Historical Description of Westminster Abbey, Its Monuments and CuriositiesAnonymous
History
Historical Description of Westminster Abbey, Its Monuments and Curiosities
Anonymous
Westminster Abbey
And here we cannot help taking notice of a most beautiful window that was
designed for this Chapel. It was made by order of the magistrates of Dort,
in Holland, and designed by them as a present to Henry VII., but that
monarch dying before it was finished, it was set up in Waltham Abbey,
where it remained till the dissolution of that monastery, when it was
removed to New-Hall, in Essex, then in possession of General Monk, and by
him preserved during the civil wars. Some years ago, John Olmius, Esq.,
the then possessor of New-Hall, sold it to Mr. Conyers, of Copt-Hall, who
resold it to the inhabitants of St. Margaret's parish, in 1758, for four
hundred guineas; and it now adorns St Margaret's Church. Thus it has
arrived near to the place for which it was originally intended, but is
never likely to reach it. The grand subject is that of our Saviour's
crucifixion; but there are many subordinate figures: those at the bottom
of the two side panels represent Henry VII., and his Queen, and were taken
from the original pictures sent to Dort for that purpose. Over the King
is the figure of St. George, and above that a white rose and a red one.
Over the figure of the Queen stands that of St. Katharine of Alexandria;
and in the panel over her head appears a pomegranate _vert_, in a field of
_or_, the arms of the kingdom of Grenada.
_General Admeasurements of the Exterior of Henry VII.'s Chapel._
Ft. In.
Extreme Length 115 2
Breadth to the Extremities of the Buttress Towers 79 6
Height of the Buttress Towers 70 8
Do. to the Apex of the Roof 85 6
Do. to the Top of the Western Turrets 101 6
Of the Monuments in the Cloisters.
There are many persons of distinction buried in the Cloisters, as will
appear from the number of inscriptions, many of which are almost
obliterated from wear or time; we shall therefore only notice a few of the
most particular. The most ancient are in the South Walk of the Cloisters,
towards the east end, where you will see the remains of four Abbots,
marked in the pavement by four stones. The first is inscribed to the Abbot
VITALIS, who died in 1082; and was formerly covered with plates of brass.
The second is a stone of grey marble, to the memory of GESLEBERTUS
CRISPINUS, who died in 1114. The third is a raised stone, of Sussex
marble, under which lies interred the Abbot LAURENTIUS, who died in 1176,
and is said to have been the first who obtained from Pope Alexander III.
the privilege of using the Mitre, Ring, and Glove. The fourth is of black
marble, called Long Meg, from its extraordinary length of eleven feet ten
inches, by five feet ten inches, and covers the ashes of GERVASIUS DE
BLOIS, natural son of King Stephen, who died 1106. All these seem to have
had their names and dates cut afresh, and are indeed fragments worthy to
be preserved.
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