A ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 53

A ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIP.

No, xvir. WESTMINSTER ABBEY — ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. Westminster Abbey and B>\ Paul's Cathftdral have ever been associated in my miod wifch alt that is sublime, and I have ofben regretted that Ihe probabilities of nay ever seeing these world•famed structures, linking as they do the kingdom's past and present ecclesiastical and national history, were of the slenderest; description. Yet here lam inJJondon, aud ou this my first Sunday I decided to visit fche Abbey in fc&e ftitersoon and St. Paul* iv the evening. Accordingly to the A >bt>y iv company with friends I make ray way At an hour eariy eaough to enable me to spend some time within its hallowed walk before the service begins. What a grand old buiidieg ifc seems as we approach its open doors, and with what feelings t,i revarenfcial awe we pass through its portals ! There is probably no building in all England which appeals so strongly to the imagination and so vividly recalls the past history of fcbe nation as the visitor, with revereutial feelings, passes through it? hoary cloisters, crumbling with sgu, or walks through its more ancient parts which fcb« feefc of kings, queens, dignitaries of the church, noblemen, and devout worshippers of all ranks trod for centuries in the early psriod of the kingdom's history. Wti»t a flood of mellowed light finds its way through the afcained glass of the beautiful windows, softly permeating tbe aisles and, galleries and chapels through which the visitor slowly makes his way ! The finest and most comprehensive view of tha interior is obtained on entering fche west; door. From fchi3 point fche splendid range j of pillars supporting the building- have a wonderfully Bue appearance, aud tha lofty roof and other noble and interesting features of the interior are <strik ; nply impressive, and induce feelings of the u^mos 1 ; solemnity. Probably nothing carries the mind farther oack in Ensland's hiafcory when visitiug the Abbey than a visit to the Chapels of the Kiugs. This intensely interesting portion of r,be Abbey I visited on a subsequent occasion, as we were unable to sea ibeae interesting places on our firsb visit. Ifc is in these ane'enfc sxticfcuaries where one begins fco realise how old the nation is, for underneath fche flat stone tombs with fcheir carved effigies lie the remains of the monarchs of fche kingdom dating as far back ay Seberfc, King of the East SaxJßs, who died in 616, and ot Athelgoda, his queen, who predeceased him in 615. The ofcher kings buried in fche Abbey are Edward the Confessor, Henry 111. Edward I, Edward 111, Riohard 11, Henry V, Edward V, Henry Vlf, Edward VI, Jkmes I, Chacks 11, William 111, and George 11. Of the dukes and earls and bishops aad armed knights and members of the nobility fcfaere are scores wifch whose names readers of English history are familiar. Among the most interesting of fche Chapels of fche Kings may be mentioned that of Henry VII, for here lie the remains of that monarch and his queen, of Mary Stuart Queen of Scots, Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Queen of Scots, Ch&i'les 11, William 111, Queen Anne, George 11. Queen Caroline, aud many ofcher members of royal and noble families. Hanging on the walls of some of the chapels were tha banners, ragged and fast crumbling away to dust, of many of the knights of olden days whose names are familiar to vs — the actual banners borne by their retainers in the battles of long-past days or in their pi'grimages to the Holy Land in the time of the Crusaders. We are surrounded by so many relies of fche far distant ages, and the rasfc proportions of fcho building itself are so impressive, that we realise to the tuilest extent what an inheritance ifc is to the people of England to have fche privilege of entry and of worshipping in this noble abbey. These hurried notes will not permit me to enter into a detailed description of all that Ihe visitor finds to infcereal him iv its sacred interior, but let me quote Wtahingfcon Irving in testimony of fche profound impression ifc rauut make on everyone who visits il with a mind in harmouy with the influences fchat surround him: "The spaciousness and gloom of the vast edifice produce a profound and mysterious awe. We step cautiously and softly about, as if fearful of disturbing fche hallowed silence of the tomb, while every footfall whispers allong fche wallg, and chatters among the sepulchres, making us more sensible of fche quieti we have interrupted. Ib seems as if the awful nature of the place presses down upon the soul, aud hashes the beholder into noiseless reverence. We feel that we wrq surrounded, tar

