The house is so
completely within a court, in which nothing but brick walls could be
seen, that one wonders what the charm of London could be, to induce one
to live in that place. But a great city always draws to itself the great
minds, and there Johnson probably found his enjoyment.
"August 27. We took St. Paul's Church to-day. We took tickets for the
vaults, the bell, the crypt, the whispering-gallery, the clock and all.
We did not know what was before us. It was a little tiresome as far as
the library and the room of Nelson's trophies, but to my surprise, when
the guide said, 'Go that way for the clock,' he did not take the lead,
but pointed up a staircase, and I found myself the pioneer in the
narrowest and darkest staircase I ever ascended. It was really perfect
darkness in some of the places, and we had to feel our way. We all took
a long breath when a gleam of light came in at some narrow windows
scattered along. At the top, in front of the clock works, stood a woman,
who began at once to tell us the statistics of the pendulum, to which
recital I did not choose to listen. She was not to go down with us, and,
panting with fatigue and trembling with fright, we groped our way down
again.
"There was another long, but easy, ascent to the 'whispering-gallery,'
which is a fine place from which to look down upon the interior of the
church. The man in attendance looked like a respectable elderly
gentleman.
Pages:
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120