The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-09-08
Summer Tour in Europe.
LONDON. July 81, 1853.

Antwerp, on Monday 1t is a fine city.
We ascended the tower of the cathedral
and had wide view over that level coun-
try, including Brussels and glimpse of
Waterloo. We looked at Brussels lace,
which is made at Antwerp rather than at
Brussels. We passed from Antwerp di-
rectly to Ostend there, last evening, took
the little steamer which crosses the Eng
lish Channel and arrived at Dover
little after midnight. We passed our
trunks very easily through the CUSTOM
house, and this morning came direct to
London. As | stepped ashore in England
last night, it seemed as though | had
really taken a step towards home. As /
entered the cars to-day, l almost ex-
pected to meet you, when we should ar
rive at the next station. We shall be
here a fortnight, shall then probably 60
to Edinburgh, across Scotland to Glas-
gov, from Glasgow over to ireland, to
1
Dublin there, and from thence to Liver
pool. Our way lies straight before us,
and we think the time will pass very rap
idly"
Except at London, but little time was
reserved for " the fast anchored isle" and
in this we find notes rather of the flowers
that play about its brink, than of that
growth of sturdy English oak, which we
fondly suppose the ocean chsrishes even
while its tempests have tried it. The rose
of England, to be sure, we see at Hamp-
ton Court, at the Parliament House, at
Westminster Abbey, where its fallen
leaves are strown the thistle of Scotland
is to spring by the mirror Of Loeb Lo-
mond, and the shamrock, that precious
trefoil with a dozen leaves, shall
bloom like a miracle, to be seen by US, by
the lakes of Killarney, First in the his
torical light-W Westminster Abbey:
"The monument. to Elizabeth and Ma
ry are we'll preserved, ladies who il
lustrated their faith by their works,-
"and that of Mary Queen of Scots is
perhaps the most beautiful of any in the
cathedral, and so far as | saw. entire.
The edifce itself is spacious and lofty, on
a scale of magnifcence equal to the best
in Italy, but in this respect there is diff
ference. All churches there are scrupu-
lously restored from mischances and acci-
dents, and the statuary too, but in this
the mutilations remain, and give most
antique air to the whole. The Queen
! was crowned here, seated in chair, which
without the crimson and gold which adorn
it on state occasions, is only heavy old
wooden thing, but for 500 years the kings
Of England and Scotland have used it on
tie coronation day, which alone gives it
importance in all eyes. Beneath its seat,
resting upon the two lower rounds, is the
stone on which the Scottish kings sat
when crowned, and this is now constant
appendage to the chair itself.
1--WE visited the tower, saw the prison
where Walter Raleigh was confined, and
the arches which once were cells for royal
prisoners, and numerous memorials of
those dark and stormy times, when the
good and the fair were no more exempt
from the block and the scaffold, than the
base and undeserving, The spot where
Anna Boleyne was beheaded, is paved
with dark marbles to distinguish it from
other parts of the court, but it was not so
startling to me rs the mount, small en-
inence in Hampton Court, where Henry
sth stood to receive the signal by night of
the moment when the deed was done.
Through the vista between long rows of
trees, | could dimly see with my own eyes
the spire of St. Paul's, ten miles distant,
and had it been clear, might have seen
the tower itself The little piece of ground
is enclosed by an iron fence, and is called
the Mount of Henry sth.
1--WE visited Hampton Court, which is
regal still, though no longer inhabited by
royalty. WOlsey, you know, when asked
by his master why he built SO magnif-
Gently, said he was doing it as a gift for
the king and the monarch accepted the
gift. The rooms are filled with paintings,
and here and there are remains of state
furniture Of great elegance. The grounds
are perfection itself-fowers and foun-
tains, lawns and hedges, and trees such as
cannot be found anywhere bat in Eng
land
The party were pleasantly situated in
London, having taken rooms at the West
End. Mr.. and Mrs. W, whom we
have kuown here as visitors, were added
to their number, ard with Mr.. and Mrs