Chapter IV: Preface (3)

67. The monument of Percy Kirk, Esq; is adorned with a fine bust of
that gentleman, on each side of which is a winged seraph, one with a
dagger in his right hand inverted, and in his left a helmet; the other
resting on a ball, and holding in his left hand a torch reversed. The
inscription lets us know, that he was Lieutenant-General of his
Majesty’s armies; that he was son to Percy Kirk, Lieutenant-General in
the reign of King James II. by the Lady Mary, daughter to George
Howard Earl of Suffolk, and that he died Jan. 1, 1741, aged
fifty-seven.

68. We come now to the monument erected to the memory of that brave
commander the Lord Aubrey Beauclerk, ornamented with arms, trophies,
and naval ensigns, and in an oval nich on a beautiful pyramid of
dove-coloured marble, is a fine bust of that young Hero. On this
pyramid is the following historical inscription:

The Lord Aubrey Beauclerk was the youngest son of Charles Duke
of St. Albans, by Diana, daughter of Aubrey de Vere Earl of
Oxford. He went early to sea, and was made a commander in
1731. In 1740, he was sent upon that memorable expedition to
Carthagena, under the command of Admiral Vernon, in his
Majesty’s ship the Prince Frederic, which, with three others,
was ordered to cannonade the castle of Boccachica. One of
these being obliged to quit her station, the Prince Frederic
was exposed, not only to the fire from the castle, but to that
of Fort St. Joseph, and to two ships that guarded the mouth of
the harbour, which he sustained for many hours that day, and
part of the next, with uncommon intrepidity. As he was giving
his commands upon deck, both his legs were shot off; but such
was his magnanimity, that he would not suffer his wounds to be
drest, till he communicated his orders to his first
Lieutenant, which were, _To fight his ship to the last
extremity_. Soon after this he gave some directions about his
private affairs, and then resigned his soul with the dignity
of a Hero and a Christian. Thus was he taken off in the
thirty-first year of his age, an illustrious commander of
superior fortitude and clemency, amiable in his person, steady
in his affections, and equalled by few in the social and
domestic virtues of politeness, modesty, candour, and
benevolence. He married the widow of Col. Francis Alexander, a
daughter of Sir Henry Newton, Knt. Envoy Extraordinary to the
Court of Florence and the Republic of Genoa, and Judge of the
high court of Admiralty.

Over his inscription is the following epitaph:

Whilst Britain boasts her Empire o’er the deep,
This marble shall compel the brave to weep;
As men, as Britons, and as soldiers mourn:
’Tis dauntless, loyal, virtuous Beauclerk’s urn.
Sweet were his manners, as his soul was great,
And ripe his worth, tho’ immature his fate;
Each tender grace that joy and love inspires,
Living, he mingled with his martial fires;
Dying, he bid Britannia’s thunder roar,
And Spain still felt him, when he breath’d no more.

69. A beautiful monument erected to the memory of Admiral Balchen, on
which is his bust well executed in the finest white marble. The
enrichments, arms and trophies, are admirably wrought, but in
fastening the cable to the anchor this excellent artist has shewn that
he is no mariner. In the front is a fine representation of a ship in a
storm. The inscription is as follows:

To the memory of Sir John Balchen, Knt. Admiral of the White
Squadron of his Majesty’s fleet in 1744, being sent out
Commander in chief of the combined fleets of England and
Holland, to cruize on the enemy, was on his return home in his
Majesty’s ship the Victory, lost in the Channel by a violent
storm; from which sad circumstance of his death we may learn,
that neither the greatest skill, judgment, or experience,
joined to the most firm unshaken resolution, can resist the
fury of the winds and waves; and we are taught from the
passages of his life, which were filled with great and gallant
actions, but ever accompanied with adverse gales of fortune,
that the brave, the worthy and the good man, meets not always
his reward in this world. Fifty-eight years of faithful and
painful services he had passed, when being just retired to the
government of Greenwich Hospital to wear out the remainder of
his days, he was once more, and for the last time, called out
by his King and Country, whose interest he ever preferred to
his own, and his unwearied zeal for their service ended only
in his death; which weighty misfortune to his afflicted family
became heightened by many aggravating circumstances attending
it; yet amidst their grief had they the mournful consolation
to find his gracious and royal Master mixing his concern with
the general lamentations of the public, for the calamitous
fate of so zealous, so valiant, and so able a Commander; and
as a lasting memorial of the sincere love and esteem borne by
his widow, to a most affectionate and worthy husband, this
honorary monument was erected by her. He was born Feb. 2,
1669, married Susannah, daughter of Col. Apreece of Washingly
in the County of Huntingdon. Died Oct. 7, 1744, leaving one
son and one daughter, the former of whom, George Balchen,
survived him but a short time; for being sent to the West
Indies in 1745, Commander of his Majesty’s ship the Pembroke,
he died in Barbadoes in December the same year, aged 28,
having walked in the steps, and imitated the virtue and
bravery of his good, but unfortunate father.

70. A noble and elegant monument erected in honour of General Guest.
It is adorned with a pyramid and base of the most beautiful Egyptian
porphyry, ornamented with the finest enrichments, and on the latter is
an admirable bust of the General of white marble. The whole is
executed in the most delicate and masterly manner. It has this short,
but apposite inscription:

Sacred to those virtues that adorn a Christian and a Soldier,
this marble perpetuates the memory of Lieut. Gen. Joshua
Guest, who closed a service of sixty years by faithfully
defending Edinburgh castle against the Rebels, 1745.

