The million-peopled city
Garwood, John
1853
Flags and Trophies recently removed from St. Paul's Cathedral to Chelsea Hospital.
" In the chapel are deposited the standards of Tippoo Saib, the whole of the eagles, 13 in number, that were wrested from Napoleon's legions, flags taken from the Americans, from the French, from the Prussians, from the Spaniards, from the , from the , from every Power, in short, with which, in every quarter of the world, during the last half-century, England has been at war." [1] | |
The half of the College in which the remains of the late lay in state, has also in recent years been similarly enriched. "The flags and other trophies, | |
147 | captured from the enemy in war, had heretofore been con- veyed to the , there to rot and waste away, unvalued by the body to whose keeping they were intrusted, and unseen by all the world besides. To such a height, indeed, was this indifference to the monuments of England's former glories carried, that out of the many flags taken by , only 3 or 4 shreds survive, the streamers of the rest having mouldered away in some damp recess, while the staves were used by the vergers as poles wherewith to hunt rats and other vermin out of the vestry rooms. , not unaware of the great moral lesson which the display of such trophies is calculated to teach, as well to the young soldier as to the old, caused the wrecks to be rescued from their hiding-places, and committed to the charge of his veterans for ever, as the legitimate representatives of those whose valour won them. Accordingly there are suspended round the hall the ensigns of Regal and Republican , of , Spain, and other European nations; besides many for which the estab- lishment stands indebted to the liberality of the , whom their Sovereign's example induced to send hither trophies of our achievements in the East. These occupy, in a double row, the spaces that intervene between the windows, while in front of the music gallery, elevated above a bundle of spear handles, waves the Union Jack." [2] All these were removed on the occasion of the late lying-in-state, to make room for the black hangings of the walls of the Hall. |
Footnotes: [1] Ibid, p. 345. [2] Gleig's " Chelsea Hospital," p. 343. |