The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-09-02
The Crowded Abbey.
Room Needed for British worthless of
the Next Thousand Years.
[Loadon Times.l


For two generations it may be truly said
Westminster Abbey has been continually, year
after year, adding new interest OF every kind
and accommodating memories all more or less
dear to the country, till the edifce is less and
less equal to the monumental crowd We
NAV feel that we are all drawn closer to the
Abbey than we were then, and that it comes
more to the idea of a common shrine and sa-
cred centre for the British people. But its
whole history, covering period of eight CEN
turtles and more, has been diversified with all
the features that make romance.
The lamented Dean very carefully classified
his subjects, and showed that many histories
might be written of the Abbey, as one subject
might give the cue for another. Kings, royal
personages, courtiers, great statesmen, soldiers,
sailors, divines, poets, historians, essayists.
mathematicians, all have been borne into this
holy ground, which is. in truth, part of the
presence of the British throne. The Abbey is
nsepara5le from the palace of Westminster:
For centuries, indeed, it had certain nominal
INDEPENDENCE at least for its internal disci-
pline and administration, but the crown al
WAYS did what it pleased with the Abbey,
made what use it pleased of it, and appropriat-
the other hand, it lavished immense sums and
taxed the nation for its new buildings
1t is the monuments that are really the his
tory of the Abbey, and, as the late Deans more
than once pointed out, the history OF he pa
ton. This conception of the Abbey proved
constant source OF anxiety, and involved him
in some trouble. The Dean has the invdiouS
Office of deciding who shall be admitted, who
excluded from a building which all claim IN
some sort for a home. No doubt the late
n l,a~ra haa nnrn nadu n
admit had there been more room. But room
there is not. Those who deplore the state of
things they knew in their youth cannot now
visit the Abbey without noticing still more
offenses to taste and propriety.
The statue of Peel, for example is oddly
placed as hardly to seem to have found place
at ALL He looks as il he had his position still
to seek in the Abbey. The only suggestion
made for the intended statue of Lord Beacons-
field is that it shall be few yards from Peel,
and in much the same indecislve position.
Now, the late Dean recorded his opinion
strongly against any moving OF the existing
monuments. Leave them all where they are.
They have been generally placed with care
full regard to their surroundings and IN the
midst of their proper associations. Moreover,
their situation itself has become historical.
What we want is room for the British wor-
thies 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 a large quadrangle and
covered cloister communicating with the Abb
hey and filling up the space between Dean S
Yard and Palace Yard. The Dean said that
much as he should wish to see the north en-
nance made equal to its character as practically
the main entrance from the metropolis, and
much as he would like to see the west tower
harmonized with the rest of the ediice, the
thing to be done first of all was to enlarge the
monumental capacity of the Abbey in the way
just described.