71. The next worthy of notice is the elegant monument of Sir Charles
Wager. The principal figure here is that of Fame holding a portrait of
Sir Charles in relief, which is also supported by an infant Hercules.
The enrichments are naval trophies, instruments of war and navigation,
&c. on the base is represented in relief the destroying and taking of
the Spanish galleons in 1708, The inscription is as follows:

To the memory of Sir CHARLES WAGER, Knt.
Admiral of the White, first Commissioner of the Admiralty,
And Privy Counsellor;
A man of great natural talents,
Who bore the highest commands,
And pass’d through the greatest employments,
With credit to himself, and honour to his country.
He was in private life
Humane, temperate, just, and bountiful:
In public station,
Valiant, prudent, wise, and honest:
Easy of access to all;
Plain and unaffected in his manners,
Steady and resolute in his conduct:
So remarkably happy in his presence of mind,
That no danger ever discompos’d him;
Esteemed and favoured by his King;
Beloved and honoured by his Country.
He died 24 May 1743. Aged 77.

72. The next tomb in the Abbey that demands our attention, is that
erected to the memory of John Hollis Duke of Newcastle, by his
daughter the Countess of Oxford. This is perhaps the loftiest and most
costly of any in the Abbey. A pediment is supported by beautiful
columns of variegated marble. The Duke is represented resting upon a
sepulchral monument, holding in his right hand a General’s staff, and
in his left a ducal coronet. On one side the base stands a statue of
Wisdom, on the other, of Sincerity. On the angles of the upper
compartment sit angels, and on the ascending sides of the pediment sit
two cherubs, one with an hour-glass, alluding to the admeasurement of
man’s life by grains of sand; the other pointing upwards, where life
shall no longer be measured by hours and minutes. On the base is an
inscription enumerating his Grace’s titles, and several employments;
his marriage and issue; and informing us that he was born Jan. 9,
1661–2, and died July 15, 1711.

73. The monument of William Cavendish Duke of Newcastle is also very
pompous, but is in the old taste. Under a rich canopy of state lie, as
the inscription expresses it, “The loyal Duke of Newcastle, and his
Duchess, his second wife, by whom he had no issue: her name was
Margaret Lucas, youngest sister to Lord Lucas of Colchester, a noble
family; for all the brothers were valiant, and all the sisters
virtuous. The Duchess was a wise, witty, and learned Lady, which her
many books do well testify: She was a most virtuous, and a loving and
careful wife, and was with her Lord all the time of his banishment and
miseries; and when he came home, never parted from him in his solitary
retirements.” This is the English inscription. The Latin gives his
titles and employments; and observes, that for his fidelity to King
Charles I. he was made Captain-General of the forces raised for his
service in the North, fought many battles, and generally came off
victorious; but that when the rebels prevailed (being one of the first
designed a sacrifice) he left his estate, and endured a long exile. It
then gives his issue by his first wife, and concludes with observing,
that he died Dec. 27, 1676, in his eighty-fourth year.

74. On the adjoining pillar is a neat tablet, on which is this
inscription:

Grace, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Mauleverer of Allerton
Mauleverer in Yorkshire, Bart. born 1622, married unto Col.
Scott, a member of the Hon. House of Commons 1644, and died
Feb. 24, 1645.

He that will give my GRACE but what is hers,
Must say her death has not
Made only her dear SCOTT,
But Virtue, Worth, and Sweetness, widowers.

75. The monument of Dame Mary James is neatly ornamented with an urn,
wreathed and crowned with a Viscount’s coronet, on a handsome pedestal
The inscription observes that this Lady was wife to Sir John James, of
the ancient family of the Lords of Hostrick in Holland, and that she
died Nov. 6, 1667.

76. A magnificent and elegant monument of white marble to the memory
of Sir Peter Warren, done by Roubiliac. Close to the wall is a large
flag hanging to the flag-staff, and spreading in very natural folds
behind the whole monument. Before it is a fine figure of Hercules
placing Sir Peter’s bust on its pedestal; and on the other side,
Victory, with a laurel wreath in her hand, is seated gazing on the
bust with a look of melancholy mixed with admiration. Behind her a
Cornucopia pours out fruit, corn, the fleece, &c. and by it is a
cannon, an anchor, and other decorations. The inscription is as
follows:

Sacred to the memory
Of Sir PETER WARREN,
Knight of the Bath,
Vice-Admiral of the Red Squadron
Of the British Fleet,
And Member of Parliament
For the City and Liberty of Westminster.

And a little lower:

He derived his descent from an ancient Family of IRELAND,
His fame and honours from his virtues and abilities.
How eminently these were displayed,
With what vigilance and spirit they were exerted,
In the various services wherein he had the honour to command,
And the happiness to conquer,
Will be more properly recorded in the annals of
GREAT BRITAIN.
On this tablet, affection with truth may say,
That deservedly esteemed in private life,
And universally renowned for his public conduct,
The judicious and gallant officer
Possessed all the amiable qualities of the Friend,
The Gentleman, and the Christian.
But the ALMIGHTY,
Whom alone he feared,
And whose gracious protection he had often experienced,
Was pleased to remove him from a life of honour
To an eternity of happiness,
On the 29th day of July 1752, in the 49th year of his age.

On the bottom of the base:

Susannah, his afflicted wife, caused this monument
to be erected.

77. The monument inscribed to the memory of Sir Gilbert Lort, of
Stackpole in Pembrokeshire, who died Sept. 19, 1698, was erected to
his memory by his sister Dame Elizabeth Campbell of Calder in
Scotland. The author of _The Review of the public buildings_, &c.
observes, that the two boys here placed on each side a little tomb,
are in a very pretty taste, and a perfect contrast to each other; one
representing passionate, exclamatory grief, and the other still and
silent; and adds, “’Tis pity they are divided by so bad an ornament in
the middle: had they leaned on a single urn, which, in the antique
taste, might have been supposed to hold his ashes, they would have had
a fine effect, and challenged more admiration than many a more pompous
and expensive pile.”

