Westminster Abbey | Page 6

Early English pilasters supporting the window tracery were
remorselessly cut off, and an acorn was substituted in every case. These
pilasters have since been restored again under Mr. Pearson's
supervision. As we walk along the green to the north front, we see the
whole north side of the {15} nave, but before leaving the west end we
may note that repairs have recently been carried out, as one or two of
the crockets were showing signs of immediate ruin, and even the
eighteenth-century towers required new faces. The north façade was
completely restored and, in fact, practically rebuilt about twenty years
ago: the portico from designs left by Sir Gilbert Scott, who was
Surveyor of the fabric for some time, and the upper part by his
successor, Mr. Pearson, who carried out the whole work. Both north
and west fronts recall Wren, who remodelled the north and restored the
west. Whether he or Hawkesmore was guilty of finally sweeping away
the last vestiges of Richard the Second's northern entrance and such of
the figures which still remained intact at the west end, we do not know.
In any case, Crull, writing in 1713, says that a few of the statues of the
twelve apostles which adorned Richard's portico were still in a fair state
of preservation, as were many of the "benefactors" on the west, "all
undeniable witnesses of their former excellency." It is impossible to
enter into the history of the fabric fund and the many restorations of the
Abbey. Enough for our present purpose to call attention to the fact that
the soft stone is constantly corroding, and {16} that frequent
supervision is necessary. The saying that "the arch never sleeps" is only
too true, and the Clerk of the Works has to keep a constant and vigilant
eye over the church which he so dearly loves, ever ready to report any
sign of change in stone-work or actual fabric to the Dean and to the
architect.
* * * * * *
[Illustration: The Chapter House and East End of Henry VII.'s Chapel]
* * * *

THE CHAPTER HOUSE AND EAST END OF HENRY VII.'S
CHAPEL
In our walk round the Abbey we now enjoy an uninterrupted view of
these fine buildings, which were formerly partly concealed by houses.
The two are in striking contrast; the Chapter House, in the severe Early
English style, with flying buttresses so characteristic of that period,
belongs to the monastery which was built on the site of the Confessor's
original foundation by Henry III. The Chapel of Henry VII., of the late
Perpendicular style of architecture, replaced an Early English Lady
Chapel, which had stood on this same spot since the first years of
Henry III.'s reign.
* * * * * *
We pass from the north front along the apse to the Chapel of Henry
VII., and, as we turn the corner and have a clear view of the beautiful
Early English Chapter House, with its flying buttresses, rejoice in the
absence of the houses which were formerly close against it. The chapel
itself was practically falling in the early nineteenth century, when,
owing to the energy of Dean Vincent, and by the aid of a grant from
Parliament amounting to 42,000 pounds, it was completely restored.
The work was begun under Dean Vincent, but not finished until 1822,
in the time of Dean Ireland; the whole was carried out with the help of
a committee of taste, which instructed James Wyatt, the architect.
Unfortunately, although Wyatt is honoured by a tablet in the nave, his
name is not one of high standing architecturally, and the so-called
committee of taste were guilty of many acts of sheer want of taste.
Thus there is no doubt that {17} considerable damage was done to the
original design of the chapel, statues were removed, bosses in the roof
added, besides other alterations, but the healing hand of time has
mellowed the stone, and the whole appears equally ancient and in
sufficient harmony to the casual eye.

{21}

A WALK ROUND WESTMINSTER ABBEY
The most usual way to enter the church is by the north doorway, but the
more convenient trysting-place is the west end of the nave. Our purpose
in the following pages is to picture a morning spent in the Abbey with a
party of tourists, who have been collected in a somewhat haphazard
manner before a start is made, and are now assembled beneath the
statue of the younger Pitt. Although the majority are probably of British
and American nationality with a sprinkling no doubt of our colonial
brothers, in the minority will very likely be found more than one
stranger from the West or from the East, perchance even a coloured
man. But as we pass along the aisles,