ts Day, 1065, and on
the last day of the year he died. I shall tell you about his funeral
later on.

The edifice stood pretty much as Edward the Confessor left it till the
reign of Henry III., who showed his love for the Abbey first by adding
to it, and then by demolishing it almost entirely, and raising in its
place the building that has been called "the most lovely and lovable
thing in Christendom." In this rebuilding St. Peter was almost lost
sight of, and the Shrine and Chapel of Edward the Confessor became, as
it were, the central idea of the whole. Very lavishly did King Henry
spend his money over the restored Abbey: the cost was at least half a
million, as we should reckon it. His work includes the apse and choir,
the two transepts, one arch of the nave, and the chapter-house; Under
the Edwards the nave unfolded itself farther west, and the Abbot's House
and Jerusalem Chamber were built. Richard II. was very fond of the
Abbey, and rebuilt, at great expense, the famous north portal, often
spoken of as "The Beautiful Gate," or "Solomon's Porch." By Henry V. the
nave was prolonged nearly to its present length. It was just completed
in time for the grand procession to sweep along it when the _Te Deum_
was sung for the victory at Agincourt. The architect by whom the work
was carried out was Dick Whittington, Lord Mayor of London.

The next important addition to the Abbey took place in the reign of
Henry VII., when the large eastern chapel which bears that monarch's
name was built. The great wars of York and Lancaster were now over, but
amongst the chief actors in those tragic events there was one who, by
his saintly goodness and sufferings, had left a revered name upon the
lips of Englishmen. Images of Henry VI. were seen in great churches
throughout the country, and stories of his good works and miracles were
everywhere told. Henry VII. promised to build at Westminster a
magnificent chapel, in memory of Henry VI. The Pope promised
"canonisation" (as the making of a new saint is called), and the king
obtained from the Westminster Convent 500 pounds (equal to 5,000 pounds
nowadays) for the transference thither of the holy remains. But they
were never brought from Windsor. Henry dreaded the immense expense, and
completed the chapel as a grand sepulchre for himself and his new
dynasty.

There is one feature of the Abbey, as seen from the outside, of which I
have not spoken--the western towers. These were built as far