78. The monument erected to Hugh Chamberlayne, M.D. was some years ago
esteemed one of the best pieces in the Abbey; but some of the later
monuments greatly exceed it. The principal figure lies, as it were, at
ease, upon a tomb stone, leaning upon his right arm, with his hand
upon his night cap, and his head uncovered. In his left hand, he holds
a book, to shew his intense application to study. On each side are the
emblems of Physic and Longevity; and over his head, is Fame descending
with a trumpet in one hand, and a wreath in the other. On the top are
weeping cherubs, and on the pedestal a long Latin inscription, which
mentions his great knowledge and industry in his profession, his
humanity in relieving the sick, and his affinities and connections in
social and private life. He died June 17, 1728, aged sixty-four.

79. The tomb of Almericus de Courcy, Baron of Kinsale, in Ireland, is
ornamented with the figure of his Lordship in armour, reposing himself
after the fatigues of an active life, under a gilded canopy. The
inscription shews, that he was descended from the famous John de
Courcy, Earl of Ulster, who in the reign of King John, in
consideration of his great valour, obtained the extraordinary
privilege for him and his heirs, of being covered in the King’s
presence. Almericus de Courcy died Feb. 9, 1719, aged fifty-seven.

80. The monument of Sir Thomas Duppa is adorned with flowers and
foliage, and on the top with an urn wreathed. The inscription shews,
that Sir Thomas in his youth waited upon King Charles II. when Prince
of Wales, and at length became Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, in
which office he died April 25, 1694, aged 75.

81. We come now to a monument that has been much admired, and as much
censured, that of Dame Elizabeth Carteret, who died on the 26th of
March, 1717, aged fifty-two. This Lady is represented springing
upwards, with only one foot fixed to the earth, and a little winged
seraph descending to receive her; but the disproportions are so great
between them, that one cannot help thinking, that it is much more
likely she should pull the aerial messenger down, than he raise her
one inch from the ground; but what is still worse, her attitude is
such, that it is impossible she should know that he is coming to give
her a lift. Below her hovering on the base, is another of these
heavenly spirits unfolding a very indifferent epitaph.

82. We come now to the grand and magnificent monument of the great Sir
Isaac Newton, whose statue is formed recumbent, leaning his right arm
on four folios, thus titled DIVINITY, CHRONOLOGY, OPTICS, and PHIL:
PRIN: MATH: and pointing to a scroll supported by 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 this globe sits the figure of Astronomy, with her book
closed, in a very thoughtful composed and pensive mood. Beneath the
principal figure is a very fine bas relief, representing the various
labours in which Sir Isaac chiefly employed his time: such as
discovering the cause of gravitation, settling the principles of light
and colours, and reducing the coinage to a determined standard. The
inscription on the pedestal is in Latin, short, but full of meaning,
intimating, that by a spirit nearly divine, he solved on principles of
his own, the motion and figure of the planets, the paths of the
comets, and the ebbing and flowing of the sea; that he discovered the
dissimularity of the rays of light, and the properties of colours from
thence arising, which none but himself had ever dreamt 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; and it concludes with a just exclamation, What reason have
mortals to pride themselves in the existence of so great an ornament
to the human race! He was born Dec. 25, 1642, and died in 1726.

So noble a monument erected to real merit, is a greater honour to the
nation than to the great genius for whom it was raised; in this light
it is viewed by all Europe.

83. On the other side of the entrance into the choir is another lofty
and pompous monument. This last was erected to the memory of Earl
Stanhope, who is also represented leaning upon his arm in a recumbent
posture, holding in his right hand a General’s staff, and in his left
a parchment scroll. Before him stands a cupid resting upon a shield.
Over a martial tent sits Minerva, holding in her right hand a javelin,
and in the other a scroll. Behind is a slender pyramid. On the middle
of the pedestal are two medalions, and on each side the pilasters one.
In short, under the principal figure is a Latin inscription,
displaying the merits of this great man, as a soldier, a statesman,
and a senator: observing, that in 1707, he concluded an advantageous
peace with Spain; and the same year was sent Embassador 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 1715, being
of the Secret Committee, he impeached the Duke of Ormond. In 1717 he
was made first Commissioner of the treasury, and Chancellor of the
exchequer; and in July following was created a Peer. He died in 1721,
in the forty-seventh year of his age.

84. Mr. Thynne’s monument has always been esteemed a very fine one.
That gentleman is represented dying, and at his feet is a boy weeping.
Underneath on a table of black marble in white letters is this short
inscription:

Thomas Thynne of Longleate in Com. Wilts, Esq; who was
barbarously murdered on Sunday the 12th of February, 1682.

And upon the pedestal the story of his murder is finely represented in
relief.

