New-York tribune., 1903-01-24


FOR the American traveller who has reading
and imagination London is full of absorbing
easc;pation. TO another kind of American it is
merely vast congeries Of smoky buiioinss'
with an unholy lack of plumbing, ice water
and ND to date business ways. To the former
happy man Mrs. Cooks book offers treasures
o< romantic and historic suggestion. leading him
into all manner of hooks and corners associated
with famous persons and famous deeds She
has brought real enthusiasm to her TASK coih
hining with her studies of the life OF OLD Lohooh
q s,-nnathetic observation OF the great modern
ci-v's 6afly comedies and tragedies That Loh-
don is beautiful is her firm conviction even
that nroduct Of SCOT the blue-gray mist over
the Thames and the respectable CRIME Oh ages
on the stones are agents of loveliness TO her
eyes.
The great tidal river that washed along the
primitive British village yields secret Of that
far of time but in while 1t gives up soliie
relics Of Roman London-the Lonolhluifl VI
Tacitus Some masonry. too. OF the ancleH'
.ifv is preserved-a bit of old LONDON Wai' d
Roman bath. fragmentary Roman niles'ohe
huilt into a city church. These ana the la'er
medieval remains are now zealously careo ior'
me antiquarian spirit having at last arisen III
me threatened city. 1t is not always easy u
-esrue monument Of antiquity from COM
Norman relic the Church of St Bartholomew
,be Great hidden in q mass of factories ano
5ir-,, tenement houses and only lately restored
% its old dignity. Space was valuable in srnlth-
field that nook Of busy workers, ana IN paS'
centuries the venerable priory church was IN
vaded by artisans-possibly by the consent OF
,-eral officials The state OF the building half
century ago must indeed. the author says nave
been grief almost despair, to the antiquary.
a fringe factory occupied the Lady Chapei'
and even projected into the apse; school was
held in the tr1forium, and blacksmith's forge
filed one Of the transepts. The fringe factory
cost no less than $4,000 TO buy out; the black
smith, whose forge had been inside the church
for go wears. was removed for sum OF f2,oto.
in the north transept you may still see the
stone walls and arches, blackened with the
smoke of the forge. and a curious White patch
yet remaining the pilard wall testitles TO the
exact SPOT where the blacksmiths tool cupboard
used to stand. The feet Of the horses can hardy
be said to have improved the Norman pillars
Ali that remained of the old church was
before 1864 so hemmed in by encroaching
houses that the work Of buying out must have
been che of immense difficulty and patience
Most of the ancient monuments of the church
still remain, including that Of Rabere, the first
prior who founded it about 1120. Twenty years
ago the prior's tomb was opened, disclosing MS
skeleton and q part of sandal. The opening
Of tornbs has fascination for the Englishman'
apparently, many royal resting Place5 haFins
been so treated. But not all the curiosity seek
e~s have been as irreverent as Master Samuel
Pepvs. who records that he kissed upon the
mouth the poor mummified remains Of hatha-
rine of Valois. ''redecting upon it that 1 did
kiss queene" Huddled in wooden chest lay
the brown. dried UP body of pretty Katharine.
whom Shakespeare made TO babble so daintily
with Harry Of England" in that inimitable
lovers scene
The wise and worshipping explorer Of Lon
don will agree with Mrs. Cook that the great
charm of the city lies in its unsuspected courts
and byways. One is continually stepping from
a street full of roaring commerce into a quiet
little no thoroughfare," with old church
and a green churchyard completely hidden away
at the end OF an arching passage. Tucked into
still corner too. will be the wears house, with
the buying and selling of the great capital with
in a stones throw Of his quaint doorway The
author quotes a French traveller who declares
that in London there is no street without
church and tree. and she notes that this is
especially true Of the City the business part
of London, where the delighted wanderer now
and again comes suddenly upon portions of
long forgotten convent garden. Of old wall or
bastion or Of antique plane-tree grove" Out
one turns into the stiffness of Amen Court.
the quadrangle Of canons' residences-quite old
fashioned locking houses. in the heart Of Lon
don on green grass and shrubs The Inns OF
Court too where now the studious lawyers
have their bowers" are enchanting byways,
opening suddenly out Of London highways.
These peaceful gardens Of the Old World are
packed with associations dear TO all the lovers
of letters Here in Staple Inn, 'in the evenings
Of a week." DR.. johnson wrote "Rasselas" for
the small sum that was to defray his mothers
funeral expenses; there, from the sward Of
Ciray's Inn, grow the elms that Bacon planted,
the elms under which Pepys walked with his
petuant spouse "to observe the fashions of the
ladies because of my wife making some clothes"
Here in the Temple Charles Lamb was born
and played for seven years in its gardens,
he has told US in an exquisite essay; and here, in
Kings Bench Walk the great Duchess of MARI
borough ragged because her lawyer was not there
70 be consulted. I could not t4n who she was
said the servant, reporting the visit to his
master for she would not tell me her name, but
she swore so dreadfully that / am sure she
must be a lady of quality" The medieval
gate OF Lincon's Inn bears the touch of Ben
Jonson on its stones, for here that poor brick
layer was working with Horace in one hand
and q trowel in the other" when some SYM
pathetic gentlemen gave him money. to leave so
mean calling and pursue his studies In one
Of the old buildings of this inn lived John
Thurloe. CromwelIs secretary; and here it is
said. the Protector disclosed TO Thurloe q plot
for seizing the Kings young sons The plans
had been discussed, when Thurloe's clerk was
discovered. apparently asleep, in the room.
Cromwell was for killing him, but this Thurloe
dissuaded him from doing. and, passing dag
ger repeatedly over his face, thought TO prove