The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-02-14
Written for the Enquirer.
TO EUROPE AND BACK
Mi.
HOTEL VICTORIA,
LONDON, ENG,

Mr.. EDIroR:-In most of the great
churches of the Middle Ages we find
Immediately behind the High Altar a
'sShrine" containing the relies of the
Patron Saint, or of great benefactor
to the church. In Westminster Abb
bey this shrine encloses the body of
Edward the Confessor, the first king
who has any historic claim to be call
ed its founder. This Chapel Royal,
or Tombs of the Kings, is not only
marked by its height, but made pc
culiarly sacred part of the great church
because of the royal dead that rest
thereabout. Time was when the tomb
of Edward was surrounded by a wealth
OF gold and Jewels but these ancient
riches have long since disappeared.
The central object of this st. Edward 5
Chapel, as it is called, is the Confess
or's tomb. This English Royal Saint
was prince Of great piety, caring lit
tie for affairs of S ate but worshlpped
by his people. Driven from his king
dom bv the Danes after the death Of
his father, Edward vowed to make a
pilgrimage to st. Peters grave at Rome
if he again come into his own. Find
ing it impossible to leave his subjects
on account of the condition of the
country when reinstated Oh the throne
he was released from his VOW by the
Pope on condition that he found or re-
store monastery to st. Peter. This
led to the rebuilding of the old church
at Westminster, | say rebuilding be-
cause there is a legend that the origi-
nal foundation was laid in GIG and
certain it is that old st. Paul S in Lon
don and this church at Westminster.
dedicated to st. Peter, were among the
earliest works Of the first converts to
Christianity in Britain, and St Angus
tine is historically credited with ar
irving ir Britain in 597. The ti's
king crowned in the Abbey Was Will
liam the Conqueror, whose coronation
took place by the tomb Of Edward.
Many miracles are SAID to have been
worked at his grave. In 1101 Henry
l. caused Edwards grave to be opened
and Norman chronicle relates that
the body was found entire, the joints
as flexible as if it were ga body asleep
Two attempts were made to canonlze
Edward but such action was not taken
by the Pope until 1853, when the new
saints body was laid in shrine pre-
pared for Its reception by Henry ii.
After that the corpse was undlsturbed
geo ho,, f,,rraI n
tomb made under the direction of
Henry III. Only the basement now
remains of Henry magnificent fabric,
the material is marble decorated with
glass mosaic. Above this base was the
golden shrine in which the coffin was
enclosed. Upon two pillars at the
sides were golden statues of st. Ed
ward and st. John the Evangelist. In
the lower part are the recesses in which
sick persons were often left during the
night to be cured by the Saint. The
date of this repository is still observed
IN the Abbey and to this time many
devout worshipers make pllgrimage'
to the shrine where proofs of the great
est veneration are attested by the step
which have been worn away by thu
knees OF the pilgrims. In the reigl
of Henry VIII. the shrine was pulled
down while the body was removed an'
buried in some obscure part Of the Ab
bey. Under Mary |. the body Was re
stored to its place and again surround
ed by jewels and images to replase thu
stolen ones to be again despolled OF 1t
valuables, but the shrine was spared
When the scaffolding erected for tn
coronation Of James H., 1885, Was re
moved hole was espied in the toni
and from 1t was taken golden eros
and chain. James paid $3.50 as boun
ty for the relic and had the old coffir
enclosed in one strongly clamped witt
iron where it has remained undisturb
ed till this day when let us hope ther
has at last come ''Peace to his ashes.
Edwards wifi. was Editha, daughte
of the powerful Earl Goodwin and sis
ter of Harold, who was killed on tn
battle field of Hastings by William |
She had none of the warlike traits O
her father for the old writers compare
her to rose growing from "a prick,
briar. The kindly queen seems t.
have been fist buried in her husband !
tomb but was afterwards removed tt
the north end of the shrine South
of st. Edward lies his great niece