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flag, on pain of capture and confiscation." In 1214 the Ports fleet followed him to the Isle of Wight, and was mainly instrumental in establishing him on his throne. In 1513 it was ordered, that " every person that goeth into the navy of the portis shall have a cote of white cotyn, with a red crosse, and the arms of the portis underneath ; that is to say, the halfe lyon and the halfe shippe." The first enfranchisement of the Cinque-ports was in the reign of Edward the Confessor, which was further confirmed to them by William Rufus, Henry the First, and by Edward the First, for the services rendered him, in his conquest of Wales, by the Cinque ports fleet ; his charter conferred upon them still greater honours and immunities than even the city of London enjoyed, allowing them free trade in all kinds of merchandise, and a complete exemption from the payment of duties. The barons of the Cinque-ports, Hastings, Dover, Sandwich, Hythe, and Romney, with the two ancient towns, Rye and Winchelsea, have the privilege (and it is one of which they may be justly proud) of supporting the canopy over the king and queen at their coronation. Each canopy has four staves, with a silver bell, gilt, and four barons to each stave, in all thirty-two. Hastings, as chief of the ports, claims for itself and members one canopy with its appurtenances, the remaining one belongs to the other ports. They also dine at a table set apart for them at the right hand of their majesties ; and so jealous are they of any encroachment upon their rights, that at the coronation of George the Third, finding the table provided for them not in its place, they refused to sit -