The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-05
NO. 292.
[coPYRIGHr SECURED.
LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
LONDON. .

LONbON' Su"t ~, ioOS'
My DEAR R: began my London life
very pleasantly, by breakiasting. on Friday
morning last, at the rooms of my friend F,
with the poet Barry Cornwall, born Proctor.
found this prince Of song-wrters n most
agreeable person, little shy and reserved at
first but truly genial and kindly at heart and
with vein of quaint humor running through
his quiet low-toned talk 1t gave me quite a
new sensation to hear personal recollectons OF
s,ch men as Byron, Moore, Wordsworth, Keats,
Coleridge and Charles Lamb. OF the latter
Mr. Proctor related some new anecdotes, CIV
inc his peculiar delicious drolleries in man
nqr surely not unworthy Of Ella himself. Since
/ have been in England | have read some OF
the prose of Barry Cornwall. Like the prose
Of most poets it is singularly picturesque and
imaginative. The articles have read, though
not poetry press so close on to poetry that
they have much of its rarest essence-like the
leaves that grow next full blossomed flowers
and luscious fruit, they have about them the
true divine fragrance and flavor.
After breakfast ! walked out with Mr..
F.. and almost ere was aware, was stand
ING in front of Westminster Abbey. For emo
tons ike those which shook my heart for
thoughts which poured over my spirit there
are no words in any human language. 1t was
not the sombre grandeur of the Minister which
fell mon me with most power, but the shadows
of dead ages that haunted it,
The architecture without is so vast and
,olla vet 50 graceful and aerial. it seems like
grand. religious aspirations and fine poetic
beams Mortified and fixed there for all time
within so exquisite and elaborate is the sculp-
tre and carving, that they hardly seem of
(, .,,I hal
ed 10 believe that by some olden miracle the
spnseless stone silently put forth those cherub
faces and that the dark wood budded and
blossomed and wreathed itself into all those
countless combinations and cOnvolutiOns of
beauty and grace
The painted glass of the noble windows pour
ALI the glory Of life into the solemn interior of
this palace of tombs One great circular win
dow seemed to me like whirlpool of gorgeous
blooms or a coiled rainbow.
We entered mt the south transept-" Poets
Corner and found ourselves standing before
the simple monuments of Jonson, e. Rare Ben, y
Butler, Milton, Spenser, and Gray. From these
We silently and reverently passed to those of
Dryden. Chaucer, Shakespeare Thompson, Gay
Goldsmith Handel Addison, Garrick, Johnson,
and Sheridan. Oh, how the immortal genius
Of poet, and wit, and orator, and rare player
seemed TO hover exultant ON that solemn air
How the dead lords of mind seemed to rule us
from their graves, to sway the wild pulses of
our living hearts, and to bow our heads. borne
high in the pride of life, low and sad before the
Wondering, formless dust of theirs.
In the south aisle of Henry ViFs chapel. we
were shown the stately monument of Mary
Queen of Scots There is fine recumbent
statue. in which the face is very beautiful
though worn and weary-looking In the north
aisle is the tomb of Elizabeth, and Mary of the
sauguinary sOubrigltet. The maiden Queen is
here sculptured in her royal robes and prepos-
ferrous ruff.
The old royal tombs have much barbaric
grandeur about them, are a stately acceptation
OF mortality, but they are few of them at all in
accordance with our ideas of artistic beauty
The figure Of Queen Eleanor however | re-
member as very beautiful
Of the modern sculpture, was deeply struck
with the great statues Of the Duke de Monpen-
sier. by Westmacott of Sir John Malcolm and
George Canning, by Chantry of Mrs. Warren
by Westmacott and by the splendid monu-
mentS to Chatham and Mansfield by Bacon
and Flaxman. There is, in an out-of-the-way
place, one which struck me as me as meany
conceived of John Philip Kemble
One is struck throughout the Abbey by the
prominent places awarded to, and the monu-
mental hOnors heaped upon, military and naval
heroes The great writer's are crowded into
narrow corner while the great fighters have
everywhere plenty of sea-room and held-room
TO set up their immortal battle-show and plant
their guns and unfurl their flags over yards on
yards Of sculptured wall.
The sitting figure of Wherefore, in position
and expression, struck me as being udicrously
characteristic Ii is the most mercilessly mod
ern figure among them all, and one feels oddly
to turn from the cross-legged carelessness of its
attitude to the cross-legged stateliness of some
Knight Tenplar. 1t affects one strangely to
60 from the white array of these modern works
OF art, into the shadowy chapel of Edward the
Confessor-to look upward to the medieval
darkness of the far, vast roof and around upon
the quaint and blackened tombs of ancient
Kings.
think was most painfully impressed in the
chapel where the Knights Of the Bath were in
stalled Above the seats Of the knights hang
Their swords and shields, and droop their faded
banners As stood and dreamed heard the
peal OF trumpets the cry of heralds the stately
tramp OF mal-clad mem saw those high-set
banners sway and futter each stalwart
knight changed down into his seat The place
was haunted with mailed, visored, and dark
plumed ghosts and suddenly took myself off
The coronation chairs are ugly, uncomfortable
articles of royal furniture, and the famous
stone on which all the old Kings of Scotland
Were crowned, is but rough plebean piece of
reddish-gray sandstone.
On leaving the Abbey we visited grand old
Westminster Hall--the scene of innumerable
kmgly banquets--whose gorgeous Gothic roof
has echoed loyal shouts and rung with royal
reyelry, through reign after reign, and century
after century.
=, Alter heightened outside survey of the new
houses oil Parliament, that +" latter-day glory
oi u''hic architecture, we drove into the city,
passing through the old gateway, Temple Bar,
h"u ny tne streets where Milton taught school,
an Johnson tolled; Christs Hospital. where
SharieS Lamb was blue-coated how and down
Tatefnoster Row the narrow. dark birth. place
oil countless immortal books. | was amused bv
Inc aristocratic disdain Of signs. evidenced bv
the distinguished masters Of the trade Bvronjs
PuDhSher has simply Mr.. Murray in small
ie'orN GA ms door. We then drove round st
Iaui $ sombre mountainous building. which
!" my eye has more the look of vast heather
temple than an edifce for Christian Worship
Uhen passed that awfulest of prisons. New.
s'~ he SIGHT of it flung a sudden darkness
VI Tue day-the chill and noisome shades of its
misery and crime
. me morning of the following day spent at
cur cur hoyal Academy of Arts, where saw some
&c" beautiful paintings many of an Indifferent
character character and, must add, many which neither
gous nor men could abide
fullv W." oe revisit the galleries and speak more
iuliy OF the pictures most admire
and NJ NJ evening" ,g ! took tea quietly with Mr..
R;cbar ~ ~ Io9den' to whom brought letters
Lern"s NSouen who believe is one of your