and rebuilt by Edgar, who made it an abbey for twelve monks of the Benedictine order. It was again rebuilt in a style of greater magnificence by Edward the Confessor, who resided at Westminster, and who was buried here with his wife. This, no longer decisively traceable, was doubtless the kernel of the present building, which assumed its present outline under Henry III., and exhibits traces of additions at various times, until the erection of the superb chapel of Henry VII., and the western towers by Sir Christopher Wren, the renowned architect of St Paul's.

As the interior is the most impressive and interesting part, to that we shall confine ourselves. In the parts of the Abbey around which the visitor is allowed to stroll (except during the hours of service) without an attendant, are the monuments of men whose exploits are recorded at sufficient length upon their memorials, erected, for the most part, by the nation. To the mind which wanders into the past, the eastern end is the most interesting. In "Poets' Corner," and in other parts of the building, will be found the memorials of many of the men whose names will ever be associated with the English language as a vehicle for poetic thought: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Drayton, "Rare Ben Jonson," Sir William Davenant, Prior, Gray, Gay, Dryden, Rowe, Addison, Cowley, Mason, Southey, Sheridan, Campbell, Macaulay, Dickens, and others of minor note. Many of these are simply honorary, as the reader will see from the memorials themselves. There are inscribed gravestones over David Garrick, Macpherson, the translator of Ossian, Samuel Johnson, "Old Parr," who lived 152 years, Mac

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aulay, Dickens, Bulwer, Dr Livingstone, and numberless persons of greater or less celebrity. All the monuments are open to the public except those in the chapels. These are shown by an attendant. One of them starts every few minutes during the day, his starting on the tour of the chapels being announced in the Abbey. Fee 6d. Whilst here, the Chapter House, lately restored, should be visited. It was for 300 years the House of Commons, until the reign of Edward VI., when it was made a receptacle for records, and so remained until 1860. (Entrance to the Chapter House is through a small door in the south aisle, usually marked, "To the Chapter House.") The beautiful CLOISTERS are reached through the same door in the south aisle. They are in an excellent state of preservation, and date from the 11th to the 14th century. No specimen of mediæval architecture will impress the stranger more than the Chapel of Henry VII. The uniformity of its design, and the delicacy of the tracery overspreading it in every part, are nowhere equalled in any existing building. latten screen around the tomb of Henry and his queen is an exquisite piece of metal work; and their effigies, and the designs with which their tomb was adorned, also of metal gilt, have been lately restored from their former blackened state to their original glow. In the mortuary chapels, or chantries lying round this are some of the most interesting monuments within the edifice. (These are to be seen only in company with the official attendant, as above stated.) Amongst them may be named the tombs of Edward the Confessor, Henry III., Edward I. and Queen Eleanor, Edward III. and Queen Philippa, Richard II. and his queen, Henry V., Ed

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ward V., Henry VII. and his queen, Anne of Cleves (one of the queens of Henry VIII.), Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Elizabeth. Other sovereigns: Edward VI., Mary I., James I. and his queen, the Queen of Bohemia his daughter, Charles II., William III. and Mary his queen, Queen Anne, George II., and Queen Caroline. There are many other monuments of members of old baronial families, prelates, and others; also some brasses, interesting as examples of the costumes of various periods. In a room over the chapel of Abbot Islip (not shown) is a collection of the wax effigies used at the funerals of various eninent persons buried in the Abbey. The waxworks can be seen only by special permission of the Dean. Amongst the statesmen buried in the Abbey may be named Chatham, Pitt, Fox, Canning, Castlereagh, Peel, and Palmerston. The wish expressed by Lord Palmerston to be buried in his own quiet village churchyard was disregarded in order to do him honour, and Lady Palmerston has since been buried by his side. The estimation in which the honour of being buried here by the nation is held admits of no finer illustration than in the speech of Nelson on the eve of one of his victories: "A peerage, or Westminster Abbey ! He was buried, nevertheless, at St Paul's. Bulwer (Lord Lytton) was buried in St Edmond's chapel, near "Poets' Corner," Jan. 25, 1873.

