Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-24

THE TOMB OF WILLIAM RUFUS. The tomb
of William Rufus, in Winchester Cathedral,
England, was opened a fortnight, ago. The
London Telegraph says: -
From their first hasty grave William re
mains we're, at some time unknown, removed
to sarcophagus near the altar. This sarco-
phagus occupies an inconvenlent situation );
and the dean and chapter were desrous, it
they found that the, sarcophagus contained no
human relics, to remove it to another site
The doubt whether it held the dust of RUFUS
dated from the disturbance Of the Cathedral
tombs bv the Parliamentary soldiers, who used
the bones of the dead to break the painted
windows. At the restoration the remains thus
violated we're collected into six chests, ranged
on either side of the altar; and one OF these
actually bore an inscription to the effect that
William s remains we're there contained. Ii
the sarcophagus had been sacked in 1912, and
the irail contents mingled with the ashes OF an
inferior yet illustrious crowd in the six mortua-
ry chests, there seemed no reason why the OBJ
stacle should not be removed from the choir
and this was what the cathedral authorities
designed But the sarcophaguS was not empty;
it disclosed to the sight Of the exploring sur
geons a nearly perfect skeleton, presenting eyi-.
dences of previous removal, the remnants of
some insignia of authority, and, as one &C..
count states, even the remains of the fatal ar
row. The skeleton is fully believed to be
that of William kutus: and the relics, after
accurate memoranda had been made, were rev.
erently restored to. the sarcophagus, whence
they are not likely to be removed. &@4If--
NATIONAL MENDAClTY 1t appears to
be almost impossible to get at the truth on
any subject in this coua;,y. The vice Of lying
has become national Wherever there is a
motive to lie, the lie promptly jumps forth as
spring We're touched to evoke 1T. "A ma n
who honestly desires to reach the truth finds
himself hemmed in by embarrassments, per
plexities and difficulties One set of men tell
hlm one thing another set q different thing.
lie knows not whom or what to believe. Oral
declarations on the one side are met by SINH
lar declarations on the other, written evidence
by written evidence, oaths by oaths. 1t the
enquirer be sensible man, he will soon be
forced to the conclusion that if there be such q
thing as truth it is to be found far from the wit
nesses on either side-most probably between
and equi-distant from BOTH >..G q .a5s q,
There are lies about everything that has
political bearing, about crops about trade
movements, about banks, about industrial en-
terprlses. even about church movements The
americans will soon be known the world over
asa nation OF liars, unless this propensity in in
some way checked. Rich. Whig. I,Asi !, .-..IT
DEATH We have never read anythingmore
beautiful than the following from the pen Of
ueorge D. Prentice .-o "s,a@ 81 ".
u -
There is but breath of air and beat OF
me heart betwixt this world and the next, =
ana In the brief suspense, while we feel that
death is present with us, that we are powerless
ao? that tie is all powerful and the faint pull
hereafter, we feel in the midst Of the stunning
aamlty about to beiall us that the earth has
10 10 eompeDsating good to mitigate the severity
u our loss; but there is no grief without some
VWrnnctcent Wn provision to soften its inenseness =
AMER nHaen the good and lovely die, the memory of
s,'eir good deeds, like the moonbeams on the
EiOt,lny iaO,y sea, lights up our darkened hearts and
SsI s.uuS TO the surrounding gloom beauty so
,s' JSa' 50 sweet, that We would not, five could,
N'pe' The darkness that cnvirons II" ~
IL The New York papers arc now disclosing the
"a, iacts ct the "wickedest man" movement,
3 %u9 The pretended Water street conversions,
,au even those most friendly at the commence
'"c'l' oi the affair arc now denouncing it. ~:
lev ". II. Green, now in jail under sen.
.spce OF death for poisoning his wife, has been
STIaated Toed new trial by the Superior Court of
nca nwonneetcut, on the ground of the discovery Of
Df. Stone the sculntor now in Rome hos