The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-07-28


terested to accompany me to the Mu-
sic Hall which | managed to reach
after walking some two miles, in good
time to lose the fun---the meeting
having adjourned to the following
Monday Determining to find some
recompense for my pans, soon found
myself, on turning short corner
within moments walk of the cele-
brated, grand old Cathedral As !
: walked, all alone, in the twilight Of a
beautiful departing day and saw,
against the clear western sky, the Jag
ged walls and heights of the stupen-
dous pile before me; with its crumb-
ling, blackened walls, the stones, many
of which, on the outside had become
by the action of the elements rounded
and polished; its once beautifully
carved Gothic windows, inches once
statue-flled, figures and ornaments
now broken or disiigured by disinte-
grafton; the ivy ovorspreading and
reaching to great heights the almost
perfect quiet of the place, though but
a stones throw from a busy street. the
suddenness with which ] came upon
the scene, so unlike any thing / had
ever looked upon in Nature, all con
spired to produce a feeling of awe, yet
of enjoyment, which my poor pen fails
utterly to describe as it deserves.
fingered about the place until dark
ness warned me that, perhaps, the
ghosts of some of the old monks
might appear from tomb or cloister or
some mysterious stranger suddenly
appearing in that lonely spot, might
bring me back to the present in Il
manner that would create a heavy
heart and light pocket and quick
ly regained the principal street, the
like of which, for antiquity, quaint
ness, irregularity and popularity of
the buildings on each side cannot be
seen in England ard can only be
equalled on the continent and rarely
there ! was so full of what | had
seen that my long walk back to the
Hotel was scarcely realized and | dare
say that when / joined the party in
their parlor | was, for once in my life,
eloquent, and | freely confess that my
half hours enjoyment fully compensa-
ted me for all the qualms and dscom
forts, if not dangers, encountered in
crossing the Atlantic Next day, be-
ing Sunday, we all started in good
time to secure seats in the Cathedral
where the majority of us heard for the
first time the services of the Church
Of England and witnessed forms so
novel to American eyes.
The chanting of the service and the
surroundings were very impressive
The Bishop OF Chester occupied bis
throne outlook no part in the exercises
He was in extremely feeble health
looking as pale rs death On the fol
lowing day, while making the tour OF
the city wall, | met him in company
with his wife He had stopped To
rest on an arehway, overlooking the
beautiful river Dee and the charming
landscape, with the Broxton Hills and
the Welsh Mountains in the distance
This was, probably his last view Of a
scene that he had looked upon Sc
many times, ms he from that day grew
more feeble and the papers of this
week contain notice of his death and
works l was told in Chester that he
was very kind and liberal to the poor
and greatly beloved
Prince Albert was his friend and
secured him the place which is worth
more, per annum, than the President
of the United States receives. After
the service, the sexton showed us rs
much of the Cathedral and its belong
ings as was practicable in half an hour
The author of Kings Vale Royal
writes, 81 have heard it from a scholar
residing in the city, when ] was there
ammo, 1868, that there was temple
dedicated to Apollo in olden times, in 6
place adjoining to the CATHEDRAL
Church, by the constant tradition o.
the learned" According TO the best
authorities, the principal portions O
the venerable pile were erected at diff
, ferent periods from the fourteenth &c
the sixteenth century, although many
portions bear indubitable marks of 9
much earlier date. The richly decor
ated style of Gothic Architecture was
ut it's zenith in this country in the
/ fourteenth and fifteenth centuries anc
the greater part of the ediice belongs
| no doubt, to that period, as there arc
, no better preserved examples of the
: style referred to existing in England
: It's general style may be called Norman
! Gothic 1t is generally supposed thai
in some portion of the foundations
= specimens of the Saxon exist. The
: red sand stone of which it, the walls
5 towers and churches were built, wa.
obtained from quarries directly undei
! the western walls and from Others
either one or two miles from the Ca
: thedral A detailed description of al
the various objects of interest point
} ed out and commented upon by the
sexton would prove, / fear uninterest
l ing to you if done in my style; but i
| could serve up the account ms it was
! given to us, ue,baiim ct tderdtim, you
would be convulsed with laughter
: (the prophecies of the place COMPEL
: ing us to bottle ours up as our guide
l was disposed to play the philosopher
4 (and on the following day proved m,
!, friend) He had much of the humol
~ 4 Il. =.