THE BONES OF JOHN MILTON.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2502, 6 September 1890, Page 6

THE BONES OF JOHN MILTON.

FINDING THE COFFIN. Iu 1790 (Mr. C. L. Thompson writes to Xete* a,id QnxriinJ public indignation was aroused by a report that M ilton’s remains had been exhumed and desecrated in a manner most revolting to anyone with the smallest feelings of respect for the death Mr. Philip Neve, well known as au antiquary, made a 1 borough inquiry into the matter, and published the results of his investigation in a pamphlet entitled 44 A Narrative of the Disinterment of Milton’s Coffin in the Parish Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate.” Owing to the alterations which had been made from time to time in the arrangement of the interior of tlae church, iho whereabouts of Milton's grave had been lost wight of for many years ; for although the register states that lie was buried in the channel, and tho tradition was that his grave was situated under the clerk’s desk, yet no note scents to liftvo been made of the fact that pews bad been built over that chancel and a new one made, so that inquirers for Milton’s burialplace were fcfvown the spot under the clerk s desk in the new chancel. Mr. Neve, in his pamphlet says :—“I have twice at different periods been shown that spot as the place where Milton lay.” Ho mentions also a certain. Mr. Baskerville, who desired in his will to be buried bv Milton, aud was deposited in that place “in pious intention of compliance with his request.” Eventually, however, attention was drawn to this circumstance, and, several parishioners having expressed a wish that Milton’s remains should be searched for and a suitable monument erected to his memory, it was considered convenient to curry this into effect while tho church was undergoing some extensive repairs, and accordingly orders were given to the workmen to search for the coffin. They were directed to open up the ground from the new chancel, northwards, to the pillar against which, the pulpit and desk had formerly stood ; and on August 3, 1790, Mr. Thomas Stroug, vestry clerk, aud Mr. John Cole, received information to the effect that the coffin had been found. AN ACT OF DESECRATION. On arriving at the church they washed the coffin and examined it closely to find out if there were any sign of au inscription or date upon it, but were unable to discover traces of either. Strong, the overseer, gave Mr. Neve the following particulars in writing :—“ A leaden coffin found under the conimoncouneilmen’s pew, on the north side of the chancel, nearly under the place where the old pulpit and clerk’s desk stood. The coffin appeared to be old, much corroded, and without any inscription or plate upon it. It was in length sft. 10in., and in width at the broadest part, over the shoulders, Ift. •tin.” It was suggested that if they opened the leaden coffin they might find some inscription on the wooden one inside it; but “ with a just and laudable piety they disdained to disturb tho sacred ashes after a requiem of 11(5 years.” On that pvening, however, Cole and others held what he called a merry meeting at the house of one Fountain, a publican, in Beech lane, who was an overseer of the parish, the company including John Laming (pawnbroker), Taylor (aDerbyshire surgeon), and William Ascough (coffin-maker). Of course one of the chief topics of conversation was tho discovery of Milton’s coffin on that day, and several of those assembled expressed a desire to see it. Cole, who had given orders that the ground should be closed, after satisfying himself that there was no doubt as to the coffin being Milton’s, was willing to gratify their curiosity on the morrow, provided that the remains had not already been reinterred. Accordingly they went to tho church the next day, and found this to be the case. Holmes, one of Ascough’s journeymen, pulled the coffin frem its place, that they might see it in the daylight, and with the aid of a chisel and mallet forced it open as far down as the breast, and discovered the corpse enveloped ia a shroud, on disturbing which tho ribs, which had remained standing, fell. Then followed the ghastly desecration of the remains, which Mr. Neve describes in detail from information which he received from the violators themselves. Fountain, the publican, for instance, said 44 that he pulled hard at the teeth, which resisted, until some one hit them a knock with a stone, when, they easily came out.” All the teeth in the upper jaw, of which there were ouly lire, were taken by Fountain. Laming, the pawnbroker, took one, and Taylor two from tho lower jaw ; and, continues Mr. Neve, 44 Mr. Laming told me that he had at one time a mind to bring away the whole under-jaw with the teeth in it; He had it in his hand, but tossed it back again.” Laming afterwards reached his hand down and took ont one of the leg-bones, but threw it back also. Ho likewise took a -large quantity of the hair, which “lay strait and even 1 ” List as it had been combed and tied together before interment. When they had finished their gruesome task they quitted the church. The coffin was replaced, but not covered; and Ascongh, the clerk, having gone away, and the sexton, Mrs. Roppoy, being from home, Elizabeth Grant, the gravedigger, took possession of it, and kept a tinder-box at hand for striking a light, by which to exhibit the remains to such as were curious t® see them, for which she charged the sum of sixpence, afterwards reducing it to threepence and twopence. The workmen in the chnrck ccnsideied they also had a right to some share in the plunder, for they refused admission to such as would not pay tho 44 price of a pot of beer,’’ to avoid which it appears that a number of people got into the church by a window.

"W hether*the body thus shamefully treated was really Milton’s has been hotly disputed, and has never been settled satisfactorily.