1936 On the Continent

sights of the English capital have become household words throughout the world, and one almost feels that it is superfluous to enumerate them.
    There is the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral, with its vast dome, and with the tombs of many famous generals, admirals and statesmen, evoking memories of such historic figures as Lord Kitchener, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Roberts, Nelson and many others. And when you have had enough of martial figures, you may visit the tombs of more gentle figures of the past in the Crypt, such as those of Turner, Millais and Leighton. However, you are not likely to tarry long within the walls of this masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren—its vastness makes the visitor feel lonely, whereas from a judiciously selected corner in the street the exterior of the church presents a magnificent and enjoyable spectacle. Naturally the position is very different during one of those gorgeously stage-managed events that take place at St. Paul’s, such as the procession and service in connection with King George V’s Jubilee, or an important wedding, or a State funeral.
Westminster Abbey
    Very different from St. Paul’s is Westminster Abbey, another world-famous church, in whose nooks and corners the visitor will experience many moods and surprises, and where he will find himself walking, in the true sense of the term, through English history. This church was, in reality, never begun and never finished; it is the result of twelve centuries of growth, nearly every English monarch having contributed something to its development. Edward the Confessor, a thousand years ago, no less than King George V in our own time, gave his loving attention to this church. For a thousand years all the Kings of England have been crowned at Westminster Abbey and, until the nineteenth century, also buried there.
    George I was the last King of England to be laid to rest in this church; all his successors on the throne have been buried in the Chapel at Windsor Castle.
    It is only natural, and at the same time beautiful and symbolic, that Westminster Abbey, representing the nation’s history in stone, should also have become the English Pantheon. Prominent figures in the world of politics, literature, science and music have either been buried in the Abbey or, if they were buried elsewhere, like Shakespeare and Milton, they are commemorated by a statue in the church. A long line of poets and authors, from Chaucer down to Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling, and through Dickens, Tennyson and Browning are buried in the Abbey. The stone images of great philosophers and immortal composers look down on the visitor, and great empire builders, the creators of the British Empire, stand sentinel through the ages. And amidst all the great men whose names are inscribed in the history of humanity there lies, in its moving simplicity, the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Divine Service in this church is incomparably impressive. The ageless significance of Westminster Abbey will be thrown into relief once more this year, when, in May, the ancient and gorgeous ceremony of the Coronation takes place at the church.
The Houses of Parliament
    Close to the Abbey stands another embodiment of English history, the Houses of Parliament. This magnificentbuilding on the Thames Embankment has become one of London’s most important landmarks, despite the fact that it is of comparatively recent origin. There is very little left of Westminster Palace, originally the seat of the Kings of England. Centuries of decay was followed by the conflagration in 1834 that completed the work of destruction. Only Westminster Hall, a wonderful structure, remains, though it now has a new roof.
    Westminster Hall has played a most important part in British History. It was here that Charles I was sentenced to death. It was here that Cromwell was proclaimed Lord Protector. It was here that the late King George V lay in state, surrounded by the sorrow of a whole nation. Twenty-six years earlier King Edward VII also lay in state at Westminster Hall.
    Despite the comparatively recent origin of the Houses of Parliament, they nevertheless embody an age-old tradition, handed down from distant centuries. The political life of the English people has undergone many changes in the course of time, but Parliament, this wonderful framework which foreigners always regard with amazement and awe, has remained immutable. In the House of Lords the Lord Chancellor still sits on the Woolsack, just