AMERICA AND WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
Dean Stanley recently delivered an interesting address in the Theatre of the Society of Arts on “ The Reminiscences of America in Westminster Abbey,” Of the beginners of that system of small coramonwedths which ultimately grew into the United States of America, the Abbey, he said, had no memorials to boast of. But if they might include St. Margaret’s Church within its precincts, there, beneath its chancel, the body of Sir Walter Raleigh was laid after his execution, though with no stone to mark his grave. He might fairly he called the father and founder of the United States, inasmuch as he first contemplated in thought the rise of such a new nation in’ the future. In compliment to Elizabeth, he named the whole of the northern continent from the St. Lawrence, - Virginia. A groat soldier, statesman, poet, historian, and philosopher, his death was mainly due to the jealousy - of James 1., of whom, as they had been reminded that day, Prince Henry had asked, “ What king in Christendom but my father would have mewed up such a bird in a cage ?’ Of the three great monuments relating to the struggle between French and English for the possession of the American continent, the flist to be noticed was that of Lord Howe, which was to be seen on the south wall of the nave of the Abbey. He fell near the snot marked by a local tablet to his memory on the isthmus of Tieonderoga. The tomb in Westminster Abbey was erected by the colony of Massachusetts. In the same conflict was killed General Towsend, of whom also there is a monument in the Abbey. When the Dean was in America he was presented.with a rusty bayonet, which had been dug up on the battle-field. But the most interesting of the three monuments in the Abbey, belonging to this period was. that of General Wolfe, who was sent cut by the great Lord Chatham at the head of an army raised to end the war. Wolfe’s-spirit rose triumphant above a wealCand sickly frame, and so little did he hide his delight when told by Chatham that he was to command, that the Minister exclaimed on Wolfe’s leaving his cabinet, “ Good Heavens ! what have I done ? I have appointed a madman.” But it was the madness of genius. Without’ again telling the audience the story of the storming of Quebec, they might be reminded that, while crossing the St. Lawrence on his way to that final triumph, lie asked if anyone could recite Gray s “ E.ogy, and a young soldier having done so, Wolfe said, with deep emotion, “ I would rather have written that poem than taken yonder fortress.” His scaling th'e Heights of Abraham and turning out the French in twenty minutes was doubtless against all rule. Ho died in the arms of victory in tnc same hour as
the French Governor Montcalm, but not until he had named his successor in command. Following on oad news ii’om the seat of wav, the tidings of the decisive triumph set the church bells ringing throughout imigiand, save in Wolfe’s native village, out of respect to his mother, who, besides losing her son, had lately become a widow. To make room for the victor’s monument in the Abbey it was at first intended to displace one of the most beautiful tombs in the building, that erected in memory of a nephew of Heuery 111. Happily, Horace Walpole’s remonstrance with the Dean of that day was effectual, and Wolfe’s monument was erected behind the other. It perpetuities on a bronze bas-relief the history of the siege of Quebec. Dean Stanley remarked on the striking likeness, especially as to the nostrils and -that region of the face, between Wolfe’s physiognomy and that, of William Pitt, whose monument is close at hand. Coming down to the war of separation between England and her American colonies, they were reminded of Boston. harbor and Bunker’s Hill, where independence won its first victory, by a- stained glass window at the extreme eastern end of the chapel. It commemorates .an English Minister who, having died at Boston, was brought to his native land ten years ago to be buried among bis ancestors in Scotland, butiwhose American friends expressed heir kindly Debugs towards himself and his,, .country by .. this memorial ■window in , the Abbey. In the north closter, but undistinguished by any monumentak pomp, is. the grave of General Biirgoync, whose surrender of the English . army at Saratoga was one of the heaviest and most decisive blows inflicted on the English throughput the-war. ..But the most interesting .monument associated with that war to be seen in the Abbey was .that of Major Andre, who was employed to negotiate with a brilliant and (lashing, but unuhcvupulous, American commander for the betrayel of the great fortress of West Point, on, the Hudson, to the English commander- Major Andre, on his way back, vas caught by three American peasants, and thetre asonablo despatches having been found hidden between his boots end his stockings, he was taken into the American camp. There all were struck with his noble bearing ; but Washington, seeing the gravity of the crisis, insisted upon his being banged as a spy instead of being shot as a soldier. Many years afterwards with the permission of the American Government, Andres’ bones wore brought to bis country and buried in Westminster Abbey, the scene of bis execution being represented on the monument, -including an authentic " portrait of Washington. To this day Andre’s memory was cherished in
America, and his history was reflected in F-. nimore Cooper’s noyel of “ The Spy.’’ Dean Stanley brought springs of marie, oak, and shumack from the hanks of the Hue sou to place on the tomb of one who, though technically executed as a spy, we must ever regard as having died a patriot’s death. Coming down to times much nearer our own, the Buxton monument in St. Margaret’s Church might remind us of the final catastrophe of American slavery in the greatest civil war ever fought in. the history of the world. Within the Abbey, itself, near the entrance of the nave, there was the grave in which the body of George Peabody rested previous to its removal to America. Dean Stanly, on his return from Transatlantic visit, had inscribed the cenotadh with Peabody’s own words —“ I prayed my Heavenly Father day by day that I might be enabled before I die to show my gratitude for the blessing which he has bestowed upon me by doing some great good to my fcllowmen.” Another American monument in Westminster Abbey was the painted window by George Childs, to commemorate, as suggested by the Dean, George Herbert and Wiliam Cowper,
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TEML18790712.2.13
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 161, 12 July 1879, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,125AMERICA AND WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 161, 12 July 1879, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.