APPENDIX VII

I

CRUCIFIX OF EDWARD THE CONFESSOR

FEB. 1687-8, there was printed what was called "A true and perfect narrative of the strange and unexpected finding the Crucifix and Gold-chain of that pious Prince, St. Edward the King and Confessor, which was found after six hundred and twenty years' interment, and presented to his most Sacred Majesty, King James the Second. By Charles Taylour, Gent. London, printed by J. B., and are to be sold by Randal Taylor, near Stationers' Hall, 1688."

He says, that" on St. Barnaby's Day [11 June], 1685, between 11 and 12 at noon, he went with two friends to see the coffin of Edward the Confessor, having heard that it was broke; fetched a ladder, looked on the coffin and found a hole as reported, put his hand into the hole, and turning the bones which he felt there, drew from under the shoulderbones a crucifix richly adorned and enamelled, and a golden chain of twenty-four inches long to which it was fixed; showed them to his two friends; was afraid to take them away, till he had acquainted the Dean; put them into the coffin again. But the Dean not being to be spoke with then, and fearing this treasure might be taken by some other, he went two or three hours afterward to one of the choir, acquainted him with what he had found, who accompanied him to the monument, from whence he again drew the crucifix and chain; his friend advised him to keep them, until he could show them to the Dean (the Bishop of Rochester): kept them three weeks before he could speak to the Bishop; went to the Archbishop of York, and showed them; next morning, the Archbishop of York carried him to the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth, and showed them. After this, he

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procured an exact drawing to be made of them; showed them to Sir William Dugdale.-6th July, the Archbishop of Canterbury told the Bishop of Rochester, who, about four that afternoon, sent for him, and took him to Whitehall, that he might present them to the King; which he did accordingly. The King ordered a new strong wooden coffin to be made to enclose the broken one. The links of the chain oblong, and curiously wrought; the upper part joined by a locket, composed of a large round knob of gold, massy, in circumference as big as a milled shilling, half an inch thick; round this went a wire and half a dozen little beads, hanging loose, running to and again on the same, all of pure gold, finely wrought; on each side of the locket were set two large square stones (supposed to be rubies). From each side of this locket, fixed to two rings of gold, the chain descends, and, meeting below, passes through a square piece of gold, of a convenient bigness, made hollow for the same purpose. This gold wrought into several angles, was painted with divers colours, resembling gems or precious stones, to which the crucifix was joined, yet to be taken off by help of a screw. The form of the cross nearest that of an humettée flory (among the heralds), or rather the [botonée]; yet the pieces not of equal length, the perpendicular beam being near one-fourth part longer than the traverse, as being four inches to the extremity, whilst the other scarce exceeds three; yet all neatly turned at the ends, and the botons enamelled with figures thereon. The cross of the same gold as the chain, but exceeds it by its rich enamel, having on one side a picture of our Saviour Christ in his passion wrought thereon, and an eye from above casting a kind of beam on him; on the reverse, picture of a Benedictine monk in his habit, and on each side of him these capital Roman letters:

On the right,
(A)
ZA X

A

And on the left,
P

A C

H

This cross is hollow, to be opened by two little screws towards the top, wherein it is presumed some relic might have been conserved. William I. commanded the coffin to be enshrined, and the shrine covered with plates of gold and silver, adorned with pearls and precious stones. About one hundred and thirty-six years after, the Abbot resolved to inspect the body, said to be incorruptible, and, on opening,

found it to be so, being perfect, the limbs flexible: the face covered; Gundolph, Bishop of Rochester, withdrew the cover, but, with great reverence, covered it again, changing the former vestments, and putting on others of equal price. In 1163, Thomas à Becket procured a canonisation of the King, and in the ceremony the Abbot opened the coffin, found the body lying in rich vestments of cloth of gold, having on his feet buskins of purple, and shoes of great price; the body uncorrupted; removed the whole body from the stone repository to another of wood, some assisting at the head, others at the arms and legs; they lifted it gently, and laid the corpse first on tapestry spread on the floor, and then wrapping the same in silken cloths of great value, they put it into the wooden chest, with all those things that were found in the former, except the gold ring which was on the King's finger, which the Abbot, out of devotion, retained, and ordered it to be kept in the Treasury of the Abbey.

"In 1226, King Henry III. again removed the coffin to a chapel built for the purpose."

II

EVELYN'S PUBLICATIONS

THE SUBJOINED LIST IS FROM A LETTER OF EVELYN'S TO DR. PLOT, DATED 16 MARCH, 1682-3.

Translations.

1. Of Liberty and Servitude, Lond. 1644 [1649], 12mo. 2. The French Gardener and English Vineyard, 1658, 12mo, 3rd edit. [1672].

3. An Essay on the first Book of Lucretius, 1656, 8vo. 4. Gaspar [Gabriel] Naudæus, Instructions concerning Libraries, 1661, 8vo.

5. A Parallel of the Ancient Architecture with the Modern, with a treatise on Statues, etc., 1664, folio.

6. An Idea of the Perfection of Painting, 1668, 8vo. 7. The Mystery of Jesuitism, 2 parts [1664], 8vo.

8. St. Chrysostom's Golden Book for the Education of Children, out of the Greek, 1659, 12mo.

Original Works.

1. An Apology for the Royal Party, 1659, 4to. Three Editions.