he mean time, the Londoners had made great preparations for the
reception of the _cortege_. Conduits were opened in various parts of
the city, to run with wine instead of water, in token of the general
joy. In the heart of the city an edifice in the form of a castle was
erected in honor of the occasion. This castle had four towers. In each
of the towers were four beautiful young girls, all about Richard's
age. They were dressed in white, and their duty was, as the king went
by, to throw out a quantity of little leaves of gold, which, falling
upon and all around the king, produced the effect of a shower of
golden flakes of snow.

The procession stopped before the castle. There were conduits flowing
with wine upon two sides of it. The young girls descended from the
towers, bringing golden cups in their hands. These cups they filled
with wine at the fountains, and offered them to the king and to the
nobles who accompanied him. On the top of the castle, between the four
towers, there stood a golden angel with a crown in his hand. By some
ingenious mechanism, this angel was made to extend his arm to the
king, as if in the act of offering him the crown. This was a symbol
representing the idea often inculcated in those days, that the right
of the king to reign was a divine right, as if the crown were placed
upon his head by an angel from heaven.

After pausing thus a short time at the castle, the procession moved
on. The streets were filled with vast crowds of people, who drowned
the music of the trumpets and drums by their continual acclamations.

In this way the royal procession passed on through London, and at
length arrived at the gate of the palace in Westminster. Here Richard
was assisted to dismount from his horse, and was conducted into the
palace between two long lines of knights and soldiers that were
stationed at the entrance and upon the staircase to honor his arrival.
He was glad that the ceremony was over, for he was beginning to be
very tired of riding on horseback so many hours, and of being so long
in the midst of scenes of so much noise, excitement, and confusion.

The next day was the day appointed for the coronation itself. Richard
was dressed in his royal robes, and shortly before noon he was
conducted in great state from the palace to the church. He was
received by a procession of bishops and monks, and conducted by them
to the grand altar. The pavement before the altar was covered with
rich tapestry.