This last observation makes it necessary to give the particulars of
this murder, which we shall do from a very accurate, tho’ small work,
from which we have obtained considerable assistance in the description
of many things relating to the Abbey. The above murder was conspired
by Count Koningsmark, and executed by three assassins hired for that
purpose, who shot this unhappy gentleman 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 before consummation; and afterwards married to Mr.
Thynne; but being scarce fifteen, and her mother extremely tender of
her, and at the same time desirous of her having issue, prevailed upon
her husband to travel another year before he bedded her, in which time
she became acquainted with Koningsmark at the Court of Hanover.
Whether she had ever given him any countenance is uncertain; but
having no grounds to hope to obtain her while her husband lived, he in
this villainous manner accomplished his death: the Lady, however,
detested this base and inhuman conduct, and soon after married the
great Duke of Somerset.—At the time this happened, a report was spread
that Mr. Thynne had formerly debauched a woman of family and
character, on honourable pretences; but upon his uncle’s leaving him
10,000_l._ a year; he basely deserted her; whence arose the saying,
that _he had escaped his misfortune, if he had either married the Lady
he had lain with, or lain with the Lady he had married_. But we do not
pretend to insinuate that there was any truth in this story. It may
probably be only a cruel piece of defamation. _Historical Description
of Westminster Abbey._

85. The monument of Dame Grace Gethin, is ornamented with a figure of
a Lady devoutly kneeling, with a book in her right hand, and her left
on her breast; on each side is an angel, one holding over her head a
crown, and the other a chaplet; and on the ascending sides of the
pediment are two female figures in a mournful posture. It is adorned
with three different coats of family arms, and on the base is an
English inscription, which also lets us know that she was married to
Sir Richard Gethin of Gethin Grott in Ireland; was famed for her
exemplary piety, and wrote a book of devotions, which Mr. Congreve has
complimented with a poem. She died Oct. 11, 1697, aged twenty-one.

86. A monument erected to the memory of two sisters, the daughters of
Ralph Freke of Hannington in Wilts, Esq; whose busts in relief
ornament the sides. The inscription observes, that the eldest, named
Elizabeth, was married to Percey Freke of West Bilney in Norfolk, and
died on the 7th of April 1714; that Judith the youngest married Robert
Austin of Tenterden in Kent, and died May 19, 1716: and that they were
both the best of daughters, the best of wives, and the best of
mothers.

87. A large monument of black marble erected to the memory of Sir
Thomas Richardson, Lord Chief Justice of England in the reign of King
Charles I. He died in 1634, and his tomb is adorned with his effigy in
brass, lying in his robes, and his collar of S S.

88. An ancient monument raised to the memory of William Thynne of
Botterville, Esq.; it is of marble and alabaster gilt, and is adorned
with the statue of that gentleman lying at full length. The
inscription informs us, that he was a polite gentleman, a great
traveller, and a brave soldier, and that he died on the 14th of March
1584.

89. A very handsome monument erected for that learned grammarian Dr.
Busby, master of Westminster school; who is represented in his gown,
looking earnestly at the inscription; holding in his right hand a pen,
and in his left a book open. Upon the pedestal underneath are a
variety of books, and at the top is his family arms. The inscription
is a very elegant one, and intimates whatsoever fame the school of
Westminster boasts, and whatever advantages mankind shall reap from
thence in future times, are all principally owing to the wise
institutions of this gentleman, who was born at Lutton in
Lincolnshire, Sept. 22, 1606, and after being made Master of
Westminster college was elected Prebendary of Westminster, and
Treasurer of Wells. He died April 5, 1695.

90. The next monument, is that erected to the memory of Robert South,
D.D. who is represented in a recumbent posture in his canonical habit,
with his arm resting on a cushion, and his right hand on a death’s
head. In his left he holds a book with his finger between the leaves,
as if just closed from reading, and over his head is a group of
cherubs issuing from a mantling. This monument is however very badly
executed, and the statue is clumsy and unmeaning. It has a long Latin
inscription, shewing that this celebrated divine was scholar to Dr.
Busby, and student at Christ Church, Oxford; that by the patronage of
the Lord Clarendon he was made Prebendary both of Westminster and
Christ Church, and afterwards rector of Islip, where he rebuilt the
parsonage house, and founded and endowed a school for the education of
poor children. He died on the 8th of July 1718, aged eighty-two.

_The Monuments in the Cloisters._ The most ancient of these are
towards the east end of the south walk, where lie the remains of four
Abbots marked in the pavement by four stones.

The first of these covers the Abbot Vitales, who died in 1082, and was
formerly covered with brass plates.

The second is of grey marble, to the memory of Gislebertus Crispinus,
who died in 1114, and whose effigies may still be traced on the stone.

Under the third, which is a raised stone of Sussex marble, lies the
Abbot Laurentius, who died in 1176, and is said to be the first who
obtained from Pope Alexander III. the privilege of using the mitre,
ring and globe.

The last is of black marble, and covers the ashes of Gervasius de
Blois, who was natural son to King Stephen, and died in 1166. This is
called Long Meg, from its extraordinary length, it being eleven feet
eight inches. All these seem to have had their names and dates cut
afresh.

In the east walk is a handsome monument erected to the memory of
Daniel Pulteney, Esq; facing those of the above Abbots; the
inscription on which is much admired for the purity of the diction,
and its propriety and elegance, and is as follows:

Reader,
If thou art a BRITON,
Behold this tomb with reverence and regret.
Here lieth the remains of
DANIEL PULTENEY,
The kindest relation, the truest friend,
The warmest patriot, the worthiest man;
He exercised virtues in this age,
Sufficient to have distinguished him even in the best.
Sagacious by nature,
Industrious by habit,
Inquisitive with art,
He gain’d a compleat knowledge of the state of Britain,
Foreign and domestic.
In most the backward fruit of tedious experience,
In him the early acquisition of undissipated youth.
He served the court several years:
Abroad in the auspicious reign of Queen Anne,
At home, in the reign of that excellent Prince K. George the First.
He served his country always,
At court independent,
In the senate unbiass’d,
At every age, and in every station:
This was the bent of his generous soul,
This was the business of his laborious life.
Public men, and public things,
He judged by one constant standard,
_The true interest of Britain_;
He made no other distinction of party,
He abhorred all other:
Gentle, humane, disinterested, beneficent,
He created no enemies on his own account:
Firm, determined, inflexible,
He feared none he could create in the cause of Britain.
Reader,
In this misfortune of thy country, lament thy own:
For know
The loss of so much private virtue
Is a public calamity.

