The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
WESTMINSTER'S SEXTON.
a Man who Il on Familiar Terms with tho
Homes or Kings nnd Poets.

""'N W. N'"h Wv CIV
LONDON, Oct. o3.-He was n worn and aged
little man who led a party of Americans in and
out of old Westminster Lifo had almost done
with him, and life had not been wholly kind.
True, it had given him high honors; in Dean
Stanlcy's time II had made him chief sexton of
the Abbey and awarded him the glory of dig
gtng great mems graves. But Dean Stanley's
time was over n dozen years ago; new despots
ruled the world between those ancient walls,
and the old regime was clbowed out of the way.
Yet, in spite OF oppression from the great, he
loved his world. He knew every stone from
floor to vaulting; his memory kept the record
OF every tomb. The great cathedral was his
heritage; no tyrant could rob him of its mighty
consolation.
When a special providence persuaded him to
emerge from his remote retreat and show the
visitors the secret places of his domain. they
humbly blessed their watchful fates. No fee.
loving vcrger was this. no parrot-voiced beadlc
%skimming hcartlcssly the surface OF deep
memories, but n man intimate with history, one
who had uncovered lost inscriptions anu
watched the renewal of crumblcd stones, who
had measured the bones of kings and sifted the
dust of poets; one who was loyal to each tradi.
tion. who resented each advance of modern
icOnOclasm.
IT cy began to doubt whether Edward tho
C0nfcssor lay in his own tomb" he said rs he
climbed the narrow stair that led to the chapel
of King Henry "; 80 one fine morning we
pricd it open and cut through the leaden shroud,
and there, on the ancient ccrc cloths, we found
the royal coat Of arms and monogram. There's
nothing so good as Il little Investigation for
those people who know too much. There lies
Richard ii. with II broken skull; that's better
killed him"
lie dwell upon funcreal details. One seemed to
be breathing the dust OF kings and prying into
their uncovered fnmha His mind tNnl ,,puty
with mortuary memories. Even when he led
to the coronation chair he brought up thoughts
amounting.
see where they marred it at the golden
jubilee" he said mournfully, pointing TO the
marks of tnckS in the ancient wood; that
shows how carclcssly they nailed on the crimson
ncaNct; Hs 'housh ms historic piece OF oar were
Icials. and they stopped it, The antiquarian
fingers passed lovingly over the ,unhealed
wounds and the worn brow wriDkied with in
congruous modern cares.
Il used to nave a stall in the choir, y he muir.
INJURED, and march in the procession. But after
for another: Sipce that day l have never set
Will. No. not il they were to beg me on their
knees! In Dean Stanley's time there never was
for it. But theresa different crowd in control
now; they cant stop to think OF an old man like
When there was 4 stone to renew or a grave to-
.diS he consulted me. he asked my advice. lie
t ,"E. me n h2 2nIn ! ought 10 wriIca book; II would
-, 49, N' N"o' AhiS
place
ono OF the party. awc.s;riCkcn Mt confronting the
home maker for Englnnd's heroes and standing
face to fac with history.
There : not IA grave been dug here for thirty
years that | have not directed the job" he an.
swGred proudly. And / tell you it's no easy
concrete which time has hardened into granite.
II takes "A force of men all night with Crowbars
ana pickaHes to make room for Il coffin there"
AND you dug Tennyson's grave-and Brown
inRs I,
ITO re sure l did. and cold work it was. with
nothing but a few %lrntcrn9 against the gloom
ana chill. \ scene for HCmbrandt-thosc vast
shadows. those toiiinG figures weirdly lit against
And does anything remain OF ancient bones
down th"ref Does Chanccr really lie there
"Oh yes" snid this familiar with immortals.
myself measured Chnuccr's bones. The cot.
m was al gone. but most of the bones were
mere. lie was a short, stocky man, with n big
head. was CHANGER.
But how could You be sure it was Chaucerl"
Oh, but You see. there's no possible doubt
about il; We know every square inch Of that
floor, and have ior centuries. In HOO CHANGER
was hurled there. and after that his corner lay
untouched tor two centuries and u half. Then.
IN 1867. the floor Tas opened near him 10 make
y place Tor AhrIham CONVEY. COwlcy WAS a fine
hi% man. and his ncighhors thought him quite
II GOOD enough poet 10 lie near Chauccr. for they
c.li"d him in MS r%nltnph the pindar, Horace,
ana Virgil OF England. Two years after him
john Dcnham was buried near by. and in 1900 u
grave was made for John Dryden; Those
corner lay untouched for nearly two centuries.
Then there was question OF burying somebody
Iennyson and wnin were getting old-and
il was decided 10 investigate those graves. So
we opened up the whole place and found the
-four poets according TO the records. There
wasn't much LETT Of Ch queer. but we measured
him and boxed him up dcCently and made all
four of them comfortable. Then We sealed them
down with concrete and rclaid the floor over
thcm: and yGu may be sure I at there they will
~ IN peace I II Gahricl's trumpet sounds or the
Abbey cruinbiCs. Since then Browning and
Tcnnyson have gone TO join them, and trust
they arc MI happy together"