The pretentious-looking pieces of statuary ranged around that portion of the building through which the stranger is allowed to range, are of various degrees of merit, and the visitor may criticise them for himself. They are principally testimonies of a grateful nation to persons whose services are thus recognised, and

whose names and deeds are duly inscribed upon them. The nave, transept, and cloisters are free, and the charge for a guide through the rest of the building is 6d. for each person. The colossal statue of James Watt is by Chantrey, and there will be found other works of the same sculptor, as well as those of Roubiliac, Flaxman, Bacon, Westmacott, and other celebrated artists. The chair upon which the sovereigns of England have been crowned for many centuries, and which serves as a frame for the stone of Scone, upon which the kings of Scotland had been, from time immemorial, crowned, up to the period when Edward I. invaded that country, and brought it away in token of the absolute subjection of the Scots, is shown here. There is a more modern throne, which was made very much after the fashion of the older one, for the coronation of Queen Mary with her husband, William of Orange. Two plainer pieces of furniture cannotwell be imagined. (These are shown by the attendants during the visit to the chapels.)

The column with allegorical figures upon it, a few paces beyond the Abbey enclosure, at the west end, is a monument to such of the officers who fell in the Crimea as had been educated at Westminster school.

Next in antiquarian interest to Westminster Abbey amongst the Churches, stands undoubtedly that of the TEMPLE. It is the best remaining monument of the semi-religious, semi-military order by which it was founded. It was restored by the wealthy societies, to which it now belongs, in all its former magnificence, and with the most scrupulous regard to the architectural proprieties, between 1839-42, at a cost of about £70,000.

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The church is divided into two sections, the Round Church and the choir. The former was completed in 1185, the latter in 1240. In the Round Church are nine monuments of Templars of the 12th and 13th centuries, recumbent figures in marble, in full armour. They are very beautiful and well preserved. In the burial ground, north-east of the choir, will be found a stone with the simple, all-sufficient inscription, "Here lies Oliver Goldsmith.' The learned Selden is buried here, and in the Triforium will now be found many of the monuments of the sixteenth century and later times, with which the body of the church was formerly disfigured. The keys of the church are kept by the porter, at the top of Inner Temple Lane, but a person is usually in attendance within the church. (Daily from 10 to 12, and from 1 to 4; sacristan's fee, 6d. While in the precincts of the Temple, a visit may be paid to the Middle and Inner Temple Halls, with their fine oaken ceilings, old paintings, and blazonries; and to the Middle Temple Library, a modern erection, nearer the river. The Temple Gardens are a pleasant promenade, and are open to the public.

ST PAUL'S is, without exception, the grandest building of its kind in the kingdom. A Christian church has occupied the same site from the earliest times of the Christian religion. The first church was destroyed during the reign of Diocletian, the second, built during the reign of Constantine, was destroyed by the Saxons, the third was built by Sebert, the first Saxon monarch who embraced Christianity. This church, which was greatly enlarged by successive bishops, was destroyed in the great fire of 1083, which destroyed a large part of the city.

The fourth church, on a larger and more magnificent scale, was commenced very soon after the destruction of the last, and is generally called "Old St Paul's." It was destroyed in the great fire of London in 1666. The Fire of London afforded scope for the erection of this creation of Sir Christopher Wren's genius. It occupied 35 years in building, yet was completed under the superintendence of one architect, one builder, and during the presidency over the see of one bishop It is the Walhalla of England as the inscriptions upon the monuments will explain. Nelson and Wellington are buried here. Finished in 1710, all the monuments which are erected in it are to persons whose exploits and works are the subjects of comparatively recent records. The length from east to west is 510 feet; the width of the transept 250 feet. The height of the dome to the top of the cross is 404 feet. The sarcophagus, which contains Nelson's coffin, was made for Henry VIII. by order of Cardinal Wolsey, and the coffin itself is made from a part of the mainmast of the ship L'Orient, destroyed at the battle of the Nile. A monument to the Duke of Wellington occupies a recess, formerly used as a Consistory Court, near the south-western corner of the Cathedral. The bronze figure of Wellington rests upon a sarcophagus underneath a canopy of white marble, supported by twelve Corinthian columns. Many of the monuments in the cathedral are fine. They record the memory of the following among others :John Howard, Dr Johnson, Sir William Jones, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Nelson, Captain Duff, Marquis Cornwallis, Capt. John Cooke, Captain Burgess, Captain Faulkner, Capt. Miller, Captain Hardinge, Major-Gen. Dundas,