The wooden The Mosaic is The inscription of its spiral pillars remain (and one of these in a very precarious. state): the western; and a capital at the east. Ionic top is much broken and covered with dust. picked away in almost every part within reach. on the architrave is partly legible as under: "OMNI-INSIGNIS VISTUTUM: LAUDIBUS: HEROS: SUPER The letters of this inscription are gradually becoming more indistinct, and some of them are discernible with the greatest difficulty. This shrine was the production of Pietro Calvalini, who invented the Mosaic species of ornament. It is conjectured that the Abbot Ware, when he visited Rome in the year 1256, brought this artist to England back with him. Weaver * says that Ware brought with him "certain workmen and rich porphery stones, whereof he made that singular, curious, and rare pavement. before the high altar; and with these stones and workmen he did also frame the shrine of Edward the Confessor." This shrine was erected by Henry III. upon the canonization of Edward. This king was the last of the Saxon race. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III. who, causing his name to be inserted in the catalogue of saints, issued his bull to the Abbot Lawrence, and the convent of Westminster, enjoining," that his body be honoured here upon earth, as his soul is glorified in heaVED." He died in 1066, and was canonized in 1269. Before this shrine, says Pennant, seem to have been offered the spolia opima. The Scotch regalia, and their sacred chair from Scone, were offered here; and Alphonso, third son to Edward I. who died in his childhood, presented the golden coronet of the unfortunate Welch Prince, the last Llewelyn. Fourteen legendary hieroglyphics respecting the Confessor, appear round the freize of the chapel screen: they are extremely rude pieces Funeral Monuments, p. 485 pieces of workmanship. They describe, respectively, The Trial of Queen Emma; The Birth of Edward; That Monarch's Coronation; The Story of his having been frightened into the abolition of the dane-gelt, by seeing the Devil dance upon the money bags; The Story of his winking at the Thief who was robbing his treasury; The miraculous appearance of THE SAVIOUR to him; The Story of the drowning of the Danish King, by which the Invasion of England was prevented; The Quarrel between the boys Tosti and Harold, predicting their respective fates; The Confessor's Vision of the Seven Sleepers; His Vision of St. John the Evangelist in the habit of a Pilgrim; The story of the curing the eyes of the blind by washing in the Evangelist's dirty water; The Evangelist delivering a ring to the Pilgrims; The Pilgrims delivering the ring to the King, which he had unknowingly given to St. John as an alms, when he met him in the form of a Pilgrim; this was attended, continues the legend, with a message from the Saint, foretelling the death of the King; lastly," the consequential haste made by him to complete his pious foundation." * These basso-relievos were between fifteen quatrefoils, but one is gone; every other with a shield, has a blank label along the bottom. The screen, containing these whimsical memorials, is ornamented with deer, and swans chained to a beacon, a female figure with an animal on her knees, and painted shields of arms, but they are obliterated. Several iron hooks are left, from which, it is probable, lamps were formerly suspended. From this part buttresses ascend; between them canopies (three of which are destroyed) of exceeding richness. The niches vary in size. Seven are for figures as large as life. The middle statue is removed. The others, a man kneeling at his devotions, a King erect praying, St. George in armour, piercing the dragon's throat, a female seated, with her hands crossed, another monarch, and St. Dionysius, who carried his head after decapitation, as his mistaken friends and sneering enemies have kindly related. Directly These several legendary stories are engraven and explained in the Fint Volume of Carter's Antiquities. Pen, 56, Directly over the tomb of St. Edward, was The Chantry, which had an altar-piece of fine carvings. Two steps are still in being, and the marks of its back against the wall, with a square niche on eash side. Two other recesses remain on the north and south walls of the chantry, which have had shutters that have been wrested from their hinges, now broken in the wall. Over the place, where stood the altar, are thirty statues in four ranges; they are greatly broken and decayed. Round this oratory once hung the armour of Henry V. Some few, and very few, relics of this armour still remain: a plain rusty iron helmet, part of the saddle, and a shield without any symptom of royalty, are all that is left of this monarch's armour. Ascending the parapet, facing the tomb of St. Edward, still lies the stony coffin of that saint. It is firmly bound with iron, covered with dust, and about the depth of the frieze of the monument. Near this part of this venerable church, are several curious and interesting models of churches. The best of which is Sir Christopher Wren's, for