Museum of Wonders, or Curiosities of the World

A cabinet of curiosities in book form, 1890: monsters of the ancient world, wild animals, queer wanderers in the vasty deep, famous inventions and sublime scenery — assembled to astonish the young and, the preface admits, their elders too.

HomeContents › At Night in St. George's Chapel, Windsor

At Night in St. George's Chapel, Windsor

THE HE castle clock had tolled midnight, With mattock and with spade- And silent, by the torches' light- His corse in earth we laid.

The coffin bore his name; that those Of other years might know, When earth its secrets should disclose, Whose bones were laid below. น In many a sullen gust, As o'er the open grave inclined, We murmured, "Dust to dust!"

A moonbeam from the arch's height Streamed, as we placed the stone; The long aisles started into light, And all the windows shone.

We thought we saw the banners then That shook along the walls, Whilst the sad shades of mailed men Were gazing on the stalls. 'Tis gone!-Again on tombs deface. I Sits darkness more profound; And only by the torch we traced The shadows on the ground.

And now the chilling, freezing air Without blew long and loud; Upon our knees we breathed one prayer, Where he slept in his shroud.

We laid the broken marble floor- No name, no trace appears!

And when we closed the sounding door, We thought of him with tears.

← Mary Howitt (Angel's Wing Peace to the dead)William Lisle Bowles →