Dean Stanley On Westminster Abbey.

any other that I have named , which most endears it to the mass of our countrymen . It is this that , more than any other , won for it the delightful visits of Addison , in the 'Spectator ; ' of Steele , in the ' Tattler ; ' of Goldsmith , in the ' Citizen

of the World ; ' of Charles Lamb , in 'Eliaj' of Washington Irving , in the ,: Sketch Book . ' It is this which intertwines it with so many eloquent passages in the writings of Macaulay . It is this which inspired the saying of Nelson— ' A peerage

or Westminster Abbey / " After an allusion to what he aptly styles " the strange pile of heterogeneous monuments which disfigure its beautiful architecture , " the Dean proceeds thus ;—*¦

- " There are tAvo great peculiarities which distinguish them ( the tombs of our kings ) from royal sepulchres in any part of the world . First , Westminster Abbey is connected not only with their deaths but their lives ; it nuites their coronations with their burials . " On this he

remarks—and certainly the remark is a striking one—that " this connection is rendered more impressive from its growth out of a noble characteristic of our English monarchy . The kings of England , unlike the sovereigns of other countries ,

never seem to have feared the sight of death . " HOAV unlike the kings of Prance , one of whom , Louis XIV ., chose Versailles for his residence instead of St . Germains , because from St . Germains he could see the hated toAvers of the

sepulchral abbey . The second peculiarity to Avhich Dean Stauley draAvs attention is , that the English kings repose amongst their subjects ; neither in life nor in death have they been parted from their people . HOAV

different from the kings of S | 3 ain , the czars of Russia , the emperors of Austria , who rest absolutely alone in the vaults of the Escurial , of Moscow , of St . Petersburg , of Vienna . We thank the Dean for these tAvo noble

thoughts on the courage of our kings , Avhich Ave believe . may equally be attributed to all their British subjects ; and the sympathy that has nearly always subsisted between our sovereigns and their people .

The gradual process by Avhich persons beneath the rank of royalty Avere admitted to the privilege of sepulture in the abbey , is next succinctly and lucidly traced . Due honour is paid to the illustrious dead who sleep therein : —Cromwell , and the other Commonwealth men , Pitt , Pox , & c ,

Dean Stanley On Westminster Abbey.

aud the poets and historians , whose names will last as long as love of learning and refinement lasts . When mentioning the noted actors who are buried Avithin Westminster Abbey , Dean Stanley

quotes a remarkable passage from Mr . Lecky ' s " History of Rationalism in Europe . " Mr . Lecky , after contrasting the tolerance of the English and French Churches toAvards dramatists and actors , says , " This forbearance of the Church of England

towards the stage has received its reward ; and , if we except the short period after the Restoration , the English theatre has been that in which the moralist can find least to condemn . " Query , is it not the tolerance and comprehensiveness of our

national Church that render it so acceptable to the Craft , as a body ? The general remarks with which Dean Stanley brings his paper to a close , and which would be only marred by any attempt at condensation , are

not only interesting , but most valuable . We would strongly recommend our brethren to read them , as Ave feel assured that pleasure and profit will be the result . —N . N .

"Behold The Tears Of Such As Were Oppressed, And They Had No Comforter."

"BEHOLD THE TEARS OF SUCH AS WERE OPPRESSED , AND THEY HAD NO COMFORTER . "

We have been led to place these words of our Grand Master , Solomon , at the head of the few observations that we would venture to make on a subject , the magnitude of which has been brought under our notice , by a most able article that has

appeared in our contemporary , the Fra . The article in question is entitled— " What is to become of the evicted poor ? " and is an expose of the harsh and unfeeling manner in which unfortunate creatures have been ejected from their humble

homes , in order to make room for the improvements that are being effected in Holborn-hill and the neighbourhood . " Well , " it will be remarked , " it is quite right that they should be evicted , and that improvements should go on . " " Certainly ;

but should not some compensation be given them ; should not some kind efforts be made to find these poor , hard-AVorked people a lodgment else-Avhere , such as would be commensurate with their means ? " It appears that no such compensation has been awarded , no such efforts made ; and the result is that many of them have been travelling