Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-25
TOWANDA BRADFORD COUNTY, PA, JANUARY 25, 1866.

and that text of scripture came into my
mind He hath made everything beau
tiful in its time" Here as the poet said
favor Sermons in Stones" The great
sculptures Of winged bulls and gigantic
figures which Layard dug up at Nineveh
interested me much, with the specimens OF
art from China, and Greece, and the re-
mains of old Roman and Etruscan ware
pottery-brass &c. 1t is good place to
study history. The collection of stuffed an
imals, birds. &c, is very large and fine
| noticed large variety of woods from diff
| ferent parts of the world-many of them
very beautiful when worked but few of
them were from our part of the world To-
wards evening went to Westminster Alb
bey again and attended the service The
building grows in interest as | study it,
Thursday devoted to St Paul's went
down into the crypt, as it is called, and saw
the tombs of Nelson and Wellington, and
noticed the stone over the grave Of Benjam-
in West of Pennsylvania, who was great
painter, and at the time of his death, though
an American, was President of the Royal
Academy. | climbed to the top of the
dome of st. Pauls, about GIG steps In a
clear day there Is a commanding view Of
London and its vicinity, but it was too
smoky to see far However, | got a fine
view of the building itself 1t is wonder
ful structure, built by Sir CHRISTOPHER Wren,
who lies buried beneath it, He lived to be
90 years of age, and saw the Cathedral
completed in his day. The same Bishop of
London who laid the cornerstone also lived
to see it completed, and the same master
workman.
Having some time to spare ! walked
little distance from St. Pauls to visit the
" Tower Of London" a place full of histori-
cal interest. The oldest part Of it was built
by William the Conqueror, about $50 years
ago, III days when Kings did not dare to
live among their people, as they do now,
but must have strong walls to protect them,
and some Of these are Il feet thick, equal
to good sized room Then there was
moat all around it filled with water and a
draw-bridge with a port cullis or gateway
OF iron. There are several smaller towers
within the inclosure, and in the whole there
have been IN different ages many sad scenes
Kings and Queens and great men have
been imprisoned here, and some (likc the
sons OF Edward " J have been murdered
mere, and some been beheaded. | saw the
block which was formerly used in execn-
tons, and the axe, and the fatal mark left
upon the block as the head was severed
These things are now among the curiosities
ot past history, and will probably never be
repeated. In one room there is a fine col
lection of ancient armor Figures of men
on horseback are clothed in it, (the horses
too, and il shows that they must have
been stout, strong men to have carried
such a weight This room is called the
" Horse Armory" Two other large rooms
IN the white tower, occupying now what
used to be the great banqueting hall, are
devoted to mems armor of every kind,
muskets, rifles, swords, &c. Some one has
exercised great deal of taste in arrang-
ing them, for they are wrought into various
figures on the ceiling above, and on the
sides OF the room, and in the recesses of
the windows. Here are vines and flowers
made OF swords, and daggers, and ramrods,
and bayonets, most curiously ar anged.-
One OF these beautiful designs was the
passion flower | was struck with the
wonderful contrast, and it brought TO my
mind the prophecy of Gods Word, where it |
says: The time shall come when they
and their spears into pruning hooks nei- |
ther shall they learn war any more" Here |
saw swords turned into flowers. All |
around this old building you can now see
the vast business which is carried on in |
peace, and great city enjoying the bless
ings of peace
AS returned passed by the lofty monu-
ment near London Bridge, built to COM
memorate the great fire, when large por-
ton of the city and many churches were
destroyed. | write from time to time an |
account OF the things which have most in |
tcrested me, and which would talk to Won |
about if | were with you. | hope to tell !
you some things bye-and-bye in relation to
the good works in progress for the moral |
benefit of this great people, but shall learn
more OF them at another season of the
year Your friend and Pastor.
GEO d. MLEs.