CopenhagenAndItsEnvirons_A

151

rem ain s o f C hristian V ., F re d e rik IV ., an d th eir C onsorts. T h e picture on the S. W . p illar in the C hoir is said to rep resen t Bishop W illiam s to w hom th is ch u rch ow ed its erection. B elow the picture are the w o rd s: Wilhelmus Episcopus Roskil- densis. B efore the a p ertu re to the b urial place in the p illa r is placed a slab o f blue sandstone, betw een w hich and the w all " a crevice and a cleft” h as been fo rm e d , an d th ro u g h w hich the bones w ithin can be seen. — D u rin g th e tim e th a t C openhagen w as in possession of the E n g lis h , in the y e a r 1 8 0 7 , sev eral N av al officers, on visiting this C a th e d ral, extracted b y aid o f th eir dirk s fragm en ts of the B ish o p ’s bones to c arry hom e as relics. In consequence o f th is in con siderate sacrilege the a p ertu re w as closed by o rd er o f the authorities till the d ep artu re o f the fleet and arm y. B isho p W illiam , an E n g lishm an , Chancellor an d C haplain to K in g C anute th e G reat, B ishop o f R oeskilde 1 0 4 7 , w ho accom plished th e building o f the C ath ed ral all bu t the choir, died 8 th. M ay, 1074 or 1 0 7 6 , in the fo rest o f T op sh o i, n e ar R ingsted, to w hich place he h ad gone to m eet th e funeral procession o f K ing Svend E stridsen. U nder a sim ple stone in th e N. entrance to the chancel lie the rem ains o f S a xo Grammaticus,