Chapter V: Part 5
HENEAGE TWYSDEN.--This monument is to the memory of a young hero slain in the battle of Blarignies, in Hainault, while Aid-de-Camp to John, Duke of Argyle, who commanded the right wing of the confederate army. He was the seventh son of Sir William Twysden, Bart., a youth of the greatest expectations, had not the fortune of war put an early stop to his rising merit, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, 1709. Above this are two small monuments to the memory of two of his brothers, JOSIAH and JOHN. Josiah was a Captain at the siege of Agremont, in Flanders, and slain by a cannon shot, in 1708, aged twenty-three. John was a Lieutenant in the Admiral's ship under Sir Cloudesly Shovel, and perished with him in 1707, aged twenty-four.
JOHN WOODWARD, M.D.--This is an elegant monument, and the figures most admirably finished. The head of the deceased (who was Professor of Physic in Gresham College) in profile, is very masterly, and the lady that holds it inimitable. The inscription is a kind of panegyric upon the great parts and learning of the deceased, which entitled him to the distinction he received. He died in May, 1728, aged sixty-three.--_Scheemakers, sculptor._
MARTHA PRICE.--This monument is ornamented with festoons of fruit, flowers, and foliage, and the inscription shows that she was the wife of Gervase Price, Esq., who served Charles II. in the double capacity of Sergeant-Trumpeter and Gentleman of the Bows. She died April 7, 1678.
Above is a monument to the memories of Captains HERVEY and HUTT, who were engaged in the naval action under Lord Howe. It is principally composed of two colossal figures, Britannia and Fame, placed one on each side a large vase, on which are portraits of the deceased Captains. Britannia is decorating the vase with laurel, while Fame is pointing to the names of the heroes engraven on the base which supports the vase.--_Bacon, jun., sculptor._
Beneath is the effigy of ANNE, Countess Dowager of CLANRICKARD, resting upon a tomb, and under it is the following inscription:--"Here lies the Right Honourable Anne, Countess Dowager of Clanrickard, eldest daughter of John Smith, Esq., who is interred near this place. She married first, Hugh Parker, Esq., eldest son of Sir Henry Parker, of Honington, in the county of Warwick, Bart., by whom she had the present Sir Henry John Parker, Bart., three other sons, and three daughters. By her second husband, Michael, Earl of Clanrickard, of the kingdom of Ireland, the head of the ancient and noble family of the Burkes, she had Smith, now Earl of Clanrickard, and two daughters, Lady Anne and Lady Mary. She died January 1, 1732, in her forty-ninth year."
GENERAL LAWRENCE.--This monument was erected at the expense of the East India Company, in memory of the man who, by the conquest of Pondicherry, and the defence of Tritchinopoly, reduced the power of the French in the East, and paved the way for one of the richest empires that ever a trading people aspired to command, which, however, was in the year 1783, in so lamentable a situation, wasted by war, and oppressed by European plunderers, that, from being one of the richest countries in the world, it became the most deplorable. On the top is an admirable bust of the General, to which the genius of the Company is pointing, while Fame is declaring his noble exploits, at the same time holding in her hand a shield, on which is written:--"For discipline established, fortresses protected, settlements extended, French and Indian armies defeated, and peace concluded in the Carnatic." Close under the bust is written: "Born March 6, 1697; died January 10, 1775." On a table of beautiful marble in relief, is represented the siege of a great city, and under it is the word TRITCHINOPOLY.--_Tayler, sculptor._
Up high is a tablet to Colonel JOHN DAVIS, President of the Council of the Island of St. Christopher, who died December 13, 1725, aged sixty-three.
PENELOPE EGERTON.--The lady for whom this monument was erected, was daughter of Robert, Lord Nedham, Viscount Kilmurray, and wife of Randolph Egerton, of Bentley, in Cheshire, an eminent Loyalist, Major-General of Horse to Charles I., and Lieutenant-Colonel to Charles II.'s own troop of Guards. She died in child-bed, April 13, 1670.
A tablet placed high above to the memory of JAMES EGERTON, son of Major-General Egerton, who died April 13, 1687, aged nine years.
The west window is filled with painted glass: the figures of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, and the twelve Patriarchs; the arms of Sebert, Edward the Confessor, Queen Elizabeth, George II., and Dean Wilcocks, Bishop of Rochester: date 1735.
In the window at the end of the North Aisle, is a figure in stained glass (supposed to be Edward the Confessor), but the colours being of water blue, no particular face can be distinguished.
In the window of the South Aisle, the figure is supposed to be that of Edward the Black Prince.
North-West Tower.
