The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1853-08-30

as the day 1t was finished. The plate
which is Of massive silver gilded with
gold, was ploughed out Of the ground
on which the Abbey once stood, and
it is supposed was buried at the time
that venerable institution became con-
tiscated the Aims Plate was injured
by the ploughshared and has been re-
paired, probably by some tinker that
tiourished hundreds Of years ago.
The monuments and all other portions
of this beautiful and sacred place were
much injured by that rascalIy fellow
Oliver Cromwell at the time of the
'great rebellion" he having converted
it into stable for his troopers horses,
and suffered his bigoted followers to
mutulate and destroy pictures, scrulp-
ture, monuments, DC, of great beauty
and antiquity, things that would re-
ceive the greatest veneration from all
men except himself and the long faced
rascals who followed him.
Amongst the numerous monuments
in this venerable place, | noticed cur
ious one to the celebrated Robert Bur-
ton uutlor OF the anatomy Of Mel
oachoky, it has on it his bust, a calcu-
lation Of his nativity, and bears the
following curious inscription written
by himself Pancisnatus oauciora-
bus ignotus, hic jacket Democritus
lvuaor, cui vit4m dedat ct m0ytum
melauchoki0. Obiii VII, Id. Jan.
A. c. MDCXXXIX.
The principal tomb in this ancient
building contains the ashes Of the
foundress of the Priory of St. Frides-
wide, who died in the year TAO, being
upwards of eleven hundred years ago.
This tomb was once very richly orna-
mented with brass, inlaid, but it was
all torn off by the ruthless hands that
committed such sacralige in other
parts Of the chapel. There is over
the tomb beautiful Gothic shrine,
with small room, The steps leading to
it are of stone which are nearly worn
through by the numerous footsteps
of strangers who have assembled them
to make their offerings upon the alter
of this pious patroness. 1t would re-
quire more space than you could well
spare to describe one hay of the beau
ties of this noble college and | will
consequently conclude by endeayoring
to give you a description of Christ
Church College Library.
This noble edifice is detached from
the other building, was commenced
in l7l6 and finished 1861, it presents
a very handsome elevation, and ex-
tends 161 feet in length. The whole
Of the ground-tloor comprises Picture
Gallery, which contains superb col
lection of some of the rarest and most
valuable pictures in the world; they
were in number 295, are almost all Oh
the celebrated Italian schools. arran-
ged chrouologically from Cimabur to
the Caraccus, ending with few from
Holbrin, Jansens and Vandike. There
are are also one specimen Of the first
Italian who painted in oils, Andria
de Castagno. An elegant staircase
leads to the upper apartment, which
is 142 feet long, 80 feet wide and 81
feet high, and is very richly ornament
ted. This room contains very large
and valuable collection Of books in
every department Of literature includ-
ing several ancient MSS, among
which are some Greek MSS, of the
New Testament. There is also a cab
met of curious old coins and medals,
British, Anglo-Saxon, English Arabic,
uindostan and Zodiac coins"
The arrangement Of the interior of
this magnificent apartment is both
handsome and appropriate, and the
apartment itself is somewhat celebrat
ed on account of the allied sovereign
of Europe, together with about nine
hundred Of the elite Of the nobility
and Gentry, having partock Of Al
breakfast in it in 1914.
Good bye, my dear fellow for the
present, should you on inspection find
the above insufficient Of interest to
yourself or your readers, then, with il
light thy mild Havana, and while you
puff, it think of yours truly,
DRAKE.