The Indianapolis journal., 1898-11-23

story of the Alleged Dissertation of
His Tomb Recalled.
London Mail.


London Mail
At the present time, when the proposed
Dfuce examination looms so largely among
Ine topics OF the day, it may not be out of
known story of the supposed discovery of
the remains of Milton. On Aug. 4, 1880, the
nelghborhood of st. Giles, Cripplegate, was
thrown into state of excitement and in
dlgnauon by the news that the body of
Milton buried just 116 years before, had
curing some repairs to the church been
found beneath desk in the chancel
The corpse was in a leaden coffin, which
was broken open by disturbing ghouls and
the remains were exposed to view, hundreds
OF curious visitors croWdlng TO see the
ghastly sight. Two vestrymen sold locks of
the halr and some of the teeth of the ven
Grated poet disposing also of his lower jaw,
ms right hand and his ribs. One of these
omceholders, whose names are mentioned in
an account of the shocking transaction given
IN the London Review of the, day, was a
gln-seller and other paWnbroker.
The ubiquitous Journalist stepped forward
ana forthwith wrote q pamphlet upon the
subject, describing the corpse and it's treat
ment, and at once-as in these days-the in
eVltaDle newspaper controversy arose. Sides
were taken, and the st. James's Chronicle
OF the. period boldly disputed that it was
M1lton's corpse at all, and tabulated num-
Der of reasons to bear out that contention.
The time at which poet becomes famous
after his demise may reasonably be COM
puted at hundred years. Shakespeare was
thought little of until that period had
elapsed and 1T was nearly a century before
buTIlS > lame may be Sal0 TO nave rlpeneQ,
and here 1T is clear that Milton had not
been much in mems minds from his death
10 TINS disinterment. for his place Of sepul-
ture was actually unknown. Forty years be-
fore Bishop Newton had endeavored to dis
cover it, but could obtain no information
whatever as to its whereabouts. and so it
would seem certain that the unfortunate
''old man eloquent had died almost ''un-
Wept, unhonored and unsung."
one OF the reasons against it being the
body of the poet, as given by the above
much emaciated at the time of his DEATH
and that 1t was most unlikely that his ra-
pacious wife, who oppressed her husband s
children while he was living and cheated
them after his DEATH" would or could have
provided an expensive leaden coffin in which
20 inter him.
From this and more cogent reasons lovers
of the glorious Milton may rest pretty sure
that his bones were only disturbed by proxy,
and that it was another's which thus re-
ceived the veneration of some and the desc
Grafton of others.
The body dsintered was that'of small
person with dark brown hair whereas Mil.
ton, being sixty-five at his death, had gray
hair; the brow too was small and low, while
that of the poet was broad and high. The
teeth again were small, white and even,
which could not have been the case with
Mllton's doctor too gave it as his opinion
that the corpse was that of a young female,
although by reason of the raYageS of decay
he could not be certain.
One other argument cited by the opponent
paper which has a touch of pathos in it
reduces the matter to a certainty that the
remains were not those of our great singer.
Poor Milton in addition to his blindness and
his wife'S neglect sunered agonfes OF gout,
and his fingers were full of chalk stones,
while the dsinterred skeleton had small,
smooth finger bones with no vestige of such
Disagreement.
Lost may be assured that Millions re-
mains lie still undisturbed in-what Will be
news to the vast majority of his admirers -
some unknown grave within the precincts OF
the old church of ST. Giles.