ages of such undated interments, or sepulchral memorials, as may fall under his observation.

The modes of burial prevailing among the different nations which effected a settlement in Britain, previous to the Norman Conquest, have been already noticed; and it has been stated, in those earlier sections of this work, that coffins of stone were sometimes used by the Romans, and frequently by the AngloSaxons. From the time of the conversion of the latter people, to the reign of Henry the Eighth,* stone-coffins appear to have been much used in every age; and they have been found in nearly every part of England. Nor would it seem that they were confined to persons of particular sanctity or eminence; but were used in all interments where the expense was disregarded.

Coffins made of lead, and of wood, are also believed to have been used by the Romans in Britain, and by the Anglo-Saxons.† But the earliest recorded instance of the use of a wooden coffin, in this country, is that of King Arthur, as noticed by Giraldus; who describes it as having consisted of an entire trunk of oak, hollowed to receive the body.

The manner in which bodies have been dressed, or shrouded, for the grave, is more various than the materials of the coffin in which they were deposited; and we are generally unable to ascertain, with any resemblance of accuracy, the date of an interment by the character of the materials in which the corpse is wrapped. Through many ages subsequent to the Norman Conquest, if not in earlier periods, the remains of the illustrious dead were often enclosed in leather, which is sometimes described as being gilt. This species of encasement is, however, more frequently mentioned as consisting of the mere skin of an auimal, Thus, Henry the First, is said to have been "sewed up in a bull's skin;" and his daughter, the Empress Maud, to have been

In some few curious instances, stone-coffins have been used much later. Sir William Dugdale and his lady are buried in stone coffins, each made in two parts." Dugdale's Warwickshire, by Dr. Thomas, Vol. II. p. 1046. Sepulchral Monuments, Introduction, p. 59, et seq.

the Anglo-Saxons, Vol. II. &c.

Turner's Hist. of

been "wrapt up in an ox's hide." But the body of a deceased royal personage was sometimes enwrapped in a manner very different from the above. The remains of Sebba, an Anglo-Saxon sovereign, were discovered in St. Paul's, as we are informed by Dugdale, "curiously embalmed with sweet odours, and clothed in rich robes." "* The corpse of Edward the First was richly habited, and adorned with the royal mantle, or pall, of crimson satin.

It is well known that priests were generally buried in their sacred habits; but this custom was not entirely confined to ecclesiastics. The garb of a priest was often coveted by the dying, as a fanciful proof of sanctity. It will be remembered that King John was, by his own desire, buried in a monk's cowl. Mr. Gough observes "that the paten and chalice were buried with ecclesiastical persons of common rank, as well as with prelates and presidents of religious societies. The chalice and paten commonly went together, though the latter is sometimes described as the cover of the former, and in some graves is missing, being more liable to decay. It is most probable that all these vessels, so interred, being rather emblematical of the profession of the party, than his private property (for it is not to be supposed that the parish would part with their communion plate) were made of meaner metal, silvered over; as the rings interred with prelates were gilt. The chalice, though found in the coffins of bishops, never appears on their monuments."+

It has been stated, in a previous section, that few, if any, sepulchral monuments, now remaining in this country, are of an earlier date than the Norman Conquest. The number is not considerable of those which occur between that era and the time of Henry the Third, although it would seem probable that many were erected in the intervening ages. They become more frequent in the reigns of the two first Edwards; and are very

Dugdale's Hist. of St. Paul's, p. 48.

+ Sepulchral Monuments, Vol. I. Introduction.

numerous

numerous in the reign of Edward the Third; from which time the number continually augments as we approach the existing period.

Respecting the fashions of sepulchral monuments, as prevailing in different ages, a memoir was drawn up by the late Maurice Johnson, Esq. founder of the Literary Society of Spalding, which demands attention, as it is much commended by Mr. Gough, and is transcribed by him, in the preface to his voluminous work on sepulchres in Britain.

Mr. Johnson divides the tombs of this country into eight forms. The first form may be described as the prismatic tomb, plain on the top; and is thus noticed by Mr. Johnson: "Before the evil practice of burying in churches became general, and the arts of designing were restored, our ancestors, if of fortune sufficient to afford it, were interred in stone coffins, the bottom part being of one large stone, sufficient to receive the corpse. The form of the lid, or upper part, varied with the times, as arts were retrieved. The lid of the most ancient was in the form of a prism, or triangular; and though they be now generally under ground, originally only the bottom part, or that which contained the corpse, was so; and the lid, or covering stone, was seen above ground."

