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  • Feb. 1, 1796
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Feb. 1, 1796: Page 11

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    Article OBSERVATIONS MADE IN A VISIT TO THE TOMBS IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, ← Page 2 of 8 →
Page 11

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Observations Made In A Visit To The Tombs In Westminster Abbey,

a chain of gold twenty inches long , with a crucifix , enamelled and curiously wrought . This the king undoubtedly wore upon his breast while living . The silent language of Edward through the , little image , to every beholder , was , " I am more righteous than thou . " The friendship contracted between Edward and his crucifix did not terminate with life , for he ordered it to hold the same honourable place

near his heart , in the tomb . Keep presented this rich relic to King James , being exactly in his own way . James wisely considering it might be more useful to the living than the dead , and that it bore a high value , made no scruple to keep it , but ordered the bones of the saint , which bore none , to be carefully replaced . I submit to the judgment of every catholic in Christendom , whether the king did not commit sacrilege ? I submit to every man ' s conscience , whether he himself would not have done the same ?

' ' EDWARD THE FIRST S TOMB . The first tomb on the ri ght , as we enter , is the p lainest in the whole Abbey , and belongs to one of the greatest monarchs , Edward the Pirst . It is about nine feet long , four high , and three broad : The top , I think , consists of ' one coarse marble slab . The man who has raised an immortal name bhis actionscan add but little by a

y , monument . We are told , the Society of Antiquarians in London , having observed that Rymer , in his Fcedera , mentions Edward the First , called Longshanks , being interred in a stone coffin , and in a stone tomb , in one of the chapels in Westminster Abbey ; that he was covered with wax , and that a sum of money was allowed to preserve the tomb ;

they applied to the Deari , in 1774 , for leave to open it , who granted the request . Upon taking off the slab , the stone coffin was seen immediately below it . - On removing the lid , a plain coarse linen cloth offered itself to view ; which being taken away , a royal mantle of crimson velvet was found , immediately covering the royal corpse . When this was removedthe king appeareddressed in his own robe

, , of gold and silver tissue ,. which was white . He was adorned with a profusion of jewels , which were very brilliant , nor had the robes undergone the least decay , but were firm to the touch . He held a sceptre in each hand , bright as the jewels . That in the right , four feet six inches long , terminated with a cross : that'in the left , five feet and half an inchwith a dove .

, They raised up the crown , and his head appeared bare . His face and hands were perfect , and , like his robes , were solid , and without ' any symptom of decay . The eye-balls moved in their sockets . The whole body was neatly covered with a cere-cloth , which every where , adhered to the skin , as if a part of it . The colour was that of chocolate ; the upper part of the nosebetween the eyeswas not

promi-, , nent . Between the chin and the under lip appeared a considerable hollow . There was no beard . He was not uncovered lower than the face . The feet felt sound , nor did there seem a disproportion in the legs , by which he could acquire the name of Longshanks , He

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1796-02-01, Page 11” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 2 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01021796/page/11/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
LONDON: Article 2
TO READERS, CORRESPONDENTS , &c. Article 3
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE: AND CABINET OF UNIVERSAL LITERATURE, FOR FEBRUARY 1796. Article 4
AN ADDRESS FROM THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MADRAS TO THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Article 6
AN ADDRESS, DELIVERED TO THE BRETHREN OF ST. JOHN'S LODGE, NO. 534, LANCASTER. Article 7
OBSERVATIONS MADE IN A VISIT TO THE TOMBS IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, Article 10
ON THE PASSIONS OF THE ANCIENTS. Article 17
THE MODERN STATE OF FRIENDSHIP. Article 20
ORIGINAL LETTER FROM OLIVERCROMWELL, Article 22
THE STAGE. Article 23
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE LATE THOMAS DUNCKERLEY, ESQ. Article 25
ON PARENTAL PARTIALITIES. Article 29
ACCOUNT OF DR. DEE, THE ASTROLOGER. Article 31
ON THE ABSURDITY, FOLLY, AND INCONSISTENCY OF VARIOUS FASHIONABLE CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES Article 37
TWO LETTERS WRITTEN BY MR. ADDISON, IN THE YEAR I708, TO THE EARL OF WARWICK, Article 41
HISTORY OF MASONRY. Article 42
ON THE VARIOUS MODES OF EATING IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. Article 48
POETRY. MASONIC SONG. Article 50
SONG. Article 50
STANZAS TO WINTER. Article 51
TO FRIENDSHIP. Article 52
MONODY ON THE DEATH OF JOHN HOWARD, ESQ. Article 53
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 55
PROLOGUE TO THE WAY TO GET MARRIED, Article 56
EPILOGUE TO THE SAME. Article 57
" HISTORY OF THE THEATRES OF LONDON, Article 58
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 63
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 64
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Page 11

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Observations Made In A Visit To The Tombs In Westminster Abbey,

a chain of gold twenty inches long , with a crucifix , enamelled and curiously wrought . This the king undoubtedly wore upon his breast while living . The silent language of Edward through the , little image , to every beholder , was , " I am more righteous than thou . " The friendship contracted between Edward and his crucifix did not terminate with life , for he ordered it to hold the same honourable place

near his heart , in the tomb . Keep presented this rich relic to King James , being exactly in his own way . James wisely considering it might be more useful to the living than the dead , and that it bore a high value , made no scruple to keep it , but ordered the bones of the saint , which bore none , to be carefully replaced . I submit to the judgment of every catholic in Christendom , whether the king did not commit sacrilege ? I submit to every man ' s conscience , whether he himself would not have done the same ?

' ' EDWARD THE FIRST S TOMB . The first tomb on the ri ght , as we enter , is the p lainest in the whole Abbey , and belongs to one of the greatest monarchs , Edward the Pirst . It is about nine feet long , four high , and three broad : The top , I think , consists of ' one coarse marble slab . The man who has raised an immortal name bhis actionscan add but little by a

y , monument . We are told , the Society of Antiquarians in London , having observed that Rymer , in his Fcedera , mentions Edward the First , called Longshanks , being interred in a stone coffin , and in a stone tomb , in one of the chapels in Westminster Abbey ; that he was covered with wax , and that a sum of money was allowed to preserve the tomb ;

they applied to the Deari , in 1774 , for leave to open it , who granted the request . Upon taking off the slab , the stone coffin was seen immediately below it . - On removing the lid , a plain coarse linen cloth offered itself to view ; which being taken away , a royal mantle of crimson velvet was found , immediately covering the royal corpse . When this was removedthe king appeareddressed in his own robe

, , of gold and silver tissue ,. which was white . He was adorned with a profusion of jewels , which were very brilliant , nor had the robes undergone the least decay , but were firm to the touch . He held a sceptre in each hand , bright as the jewels . That in the right , four feet six inches long , terminated with a cross : that'in the left , five feet and half an inchwith a dove .

, They raised up the crown , and his head appeared bare . His face and hands were perfect , and , like his robes , were solid , and without ' any symptom of decay . The eye-balls moved in their sockets . The whole body was neatly covered with a cere-cloth , which every where , adhered to the skin , as if a part of it . The colour was that of chocolate ; the upper part of the nosebetween the eyeswas not

promi-, , nent . Between the chin and the under lip appeared a considerable hollow . There was no beard . He was not uncovered lower than the face . The feet felt sound , nor did there seem a disproportion in the legs , by which he could acquire the name of Longshanks , He

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