Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-31

Canon Fsrr~r Writes a Notable Papes
On the SuS;ecl


On the Susicct.
ANALrzkp-wuAr IT SHOULD CONSIST or
HEROES And STATESMEN ENTITLED 90
BURIAL WITHIN Its WALLS
The forthcoming November pumhe, q, IN.
Brooklyn Mayarine viii contain a highly inter.
esting paper written by Archdeacon Farrar Il
the earnest request Of Its editor on the ou~s-
ton SHOULD America have a we.tmin.,ee
Abbey
Canon Farrar opens by saying that the only
answer which can be given by one who has
the honor 10 be canon Of Westminster Abbey
will hardly be doubtful 81 live under the very
shadow Of the abbey" he writes. IL arm present
on many days OF the year NJ it's morning sud
evening services. hear the sounds Of
silver Psalms aud solemn Lttanies
rolling their mighty music under its vauited
roofs. have been privileged TO speak from
Its pulpit 10 many thousands OF worshiper
gathered from many lands. I have seen rep
resentatives OF all the rank. the wealth the
beauty. the ehivslry, the wisdom, the good
ness OF England gathered In It's ample nave or
Joy or sorrow. have seen princes and ish.,rs
Ing men standing side by side and united In Q
common grief when It's best and greatest sous
have been buried under its pavement have
conducted hundreds OF Foreigners. OF Ameri-
cans, OF artisans, OF public school boys, OF
lowed precincts. Its dim cioisters have been
familiar TO me at MONDAY and at mid ni0ht
chapels, sometimes amid vast thrones "o Of mS
iellow-Christians, sometimes when scarcely y
human d being but myself was ssaeeiiDs there
and awe-inspring influences. And, therefore
am In n position 20 testify TO Its priceless
my belief that America would be showing a
wisdom and a foresight worthy Of her great
ness. IL AZ stage Ia her history not farther ~
moved from her origin than the present bbsy
| OF Henry III. Is removed from the conquest
she endesvos 70 provide for future generations
md nj
a a,oas WHICH H,h may serve her both as shrine
OF ,h h N,ax MIA an incentive 70 the efforts
vices of the dead"
The archdeacon believes that it would be i'm.
anything which exactly resem1ied the anc,s..
Abbey OF 81. Peter.
| in the fact that a grew gradually. and almost
tortoWbusly. into its present form and It's pres
enl uses, IL serves the double object OF a maus.
Cathedral where many thousands are constantly
assembled TO join In stately choral services and
| originally designed TO fulnll either object m
was me church OF q monastery, not in tended
people, or for the ordinary, Quiet worshSn Of
muitltudes, but rather for the every day ser
cases o. tne monks and for great occasional pro-
meant as a burial place for the dead The bones
| OF the sainted Coniessor were there laid to rest
ana during generation after generation kings
aud notIes, and great ecciesiastics. and
VICTORIOUS heroes desired 70 be buried around
ms ms vo SHRINE IN The great majority OF the
graves ana cenotaphs which attract 20 many
visitors are the accumulation OF the last three
centuries; and the woxhpers who often
| amount 10 many hundreds, even on ordinary
| week days, have begun to freouent the cb,Jr
ana transepts and nave I'm com ps ra yely recent
i LINES, america cannot. Of course, create the
characteristics; but IL is easily within her power
70 erect shrine which generations hence may
| which Shakespeare spoke the same nh
| sorbing interest which the church OF st Peter
now awakens In every American aud English
America, the archdeacon thinks. could scarce-
~ nave W Westminster abbey which should add
the lessons OF christian holiness ~ that of com
| mon mortality, but IL might further many high
| The mere fact that such q building Was I'm
contemplation would fire the imaxination OF
| many artists. Ii should be entrusted only 10
h ;l, genius, aud only to the very best and
IL may perhaps be said that the progress of
a. In art has fallen short OF her progress
| prophecy of Sir William Jones:
commerce with fleets shall mock the wsvs
Ahd arts that flourish not with slaves,
Dai,ti with every trace and Muse
shall o.d the valley slaugh and heavenly beams df
"Architecture, sculpture. paint,ny r,o..,.s
| iron works, are not born In a day. America has
yet ample time in which TO develop some
neaSen-born genius In these directions but ver,
] 1t once known that she contempl plated Ihe sr.c
tion OF building which Was 10 attain IA nearly
| As possible to the ideal of her beauty and ma
nlncence, how intense q stimulus would be
given 70 the Toll and TO the gins Of every native
An American Westminster. IF one A.. IN ~.
