But to that the lodges in Germany also contributed.
Freemasonry seems to be held in but little estimation in England,
perhaps because most of the lodges are now degenerated into mere
drinking clubs; though I hope there still are some who assemble for
nobler and more essential purposes.
The Duke of Cumberland is now
grand master.
CHAPTER VII.
London, 20th June, 1782.
At length my determination of going into the country takes effect;
and I am to set off this very afternoon in a stage; so that I now
write to you my last letter from London, I mean till I return from
my pilgrimage, for as soon as ever I have got beyond the dangerous
neighbourhood of London, I shall certainly no longer suffer myself
to be cooped up in a post-coach, but take my staff and pursue my
journey on foot. In the meantime, however, I will relate to you
what I may either have forgotten to write before, or what I have
seen worth notice within these few days last past; among which the
foremost is
St. Paul's.
I must own that on my entrance into this massy building, an uncommon
vacancy, which seemed to reign in it, rather damped than raised an
impression of anything majestic in me. All around me I could see
nothing but immense bare walls and pillars. Above me, at an
astonishing height, was the vaulted stone roof; and beneath me a
plain, flat even floor, paved with marble. No altar was to be seen,
or any other sign that this was a place where mankind assembled to
adore the Almighty. For the church itself, or properly that part of
it where they perform divine service, seems as it were a piece stuck
on or added to the main edifice, and is separated from the large
round empty space by an iron gate, or door. Did the great
architects who adopted this style of building mean by this to say
that such a temple is most proper for the adoration of the Almighty?
If this was their aim, I can only say I admire the great temple of
nature, the azure vaulted sky, and the green carpet with which the
earth is spread. This is truly a large temple; but then there is in
it no void, no spot unappropriated, or unfulfilled, but everywhere
proofs in abundance of the presence of the Almighty. If, however,
mankind, in their honest ambition to worship the great God of
nature, in a style not wholly unsuitable to the great object of
their reverence, and in their humble efforts at magnificence, aim in
some degree to rival the magnificence of nature, particular pains
should be taken to hit on something that might atone for the
unavoidable loss of the animation and ampleness of nature; something
in short that should clearly indicate the true and appropriated
design and purpose of such a building. If, on the other hand, I
could be contented to consider St. Paul's merely as a work of art,
built as if merely to show the amazing extent of human powers, I
should certainly gaze at it with admiration and astonishment, but
then I wish rather to contemplate it with awe and veneration. But,
I perceive, I am wandering out of my way. St. Paul's is here, as it
is, a noble pile, and not unworthy of this great nation. And even
if I were sure that I could, you would hardly thank me for showing
you how it might have been still more worthy of this intelligent
people. I make a conscience however of telling you always, with
fidelity, what impression everything I see or hear makes on me at
the time. For a small sum of money I was conducted all over the
church by a man whose office it seemed to be, and he repeated to me,
I dare say, exactly his lesson, which no doubt he has perfectly got
by rote: of how many feet long and broad it was; how many years it
was in building, and in what year built. Much of this rigmarole
story, which, like a parrot, he repeated mechanically, I could
willingly have dispensed with. In the part that was separated from
the rest by the iron gate above mentioned, was what I call the
church itself; furnished with benches, pews, pulpit, and an altar;
and on each side seats for the choristers, as there are in our
cathedrals. This church seemed to have been built purposely in such
a way, that the bishop, or dean, or dignitary, who should preach
there, might not be obliged to strain his voice too much. I was now
conducted to that part which is called the whispering gallery, which
is a circumference of prodigious extent, just below the cupola.
Here I was directed to place myself in a part of it directly
opposite to my conductor, on the other side of the gallery, so that
we had the whole breadth of the church between us, and here as I
stood, he, knowing his cue no doubt, flung to the door with all his
force, which gave a sound that I could compare to nothing less than
a peal of thunder. I was next desired to apply my ear to the wall,
which, when I did, I heard the words of my conductor: "Can you hear
me?" which he softly whispered quite on the other side, as plain and
as loud as one commonly speaks to a deaf person. This scheme to
condense and invigorate sound at so great a distance is really
wonderful. I once noticed some sound of the same sort in the
senatorial cellar at Bremen; but neither that, nor I believe any
other in the world, can pretend to come in competition with this.
I now ascended several steps to the great gallery, which runs on the
outside of the great dome, and here I remained nearly two hours, as
I could hardly, in less time, satisfy myself with the prospect of
the various interesting objects that lay all round me, and which can
no where be better seen, than from hence.
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