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Show KNOX'S OLD CHURCH ST. GILES BETTER KEPT THAN IN DAY OF REFORMER. Famous Edinburg Meeting House Now Swept and Garnished, With Modern Mod-ern Stained Glass Windows and Monuments. "Come," said Dr. Samuel Johnson, ft'hen he and Boswell went to the great church of St. Giles, "let us see what was once a church." As great mediaeval churches go the collegiate church of St. Giles never was very famous architecturally, says the Advance. Ad-vance. The present structure dates from the fourteenth century. Its lantern lan-tern tower and the artful arrangement arrange-ment of its interior pillars are the only features of Interest remaining. Here as effectively as anywhere the reformation created havoc and let loose the dogs of war. The hammerlike hammer-like eloquence of John Knox, wlic preached here his 20 sermons a week, each an hour or two long and terrific in vehemence, smashed the stained glass windows, shattered the carved images of saints, broke in pieces the priceless fabrics of mediaeval art, destroyed de-stroyed altars and shrines. In Dr. Johnson's day the scars were very visible. vis-ible. St. Giles was occupied by four distinct congregations of worshippers, the great church being partitioned off for their convenience. A prejudice existed ex-isted even against cleanliness in churches. "The pew swept and lined!" cried Mess John's wife; "my husband would think it downright popery!" Even Boswell admitted that the church was shamefully dirty. Since Johnson's time the highet aesthetic -taste of nations, the appre ciation of mediaeval art first stimu-, stimu-, lated by the Waverley novels, have caused the attempted restoration of St. Giles'. The place is swept and garnished. There are modern stained glass windows and monuments abound. The memorial of Robert Louis Stevenson is placed among those of Montrose and Argyle. The war-worn banners of Scottish regiments regi-ments give a touch of color for the eye and a thrill to memory. Here Knox shaped history. Here Jennie Geddes threw her stool. A mediaeval church, especially of the Gothic type, Is not well adapted to the use of the protestant religion. There Is an incongruity in the structure. struc-ture. The great choir, separated formerly for-merly by an impenetrable screen; the many chapels for masses, the arrangement ar-rangement of the building for a worship wor-ship by the clergy, exclusively without with-out reference to the comfort or convenience con-venience of the people, without the idea of an auditorium for the preaching preach-ing of sermons, make an awkward adaptation for modern needs which will be especially observed in the cathedrals in England. The Scots, more logical and less conservative, rooted out the screens and turned the church Into a meeting house. |