The Right Honourable CHARLES JAMES FOX is represented on a mattress, falling into the arms of Liberty. Peace (with the olive branch and dove) is reclining on his knee. An African thanking him for the part he took in the cause of Freedom. Born Jan. 24, 1749; died Sept. 13, 1806, aged fifty-seven.--_Sir Richard Westmacott, sculptor._
In the North-west Tower is a monument to Captain MONTAGUE. He fell with Captains Hervey and Hutt in Earl Howe's engagement, on the 1st of June, 1794, when a signal and important victory was obtained over the French fleet. The King and Parliament, in consequence, directed this monument to be erected. The Captain is represented with his hand resting on his sword; Victory, alighting, is waving the laurel crown over his head; a trophy of naval flags hangs over a basso-relievo of prisoners behind; on the front of this pedestal is the engagement; on the right side is Neptune's trident, and a crown of oak; on the left, a wreath of laurel containing the word "Constitution;" the base is guarded by two lions.--_Flaxman, sculptor._
On the right, upon a pedestal with appropriate emblems, is an exceedingly animated and life-like bust of the Right Hon. Sir JAMES MACINTOSH, M.P., one of the most distinguished men of his time, and who attained to great eminence in literature, philosophy, history, and politics. He was born at Aldonric, on the banks of Lochness, Scotland, on the 24th October, 1765; was knighted in 1804; in 1830 he was appointed to a seat at the Board of Control, and died 30th May, 1832, regretted (it is said) with more sincerity, and admired with less envy than any man of his age.--_Theed, sculptor._
At the back is a monument sacred to the memory of the Honourable GEORGE AUGUSTUS FREDERICK LAKE, late Lieutenant-Colonel in his Majesty's twenty-ninth Regiment of Foot, who fell at the head of his Grenadiers, in driving the enemy from the heights of Roliea, in Portugal, on the 17th of August, 1808. This stone is erected to his memory by the officers, non-commissioned officers, drummers, and privates of the corps, as a testimony of their high regard and esteem.--_Smith, sculptor._
Beneath is a monument to the Right Hon. GEORGE TIERNEY, whose bust is placed on a pedestal, with the following inscription:--"To the memory of the Right Honourable George Tierney, born in 1762; died in 1830. A man equally distinguished for the disinterested integrity of his public conduct, and the unpretended virtues of his private life. In Parliament he was long conspicuous for a style of oratory peculiarly his own; plain, familiar, forcible, and persuasive, abounding in proofs of natural shrewdness, and strokes of original learning, and sustained throughout by an accurate knowledge of details, and an unostentatious command of clear language. Without having obtained the rewards of wealth or station, he secured the respect and esteem of his contemporaries, by the consistency of his political principles, and his unwearied activity in supporting them; by the simplicity of his manners, and the benevolence of his character; and by an unaffected reverence for religion. His surviving friends have raised this monument, to be a testimony of their affection, and a reward of his talents and virtues."--_Westmacott, jun., sculptor._
Next is a new monument to the memory of HENRY RICHARD VASSAL FOX, Baron Holland, born November 23, 1773, and died October 22, 1840, aged sixty-seven. On the steps that lead up to the door of a vault are three figures; on the left hand of the spectator is Genius, with his old funeral emblem, the reversed torch; climbing the steps to the right are, in rich combination, Literature and Science. A scroll is in the hands of Literature, and that of Science rests upon her wheel. Over the doorway of the tomb, the key-stone, enriched by a coiling serpent (the old emblem of eternity), assists to support the cornice, from which rise a rusticated pediment and pedestal; on the latter is placed a colossal bust of the deceased Lord, and on either side of the tomb are bassi-relievi, representing severally Charity and Justice. The monument is twenty feet high, eleven feet six inches wide, and has six feet of projection from the wall. The architectural portions are of Sicilian marble. Without inscription.--_Baily, sculptor._
On the left is a monument erected by the corps of Royal Engineers, to the memory of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir RICHARD FLETCHER, Knight and Baronet, who, after highly-distinguished services, as Commanding Royal Engineer, with the army under the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsular War, was killed at the storming of St. Sebastian, 1812, in the forty-fifth year of his age.--_Baily, sculptor._
Above is a tablet with naval trophies, sacred to the memory of Rear-Admiral Sir GEORGE HOPE, K.C.B., erected by several Captains in the Royal Navy, who served under him as Midshipmen.--_Turnerelli, sculptor._
A small tablet to the memory of the Hon. CHARLES BANKS STANHOPE, second son of Charles, Earl of Stanhope, and nephew of the Right Hon. William Pitt, Major of the fiftieth Regiment of Foot, who in the act of gallantly encouraging his men, fell by a musket-shot in the battle of Corunna. This tablet is affectionately inscribed by his afflicted sister, who can neither do justice to his virtues, nor sufficiently deplore his loss. Born 3rd June, 1785; died 16th January, 1809.
WILLIAM HORNECK, Esq.--This monument is embellished with books, plans, and instruments of fortification, alluding to the employment of the deceased as Chief Engineer to the Royal Train. The inscription informs us that he learned the art of war under the great Duke of Marlborough. He died May 9, 1746, aged sixty-two.
Beneath, to the right, is a bust erected to Major JAMES RENNELL, who died March 29, 1830, in his eighty-eighth year. His useful life, firm character, and high talents, are amply exhibited in his works, and need no other monument. This tablet, therefore, merely records, that this celebrated man was buried near this spot.--_Baily, sculptor._
ZACHARY MACAULAY.--A bust on a pedestal; the inscription as follows:--"In grateful remembrance of Zachary Macaulay, who, during a protracted life, with an intense but quiet perseverance, which no success could relax, no reverse could subdue, no toil, privations, or reproach could daunt, devoted his time, talents, fortune, and all the energies of his mind and body to the service of the most injured and helpless of mankind; and partook for more than forty years in the counsels and in the labours which, guided and blessed by God, first rescued the British empire from the guilt of the Slave Trade, and finally conferred freedom on 800,000 slaves; this tablet is erected by those who drew wisdom from his mind, and a lesson from his life, and who humbly rejoice in the assurance that, through the Divine Redeemer, the foundation of all his hopes, he shares in the happiness of those who rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." He was born at Inverary, North Britain, on the 2nd of May, 1768, and died in London on the 13th May, 1838.--_Weekes, sculptor._
THE NAVE.
The Organ Screen was erected by the Dean and Chapter in 1831, designed by Mr. Blore, Architect to the Abbey, and executed with great precision. Four pilasters with decorated finials divide the Screen into three compartments, the centre for the gate of entrance to the choir from the west, the other two contain the monuments of Sir Isaac Newton and Earl Stanhope; on each of the pilasters are projecting pedestals, on which are the figures of Henry III. and his Queen, Edward the Confessor, and his Queen, and Edward I. and his Queen.
