Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-06-07
The Decoration OF Tombs.

~. VI AOlo>s
Under the old Athenian law slave
found guilty of disturbing a body after
interment was put to death, while the
act, if perpetrated by free man, en-
tailed the confiscation of a moiety of
his possessions. Constatine decreed
that a woman might obtain a divorce
from her husband If she could show
that he had disturbed grave, and at
one time in England it ''was deemed
unlawful to open a grave for q second
person, except for husband or
wife" The tomb of Edward l., when
opened, disclosed ''the King dressed in
his robes with coronet on his head"
which statement may be accepted as
proof that it had renamed inviolate up
to the period when it was disturbed IN
der official sanction. When the Calvi-
nists, more than three centuries ago,
broke open the tomb of Matilda, Queen
of the Conqueror, "they stole ring off
her finger" In the reign of the second
James the remains of Edward the Con-
fessor were exposed to view in West
minister Abbey, and while Winchester
Cathedral was undergoing repair toward
the close of the last century, Canute's
tomb was opened. The ashes of Sebert,
King of the East Angles, were Brought
to light in the reign of Henry Ill, and
the grave of Rufus was disturbed with
the knowledge, if not under the sanction,
of the ''merry monarch" George ~.
called upon Sir Henry Halford to exam
inc the body in tine coffin placed in the
royal vault under ST. Georges Chapel,
and supposed to be that of Charles l.
A bone of the neck belonging to the ver-
tebrse being found severed as by an axe,
confirmed the common belief. At
the same time the remains of Henry
VIII. were exposed; but delicacy Of
feeling-if such words may be used in
connection with proceedings of the
kind-it is said, prevented the investi-
gators violating the repose of Queen
Jane Seymour's ashes, deposited In the
same place.
The tomb vf Queen Catherine, who
was fortunate enough to become tie
widow OF "bluff King Hail." aud who,
subsequently marrying Lord Seymour,
died at Sudeley aad was buried there,
is said to have been violated five times.
| On four occasions a local authority,
whose testimony has been supported by
inhabitants of Winchomb within the
past forty years, says: 'The remains
were exhumed by band of bacchana-
lians, at which time the outrages were
so disgraceful that veil must be drawn
over them. These shocking scenes were
enacted at the close of the last century.
The next time the tomb was opened on
the plea of antiquarian research. To
the credit OF the present owner OF Sud
eley Castle, the ancient chapel has been
restored to more than its early maRmtl-
cence, and the Qneen now re2oses be-
meath splendid memorial tomb. 1t IS
ON record that the bodies of the frsi
Henry and Richard Ceur de Lion were
dismembered, and portions buried IL
different places and 1t Is notorious thai
skulls of eminent persons have been re
} moved from their coffins and casts taker
of them. William Hewitt, referring te
the case of Pope, says that his skull
taken from the vault in Twickenhan
Church, sis in the private collection o
, a pbrenologist, and that fifty pounds
were paid to manage and carry through
the transaction" Mrs. Lushington, IL
her once popular narrative, calls atten
/ ton to the fact that "the mountains IL
/ the neighborhood of Goorno' ar
merely roofs over the masses OF mum
, mics within them. The collins serve a
firewood to the whole Heighborhood.
( Immense numbers of bodies have beel
: removed from London churchyard
: within the last twenty years In order L
4 carry out improvements. ana more thai
a one large railway station has absorbe'
the consecrated ground in which on
p fathers laid to sleep. The infamou
= outrages committed under the prete1
of advancing the interests OF anatomica
t science are too well known, and 1t Is hu
e initiating to link that in any age OF n
finement like the present tombs 81 oui
e be rified of their contents for the pul
pose of extorting money from the ag'
d njzed relatives of the dead. 1t Is SUI
e sign of the decay of piety In the ian
W when contempt for the sanctlty OF IL
1t grave finds marked manifestations