New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-17
THE HOME OF DIR. JOHNSON.
A PILGRIMAGE TO LICHEIELD.
THE CATHEDRAL-FAMoUs NAMES AND BEAUTI
Full STATUARYTHE BIRTHPLACE OF
SAMUEL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
JOHNSON AND GARRICK-A ORA
MAT1C SHRINE.

JOHNSON AND GARRICK-A ORA
MATIC SHRINE.
Lichfeld, Staffordshire, July 81.
To man of letters there is no name III ''
the long annals of English literature more inter
esting and significant than the name OF Sa'huel
Johnson II has been truly said that 10 oIhel
man was ever subjected to such light as Bos-
well threw upon Johnson, and that lew o'hef
men could have endured it so well. He was
MANY things that are noble, but for all men OF
letters he is especially noble as the champion OF
literature lie vindicated the profession of let
tiers. He lived by his pen, and he taught the
,raat world once for all, that it is honorable so
to live That lesson needed in the England
of his period: and from that period onward the
literary vocation has steadily been held in higher
esteem than il enjoyed up TO that time. You
will not be surprised that one of the humblest
OF his followers should lingcr for moment In
the ancient town that is glorified BY ASSOCIATION
with his illustrious name, or should wish TO
send word Of fealty and homage from the
birthplace of DR.. Johnson.
Lichfled is little cluster of rather dingy streets
and of red brick and stucco buildings, lying IN
a vale q little northward from Birmingham, diver
siled by couple of artificial lakes, and glorllicd
by one of the lOveliest churches in Europe. With
ont its church the town would be nothing; with it,
it is everything. Lichficd Cathedral, although an
oncieut structure-datlng back, indeed, to the early
part of the twelfth centuryhas been so sorey bat
tered, first and last and SO considerably re-
stored" that it presents the aspect OF pulld-
ing almost modern. The dcnOtementS Of an
tiquity. however, are not entirely absent from IL,
and altogether it is not less venerable than ma
iestic. No one of the cathedrals Of England pre-
sents a more beautiful facade. The multi
tudinous statues of saints and kings that are
upon it create an impression OF royal opulence
The carving upon the recesscs Of the great door
WAYS on the north and west is of astonishing
vnrietv and loneliness The massive doors of
dark oak, fretted with ironwork of rare delicacy,
are impressive. and altogether suitable for such
an cdifcc Seven of the large gothic windows in
the chance are fitted with genuine old glass -
not, indeed, the glass that they originally con-
tanned, for that smashed by the Puritan
fanatics and rouss, but a great quantity mo
less than at least $40 pieces each about twenty
two inches square) made in Germany in the carly
part Of the sixteenth century, when the art OF
staining glass was at the height Of perfection
This treasure was given TO the Cathedral by n
liberal friend, Sir Brooke Boothby. who had OBJ
tanned it by purchase, in 1902, from the dis
solved Abbey Of Hcrckcnrodc. No such color US
this old glass presents can be seen III the glass
that is manufactured now. 1t is initiated, In
deed but it does not last. The subjects portrayed
IN these sumptuous windows are mostly Scriptural
but the centre window on the north side Of the
chancel Is devoted 10 portraits Of noblemen, one
Of them being Errard de Ia Marck, who was en-
throned Bishop of Liegc in 1903 and who, toward
the end Of his stormy ifc adopted this old Roman
motto-comprehensive and fnal-which appears i'll
the glass, beneath his heraldic arms:
Decipnus volts ct tenpore fa,limur:
Et MOrs deridet curas aja vita nlhl
The father Of the iustrious Joseph Addison was
Dean of this Cathedral from 6ss TO 1709, and his
remains are buried in the ground outside near the
west door. The stately Latin epitaph was written
by his SON. This and several other epitaphs here
attract the interested attention OF literary students
A tablet the north wall. in the porch, com
mcmoratcs the courage and sagacity of Lady Mary
Wortlcy Montagu, who introduced into England
the practice of incubation for the smallpox.
Anna Seward, the poet, who died in 1907 AGED
sixty-sx, and who was one Of the friends Of DR.
johnson, was buried and is commcmorated here.
and the fact that she placed tablet here in
memory Of her father is celebrated in sixteen
eloquent and felicitous lines by Sir Walter Scott
The father was a canon OF I4ch!icld and died in
1890. The reader of Boswell viii not fail To re
mark the cpitaph on Gilbert Walmcsley. once reg
istrar of the ecclesiastical court OF I.chfield and
one Of Dr. Johnson's especial friends. OF Chapel
Woodhouse Il is Significantly said upon his
memorial stone that lie was lamcnted most ny
those who knew him best" Here one sees two Of
the best works of Chantrey-.0ne called The
Sleeping Children, erected in Isl in memory of
the two young daughters of the Rev. William
Robinson; the other kneeling figure Of Bishop
Ryder, who died in 1885, The former was one Of
the earliest triumphs CT Chantrey-an exquisite
semblance Of sleeping innocence and heavenly
purty-and the latter was his last. Near by is
placed one of the most sumptuous monuments in
England, recumbcnt statue done by the master
hand of Watts, the painter presenting Bishop
Lansdalc, who died in 1867. This figure, in
which the modelling is very beautiful and cX-
pressivc rests upon n bed of marble and alabastcr
In Chantrey's statue Of Bishop Ryder which seems
no efligy, but indeed the living man, there Is
marvellous perfection OF drapery-thc marble llav-
ing all the effect % flowing silk Here, also, in
the south transept, is the urn Of the Gcstrells
formerly of Standardization, to whom was due
the destruction Of the house of New Place, IN
which Shakespeare died No mention occurs in
the cpitaph of the Rev. Mr.. Gastrell himself, bu,
copious eogium is lavished on his widow, bot!
in verse and prose, VINO must indeed nave pceh Q
good woman il the line is true which describes
her as \ friend to want, when each false friend
withdrew" Her chief title to remembrance, how
ever, like that of her husbcnd, is an unhallowe(
association with of the most sacred of liter
airy shrincs. In 1870 johnson, accompanied by
Boswell visited Lichticld, and Boswell record.
that they dined with Mrs Gastrcll and her sister
Mrs. Aston. The Rev Mr.. Gastrc'l ther
dead Il was not informed till afterward," say,
Boswell, "that Mrs. Gastrells husband was tht
clergyman who, while he lived at SratfOrd-upon
Avon, with Gothic barbarity cut down Shakes
pearcs mulberry tree, and DR. johnson told
Inc, did it 70 vcX his neighbors. His lady have
reason to believe on the same authority par
ticipated in the guilt of what the enthusiasts o.
Immortal bard deem almost a species of sacri