Rookwood

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, New Age, History, Fiction & Literature
Cover of the book Rookwood by William Harrison Ainsworth, Library of Alexandria
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: William Harrison Ainsworth ISBN: 9781465603975
Publisher: Library of Alexandria Publication: March 8, 2015
Imprint: Language: English
Author: William Harrison Ainsworth
ISBN: 9781465603975
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
Publication: March 8, 2015
Imprint:
Language: English
Within a sepulchral vault, and at midnight, two persons were seated. The chamber was of singular construction and considerable extent. The roof was of solid stone masonry, and rose in a wide semicircular arch to the height of about seventeen feet, measured from the centre of the ceiling to the ground floor, while the sides were divided by slight partition-walls into ranges of low, narrow catacombs. The entrance to each cavity was surrounded by an obtusely-pointed arch, resting upon slender granite pillars; and the intervening space was filled up with a variety of tablets, escutcheons, shields, and inscriptions, recording the titles and heraldic honors of the departed. There were no doors to the niches; and within might be seen piles of coffins, packed one upon another, till the floor groaned with the weight of lead. Against one of the pillars, upon a hook, hung a rack of tattered, time-out-of-mind hatchments; and in the centre of the tomb might be seen the effigies of Sir Ranulph de Rokewode, the builder of the mausoleum, and the founder of the race who slept within its walls. This statue, wrought in black marble, differed from most monumental carved-work, in that its posture was erect and lifelike. Sir Ranulph was represented as sheathed in a complete suit of mail, decorated with his emblazoned and gilded surcoat, his arm leaning upon the pommel of a weighty curtal-axe. The attitude was that of stern repose. A conically-formed helmet rested upon the brow; the beaver was raised, and revealed harsh but commanding features. The golden spur of knighthood was fixed upon the heel; and, at the feet, enshrined in a costly sarcophagus of marble, dug from the same quarry as the statue, rested the mortal remains of one of "the sternest knights to his mortal foe that ever put speare in the rest." Streaming in a wavering line upon the roof, the sickly flame of a candle partially fell upon the human figures before alluded to, throwing them into darkest relief, and casting their opaque and fantastical shadows along the ground. An old coffin upon a bier, we have said, served the mysterious twain for a seat. Between them stood a bottle and a glass, evidences that whatever might be the ulterior object of their stealthy communion, the immediate comfort of the creature had not been altogether overlooked.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Within a sepulchral vault, and at midnight, two persons were seated. The chamber was of singular construction and considerable extent. The roof was of solid stone masonry, and rose in a wide semicircular arch to the height of about seventeen feet, measured from the centre of the ceiling to the ground floor, while the sides were divided by slight partition-walls into ranges of low, narrow catacombs. The entrance to each cavity was surrounded by an obtusely-pointed arch, resting upon slender granite pillars; and the intervening space was filled up with a variety of tablets, escutcheons, shields, and inscriptions, recording the titles and heraldic honors of the departed. There were no doors to the niches; and within might be seen piles of coffins, packed one upon another, till the floor groaned with the weight of lead. Against one of the pillars, upon a hook, hung a rack of tattered, time-out-of-mind hatchments; and in the centre of the tomb might be seen the effigies of Sir Ranulph de Rokewode, the builder of the mausoleum, and the founder of the race who slept within its walls. This statue, wrought in black marble, differed from most monumental carved-work, in that its posture was erect and lifelike. Sir Ranulph was represented as sheathed in a complete suit of mail, decorated with his emblazoned and gilded surcoat, his arm leaning upon the pommel of a weighty curtal-axe. The attitude was that of stern repose. A conically-formed helmet rested upon the brow; the beaver was raised, and revealed harsh but commanding features. The golden spur of knighthood was fixed upon the heel; and, at the feet, enshrined in a costly sarcophagus of marble, dug from the same quarry as the statue, rested the mortal remains of one of "the sternest knights to his mortal foe that ever put speare in the rest." Streaming in a wavering line upon the roof, the sickly flame of a candle partially fell upon the human figures before alluded to, throwing them into darkest relief, and casting their opaque and fantastical shadows along the ground. An old coffin upon a bier, we have said, served the mysterious twain for a seat. Between them stood a bottle and a glass, evidences that whatever might be the ulterior object of their stealthy communion, the immediate comfort of the creature had not been altogether overlooked.

More books from Library of Alexandria

Cover of the book When Love Calls by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book The Case of Mr. Helmer by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book The World's Greatest Books (Modern History) by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Three Heroines of New England Romance: Their True Stories Herein Set Forth by Mrs Harriet Spoffard, Miss Louise Imogen Guiney, and Miss Alice Brown by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book The Hammer: A Story of the Maccabean Times by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Story of Creation as Told by Theology and by Science by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Napoleon and Blucher by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Descriptive Zoopraxography, or the Science of Animal Locomotion Made Popular by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Aristotle On The Art of Poetry by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Our Little Persian Cousin by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Robert Orange: Being a Continuation of the History of Robert Orange by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of The Presidents (Complete) by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Principles of Decorative Design by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book The Adopted Daughter: A Tale for Young Persons by William Harrison Ainsworth
Cover of the book Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land by William Harrison Ainsworth
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy