H. ordered an
examination to be made on the first convenient opportunity. This
was done on the First of April last [i.e., 1813], the day after the
funeral of the Duchess of Brunswick, in the presence of his R. H.
himself, who guaranteed thereby THE MOST RESPECTFUL CARE AND
ATTENTION TO THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD, during the enquiry. His R. H.
was accompanied by his R. H. the Duke of Cumberland, Count Munster,
the Dean of Windsor, Benjamin Charles Stevenson, Esq., and Sir Henry
Halford."
"The vault was accordingly further opened and explored, and the
palled coffin, which was of lead, and bore the inscription 'King
Charles, 1648,' was opened at the head. A second Charles I, coffin
of wood was thus disclosed, and, through this, the body carefully
wrapped up in cere-cloth, into the folds of which a quantity of
unctuous or greasy matter, mixed with resin, as it seemed, had been
melted, so as to exclude, as effectually as possible, the external
air. The coffin was completely full; and, from the tenacity of the
cere-cloth, great difficulty was experienced in detaching it
successfully from the parts which it enveloped. Wherever the
unctuous matter had insinuated itself, the separation of the cere-
cloth was easy; and when it came off, a correct impression of the
features to which it had been applied was observed in the unctuous
substance.
Pages:
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38