The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-08
ROYALTY'S LAST
RESTING PLACE
Councilman RObathan Views The Sights In
London.
VISIT TO WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Our Wandering City Fathers Pilgrim
age to England's Great CitY-A Day
Spent in Viewing the Historic Spots
in London-The Tower, ST. PauPs
and Other Relics of Past Ages Are
Inspected,

IN FTER spending two weeks IN WIS.,
IAN iting the principal cities of in.
jl\ terest in the interior of England
II U and Wales, it is but tttlng
climax to what has been q trip OF
much pleasure and enjoyment to pass
a few days in this, the city of all cities,
1t was with feeling of temerlty that
1 Ialighted from the railway carriage
at Paddington few mornings ago
after an all nights ride from Swansea.
1t was not the massiveness OF the
structure or the excitement attending
the incoming and departure of trains
that caused me the slightest uneasi-
ness, for we have stations equally as
large In our own state, with quite as
many trains arriving and departing
daily, but 1t was the thought that l
was entering what Is recognized the
world over as being the king city Of
the universe and that among the
thousands of faces that passed me there
was not one chat | knew. 1t is
strange sensation that comes over one
when you realize that out of 100000
souls there is not one that you can
take by the hand and call him friend.
OF course the feeling Is but moment
ary and is soon lost in the excitement
that is produced by your desire to visit
the historical places of interest with
which London abounds. There are so
many of these places around which
there hovers memories of ancient days
that to one whose time is limited it is
rather difficult matter to select which
are the most interesting. Having but
three days that l could devote to Lon
don, l at once, after securing perman-
ent quarters, started out to see the
sights.
AT HISTORIC ST. PAUL'S.
st. Paul's cathedral was my first
stopping place. 1t is fine old build
ing that impresses you with its size
and its immense dome, which can be
seen from most all parts of the city.
1t is of the Italian-Roman style of
architecture and is considered to be
the masterpiece of Christopher Wren.
I was somewhat disappointed in the
appearance of the interior. 1t in no
way compares with the external in
grandeur of design. If the artistic
decorations be taken as an evidence of
the condition of art in England at the
time it was built, 1 cannot help but
entertain very poor opinion of 1t, for
with but one exception there are none
of the decorations worth mentioning.
and that one is the carved woodwork
by Gibbons in the choir. This is truly
a work of art.
Many eminent persons are buried
here under the mighty dome, among
them being Wren, himself, and over
the entrance to the choir are these
words in Latin: "If you would be-
hold his monument, look around.n
From st. Paul's by bus to Westmin-
ster abbey gives you an idea of the busy
section of London. 1t takes you by
Ludgate hill, past the old Temple Bar,
and the present law courts, down to
Charing Cross to the houses of parlia-
ment. There is a certain feeling of rev.
erence that comes over you as you ap-
proach the abbey. 1t is not the mag.
nifcence of the building or its archi-
tectural design, but rather the histori-
cal recollections with which it is i'm
pregnated. The first sight of it brings
to mind host of associations of more
stimulating character than any beauty
of architecture is able to produce. Here
is where the most famous of England's
kings have been crowned; here is
where they rest, waiting the final call
that will summon them to appear be-
fore the King of all Kings. For many
centuries England has placed here all
thatremains mortal of hergreatest men,
her scholars, warriors, poets, scientists;
in fact persons in all stations of life
whose memory the world would not
willingly let die, until underneath al
most every foot Of ground there is in,
tered the body of the greatest master
minds the world has ever known.
Space will not permit me to give a de-
tailed description of the abbey, SO it is
my intention to refer only to few of
the most interesting parts.
INSIDE WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
In viewing the external appearance
of the building you cannot help but
admire the rich and elaborate chapel
of Henry VII, forming the eastern ex.
tremity of the pile, also the north
transept, formerly called Solomon's
porch, on account of its beauty; like
wise the many domestic buildings still
remaining of the old monastry. AS
you enter the interior through the
western door you are at once amazed
by the magniticance and granduer
with which you are surrounded. The
high ceiling and beautiful columns and
arches, the choir and the western win
dow with its odd engravings, which
when the sun shines through it, pro-
duces all the colors in the rainbow.
Probably the most popular spot in
the abbey Is the poets corner. The
thousands that visit the building daily
spend more time in this particular
portion than all others combined, and
the strange part of it is that it is the
least pretentious in the way of sculp-
ture Of all the sections. Here lies tie
ashes of those who in life they have
probably never seen and yet have been
their companion for years. AS you sit
down on the old fashioned bench that
is provided for visitors and gaze at the
busts of those who have not become
famous by their deeds of valor and
chivalry, but who have left heritages
that are as rich as any that have been
gained by blood and violence. YOU
seem to feel as though you were actu-
ally conversing with them. In this
small, and yet large corner, if you
are to measure it by the amount of
brain that is buried here, is the dust of
such wellknown characters in English
literature as Spencer, Beaumont, Cow
ley, Brinley, Sheridan, Samuel John
son, Thomas Campbell and o, rare
Ben Johnson" For companions they
have such kindred spirits as Garrick,
Henderson, Casanbond and Camden.
THE DUST OF ROYALTY.
But time is fast fleeting and will not
permit you to linger at this, the most
interesting part Of the whole abbey, so
with feeling of regret you leave the
presence of those whom you feel to be
friends and saunter on to the rear of
the choir where rests the royalty of
a Il 1. ~