The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-11
Notes of
Life i'm London.
Hiss Kaiser Describes an Afternoons
Sightseeing i'm Venerable Westminster Abbey.


and so yesterday I took the Under
ground, or rather 1t took me, and I
happily arrived there just in time for
the divine service which is performed
every morning. The abbey was not
very full, as 1t always is on Sunday.
Finding a seat, l sat Through the SER
vice, enjoying the music and the beauti-
full Easter lilies with which the nave
and chancel are still decorated. The
organ here is a magnificent one, and
/ was very sorry when service was
over, and / had to take up my guide
book and walk. / found an obliging
verger, who took me through the place,
step by step, and am glad to say that
under his direction and guidance / GER
tainly learned much more about this
venerable old place than l had even
thought of when l saw 1t in a rather
hap-hazard fashion last August, when
we were in London here, before our in
vasion of Wales.
l wonder If you will think me guide
bookish and If you will be bored If /
venture to retail to you parts OF the nice
little historical lecture which the verger
gave me about this beautiful old place.
l will risk 1t. If you don't like it, skip
It, for it cannot be so interesting to
you way over there as 1T was to me,
who was right on the spot, you know,
and you certainly could not be blamed
for an attack of ennui over 1t, especial
ly IL / went to work and said all /
should like to say on the subject. Here
it comes, however, so save yourselves
who can, while yet there is time.
Genesis of Wcstminstcr Abbey.
The abbey is very, very DID, and
stands on the spot where there was a
temple to Apollo. In the time of Saxon
King Sebert, about the year Gil, there
was q Christian church erected in its
place, which was called st. Peters, and
the abbey Is even now known as the
collegiate church of st. Peter, West
minister. in ecclesiastical parlance. Next
upon the scene came King Edward
the Confessor, who wholly rebuilt this
church of Westminster, which was, of
course, in this time n Catholic church,
as there were no Protestants then.
King Harold and William the Conqueror
We're crowned in this church, and since
then every succeeding sovereign, down
to the very queen who now rules Brl-
tannia, and every coming sovereign will
here receive the crown upon their
heads, 1 suppose, till sovereigns ceas>
to be entirely, for these English have
a most overwhelming respect for these
old customs and would almost rather
part with their lives than with their
old and antiquated ways of state.
Well,to get on, Henry III rebuilt 1t
again, and it repaid him for his pains
by burning to the ground very soon
after. Then the two Edwards, and II,
restored it while one of the Abbots of
Edward III did much toward finishing
it, one of the things for which we have
to thank him being the beautiful Jeru-
salem chamber. Then came Henry VII,
who added a most beautiful chapel 10
the Virgin, but which is now known as
his chapel. This part Is one of the most
beautiful specimens of architecture in
the world, and. really, it was wonderful
even to my ignorant eyts. for about
architecture l know nothing. But the
carvings in this chapel are simply Won
derful, and Mr.. Verger could hardly
get me away from this miracle of the
world" as Leland styles 1t. The North
transep. of the abbey is also one of
the most beautiful parts and has in one
end a great stained glass window which
looks very medium-sized from below.
but which, my guide Informed me, Is
really ninety feet in circumference. 1t
is called the Rose window, and in the
south transept is another beautiful
one called the Marigold window
Twelve Beautiful Chapcls.
The chapels of Westminster are in
teresting in the extreme, but l had
not much time for the whole twelve and
so gave some of them merely look
around, while in the more beautiful
ones am afraid overstayed my time.
The first Is called st. Benedicts, which
contains the tombs of some people
whom forget. The second, called ST.
Edmunds contains more tombs, the
only one I remember being that of
Lord Lytton, the novelist. The third
is st. Nicholas, which contains more
tombs of great people, one of them
having been queen of England. Ml-
tering the fourth, Henry Wis, / was
delighted with its loneliness and 1t was
here. as l said before, that found so
much beauty of all kinds.
1t Is a larger chapel than most and
seems to be quite little church all by
itself. In the nave are the stalls of the
knights of the Bath, who were in
stalled in this chapel until early this
century. This order Is a very impor-
tant one in England and ranks next to
that of the Garter. There are more
tombs here, too. In fact the abbey Is
one big burying ground for the old
kings and queens and the nobility. 1t
Is so full now that they do not bury
here anymore, and those that are
buried here now, are, / suppose. the
last ones who will have had the honor
of a tomb in Westminster Abbey.
In Henry Wis chapel there are a
large number of old royalties buried.
besides some of the great wits and
other notabilities Of long ago. OF
course, Henry VII himself and his
queen are buried here, right in the CEN
ter of the place, and their tombs are so
beautiful as to be considered the state
liest and daintiest ones in Europe.
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary lie
both buried in the same grave. Charles
II, William and Mary, George ii and his
queen, and poor, tired, buffetted Mary
Queen of Scots, all rest their bones In
this chapel, while in little recess here
oliver Cromwell himself was buried,
but his body was afterward torn from
its grave in this chapel and. still wear
ing his sword was sent ITO Tyburn gal
lows and there hung up from sunrise to
sunset on the first anniversary of the
death of Charles I after the Restora-
ton.
Tho Site Of Tyburn Gallows.
This Tyburn gallows, I must stop to
say, was located not far from here, In
what Is now Connaught Place, Edg-
ware Road. and l pass 1t almost every