THE TOMBS IN THE ABBEY IN A LETTER TO R.S., ESQ.
YouhadyoureducationatWestminster;anddoubtlessamongthosedimaislesandcloisters,youmusthavegatheredmuchofthatdevotionalfeelinginthoseyoungyears,onwhichyourpurestmindfeedsstill——andmayitfeed!Theantiquarianspirit,stronginyou,andgracefulblendingeverwiththereligious,mayhavebeensowninyouamongthosewrecksofsplendidmortality.Youoweittotheplaceofyoureducation;youoweittoyourlearnedfondnessforthearchitectureofyourancestors;youoweittothevenerablenessofyourecclesiasticalestablishment,whichisdailylessenedandcalledinquestionthroughthesepractices——tospeakaloudyoursenseofthem;nevertodesistraisingyourvoiceagainstthem,tilltheybetotallydoneawaywithandabolished;tillthedoorsofWestminsterAbbeybenolongerclosedagainstthedecent,thoughlow-in-purse,enthusiast,orblamelessdevotee,whomustmitaninjuryagainsthisfamilyeconomy,ifhewouldbeindulgedwithabareadmissionwithinitswalls.Youoweittothedecencies,whichyouwishtoseemaintainedinitsimpressiveservices,thatourCathedralbenolongeranobjectofinspectiontothepooratthosetimesonly,inwhichtheymustrobfromtheirattendanceontheworshipeveryminutewhichtheycanbestowuponthefabric.Invainthepublicprintshavetakenupthissubject,invainsuchpoornamelesswritersasmyselfexpresstheirindignation.Awordfromyou,Sir——ahintinyourJournalwouldbesufficienttoflingopenthedoorsoftheBeautifulTempleagain,aswecanrememberthemwhenwewereboys.Atthattin,eoflife,whatwouldtheimaginativefaculty(suchasitis)inbothofus,havesuffered,iftheentrancetosomuchreflectionhadbeenobstructedbythedemandofsomuchsilver——Ifwehadscrapedituptogainanoccasionaladmission(aswecertainlyshouldhavedone)wouldthesightofthoseoldtombshavebeenasimpressivetous(whilewehadbeenweighinganxiouslyprudenceagainstsentiment)aswhenthegatesstoodopen,asthoseoftheadjacentPark;whenwecouldwalkinatanytime,asthemoodbroughtus,forashorterorlongertime,asthatlasted?Isthebeingshownoveraplacethesameassilentlyforourselvesdetectingthegeniusofit?InnopartofourbelovedAbbeynowcanapersonfindentrance(outofservicetime)underthesumoftwoshillings.Therichandthegreatwillsmileattheanticlimax,presumedtolieinthesetwoshortwords.Butyoucantellthem,Sir,howmuchquietworth,howmuchcapacityforenlargedfeeling,howmuchtasteandgenius,maycoexist,especiallyinyouth,withapurseinpetenttothisdemand——Arespectedfriendofours,duringhislatevisittothemetropolis,presentedhimselfforadmissiontoSaintPauls.Atthesametimeadecentlyclothedman,withasdecentawife,andchild,werebargainingforthesameindulgence.Thepricewasonlytwo-penceeachperson.Thepoorbutdecentmanhesitated,desiroustogoin;buttherewerethreeofthem,andheturnedawayreluctantly.PerhapshewishedtohaveseenthetombofNelson.PerhapstheInterioroftheCathedralwashisobject.Butinthestateofhisfinances,evensixpencemightreasonablyseemtoomuch.TelltheAristocracyofthecountry(nomancandoitmoreimpressively);instructthemofwhatvaluetheseinsignificantpiecesofmoney,theseminimstotheirsight,maybetotheirhumblerbrethren.ShametheseSellersoutoftheTemple.Stiflenotthesuggestionsofyourbetternaturewiththepretext,thatanindiscriminateadmissionwouldexposetheTombstoviolation.Rememberyourboy-days.Didyoueversee,orhear,ofamobintheAbbey,whileitwasfreetoall?Dotherabbleethere,ortroubletheirheadsaboutsuchspeculations?Itisallthatyoucandotodrivethemintoyourchurches;theydonotvoluntarilyofferthemselves.Theyhave,alas!nopassionforantiquities;fortombofkingorprelate,sageorpoet.Iftheyhad,theywouldbenolongertherabble.
ForfortyyearsthatIhaveknowntheFabric,theonlywell-attestedchargeofviolationadduced,hasbeen——aridiculousdismembermentmittedupontheeffigyofthatamiablespy,MajorAndre.Andisitforthis——thewantonmischiefofsomeschoolboy,firedperhapswithrawnotionsofTransatlanticFreedomortheremotepossibilityofsuchamischiefoccurringagain,soeasilytohepreventedbystationingaconstablewithinthewalls,ifthevergersareinpetenttotheduty——isituponsuchwretchedpretences,thatthepeopleofEnglandaremadetopayanewPetersPence,solongabrogated;ormustcontentthemselveswithcontemplatingtheraggedExterioroftheirCathedral?Themischiefwasdoneaboutthetimethatyouwereascholarthere.Doyouknowanythingabouttheunfortunaterelic?