Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1889-09-24

such scholar as Dean Bradley relating in the
familiar conversational way adapted to the in
formation of mostof his heaters the successive
chapters of English history illustrated in the
| memorials of the abbey, mtugling with his re-
| cital wise comments delightful anecdotes,
was indeed rare treat, and in itself almost
worth MY trip across the sea- watched also
with interest the glowing faces of his auditors,
whose pride as Englishmen seemed so fully
kindled by what he told them and pointed ont
to them of the country's past history. Indeed,
seem 70 nave observed, generally in England,
an effort made-nct consciously, perhaps, for
that purpose, hut from an apparently genuine
desire to instruct those who. under universal
suffrage, are already, or soon win be, clothed
with great political power-to strengthen those
institutions which seem 10 us smostincompatible
with democracy and free government by blend
ing them so indissolnbly with the past glory of
the country that patriotism itself seems chal-
lenged TO maintain thcm
THk PoIf's CORNER.
The good Deans journey around tho abbey
ended, all too soon for his interested compan-
ions, in the poets corner, where amid the mon
uments of English bards we saw the bust of
Longfellow, crowned with floral chaplets placed
there by American visitors. There also was
the grave of Edmund Speuser, around which
when he was buried gathered the poets and
dramatists Of his day and flung their pens upon
his coffin to acknowledge him as their master,
and to express their despair of ever equaling
him. Truly the pen of Spenser was great
one. as select and cultured circle of readers
say of the pen Incompatible, modesty aud
loyalty thrown in among the rest. the pen of
William Shakespeare? Beginning with the
Jerusalem chamber, before whose fireplace
Henry ~ died and Prince Hal became King,
where the Westminster confession of faith was
prepared, and upon whose long table, covered
with green baise, the revised version of the
Scriptures recently published was made, or
perhaps should rather say, finally agreed
upon, we could not exhaust even the most in
structive parts of the abbey In u single after
noon, although the Deans sense OF historic
proportion was too true to let him waste any
time on what was unimportant.
IN THE CHAPTER HOUSE.
Accordingly returned alone the next day to
look mp one room so closely connected with
English and American history that should not
have considered that had seen the abbey with
out visiting it. After some wandering along
the clOistered walks found myself at last in
the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey an
old circular room, with stone floor and q stone
bench jutting out from and running around its
entire walls. This is the place where the &C.
clesiastics of the abbey held their councils,
conducted their trials, and in the case of monks
OF the higher rank inflicted their scourgings.
Its frescOes are faded, and its stained windows
have lately been partly restored, as memorial
to Dean Stanley.
THk FIRST REPRESENTATIVE PARLIAMENT.
It was for none of these things that 1 wished
to visit the Chapter House, but because II is
the room in which the first representative Par
liament ever met, the first dim and imperfect
IICCOSulbiuu Vi people. through
their own representatives, to levy their own
taxes and make their own laws. The seed of
| free Institution, of self-governmcnt, saved
from the deadly blight of Roman imperiaism
when our first national hero. Hermann. de.
\ stroyed the legions of Varus in Tuetoberg
forest, ripening for centuries In the lowlands
of North Germany and then in England, to
which it was borne by the kees OF Hengist
| and Horsa. had in this room that first unfold
ing, faint IL may be, that has in later centu-
ries developed into free Britain and frcef
America.
GROWTH OF PREF INSTITUTIONS.
Along no other line of historic descent, no
matter how resplendent with the glory of arms.
of science art, of literature or commerce,
can We trace the growth of free institutions,
and free institutions are the product OF repre-
sentative government. Here, and not upon
any battlefield. however famous, was taken
the most momentous and the most fruitful
step in the history of self-government and
here, too, was the beginning of that fight
made by our fathers of th1 revolution to vim
dic1te and forever secure their own inheritance
of the great principle that representation aud
taxation can never be divorced.