National Republican., 1876-12-25
Unouiet Graves,

~
that the great body of antiquarIes, students Of
history, students of mental science and hero-wor-
shippers Of all classes will oppose the artificial
chemical dissolution Of the bodies of distinguished
people. The antiQuary would have at least the
skulls Of the great religiously preserved. Proba-
ably nearly all people sympathize with this de-
sire. Who among us would not make pilgrim
age to see the skull of Milton or Shakespeare, or
any Of the immortal deadP The skull, indeed, of
all parts of the body, is that most worthy Of pres
ervatioD. 1t is not only solid and enduring, won
derful in its outlines and holdings, but, more
than any other portion, 1t is index Of the char
acter. The most ordinary student Of comparative
anatomy would tell you whether given skull
had belonged to a savage or philosopher, while
some could tell with almost unerring certainty
whether 1t were that Of q fine coarse, o culti-
vated or an uncultivated nature. 'si : =.
The history of the skeletons Of distinguished
people, SO far at least as Il has been written is
full Of romantic interest.
ABELARD's REMAINS
were first buried in the monastery Of ST. Marcel,
where he died. At the request of Heloise they
were removed to the Paraclete convent, where
side by side for three centuries when they were
separated and deposited on different sides Of the
agitated the soul Of the lady abbess. After
century of separation they were again united in
the same tomb. When this convent was trans
and aeioise was W removed Il the church 20 Of Nosent
on the Seine, about three miles distant. These
most unfortunate lovers, who were not permitted
an old coister in Paris, and from there to Pere Ia
Chaise, where they now lie. This tomb, the
o coucb, on which, under q conopy supported by
four pillars, recline the fullength figures, some.
what stiff and conventional, but said TO be good
Hkenesses. CASTS were made of the skulls
of Abelard and Heloise. in the early part
Of this century, under the direction Of the arch-
SePulfare d d'HeIofss ct d1beiard or Heloise he
says: "The inspection Of the bones OF her body,
which we have examined with care, has convinced
and finely proportioned." The bones Of Abelard
he found ,strong and large" He testifies espe-
cially that the skull of Heloise was finely nodded
and proportiened. t' .. .
The bodyof Raphael was buried in the church
of the Pantheon at Rome, in spot chosen by him.
betrothed, though why he chose that spot is
mystery, since he seems to have had no inclina-
for ri that siS on ss
years later the exact place of his interment was
not known, and certain SKULL long pre-
was by tradition called the skull Of Raphael; but
the tradition was 50 hotly disputed BY the an
:iquaries Of Rome that permission was finally OBJ
tanned in 1888 to search in the Pantheon for the
commenced under the shrine Of the Madonna del
sion Of bones washed out Of place BY the inunda-
tions Of the Tber.. The remains Of Raphael were
finally discovered in wonderful state Of preser-
Madonna. The skull was small, exquisite in
form, and 1.-THE teeth were complete and OF
Of s Tss Ine sns q sos
was exhibited publicly in glass case for several
days. Multitndes Of people-artists, antiquaries,
at it. and to be present at the grand funeral
monies ordered for its second interment. The re-
mains were placed IN wooden cothn, and this
Pope Geregory XVI. The body Of Christopher
Columbus was first placed in q parochial church
been sent home to Spain by BobadIlls His nat
ural son, Fernando, who wrote life of his father
says that he always kept these irons IN his cab;
with him. In 1918 his remains were transferred
to Seville, where he had died in poverty and OBJ
now Rayti and deposited in a church in San Do,
mingo. In 1I95, when this island was ceded to
France, they were carried in state by the Span
iards to Havana and deposited in the cathedral.