Almost at the end of the north east walk is a monument against the
Abbey wall to the memory of the Rev. Mr. William Laurence, the
inscription on which is remarkable for its quaintness, and is as
follows:

With diligence and trust exemplary,
Did William Laurence serve a Prebendary;
And for his pains, now past, before not lost,
Gain’d this remembrance at his master’s cost.
O! read these lines again, you seldom find
A servant faithful, and his master kind.
Short-hand he wrote, his flower in prime did fade,
And hasty death short hand of him hath made.
Well couth he numbers, and well measur’d land,
Thus doth he now that ground whereon we stand,
Whereon he lies so geometrical,
Art maketh some, but thus will Nature all.
Ob. Dec. 28. 1621. Ætat. 29.

_Henry the Seventh’s Chapel._ As this is a separate building from
Westminster Abbey, we did not think proper to confound it with the
other chapels; and as it is joined to the Abbey, we did not chuse to
render it so distinct an article as it would have been, had we given
it the place it would have demanded in the order of the alphabet. It
is to be examined at the same time with that edifice, and we have
followed the example of the architect in uniting them.

This chapel, which was founded by Henry VII. in the year 1502, and the
succeeding years, is styled by Leland the wonder of the world. It is
situated to the east of the Abbey, to which it is so neatly joined,
that on a superficial view it appears to be one and the same building.
It is supported by fourteen Gothic buttresses, all beautifully
ornamented, and projecting from the building in different angles, and
is enlightened by a double range of windows that throw the light into
such a happy disposition as at once to please the eye, and afford a
kind of solemn gloom. These buttresses extend up to the roof, and are
made to strengthen it by their being crowned with Gothic arches. In
these buttresses are niches, in which formerly stood a number of
statues; but these being greatly decayed, have been long taken down.

This chapel is one of the most expensive remains of the ancient
English taste and magnificence; there is no looking upon it without
admiration: yet, perhaps, its beauty consists much more eminently in
the workmanship than the contrivance. The plate shews the outside,
where it joins to the Abbey, and gives some idea of the fine taste of
Gothic architecture in that age, which seems to have been its
meridian; but it soon fell into the bad taste practised in the time of
Queen Elizabeth, as may be seen in the tomb of this Queen and her
predecessor in the side aisles of this chapel.

This may be sufficient for the outside of this edifice, the entrance
to which is from the east end of the Abbey, by a flight of steps of
black marble, under a very noble arch, that leads to the gates opening
to the body or nave of the chapel: for, like a cathedral it is divided
into a nave and side isles, to which you may enter by a door on each
hand. The gates at the entrance of the nave are of brass curiously
wrought in the manner of frame work, and have in every other open
pannel a rose and portcullis alternately.

Being entered, the eye is naturally directed to the lofty ceiling, in
the most admirable manner wrought with such an astonishing variety of
figures as is impossible to be described. The stalls on each side are
of oak, with Gothic canopies, most beautifully carved, as are also the
seats; and the pavement is of black and white marble, laid at the
charge of Dr. Killigrew, once Prebendary of this Abbey. The east view
from the entrance presents you with the brass chapel and tomb of the
founder, which will be hereafter described, and round it where the
east end forms a semicircle, are the chapels of the Dukes of
Buckingham and Richmond. At that end the side isles open to the nave.
It must not be omitted, that the walls both of the nave and the side
isles are adorned with the most curious imagery imaginable, and
contain an hundred and twenty statues of patriarchs, saints, martyrs
and confessors, under which are angels supporting imperial crowns,
besides innumerable small ones, all of them esteemed so curious, that
the best masters are said to have travelled from abroad to copy them.
The roof of the side isles is flattish, and supported on arches
between the nave and side isles turning upon twelve stately Gothic
pillars, curiously adorned with figures, fruitage and foliage. The
windows, besides a spacious one at the east end, are thirteen on each
side above and as many below, and were formerly painted, having in
each pane a white rose, the badge of the house of Lancaster, a B the
initial letter of the founder’s name, or portcullises crowned, the
badge of the Beaufort’s family, of which there are some now remaining.

This chapel was originally designed as a sepulchre appropriated solely
to the use of those of royal blood; and so far has the will of the
founder been observed, that none have been yet interred there, but
those of high quality, whose descent may generally be traced from some
of our ancient Kings: I shall therefore mention each of these tombs,
beginning with that which is the most ancient, as well as the most
astonishing.

It has been already observed, that in the middle of the east end of
the nave is situated the magnificent tomb of Henry VII. this is
enclosed with a screen of cast brass, most admirably designed, and
executed; this screen is nineteen feet in length, eleven in breadth,
and the same in height. It is ornamented with statues, of which those
only of St. James, St. Bartholomew, St. George, and St. Edward, are
now remaining; and also adorned with other devices alluding to King
Henry the Seventh’s family; as portcullises, signifying his relation
to the Beaufort’s by his mother’s side; roses twisted and crowned, in
memory of the union of the two houses of Lancaster and York, by his
marriage; and at each end a crown in a bush, alluding to the crown of
Richard III. found in a hawthorn bush, near Bosworth field, where the
famous battle was fought in which Richard lost his life. Within the
rails are the effigies of the royal pair, in their robes of state, on
a tomb of black marble, the head whereof is supported by a red dragon
the ensign of Cadwalladar, from whom King Henry VII. was fond of
tracing his descent, and the foot by an angel.