erecting a tower and spire to the Abbey. This design was never executed, owing to the great columns having given way in their shafts. The other models, thirteen in number, are very fine; but the attendants can give no account of any but two: St. John's, Westminster, and St. Mary's in the Strand. On the south side of the shrine just described lies Editha, daughter of Goodwyn, Earl of Kent, and Queen of St. Edward. She died in 1118. The next monument to be described in this chapel is that of HENRY III. a correct view of which the reader will find in the Vignette on the title page of Vol. Part IV. of the present work. It is another effort of the skill of Cavalini, or some of his pupils. It is placed between the second and third pillars ou the north side of the chapel, and is of exquisite workmanship and materials. It was originally extremely splendid; but is now mutilated, and most infamously destroyed, by the custom of breaking away the inlaid pieces of red glass, and white, gilt next the mortar with gold. The pannels are of polished porphyry*, which have one or two cracks, and a small piece broken off the W. corner of that inside the Chapel, otherwise perfect, the Mosaic work round them of gold and scarlet. The table of brass on which the effigies lies, which is nearly as perfect as when first made, except that the rich gilding is covered with dust, was supported by three twisted pillars at the four corners; but now, except at the N. W. corner, one of the three pillars are gone. The effigies of Henry III. which is of a height from the floor, and of a size and materials to resist attack, is still perfect. It is of gilt brass, and is finely executed. That part of the tomb next the north aisle within reach has shared the same fate as the rest; but towards the top, much of it is perfect. Two lozenges of verd antique, and a square of porphyry, are left on the side. The paint on the wooden canopy iɛ nearly blistered off. Henry III. died in the year 1272, after a troublesome reign of fifty-six years, aged sixty-five, and was buried by the Knights Templars, of whose order his father was the founder, with such splendour, that Wykes, the Monk, says he made a more magnificent figure when dead, than he had ever done when living. This is supposed to have been the first brazen statue cast in this kingdom. On the sides of this monument are engraven the arms of Castile and Leon, quarterly, and those of Ponthieu, hanging on vines and oak trees. Round the copper verge is the following inscription in the Saxon character: "Icy gist Aleanor, jadis Reyne d'Angleterre, femme a Rex Edward Fiz." "Here lies Eleanor, formerly Queen of England, wife of Edward the First." Though the body of this queen lies interred in this chapel, her heart was buried in the choir of the Friars Predicants, in London. Between Dart. tab. 85. Vol. II. See also Sandford's Genealogies, 92; and Gough's Sepulchral Mon. I. 57, tab. XX. XXI. Between the western pillar next to the tomb of Henry III. lies his son, Edward I. the husband of the above queen. It is a very plain tomb; and has sustained very little injury. Rymer's Fœdera discovered to the Society of Antiquaries that this renowned monarch, surnamed Longshanks, was interred in a stone coffin, enclosed in a tomb, in this chapel, and that he was enclosed with wax, and a sum of money allowed to preserve the tomb. The Society determined to gratify their curiosity, and accordingly applied to Dr. Thomas, Dean of Westminster, for leave to have the tomb opened. The Dean being desirous to give all encouragement to curious researches, readily complied with their request. In the month of May, 1770, the time appointed for opening the tomb, the Dean, with about fifteen of the Society, attended, when, to their great gratification, they found the royal corpse as represented by that faithful annalist. Sir Joseph Ayloffe, Bart. whom Mr. Pennant very justly calls an able and worthy antiquary, has furnished almost every particular of this business. On lifting up the lid of the tomb, the royal body was found wrapped in a strong thick linen cloth, waxed on the inside the head and face were covered with a sudarium, or face-cloth of crimson sarcenet, wrapped into three folds, conformable to the napkin used by our Saviour in his way to his crucifixion, as we are told by the church of Rome. On flinging open the external mantle, the corpse was discovered in all the ensigns of majesty, richly habited. The body was wrapped in a fine cere-cloth, closely fitted to every part, even to the very fingers and face. The writs de cera renovanda circa corpus regis Edwardi primi being extant, gave rise to this search. Over the cerecloth was a tunic of red silk damask; above that a stole of thick white tissue crossed the breast; and on this, at six inches distant Archæologia, III. 376, 398, 399. Similar writs were issued on account of Edward III. Richard II. and Henry IV. A search of the same nature lately took place on account of Charles I. but without the authority of such a writ: a simple exercise of the royal authority being deemed sufficient. |