Sir ISAAC NEWTON.--This is a grand and expressive monument, every way worthy of the great man to whose memory it was erected, who is sculptured recumbent, leaning his right arm on four folios, thus titled--_Divinity, Chronology, Optics, and Phil: Prin. Math:_ and pointing to a scroll supported by winged cherubs. Over him is a large globe, projecting from a pyramid behind, whereon is delineated the course of the comet in 1680, with the signs, constellations, and planets. On the globe sits the figure of Astronomy with her book closed. Underneath the principal figure is a most curious bas-relief, representing the various labours in which Sir Isaac chiefly employed his time: such as discovering the causes of gravitation, settling the principles of light and colours, and reducing the coinage to a determined standard. The device of weighing the sun by the steelyard has been thought at once bold and striking; and, indeed, the whole monument does honour to the sculptor. The inscription on the pedestal is in Latin, short, but fall of meaning; intimating that, by a spirit nearly divine, he solved, on principles of his own, the motions and figures of the planets, the paths of the comets, and the ebbing and flowing of the sea; that he discovered the dissimilarity of the rays of light and the properties of colours from thence arising, which none but himself had ever thought of; that he was a diligent, wise, and faithful interpreter of nature, antiquity, and the Holy Scriptures; that by his philosophy he maintained the dignity of the Supreme Being; and by the purity of his life, the simplicity of the Gospel. The inscription concludes with a beautiful exclamation--"How much reason mortals have to pride themselves in the existence of such and so great an ornament to the human race!" He was born December 25, 1642, and died March 20, 1726.--_Rysbrack, sculptor._
JAMES, Earl STANHOPE.--This monument, in which, likewise, the principal figure leans upon his arm in a cumbent posture, holding in his right hand a general's staff, and in his left a parchment scroll. A Cupid stands before him, resting himself upon a shield. Over a martial tent sits a beautiful Pallas, holding in her right hand a javelin, and in the other a scroll. Behind is a slender pyramid. On the middle of the pedestals are two medals, and on each side of the pilasters one. Under the principal figure is a Latin inscription, setting forth the merits of this great man, as a soldier, a statesman, and a senator. In 1707, he concluded an advantageous treaty with Spain, and in the same year was sent Ambassador to Charles III. In 1708, he took Port-Mahon. In 1710, he forced his way to the gates of Madrid, and took possession of that capital. In 1714, he impeached the Duke of Ormond. In September, 1715, he was made Secretary at War. In December, 1716, he was made Secretary of State. In 1717, he was made First Commissioner of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer; and in July following created a Peer. In March, 1718, he was a second time made Secretary of State. In 1720, he died, in his forty-seventh year.--_Rysbrack, sculptor._
"To the memory of PHILIP (second) Earl STANHOPE, conspicuous for universal benevolence, unshaken public integrity, and private worth. Deep were his researches in philosophy, and extensive his ideas for his country's good. He was ever a determined supporter of the Trial by Jury, of the freedom of Elections, of a numerous and well-regulated Militia, and of the liberty of the Press. On the 7th day of March, 1786 (and in the seventy-second year of his age), he terminated an honourable life, spent in the exercise of virtue, in the improvement of science, and in the pursuit of truth. In respectful remembrance of him, the above lines are inscribed by his affectionate son, Charles, Earl Stanhope."
The Pulpit, in the Nave, is used only for the special evening services, and is composed of variegated marbles interspersed with rich foliage and some very tasteful mosaics, and around it are six excellent figures of St. Paul, St. Peter, and the four Evangelists, and in a medallion in front, a head of the Saviour _surrounded_ with thorns, and pointing upwards with his right hand from his left shoulder. The following is painted on one side:--"This Pulpit is presented to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster by a few friends, in grateful commemoration of the Opening of the Nave for public worship and preaching, in January, 1858. 'As ye go, preach, saying the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'" (St. Matt., chap. 10, v. 7.)--_Field, sculptor._
ROBERT STEPHENSON.--Nearly in front of the new pulpit, upon the floor, is a brass figure of life-size upon a rich foliage diaper over the remains of this eminent engineer, in addition to which has just been erected a superb painted window illustrative of his fertile genius. He died 12th October, 1859, aged fifty-six.
At the foot of R. Stephenson's grave is a slab of black Irish marble inlaid with brass, sacred to the memory of Sir CHARLES BARRY, Knt., R.A. and F.S.A., and Architect of the New Palace of Westminster and other buildings, who died A.D. 1860, aged 64 years, and lies buried beneath this brass, which represents the Victoria Tower and the Ground Plan of the Houses of Parliament.
Nearly opposite this slab is a granite tombstone, upon which is the following inscription:--"Beneath this stone rest the remains of COLIN CAMPBELL, Lord Clyde, who by his own deserts, through fifty years of arduous service, from the earliest battles in the Peninsular War to the Pacification of India, in 1858, rose to the rank of Field-Marshal and the Peerage. He died lamented by the Queen, the army, and the people, August the 14th, 1863, in the seventy-first year of his age."--_Gaffin, fecit._
Field-Marshal Sir GEORGE POLLOCK, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., Constable of the Tower. Died 6th October, 1872, aged 86 years. "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle."--Psalm cxl. 7.
A little to the west of the latter is the tombstone of TOMPION and GRAHAM, the celebrated chronometer inventors. Tompion died 1713, aged seventy-five. Graham died 1751, aged seventy-eight.
