The Wilmingtonian., 1884-12-20
LONDON.
Notes From n Lecture Delivered by Mrs.
Esther j. TrimbIe Lippincotf ut
Friends School.

dress upon the interesting topic Of London,
at Friends School.
A great advantage in listening t) this
lady's utterances consists in the fact that
she tells nf incidents and conditions exist
ing as she saw them. When any digress on
from narrative is made, in the way of criti-
cism or in relation to the impression made
! by novel sights or incidents either social or
political, which might differ or contrast
with what Should exist according to Amer
lean predictions or ideas the lecturer bold
ly states them without apology, aud with
praiseworthy toibearance refrains from the
euphe nism or tatl osthi istercots pea = at
form speaker.
With little Introduction Mrs Lipp.nco ott
began:
The stones of London are the hist.ry OF
the past Its statues and pillars, its pal
aces, hospitals, charities and inliimarics all
tell the story of what has been.
Entering London by one of the great rail-
roads centreing there, the Charing Cross
Road, we find ourselves confronted by an
attractive bit of history. At this spot is
| Queen Eleauors Cross. Charing Cross or
ctere refine cross is one of the stopping places
where the bier of Queen Eleanor rested
She was the beloved wife of Edward |. who
erected similar crosses at each resting place.
ChariDg Cross is the only one remaining a
marble column surviving after six centuries,
and there it stands in the heart of London.
Across the way from the railway stitiGn is
the mammoth Charing Cross Hotel We
now emerge into the Strand, street whose
name is familiar to American ears. Oppos-
ite is The National Gallery and close by is
Trafalgar square with its high monument
and statue of Admiral Lord Nelson, at its
base are the famous lions of Trafalgar. On
the south side of this square stands an
/
Charles I. This statue vas buried during
Cromwell's protCc toTate and was Cxhumed
at the Restoration. The National Gallery
is famous the world-over for its fine paint
ings and statuary, which are free at all times
to any visitor. Here are to be seen foreign
and English paintings and statues whose
money value cannot be computed. Here
may be seen the English masters, among
them Gainsborough, Reynolds, Hogarth,
| Turner and Laudseer. The statue of
Charles is standing in front of the historic
locality Of Whitehall, and scarcely hun
dred yards from this is that window from
whence the Inflated monarch Charles I.
stepped out to decapitatiun. All that is
left of old Viii ehal Palace is the Banquet
ing chamber whose inte iestng points are
the historic window and the painted ceiling.
The latter represents the defica'ion oi
James l. You look up TO see 1t through a
simple device worthy of Yankee brains--by
gazing into rejecting glass held in Ii c
hand Immediately under the picture. Tie
lecturer had little recollection of u e allie
gOrical representation except that the atten,
ton was called to the figures OF Justice aud
Mercy driving atrcd aud II Envy iuto ',lI
At the great Fire of London in 1866 all oI
Whitehall Palace but the Banqueting Cham
ber was Burnt. As we pass down the thor.
oughfare called Whitehall, for all that por
tion OF the city surrounding the ruins of the
palace is called by that name, we pass the
Horse Guards aId almost start il by som,
accident either of the two mounted cavalry
men move; there they sit, like painted i'm
ages throughout the livelong day unde
their respective inches, horses and rider
as ilrmoveable as statues. But we wall
past the fine row of government building
And now two edlices stand out in Dol,
relief. Both look about the same age, and
yet one has stood for centuries while tn
other was built not fifty years ago. The
are Westminster Abbey and the Houses o
Parliament, By keeping straight along "
reach the Abbey and enter by Potes Corner
From garish day to dim religious light
All around are stately memorials of Ell
plaud's S greatest Wr terS soldiers and state,
men. Instincuively We reach the stone sal
g cophagus where Chaucer lies, and have bu
to raise our eyes few steps on and til
t beautiful white bust of our own poet Long
I fellow, that face dear to the heart of ever
c American seems teufold dearer SO far ava
e from home, while thrill Of pride ruI
through our veins to see how our loved poo
It is homo ed abroad. Turning back to the LEI
i we enter the densely crowded end of Poet
n Corner. The life size figures Of Addiao
n aud Campbell and their perfect proportio
= makes one almost captious at the smallC
e statue ul Shakespeare. Still it is a grac,
V full figure. In his hand is a scroll with IL
n inscription. Tine gorgeous palaces, tt
is great globe ls,lf yea, all which it inhe
i it shall dissolve anu like the bodtless fabr
is of vision, leave not wrsck behind.
ie Near by a granite slab cover, the remain
,r of Dickens. Here are monuments to d