painted alternately in blue and red: in each blue compartment are three fleur-de-lis: in each red one, three lions, for France and England: while near the middle of the gates was placed a row of swans for the de Bohuns, his mother's family and a row of antelopes, only fragments of which remain.

That portion of the monument which can be seen within the Confessor's chapel is by far the most beautiful and interesting. It consists of two octagonal turrets, facing west and containing spiral staircases, as already described, the west face of the entrance arch, being between these two turrets, and the entire surface covered with figures in richly canopied niches. In the nine large niches of the turrets are life-size figures of various saints and benefactors of the Abbey, with smaller saints and angels, and numerous emblems carved on the buttresses and pillars. All but three of the original statues remain. The niches are pierced at the back with window-slits which light the staircases leading to the chantry above, the ascent being made, as the King's will directed, on one side, and the descent on the other. The sides of the stairway within are richly panelled and the inner sides of the small doors are beautifully wrought. The

small steps to each turret door are deeply worn by the knees of pilgrims going up to the chantry to view the relics. Among the interesting statues notice over the south door the figure of a saint or sovereign, with gentle face, long robes and beard, probably the Confessor: and on the opposite side, over the door, a venerable man in pilgrim's garb, probably St. John: one in deacon's vestments is probably St. Stephen: St. Barbara and St. Catherine are also represented: and on pedestals north of the south door and south of the north door, two figures, a bishop or a mitred abbot, holding up the folds of a long robe, probably St. Wulstan and St. Dunstan. Two figures above holding models of a church probably represent the two founders and church builders: a figure on the north side of the north tower is called St. Margaret, with the dragon at her feet. All the details of these interesting figures are well worth study.

The little chantry chapel directly over the King's tomb was the first in the Abbey given by a king and was placed high in order to attract attention, sympathy and prayers for the king's soul; also that the priests officiating at the altar might be seen by the people in the church below. To the support of its altar, called the

altar of the Annunciation, the king left £100 and provided that three monks should daily say three masses for his soul. To it also he bequeathed rich plate and vestments and ordered that eight wax candles, each to weigh eight pounds, should be kept burning during mass and that for a whole year thirty poor people were to recite in the chapel the Psalter of the Virgin, closing with these words: "Mother of God, remember thy servant, Henry, who puts his whole trust in Thee."* The chantry is not now shown to visitors, because the two old stone stairways in the towers have become insecure. Looking over the west wall of the parapet, before the present pall was placed over the Confessor's shrine below, the coffin of the Confessor could be seen quite plainly.

At the east end of the chantry stands the altar on a platform of two steps, having its early Purbeck slab marked with the five crosses for the five wounds of Christ. This was long displaced and formed a part of the pavement. Within this altar now rest the bones of Katherine of Valois (d. 1437), the queen of Henry V, youngest daughter of the French king, but two years married to the English king. She had her place of burial made at last in this *Rymer's Foedera.

beautiful chantry which was erected by her own loving care: but only since Dean Stanley's time has she had honourable burial here.

At the death of Henry V in 1422, Queen Katherine, left with her infant son (Henry VI), numbered in her retinue a brave and handsome young Welsh soldier named Owen Tudor, who had been promoted to be one of the squires of the king's body on account of his valour at Agincourt. This office he continued to the child-king, keeping guard over the royal infant and also serving as Clerk of the Queen's Wardrobe and keeper of her jewels. Not unnaturally, the beautiful French widow and the young soldier became mutually interested and they were at length, not later than five or six years. after the king's death, married privately. Four children were born to them: the eldest being Edmund Tudor, the father of Henry VII.*

When the marriage of the Queen and Owen Tudor became known, the nation, indignant at the mesalliance, imprisoned

*The other children were Jasper, created Earl of Pembroke by his half-brother, Henry VI, a helpful uncle to his young nephew, Henry VII: Owen, who became a monk of Westminster, and is buried in the Poets' Corner: and Margaret, a daughter who died in infancy.

Tudor in Newgate, but he made a manly plea before the young king and was released. Later, he, with his second son, Jasper, commanded a Lancastrian army at the battle of Wakefield and was defeated at Mortimer's Cross. The son retreated the father, with true Welsh obstinacy, it is said, refused to leave the field, was imprisoned and later was beheaded in Hereford market-place. Though his birth was at that time considered obscure, yet there seems to be no doubt that Owen Tudor traced his line to Theodore, a prince of North Wales (Theodore being corrupted to Tudor in the English pronunciation), and a tradition exists that he was godson of the famous chief Glendower.

In 1436, when suspicions of her second marriage became current in the Court, Queen Katherine withdrew to the Abbey of Bermondsey, "either for refuge or under some constraint": her children were taken from her by order of the Council, to her very great distress and anguish of mind: her infant daughter, Margaret, died. Her son, Henry VI, though king of England, was but a lad of fourteen and was helpless to aid his mother: her husband was in exile or imprisoned. Thus bereft of children, husband and home, the