Beside Tompion is the grave of LIVINGSTONE, over which there is a large black marble slab, with the following inscription: "Brought by faithful hands over land and sea, here rests David Livingstone, Missionary, Traveller, Philanthropist. Born March 19th, 1813; died May 1st, 1873, at Chetamba's village, Ulala. For 30 years his life was spent in an unwearied effort to evangelize the Native races, to explore the undiscovered secrets, to abolish the desolating slave trade of Central Africa, where, with his last words, he wrote: 'All I can add in my solitude is, May Heaven's rich blessing come down on every one, American, English, or Turk, who will help to heal this open sore of the world.' 'Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice.'" The Latin verses are from Lucan the Roman poet, who, in his "Pharsalia," describes the aspiration of Julius Cæsar to solve the problem, even then before the world, of the causes and source of the Nile. The verses may be thus translated:--_So great is my love of truth that there is nothing I would rather know than the causes of the river that have lain hid through so many ages...._
On the right of the West door, in the middle of a pyramid, is a large medallion of brass, resting on a cherub below, and suspended by another at the top. Round the medal is a Latin inscription, thus translated:--"JOHN CONDUIT, Master of the Mint." This gentleman succeeded his relation, the great Sir Isaac Newton, in that office, and desired to be buried near him, as appears by a long Latin inscription on the base. Died May 23, 1737, aged forty-nine. Catherine, his wife, died Jan. 20, 1739, aged fifty-nine, and lies interred in the same tomb.--_Cheere, sculptor._
A stone arch has been turned over the west door, on which is erected a monument, voted by Parliament to the memory of the Right Hon. WILLIAM PITT. This illustrious statesman is represented habited in the robes of Chancellor of the Exchequer. To the right of the base of the statue, is History recording his speeches, whilst Anarchy, on the left, lies subdued, and writhing in chains at his feet. The Statues composing this group are nine feet in height. Inscription:--"This monument is erected by Parliament to William Pitt, son of William Earl of Chatham, in testimony of gratitude for the eminent public services, and of regret for the irreparable loss of that great and disinterested Minister. He died Jan. 23, 1806, in the forty-seventh year of his age."--_Sir Richard Westmacott, R.A., sculptor._
On the left is a lofty pyramid of a bluish coloured marble, to the memory of Sir THOMAS HARDY, Knt., whose effigy is reclining upon a tomb of elegant workmanship, with a naked boy on his left side weeping over an urn. The inscription, a little history of the deceased's life, is here copied:--"Sir Thomas Hardy, to whose memory this monument was erected, was bred in the Royal Navy from his youth, and was made a Captain in 1693. In the expedition to Cadiz, under Sir George Rook, he commanded the Pembroke; and when the fleet left the coast of Spain to return to England, he was ordered to Lagos Bay, where he got intelligence of the Spanish galleons being arrived in the harbour of Vigo, under convoy of seventeen French men-of-war. By his great diligence and judgment he joined the English fleet, and gave the Admiral that intelligence which engaged him to make the best of his way to Vigo, where all the aforementioned galleons and men-of-war were either taken or destroyed. After the success of that action, the Admiral sent him with an account of it to the Queen, who ordered him a considerable present, and knighted him. Some years afterwards he was made a Rear-Admiral, and received several other marks of favour and esteem from her Majesty, and from her Royal Consort, Prince George of Denmark, Lord High Admiral of England. He died August 16, 1732, aged sixty-seven."--_Cheere, sculptor._
Captain JAMES CORNEWALL.--This noble monument, which is thirty-six feet high, has a large base and pyramid of rich Sicilian marble. Against the pyramid is a rock (embellished with naval trophies, sea weeds, &c.) in which are two cavities; in the one is a Latin epitaph; in the other, a view of the sea-fight before Toulon, in bas-relief, on the foreground whereof the Marlborough, of ninety guns, is seen fiercely engaged with Admiral Navarre's ship, the Real, of one hundred and fourteen guns, and her two seconds, all raking the Marlborough fore and aft. On the rock stand two figures; the one represents Britannia, under the character of Minerva, accompanied with a lion: the other figure is expressive of Fame, who, having presented to Minerva a medallion of the hero, supports it whilst exhibited to public view. The medallion is accompanied with a globe and various honorary crowns as due to valour. Behind the figure is a lofty spreading palm-tree (whereon is fixed the hero's shield or coat of arms), together with a laurel-tree, both which issue from the naturally barren rock, as alluding to some heroic and uncommon event. The inscription:--"Amongst the monuments of ancient merit in this sacred Cathedral, let the name of James Cornewall be preserved, the third son of Henry Cornewall, of Bradwarden Castle, in the County of Hereford, Esq., who, from the very old and illustrious stock of the Plantagenets, deriving a truly ancient spirit, became a naval commander of the first eminence; equally and deservedly honoured by the tears and applause of Britons, as a man who bravely defended the cause of his country in that sea-fight off Toulon, and being by a chain-shot deprived of both his legs at a blow, fell unconquered, on the 3rd of February, 1743, in the forty-fifth year of his age, bequeathing his animated example to his fellow sailors as a legacy of a dying Englishman, whose extraordinary valour could not be recommended to the emulation of posterity in a more ample eulogy, than by so singular an instance of honour; since the Parliament of Great Britain, by an unanimous suffrage, resolved that a monument, at the public expense, should be consecrated to the memory of this most heroical person."--_Tayler, sculptor._
South Aisle.
At the back of Cornewall's, is the monument to the Right Honourable JAMES CRAGGS, who was made Secretary at War in April, 1717, and one of his Majesty's Privy Council and Secretary of State, in March, 1718. The statue of this gentleman, large as the life, is finely represented as leaning on an urn, which has upon it in golden characters, an inscription, showing that he was principal Secretary of State, and a man _universally beloved_, which is there particularly marked, because, as he was of low extraction, being only a shoemaker's son, it is the more admirable, that in the high station to which his merit had raised him, he should escape envy, and acquire the general esteem. He died February 16, 1720, aged thirty-five. Upon the base of the monument is this epitaph, written by Mr. Pope:--
"Statesman, yet friend to truth, of soul sincere,
In action faithful, and in honour clear!
Who broke no promise, serv'd no private end,
Who gained no title, and who lost no friend.
Ennobled by himself, by all approv'd,
Prais'd, wept, and honour'd, by the muse he lov'd."
--_Signor Guelphi, sculptor._
A statue of WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, placed here by the friends and admirers of the late Poet. Mr. Wordsworth was born at Cockermouth, in Cumberland, on April 7, 1770, and died at Rydal Mount, Ambleside, Westmoreland, on April 23, 1850. The statue is much admired; and the meditative attitude in which the Poet is represented, and the quiet and sacred spot in which it is placed, apart from the crowd, and in a peaceful retirement of its own, harmonize with and are expressive of, the tranquil tenour of his life, and the thoughtful, sublime, and philosophic character of his works.
