— 
WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND ITS MONUMENTS. 27 
church and the monuments themselves rendered objects of 
public ridicule instead of veneration and interest.” Since 1848, 
only two monuments at all worthy of the Abbey have been 
erected. The others are all erect statues, busts, or mere tablets. 
And it is now impossible to increase the number of such paltry 
memorials as these, even if it were thought desirable. When the 
late Dean Stanley found a place for the statue of Lord Beacons- 
field in 1881, he said it left only one such site remaining, which 
he designated for another statesman of great eminence still living, 
after which there would practically be no space whatever. 
Accordingly. in 1890, a Royal Commission was issued to 
enquire into the present state of Westminster Abbey “as regards 
the facilities which it offers for providing for the interment, and 
otherwise preserving the memories of the most illustrious of the 
Queen’s subjects, and to consider plans for providing, at the 
Abbey or elsewhere, an additional place for memorials, should 
such provision appear necessary.” ‘The Commissioners duly met 
and examined a large number of witnesses. I have their reports 
and minutes of the evidence given before them, and shall be 
happy to lend them to any member who may desire to study the 
subject more closely. The reports do little more than echo 
Dean Stanley’s plaintive cry of “ No room for more monuments,” 
and the question how to provide more room presents grave diffi- 
culties on all sides. As far as burial is concerned, there appears 
no difficulty. For several years past the deans have only per- 
mitted burial in the cases of persons of undoubted eminence, or 
where irresistible pressure was put upon them by public opinion. 
The present dean has held his office for nearly twelve years, and 
in that time there have only been six burials in the Abbey. And 
it seems that there yet remains room for from eighty to one 
hundred graves, which is sufficient for any demand likely to arise 
for at least a hundred years. Should cremation come into general 
use there will practically be no limit to the possible number of 
burials. But, on the other hand, it must be taken as an 
undoubted fact that henceforth to no national hero, however 
great—-not even to Tennyson for instance—can a memorial 