At the head of this tomb lie the remains of Edward VI. grandson to
Henry VII. who died in the sixteenth year of his age, and the seventh
of his reign. A fine monument was erected to his memory by Queen Mary,
his sister and successor; it was adorned with curious sculpture
representing the passion and resurrection of our Saviour; with two
angels on the top kneeling; and the whole elegantly finished; but it
was afterwards demolished as a relict of Popish superstition.

On one side of Henry the Seventh’s tomb in a small chapel, in which is
the monument of Lewis Stuart Duke of Richmond, and Frances his wife;
whose statues in cast brass are represented lying on a marble table
under a canopy of brass curiously wrought, and supported by the
figures of Faith, Hope, Charity, and Prudence; and on the top is a
figure of Fame taking her flight, and resting only on her toe.

On the north side of Henry the Seventh’s tomb is a monument decorated
with several emblematical figures in brass gilt; the principal is
Neptune in a pensive posture with his trident reversed, and Mars with
his head crushed; these support the tomb on which lie the effigies of
George Villars Duke of Buckingham, the great favourite of King James
I. and King Charles I. who fell a sacrifice to the national resentment
by the hand of Felton. His Grace married Catharine, daughter to the
Earl of Rutland, who erected this monument to his memory, and lies in
effigy on the same tomb by his side. The Latin inscription, after
recounting his noble qualities, and high titles, alludes to the story
of his death.

Of a later date, and superior in point of design and workmanship, is a
noble monument erected to the memory of John Sheffield Duke of
Buckingham, where his Grace’s statue in a Roman habit, is laid in a
half raised posture on an altar of fine marble: his Duchess is
represented standing at his feet weeping. On each side are military
trophies; and over all an admirable figure of Time holding several
medallions representing the heads of their Graces children. This
monument is very justly admired. It has been observed, that the Duke
himself appears the principal figure in the group, and though he lies
in a recumbent posture, and his Lady is in the most beautiful manner
placed at his feet, yet her figure is so characterized, as to be only
a guide to his, and both reflect back a beauty on each other. The
decorations are allowed to be extremely picturesque and elegant; the
trophies at his head, the figure of Time above, with the medallions of
his children, fill up all the spaces with such propriety, that little
could be added, and nothing appears superfluous. The inscription sets
forth the Duke of Buckingham’s posts, and his qualifications as a good
poet, and a fine writer; and over his statue is inscribed in Latin
sentences to the following purpose:

I lived doubtful, not dissolute.
I die unresolved, not unresigned.
Ignorance and error are incident to human nature.
I trust in an Almighty and All-good God.
Thou King of Kings have mercy upon me.

And underneath:

For my King often, for my Country always.

His Grace died in the 57th year of his age, Feb. 24, 1720,
leaving the publication of his works to the care of Mr. Pope.
He had three wives; the first, Ursula, Countess of Coventry;
the second, Catharine, Countess of Gainsborough; the third,
Catharine, Countess of Anglesey.

In this isle there is a lofty pyramid supported by two griffins of
gilt brass, on a pedestal of the most curious marble, erected to the
memory of Charles Montague, Marquis of Halifax, son to George Montague
of Horton. He was placed at the head of the treasury in the reign of
King Charles I. and undertaking the reformation of the coin, which was
then most infamously clipped, he restored it to its proper value. For
this, and other public services, he was first created Baron, and then
Marquis of Halifax.

Against the east wall at the end of the north isle is a monument in
the form of a beautiful altar, raised by King Charles II. to the
memory of Edward V. and his brother Richard, on which is an
inscription in Latin, to the following purport:

Here lie the reliques of Edward V. King of England, and
Richard Duke of York, who, being confined in the Tower, and
there stifled with pillows, were privately and meanly buried,
by order of their perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper. Their
bones, long enquired after and wished for, after lying two
hundred and one years in the rubbish of the stairs, lately
leading to the chapel of the White Tower, were on the 17th of
July 1674, by undoubted proofs discovered; being buried deep
in that place. Charles II. pitying their unhappy fate, ordered
these unfortunate Princes to be laid amongst the reliques of
their predecessors, in the year 1678, and the 20th of his
reign.

At the east end of the same isle is a vault in which are deposited the
bodies of King James I. and Anne his Queen, daughter to Frederic II.
King of Denmark.

Over this vault is a small tomb adorned with the figure of a child,
erected to the memory of Mary the third daughter of James I. who was
born at Greenwich in 1605, and died at two years old.

There is also another monument on which is the representation of a
child in a cradle, erected to the memory of Sophia, the fourth
daughter of the same King, who was born at Greenwich in 1606, and died
three days after.

In the same isle is a lofty monument erected to the memory of Queen
Elizabeth by King James I. her successor. The inscription represents
her character, high descent, and the memorable acts of her glorious
reign, “That she was the mother of her country, and the patroness of
religion and learning; was herself skilled in many languages, adorned
with every excellence of mind and person, and endowed with princely
virtues beyond her sex: that in her reign religion was refined to its
original purity; peace was established; money restored to its just
value; domestic insurrections quelled; France delivered from intestine
troubles; the Netherlands supported; the Spanish Armada defeated;
Ireland, almost lost by the secret contrivances of Spain, recovered;
the revenues of both universities improved by a law of provisions;
and, in short, all England enriched. That she was a most prudent
Governess, forty-five years a virtuous and triumphant Queen; truly
religious, and blest in all her great affairs; and that after a calm
and resigned death in the 70th year of her age, she left her mortal
part to be deposited in this church, which she established upon a new
footing, till by the word of Christ she is called to immortality.” She
died March 24, 1602.

