Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-15
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
ROMANCE AND SECRET PLACES
OF THIS FAMOUS CHURCH.
MYSTERY OF THE DOOR WITH THE
SEVEN LOCKS THAT BLOCKS THE
ENTRANCE To TUE TREASURY
OF ENGLAND.

| To the man who thinks he knows
/ every nook and Granny of Westminster
abbey it will probably be surprise to
! learn that there are many of its most
ancient and interesting parts of which
( lie has never even caught glimpse.
I For instance in the eastern cloistcr
/ is an ancient double door 50 guarded
/ against unauthorized intrusion that it
/ can only he oreaed by seven keys,
I which are in the jealous custody OF as
/ many government officials. Five of the
I keyholes of this wonderful door, which.
by tie way, is covered with human
skins. are concealed from view by
stout iron bar which traverses it
THIS door gives access TO a vau.ted
Chamber known as TIE chapel of the
Pyx, the walls of which were standing,
rs they stand today, before ever the
Norman conqueror landed on the shore
of Sussex. This chamber was once the
treasury Of England. to which were
brought tie most cherished posses
si3nS of THE state" Tie re-alia of the
Scottish kings and OF the Holy Cross
Of Holyr9ot were deposited here; for
many Il year it served as mint for
coming silver and gold; it was, CEN
turtles ago. the scene OF daring rob
berry, when treasure valued ut 100000
(equal to two millions of present day
English money! was taken from it. and
today it contains, in addition TO stone
altar. some cd chests, one of which is
said to have held the jewels of Mormon
kings.
Not far awey is passage leading to
the little cloister. the arched walls of
which were built under the eyes of
Edward the Confessor nearly eight and
u half centuries ago and which has
echoed to the football of the first VIII
Lam and his mated attendants. Hid
den from view under the pavement are
the bases of the original columns of the
abbey, which have also stood since he.
fore the conquest, and adjoining the
little cloister is garden, shut of by
high walls from tie outside world. in
which monks meditated and walked
and prayed eight centuries ago.
At the southeast corner of the little
cloister are tie remains of St. Catha-
rine's chapel, which was probably built
within living memory of the conquest
Tie beautiful doorway which once gave
access to il now serves as the entrance
to one of tie Official residences. and in
its walls axe still to be seen traces of
the high altar and a fireplace. Not far
from this interesting relic of ancient
days is square gray tower which once
served the grim purpose of q n1onastie
prison and has also been tie repository
of the royal jewels (for many years
it was known as the kings jewel
house, and acts of parliament. After
all these centuries of existence it still
has its uses, for in it are kept tie stand
ards of weights and measures.
Few who have explored the abbey
have been privileged to inspect tie
chapter library, with its treasures of
books and manuscripts many centuries
old. or perhaps know that under the
passage leading to the chapter house
lies tie dust of the first abbot of West
minister, who had his day when the
confessor was king of England. The
N44IpLNA AOGsFy NAlCu OlJtu u Inc
public, has. OF course, centuries of in
teresting memories. 1t was originally
the chamber where the abbot and
monks used to transact their NOR 1stic
business: for many generations the
commons sat and legislated here before
moving to the chapel OF st. Stephen
in Westminster palace. and in later
re I ne n CO E-z~.
the public records. including the origi-
nal Domesday Book. Beneath the chap
ter house is a crypt, the entrance to
which is kept jealousy locked and
which seems TO have served the pur-
pose Of a strong room to the Plantag-
enet kings, and not far from the chap
ter house IS st. Faiths chapel, at one
time tie vestry OF the abbey and in
which the ancient and priceless altar
plate Of the abbey is kept
OF peculiar interest is the Jerusalem
chamber which was built more than
500 years ago and was probably at one
time the fbbot's Withdrawing room. 1t
was in this chamber that Henry ".
died, in curious fulfillment of q proph-
ecy that he should die in Jerusalem:
It hath been prophesied me many a year
shall not die but In Jerusalem.
Which vainly I supposed the Holy Land.
But bear me to that chamber; there III
lie
! In that Jerusalem shall Harry die.
And in the same chamber Addison,
Congreve and Prior lay in state before
/ their splendid interment in the abbey.
| Behind the Mask.
Nearly every shopkeeper in the land