Next to this is a bust of KEBLE, by T. Woolner. It occupies the middle of the three arcades on the west side of the South Tower, and adjoins the monument of Wordsworth. It has a pedestal of alabaster containing a black marble inscription panel, on either side of which is a green marble pillar, between the carved capitals of which is seated a vesica-shaped panel of alabaster, richly moulded, carved, and studded with gems of blue fluor-spar within ovals of gilt beads. Above this is placed a Calvary cross of alabaster with gemmed and inlaid arms and trefoiled ends. The internal part of the vesica panel is occupied with the white marble bust, life size, placed on an enriched corbel of alabaster, on which corbel are inclined pillars which support a trefoiled and gabled canopy overhanging the bust. The total height of the work is nine feet, and its width three feet.
A small tablet to HENRY WHARTON, remarkable only by the great name inscribed upon it, who was Rector of Chartham, in Kent; Vicar of the Church of Minster, in the Isle of Thanet; Librarian to Archbishop Sancroft, and one of the most voluminous writers of his years, perhaps, in the world. He died March 3, 1694, aged only thirty-one, and was an universally respected by the Bishops and clergy, that Archbishop Tillotson, and several other Prelates, with a vast body of clergy, the choir and King's scholars, all in solemn procession, attended his funeral, and joined in the anthems composed on this occasion by the great Purcell.
Above this tablet of Wharton is a gallery, used by the Royal Family to see the procession of the Knights of the Bath: they enter at Poets' Corner door, and proceed round the West end, and up the North Aisle, into Henry VII.'s Chapel, where the installation takes place.
In an oval frame is a half-length marble portrait of WILLIAM CONGREVE, Esq., placed on a pedestal of the finest Egyptian marble, and enriched with emblematical figures alluding to the drama. Underneath is this inscription in English:--"Mr. William Congreve, died January 19, 1728, aged fifty-six, and was buried near this place, to whose most valuable memory this monument is set up by Henrietta, Duchess of Marlborough, as a mark how dearly she remembers the happiness she enjoyed in the sincere friendship of so worthy and honest a man, whose virtue, candour, and wit, gained him the love and esteem of the present age, and whose writings will be the admiration of the future."--_Bird, sculptor._
A bust of JOHN FRIEND, M.D., on a pedestal of fine white veined marble; and beneath is a long Latin inscription, setting forth his great and distinguished acquirements. He was a physician of the first rank for knowledge and experience; was no less successful in his practice than ingenious in his writings. He was first educated at Westminster School, and afterwards at Christ Church College, Oxford, where his learning soon made him conspicuous. On his leaving the University, and adopting the profession of physic, he was chosen a member of the College of Physicians in London, and soon after a Fellow of the Royal Society. His writings are lasting monuments of his extensive genius. He died July 26, 1728.--_Rysbrack, sculptor._
Sir LUMLEY ROBINSON, Baronet.--This monument is neatly designed and ornamented; the columns are supported by Death's heads, and the arms upon the base by a cherub. On the top was a vase, and, rising to the pediments, enrichments of laurel branches, &c. The inscription has nothing remarkable. He was of Kentwall Hall, in Suffolk, and died August 6, 1684, aged thirty-six.--_Settie, sculptor._
THOMAS SPRAT, D.D.--This monument seems to have been designed principally for the sake of the inscriptions, which are in Latin. Underneath are the arms of the deceased, and on the top his arms, with those of the see of Rochester, quarterly, between enrichments of books, &c. The first inscription informs you,--"That Dr. Sprat was the son of a clergyman in Dorsetshire; and that he was educated at Wadham College, Oxford; that he first applied himself to poetry, but quitted that study to pursue the beauties of prose, and polish the English language; that he was early made known to George, Duke of Buckingham, and by him recommended to Charles I., who made him a Prebendary of Westminster, and of Windsor; from which preferments he soon rose to be Dean of Westminster, and Bishop of Rochester; but at length, from his firm integrity to the Church and Monarchy, was brought in danger of his life. He died in 1713, aged seventy-seven." The second inscription shows--"That the remains of THOMAS SPRAT, A.M. (son of the Bishop), Archdeacon of Rochester, and Prebendary of the Churches of Rochester, Winchester, and Westminster, lie near those of his father. He died May 10, 1720, aged forty-one." The third inscription imports--"That John Friend, M.D., to show his respect for those two worthy personages, had caused this monument to be erected jointly to their memories."--_Bird, sculptor._
Dr. JOSEPH WILLCOCKS.--Two angels holding a scroll, mitre, collegiate cap, &c., bas-relief, exterior view of Westminster Abbey. On each side are two beautiful figures of Faith and Hope. This Rev. Prelate was Chaplain to the British Factory at Lisbon, afterwards Preceptor to the Princess, and Prebendary of this Church; in 1721, consecrated Lord Bishop of Gloucester; in 1721, translated to Rochester, also made Dean of this Church, and of the most Honourable Order of the Bath. He died March 9, 1756, aged eighty-three, and is buried in a vault in the Ecclesiastical Court, with his wife Jane, daughter of John Milner, Esq., Consul at Lisbon. She died March 27, 1725, aged twenty-eight; with Ann, their daughter, who died in her infancy.--_Cheere, sculptor._
