The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-03
SOME HISTORIC RoNEs.

Horace Walpole himself ScrutiniZed
the body of Edward w. in 1889, and he
noted with satisfaction that the "ef-
figy," his portrait in wax, was a good
likeness in that case. We are assured
that the skeleton measured seven feet
exactly, which is not credible. Anato-
mists allow four inches for shrinking,
and If Edward had been such giant
surely his contemporaries would have
stated the fact explicitly. Horace car
ried away a lock Of his beautiful au-
burn hair. But the antiduary ragged in
thinking of that coat of mail covered
with crimson velvet, embroidered with
pearls and rubies, which once hung
over the tomb. 1t was plundered, he
says, by Captain Fog, who occupied
Windsor for the Parliament in 1912, to-
gether with all the chapel plate. Is
this historic? Horace was no bad au-
thority on such a matter Edward |. $
grave was opened, says Pennant, just
to settle tdisputation" among certain
noble Fellows OF the Royal society.
They could not satisfy themselves
whether the wax casing of a royal
corpse was laid next the skin or over
the grave clothes, and the Dean of
Westminster cheerfully consented to
let them dig up one and see. Imagine
the horror of a modern dean if any one
ventured to make the request!
1t proved in Edward is case that
both views were correct; he lay in
waxed cloth over all, and another en-
veloped him beneath his robes of state.
yaotV, ay,tu hol =, OIL
actually WORKOUT with paste substi-
tuted for the gems-and the description
is very interesting on that account.
But there is not word about his per-
son. 1t would seem that the learned
gentleman pried no further when the
question at issue was decided leaving
the second wax cloth untouched. In
fact, these old examinations are always
disappointing more or less Of the
things we wish to know they tell us
little more than did shrewd old Giral-
dus Cambrensis when he assisted at
the discovery of Arthur's precious re-
mains. Camden translates his account
'fThey had scarce digged seven feet but
they light upon a crossed stone, or a
stone in the back part whereof was
fastened rude leaden cross something
broader. This being pulled out, ap-
peared to have a description upon it,
and under it, nine feet deep, a coffin OF
followed oak, wherein were deposited
the bones of the famous Arthur" An
almanac is as interesting.
The story Of John Hampdens exhu
nation is rather curious. Every enc
or almost-underStands that Lord Nu-
gent dug up the hero's body, and as
certained that the traditional account
of his death-by a musket or pistol
shot in the forearm-is exact. Lord
Nugent certainly found and examined a
corpse which for some years after
wards he assigned with perfect assur-
ance to Hampden. Sergeant Denman,
afterwards chief justice, was present,
and he never entertained doubt ap-
parently as long as he lived. But Lord
Nugent, for reasons unstated. lost con-
fdence after while, and presently re-
solved that it was an utter mistake.
In the later editions of mis- book he says
that the body was that of some gen.
tleman or lady who probably died a
quiet death in bed-certainly with no
wound in the wrist" By this time he
was not even sure of the sexi But Mr..
Norris, surgeon, who was invited to at
tend, professionally, described the
corpse as that of very lusty man,
with rich auburn hair falling below the
shoulders, in high preservation, except
one arm, which had crumbied off"
But there had been no amputation
nor operation of any kind" How then