Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-05-12
Aliseellanp.
From our Foreign Correspondent.
Westminster Abbey.

You will excuse me if fail in ar attempt to
bring to your view 8 the pantheon of the glory
of Britain" which for its monuments and re-
mains SO precious to the whole civilized world,
may be said to exist in the tar-known West
minister Abbey. have taken all possible pains
to obtain the most reliable information, and
from that shall not attempt to deviate. Here
lie nearly all the kings, queens and princes from
Edward the Confessor. until George II. Here
also repose the last remains of England's most
eminent statesmen and warriors, and also her
poets, writers and philosophers, from Chaucer
till the present, together with hundreds of 9th
ers less eminent only for their rank, noble ex-
amples of patriotism, and true worth.
The place occupied hy this noble specimen of
Gothic architecture, was occupied for the same
uses, by an Institution founded by Sebert, King
of the Great Saxons, in the seventh century, or
610, but it was subsequently destroyed by the
Danes, and long continued a mass of ruins.
The dedication of the new Abbey is involved
in mystery-some, from legend, saying that
St. Peter performed the service, accompanied by
angels; but while there can be no positive proof
of this, there remains no doubt but that both
the ancient St. Pauls. and this dedicated to st.
Peter, were among the earliest works of the
first converts to Christianity, in Britain; and
as with their new religion they introduced new
modes of building, it seems to have been their
aim, by loftincss, to show to the Pagans the
superiority of their religion.
Edward, in 1906, rebuilt the Abbey and Ca
thedral, ,on more extended scale ,and in the form
of cross, which form The Cathedral building
has since borne. Henry III much enlarged it,
but not till the time of Henry VII was it made
of near the size and magnifcence it now posses
ses, at which time his Chapel was built, and the
whole then dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
This Chapel he expressly enjoined should be
used only for the burial of those of royal blood.
In the reign of Henry VII, it was pillaged and
nearly robbed of its original beauty, and for
long series of years 1T was but mass of chaos.
But after the dark ages had passed, and commo-
ton for while seemed to be abated, it was
repaired, and has since been not only an especial
object of care to the Nation, but to the people.
Butrwhile there is enough of the architecture
and decorations to occupy large volume, we
cannot essay to speak of these alone, and will
therefore, merely say that this magnificent
structure, with its elegant towers and addition
al ahnpn fnrtna Ot
and grand and now let US enter.
There are nine Chapels, which have been
added from time to time, and these constitute
the larger part of the structure, but they are
all in one combination, and cannot be separated
upon the outside, nor would you haldly realize
it, so intimately connected are they upon their
inner portions. These are called, lst, St. Ben
edict; End, St. Edmund Sd, St. Nicholas /;
4th, Henry VII 5th, st. Paul; 9th, st. Ed
ward, the Confessor 7th, St. Erasmus 9th,
Isleps, dedicated to st. John ; 9th, st. John,
St. Michael and st. Andrew-the three last
united. St. Edwards forms, as it were, the
body of the Church, and is enclosed by the
Others The first of these that we enter is St.
Benedicts, and the first monument we notice is
an ancient tomb of stone, on which lies the eff
gy of Archbishop Laugham, who was Monk,
Prior and Abbot of the Abbey, and died in
1875. Passing many others of note, We will
only notice one more here, viz the monument
of Sebert, King of the Fast Saxons, and first
founder of this Abbey, who died July Gl6.-
Over the tomb of Sebert, enclosed within glass
case, is an elaborate work, eleven feet in length
and three feet high On this, the ground work
of which is oak, are many ornamental figures
representing Christ in the act of blessing, with
the apostles on either hand ; the raising of
Lazarus; the alteration of kings, and some
Others so nearly obiterated they cannot be fully
made out. The small compartments are filled
in places with variously colored glass, inlaid on
tin foil, and have still q brilliant effect. The
smaller spaces are enriched with canoes and
gems This work can but be of interest from
its undoubtedly being rs old, or the Oldest, oI
anything of the kind, in the whole of this vas
group, and by it VIC can learn something o
the ideas of those times, with regard to Chris
tianity, as well as the attention paid to arts
In tho space between the door of this and thu
St. Edmund Chapel, is monument of Mosaic
work, erected for the children of Henry iii ant
Edward |, and is supposed to have been un
equalled in its designs when erected. Thi
Chapel is much larger thar the former, and il
in form half rhomboid, while the other Is
square. Here are the tombs of John, second
son of Edward H. William, sixth son of Ed
ward, III, Lady Frances, Duchess of Suffolk
and many Others Of State in the reigns of thes
kings, and up to the eighteenth century. TIL
statue of John, second son of Edward ii, is 0
alabaster, the head encircled in coronet 0
large and small leaves, and il remarkable 70
it's being the first of the kind known to hay
hecn executed. Passing near, we come to a
altar on Which sits, in sleeping posture, tn
figure of Lady Elizabeth Russell, daughter q
Lord John Russell beside of which are tn
tomb and monument of her father, VIII
was from very high descent, and not only di
he retain all that he inherited, but he hi
transmitted to posterity name which non
can scorn, while many will tail in endeavorin
to secure, even by personal worth He is reF
resented in recumbent posture, habited in hi
coronation robes, with his infant son at his feet
His lady, who was esteemed the Sappho of he
agc, being well verscd in the learned languages
and an excellent poet, has formed Eve epitaph.
WHICH are on the tomb--threa in Latin, one i