The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-08-30
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
Room Needed for British Worthless
of the Next Thousand Years.
London Times.

For two generations it may be truly
said Westminster Abbey has been con-
tinually, year after year, adding new in
terest of every kind and accumulating
memories all more or less dear to the
country, till the editice is less AND
less equal to the monumental crowd
We may feel that we are all drawn closer
to the Abbey than we wsre then, and
that it comes more to the idea of a COM
mon shrine and sacred center for the
British people. But its whole history,
covering period Of eight centuries and
more. has been diversified with all the
features that make romance The la
men'ed Dean very CAREFUL, classified his
subjects. and showed that manvC~sto,
| iries es~ssight be written of the Aby-.xa
one subject might give the cue for an
other. Kings, royal personages, cour-
tiers, great statesmen. soldiers, sailors
iivines, poets, historians, essavists,
mathematicians, all have heen borne into
his holv groand, which is in truth part
of the presence of the British throne
The Abbey is inseparahle from the Pal.
ace Of Westminster. For centuries, in
deed, it had certain nominal independ
ence, at least for its internsl discipline
and administration, but The Crown al,
ways did what it pleased with the Alb
hev, made what use it pleased OF it, and
appropriated wba, it thought fit for tbt
Abbey revenues On the other hand i,
lavished immense sums and taxed the
nation for its new buildings.
1t is the monuments that are really
the history OF the Abbey, and as the late
Dean more than once pointed out, the
history OF the nation This conception
OF the Abbey proved a constant source
of anxiety. and involved him in some
trouble. The Dean has the invidious
Office Of deciding who shall be admitted
who excluded from building which all
claim, in some sort, for home. No
doubt the late Dean would have been
much more ready to admit had there
been more room. But room there is
not. They who deplored the state OF
things they knew in their youth can not
now visit the Abbey without noticing
still more offenses to taste and proprie-
ty. The statue of Peel for example, is
so oddly placed as hardly to seem to
have found place at all. He looks as
if be had his position still to seek in the
Abbey. The only suggestion made for
the intended statue of Lord Beaconsfield
is that it shall be few yards from Peel,
and in much the same sort Of ipdecisive
position. Now, the late Dear recorded
his opinion strongly against any moving
of the existing monuments. Leave them
all where they are. They have been
generally placed with careful regard to
their surroundings and in the midst OF
their proper associations Moreover,
their situation itself has become histor-.
ical.
What we want is room for the British
WORTHLESS of the next thousand years.
Where are they TO be placed? His idea
indeed there is no other conceivable
is that worked out by Sir Gilbert Scott.
Of large quadrangle and covered clois
ter communicating with the Abbey and
filing up the sp.ce between D ANS Yard
and Palace Yard. The Dean said that
much as he should wish to see the north
entrance made equal to its character as
practically the main entrance from the
metropolis, and much as he would like
10 see the west tower harmonizad with
the rest of the edifice. the thing to he
done fist of all was to enlarge the mon
umental capacity Of the Abbey 10 the
way just described.