Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-05-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the (Lon) New Monthly Magazine,
THE VAULTS OF ST. MICHAN's.


1t is not generally known that the
metropolis of Ireland contains a very
singular substerraReous curiosity
burial place, which, from the chemi-
cal properties of the soil, acts with a
certain embalming influence upon the
bodies deposited within the walls. |
speak of the vaults beneath ST. Mi.
chan's Church, a scene where those
who have the irmness to 60 down aud
look death id the face, will find an in.
structive commentary upon the doc
trines of moral humiliation that are Pc
riodicaly preached above.
You descend by a few steps into a
long and narrow passage that runs a
cross the site of the church; upon each
side there are excavated ample recess.
cs, in which the dead are laid There
is nothing offensive in the atmosphere
to deter you from entering. The first
thing that strikes you is to find that
decay has been more busy with the
tenement than the tenant. In some in
stances the collins have altogether dis
appeared; in others, the lids or sides
have Wondered away, exposing the
remains, within, still unsubdued By
death from their original form. But
the great conquerer Of flesh and blood,
and of human pride, isnot to be bafied
with impunity. Even his mercy is
dreadful. 1t is a poor privilege to be
permitted to hold together for a cen
fury or SO until your coffin tumbles in
about your ears, and then to re appear
half skeleton, half mummy, exposed
to the gaze of the generation that can
know nothing of your name and char
acter beyond the pressing tradition Of
some u,ofalizing sexton. Among
these remnants of humanity, for in
stance, for this is the body of
a pious gentlewoman, who, while
she continued above ground, stunned
The eyes ofmen 10 The recesses OF a con
vent. Bot the veil of death has not
been respected. She stands the very
first on the sections list of posthumus
rarities, and one of the most valuable
appendages ofhis Office. She is his
buried treasure-Her sapless cheeks
WELD him larger rent than some ara
BILE land; and what is worse, now that
she cannot repel the imputation, he
calls her TO her face "the Old Nun"
In point of fact, | understood that her
age was one hundred and eleven, not
includingthe forty years that have clap.
sed since her second burial i'll st. Mi
chan's.
Death as has been often observed,
is a thorough Radical, and levels all
distinctions. Beside the Non there
sleeps, not a venerable ahbess, OF Tim
id novice, or meek and holy iriar,
but an athletic young felon of the 18th
century, who had shed a brothers
blood, and was sentenced for the OF.
fence to the close custody of Saint Mi
chan's vaults. This was about one
hundred and thirty years ago. The
offender belonged TO a family of some
consideration, which accounts of bis
being found in such respectable socie-
ty.
The p~reservative qiality ofthese vaults
is various in its operation upon sub
iecis of different ages& constitutions.
With regard to the latter, however, it
does not appear that persons who had
been temperate @livers, enjoyed any
peculiar privileges. The departed to-
per rests decay as sturdily as the as.
cetic; supplying captain Morris, with
another reason fair, to fill his glass
again" Blu. it is ascertained that chill
dren are decomposed almost as rapid
" here as elsewhere. Ofthis a touch
ing illustration occuss in the place Of a
female who died in childbirth, about
a century ago, and was deposited in
St. Michan's. Her infant was laid
in her arms. The mother is still to
lerably perfect; exemplifying, by her
attitude, the parental passion strong
in death;' but the child was long since
melted away from her embrace. ]
inquired her name, and was rather
mortified to find that it has not been
preserved.
But l was chiefly affected by the
relics of two persons, Of whom the
world has unfortunately heard toe
much; the i'll fated brothers, John and
Henry Shares. | had been told thai
they were here, and the moment the
light ofthe taper fell upon the spot they
occupy. j quickly recognized them
by one or two circumstances that for.