The second form retains the prismatic lid, with the addition of carving on that part.

The third form is described as the table monument, supporting effigies, or sculpture; and appears to have succeeded, at a very early period, to the prismatic tomb, in regard to the burial of distinguished personages.-It is supposed by Mr. Johnson, that, "about the beginning of the 13th century, if they did not place the effigies on a monument, they left off raising the upper stone to a point, and only carried it up some part of the way, with some decoration on the plain top; as is shewn by an old cross fleury of Archbishop Langton, made about 1233. Of this form were tables, set in pillars on feet; as Archbishop Sewal's, in York cathedral, A. D. 1258."

The

The fourth form is mentioned under the head of tombs with testoons, or arches over them.-The testoon, or tester, was designed to shield from dust, or other descending injurious matter, the costly sculpture and various ornaments of splendid table, or altar, monuments. This protecting coverlet was probably first introduced about the beginning of the 14th century, when the arts connected with monumental commemoration emerged from long obscurity, and met with much encouragement from the first Edward. The earliest testoons were flat, and in a straight line ;* as, indeed, were many, even down to the 15th century; but an improvement soon occurred, in the substitution of th arch, for this weighty flatness, and straight formality of outline. "The obtuse point of the arch was usually decorated, at top, with foliage-work, all the way up the sides, and a large fleur de foliage over the summit; and images of the wife, children, and other relations of the party, together with saints, or sovereigns, and benefactors, about the table, on the sides; and much painting and gilding were now bestowed on the sculpture, though of marble, or copper."-Instances of this description of monument, erected in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, may be seen in many cathedral, and other churches.

The fifth form of tombs, according to the arrangement of Mr. Johnson, involves the curious subject of sepulchral chapels. The rise of these he traces to the inconvenience proceeding from the augmentation, in size and number, of those tombs surmounted with arches of stone, which succeeded to the first monuments protected by testoons, or testers. The chief information conveyed by his remarks, may be expressed in the following terms: -When the arched monuments were so much enlarged, as to incumber, and take up too much room, even in the most spacious cathedral and conventual churches, a method was devised for

paliiating

* Instances of the early testoon may be seen in many royal and noble monuments. It is observed by Mr. Gough, "that the testers of Henry the Third; Eleanor; Philippa; and Richard the Second; are of wood, painted with the Deity, saints, and angels, on their ceiling."

palliating the inconvenience, by annexing chapels to such monuments; "having doors out of the side aisles of the churches, and being open to the church, only secluded by iron work." But these, again, produced fresh deformities; having an extraordinary ill effect, and spoiling the view on the outside." In chapels of this description, lie King Henry the Fifth, at Westminster; King Edward the Fourth at Windsor; and Bishop Russeil, and Archbishop Longland, in Lincoln cathedral.

"But those great men," continues Mr. Johnson, "avoided this error, and well consulted for, and increased the beauty of these venerable piles, who added such chapels for the reception of themselves, and their relations, or friends, at the east end of them; that division from the cross aisle being much too short for the nave, and well admitting it. Thus, King Henry the Seventh's sumptuous chapel, added to Westminster Abbey, greatly increases the beauty of that pile. Sometimes the effect is well enough when running parallel in the choir, as that of Humphrey, the good Duke of Gloucester, at St. Alban's; the sumptuous chapel of Richard Beauchamp, at Warwick; and of Arthur, prince of Wales, at Worcester."

From the above remarks we perceive that sepulchral chapels were not always additions to the outline of a building, but were sometimes distinct erections within the church. In most of these chapels, however situated, mass was celebrated, in honour of a patron saint, whose image was placed at the head, over the tomb; and they were endowed with masses for the soul of the deceased.

The sixth form consists of the monumental stone, inlaid with brass. Such monuments are well known to be extremely common; and the brasses are, sometimes, elaborately worked and highly wrought.

The age at which inscriptions in brass were first introduced,

is

Such are the chapels of Bishop Wykeham, at Winchester; and Edward the Black Prince, at Canterbury.