The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. · Chapter
Westminster Abbey explained
Geoffrey Crayon wanders through Westminster Abbey on a melancholy autumn day, reflecting on the decay of monuments, the vanity of fame, and the inevitability of oblivion.
What happens
Geoffrey Crayon wanders through Westminster Abbey on a melancholy autumn day, reflecting on the decay of monuments, the vanity of fame, and the inevitability of oblivion. He contemplates the tombs of kings, poets, and warriors, contrasting the solemnity of ancient sepulchres with the bustling life outside. The chapter culminates in a visit to Henry VII's chapel, where the grandeur of architecture underscores the transience of human glory.
Themes in this chapter
Memory and Monuments
Crayon reflects on the decay of tombs and inscriptions, questioning the permanence of fame and the futility of monuments in preserving memory.
Nostalgia and the Past
The chapter is steeped in a melancholic longing for former ages, as Crayon contrasts the grandeur of the past with the inevitable ruin of time.
Resilience in Adversity
Though not a central theme, the enduring structure of the abbey amidst decay and the quiet dignity of ancient tombs suggest a form of resilience against oblivion.
Characters to notice
- Geoffrey Crayon
The narrator who rambles through Westminster Abbey, musing on mortality and the passage of time.
- Alexander the Great
Mentioned as an example of a great conqueror whose remains have been scattered and whose sarcophagus is now a museum curiosity.
- Henry VII
His chapel is described in detail as a magnificent sepulchre, though Henry VII himself is not directly named in the excerpt.
- Roubillac
Sculptor of the tomb of Mrs. Nightingale, which Crayon critiques for its horrific depiction of death.
Key passages
“On one of those sober and rather melancholy days in the latter part of autumn when the shadows of morning and evening almost mingle together, and throw a gloom over the decline of the year, I passed several hours in rambling about Westminster Abbey.”
On a gloomy late-autumn day, I spent hours wandering through Westminster Abbey.
Sets the scene and mood for the chapter.
“What, thought I, is this vast assemblage of sepulchres but a treasury of humiliation—a huge pile of reiterated homilies on the emptiness of renown and the certainty of oblivion?”
I reflected that these tombs are a collection of lessons on the vanity of fame and the inevitability of being forgotten.
Central philosophical reflection on mortality.
“The time must come when its gilded vaults which now spring so loftily, shall lie in rubbish beneath the feet; when instead of the sound of melody and praise the wind shall whistle through the broken arches and the owl hoot from the shattered tower.”
Eventually, even this grand abbey will fall into ruin, with wind and owls replacing music and praise.
Crayon imagines the future decay of the abbey itself.