Middletown transcript., 1881-08-26

B
say. But architects are fond of Il kline
of restoration which consists of the ev
olution from their own inner conscious
ness of a conception of what thing
ought to have been, and are apt to ne
glect such a piece of evidence as this
as to what it was. With regard tC
these railings, however, there is not
any manner of doubt, whatsoever, fol
they are figured by Dart in their proper
place. Dean Stanley tells us that in
1854 the mob broke in during the funer.
al of Pulteney, Earl of Bath, and that
the gentlemen who attended his body
to the tomb in the Islip Chapel, oppo-
site, tore down the canopy of Edward Is
tomb, and defended themselves with
g the broken rafters. . 1t may be so,
but these iron spears, each tipped with
its fleu-de-lis, would form much more
obviously appropriate weapons on such
an occasion. The " wooden hatch put
up by Feckenham at the head of the
stairs has been restored, but not the
beautiful rails. From the northern
side of the trifOrium fine view is OBJ
tanned into the Poets Corner and the
imminent room, with it's great chests
and Golfers, enormously described by
Scott as being in the triforium itself.
But in the upper story is quadrant
shaped cone chest and other vast chests
for vestments, interesting in them
selves, but not so splendidly locked and
barred and clasped as the boxes in the
imminent room below.
THE CHAPEL OF HENRY V.
Another interesting place up stairs
is the chantry or Chapel of Henry v.
1t is kind of gallery over the headless
etfigy so familiar at the end of the Con-
fessor's Chapel We are accustomed
to admire the swans and antelopes and
the curious scenes from the Kings life
which are carved on the high screen
under which we pass on the way into
the Chapel Of Henry VII, without re-
membering that it cOnceales one of the
most elaborate little buildings of that
age, now remaining. 1t is raised so
high that people far down in the nave
must have been able to see the daily ell
ovation Of the host, and with a certain
felicity, leading as it does to the Lady
Chapel, was dedicated to the Annunci-
alton. Some ingenious person has dis
covered that the western side of the
screen, with its tall staircase, forms the
letter III, the initial of Henry's name,
and, unfortunately, some still more in
genious person has discovered that the
helmet on the cross-beam is not that in
which the King fought at Agincourt,
but one specially ordered by the under
takers for the funeral. 1t is more solid,
but scarcely more important, in truth,
than the three score and ten we saw
in the triforium. When we climb into
a neighboring chantry, that of Abbot |
Islip, we find it filed with still more
singular funeral monuments. The
are no longer shown to the
public, yet they are worth seeing, and
are probably the most vivid likenesses
of the few personages they
Dean Stanley strangely OBJ
serves that they were even highly es-
5eemed as works of art. No doubt
hey were. 1t is unquestionable that
he figure of Chatham, with his keen
eyes, his bushy eyebrows features
both lost in ordinary sculpture-his
great nose, his commanding attitude,
s brought more distinctly before before the the
mind by sight Of this wonderful
speaking efigy. Did Macauley ever see
title William of Orange standing on a
cushion beside his tall, stout wife, and
observe the intensely real look of the
light figure and the worn yet viva
.iOus face ? Certainly these figures
we're the work Of no mean master, and,
f the Duchess of Richmond and her
lead son lying in state are not so good,
is rather because the subjects were
lot equal to the art than because the
.rt failed to do them justice Even the
comparatively faded figure of Charles
/, which faces the spectator as he en-
ers the chantry, is startling with it's
of reality.-London Sdtur-
lag Rerie,C.
SoLILOQUY OF THE WATERMELON.