Above is a curious monument, sacred to the memory of RICHARD TYRRELL, Esq., who was descended from an ancient family of Ireland, and died Rear-Admiral of the White, 26th June, 1766. Devoted from his youth to the naval service of his country, and being formed under the discipline, and animated by the example of his renowned uncle, Sir Peter Warren, he distinguished himself as an able and experienced officer in many gallant actions, particularly on the 20th of November, 1758, when commanding the Buckingham, of sixty-six guns, and one hundred and seventy-five men, he attacked and defeated three French ships of war; one of them was the Florin, of seventy-four guns, and seven hundred men; but the Buckingham being too much disabled to take possession of her, after she had struck, the enemy, under cover of the night, escaped; during the action he received several wounds, and lost three fingers of his right hand. Dying on his return to England from the Leeward Islands, where he had for three years commanded a squadron of his Majesty's ships, his body was, by his own desire, committed to the sea, with the proper honours and ceremonies. On a piece of rock--"_The sea shall give up her dead, and every one shall be rewarded according to his works._" The figures History, Navigation, and Hibernia, are well cut; they are represented among the rocks, with the sea above their heads, the Admiral himself ascending amidst heavy clouds.--_Nathaniel Read, sculptor._
On a pedestal stands the bust of Dr. ZACHARY PEARCE. The features bear a striking resemblance to those of the original. On each side are the ensigns of his prelatical dignities; and underneath is a Latin inscription, of which the following is a translation:--"Sacred to the memory of the most Reverend Zachary Pearce, S.T.P., Bishop of Rochester, Dean of this Church, and of the most Honourable Order of the Bath. The seeds of learning, which were early sown at Westminster School, he cultivated to maturity at Cambridge: how rich the produce, both as a critic and divine, his works, already printed and published, will abundantly show. At length, growing fond of retirement, and earnestly desirous of leisure for elucidating the Scriptures, he resigned the Deanery of Westminster, as he wished to have done that of his Bishoprick, could it have been permitted. Having lived to finish what was the wish of his heart,--his Commentary on the Holy Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles,--he rested from his labours, June 29, 1774, aged eighty-four."--_Tyler, sculptor._
"In memory of the Very Rev. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, D.D., F.R.S., Dean of Westminster, and of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, formerly Canon of Christ Church, Oxford, Trustee of the British Museum, First Professor of Geology and Mineralogy in the University of Oxford; founder of the Museum of Geology, which he bequeathed to that University. Endued with superior intellect, he applied the powers of his mind to the honour and glory of God, the advancement of science, and the welfare of mankind. Born March 12, 1784; died August 14, 1856, aged seventy-two. 'For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.'--_Prov._ xi. ver. 6. Erected by his children."--_H. Weekes, A.R.A., sculptor_, 1859.
The next is a bust, highly finished, and emblems of sacred offices. The Latin inscription is to the following purport:--"Sacred to the memory of the Reverend JOHN THOMAS, LL.D., Bishop of Rochester, Dean of this Collegiate Church, and of the most Honourable Order of the Bath. Having passed through the school at Carlisle with reputation, he proceeded to Oxford, to gather a more abundant harvest of knowledge, where he became both the ornament and patron of genius, good morals, and of polite, as well as of profound learning. With increasing fame everywhere spreading itself, he did honour to dignities by his merit, improved riches by bestowing them, presided over the Church with wisdom, defended it by his authority, regulated it by his example; ever active in duties, and unwearied in attentions, added to the strictest economy; till, after a well-spent life, himself exhausted, but not his patience, by a long and painful illness, he resigned his soul to God, August 20, 1793, aged eighty-one years. His nephew, G.A.T., A.M., to whose lot it fell to perform it, offers this unavailing tribute, as a testimony, though small, of Duty and Affection."--_Bust by Nollekens._
KATHARINE BOVEY.--The principal figures here are Faith, with her book closed, and Wisdom, lamenting the death of her patroness; between which is a lady's head in an amulet of black marble, curiously veined. Over it is an English inscription, giving a character of the deceased, who died January 21, 1727, in the fifty-seventh year of her age. Mrs. Mary Pope, who lived with her near forty years in perfect friendship, erected this monument to her memory.--_Gibbs, sculptor._
Lord Viscount HOWE.--The emblematic representation on this monument is a figure of the Genius of the Province of Massachuset's Bay, in a mournful posture, lamenting the fall of this hero, and the family arms, ornamented with military trophies. Beneath is the following inscription, in large characters:--"The Province of Massachuset's Bay, in New England, by an order of the Great and General Court, bearing date February 1, 1759, caused this monument to be erected to the memory of George, Lord Viscount Howe, Brigadier-General of his Majesty's Forces in North America, who was slain, July 6, 1758, on the march of Ticonderoga, in the thirty-fourth year of his age; in testimony of the sense they had of his services and military virtues, and of the affection their officers and soldiers bore to his command." He lived respected and beloved: the public regretted his loss: to his family it is irreparable.
Beneath is a bust to the memory of JOHN IRELAND, D.D.--The Latin inscription sets forth, that he was a native of Ashburton, Devon. Having pursued his studies at Oriel College, in the University of Oxford, he was, in 1802, enrolled amongst the Prebendaries of this Church; and afterwards, in 1816, raised to the Deanery of the same. Deeply sensible of the benefits that were divinely showered upon him in early life, he sought in after years to prove that he was not unmindful of them. Whilst still among the living, he annually gave liberal prizes for the encouragement of youthful studies, both at Oxford and in the Royal School at Westminster. He also, by his last will, bequeathed a munificent pecuniary legacy, partly to endow a Professorship of Theology at Oxford, partly towards the support of needy students of Oriel College, and partly that some assistance might be furnished for rightly educating his townsmen of Ashburton. He died September 2, 1842, aged eighty.--_Turnouth, sculptor._
A neat tablet erected to the memory of Dr. ROBERT CANNON, Dean of Lincoln, and Prebendary of this Church, who died March 28, 1722, aged fifty-nine.
