File:The imperial island; England's chronicle in stone; (1886) (14581359689).jpg

Identifier: imperialislanden00hunn (find matches)
Title: The imperial island; England's chronicle in stone;
Year: 1886 (1880s)
Authors: Hunnewell, James Frothingham, 1832-1910
Subjects: Architecture
Publisher: Boston, Ticknor
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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proached through two octagonaltowers that are covered with statuary and fine tracery, andare connected by a canopy of the most delicate elaboration.On each side of the chapel there is a similar design, and onthe east wall, and forming another part of it, is a lofty andstill richer screen. When entire, the composition was of greatvalue in history as well as in art; but it has been unpardon-ably injured or neglected. All the monuments of the sover-eigns at Westminster have, indeed, been seriously damaged.Compared with many in St. Peters at Rome, or in St. Denis,near Paris, they lack size and splendor, and they have not beenas well kept as those at La Superga and the Escorial; yet theEnglish group is not surpassed in age or interest by any otherin Europe. In this part of the Abbey, it should be added here,many other distinguished personages besides royalty lie buried.No other object in the choir will probably attract more at-tention than the coronation chair. It is made of dark wood, and
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■ ! WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 235 is very large, and, also, is remarkably shabby. Beneath theseat is placed the stone of Scone, that was brought from Scot-land with the Scottish regalia by Edward I., since whose timeall the sovereigns have been crowned while seated on it. Ac-cording to the story, it is a part of Jacobs pillar; but far moreprobably it was the pillow on which rested the head of the dyingSt. Columba, a relic of the minster where, says Dr. Stanley, the first authentic coronation in western Christendom oc-curred,— at Iona. It is a flat piece of slightly reddish-graysandstone, about two feet long, a foot and a half wide, andnine inches thick, and, says a modern observer, very like thestone of which Dunstaffnage Castle is built. Tlie monuments that crowd the other portions of the Abbeywere neglected and were very dusty as late as 1871. In thenext year a thorough cleaning had improved them wonderfully,and they are now well kept. Most of the older works are lessmutilated than mig

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