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Show ST. PAUL'S: A CHURCH WITH A STORY Since post-war building needs nl-1 nl-1 ready have robbed London of many historic churches and threaten the existence ex-istence of others, those that remain will be enhanced In hlsto-lc value, Ono of those which will stand, barring some natural calamity, Is St. Paul's cathedral. ca-thedral. This famous church, like tho English constitution, represents a growth of centuries rather than a doll-nlto doll-nlto period of construction. Indeed, n request for funds "to complete St. Paul's" was made during the war. And England's esteem for the historic edifice edi-fice was shown by the continuation of restoration work throughout the war dosplto the Interruption to practically all othor building. Still fresh In public memory Is the notable service of consecration attended attend-ed by roynlty and distinguished Americans Amer-icans then In Loudon, held In St. Paul's April 'JO, 1017, to commemorate the entry of tho United States Into tho war. St. Paul's Ih the largest Protestant church In tho world. Its dome Is one of the most .beautiful. The church embodies architectural Ideas of many periods, because It Is not the product of n generation, or even a century. True, Sir Christopher Wren Is credited with the structure ns It stands today, to-day, but bo embodied many features of the rsnious "Old St. Paul's." rared In the great London lire of KliMI. Wren did not wish the restoration to be after the "(jothlck lltidonoHs of the old Design De-sign " Hut he was compelled to modify mod-ify his own plans to a considerable extent. Snld he. of the balustrade addd over his eto; "Ladles think nothing well without and editing." Tinclcr uro apt to pass by on In-sniptlon In-sniptlon on tho south porch pediment, pedi-ment, "Itesurgam" (I shall rise again) ns a religious reference to the resurrection. resur-rection. When the architect was stir-veylng stir-veylng tho ruins ho wished to mark tho confer of the projectod dome. Ho asked n workman to hand him u stone. Tho workman chanced to pick up a chip from an old tomb bearing the Inscription, In-scription, which Sir Christopher adopted. Tlio motto whs appropriate. Somo historians bollcvo tho cramped Lud-gnto Lud-gnto Hill slto orlglnnlly was that of n Itomnn shrlno of Diana. A Christian church Is known to have bcon built there In tho early seventh century. It was burned two decades after William tho Conqueror cntne to Euglnnd. From tho ruins emerged "Old St. Paul's." FIro destroyed that building, too, but It was restored on an even more pretentious pre-tentious scnle. At the "Old St Paul's" John Wy-cllffo Wy-cllffo foced the chnrgo of heresy, Tyn-dalc'a Tyn-dalc'a New Testament was burned, Wolsey heard the reading of tho papal condemnation of Luther, nnd under "I'owie's Cross," now marked by a memorial, me-morial, heretics were forced to recant nnd witches to confess. |
