stood stands the loftiest monument in the Abbey--the tomb of
Queen Elizabeth's Chamberlain, Lord Hundsdon. The old statesman had
waited long for an earldom, which the queen had granted and revoked
three times over. She came at last to see him, and lay the patent and
the robes of a peer on his bed. "Madam," said the old man, "seeing you
counted me not worthy of this honour whilst I was living, I count myself
unworthy of it now that I am dying."

Visitors are not admitted into the beautifully sculptured, but dark,
little chapel of Abbot Islip. Just beyond it we enter what is now called
the eastern aisle of the south transept, formerly the separate chapels.
Here we find the celebrated tomb of Sir Francis Vere. Above the
warrior's effigy, supported by four kneeling knights, is a plain canopy,
upon which lies his helm and breastplate. Looking round, we see many
interesting memorials: Admiral Kempenfelt, who went down in the _Royal
George_; Sir John Franklin, who perished among Polar icebergs: Telford,
the engineer; Sir Humphry Davy, the philosopher: all these and many
others are commemorated in this aisle.

Emerging now into the north transept, we find ourselves amongst what has
been termed "the dead Parliament of Britain." Famous statesmen look down
upon us from their marble pedestals, and beneath the central pavement
are the graves of Chatham, Pitt, Fox, Castlereagh, Canning, Wilberforce,
Grattan, and Palmerston. The magnificent monument to the great Earl of
Chatham cost 6,000 pounds. Close beside it stands the huge pile of
sculpture by Nollekens, in memory of the three captains who fell in
Rodney's famous victory over the French in April, 1782. Nearly opposite
to Chatham's monument is Chantrey's fine statue of Canning. On each side
the transept, and in the contiguous western aisle, the eye rests upon
sculptured marble bearing honoured names--Warren Hastings, Richard
Cobden, Palmerston, Beaconsfield, and others whose lives are part of our
country's history. As we stand here we may well remember the words of
Macaulay: "In no other cemetery do so many great citizens lie within so
narrow a space. High over these venerable graves towers the stately
monument of Chatham, and from above, his effigy, graven by a cunning
hand, seems still, with eagle face and outstretched arm, to bid England
to be of good cheer, and to hurl defiance at her foes."

From the north transept we pass to the nave along the north aisle of the
choir. He