The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31

out upon the city commons, or from O
sheer sense of decency 1t may have been
buried, but in the burial place of paupers
most likely.
Connected with Holyrood palace, In
Edinboro, there are still standing the
stately ruins of an old abbey in which
many of Scotland's kings and queens of
the mighty past found sepulture But into
the abbey's sacred precincts armies forced
their way and sacked the tombs of the
royal dead, leaving dispzembered bodies
scattered over the pavement. And yet, in
times of revolution and lawlessness. what
is sacred?
While engaged at the battle of Flodden
Field, James " of Scotland received his
mortal wound. His body was recovered
and sent to the monastery of Sheen for
interment. The building, so long used for
the purposes of the monks, subsequently
became the property of the Duke of Suf-
folk who directed that the entire ediflce
be renovated and put In order for a
castle-residence. 1t was then discovered
that the body of King James " had not
been buried In the earth, but had been
kept above ground, enwrapped In lead.
workman found 1t in an old lumber
room. and hacked off the royal head,
which he carried to his home. What be-
came of 1t thereafter no one knows. 1t
was lost to history.
What surety of the world,
What hope, what stay,
When this was once a king,
But now despised clay
Oliver Cromwelrs body was laid away
in Westminster Abbey, among England s
royal dead, whose rank and office he
hated with perfect hatred; but In the
reign of Charles II 1t was removed from
the abbey and buried on Tyburn Hill,
where stood the dark old gallows that had
sent into eternity the souls of the worst
criminals of the realm. The head OF Crom-
we'll was not buried but was cut Off and
fastened to pole on Westminster Hail.
Later there came terrific storm which
shook the head from the pole. 1t fell to
the street below, and the eye Of history
saw 1t no more. II is lost forever.
The absolute disappearance of the bodies
of historic persons is noteworthy fact
and Is not without interest. The body of
the witty French philosopher. voltaire.
received its first burial at the abbey of
Scellieres, In champagne. But the hero
worship of the French demanded that
1t be removed to Paris and placed In the
Pantheon. Which was done. Here the
body received its second burial During
the excitement of the Revolution friends
OF Voltaire removed the body and Sc
cretly buried 1t on the commons as a
place most likely to be overlooked should
search be made for It. This was it's third
burial. After the reign of terror" 1t was
generally supposed by those most inter-
ested. that the body had been restored to
its sarcophagus in the Pantheon. But
long after when Madame villette went
to place Voltaire's heart with the other
parts Of his body, it was discovered that
the sarcophagus was untenanted. The
body was not there. and to this day its
whereabouts has been mystery.
The pathetic body of Mozart has es-
capped also. He was buried at Saltzburg
Austria, in the year 1871. in the paupers
burial ground. There for many years 1t
lay In obscurity among the bodies of
criminals. paupers and friendless poor
wretches who had been ushered out of
this world into eternity "unhonored and
unsung." When the great composers
fame had become almost universal, d.
sire to give his body more suitable place
OF sepulture led to the opening of his
grave; but to the establishment of those
who undertook the commendable task the
body had already been removed. There
was no trace OF It In the grave and never
has It's final resting place been discovered.
Was tho grave invaded by midnight