senses　are　overwhelmed。　And　now　it　is　winding　up　in　full　jubilee…　it
  is　rising　from　the　earth　to　heaven…　the　very　soul　seems　rapt　away
  and　floated　upwards　on　this　swelling　tide　of　harmony！
  I　sat　for　some　time　lost　in　that　kind　of　reverie　which　a　strain　of
  music　is　apt　sometimes　to　inspire：　the　shadows　of　evening　were
  gradually　thickening　round　me；　the　monuments　began　to　cast　deeper
  and　deeper　gloom；　and　the　distant　clock　again　gave　token　of　the　slowly
  waning　day。
  I　rose　and　prepared　to　leave　the　abbey。　As　I　descended　the　flight　of
  steps　which　lead　into　the　body　of　the　building；　my　eye　was　caught　by
  the　shrine　of　Edward　the　Confessor；　and　I　ascended　the　small　staircase
  that　conducts　to　it；　to　take　from　thence　a　general　survey　of　this
  wilderness　of　tombs。　The　shrine　is　elevated　upon　a　kind　of　platform；
  and　close　around　it　are　the　sepulchres　of　various　kings　and　queens。
  From　this　eminence　the　eye　looks　down　between　pillars　and　funeral
  trophies　to　the　chapels　and　chambers　below；　crowded　with　tombs；
  where　warriors；　prelates；　courtiers　and　statesmen；　lie　mouldering　in
  their　〃beds　of　darkness。〃　Close　by　me　stood　the　great　chair　of
  coronation；　rudely　carved　of　oak；　in　the　barbarous　taste　of　a　remote
  and　Gothic　age。　The　scene　seemed　almost　as　if　contrived；　with
  theatrical　artifice；　to　produce　an　effect　upon　the　beholder。　Here
  was　a　type　of　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　human　pomp　and　power；
  here　it　was　literally　but　a　step　from　the　throne　to　the　sepulchre。
  Would　not　one　think　that　these　incongruous　mementos　had　been
  gathered　together　as　a　lesson　to　living　greatness？…　to　show　it；　even
  in　the　moment　of　its　proudest　exaltation；　the　neglect　and　dishonor
  to　which　it　must　soon　arrive；　how　soon　that　crown　which　encircles
  its　brow　must　pass　away；　and　it　must　lie　down　in　the　dust　and
  disgraces　of　the　tomb；　and　be　trampled　upon　by　the　feet　of　the　meanest
  of　the　multitude。　For；　strange　to　tell；　even　the　grave　is　here　no
  longer　a　sanctuary。　There　is　a　shocking　levity　in　some　natures；
  which　leads　them　to　sport　with　awful　and　hallowed　things；　and　there
  are　base　minds；　which　delight　to　revenge　on　the　illustrious　dead　the
  abject　homage　and　grovelling　servility　which　they　pay　to　the　living。
  The　coffin　of　Edward　the　Confessor　has　been　broken　open；　and　his
  remains　despoiled　of　their　funereal　ornaments；　the　sceptre　has　been
  stolen　from　the　hand　of　the　imperious　Elizabeth；　and　the　effigy　of
  Henry　the　Fifth　lies　headless。　Not　a　royal　monument　but　bears　some
  proof　how　false　and　fugitive　is　the　homage　of　mankind。　Some　are
  plundered；　some　mutilated；　some　covered　with　ribaldry　and　insult…
  all　more　or　less　outraged　and　dishonored！
  The　last　beams　of　day　were　now　faintly　streaming　through　the　painted
  windows　in　the　high　vaults　above　me；　the　lower　parts　of　the　abbey　were
  already　wrapped　in　the　obscurity　of　twilight。　The　chapels　and　aisles
  grew　darker　and　darker。　The　effigies　of　the　kings　faded　into
  shadows；　the　marble　figures　of　the　monuments　assumed　strange　shapes　in
