We have seen how important was the office of Mayor in mediæval times, and how like a king the holder's dignity was upheld.
The Mayor has certain very remarkable privileges, which prove the high esteem in which he was held by the sovereign. These privileges are of considerable antiquity, and have not yet been traced to their source. The four principal are:--
I. The closing of Temple Bar to the sovereign.
II. The Mayor's position in the city, where he is second only to the King.
III. His summons to the Privy Council on the accession of a new sovereign.
IV. His position of Butler at the Coronation banquets.
_I.--The closing of Temple Bar to the Sovereign._
The gates of Temple Bar were invariably closed by the city authorities whenever the sovereign had occasion to enter the city. A herald sounded a trumpet before the gate--another herald knocked--a parley ensued--the gates were then thrown open and the Mayor for the time being presented the sword of the city to the sovereign, who graciously returned it to the Mayor. The earliest record of this custom is connected with Queen Elizabeth's visit to St. Paul's to return thanks for the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but evidently the custom must be one of great antiquity, and probably in the case of the early kings it was carried out at one of the city gates long before the bars of the liberties were thought of, although no records have come down to us.
Stow's account of the proceedings in his _Annales_ is as follows: 'Over the gate of the Temple bar were placed the waites of the cittie, and at the same barre the Lord Maior and his brethren the aldermen in scarlet received and welcomed her Majestie to her cittie and chamber, delivering to her hands the scepter, which after certaine speeches had, her Highnesse redelivered to the Maior, and hee againe taking his horse, bare the same before her. The companies of the cittie in their liveries stoode in their rayles of tymber, covered with blew cloth, all of them saluting her highnesse, as shee proceeded along to Paules Church.'
None of the privileges connected with the Mayor's office has been so jealously guarded as the one upon which is founded the claim to the Mayor's supremacy in the City of London, where the sovereign only takes precedence of him. In Riley's _Memorials_ there is an extract from Letter Book I (1415) which refers to Henry V.'s speech on the contemplated invasion of France and the seat of honour accorded to the Mayor, in presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the King's brothers. When these notabilities met together diligent council was held as to the order in which they ought to sit, and 'the Lords agreed together among themselves to the effect that the Mayor, in consideration of the reverence and honour due to our most excellent Lord the King, of whom he is the representative in the city, should have his place, when sitting, in the middle, and that the said Lords of Canterbury and Winchester should be seated on his right hand, and John, Humphrey and Edward on the left, upon seats arranged for them; these to make declaration on behalf of our said Lord the King.'[238]