Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

of a quaintness, not unfrequent in the writings of those days:

Here lie the remains of Sir JAMES FULLERTON, Knt. First Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King Charles the First (Prince and King), a generous rewarder of all virtue, a severe reprover of all vice, a professed renouncer of all vanity. He was a firm pillar to the Commonwealth, a faithful patron to the Catholic Church, a fair pattern to the British Court. He lived to the welfare of his country, to the honour of his Prince, to the glory of his God. He died FULLER of faith than of fear, FULLER of resolution than of pains, FULLER of honour than of days.

In the middle of this chapel is a table monument, railed in, on which lie the effigies of Sir Giles Daubeny, created Lord Daubeny in the first year of the reign of Henry VII, and dame Elizabeth, his wife. He seems to have been a man of great authority in the reign of Henry VII, as he was Lord Lieutenant of Calais in France, Lord Chamberlain to his Majesty, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and father of Henry Lord Daubeny, the first and last Earl of Bridgewater of that sirname, by Elizabeth, of the ancient family of the Arundels, in Cornwall. He died May 22, 1507, and his lady in 1500.

[ocr errors]

Here also is a magnificent monument of alabaster, with pillars of Lydian marble gilt, on the table whereof lies the effigy of a venerable person in a Chancellor's habit, with four sons and four daughters kneeling on the base. This monument appears, by the inscription, to have been erected to the memory of Sir Thomas Bromley, Knight, Privy Counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, and eight years Chancellor, in which office he died, April

12, 1587, to the grief of all good men. The eight children depicted on this tomb were all by his Lady Elizabeth, of the family of Fortescue.

There is also a very stately but plain monument, whereon, in a half-raised posture, sits the effigy of Sir Dudley Carleton, afterwards made Viscount Dorchester, for his eminent services to King Charles I. and his father, both abroad and at home. He was a person, as appears by the inscription on his monument, well versed in the languages, customs, and laws, of most of the European nations, and was entrusted, both by King James I. and his successor, with the most important foreign negociations. After the death of King James, he was sent into Holland, and was the last deputy who voted in the Assembly of the States, of which great privilege the crown of England had been possessed from the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign to this period.

To the east of this monument is another very stately one of alabaster, to the memory of Frances Countess of Sussex, whose effigy lies in a cumbent posture, with a coronet on her head, resting on an embroidered cushion, and her body magnificently robed. This great lady was the wife of Thomas Ratclife, earl of Sussex, Lord Deputy of Ireland, and Knight of the Garter, &c. and daughter of Sir William Sydney, of Pensehurst, Knight. By her last will, having outlived her husband, she instituted a divinity lecture in this Abbey, gave £5000 towards the building of a new College in Cambridge, now called Sydney Sussex College; and left a sufficient yearly revenue for the maintenance of one master, ten fellows, and twenty scholars, either in the said new College, or else in Clare Hall. To her relations she was most kind, to the poor and prisoners most liberal, and to the Ministers of the word of God most charitable, as

her

her inscription shews. She died April 15, 1589, aged 58.

Near to this is a monument of black touchstone, very remarkably differing from every other in the Abbey. On the top of it is a circular frame of gilt brass, enclosing the bust of Ann Lady Cottington, wife of Francis Lord Cottington, Baron of Hanworth, so created by King Charles I. She was daughter of Sir William Meredith, of Denbighshire, by Jane, his wife, of the family of the Palmers, in Kent, and died February 22, 1633, in the 33d year of her age, having had four daughters and a son, all of whom died before their father, who, on a table monument beneath, lies in effigy, resting on his left arm; and over a Satyr's head is this inscription in English :

"Here lies Francis Lord Cottington, of Hanworth, who, in the reign of King Charles 1. was Chancellor of His Majesty's Exchequer, Master of the Court of Wards, Constable of the Tower, Lord High Treasurer of England, and one of the Privy Council. He was twice Ambassador in Spain, once for the said King, and a second time for King Charles II. now reigning, to both of whom he most signally shewed his allegiance and fidelity, during the unhappy civil broils of those times; and for his faithful adherence to the Crown the Usurper prevailing) was forced to fly his country; and during his exile, died at Valladolid, in Spain, June 19, 1652, in the 74th year of his age, whence his body was brought, and here interred by Charles Cottington, Esq. his nephew and heir, in 1679."

There is here also a very old Gothic monument, erected to the memory of Lewis Robert, or Robsart, a foreigner, but standard-bearer to Henry V. a Knight of the Bath, and afterwards of the Garter, and at length created Lord Bourchier. wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Bartholomew

C

His

Bourchier,

Bourchier, and probably a relation to Geoffry Chaucer, the old English poet.

We now ascend up a little staircase on the left hand side, that leads to St. Edward's chapel, where the awful solemnity of the place the sacred remains of royal magnificence, and the prospect of what will be the end of all human glory, cannot but strike the mind with serious contemplation.

OF THE TOMBS, &C. IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. EDWARD.

The first curiosity that commands your reverence is the ancient venerable shrine of St. Edward, which stands in the centre of this chapel, and was once the glory of England, but now neglected, defaced, and much abused. This shrine was erected by Henry III. upon the canonization of Edward, King of England (the third of that name, and the last of the Saxon race), by Pope Alexander III. who caused his name to be placed in the catalogue of saints, and issued his bull to the Abbot Laurence, and the Convent of Westminster, enjoining, "That his body be honoured here upon earth, as his soul is glorified in heaven." He died in 1066, and was canonized in 1269. How costly the shrine, &c. was, appears by a record in the Tower.-Parl. Roll. 51st of Henry III.

66

Henry III. with consent of the Abbot and Convent of Westminster, pledged the jewels belonging to the body and shrine of Edward the Confessor to foreigners, being necessitated on account of heavy emergencies; the value of the said jewels amounted to £2557: 4s. 8d."

On the south side of this shrine, Editha, daughter of Goodwyn, Earl of Kent, and Queen of St. Edward, lies interred. The writers of those times commended her for beauty, learning, prudent economy, gentle manners, and inimitable skill in needlework,

needlework, having wrought with her own hands. the curious and magnificent robes the King used to wear on his collar days. She died May 1, 1118. Part of a Latin epitaph on this excellent Princess has been handed down, and is to this effect:

Success ne'er sat exulting in her eye,

Nor disappointment heav'd the troubled sigh;
Prosperity ne'er sadden'd o'er her brow,
While glad in trouble, she enjoy'd her woe:
Beauty nor made her vain, nor sceptres proud,
Nor titles taught to scorn the meaner crowd.
Supreme humility was awful grace,

And her chief charms a bashfulness of face.

In this part was buried Matilda Queen of England, daughter of Malcolm King of Scots, and wife to King Henry I. This Queen would, every day in Lent, walk from her Palace to this Church barefoot, and wearing a garment of hair, she would wash and kiss the feet of the poorest people, and give them alms.

On the north side of this chapel is an ancient tomb of admirable workmanship and materials, the panels being of polished porphyry, and the Mosaic work round them of gold and scarlet: at the corners of the table are twisted pillars, gilt and enamelled, and the effigy of Henry III. upon it is of gilt brass, finely executed. He died in 1272, after a troublesome reign of 56 years, aged 65, 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 while living.

At the feet of Henry III. is an ancient table monument of grey marble, on which lies the effigy of Eleanor, Queen of Edward I. On the sides of this monument are engraven the arms of Castile

C 2

and

« ZurückWeiter »