But, as we all know, far the greatest poet of those days was John Milton, whose monument is not far from the grave of Spenser.
Milton is not buried in the Abbey, but in St. Giles’ Cripplegate. As the Abbey was always strongly Royalist, it was a long time before Milton’s name was allowed even to appear on its walls, Milton having been so prominent on the Parliamentarian side. Not even Paradise Lost could make them altogether forget his Puritan sympathies. However, in 1738, the monument we now see in Poets’ Corner was put up by a certain William Benson, who belonged to the Whig party in politics. Thus one of the greatest English poets came at last by his own.
When speaking of Milton we are reminded of one of our best English musicians, Henry Lawes, who wrote the music to Comus, and who is buried in the cloisters. His brother, William Lawes, was a member of the Abbey choir.
A fine bust of the well-known composer, Orlando Gibbons, has quite lately been placed in the Abbey, in that North Aisle of the Choir which is known as the “Musicians’ Aisle.” Orlando Gibbons was appointed organist of the Abbey in 1623. His son, Christopher Gibbons, was the first organist of the Abbey after the Restoration, and was a favourite of Charles II. He is buried in the Cloisters.
Close by is the grave of Henry Purcell, who is perhaps our greatest English composer. He belongs entirely to the Stuart times, and his life was spent at Westminster. He was organist of the Abbey and composed some of our finest English Church music, besides other things. He died in 1695, at about the same age as Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn, that is, 37. Above his grave is a tablet with an epitaph said to have been written by Dryden. It runs as follows:—
“Here lies Henry Purcell, Esq., who left this life, and is gone to that blessed place where only his Harmony can be exceeded.”
Two other well-known Church musicians of the Stuart times are buried in this aisle; these are Dr. John Blow and Dr. William Croft, who were both organists at the Abbey.
All English children will like to know that there is very soon to be a window in the Abbey to John Bunyan, author of the Pilgrim’s Progress. The window will commemorate his life and works.
Another remarkable writer of the Stuart and Commonwealth times, that learned and holy man, Richard Baxter, author of the Saint’s Everlasting Rest, has no memorial in the Abbey, but he is known to have preached one of his finest sermons here in 1654, and this is very interesting to remember.
The grave of Sir Robert Moray, First President of the Royal Society, reminds us of the beginning of that great Society during the reigns of the later Stuart Kings. Sir Robert Moray was both a soldier and a man of science. Burnet calls him “the wisest and worthiest man of his age.” He died in 1673.