A ceremony of universal interest will, I understand, take place
next June, when a plaque will be placed in Westminster Hall to commemorate one more of the many events of supreme national importance which took place in that historic building. This par- ticular event—" The solemn Investiture and happy Inauguration of His Highness the Lord Protector at Westminster, June 26th, 1657," seems to be little known. It might be argued, strictly speaking, that the ceremony should be deferred till 1957, when the tercentenary ot the investiture can be celebrated, but Lord Corvedale, who is the
chief initiatcr, no doubt takes the view that what is too long postponed may never happen at all. A singularly interesting little contemporary volume enumerates the articles offered to the Lord Protector at tne inauguration—" a Robe of Purple an Embleme of Magistracy that imparts righteousness and justice "; A Bible (" it's a Book of Books, it contains in it both Precepts and Examples for good Government "); "a Sceptre, not unlike a Staffe, for you are to be a staffe to the weak and poor "; "a sword, not a military, but a civill sword: a sword rather for defence than offence." I hope all these emblems will be in evidence at the ceremony next June. They should provide fertile themes for the speakers.
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