the congregated bones of the great men of pact times, who have filled history with their deeds and the earth wifch their renown," We have finished our reverential study of such of fche features of the Abbey %s fche time at our disposal permitted, and meanwhile the coagregatiou has assembled in large numbers and we take our places among the worshippers. The congregation was a very large one, the whole of fche seats be : ng crowded. The music was good, and the service joined ia fervently by all. Bishop Christopher Wordsworth's beautiful hymn, O Lo'd of heaven, and earth, and s?ea, To Thee all praise aud glory be ; How &h,ill we show our love to Thee Who givesfc all ? Tbe goid^u sunshine, vernal air, Sweet flowers a,a_d fruits, Thy love declare ; When harvests ripen, Thou art there, Who givest all was l'endered with telling power. The preacher was C^non Wilberforce. H« delivered a quiefc and convincing sermon : a meditative and earnest appeal to all present to cling to that which is right. The anthem was marked by very fine tenor and soprano solos, and a duo by soprano and contralto. Needless to say we leffc the Abbey w ; )h ehas- j tened feelinas to enjoy a quiefc Sund iy afternoon tea, preparatory to attending service «.t St. Paul's Cathedral in tbe evening. j Approached by a broad flight of stone steps ' at its grand western entrance, in the very heart I of fche city, and situated oa a slight eminence, j stands London's other great ecclesiastical ! structure and its most prominent building. Closely bound up with the ancient history of fche kingdom, like Westminster Abbey. its early nsscciations probably go still further back into the dim past. Ifc is even said by some authorities " that in pagtra \ times a fceraole of Diana occupied the site of Sfc P -Mil's ; bat Sir Christopher Wron rejected this idea. Still, tbe spot mupt at least have be-n one of sonio sancliny, to judge from the cinerary urns and other vessels found here ; and Wren was of opinion, from remains found in digging the foundations of fche uresent edific, that there had b^en a church on. tha spot built by Christians in the tinvi of tehe Romans, and demolished by the pagan Sixons. Ifc ia believed fco have been rexßoced by Efchelbert, King of Kent. *bout h. r>. 610 This building w»s burned dowo in 981, and rebuilt within a year. It w&h again destroyed by fice i in 1037 ; but a new edifice w*s &fc once begun, ; though nob completed for about 200 years." ! TH-t church, knuwn ft« Old St. Paul's, was 590f;loDg; and in 1315 it vjae furnished with a Timber spire, covered with lead, 460?fc high. i This spire w?,a destroyed by fire in 1561, and the church was also much damaged i and was allowed to fall into a ruinous state. In the reign of Charlea I an ! extensive restoration was undertaken and ! a beautiful portico builfc by Inigo Jones ! The civil war, however, pub an end toshis work, and in 1666 fche greY; fire of London almost completely destroyed the church. The present bnilding was 4 denigned by Sir Christopher Wren. Ifc was commenced in 1675, aud was opened for divine service in 1697, and complete! ia 1710. Tbe church i* of great dimensions, 500 ft in length and 118ffc broad, and tho toranseot is 250Ffc long, and the diameter of the cpace underneath the dome is 112 ft. ' The dome ia tbe finest in the world. Although the building is or colossal proportions, surrounded as it is by the warehouses ! and shops fronting St Paul's Churchyard, no good view can be obtained ot it. The finest view of the majpatie dome is obtained from tbe Thames, below Blackfriars Bridge Approached from Ludgafce Hiil fche cathedi'al pr»senta its best appearance. This s>(;H,d« js 180 ft in bceadtk and is approaches by ft flight of marble arep*, 22 in cumber, & prominent object in front of the building being the 6t»tue of Qu'ien Anne, erected in 1886. and a replica of the original statue by Bird (1712) Th« vast proportions of the interior aie ioapoaing, but the visitor cannot help feeling- that h