"For princes are the glass, the school the book, The annexed particulars are for those who may be curious to know something of the fitting up of English churches : I will first notice the recent restoration and repairs of the Temple church, originally built by the knight templars, which was begun in 1185; as it occupied about fifty years in building, it consequently shows the connexion of the Norman with the pointed style of architecture at the transition period. The groining of the lofty ceiling is in perfect unison with the whole design; the ribs are lightly, elegantly, and delicately moulded, rising from caps of slender marble columns, and branching out in such palmy and graceful lines, that the mind is prepared to meet the flowery canopy which they support, and which enables them to complete the coup-d'œil of a Christian church. To soften down the flood of light, stained glass windows were introduced, with religious symbols and appropriate decorative heraldry. To harmonize with this pious feeling, the walls and the ceiling are appropriately adorned, and a new decorative tesselated pavement fresh laid down.* Whitewashing-that chilly, unreflective, unfeeling, unartistic, and mean commodity, which was introduced about the twelfth century-is abolished. As piety, morals, and taste are much influenced by characteristic and appropriate colouring in religious edifices, the Templars introduced colourings in Mosaic and decorative histories, chiefly taken from instructive Mosaic paintings. In our day these emblems are but little thought of, and are, consequently, but little understood, and less regarded; in those days, however, which we, in the heat of our fanciful zeal and vain theorizing, denominate dark, they, by deeper thought, profounder reflection, and closer observation, found colouring produced thought, this great characteristic, this, the greatest and noblest attribute of privileged humanity, by its harmonizing with our better feelings and warmer conceptions, and thus calling it forth and presenting hallowed objects to reflect upon. The colours mostly introduced were yellow or gold, bright blue, and scarlet, which were taken mystically to represent light, air, and warmth; green represented fruitfulness, black, which was seldom introduced, represented tenebræ or evil. Mr. Willement says, "The ceilings were made resplendent with stars and rosettes in gold, on a rich ground of azure, and more frequently by flowing ornaments drawn with great preci *The tiles are each six inches square. sion, but without stiffness in the above powerful colours, on a ground tinted to represent ancient vellum, producing an effect of the richest harmony," conveyed through the eye to the mind, and thus fostering a feeling of piety in the wavering and unsteady. Mankind are not alike devout; the feelings in some are at times given to wandering: these symbolic objects have a tendency to keep the mind from roving entirely at large, and thus more readily reclaim and restore the sublimer feelings; besides, they are the means of teaching the beauty of harmony in colours on the outward objects of God's creation, and thus either recall or create a revering spirit. This symbolizing has a powerful effect, a very important use; it tends to promote inquiry, and thus to promote profound thoughts in the rising noviciate; its operation is 66 -Like words, That leave upon the still susceptive sense Awakes to apprehensiveness and takes it." The crusaders' effigies, the sepulchral remains of some of those wondrous men whose untiring energy and undaunted zeal led them to such deeds of noble daring in the dreadful battle's strife, and also in their "seeking the weak, oppressed to relieve," have been restored in all their original forms and costume. The pews have been entirely removed, and oaken benches, with high backs, profusely but richly and appropriately carved, substituted for them. The ancient organ, built by Father Schmidt, has been fresh renovated, embellished, and repaired. As "actions speak louder than words," this church alone is worth any artist or architect taking a voyage to see it: here is a noble specimen of what our forefathers thought, felt, and done nearly seven hundred years past; here we come in actual contact, with them; here, "though dead, they yet speak;" here succeeding artists for succeeding ages may communicate with them in their thoughts, words, and deeds: it is to them a school of design, of science, and history; but, let us hope, to all a temple of peace, piety, and charity: at any rate, it cannot fail to produce trains of patient thought, (and it was "patient thought only that made a Newton,") and, if not a desire and resolution to excel, it will most certainly enforce a determination to rival and emulate.* I have selected the following particulars from Godwin's "Churches of London :" In St. Alban's church, Wood-street, is an hour-glass fixed to the pulpit. This was not at all an uncommon appendage, before the invention of clocks and watches. * I am indebted to the New York Albion for some extracts from which this is partly written. Fosbroke says: A rector of Bibury used to preach two hours, turning his hour-glass to obtain the required time: After the text the squire of the parish withdrew, smoked his pipe, and returned to receive the blessing." The following is a very appropriate motto for an hour-glass. I have seen it sculptured under one on a tomb-stone : "Souls go through death's narrow pass Like lots of sand through hour-glass." In St. Sepulchre's church is a monument to John Smith, Governor of Virginia, buried 1631; and there is the finest pulpit (mahogany) sounding board in London; it is in the shape of a parabolic reflector, twelve