The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-19 00:00:00

THE CATHEDRAL.

It is, of course, impossible to give any idea of the sim-
ple and magnificently bold proportions of this great Chris-
tian temple to those who have not seen it, or some similar
building by which they can form a standard of comparison;
still less was its aspect yesterday capable of being ren-
dered to strangers by any word-painting. Even those who
best know the building, which the genius of Wren has
made the architectural chef d'oeuvre of London, could
scarcely have recognised it without a little preparation as
it then appeared. A faint twinkling circlet of gas jets ran
flickeringly round by the base of the great dome, lighting
up the limbs ant features of the actors in the huge subjects
painted on the concave walls above, and seeming to endue
them with a doubtful life. In a line with the base of the
dome, and stretching from capital to capital of the pilasters
which in equal [partition mark out the walls of nave and
transept througiout the length and breadth of St. Paul's,
the same simple but most effective decoration was called
into use, and lighted the base of the semicircular roof with
a line of bright fire. Sweeping round the area covered by
the dome a grand circle of seats rose from the floor to
the furthest available height in the rear, spreading
far into the transept in receding rows, and coming
abruptly to a space of not more than four
or five rows deep, where the broad pillows at the end of
the nave cut off its further extension. The floor of the
nave was covered with black baize or cloth, and at each
side was a long tench, extending from the entrance to the
circular area under the dome, behind which rose, for the
space of three or four feet, a wooden partition, decorated,
at intervals of two or three feet, by escutcheons of the late
Duke, on black satin with white borders. Behind this
partition were situated the seats intended for the military
and naval officers present at the ceremony, placed tier above
tier, so as to cosamand a view of the procession to the area.
Over the western entrance and the sides of the transept
were galleries, which were very speedily filled by privileged
ticket-holders. The seats at each side of the organ were
also crowded, and the wide expanse of benches reserved for
peeresses and their friends, which spread from the organ-
, loft almost to the floor of the area, were occupied by ladies,
most of whom were in deep mourning. In the centre of

the area beneath the dome was placed a frame about 8 fee.

high, by the same length, and by a breadth of 5 feet,
covered with black cloth, and some seats or hassocks were
arranged around it, of the same colour with white borders,
Directly in the centre of the south semi-circumference of
the area was fixed the seat of the Lord Chancellor. Be-
hind his lordship's seat were the places reserved for the
House of Lords. To their right, on the south-east side of
the area, were the places reserved for the generals and other
high officers of our service. Opposite to the Lord Chan-
cellor's chair was placed that of the Speaker of the House
of Commons, and behind it were the seats reserved for
members of that honourable body. On the left of the
Commons sat the corps diplomatique. On the right of the
Commons were the corporation of the city of London and
the other corporations which had sent representatives. On
the right of the corporations was the deputation from the
Univrsity of Cambridge, while directly opposite to
them, on the other side, and on the left of the Lords,
came the deputation from the University of Oxford. It
was intended at first that the four rows in front on each
side of the nave should be occupied by military and naval
officers, but the struggle to get in at the early part of the
morning was so great, that the lines of red and blue were
somewhat broken in upon, and diversified by black and
white.

At first the general impression left by the scene was
' rather cold and unsatisfactory.
impaired the The seats were not quite
filled- The temporary population of the Cathedral was
shifting and fitful, and some occasional sunbeams rather
effect of the gas illumination. The surpass-
interest of the occasion, however, soon overcame the influ-
ence of all Such trivial drawbacks. As the eye gazed the
picture was filling
with every colour and with every touch
of art. It grew, from a mere black, gaunt, skeleton frame-
work of wood and stone, and sombre faces and heads,
lighted by serpentine gas jets, into a vast dome, with wide-
spreading urns
and
wings,
which embraced within its
grasp all that this great empire can produce of genius,
science, and statesmanship.
From the time the doors were opened—about seven
o'clock—the numbers continued to increase very rapidly ;
and as the arrangements for setting down the visitors, ex-
cellentextensive as they were, did not meet their eager-
ness, of them left their carriages and walked to the
m andau y
Cathedral.
early morning was dark, windy, and wet, but,
with rare good fortune for such a time of the year, the sight-
seers in the streets were favoured with fine weather, for it
cleared up as the day advanced, though a biting cold wind,
which whistled down the western entrance along the nave,
searching the very bones of the spectators, reminded them
forcibly and *unceasingly that it was an English autumn
outside.
put handkerchiefs over their heads, and at
last the cold
so intense that most of the persons in
the back of the nave were compelled to put on their hats,
Many
notwithstanding the sacred character of the place. The
old generals, with tree military punctuality, were among
the earliest arrivals, and the quarter of the area appro-
priated to them was
filled very speedily. The old admirals
were equally exact, and every eye in the Cathedral were soon
directed to that quarter where orders, stars, ribands, and
crosses, glittering
on bright scarlet and blue, told of men
who had served their country and fought by the side
of the great warrior whose remains were approaching
their last home. Sir C. Napier, with his eagle face,
moving stiffly along from the effect of his old wounds
his baother, Sir Wiliam, with a frame, if possible, still
more shattered by ban and perforated by bayonet,—Lord
Gough, with his noble soldierlike bearing, Lord Seaton,
Lord Combermere, Sir James M'Donnell, Sir A. Wood-
ford, Sir W. Cotton,—these, and many another gallant ve-
teran, called one's mind back to the days when Wellesley
led his ill-providedlevies against the disciplined battalions
of the great Emperor, and taught a generation of soldiers
who are yet among us the way to conquer.
About 10 o'clock the Duo de Brabant and the Comte de
Flandres, sons of the Sing of the Belgians, entered the
cathedral. They were dressed in the uniforms of their
respective regiments, the Guides and Lancers, and were at-
tended by Colonel le Comte de Moerkerke, Comte de Briey,
, and Sir IL Carswell. The young Princes, who attracted a
good deal of attention, took up their places in the left am-
phitheatre.
Soon afterwards the members of the House of Commns
began to make their appearance in detachments as boat
after boat conveyed them to Paul's stairs. Almost the
first who walked up the nave was Mr. Hume, accompanied
by Sir J. Walmesley. At 11 o'clock many hon. members
had taken their places, among whom were Sir J. Graham,
Sir C. Wood, Mr. Keogh, Mr. O'Flaherty, Mr. Swift, and
many others ; and meanwhil©,
as every minute passed, the
mass of uniforms grew denser and brighter to the eye, as
the wearers climbed up from the floor of the nave and
took their places in the front seats above, which were filled
in a line, not very much broken, three or four deep, from
end to end on both sides of the passage, with the officers
of every branch of the service. As the sunlight shot ob-
liquely in through the windows, and cast its rays down
through the amber-coloured blaze of the gas, it fell with
wonderful effect on the varied hues to be seen in the
body of the cathedral. Here were the generals all scar-
let and gold, dotted with admirals in blue and white ;
there the diversified uniforms of the representatives of
foreign Powers, where Count Waleweki displayed the