VIOLATION OF MILTON'S TOMB. 



EXTRACTED FROM GENERAL MURRAY'S DIARY UNPUBLISHED. 



24th Aug. 1790. I dined yesterday at Sir Gilbert's. As soon as 

 the cloth was removed, Mr. Thornton gave the company an account 

 of the violation of Milton's lomb, a circumstance which created in 

 our minds a feeling of horror and disgust. He had been one of the 

 visiters to the hallowed spot, and obtained his information from a 

 person who had been a witness to the whole sacriligious transaction. 

 He related the event nearly in the following manner : The church 

 of St. Giles, Cripplegate, being in a somewhat dilapidated state, the 

 parish resolved to commence repairing it, and this was deemed a 

 favourable opportunity to raise a subscription for the purpose of 

 erecting a monument to the memory of our immortal bard Milton, 

 who, it was known, had been buried in this church. The parish 

 register book bore the following entry: " 12 November, 1674. John 

 Milton, gentleman, consumpc~on, chancell." Mr. Ascough, whose 

 grandfather died in 1759, aged 84, had often been heard to say, that 

 Milton was buried under the desk in the chancel. Messrs. Strong, 

 Cole, and other parishioners, determined to search for the remains, 

 and orders were given to the workmen on the 1st of this month to 

 dig for the coffin. On the 3rd, in the afternoon, it was discovered ; 

 the soil in which it had been deposited was of a calcarious nature, 

 and it rested upon another coffin, which there can be no doubt was 

 that of Milton's father, report having stated that the poet was buried 

 at his request near the remains of his parent ; and the same register- 

 book contained the entry, " John Milton, gentleman, 15 March, 1646." 

 No other coffin being found in the chancel, which was entirely dug 

 over, there can be no uncertainty as to their identity. Messrs. Strong 

 and Cole having carefully cleansed the coffin with a brush and wet, 

 spunge, they ascertained that the exterior wooden case, in which the 

 leaden one had been enclosed, was entirely mouldered away, and the 

 leaden coffin contained no inscription or date. At the period when 

 Milton died it was customary to paint the name, age, &c. of the de- 

 ceased on the wooden covering, no plates or inscription being then in 

 use ; but all had long since crumbled into dust. The leaden coffin 

 was much corroded; its length was five feet ten inches, and its 

 width in the broadest part one foot four inches. The above gentle- 

 men, satisfied as to the identity of the precious remains, and having 

 drawn up a statement to that effect, gave orders on Tuesday, the 3rd, 

 to the workmen to fill up the grave ; but they neglected to do so, in- 

 tending to perform that labour on the Saturday following. On the 

 next day, the 4th. a party of parishioners, Messrs. Cole, Laming, 

 Taylor, and Holmes, having met to dine at the residence of Mr. 

 Fountain, the overseer, the discovery of Milton's remains became the 

 subject of conversation, and it was agreed upon that they should dis- 

 inter the body, and examine it more minutely. At eight o'clock at 

 night, heated with drink, and accompanied by a man named Hawkes- 



