176 / 222
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,