The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-03
Archaeological Society Visits
West Minister Abbey
AND SEE CONFESS0RS BODY
Story of What Bishop Gun
duff Saw Recalled.

tomb the memb ers congratulated on
another that the body Of the saint a
lest was stn 'undisturbcd." Probabl.
those learned gentlemen asked a NOR
exact expression. one may assert witt
confidence that no remains Of mortal MAJ
have been dug UP 50 often. scrutinizeC
and shifted.
The story of the burial pictured IL
the Bayeux tapestry. is singular Thirty
seven years after Henry l. was seizec
with devout curiosity to ascertain the
state of the corpse, and he ordered Bishop
Gundulf - examine If. IN company viii
khe abbot Of Westminster
Accordingly they opened the tomb. a
sweet savor" proceeded from il. of course
and the flesh was rosy Bishop Guncuh
wished to pluck a single hair from the
long snowy beard. but his efforts failed
Henry H. built new shrine and the BODY
was overhauled again during the process
81 transfer; it proved 10 be stu sound
perhaps as rosy as ever. on this oc-
easion the ring was annexed and the
mantle removed; q characteristic action
Of the Plantagoaet. with whom irreve-
renee was hereditary. ii the fate Of the
ring is known, we do not recall it, but
tie mantle was cut up into vestments
Tor the clergy of Westminster. once more
the remains We're lifted when Henry Ill
rebuilt the Abbot and examined as usual
Then they had peace for nearly three
centuries and when Henry VII moved
the coffin, after breaking up the shrine,
he did not open it, apparently, Nor did
Mary, when she replaced it.
Ier4f f, ral-rler Tory-r7 no rfoll after the
coronation of James IT, one OF the sup
ports fell and presently the coffin Of the
saint was found 10 be broke As a
contemporary narrative puts it shortly.
The same authority asserts that Charles
Taylor. gentleman. thrust his hand into
tn aperture and groped among bones
not Intellectually. for beneath the shout
derblade he discovered crucifiX and "a
gold chain. which were handed round.
Hearing OF these precious relics. the King
claimed them. But those VINO have looked
INTO the story refuse TO believe i'm Charles
TAYLOR. gentleman and his discoveries.
It is clear, however. that the cOnfessor 5
body has not been "undisyurbed. - as
FAR from that as Wen could be.
But the breaking of the coffin is histori-
cal and IS curious that similar accident
exposed the skeleton of Richard IT,. after
the coronation Of one Of the GCorges. Two
copper gilt crowns were found which
seems no more than was needed. But even
this superiority of evidence did not con-
vince antiquarians of the day that the
bones were Richards S. Henry Y. certainly
buried some one in the tomb, but perhaps
he only wished to persuade the people
that Richard was dead These gentlemen
argued that the body so Inferred was
lat of AIaudHn. Henry's captain, who
bore "a striking resemblance to the de-
posed monarch. It seems vastly unim-
portant ia 1871 the tomb WAS opened
again and thoroughly explored. The
skull proved 10 be perfect saving the
jawbone and it was such as one would
assign to Richard. long and narrow, sug-
gestine a weak character But that miss
ing bone bore witness to the truth OF Il
legend Il had always been reported
that on the former occasion a Westmin-
ster boy slipped his hand into the coffin
like Charles Taylor had aforesaid, and
distracted the jawbone. In his careful
History Of Henry "" lately published,
Mr. Wylie says the relic was Ions preser-
we'd at Wouldhsm rectory near Rochester
Moreover he tells us where it is now and
gives the name III the possessor, descen-
dant of that wicked boy
Most OF the kings buried in Westminster
Abbey have been dug M nj one time or
another. During some alterations there
Horace Walpole wrote 10 Mann that he
hoped to see all the sovereigns or Eng
land in their collins before the work was
done. But the account even OF The royal
tomb breaking rs duh To read unless there
be some Incidental circumstances 50 give
II point. That is not uncommon. however.
IN 1872 couple Of youg ladies visiting ar
Sudeley Castle observed an alabaster
slab in the pavement of the ruined SHAPED
and amused themselves with digglng II
out They had only sticks 70 work vita,
bus they contrived to lift the slab. and
even To break "a leaden case beneath.
Doubtless the hore Of finding treasure
nerved them. BUT when the lead had been
cut through and q piece OF it turned back
We may conceive their horror at the sight
OF q woman's face, "as perfect as II she
were asleep They fled but presently
FOUND courage enough Il return and 1l IN
the hole, solemnly swearing never 10
reveal the secret But. of course. il came
out in time. and the coffin WAS raseI
Il bore an inscriptions. * T. Here lysth
Queene Kstcryn. w.fe II the Eynec H.
VII and last wife to Thomas lord
sudely High Admiral of England ANA
uncle 10 king Edward VI. dyed Sep
tepber. NCCCCCNLNIII
The rerinnel coDu versv over the tx
hunat,on Of Char,en2osne has revived *
late in Germany. L IS one of TIE most
desperate of its CLASS We are accustomed
20 read as simple matter ri fact that
the Emperor otto III resolved u test
the value If tradition which asserted that
Charlema gne sat III the chair of state
beneath the altar of The Church of the
Holy Virgin II AK il Ch7rnt Ia tha
year 1oo he carried cet lis purpose. A
8iS. almost contemporary gAs aa aC-
court of the eperauans Is the v-ry words
IS d processes II C1enr Otr1 ~ I.aarslio.
CaptaD q the Imperial Cnlr3 vaa 2as
present They cat thtouch an 'alerva
10y the altar and found the great king
excactiy rs le-euG described h.m. uol
o. Ills throne the erown upon his head
snd the scepter IL AS b ANA 6 gold chain
round his neck A saow-w1ile beard
covered his chest and the nails bad grown
throaeh his Stoves. - wcu had ha Seen
ernbalmed that o1ly the tip ~ bis acse
was decayed and otto rerlaccI th.s w-th
gold. raucted the crown. sword ar3 Cther
vaIaa tles also one ~ The III eth ar3pc
t-e figure ia white ard reoui'- the alcove
The story could mex Do more circum- I
stancial and il is tod by an eyewitness ,
apparently Further. The crown ana /.
sword are preserved 10 this day AZ /