THE ANCESTOR 157 Confessor. It was probably, if we may judge from its existing successor, an ordinary walking staff for the king's use, with which St. Edward's name became associated in the same way as with the great gold crown. Grafton also gives the meanings now assigned to the three swords ^ : the point- less Curtana is the sword of mercy ; and the other two the swords of justice to the spirituality and temporality respectively. The fourth sword, which was borne sheathed in the procession, was the usual sword of estate. The wardrobe account mentioned above is dated 28 th June, 1483, or within two days of the accession of Richard, who was crowned on 4th July. The full text is printed in the Antiquarian Repertory^ from whence I have extracted the items that refer, (i) to the robes provided for the king on the day of his coronation, (2) to the vestments put upon him at his crowning, and (3) to other ornaments provided for the accession. The items are sufficiently interesting to be given in full : To oure said Souverain Lorde the Kjmg for to have unto his mooste honour- able use the day of his mooste noble coronation, agenst the grete solempnitee thereof maade and doon the vj day of Juyll, the yere of our Lord God Mcccclxxxiij two sherts, oon made of ij els dl of reyns and the other large made of ij yerds dl of sarsynet crymysyn, boothe open afore and behinde, under the breste deppest bitwene the shulders, and in the shulders and bitwene the binding of the armes for his inunction a large breche myd thigh depe, losen afore and behinde, maade of half a yard of sarsynette bounde with a breche belt, made of a yard dl of crymysyn velvet a pair of hosen maade of a yerde and a quarter of crymysyn satyn, lyned with a quarter of a yerde of white sarsynett a payre of sabatons covered in a quarter of a yerde of crymysyn tisshue cloth of gold, lyned with a quarter of a yerde of crymysyn satyn, garnyssht with oon unce of ryban of golde, a roobe of crymysyn satyn to be anoj-Tited in, conteigning a coote, a surcoote cloos, a long mantel and a hoode, all iiij garments maade of xxxviij yerdes of rede satyn, the saide coote lyned with ij elles dl of Holand clothe, and open afore and behynd under the breste, deppest bitwene the shulders, and in the shulders and bitwene the bjmding of the armes. The openyng of this coote fastened togider with Ixxiij amuletts of sylver and gylte, and laced with ij laces of ryban and laces of sylk, and with iiij ageletts of sylver ; and above that coote a taberde lyke unto a dalmatyke, made of iiij yerdes dl of white sarsynett, put 1 They are first so named in the account of the coronation of Henry VI. in Harl. MS. 497 (see Legg, p. xxv. note 2). Froissart says that the sword of justice and the sword of the church were carried at the coronation of Henry IV.
