Westminster Abbey [antikvár]

WESTMINSTER ABBEYCanon Adam Fox, D.D.T^HE recorded history of Westminster Abbey begins in Edward the Confessor's time, but there are glimpses of its existence before that. The name occurs in a 10th-century document where it is described as a terrible place, that is, an awesome place. This evidence points to the previous foundation of a monastery or at least of a church, and legend attributes this foundation to Sebert, King of the East Saxons (died 616), under the influence of Mellitus, first Bishop of London. Earlier still, Romance, as shaped by Mallory in his Morte ?'Arthur, tells of King Arthur holding a tournament near by; of Queen Guinevere going a-maying into the fields aside, and of the corpse of Elaine the fair maiden being rowed in a barge up and down the Thames at Westminster and then being richly interred. No one has ventured to point to Elaine's grave in the Abbey, but they do show the tomb of Sebert erected by the monks in 1308.All this is dim and misty. But the creation of Edward the Confessor is with us still. By a supreme but probably quite unconscious act of statesmanship, he made Westminster the cradle of a future empire. On an island in the River Thames, already called Westminster Eyot (eariier known as Thorney or Thorneye Island), he set about to build a great monastery toleft; The nave, looking west. The greater part of the nave seen here is of the 14th to 16th century. The great west window is of the 15th century, and was filled, in 1735, with painted glass depicting the figures of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and fourteen prophets.right: The carving in teak above the west door is modern. It represents Christ with St. Peter, the Patron, and St. Edward the Confessor, the founder of the Abbey, as they welcome all who enter.promote the glory of God and the prosperity of his kingdom in England. Close by he took up his residence in order that he might watch the progress of the building. Thus he separated the seat of government from the City of London which lay across the fields a couple of miles away. This he may have done intentionally. Further, by placing the Abbey and the palace side by side, he strengthened for some centuries the bond between Churchand State. This may also have been intentional in part, but he could not have foreseen the ultimate effect.For the first five centuries of its existence, that is from the 11th century to the 16th, the palace at Westminster was the reigning king's place of residence. For the last two of these five centuries, actually from about 1376 to 1547, the House of Commons normally met in the Chapter House or the refectory of the Abbey. During