The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-15
TOMBS OF KINGS.
THE CONTROVERSY OYER THE
BURIAL PLACE

Throne of State VicissiI udes Of Many
English Royal Collins.
We are told that, when the British
Archaeological Association visited
Westminster Abbey the other day, af-
ter tracing the ruined glories of the
Confessor's tomb, the members con-
graduated one another that the body of
the saint at least was still "undisturb-
ed" Probably those learned gentle
men used a more exact expression. The
body is there, indeed but to say that
it has ben "undisturbed" would be Gu
riously inaccurate. One may assert
with confidence that no remains of
mortal have been so often dug up,
scrutinized, and shifted. The story of
the burial, pictured in the Bayeux
tapestry, is singular. Thirty seven
years afterwards Henry l. was seized
with devout curiosity to ascertain the
| state of the corpse, and he ordered
| Bishop Gundulf to examine it, in COM
pany with the Abbot of Westminster.
Accordingly they opened the tomb
"a sweet SAVIOR" proceeded from it, of
course, and the flesh was rosy"
| Bishop Gundulf wished to pluck a sim
gle hair from the long snowy beard
but his efforts failed. Henry II. built
a new shrine and the body was over
| hauled again during the process of
| transfer; it proved to be still sound,
| perhaps as rosy" as ever. On this &C.
casion the ring was annexed, and the
mantle removed; a characteristic &C.
| ton of the Plantagenet, with whom ir-
reverence was hereditary. If the fate
of the ring is known, we do not recall
| it, but the mantle was cut up into vest
ments for the clergy of Westminster.
Once more the remains were lifted
when Henry III. rebuilt the Abbey,
| and examined as usual. Then they had
peace for nearly three centuries, and
when Henry VIII. moved the coffin,
after breaking up the shrine, he did
did not open it, apparently. Nor did
Mary when she replaced it.
But in taking down a scaffold after
the coronation of James II. one of the
supports fell, and presently the coffin
of the saint was found to be broke"
as a contemporary narrative puts it
| shortly. The same authority asserts
that Charles Taylor gentleman, thrust
| his hand into the aperture and CROPPED
| among the bones; not Intellectually, for
| beneath the shoulerblade he discovered
crucif1x and gold chain, which were
handed round. Hearing of these pre-
cious relics, the King claimed them
But those who have looked into the
story refuse to believe in Charles Tay-
| Tor, gentleman, and his discoveries. It
is clear, however, that the Confessor's
| body has not been "undisturbed"-as
| far from that as well could be.
| But the breaking Of the coffin is his
torical, and it is curious that a similar
accident exposed the skeleton of Rich
ard IL, after the coronation of one of
were found, which seems one more
than was needed. But even this super
fluffy of evidence did not convince an
tiquarians of the day that the bones
were Richards. Henry ". certainly
buried some one in the tomb, but per-
haps he only wished to persuade the
people that Richard was dead. These
gentlemen argued that the body so in
| tered was that of MaudIn. Henry
chaplain, who bore a striking resem-
blance to the deposed monarch. 1t
seems vastly unimportant. In 1871 the
| tomb was opened again, and thorough
l L. ,fr,,II - r.,
perfect, saving the jawbone, and it was
such as one would assign to Richard,
long and narrow, suggesting weak
character. But that missing bone bore
witness to the truth Of a legend. 1t
had always been reported that on the
former occasion a Westminster boy
slipped his hand into the coffin, like
! Charles Taylor aforesaid, and alb
stracted the jawbone. In his careful
History of Henry w. lately publish
ed, Mr.. Wylie says the relic was long
preserved at Wouldham rectory near
Rochester; moreover, he tells us where
it is now, and gives the name of the
possessor, a descendant of that wicked
boy.
Most of the kings buried in Westmin-
ster Abbey have been dug up at one
time or another. During some altera-
lions there Horace Walpole wrote to
Mann that he hoped to see all the SOW
ereigns of England in their collins be-
fore the work was done. But the &C.
count even of a royal breaking is
dull to read unless there be some in
cidental circumstances to give it point
That is not uncommon, however. In
1882 a couple of young ladies visiting
at Sudeley Castle observed an alabas-
ter slab in the pavement of the ruined
chapel, and amused themselves with
digging it out. They had only sticks tc
work with, but they contrived to lift
the slab, and even to break leader
case beneath. Doubtless the hope OF
finding treasure nerved them. But
when the lead had been cut through
and a piece Of it turned back, We may
conceive their horror at the sight Of &
woman's face, "as perfect as if she
were asleep" They fed, but presently
found courage to return and fill in tht
hole, solemnly swearing never to revea
the secret. But, Of course, it came gu
in time, and the coffin was raised. L
bore an inscription: tx. P. Here lyetF
Oueene Kateryn, wife of Kynge Fl
VIII, and last wife to Thomas Lore