except that of Mary of Scotland in Westminster Abbey. The more ancient
tombs are also very numerous, and among them that of the Bishop who
founded the cathedral. Within the screen, against the wall, is erected a
monument, by Chantrey, to the Earl of Malmesbury; a full-length statue of
the Earl in a half-recumbent position, holding an open volume and looking
upward,--a noble work,--a calm, wise, thoughtful, firm, and not
unbenignant face. Beholding its expression, it really was impossible not
to have faith in the high character of the individual thus represented;
and I have seldom felt this effect from any monumental bust or statue,
though I presume it is always aimed at.

I am weary of trying to describe cathedrals. It is utterly useless;
there is no possibility of giving the general effect, or any shadow of
it, and it is miserable to put down a few items of tombstones, and a bit
of glass from a painted window, as if the gloom and glory of the edifice
were thus to be reproduced. Cathedrals are almost the only things (if
even those) that have quite filled out my ideal here in this old world;
and cathedrals often make me miserable from my inadequacy to take them
wholly in; and, above all, I despise myself when I sit down to describe
them.

We now walked around the Close, which is surrounded by some of the
quaintest and comfortablest ecclesiastical residences that can be
imagined. These are the dwelling-houses of the Dean and the canons, and
whatever other high officers compose the Bishop's staff; and there was
one large brick mansion, old, but not so ancient as the rest, which we
took to be the Bishop's palace. I never beheld anything--I must say
again so cosey, so indicative of domestic comfort for whole centuries
together,--houses so fit to live in or to die in, and where it would be
so pleasant to lead a young wife beneath the antique portal, and dwell