St. George's Chapel is in the quadrangle below. It is the chapel of the
Knights of the Garter. And now, when you read of the chapels, or
churches, or cathedrals in the old world,--and they are all in a sense
alike,--pray don't imagine a New England meeting-house with a double row
of stiff pews and a choir in the gallery singing "Antioch"! The body of
the chapel was a great, bare space, with tablets and elaborate monuments
against the walls. Opening from this were alcoves,--also called
chapels,--each one containing the tombs and monuments of some family. As
many of the inscriptions are dated centuries back, you can imagine they
are often quaintly expressed. One old knight, who died in Catholic
times, desired an open Breviary to remain always in the niche before his
tomb, that passers might read to their comfort, and say for him an
orison. Of course this would never do in the days when the chapel fell
into Protestant hands. A Bible was substituted, chained into its place;
but the old inscription, cut deep in the stone, still remains, beginning
"Who leyde thys book here?" with a startling appropriateness of which
the author never dreamed. Over another of these chapels is rudely cut an
ox, an N, and a bow,--the owner having, in an antic manner, hardly
befitting the place, thus written his name--Oxenbow.
You enter the choir, where the installations take place, by steps,
passing under the organ. In the chancel is a fine memorial window to
Prince Albert. On either side are the stalls or seats for the knights,
with the armorial banner of each hanging over his place. Projecting over
the chancel, upon one side, is what appears to be a bay-window. This is
the queen's gallery, a little room with blue silk hangings,--for blue is
the color worn by Knights of the Garter,--where she sits during the
service. Through these curtains she looked down upon the marriage of the
Prince of Wales. Think of being thus put away from everybody, as though
one were plague-stricken. A private station awaits her when she steps
from the train at the castle gates. A private room is attached to the
green-houses, to the riding-school in the park, and even to the private
chapel. A private photograph-room, for the taking of the royal pictures,
adjoins her apartments. It must be a fine thing to be a queen,--and so
tiresome! Even the gold spoon in one's mouth could not offset the
weariness of it all, and of gold spoons she has an unbounded supply;
from ten to fifteen millions of dollars worth of gold plate for her
majesty's table being guarded within the castle! Think of it, little
women who set up house-keeping with half a dozen silver teaspoons and a
salt-spoon!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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