In the south isle is a lofty and pompous tomb erected to the memory of
Mary Queen of Scots, the mother of King James I. who flying into
England from her rebellious subjects, was taken prisoner, tried and
condemned for conspiring the death of Queen Elizabeth, and on the 8th
of February 1587, beheaded on a scaffold erected in the hall of
Fotheringhay Castle, in Northamptonshire. She was afterwards pompously
interred by order of Queen Elizabeth, in the cathedral church of
Peterborough; but upon the accession of her son to the throne of
England, he ordered her remains to be removed from thence, and placed
near this monument.

Near the last monument is a tomb enclosed with iron rails, on which
lies a Lady also finely robed, the effigies of Margaret Douglas,
daughter of Margaret Queen of Scots by the Earl of Angus. Her son the
Lord Darnely, father to King James I. is represented foremost on the
tomb kneeling, with the crown over his head, and there are seven other
of her children represented round the tomb. This great Lady, though
she herself never sat on the throne, had, according to the English
inscription, King Edward IV. to her great grandfather; Henry VII. to
her grandfather; Henry VIII. to her uncle; Edward VI. to her cousin
german; James V. of Scotland to her brother; Henry I. of Scotland to
her son; James VI. to her brother. Having to her great grandmother and
grandmother two Queens, both named Elizabeth; to her mother, Margaret
Queen of Scots; to her aunt, Mary the French Queen; to her cousins
german, Mary and Elizabeth Queens of England; and to her niece and
daughter-in-law, Mary Queen of Scots. This great Lady died March 10,
1577.

In the south side is likewise the monument of Margaret Countess of
Richmond, mother to Henry VII. by her first husband Henry Tudor. She
was afterwards married to Humphry Stafford, a younger son to Humphry
Duke of Buckingham, and at last to Thomas Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby;
but by the two last had no children. The inscription mentions the
charities of this humane and generous Princess, particularly her
founding two colleges at Oxford, Christ Church and St. John’s; and a
grammar school at Winbourne. She died in July 1509, in the reign of
her grandson Henry VIII.

At the east end of this isle is the royal vault of King Charles II.,
King William III., Queen Mary his Consort, Queen Anne, and Prince
George.

Over these royal Personages are their effigies (except that of Prince
George) in wainscot presses; they are of wax work resembling life, and
dressed in their coronation robes.

Another wainscot press is placed at the corner of the great east
window, in which is the effigy of the Lady Mary Duchess of Richmond,
daughter to James Duke of Richmond and Lenox, dressed in the very
robes her Grace wore at the coronation of Queen Anne.

On leaving this isle you will be shewn in another wainscot press the
effigies of General Monk, who had a great share in the restoration of
King Charles II. to the throne of England, and was interred in a vault
appropriated to him and his family. He is represented in armour, and
his ducal cap is generally made use of by those who shew this chapel,
to receive the bounty of those who visit it; these persons having no
share of the money paid for seeing it.

Thus have we given a description of every thing remarkable in the
Abbey, and that venerable pile adjoining to it, called Henry the
Seventh’s chapel; we have mentioned and described the monuments in
both that are worthy of notice, and we shall conclude this article
with the following reflections, extracted from an ingenious writer, on
this subject.

“However amiable fame may be to the living, ’tis certain no
advantage to the dead, whatever dangers they have dared,
whatever toils they have undergone, whatever difficulties they
have surmounted; the grave is deaf to the voice of applause,
and the dust of the noble and vulgar sleep in the same
obscurity together. ’Tis possible the conscious spirit may
have an idea of the honour that is paid to his ashes; but ’tis
much more probable, that the prospect of this imaginary glory,
while he lived among us, was all the pleasure it ever could
afford him. I make this observation, because most monuments
are said to be erected as an honour to the dead, and the
living are supposed to be the least concerned in them: but one
man’s fame is made the foundation of another’s, in the same
manner with the gentleman’s, who ordered this sentence to be
made his epitaph; HERE LIES SIR PHILIP SIDNEY’S FRIEND. Some
there are that mention only the names of the persons whose
dust they cover, and preserve a noble silence with regard to
the hand that raised them; but even here, the dead can receive
no benefit from such disinterested affection; but the living
may profit much by so noble an example. Another thing that
displeases me is the manner of the inscriptions, which
frequently mistake the very design of engraving them, and as
frequently give the lie to themselves. To pore one’s self
blind in guessing out _Æternæ Memoriæ Sacrum_, is a jest, that
would make Heraclitus laugh; and yet most of them begin in
that pompous taste, without the least reflection that brass
and marble can’t preserve them from the tooth of Time; and if
men’s actions have not guarded their reputations, the proudest
monument would flatter in vain. Sepulchral monuments should be
always considered as the last public tribute paid to virtue;
as a proof of our regard for noble characters, and most
particularly as an excitement to others to emulate the great
example.

