Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-10-08
BROOKS LETTERS.



All ieonld think of was the cathedral
whose colossal towers had loog been 10
my eye--tlie far famed York minister, as
have called IL helore--,he wish to see
which was one Of The earliest III my youth
--ior IL any enc has a hunger and thirst
after such sights, il is an American. who
can never appease such hunger al home
left the steamer. with my friend. bag
gage and all, aud we rushed towards the
Tavern that bad SO much capiivsed our
eycs FAR down tile Case. Il can describe
no such thing as this. ] can tell yoa how
long, bow high aud how wide but such
an overpowcIlng moutsin oil rock thus
regularly hewn ont, thus regularly piled
thus scolptured and carved. The eye must
see for The mind ever to feel the magnitude
of the undertaking. The first question in
the reveries Of the spectator is, who can
have put together on this plain spch
mountain for church---it must be the
growth Of centuries II must take the
wealth Of worlds. And then along train
of reflections arises Of ihe Catholic Priest
10 extoft such labor IN the darker ages
from The rude poverty stricken peasant o.
bcdient 10 his coDtfol,--o If not from blni
from the refined baron or king who ieaicd
God that he did no, know. Such work
now it is said, could not be erected with
out sum nearly as large tbe whole an
nual expenditure OF The government of the
twentyfour u States. nor in !. SIS than Gfiy.
or even hundred years. The estimated
expense Of merely repairing il, after the
lunasic Martin destroyed all tho carved
work by setting FIRE 10 il in 1920 was gas.
600 dollars we could not tarry long TO
look at the outside Of the majestic pile,
for the view is buta narrow one at lis base
huddling around as there do, so many mis-.
cradle buildings in narrow streets. The
door was open and pushed by is guar.
dams. by heavens, II seemed as il il was
not made, but as ifihe very stone had
groom up IN trees, and tfaccfy, with
arms iuteriockcd with arclles,--as If
some day or other, upon some rows Of
mighty oaks then filed With men s. kings
IA sudden peirilaction had come, and
left all as they we're for ages for here
are columns resembling trees, imagessre
scmbling the men Of ancient days, and the
kings from William the Conqueror TO Hen
ry the vi all in stone scfeen, as large
as life, carved, moi as il il were the work
of man, but as if they had stood there
when they died with their royal insignia
on, and become stone feel as if had
left The land Of the living. and was alrca-
dy in the abyss Of the dead Even tie c.
clio OF my footsteps along The aisle OF The
vault, disturbs me, for ] seem 10 tread on
holy ground. There is sad solemnity
over coming an awe that makes him
speak in whispers, aud tread the pavement
with fear. moved cautiously along the
nave and transept, Che cross aisles Of The
Cathedtal) ! went into The choir and
gazed at the lofty organ and immense
pipes. stared with astonlshmcut al the
high stretching widows OF stained glass
know.not how many saints
Of the Calendar--ihc FIRST had ever seen.
wandered among the tombs and the mo-
numepts upon them-but this new sensa.
ton was soon oyer--ihus do we rapidly
change, land a new one came upon me.
The service OF the day was about com.
mencing in The Cathedral, and ore OF the
officers delivered us 10 the cafe OF guide
wh o, after be had listened while TO the
sounds oflhe organ as they sweiled and
rolled from aisle 10 aisle, and from pillar
TO pillar, renewing yet more warmly az
the solemnity such scene is calculated TO
inspise--began bis operations Of guidance
Our guide, though the Cathedral, was one
of those men who have but a single
knowlcdge--a single idea--and this so
magni6ed, so over ever efieryescing, that
he bursts whenever he delivers it. "You
must ADMIRE" he commenced. "you must
admire geutlemea"--wi'h all the gravity