Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-05

was called "Longshanks," but it was sur
missed that there was great disproportion
between the length of his legs and body. II
may, however, have been only given on &C
count OF his height. His queen. Elinor, is
buried IN the same chapel, and her monu-
ment is In the northeast corner. This
lady went with her husband to the Holy
Land. This is she at whose funeral pro.
gress so many crosses were erected; one at
every stage at which the cortege rested.
Fifteen was the number; the last be-
ing Charing Cross.
Edward the Thirds queen, Philippa.
has a monument On the southeast corner
1t was once remarkable for having round
1t, as ornaments, brass statues of no less
than thirty kings, princes aud persons of
nobility, all her near and, doubtless, dear
relatives. She it was who interceded for
the burghers of Calais. Henry the Third s
tomb. next to. but west of, Queen Elinor's
Is Mosaic tomb and canopy. This was
built over very interesting spot, being no
other than the grave tenanted previously
by Edward. 1t was while standing at the
edge of this grave that the Earl of Glouces-
ter, at the head of the barrons of England,
placed his hand upon the royal corpse. and
the barons did the same. all swearing
tealty to Edward the First, then absent in
the Holy Land, where, as ! have just stat
ed, his queen accompanied him. By the
way, when this kings tomb was opened
for the examination of the body, Cough,
the antiquary previously named, was actu-
ally detected trying to hide, in huge
Wrapping coat he wore, whole forefnger
that had once belonged to ''Longshanks. :"
lie was made to give up the purloined
relic.
Old Pepys, who turned up on every oc-
caslon when there was anything extraor-
binary to see, was not absent when the
body of Henry's queen, Katherine of
France. was exposed to view, which, by
some chance, was so exposed for two or
three centuries, The old gossip chatters
In his diary thus: Here we did see. by
particular favor, the body of Queen Kath-
crime of Valois, and had the upper part
of her body in my hands, and did kiss
her mouth, rejecting upon it that did
kiss queen, and that was my birthday.
Sc years old. that | did kiss queen"
In Henry VII chapel, which / will not
attempt to describe, for want of space and
because its elaboration of detail demands
exactly W b t it has received, records of its
own royalty : very thick around. In adj
ditlon to tn, overeign after whom the
chapel is nan ], there is Mary Queen of
Scots body and head; the merry monarch,
Charles H., who must have looked very
strange in his coffin, with his dark COM
plexlon, strongly marked features and
without that big black wig; Queen Eliza
beth. no doubt with rich costume. high
ruff and her red hair becomingIy dressed
tor even In Delaroche s picture, where 81 e
Is dying on the velvet cushions, her hair
looks as If it had been spared all disar-
rangement; Edward v, Queen Mary and
James the First, and Anne Of Denmark.
These, and many of the flower of the no.
blllty, are all neighbors, all brought to
one level, except for the respective elabo-
rat1ons OF valneless glory by means of
monumental effgies, tombs, brasses, busts
and tablets.
Henry the Seventh was infinitely par
hcular about his exit from this world, and
spent prodigiOus deal of his time and
thought about providing for bis monument.
as also about his funeral. His directions
read like fable story, and would be anus
ing, were they not so evidently matter-of-
tact. Abbot lsllp must have had a busy time
of 1t, making careful notes of all the
monarch told him. Henry did all this, it
is presumed, that he might show the
world how cordially he repented his
many sins-after he was dead. Others.
since his day, now nearly four hundred
years ago, have done the same, and doubt
less when 2291 comes around that idea Of
posthuMOus repentance will still be in
vogue.
From Henry Wis time to that Of
George IL. most all English monarchs have
been Inferred in Westminster. IT was
George III. who erected vault at Wind
sor for himself and his successors.
To show the mutability of human
greatness, when Charles II was buried
Evelyn noted the fact IA Feb, 1856.
The king was this night buried obscureIy
in the vault under Henry VII. S
chapel Westminster. without any manner
of pomp, and soon forgotten
Is it possible that, after all the hubbub
and rejoicing over the restoration, the
people who had shed their blood aud ex-
pended their mony to give the king his
own again repented OF their bargain? 1t
looks that way.
AS for the scattering of the Stuarts, the
three last pretenders of the throne of that
line have recorded upon their tombs in
the holy cathedral church of St. Peter
at Rome, their pretended title of kings of
Great Britain and Ireland: James ILL.,,
king of England: born June 10, 1893:
died Dec. 80, 1866; aged sevpnty-eight
years" ''Charles ILL.,, king of England.
born Nov. 80, 1920; died Jao. q, 1888;
aged sixty-eight years. He lived and
died pensioner of King George Ill, of
"a. 900 a year"
Poor old gentlemen! Each IF these pre-
tenders and ex-kings had most ma enif-
cent funerals in Rome. the very last of
of the family died within a year or two,
at Brussels, behave.