In the year 1816, Mr. Charles Stothard discovered in a cellar (as it is
described) of one of the buildings adjoining the ruined abbey at
Fontevraud, which was then used as a prison, the monumental effigies of
King Henry II., Eleanor of Aquitaine his queen, King Richard I., and
Queen Isabella of Angoulême. It had been feared that these monuments
shared the destruction of the royal tombs from which they were torn, in
the fearful outrages of the Revolution; but they were found to have
escaped the general havoc, although they had suffered some mutilation.
They are described to be sculptures almost coeval with the decease of
the sovereigns represented, and to possess such a chaste grandeur and
simplicity of character as to add great artistic value to their
historical importance. Mr. Stothard represented to the English
government of that day the propriety of rescuing such venerable
monuments from further injury, and of bringing them to Westminster
Abbey; and an application appears to have been made, through some
official channel, to the French authorities; but it was not successful,
though it had the effect, as it is said, of inducing the latter to
direct measures to be taken for the better preservation of these
effigies. About the same time, Mr. Stothard discovered the monumental
effigy of Queen Berengaria in the ruins of her once-stately abbey-church
of L'Espan, near Mans, which he found converted into a barn; but it was
then in contemplation to place this effigy in the church of St. Julien
there, when the restoration of that edifice should be completed. A
memoir (which I cannot here obtain) on the sepulchral statues of English
sovereigns at Fontevraud was read in 1841 in the congress of the Society
for Preserving the Historical Monuments of France; and by the researches
of M. Deville, a distinguished antiquary of Normandy, another effigy of
King Richard "of the Lion Heart" was brought to light in 1838, from
beneath the modern pavement of the choir of Rouen Cathedral, and was
shortly afterwards made known in England by the very interesting
communication made by Mr. Albert Way to the Society of Antiquaries of
London, and published in vol. xxix. of the _Archæologia_.
I am not aware that attention has been otherwise drawn to these effigies
since the publication of Mr. Stothard's great work, nor can I find that
his suggestion has at any time been revived, or that the steps which may
have been taken at Fontevraud for rescuing these monuments from
the gradual demolition which seemed to threaten them, were such as are
likely to insure their ultimate preservation. What those steps were, or
what is the present state of these interesting memorials, I have not
been able to learn; but, inasmuch as it appears that the tombs they
covered have been destroyed; that in the fury of revolutionary violence
the remains of the royal dead were scattered to the winds; and that the
abbey church of Fontevraud itself fell into a state of ruin, if not of
desecration; it will probably be agreed that the removal of these
monuments to Westminster Abbey is unobjectionable, and that their
deposit among the effigies of our early sovereigns in that glorious
edifice would be appropriate, and is much to be desired. Being strongly
impressed with that opinion, I trouble you with this note, which, if you
should deem it worthy of insertion, may elicit some information, and
perhaps lead to an application for leave to remove these monuments, and
place them in Westminster Abbey. The present time seems favourable for
such an effort; and if the object in view should have the sanction of
Queen Victoria, the interference of Her Majesty would probably prevail.