The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-02

SAINT faulS IS one OF the three largest
churches in the world, ST. Peters at Rome
ANA tine Cathedral at Milan only surprising
it. Yet within, for all its vastness, it has a
more sheltering and a nearer feeling than the
lesser European Cathedrals 1t has much
beautiful color in its windows and lovely
mosaics AS someone says, it lacks only that
which it never will have, and that man can
never give TO it-that is, floods of sunlight
London sunshine at best is not very good
and crowded as the church is, even the Lon
don sunshine is diminished: except On the
brightest days. the light is quite obscure
SAINT iaui's, tradition says, is built upon
site where once stood temple to Diana
There are antlquarians who fiout the idea
sand We simpler folk would he lett without
anything TO stick TO in the quarrel between
the authorities. did we not adopt the easy
plan, when two sides are thus given with lit
tie possible chance of there ever being de-
cisiOn, VI believing the one that pleases us
best. So Tor the purposes of this article the
great church Of the Christians is built upon
gronEd that once WIS sacred to the lovely
buDtress. st. Pauls has twice succumbed 10
fire. and many memorials of its interesting
history have been lost. winch loss the general
reader won t mind much. though they would
have been invaluable TO the aforesaid anti
quarians These antiquaTiaIs. with all their
delyng after the obscure often fiud inter
esting bits of gossip Tor us lesser mortals.
For instance, the tale OF the ylack marble
sarcophagus which now holds all that is
earthly, except the fame, Of Nelson, is an
instructive and profitable lesson on the vanity
OF vanity. 1t was planned by Cardinal
Wolsey in his triumphant DAVIS for n majestic
tomb Tor himself and an effigy OF the proud
prelate Teposed on the lid. But with VOL
sey's disgrace Henry VIII. promptly took
the splendid sarcophagus Tor himself, and
planned to have his royal effigy put on top,
with glory Of candlcsticks round about,
and so the marble was carried to Westmin-
ster. But Kings after they are dead don't
have exactly what they want, and Henry
did not have his sarcophagus. Under the
Commonwealth the tomb suffered and was
almost forgot. 1t was finally brought forth
10 hold Nelson's dust, and now his corone,
surmonnts it. Nelson, it is said, is buried
IN coffin made from the mast of French
ship Orient-which was burned and sunk
by one Of Nelson's Captains who presented
the mast TO Nelson for coffin material.
But TO return 10 the history of st. Pauls
there are alabaster tablets set in the walls
whereon are recorded the names of he,
bish"ps-the Bishops Of London. The name.
begin With that OF Restitutus. Bishop in tn.
year 3i4 A. d., and end with that of Man
dell Creighton, 1897. Fifteen hundred YEAR
and more OF religious activity is almost al
much as any church can boast and St Paul
IS no museum of relics, empty of religion
life; to-day there are daily services of son.
and prayer, daily Communion and grea
Sunday services, when the vast church /
thrcnged and its spaces filled with the prayer
and songs TO God.
st. Paul's has one pecularity-it VIA
built under one architect, Sir Cnristophe
Wren, one master mason, Thomas Strong
and one Bishop. Bishop Compton. Tn
binding OF most cathedrals is strung on
through the centuries, aud il was relief I,
hear of one that is finished. OF course. st
Paul s Is not really finished yet-the interio
decorations are hardly begun-but archi
tecturaliy 1t is complete, and that is some
thing. It's true, some authorities deny thu
saying that there was one architect. one
master mason, and one Bishop; but it sounds
so well that We believe it,
The church is crowded with its honored
dead. Although it cai4not boast of so man,
llIustrious bones as Westminster Abbey, vet
leaving the Abbey out, it would be famous
rs sheltering the last of many immorta
mortals. Here are Wellington, Nelson, and
Gordon. Before Gordon's tomb there ar.
always fresh flowers and when Ii Huns
Chang visited it few years ago, h'