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.
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