The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-07


| \ little further of to make the room.
| Thou art monument without tomb.
| Anc art alive still, while thy book doth live
| And We have wits 10 read and praise To give.
But, as a matter Of fact, the attempt was
never made-whether il was prevented by
the poets own anathema on any one who
should "move his bones or dig his dust"
or by the imperfect recognition OF his
greatness-and in STAFFORD he still lies.
Not, indeed, for another century, was the
statue raised which now stands in the
aisle adjacent to the tOmbS OF Chaucer and
| SpenSer, with It's inscription from the
Tempest certainly well-fitting its APP
plication under the shadow OF the "cloud-
capt towers. the gorgeous palaces, and the
| solemn temples " OF Westminster
GREAT DEAD GATHERED IN THE ABBEY.
Leaving the bones OF Shakespeare, which
may now well be allowed TO rest in peace,
the remains of other ilustrious English
poets are well worthy the attention OF the
visitor, and a. one enters Westminster Alb
hey. and draws near to the "glorious
dust" that is gathered together in the
"POets' Corner" it is impossible not TO
feel thrilled with a sense OF reverence and
awe that is almost Oyerpowering. Here
lies Chaucer-the first Of poets inferred in
this southern transept. Probably it was
owing 10 his dying 80 close to the Abbey
and To the favor Of Richard III. combined
that the "father OF ancient English poe
Try" was buried mere. and that now
These poets near the Princes sleep,
And in one grave their mansions keep.
Besides Chaucer rests Spencer; side by
side they lie. cold and silent, needless OF
the praise and prayer that ascend daily
from this house OF burial. ON the death
OF the author OF kaery Queen his hearse
was attended solely by poets. and mourn
full elc@ies and poems. with the pens that
wrote them. were thrown into the grave.
What funeral was that AT which Beau-
mont, Fletcher. JOnsOn. and. in all proba-
bilitv. Shakespeare attended what grave
in which the pen OF Shakespeare may be
mouldering away
BEN JONSON BURIED STANDING.
In the north aisle OF the nave one comes
70 the bones OF Ben ions )n-rarc Ben
Jonson, Connected with Westminster from
youth. it is said he selected his own grave.
Charles |. To grant him favor.
"What is IT." said the King.
Give me eighteen inches Of square
ground"
Where?" asked the King.
sin Westminster Abbey"
This is one explanation given OF the story
that he was buried standing upright. An.
other is that il was with view To readiness
for the resurrection. On his grayestonc
are Inscribed simply the words: 80 rare
Ben Jonson," which were engraved at the
expense of one Jack Young, afteTward
In tsIf.I Whan i'm 1Sin III. RnIlrt
Wilson was buried close by, the loose
sand of JOnsOn'S graye--to use the express
sion of the clerk of the works, who SUI
perintended the operati -rippled i'm
like a quicksand. and the clerk saw the
two leg-bOneS OF JOnSOn fixed bolt upright
in the sand as though the body bad been
buried in an upright position, while tine
skull came rolling down from its position
above the leg-bOnes 10 the bottom Of the
ncwly-made grave. There was still hair
upon it, and il was of a red color.
Bv a mistake OF the sculptor of JOnsOn's
monument the buttons were set on the left
side OF the coat. Hence the epigram:
rare Ben Jonson. what q turncoat grown
Thou nc'er was such till clad In stone;
Then let not this disturb Thy spriie.
Another age shall set thy buttons right,
RIVAL LAUREATES AT PEACE.
Then comes Sir Robert Ayton, the first
Scottish poet buried here, and he claims
place from his being the first in whose
verses appear the d" Aud Lang Sync."
Further on lie May and wild Sir viii
liam Dayenant, rivals for the laureateShip
of their time. now sleeping peacefully to-
gether. The latter was connected with
the two greatest Of English pOclical names
with Shakespeare by the tradition OF the
" swan of Avon's" intimacy with his
mother, and with Milton by the protection
which he first received from him and after
ward procured for him i'm their respective
reyerses.
John Dryden, the father Of modern Eng
fish poetry, is laid almost at the grave OF
the father Of ancient English poetry, whose
grayestOne was actually SaWn asunder to
make room for Dryden's monument. II is
difficult 10 know how 10 treat the strange
story OF the. infamous practical Jest by
which the son Of Lord Jeflreys broke
up the funeral on the preteXt OF max
ing it more splendid the indignation
OF the Dean who had the Abbey light |
ed, the ground opened, the CHOIR attend |
ING, an anthem set, and himself waiting.
without corpse to bury; and the anger
OF the poets son, who watched till the
death OF Jellreys with "the utmost appli- |
cation" for III opportunity Of revenge.
After Il delay Of twelve days the remains
were buried in their present position. OPP
posite Dryden'S monument il the bust Of
his forgotten rival and victim Of his Bit
tereSt satire:
Others of some faint meaning make pretence.
Bat Shadwell never deyiales into sense
TIN RApn np ID ~ .ntgt, ,,,,.....-..
Passing the busts Of Stepney and Phil |
lips, one sees the monument OF Milton
whose bones rest in ~. Giles's Cripplegate. |
On the death OF the author OF Paradise |
Lost, the Royalist Dean would not allow |
the name OF the "regicide Milton" to be |
engraved on the walls OF Westminster Alb |
hey. Another four years and this excom-
was removed. Another four |
years again. and the criticism in the Spec |
tdfOr had given expression 10 the irresist- |
lbe feeling OF admiration growing i'm every |
English heart. ''Such was the change i'm
public OPINION" said Mr.. Gregory TO DIR.
Johnson, that | have seen erected in the
church bust Of that man, whose name |
once knew considered pollution to its
walls
On the north side Of the chapel, i'm the
vaults OF the House OF Albemarle, and
next to his beloved Montague, are TO be
found the bones Of Addison. the states
man, the accomplished scholar, the poet.
IL Is strange that neither his opulent and
noble widow nor any OF his powerful and
attached friends should have thought OF
placing even simple tablet inscribed with
MS name ON the walls OF the Abbey. Ii
WAS not till three generations had laugh
"a and wept over his pages that
lie omission was supplied by public
'eneration. AT length his image, skilfully
'hgraven, appeared in the Poets Cor
her." 1t represents him as one can con-
'eTe him, clad in his dressing-gown and