The Children's Story of Westminster AbbeyTroutbeck, G. E. (Georgina E.)
History
The Children's Story of Westminster Abbey
Troutbeck, G. E. (Georgina E.)
Westminster Abbey
Milton is not buried in the Abbey, but in St. Giles’ Cripplegate. As the
Abbey was always strongly Royalist, it was a long time before Milton’s
name was allowed even to appear on its walls, Milton having been so
prominent on the Parliamentarian side. Not even _Paradise Lost_ could
make them altogether forget his Puritan sympathies. However, in 1738,
the monument we now see in Poets’ Corner was put up by a certain William
Benson, who belonged to the Whig party in politics. Thus one of the
greatest English poets came at last by his own.
When speaking of Milton we are reminded of one of our best English
musicians, Henry Lawes, who wrote the music to _Comus_, and who is
buried in the cloisters. His brother, William Lawes, was a member of the
Abbey choir.
A fine bust of the well-known composer, Orlando Gibbons, has quite
lately been placed in the Abbey, in that North Aisle of the Choir which
is known as the “Musicians’ Aisle.” Orlando Gibbons was appointed
organist of the Abbey in 1623. His son, Christopher Gibbons, was the
first organist of the Abbey after the Restoration, and was a favourite
of Charles II. He is buried in the Cloisters.
Close by is the grave of Henry Purcell, who is perhaps our greatest
English composer. He belongs entirely to the Stuart times, and his life
was spent at Westminster. He was organist of the Abbey and composed some
of our finest English Church music, besides other things. He died in
1695, at about the same age as Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn, that
is, 37. Above his grave is a tablet with an epitaph said to have been
written by Dryden. It runs as follows:—
“Here lies Henry Purcell, Esq., who left this life, and is gone to that
blessed place where only his Harmony can be exceeded.”
Two other well-known Church musicians of the Stuart times are buried in
this aisle; these are Dr. John Blow and Dr. William Croft, who were both
organists at the Abbey.
All English children will like to know that there is very soon to be a
window in the Abbey to John Bunyan, author of the _Pilgrim’s Progress_.
The window will commemorate his life and works.
Another remarkable writer of the Stuart and Commonwealth times, that
learned and holy man, Richard Baxter, author of the _Saint’s Everlasting
Rest_, has no memorial in the Abbey, but he is known to have preached
one of his finest sermons here in 1654, and this is very interesting to
remember.
The grave of Sir Robert Moray, First President of the Royal Society,
reminds us of the beginning of that great Society during the reigns of
the later Stuart Kings. Sir Robert Moray was both a soldier and a man of
science. Burnet calls him “the wisest and worthiest man of his age.” He
died in 1673.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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