erected at all, should be OF the oostliest and
| statelest description: -"
line architecture should be OF the most mas
t proportions, the floors Of the most lus-
tripus marbles, the mosalcs enriched win
precious stones. malachite and lapis lazuli, and
| agate and COMEDIAN, and crystal and ever
native gem, like those OF the most splenSid
Russian cathedras. No painting no sculpture
| should be admitted into III which mad nni 800
the Test oil time, or which did not satisfy the
seNerest canons OF contemporary taste 1 be-
ing, the mere fact that such q build ing WAS in
contemplation. would form epoch in the his
Tory oL American art II 10 true that al the best
there would be in your NaIhafla Us In our An
oey, many sculptures which succeeding geners-
TONS would condemn. But even these have
history Of art They h 70 vi, xss stsden,
iiate and what TO avoid. They reflect win IN
falling and unsuspecting accuracy the varying
emotions aud ideals OF the periods BY whicf
they were produced"
Canon Fsrrsr believes that such q buiIdins
wouIu Also IRE the honorable passion for glory
The desire for earthly immortality won by ~.
oestowal OF great aud lifelong services. Amer
lea already feels the spell exerci.ed over h.r
lmag ination by the modest mansion on ~.
banks OF the Potomac by the memorial al
oet.y soaI., ny the statues around her Capitol
HILL" Wv DuuAo'
An Another advantage would be TO give fresh
impulse 10 literature. IL would, too slim ulafe
courage i'm the Iaiut-hearted and hopeIuiness
In the Respondent.
Anc iossSus derived from the memorials Of
great men would DC, the Canon thinks while
inoirect, perhaps, yet precious, and "whst ma
tioh says The writer, "can afford 70 lei 20 %,
any influence which may help to save it nom
vulgar ana commonplace views OF life: from
Iaise types OF excellence; from the paltry COM
petition which strives above all things after
material success; from the deificat ton OF current
popular opinion; fr,'rn the desire 10 swim win
the stream and to spread the sails TO the Dassinv
oreezeY The memorials OF the great and gep0
may tend 10 inspire purer hopes and loftier
aspirations. They will show, as is shown over
anu over again In the Abbey, that the best the
greatest, the most revered by posterity have
often been, In their own lifetime utterly nm
successful as the world counts success"
- ana thus might an American Westminster
IKE that OF England, silently teach a thousand
r1cn aud memorable lessons, be >ide, being moi
without us power In strengthening brollerly
love, II America were 10 emulate the exaapie
oil England LA her Westminster where ..C'.tho-
ic oisnop and Protestant dean lie side by side
ana men who In their lifetime would have
burnt each other. There il the memorial OF
Milton ana the tomb Of Bishop SpraL who
Thought that the name OF Milton was q pollu-
Eegno Consortes ct urna, In the stately tomb
OF the Tudors lie the sister queens Elizabeth
who burnt Catholics and Mary who burnt Prot
esiants There, side by side, are the memorials
OF statesmen whose lives were internecne war
fares. The tear shed on the grave OF Fox will
trlckle 70 the coffin Of t1tt aud Disraeli stnods
side by side with Peel. The ABBEY .is the aroot
temple OF silence and reconciliation wherein
mingles the mortal dust Of the nercest riyals
and where lie buried the animosities OF thirty
generations i'm that common grave TO which