  the　uncertain　light；　the　evening　breeze　crept　through　the　aisles
  like　the　cold　breath　of　the　grave；　and　even　the　distant　footfall　of
  a　verger；　traversing　the　Poet's　Corner；　had　something　strange　and
  dreary　in　its　sound。　I　slowly　retraced　my　morning's　walk；　and　as　I
  passed　out　at　the　portal　of　the　cloisters；　the　door；　closing　with　a
  jarring　noise　behind　me；　filled　the　whole　building　with　echoes。
  I　endeavored　to　form　some　arrangement　in　my　mind　of　the　objects　I
  had　been　contemplating；　but　found　they　were　already　fallen　into
  indistinctness　and　confusion。　Names；　inscriptions；　trophies；　had　all
  become　confounded　in　my　recollection；　though　I　had　scarcely　taken　my
  foot　from　off　the　threshold。　What；　thought　I；　is　this　vast
  assemblage　of　sepulchres　but　a　treasury　of　humiliation；　a　huge　pile　of
  reiterated　homilies　on　the　emptiness　of　renown；　and　the　certainty　of
  oblivion！　It　is；　indeed；　the　empire　of　death；　his　great　shadowy
  palace；　where　he　sits　in　state；　mocking　at　the　relics　of　human
  glory；　and　spreading　dust　and　forgetfulness　on　the　monuments　of
  princes。　How　idle　a　boast；　after　all；　is　the　immortality　of　a　name！
  Time　is　ever　silently　turning　over　his　pages；　we　are　too　much
  engrossed　by　the　story　of　the　present；　to　think　of　the　characters
  and　anecdotes　that　gave　interest　to　the　past；　and　each　age　is　a　volume
  thrown　aside　to　be　speedily　forgotten。　The　idol　of　to…day　pushes　the
  hero　of　yesterday　out　of　our　recollection；　and　will；　in　turn；　be
  supplanted　by　his　successor　of　tomorrow。　〃Our　fathers；〃　says　Sir
  Thomas　Brown；　〃find　their　graves　in　our　short　memories；　and　sadly　tell
  us　how　we　may　be　buried　in　our　survivors。〃　History　fades　into　fable；
  fact　becomes　clouded　with　doubt　and　controversy；　the　inscription
  moulders　from　the　tablet；　the　statue　falls　from　the　pedestal。　Columns；
  arches；　pyramids；　what　are　they　but　heaps　of　sand；　and　their　epitaphs；
  but　characters　written　in　the　dust？　What　is　the　security　of　a　tomb；　or
  the　perpetuity　of　an　embalmment？　The　remains　of　Alexander　the　Great
  have　been　scattered　to　the　wind；　and　his　empty　sarcophagus　is　now
  the　mere　curiosity　of　a　museum。　〃The　Egyptian　mummies；　which
  Cambyses　or　time　hath　spared；　avarice　now　consumeth；　Mizraim　cures
  wounds；　and　Pharaoh　is　sold　for　balsams。〃*
  *　Sir　T。　Brown。
  What　then　is　to　insure　this　pile　which　now　towers　above　me　from
  sharing　the　fate　of　mightier　mausoleums？　The　time　must　come　when　its
  gilded　vaults；　which　now　spring　so　loftily；　shall　lie　in　rubbish
  beneath　the　feet；　when；　instead　of　the　sound　of　melody　and　praise；　the
  wind　shall　whistle　through　the　broken　arches；　and　the　owl　hoot　from
  the　shattered　tower…　when　the　garish　sunbeam　shall　break　into　these
  gloomy　mansions　of　death；　and　the　ivy　twine　round　the　fallen　column；
  and　the　fox…glove　hang　its　blossoms　about　the　nameless　urn；　as　if　in
  mockery　of　the　dead。　Thus　man　passes　away；　his　name　perishes　from
  record　and　recollection；　his　history　is　as　a　tale　that　is　told；　and
  his　very　monument　becomes　a　ruin。
  THE　END
  。