that this ceremony of removing the coffin of St. Edward must have been grand and impressive. It is an easy matter to fancy this scene: the new shrine, covered with riches and sparkling mosaic; the exquisite carving, fresh from the sculptor's 'hands; the superb dresses of the religious; and music to fill the mea sure. A short time previous to the rebuilding of the church, Abbot Richard de Crokesley had erected a chapel near the north door, and dedicated it to St. Edmund. It was taken down with the rest by Henry III. Shortly after this the pavement before the high altar was laid. Ware, who died in 1283, was buried under it. : A dreadful fire, in the year 1297, greatly damaged the Abbey, and also destroyed part of the palace adjoining these damages were, however, shortly repaired; and in the year 1376, the Abbot Langham, extended the church westward very considerably. This worthy Abbot was succeeded by Nicholas Litlington; he also made additions to the Abbey to a great extent: this he did partly by the sums of money left by Langham. "He built the present College hall, the kitchen, the Jerusalem Chamber, the Abbots's house, now the Deanery, the Bailiff's, the Cellarar's, the Infirmars, and the Sacrist's houses; the Malt-house, afterwards used for a dormatory for the King's scholars, and the adjoining tower, the wall of the infirmary garden, and a water mill; and finished the south-west sides of the cloisters." * Abbey Litlington died in 1386, consequently the buildings still remaining are, at least, about 430 years old. The rebuilding of the Church, &c. was carried on during the whole of the reign of Richard II.; and continued by the Abbot, William of Colchester, who died in 1420. He was succeeded by Richard Harweden, who zealously proceeded with the nave. Abbot Estney, who died in 1498, did a great deal towards the finishing it, and made the great east window. The last abbot was John Islop. During his time many ad • Widmore, who quotes from the Abbey Records. ditions ditions were made to the Church; but the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. put a stop to all farther improvements; and it remained unfinished till Sir Christopher Wren completed the towers. In the 8th and 9th years of William III. the House of Commons granted an annual sum for repairing it; and in the 9th of Queen Anne an Act passed allowing 4000l. a year towards the same excellent purpose. The like sum was afforded by Acts of the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th of Geo. II. In the year 1738, however, the works were at a stand for want of money; and a petition was presented, which was referred to a Committee of the whole House. The assistance, however, which was granted, was inconsiderable, and that even was not paid till some time after. It appears, says Malcolm, that the Dean and Chapter had, from the time of their foundation to 1733, expended 20,9127. 17s. 11d. out of their dividends on the church and its dependencies, and applied the fees for monuments and burials to the fabric. The sums received from shewing the tombs are divided among the gentlemen of the choir and officers of the church. The repairs of Henry the Seventh's Chapel are out of their province, and belong to the office of the King's Board of Works. Of the great repairs at present making in this venerable abbey, I will speak at length when I come to describe its various architectural beauties and general character. The Chapel of St. Mary, commonly called Henry VIIth's Chapel, was built in the reign of that monarch, when Islop was abbot of the monastery, who, assisted by the king's ministers, laid the first stone of that "wondrous building" on the 24th of January, 1502.* It was designed by Sir Reginald Bray, and built under the direction of the prior of St. Bartholomew's, as master of the works. The • Malcolm: but Pennant says, the first stone was laid on the 11th of February, 1503. The king intended this magnificent Chapel not only for his own place of sepulture, but also for that of Henry VI.; but whether the latter monarch was buried there is not absolutely known. The Chapel of the Virgin and an adjacent Tavern were destroyed to make room for this building. The tavern bore the sign of the White Rose. No expence was spared in the erection of this royal foundation, intended only for the royal blood, The expence was 14,0001.* at that time a most enormous sum. Let us, before we describe the external character of this "wonder of the world," as Leland hyperbolically calls it, enter within, and attempt a delineation of the vast store of ancient and modern beauties which pervade every part of this great structure. Following the plan laid down by one of our ablest antiquaries, I begin with THE CHOIR. The altar-table is of oak, perhaps nearly as old as the Reformation. It is covered with dark purple cloth, fringed and tasseled with a lighter purple. The eastern side of it is raised for the support of the great candlesticks. A large tablet above is covered by a cloth of the same kind as the table. The Altar-piece is a stately and beautiful piece of white marble, faintly veined with blue. It formerly stood in Whitehall Chapel, and was removed from the stores at Hampton Court, in the year 1707, and was presented by Queen Aune to this church. It consists of a Tuscan basement, in three compartments; the middle one is semicircular, and largest. It is formed by twelve pilasters, their architrave, frieze, and cornice. Over the altar, on a slightly projecting frieze, is the following inscription:ANNA REGINE PIA, FELIX, AUGUSTA, PARENS PAtriæ, D.” On each side are doors leading into the Chapel of St. Edward, where the king retires to refresh himself on the day of his coro. nation. The spaces of the doors and under the architrave are filled by alto relievo figures of children on clouds, beneath glo PART III. CONTIN. B rious Henry VIIth's Will, Preface, p. iv. as cited by Pennant, p. 64. fourth adit, 1805. ries, in the attitude of adoration. On each side of the table are empty niches; and above them a child with the thuribulum incensing the altar; and another on one knee, bearing the paten, on which are two cruets. On the cornice is a tablet, the base of which is exquisitely carved, with representations of grapes, flowers, and fruits. Within a frame of black marble is a glory of gold, and these words: "Glory to God in the highest; and on Earth peace, good-will towards men." Two palm branches enclose the following: "Do this in remembrance of me." On this tablet is a pediment, having a crown in the tympanum. Over it is another tablet, with four pilasters, and a circular pediment, containing a basso relievo of ten cherubim surrounding a glory of gold, on which is painted On the apex of the pediment are three boys supporting the bible; the middle one waving a branch of palm over it. Six beautiful variegated marble columns, of the Corinthian order, extend over the centre compartment to the great tablet, adorned by kneeling angels, bowing to the altar below. Festoons of flowers hang in the open intercolumniations, and round the upper part of the altar-piece. This was a most magnificent gift, and worthy of a queen to present; but not very creditable to the Abbey to receive, as it spoils the keeping of this exquisitely fine temple. Few antiquaries of taste will admire the discrepency of a fine piece of Grecian architecture, of white polished marble, made an essential portion of the furniture of an ancient Gothic Abbey, whose decayed stones and mouldering walls surround this modern altarpiece. The pavement is modern, and is formed into squares, lozenges, sexagons, stars, and crosses of rich white and coloured marble. This choir, with the pavement, is perhaps altogether one of the finest pieces of mosaic work in the world. Mr. Malcolm, whose taste could justly appreciate its various beauties, thus describes it" Descending two steps of white marble, which 1 cover part of the grand mosaic platform, we tread on the wreck "Where all the convent, in copis richely, Mette with hym, as of custom as yen ouzt; Among ye relikes, ye scripture out he souzt. Ex duabr arboribr vr Sci Edwardi et Sci Lodewyce Till he com to ye heize auter, And ful devoutly Te Deum yn was songe."* The Pavement, already mentioned, called Abbot Richard Ware's Pavement, is separated from the modern one by a skreen. of iron rails. The materials are lapis lazuli, jasper, porphyry, alabaster, Lydian and Serpentine marbles, and touchstone. It was made at the charge of the abbot, whose name it bears, and is said to have been purchased by him in France. An admirer of the arts must view it with the deepest regret. It was injured, no doubt, at the Reformation, when the high-altar was removed, at its restoration by Queen Mary; and afterwards almost demoB 2 lished. MS. Harl. No. 565.-Lidgate, ap. Mal. 88, |