Over the West Cloisters door is a most stately monument to the memory of General GEORGE WADE. In the centre is a beautiful marble pillar, enriched with military trophies highly finished. The principal figures represent Fame preventing Time from defacing his military honours. The whole is finely executed, and cannot be too much admired. The General's head is in a medallion; and the inscription runs thus:--"To the memory of George Wade, Field Marshal of his Majesty's Forces, Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, Colonel of his Majesty's Third Regiment of Dragoon Guards, Governor of Fort William, Fort Augustus, and Fort George, and one of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council. He died March 14, 1748, aged seventy-five."--_Roubiliac, sculptor._
A monument of General Sir JAMES OUTRAM, with the following inscription:--"To the memory of Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, G.C.B., K.S.I., &c., a soldier of the East India Company, who, during a service of 40 years in war and in council, by deeds of bravery and devotion, by an unselfish life, by benevolence, never weary of well-doing, sustained the honour of the British nation, won the love of his comrades, and promoted the happiness of the people of India. This monument is erected by the Secretary of State for India in Council. Born January 29, 1803; died March 11, 1863. Interred in this Abbey at the public cost, March 25, 1863." Under the bust is represented in high relief an exquisite sculpture of Lord Clyde and Outram shaking hands, with General Havelock between them and other figures in the background; and on each side two figures of the Scinde and Bihil tribes, lamenting the death of their "great friend."--_Noble, sculp._
CHARLES HERRIES, Esq., Colonel of the Light Horse Volunteers of London and Westminster, died April 3, 1819, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. So much was he respected, that the regiment followed him to the grave with filial reverence; and as a lasting tribute of honour to his memory, raised this record at his virtues and their affection. The monument consists of a bust, a strong resemblance; on the base is represented a female, seated on bales, as the city of London, over whom a warrior is holding a shield; by him stands his horse, which he seems ready to mount for defence.--_Chantrey, sculptor._
CAROLA HARSNET.--This tomb has two learned inscriptions upon it, one in Hebrew, the other in Greek; and was erected to the memory of the wife of Sir Samuel Morland, Baronet, who died in child-bed of her second son, Oct. 10, 1674, in the twenty-third year of her age. The inscriptions are thus translated:--"Blessed be the Lord, my wife was precious! Blessed be thy remembrance, oh, virtuous woman!" Thus far the Hebrew. The Greek thus:--"When I think on thy mildness, patience, charity, modesty, and piety, I lament thee, oh, most excellent creature! and I grieve exceedingly; but not like such as have no faith, for I believe and expect the resurrection of those who sleep in Christ."--_Stanton, sculptor._
A beautiful monument to JOHN SMITH, Esq. The design is a pyramid and altar, on which sits a lady veiled, mournful, and disconsolate, resting her right arm on a fine bust in relief. On the base is a Latin inscription, setting forth his descent from the Smith's in Lincolnshire: and issue, viz., two daughters, Ann, the eldest, first married to Henry Parker, Esq., son of Sir Harry Parker, of Warwickshire, and afterwards to Michael, Lord Dunkellin, eldest son of the Earl of Clanrickard; and Mary, the youngest, married to Edward Desboverie, of Langford, in Wilts, Bart. John Smith died July 6, 1718.--_Gibbs, sculptor._
Above is a monument erected to the memory of JAMES FLEMING, Major-General of his Majesty's Forces, and Colonel of a Regiment of Foot, who, having served forty-four years a commissioned officer, died March 17, 1750, aged sixty-eight. At the top of a beautiful pyramid of marble, is a medallion of this General, at the base of which are the figures of Minerva and Hercules, employed in binding the emblems of Wisdom, Prudence, and Valour together, as characteristics of the hero. The decorations are military trophies.--_Roubiliac, sculptor._
ANN FILDING.--This tomb, on which are two very learned inscriptions, one in Hebrew, the other in Ethiopic, is erected to the memory of the second wife of Sir Samuel Morland, Baronet. The Hebrew inscription is to this effect:--"Oh, thou fairest among women! oh! virtuous woman! the hand of the Lord hath done this! the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord." The Ethiopic inscription is thus translated:--"Come, lament o'er this monument with a beloved husband, for thee; but in certain hope that thou art united with Christ. This lady was truly religious, virtuous, faithful, mild as a dove, and chaste; while she continued in life, she was honoured, and is happy, through mercy, in death." This is one of Mr. Addison's _modest inscriptions_, that has not, perhaps, been three times read in more than threescore years. Under the Ethiopic is this inscription:--"Ann, daughter of George Filding, Esq., and Mary, his wife, the truly loving (and as truly beloved) wife of Samuel Morland, Knight and Baronet, died February 20, 1679/80, ætatis nineteen."--_Stanton, sculptor._
DIANA TEMPLE.--This old-fashioned monument seems to have been designed not for one person, but for all Sir William Temple's family, as appears by the inscription, written by Sir William himself, in which is mentioned Diana Temple, who died at fourteen; Dorothy Osborn, probably Sir William's lady, aged sixty-six; William Temple, aged seventy; and Martha Giffard, called Lady Giffard, Sir William's sister, aged eighty-four.
Sir CHARLES HARBORD, Knight, and CLEMENT COTTRELL, Esq.--On the base of this double monument is represented in relief, a dreadful sea-fight; and on the top, in a wreath of laurel, this inscription:--"To preserve and unite the harmony of two faithful friends who lost their lives at sea together, May 28, 1672." These two young gentlemen, of the most promising expectations, both perished in the Royal James, with the Earl of Sandwich, who commanded in her as Vice-Admiral against the Dutch, in that memorable fight off the coast of Sussex, in Charles the Second's time. The Royal James being set on fire, Sir Charles Harbord, First Lieutenant, though he might have saved himself by swimming, yet out of pure affection to his worthy Commander, chose to die with him. Young Cottrell was a volunteer; and having returned to his ship unwounded, from being the first man that had boarded a Dutchman of seventy guns, and pulled down the ensigns of her with his own hands, perished also with his friends. This gentleman understood seven languages, though but twenty-two years of age. This moving story is recited at large on the monument, but too long to copy.