“It is certain there is not a nobler amusement, than a walk
in Westminster Abbey, among the tombs of heroes, patriots,
poets, and philosophers; you are surrounded with the shades
of your great forefathers; you feel the influence of their
venerable society, and grow fond of fame and virtue in the
contemplation: ’tis the finest school of morality, and the
most beautiful flatterer of imagination in nature. I appeal
to any man’s mind that has any taste for what is sublime and
noble, for a witness to the pleasure he experiences on this
occasion; and I dare believe he will acknowledge, that there
is no entertainment so various, or so instructive. For my
own part, I have spent many an hour of pleasing melancholy
in its venerable walks; and have been more delighted with
the solemn conversation of the dead, than the most sprightly
sallies of the living. I have examined the characters that
were inscribed before me, and distinguished every particular
virtue. The monuments of real fame, I have viewed with real
respect; but the piles that wanted a character to excuse
them, I considered as the monuments of folly. I have
wandered with pleasure into the most gloomy recesses of this
last resort of grandeur, to contemplate human life, and
trace mankind thro’ all the wilderness of their frailties
and misfortunes, from their cradles to their grave. I have
reflected on the shortness of our duration here, and that I
was but one of the millions who had been employed in the
same manner, in ruminating on the trophies of mortality
before me; that I must moulder to dust in the same manner,
and quit the scene to a new generation, without leaving the
shadow of my existence behind me; that this huge fabric,
this sacred repository of fame and grandeur, would only be
the stage for the same performances; would receive new
accessions of noble dust; would be adorned with other
sepulchres of cost and magnificence; would be crouded with
successive admirers; and at last, by the unavoidable decays
of time, bury the whole collection of antiquities in general
obscurity, and be the monument of its own ruin.”

ABBOTS LANGLEY, a village in Hertfordshire, situated to the east of
Kings Langley, and three or four miles to the S. W. of St. Alban’s, to
whose abbey it once belonged. It is famous for being the birth place
of Nicholas Breakspeare, who was made Pope by the title of Adrian IV.
and had his stirrup held by the Emperor Frederic while he dismounted:
but notwithstanding his pride, it is a still more indelible stain to
his memory, that when Sovereign Pontiff, he suffer’d his mother to be
maintained by the alms of the church of Canterbury. This place gives
the title of Baron to the Lord Raymond, who has a seat in this
neighbourhood.

ABBS COURT, in the parish of Walton upon Thames in Surrey. The Lord of
this Manor, which is also called APS, used formerly upon All-Saints
Day to give a barrel of beer, and a quarter of corn baked into loaves,
to as many poor as came. This charity was begun in the days of Popery,
in order, as ’tis supposed, to encourage the prayers for deliverance
of souls out of purgatory.

ABCHURCH _lane_, 1. Gracechurch street.☐ 2.Lombard street.☐ See _St._
Mary Abchurch.

ABEL _court_, Rosemary lane.

ABEL’S _buildings_, Rosemary lane.†

ABINGDON _buildings_, Old Palace yard.

ABINGDON _street_, near Old Palace yard.

ACADEMY _court_, Chancery lane.

Acorn _alley_, Bishopsgate street, without.*

ACORN _court_, Bishopsgate street, without.*

ACTON (EAST) a village six miles from London, a little to the north of
the Oxford Road, noted for the medicinal wells near it, which are
frequented in the summer months.

ACTON (WEST) a village in the road to Oxford, situated seven miles from
London.

ADAM-A-DIGGING _yard_, Peter street, Westminster.*

ADAM AND EVE _alley_, 1. Barnaby street.* 2. by West Smithfield.*

ADAM AND EVE _court_, 1. Oxford street.* 2. Tottenham court road.* 3.
West Smithfield.* 4. Hatchet alley, Whitechapel. 5. Petticoat lane.*

ADAM AND EVE _yard_, 1. Homerton.* 2. Ratcliff highway.*

ADAM’S _court_, 1. Little Broad street.† 2. Pig street.† 3. Sharp’s
buildings, Duke’s place.† 4. Near Swan’s close.†

ADAM’S _mews_, 1. Audley street.† 2. Charles street near Mount street.†

ADAM’S _yard_, Hockley in the Hole. †

ADDINGTON, a village in Surrey, three miles from Croydon, situated at
the descent of a high spacious common to which it gives name. Its
church, though said to be above 300 years old, is still very firm. But
what is most remarkable, is, that the Lord of the Manor held it in the
reign of Henry III. by the service of making his Majesty a mess of
pottage in an earthen pot in the King’s kitchen at his coronation; and
so late as the coronation of King Charles II. Thomas Leigh, Esq; then
Lord of the Manor, made a mess according to his tenure, and brought it
to his Majesty’s table, when that King accepted of his service, though
he did not taste what he had prepared.

ADDISON’S _yard_, Peter street, Westminster. †

ADDLE _hill_, Great Carter lane, Thames street.

ADDLE _street_, Wood street, Cheapside.

ADMIRALTY _court_. This court, which is held in Doctors Commons, was
formerly under the direction of the Lord High Admiral, as it is now
under the Lords of the Admiralty, who here take cognisance of all
causes relating to merchants and mariners. The proceedings are in the
Civil Law. The plaintiff gives security to prosecute, and if cast, to
pay what shall be adjudged, and likewise to stand to all his proctor
shall transact in his name. But in criminal cases, as the trial of
pirates, and crimes committed at sea, the process, by a special
commission, is by a judge, jury and witnesses, a Judge of the Common
Law assisting: on which occasion the court is commonly held at the
Session-house in the Old Bailey. The officers of this court are the
Judge of the Admiralty, who must be a Civilian, an Advocate and
Proctor, a Register, and a Marshal, who carries a silver oar before
the Judge.

ADMIRALTY _office_, an edifice built with brick and stone, on the west
side of the street, opposite to Scotland yard. The east front, which
is that represented in the print, has two deep wings, and is entered
by a very lofty portico supported by four very large stone columns of
the Ionic Order, to which there is an ascent by a few steps.

The importance of this building is what recommends it to notice. The
portico, which was intended as an ornament, rather disgusts than
pleases, by the immoderate height and ill shape of the columns.