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Page 29
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY.]
[Illustration: SHRINE OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.]
Westminster Abbey may certainly be called a tomb, for we could spend a
whole day in simply counting its monuments. There were so many of these
that I hardly knew which to look at first, but I thought it best to
follow my own inclinations, and so, instead of procuring a guide (men
with long gowns, who take visitors around and point out the objects of
greatest interest), I roamed about at my will. The first monument that
attracted my attention was the venerable shrine of Edward the
Confessor, in the chapel of St. Edward, once the glory of the Abbey,
but which has been much defaced by persons who were desirous of
obtaining a bit of stone from this famous tomb. In this chapel I saw
also the old coronation chairs, in which all the reigning sovereigns of
England, since Edward I. have been crowned. They are queer,
old-fashioned chairs, made of wood, and not very comfortable, I
imagine. The older of the two chairs was built to inclose the stone
(which they call Jacob's pillar) brought from Scotland by Edward, and
placed in this chapel. Many other interesting tombs are to be seen
here, and the floor of the chapel is six hundred and fourteen years
old!
[Illustration: TOMB OF HANDEL.]
I next visited the chapel of Islip, built by the old Abbot of Islip,
who dedicated it to St. John the Baptist. One very interesting monument
there was to the memory of General Wolfe, who fell, you remember, at
the battle of Quebec. His monument is a very beautiful piece of art. It
represents him falling into the arms of one of his own soldiers, who is
pointing to Glory, which comes in the shape of an angel from the
clouds, holding a wreath with which to crown the hero. A Highland
sergeant looks sorrowfully on the dying warrior, while two lions sleep
at his feet. The inscription reads as follows: "To the memory of James
Wolfe, Major-General and Commander-in-Chief of the British land forces
on an expedition against Quebec, who, after surmounting, by ability and
valor, all obstacles of art and nature, was slain in the moment of
victory, on the 13th of September, 1759, the King and Parliament of
Great Britain dedicate this monument."
I now walked on to the north transept, and the first monument I noticed
was one erected to Sir Robert Peel, the great orator and statesman. I
seated myself on an old stone bench to rest, and looking around, saw a
magnificent statue of the great William Pitt, who, you may remember,
was also a great statesman, and accomplished more for the glory and
prosperity of England than any other statesman who ever lived. In this
transept there is a beautiful window, which represents our Savior, the
twelve apostles, and four evangelists. As I was sitting quietly in this
secluded spot, looking up at the window, strains of solemn music
reached my ear, which sounded as if they came from one of the gloomy
vaults around me. I walked on to discover, if possible, whence this
music came, and I saw, in the nave of the Abbey, the Dean of
Westminster conducting a service, assisted by his choir boys. I seated
myself until the ceremonies were over, and I thought it was a very odd
place to hold church--among so many graves.
After the Dean and his choir boys had disappeared I commenced my walk
again, and saw many fine old monuments. One of these was in memory of
Sir Isaac Newton, and I am sure I need not tell you who he was.
Prominent among the monuments in this part of the Abbey is that to
Major Andr�, the fine young officer who was executed during our
Revolutionary War.
I next visited the south transept, better known as the "Poet's Corner,"
which I think is the most interesting part of Westminster. A hundred,
and more, monuments to the memory of great men can be seen here; but I
can only tell you of a few of the most important. The one I thought
most of is erected to the memory of William Shakspeare, although his
bones repose far away, in the little church at Stratford-on-Avon. Then
I saw the tombs of David Garrick, the great actor and delineator of
Shakspeare's characters; George Frederick Handel, the eminent composer,
the author of that beautiful anthem, "I know that my Redeemer liveth;"
the great Milton; rare old Ben Jonson; Edmund Spenser, author of the
"Fa�ry Queene;" and those of Southey, Dryden, Addison, Gray, Campbell,
and other well-known English poets.
Then, among the names of the dead of our own day, I saw those of
Dickens, Bulwer, Macaulay, and Dr. Livingstone.
Kings, queens, statesmen, soldiers, clergymen, authors and poets here
have equal station. Some may lie under richer tombs than others, but
all rest beneath the vaulted roof of Westminster Abbey, the place of
highest honor that England can offer her departed sons.
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