Above is the monument of WILLIAM HARGRAVE, Esq., Lieutenant-General of his Majesty's forces, Colonel of the Royal English Fusileers, and Governor of Gibraltar, who having been fifty-seven years a commissioned officer, died 21st January, 1750, aged seventy-nine. The figure of Time is represented to have overcome Death; he is breaking the dart of Death across his knee; the pyramid is destroyed at the sound of the trumpet, the dead rising, and the crown of Death is fallen to the ground.--_Designed and executed by Roubiliac._
A fine bust to SIDNEY, Earl GODOLPHIN, with a rich cravat. In 1661, he was Groom of the Bedchamber to Charles II.; 1679, Commissioner of the Treasury; in 1684, Secretary of State, and the same year created Baron of Rialton, in Cornwall, by James II. After the Revolution he was made First Commissioner of the Treasury, and soon after Lord High Treasurer, which office, as his inscription shows, together with that of Chief Minister, he held during the first nine glorious years of Queen Anne's reign. He died Sept. 15, 1712, aged sixty-seven.--_Bird, sculptor._
Colonel ROGER TOWNSHEND.--Here is a sarcophagus, supported by two Indians, on the front of which is represented in bas-relief, the fall of this great commander, with his officers attending him in his dying moments. This monument is decorated with military trophies, and beneath is the following inscription.--"This monument was erected by a disconsolate parent, the Lady Vicountess Townshend, to the memory of her fifth son, the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Townshend, who was killed by a cannon-ball, July 25, 1759, in the twenty-eighth year of his age, as he was reconnoitring the French lines at Ticonderagoe, in North America. From the parent, the brother, and the friend, his social and amiable manners, his enterprising bravery, and the integrity of his heart, may claim the tribute of affection. Yet, stranger, weep not! for though premature his death, his life was glorious, enrolling him with the names of those immortal Statesmen and Commanders, whose wisdom and intrepidity, in the course of this comprehensive and successful war, have extended the commerce, enlarged the dominion, and upheld the majesty of these kingdoms, beyond the idea of any former age."--_Eckstein, sculptor._
Above is a tablet to Mrs. BRIDGET RADLEY, wife of Charles Radley, Esq., Gentleman Usher and Daily Waiter of James II., who erected this monument to her memory. She died November 20, 1769.
A monument to Sir JOHN CHARDIN, Bart., and is very emblematical, alluding to the travels of this gentleman, by which, as his motto expresses, "_he acquired his fame_." The globe, round which a number of geographical instruments are represented, exhibits a view of the different countries through which he travelled; and the motto beneath refers to the dangers he providentially escaped, for which he ascribes to God the glory. A journal of his travels into the Eastern countries he has published--a book in high esteem.--_Henry Cheere, sculptor._
Beneath is a monument with this inscription:--"Sacred to the immortal memory of Sir PALMES FAIRBORNE, Knight, Governor of Tangier, in the execution of which command he was mortally wounded by a shot from the Moors then besieging the town, in the forty-sixth year of his age, October 24, 1680." The following is the epitaph, written by Mr. Dryden:--
"Ye sacred reliques which our marble keep
Here, undisturb'd by wars, in quiet sleep,
Discharge the trust which (when it was below)
Fairborne's undaunted soul did undergo,
And be the town's Palladium from the foe!
Alive and dead, these walls he did defend:
Great actions great examples must attend.
The Candian siege his early value knew,
Where Turkish blood did his young hands imbrue;
From thence returning, with deserv'd applause,
Against the Moors his well-flesh'd sword he draws,
The same the courage, and the same the cause.
His youth and age, his life and death combine,
As in some great and regular design,
All of a piece throughout, and all divine.
Still nearer heaven, his virtues shone more bright:
Like rising flames expanding in their height,
The martyr's glory crowns the soldier's flight.
More bravely British Gen'ral never fell,
Nor Gen'ral's death was e'er reveng'd so well,
Which his pleas'd eyes beheld before their close,
Follow'd by thousand victims of his foes.
To his lamented loss, for times to come,
His pious widow consecrates this tomb."
On a lofty dome is the deceased's arms, with this motto, "_Tutis si Fortis_." Over it a Turk's head on a dagger, by way of crest, which he won by his valour in fighting against that people in the German war.--_Bushnall, sculptor._
Major ANDRE.--On a moulded panelled base and plinth stands a sarcophagus, on the panel of which is inscribed:--"Sacred to the memory of Major John André, who, raised by his merit, at an early period of life, to the rank of Adjutant-General of the British Forces in America, and employed in an important, but hazardous enterprise, fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his King and country, on the 2nd October, 1780, aged twenty-nine, universally beloved and esteemed by the army in which he served, and lamented even by his foes. His gracious Sovereign, King George III., has caused this monument to be erected;" and on the plinth--"The remains of the said Major André were deposited on the 28th November, 1821, in a grave near this monument." This is the third head now placed on General Washington's figure; several others are new, the originals, being so well executed, were too great a temptation for the curious pilferer to withstand. The projecting figures: one of them (with a flag of truce) is presenting to General Washington a letter, which André had addressed to his Excellency the night previous to his execution, worded thus:--"Sir, buoyed above the terror of death, by the consciousness of a life devoted to honourable purposes, and stained with no action which can give me remorse, I trust that the request which I make to your Excellency at this serious period, and which is to soften my last moments, will not be rejected; sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce your Excellency, and a military tribunal, to adapt the mode of my death to the feelings of a man of honour; let me hope, Sir, that if aught in my character impresses you with esteem towards me,--if aught in my misfortunes mark me as the victim of policy and not of resentment,--I shall experience the operations of those feelings in your breast, by being informed I am not to die on a gibbet. I have the honour to be, your Excellency, John André, Adjutant of the British Forces in America."--_Van Gelder, sculptor._
Against the organ gallery is the monument to THOMAS THYNNE, Esq.--The principal figure is represented in a dying posture, and at his feet a cherub weeping. It has this inscription:--"Thomas Thynne, of Longleate, in Co. Wilts, Esq., who was barbarously murdered on Sunday, the 12th February, 1682;" which murder was conspired by Count Koningsmarck, and executed by three assassins, hired for that purpose, who shot him in Pall-Mall, in his own coach. The motive was to obtain the rich heiress of Northumberland in marriage, who, in her infancy, had been betrothed to the Earl of Ogle, but left a widow, and afterwards married to Mr. Thynne.--_Quellin, sculptor._
Comments
Log in to leave a comment.
Historical Description of Westminster Abbey, Its Monuments and CuriositiesChapter V: Part 5
0%37 min left in chapter