Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-12

OPENING OF ANCIENT NBs-REAARKABLE
PREsERvATI0S OF HUMAN REMAINS.


OPENING OF ANCIENT IoNEs-RExARKABLx
PREsERTArI0S OF HUMAN REMAINS.
\ most interesting discovery has lust been
made At Mont -. Michael, on the Norman
coast On the summit of the grea, rock on
which the little town staods were formerly
the runs OF some Druldical structure, which
were, ~ process OF time. succeeded BIZ a
Roman temple. More than | loo years ago
the Pagan temple was replaced BY Chris
yau shrine which WIS dedicated 10 the
ArchGngel Michael. TIE present church
CONSISTS OF an ancient nave of round Nor
man arches, OF which only five remain. and
a magnificent Gothic choir of the 18th CEN
tury. Around II rise the mi ghtv ramparts
and towers known a. the "Meryeilles "
In this church, a number of men have been
making excavations under the direction of
VI Csr0yer. and in the course cf their la
hors they discovered the body OF Robert Of
I0rigny the mighty Norman abbot. before
whom Henry LOT England did penancs
for the emurder OF Thomas Beckett.
Rey. H. K. Haweis, a London clergyman, :.
heard OF the discovery, and with much diff
hcnlty procured permission to inspect the re-
mains a. they lay in the tomb where they
were deposited nearly 200 wears ago When
he reached the church the men were dig
eing IN the nave, and had laid bare Il series
OF stone inches. In each of which Law
skeleton. Each body had been placed in its
own niche, without coffin, with the feet
turned to the east. These were lay brethren.
for had they been priests they would have
been buried with their heads toward the
altar, in accordance with the old belief that
at toe resurrection laymen would rise with
their faces turned to the east, while the
priests would stand opposite to them in an
attitude OF h.essing. \ subicrranean pas
sage led from these inches 10 vault be-
meath the Platform upon which the remain
ing part % the nave. 10 the depth of three
columns, Formerly stood Tne bases OF the
columns, and part Of the base of a great
square tower which once reared It's height
az the soath corner, were uncovered Here
was the vault which once contained sll the
valuable manuscripts collected by Robert of
Iorisny, the most prominent eccleslastic in
CAristendom alter a Beckett's death, and
here. too, was the place in which the body
OF the great abbo: found its last resting
place. The spot, when visited by Mr. Ila1-
els. was covered with rough sail cloth
When this was removed. stone coffin lid,
broken IN two, was visible Beneath this
lay all that remained Of the dead abbot
= W hen be IVES first uncovered" says Mr
haweis, he lay complete. wrapped in one
long. simple robe OF apparently tine linen, q
si.ken wrapper of some kind being swathed
round hls body. He wore great leathern
shoes, part OF which remain. His skull. of
vast Dimensions, was broken in twain, but
has lower Jaw - complete. with all his teeth
perfect save one. lie was eighty years old.
lie measured d feet. lie wore no ring,
but leadcn cr0sier with its wooden handle
lay beside him; the wood went to pieces al
most Immediately. The bones seemed to me
much broken and oxldized They say he
was embalmed, but Of this could fad no
trace. large leaden medallion was also
found IN an excellent state Of preservation,
bearing Latin inscription which may be
stranslsted Here lies Robert Of Torigny.
Abbott Of this place, " no presided over this
monastery 32 years He died. in sooth, at
the age Of so years.
In the tomb by the side of rOrigny lie
the bones OF his successor, Martin de Fur
medelo, with his erosier and medal His
bones are nearly perfect, bat no trace Of his
ve,tment eau be seen
Iorlgny ruled 10 St. Michael from 1854
10 llo6. and In l57 was made chief OF the
castle OF Portorson by Henry H. There he
wrote leO volumes, some lt which are ex-
t,nt, and there he received Louis VII. on
his pilgrimage. 1t Is strange that the
bones of man who played so important
part IN the history of the times in which he
lived should now have been restored to the
light Of days. after 50 many centuries of
burial.