_The Chapel of St. Edward._ The first curiosity that here fixes our attention, is the ancient shrine erected by Henry III. upon the canonization of Edward King of England, the third of that name before the conquest, and the last of the Saxon race; a Prince who owed the title of Confessor and Saint, to the vast sums he bestowed on the church, and the sollicitations of the monks, than to his own personal merit: for he was a bad son, a bad husband, and so bad a king, that he shewed greater favour to the Normans than to his own people, and by his folly prepared the way for the conquest. He died in the year 1066, and was canonized by Pope Alexander III. in 1269. This shrine, which was once esteemed the glory of England, is now much defaced and neglected. It was composed of stones of various colours, beautifully enriched with all the cost that art could devise. No sooner was it erected, than the wealth of the kingdom flowed to it from all quarters. Henry III. set the first example, though he afterwards made use of the jewels and treasure he offered there, to defray the charges of an expedition into France. Before this shrine was a lamp kept continually burning, on one side stood a silver image of the blessed Virgin, which with two jewels of immense value, were presented by Queen Eleanor, the wife of Henry III. on the other side stood another image of the Virgin Mary, wrought in ivory, presented by Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Here also Edward I. offered the Scots regalia and chair, in which the kings of Scotland used to be crowned, which is still preserved and shewn to all strangers. And about the year 1280, Alphonso, third son to the last mentioned king, offered here the golden coronet of Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, and other jewels; but it would almost fill a volume to enumerate the offerings made at this shrine. Yet it is now so stripped as to afford no satisfaction, except to the curious; however some of the stone-work with which it is adorned, is still to be seen. This stone-work is hollow within, and now incloses a large chest, which Mr. Keep, soon after the coronation of James II. found to contain the remains of St. Edward; for it being broken by accident, he discovered a number of bones, and turning them up, found a crucifix, richly ornamented and enamell’d with a gold chain of twenty inches long, both which he presented to his Majesty, who ordered the bones to be replaced in the old coffin, and enclosed in a new one made very strong, and clamp’d with iron.