feet in diameter. In the church of St. Catherine, Leadenhall-street, Dr. Pearson first delivered his lectures on the creed: he died in 1686. Dr. Benjamin Stone was turned out of this church in the time of Cromwell: he was not, from his sentiments, deemed fit to hold his office. He was at first confined in Crosby Hall, then removed to Plymouth, and, after paying £60, was restored in 1660. In Christ's church, Newgate-street, the celebrated Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, founded a library in 1429. Richard Baxter, the celebrated non-conformist divine, preached here. He was fined by Judge Jefferies five hundred marks, and was to be imprisoned in the King's Bench till it was paid: he was imprisoned eighteen months. In Saint Dionysius's church, Fenchurch-street, there are two old syringes. They were used before fire-engines were invented: they are about 2 feet long, and were strapped to the persons who used them. In All-Hallows' church, Thames-street, was buried Dr. Litchfield in 1447. After his death there were found 3083 sermons in his hand-writing. The communion-table is a marble slab, supported by a kneeling figure. In St. Lawrence's church, Jewry, is a very fine glazed screen, and the handsomest vestry-room in London. All-Hallows, Lombard-street, from being surrounded by other buildings, is called "the invisible church." Here is a handsome carved oak altar-piece, surmounted by seven candlesticks, typical of the seven churches: the columns are fluted, and in each flute is a string of vine leaves and ears of wheat. In the upper part of the lobby is a small curtain carved in wood, which seems to hide some foliage behind: it is well executed. In St. Stephen's church, Wallbrook, which is Wren's masterpiece, is a fine painting, by the American West, of the stoning of St. Stephen. In St. Martin's, Ludgate Hill, around the font is a Greek palindrome inscription; the letters will read either backward or forward, and mean, "Cleanse thy sins, not merely thy outward self." It was frequent in the Greek churches. It is found in the front of the Basilica at Constantinople, in several English churches, at Dulwich College, and in France.* In St. Helen's church, Bishopgate, is a poor-box supported by a curiously carved mendicant asking alms. These are common to all the churches. written an appropriate couplet for them: Wordsworth has "Give all thou hast; High Heaven rejects the fore The inexorable tax-gatherer has so drained the pocket, that they are become nearly useless: they are now the residence of the crafty spider, where he passes the winter solstice in sullen, silent, sacred security, undisturbed by the gentle drop of the widows' mite. Aubrey, in 1678, says: Poor-boxes were, before the reformation, often in inns as well as churches." "The poor man's box is there too; if ye find anything Give it to pious uses-that is, spend it." SPANISH CURate, 1647. In some of the London churches there are bachelor's pews. The galleries in churches seemed to have originated in the desire to separate the sexes-sometimes the men being above and sometimes below. "Lord, how delightful 'tis to see A whole assembly worship thee." A very singular circumstance happened at the church of St. Andrew, (under shaft,) in London, in the year 1701. A young Jewess was converted here; after her baptism her father-De Breta, a merchant-turned her our of doors, which was the occasion of an act of parliament being passed, compelling Jews to provide for their Protestant children.† 99 The following is one in Latin: "Subi dura a. RUDIBUS '-"from difficulties pleasures ensue." If I expect the act has been a dead letter: but there are a few conversions occasionally taking place. I find in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xv., 1841, that there are eight converted Israelites now church-of-England clergymen; and that the Rev. H. S. Joseph has, at Liverpool, a regular weekly service in Hebrew, and had sixteen Jewish communicants in his congrega tion. In the sixteenth volume there is an account of the Rev. Michael Solomon being consecrated the first church-of-England bishop of Jerusalem : he was originally an Israelite. This church was one of the earliest pewed, (in 1520,) where, as Gay had noticed in another place, "A prude, at noon and evening prayer, As if she watched her soaring soul." Between the windows there are a regular series of paintings of the twelve apostles, executed 1726. To show the increasing application of cast iron, there was erected, about twenty years past, in a fashionable village near Liverpool, a church all of this metal, from within two feet of the ground to the roof-even the very pinnacles and battlements of the lofty tower; it is lined inside with brick. Its dimensions are one hundred and nineteen feet long, forty-seven feet broad, and the tower ninety-six feet high. Americans visiting England would find a perambulation of the churches highly instructive; appealing strongly to their warm imaginations, interesting to the kindliest feelings of the heart, and full of information and instruction to the mind. The monuments alone will remind them that there lie the remains of many of their ancestors who once were great and noble ; On this subject the historian cannot help but observe many changes after the reformation. Kenelm Digby informs us, "In the middle ages, in cities, there were no monuments of decoration which correspond with the heathen philosophy, no pantheons, columns, statues of kings, or triumphal arches. "If at the funerals of great nobles or kings there was a more magnificent pageant, it was always ecclesiastical, always monastic-never secular or military." Montaigne says, "If I were a. composer of books, I would |