The daily gazette., 1882-01-31
TmE DEsEcRArIor or romns.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ARsur wuu
GRAVES or HIsToEauAL PRRsoN-
AaKs.
from the London Globe,
Under an old Athenian law a slave
found disturbing a body after inter
ment was put to death, while the act.
i perpetrated by a free man, entailed
me conhscation OF a moiety Of his pos-
sessions. Constantine deoreed that a
woman might obtain a divorce from
her husband II she could show that
he had disturbed grave, and at one
Time IN England 1t "was deemed un-
lawful to open grave for a second
person except husband or wife, The
tomb Of Edward l., when opened.
disclosed "lhe King dressed in his
robes with a c0ronet on his head. F"
which statement may be accepted az
proof that 1t had remained inviolale
up to the period when it was disturbed
under official sanction.
Whom the Calvinisis, more than
three centuries ago, broke open the
tomb OF Matilda, Queen Of the Con-
queror. 'they stole ring from off her
nnger." In the reign OF the second
James the remains of Edward the
COnfessor was exposed to view In the
Westminster Abbey, and while Win
chester cathedral was undergoing re-
pair toward the close of the last CEN
tury, CaDute's tomb was opened. The
ashes OF Sebert, King of the East
Angles, were brought to light in the
reign OF Henry WILL, and the grave
OF Rufus was disturbed with the
know ledge, II not under the sanction,
OF the CHERRY Monarch. George ~.
called upon Sir Henry Halford to
examine the body in the coffin placed
IN the royal vault under St. Georges
Chapel, aud supposed to be that of
Charles L. A bone of the neck be-
longing to the vertebrae beng found
severed, as If by an axe, confirmed
the common belief. AT the same time
the remains of Henry VIII. were ex-
posed, but delicaey of feeling-if such
words may be used in connection with
proceedings of the kind-it is said,
prevented the investigators violating
the repose of Queen Jane Seymour's
ashes deposited in the same place.
the tomb OF Queen CatharIne, fortu-
nate enough to necome the widow of
Bluff King Hal, and who subsequently,
marrying Lord Seymour, died at oudeley
aud IVES buried there, is said to have
been violated five times. On four occa-
sions local authority--whose testimo-
ny has been supported by inhabitants Of
Wlnchomb within the past forty years
says "the remains were exhumed by
band OF Bacehansllans, at which time
The outrages we're 50 dlsgraeeful that
veil must be drawn over them" These
shockingscenes were enacted at the close
OF the last century. The next time the
tomb was opened ON the plea of anti
quarlan research. To the credit of the
present owner OF Sudeley Castle the an
cient chapel has been restored TO more
than Its earlier magnIfcence, and the re.
mains Of the Queen now repose beneath
q splendid memorial. tomb.
1t Is on record the bodies of the first
Henry and Richard Cnur de Lien were
and portions buried In
different places; and II Is notorious that
skulls Of eminent persons have been re-
moved from their cofIins and casts taken
OF them. William Hewitt, referring to
the case of Pope, says that his skull,
taken from the vault in Twickenham
Church, sis in the private collection Of
q phrenOlogist, and that 1850 we're paid
TO manage and carry through tie trans
action" Mrs. Lushington, In her once
popular narrative, calls attention TO the
tact that 'the mountains inl the neigh
borhood Of Goorno," are merely roofs
over the masses Of mummies within
them, The collins serve as flrewood to
the whole neighborhood.
Immense numbers Of bodies have been
removed from London churchyards
within the past twenty years in order to
carry ont improvements, and more than
one large railway station has absorbed
the consecrated ground In which our
fOrefathers were laid TO sleep, The in
famous outrages committed under the
pTetext of advancing the interests OF an
atomical science are too we'll known aud
it Is hnmiliating TO think that ia any age
of refinement like the present tom0s
should be rifled of THAR contents for the
purpose of extolting money from the ag-
onized relatives Of the dead. 1t is a
sure sign of the decay of piety in land
whom anuNafunf fnr tho aanctifx af t1,a