baa a cold and sompwhaii cheerless look, Although great efforts hive been made to embellish it wibh stained glass, marbto, a,n<3 g-ldicg. The pointings and mosaic work in she dome are very rich, but thfy are at too great an altitude to be seen from the floor of tbe cathedra!. The monument*, statues, sarcophagi, aad mosaic renreseuttifcjons of Scriptural scenes are very numerous in th»s aisles and fcranuep's. Among the f orrn&r, to give my ):cader3 some- idea oic the nature of these memorials of the heroes and celebrated men whose "services to the nation are thus perpetuated, maybe mentioned the Crimean Cavalry monument ; a monument; to the Duke of Wellington, >\ bronze figure resting on ! n lofty sarcophagus, overshadowed by a rich marble ciu.&py, with 12 C .rinthian columns aud above colossal groups of Valour and Cowardice. Truth and Falsehood ; statue of Sir Joshua Reynolds ; sfcafcu" of John Howard, tbe phi'anfchropist ; statues and sarcophagi of numerous bishops and deans ; statue I of Admiral Lord Nelson, the want of the right j aria, which Nelson lost at C^diz, concealed by the cloak, tbe left arm leaning upon an anchor nupoorted on a coiled up cabU; ; statue of Sir R*!ph Abercrornby, representing the general, tnorfcit'ly wounded, failing from his horsa into 1 the arms of a Highland soldier. These few examples will give an idea of how the memories of the nation's heroes and other public benefactors are kept green by a grateful people. The celebr&ted Whispering Gallery in the interior of the cupola, is reached by a flight of 260 ati>ps from the floor of * the j church through the library. It is remarkable for a curious echo. A slight whisper uttered close fco fche wall on one side of the gallery is diaticefcly audible to an ear near the wall ou the other side, a distance of 108 ft in a direct lice, or 160ffc round the semicircle. Tfcis is also fche beat poiufc of view for a survey of the interior of fche church, and for a view of Thornbi l !'^ ceiling paintings, representing (1) Conversion of St. P.iul, (2) Blycnas the Sorcerer, (3) Paul at Lysbra, (4-; fche Gi-ac>ler afc Phillippi, (5) St. Paul preaching at Athens', (6) Books of Magic burned afc Bphesus, (7) SSb. Paul before Agrippa. (8) Ship wrack afc Malta. ! But space will not permit extended reference : to this great cs-thedral situated in the vary j heart of London's business life. Thosa who are interested in fche details of the noble structure and of its interior ornamentation and fche monumsnts aud statues of fche dead which have been placsd within its walls can obtain the fullest particulars from any of the numerous hooka which have been published descriptive of the sights and scenes of, old and present-day London. On the evening of my visit to the cathedral, Sunday, August, 8, there was a crowded congregation, and that meaon in Sb. Paul's a vast con- i coursa of people. Every person present was supplied with a loaflet on which the words of the hymns to be &ung were prinfcec?, and ifc contained a request fco the congregation fco join in ' fche singing throughout the service — a request that, was almcsl universally responded to. The Lambebh Conference had juat recently beeu ' hold, and bishops Irom far lands were skill to be found in numbers occupying city and country pulpits. The preacher tor the evening at St. .Paul's was tiie Rteht Rev. the Bishop of Ken-

tacky. He took for his text Romans ix, 10. The posst^sor of a clear, resonant voice, tha echo of which came back from the cud of the building in bis pauses, producing a quite remarkable effect, fche bishop preached an admirable and really eloquent setnson, powerful iv its impassioned declaration of complete belief ia the strength of the evidence as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the foundation of the Christian religion by His apostles. A fitting close to the impressive service was the beautiful evening hymn •• Abide wifch me, fast falls the evening tide," and the crowded congregation filed out of London's great and popular cathedral, and to their respecti"e homes through fchs crowded footpaths, or by 'bus or train where distance necessiEated. That the peace-giviog aad comforting itiliuencft of ihe services in this noble buildiDg may long be preserved to fche people must surely be the conßfcaut aspiration of tbe fcnousantls wh omeet within its loffcy and time-honoured walls.