THE REMAINS OF HERNANDo coRrEs,
tie conqueror Of Mexico, have also had an event
full history. He died in village near Seville,
and was first buried in the family vault in the
after, by the order Of his son, his remains were
transported to Tezcuco, in Mexico, and
buried by the side of those Of his mother
and daughter in the monastery of st. Francis
In 1922 these remains were again removed. This
timet hey were carried to the city of Mexico and
the church also named St. Francis after S more re
than century and half, IN 1T94 they were gain
disturbed, and with stLll greater po8p and esre;
the Hospital Of Jesus, in the same city. Tho
bones were still in the same wooden coffin, en-
closed in one of lead, in which they had originally
come from Seville. The leaden casket was now
placed in one Of crystal, with its crossbars and
plates Of silver, and the remains were shrouded
In winding sheet of cambric embroidered with
god with fringe of black lace four inches deep"
The tomb displayed the family arms, and was
surmounted by bust of the Conquerer executed
in bronze. And still, after all this care 70 pre-
serve the remains Of Cortes, there is to-day much
doubt and uncertainty as to where they are to be
ornd In otrfot rpnhf In ha al ~ vof
Mexico sin their zeal to commemorate
the era Of the national Independence
lands, prepared to bTeaK o open I the tomb tom SRici
held the ashes of Cortes and to scatter them TO
the winds" The authorities declined to inter-
family entered the vault by night and secretly re.
moved the relics, and that they are at Palermo
may travel AmepcS from Busnos
Ayres to Monterey, and in no quarter shall we
tnd q national monument which the public graf
itude has raised to Christopher Columbus or Her
In Grose's Antiquarian Reperfory, volume 8,
there is an account Of monumental slab to
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, 49,
formerly to be seen in the church of st. Andrew,
at Antwerp, and accompanying the description Of
the slab is the statement that the head Of the un
fortunate queen was carried away by her devoted
fnV5 BETH curis, and and buried buried there. H Writer in
SSe, SsS xSe xS P M the nd
siders the story Of the head '.too apocryphal for
belief. That the head of the queen was preserved
fact Of portrait Of IL, made after decapitatIon
now in the possession Of the heirs OF Sir Walter
Scott, and to be seen in the library at Abbotsfcrd
at least 1t there in 1885, 1t bore marks of her
ened look, and the nose was decidedly 2stroasss
denied 70 those % %ho peFsheS ths soaid Sa q
course 1t in reasonable to suppose that friends
would always make efforts to become possessed
town Of Salle In Norfolk, England, there is ira
dition that
THE REMAINS OF ANNE BoLEYN
were removed from the Tower of London and
church. Burnet, Hume, Lingsrd and other histor-
ians say that her body was thrown into q common
elm chest that had been made to hold arrows, and
was buried in the chapel Of the Tower before IL
o'clock. In Crispin's account Of Anne Boleyn's
execution, written only fourteen days after her
disteiy took up her head and the body. They
seemed 10 be without souls. they were so languid
and extremely weak; but fearing that their mis-
| tress might be unworthily handled by inhuman
men, they forced themselves to do this duty, and
though almost dead, at last carried OF her dead
the lower that elmwood arrow.chest was buried
the most sag agacious antiquary cannot now deter
mine, but many years years ago in 18th the - cellar Of the
small stature without q head. This WIS supposed
to be the remains of Anne Boeyn, and was shortly
after buried in the same place.
TIE BODIES OF VOLTA1RE AND ROUSSEAU
have also history. Voltaire's was first buried
in the abbey Of Scellieres.t In 1871 the National
Assembly decreed that 1t should be honored by
being placed in the Pantheon at Paris, and
shortly after TIE order was executed, and was the
occasion of national fete The heart OF Voltaire
was first deposited at Ferney, then at the Chat
eau de Ffllette. In 1884 the inheritors Of this
chateau not caring for this strange relic, per-
haps not knowing what to do with Il, gave e TO
| the Imperial Library, where 1t stIll remains.
Rosseau died at the beautiful country seat of
Madame de Girardin at Ermenonville, and was
buried little island In the middle of the lake
in the park Sixteen years after, in 1874 his body
was transferred to the Pantheon, where his tomb
and also that Of Toltare are now shown to yisi-
tors; but IL Is commonly reported ut Paris though
on what authority am unable to say, that both
these tombs were rifed Of their relies after the
/ Restoration.
There are several skulls, In the possession OF
curiosity lovers. attributed 10 be distinguished
| persons. Those of
MILTON AND CROMWELL
| are said to be In the possession Of private ind-
| vidIais in England. L-W. In Notes and Queries
(vol. ", p. $751; thus replies to query by !G.
| P.:" "In answer TO Ct. r, beg 70 inform him