Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-04-27

lall" of Rufus-still shows some dclicately
,arved stone-work which even Mr. Barry has
hardly surpassed BY very happy arrange
nent, the old Hall is made sort of vestibule
TO the New Palace, and while we are stand
ing, carriage ter carriage is dcposting
members of Parliament at its door. We enter
and find ourselves in a room Of grand dimen-
sons-the largest indeed in the world unsup-
ported by pillars, being 239 feet long, GO
wide, and 90 high occupying an area OF more
than third of an acre. Think Of Rufus af-
fecting to despise it as % petty bed-cham-
Der !" Its cold stone floor, its bare walls, and
its entire emptiness give it an air Of dcsola-
ton and chocrlessness. To bring all its glory |
before us, we must recall some such scene as
a royal banquet in the time Of the Plantage-
nets, or the trial of Warren Hastings, when
all the beauty and pride of England were here
assembled. But very little do we think OF
the chcerlcssness which regns below when
once we look up to that wonderful groined
roof The eye is ct first bewildered by the
com picated series Of arches those black
heavy timbers of oak, when separately looked
at seem supported only by u miracle, yet the
whole framework Of arches seems 50 light
that the wonder is now transferred to the
skill which poised and adjusted them. West
minister Hall has undergone scarcely any
change since Richard spanned it with
this noble roof in 1898. Here Parlia-
ments used originally to Sit Here Richard
| himself the very next year after he had
built this roof was deposed by Par
| lament. Here two hundred and fifty
years later Parliament sat in judgment on
another king, and we saw the spot in White
hall where that judgment was executed. Here
the chief instigator Of that tragic plot was
installed Protector, and over this roof his
own head was afterward exposed. Sir
Thomas More, STAFFORD, and Laud were here
tried and condemned Here justice withstood
the tyranny of the last Stuart and acquitted
the seven Bishops. If some ofthose images
which, from under the arches, have looked
down upon the scenes here enacted during
four and half centuries, could recount all
they have Witnessed the tale would be n
I" History of the struggle Of English liberty.
If the magnificent designs OF Sir Charles
Barry are ever carried out, these bare walls
are to be covered with frescoes, and statues
of the great men of England are to people
this scene Of their glory. The nation has
claimed that Cromwell's shall be one OF
them, and it will be.
But we pass on--under n magnificent arch
Of stone which spans all the southern end W
a flight of broad steps, to st. Stephen
Porch Here we begin to see, in the beau
tiful vaulted stone roof, some Of the choice
} work of the modern architect, lut those sil
pedestals, one Of which is waiting for Nelson
another for Marlborough tell of much more
:" r-o-root Turning TO the left. we ento
; St. Stephens Hall. gave you the hstor,
of St. Stephens Chapel the old House o
, Commons, and you will remember that i
was left complete ruin by the fire OF 1884
l The architect of the new Palace, who ha
) aimed to incorporate as many of the oil,
historical associations as possible with tn
, interest of the new buildings, has restore,
J ns faithfully as he could the old House o
!. , Commons in this Hall. 1t is on the sam,
as the old St. Stephens Chapel.
, You may ask to what use this hall is t
be put now that the commons have ney
, chamber. To none whatever, save as a con
servatory fthe traditions and associations o
the old House Of Commons. In noting th
; arrangements designed to suggest the oil
chapel of St. Stephen, we must not ovcrlool
the beautiful bosses of the vaultcd roof, OF
: which are carved scrnon from the life of st
, stephen, nor the statues Of the earlier Nor
man Kings and Queens in the inches Of tn
doorway.
I, Here too We are to have frcscocs and stat
. ucs i'll memory Of the patriots and Statesmen
of the House of Commons. Scldcn, lamp
) den, Falkland, and Clarendon are alread,
there. Somcrs, Walpole Chatham, Mans
field, Burke, Pitt, Fox, and Grattan are t,
follow And when future members Of Par
Lament pass to and fro among the statues
or when the student of history shall COM
here to reflect on the struggles of constitu
tional liberty in the presence of its cham
pions, those marble lips will tell what makes
| nation happy and keeps it SO, what virtues
and what efforts have been and always vii
be honored with nations gratitude
a door from St. Stephens Hall brings VI
, to the central hall of the Palace. an octago
nal room, from which eight archcd doorwavl
give access to all parts of the building. In tn,
encaustic-tile pavement we read latin inscriJ
tion in the antique illuminated style = mis-
dominus&c. except the Lord build the house
they labor in vain that build it, In all tn,
eight arch-ways there are inches containing
statues of Kings and Queens, commencing
with Edward and Eleanor, and ending with
Henry VII and Elizabeth WoodviIle. As VIC
enter the hall from St. stephens, the
House of Lords is on our right, the House OF
Commons on our left, and the passage leading
to the Committee Rooms Corridor, which we
visited last week, is Immediately opposite us
We will next visit the House Of Lords.
Your Chronicler,
GRIFFITH.
teoERIsFosDESCE or THE rREE PRLstl
From the Allcghnnics.