Sovereign Princes. 2. That the Knights shall prove their Nobility by sixteen Descents. 3. That they shall promise to be just, chaste, and to protect and support Widows and Orphans, according to their motto, Suum cuique.

Tho' it was contrary to custom, to install the Knights before the Coronation, the King was not so scrupulous as to conform to it, foreseeing that the Ceremony of his Coronation receiv'd a new Lustre from this Foundation. Nevertheless the Knights and Officers of the Order had then no other Badges but the Ribband and Star embroider'd on their Clothes; and 'twas not till two Years after that the King gave to the new Knights, for days of Ceremony, a Dress consisting of a Vest of Cloth of Gold, with another over it of Sky-blue Velvet, reaching down to the Mid-leg, with a Lining of Straw-color, and ty'd under the Cravat with yellow Ribbands, the Tassels of which hang down to the Knees. Their Sash is of Straw-color'd Velvet, embroider'd with Gold. Their Mantle is also of Straw-color'd Velvet, lin'd with Gold-Mohair, and over it is a Collar of Gold enamell'd with blue, forming these two Letters F. R. to signify Fredericus Rex: This is call'd the Grand Collar of the Order. The Knights wear black Velvet Caps on their Heads, with white Plumes of Feathers. The King's Habit differs not from that of the Knights; but the Habits of the Grand Master of the Ceremonies, the Secretary, and the Treasurer, differ in that they only wear over their common Clothes full Gowns of Straw-color'd Velvet, with an Orange-color'd Lining, and upon

them the Cross of the Order, fasten'd only by an Orange-color'd Ribband that hangs to their Neck.

The King at the first Promotion, or rather on the day that he instituted the Order, created the full number of Knights, prescribed by the Statutes. He also gave the Ribband of the Order to the Electoral Prince his Son, and to his two Brothers the Margraves Christian and Albert. The Margrave Philip staying behind at Berlin to govern in the King's Absence, the Ribband was sent to him by a Gentleman of the Bed-chamber.

On the Coronation-day, about nine in the Morning the King was dressed by the great Chamberlain, attended by all the Officers of the Bed-chamber. His Coat was Scarlet embroider'd with Gold, and brilliant Diamonds were his Buttons. Over that, he had a Royal Mantle of Crimson-Velvet, lin'd and turn'd up with Ermin, which was fasten'd to his Breast by a Clasp of three Diamonds. As soon as the King was dressed he went into a Hall in his Apartment, where a Throne had been erected, on each side of which, there lay on two Tables of Silver the Royal Ornaments that were to serve the King and Queen. The King being seated on his Throne, ordered they should be brought to him, and they were accordingly presented to him on the Knee. Having the Crown in his Hand, he put it himself on his Head, and then taking the Sceptre in his right Hand and the Royal Globe in his left, in that posture he receiv'd the first Homages of the Prince Royal and of the Margraves, who bent one Knee before him. After this the King arose and went to the Queen's Apartment, preceded by the Knights of the Order, the two Margraves, the Prince Royal, and the Noblemen that carried the Regalia design'd for the Queen.

Her Majesty was dress'd in a Purple Gown, and a Royal Mantle like the King's. She was dress'd in her own Nut-brown Hair without any Powder, which in conjunction with the Lustre of the Diamonds gave her an Air still more noble and majestic. As soon as she perceiv'd the King, who met her at the entrance of his Chamber, she fell on her knees, in which situation the King embrac'd her, and with his own Hands set the Crown upon her Head. She took the Scepter and Globe from the hands of the Lords who carried them, and the King raising her up she follow'd him into his Apartment, where she also receiv'd the Homage of the Prince Royal and the Margraves, in the same manner as they had perform'd them to the King.

Their Majesties went afterwards to Church with all the Pomp and Magnificence, (I dare to say it) of the ancient Kings of Asia. The King walk'd under a Canopy of Silver-Brocade embroider'd with Gold borne by ten Prussian Lords of the first Quality, and at some distance came the Queen under another Canopy like to that of the King. The Grand Chamberlain held up the Train of the King's Mantle, and the Queen's was born by the Duchess of Holstein, and the Ladies Stingland and Bulau, the one Lady of Honour to the Queen, and the other having the first Reversion of that Office. The Duke of Holstein officiated as Great Master of her Houshold; and the Princess of Holstein walk'd at the head of the Court-Ladies. Their Majesties were receiv'd by the two Bishops that were to perform the Ceremony of the Coronation, who were dress'd in purple Velvet, after the English mode, and had for their Assistants six Ministers, three of them Calvinists and three Lutherans.

They conducted the King and Queen to their Thrones which had been erected on the two sides of the Altar, the King's on the Right, and the Queen's on the Left. Tho' there is no Altar in the Calvinist Churches, the King had one, and had actually made a present of a magnificent Crucifix to be plac'd upon it, in order to shew how much he wish'd the Union of the two Protestant Churches.

The Prince Royal seated himself a little behind the King towards the Right on a Folding-chair, with his Governor the Count de Dobna behind him: The Margraves also sate in two Folding-chairs on both sides of the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Holstein, and the Ladies