Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-29
Vivid Impressions Of a Visit to West
minister Abbey.
AMERICA Is WELL REPRESENTED
Memorials Have Been Erected to
Many Of Our Great Men.
AN HOUR IN POETS CORNER

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON, England, January 5. 1893.
When you come to the exclusive study of
Westminster Abbey you will be surprised
to find how much America there is in it.
1t seems right odd In these days of in
teranglican seedlings to find, compare
lively speaking, such a large amount of
America stored away in this most sacred
treasure house of Britain. One sees Long
fellows bust in the poets corner. or may
hap takes stroll along the grave-floored
cloisters and turns into the chapel house,
in the aisle of which stands the memorial
to Lowell, and one may go away thinking
this is sufficient recognition of America in
Westminster; but these represent only
portion of this recognition, which, If yo1
go closer into the secrets of the abbey you,
will indicated at many points.
When you are tired from long wander
ing along the wonderful aisles, sit down
on one OF the benches and read over the
time-stained card, so many Of which you
have seen as you have wandered about. 1t
is about a foot square and is covered with
poetry. But you are not looking after
poetry? All well and good. but just for
the nonce be a little less prosaic in this
place, where poetry buds of its own ac-
cord, If the soil be ever SO thin and shall
low, and see what the poets have said
about Westminster.
Whose poets? Naturally enough, the
poets Of England; but look bit closer at
the card and you will see on this closely
printed placard, which is supposed to rep
and noblest thoughts this venerable and
historic pile has invoked; look a bit closer
and you will see something to interest you.
First, you will read these lines by Words
worth:
They dreamed not of a perishable home
Who thus could bald. Be mine in hours of fear
Or groveling thought to seek a refuge here;
And through the aisles of Westminster OF roam
Where bubbles burst and folly's dancing foam
Melts as 1t crosses the threshold
Then you will be less than human If you
do not feel "a throb of patriotic pride as you
read the next poem-by an American:
Der Englands Abbey bends the sky
As on its friends with kindred eye:
For out of thoughts interior sphere
These wonders rose to upper air;
And nature gladly gave them place
Amongst the glories Of her race,
And granted them an equal date
With Andes and the Ararat.
The name which is attached is that of
an American known the world round f5r
the depth and cogency and insistence of
his phiiosophic mind, but who would have
been high up in the pantheon Of the
worlds poets had be turned his lines into
rhythm-Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Lines From Scott.
Just Under him in this poetic sandwich
greatest fame in prose, but who had
masters hand in verse-Sir Walter Scott
ard Il will do you no harm as you sit on
the oalken bench to read what Sir Walter
had to say about Westminster:
Here where the end of earthly things
Lays heroes, patriots bards and kings;
Where sta the hand and still the tongue:
OF thcee who fought and spoke and sung;
Here wtere the fretted aislcs prolong
The distant notes of holy song
As II some angel spoke again,
An peace on EARTH good will to men,
If ever from English heart
o here let prejudice depart,
Mhere--taming thought to human prfde!-
The mighty Chefs sleep side by side,
The solemn echo seems to cry
Here let their discords with them die'
William Wragg, esq, used to live in
North Carolina. This was some time ago.
as you may see by the tablet on the wall j
over your head and the bias relief of a ship
In distress and wreck. In fact, William
was in America when the Boston tea party
was held, and about that time concluded
it was a better thing for him to do to seek
place of safety in England. At least. it
would seem that he was in search of q
place where Yankee bullets didn't whistle
but the marble slab that has been placed
to his memory doesn't say anything about
it. 1t does, however, set forth the follow
Ing in plain, big letters: