Excerpt from Westminster Abbey: Its History, Pageants and Royal Memorials From the Foundation by Edward the Confessor, A. D. 1065, to the Funeral of Henry V. A. D. 1422 The following pages were written, without any intention of their being published, at intervals extending over two years, amidst constant occupation, and witli but little opportunity of referring to "authorities;" for, to any one occupied all day, like the author of this work, the British Museum, which is closed in the evening, affords very small assistance. Still, at the suggestion of some friends, who heard the substance of these chapters delivered in the form of lectures to a parochial institution, they are submitted to the kind indulgence of the public; and, if they prove as interesting to them, as their compilation has been to the author, they will not have been brought to light in vain. They tell but little that is new, though old things may have assumed a new face; and their object is to connect our national history with the Abbey, which is the greatest ornament of our metropolis, and by means of the latter to illustrate the former, and invest both with a more living interest. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.