The Lighter Side of English LifeMoore, Frank Frankfort
General
The Lighter Side of English Life
Moore, Frank Frankfort
England -- Social life and customs; England -- Social life and customs -- Humor
Even families that have “got on” seem to love to cling to the county
which saw the very small beginnings of their ancestors. Why should they
not? Love of one's county is only a subdivision of the grand virtue of
love of one's country. It was only when a certain aged doctor, who had
the family history of our neighbourhood at his fingers' ends for over
sixty years, published a volume of interesting reminiscences, in the
course of which he took occasion to refer to the very humble beginnings
of some families that considered themselves very “swagger,” that
we learned how tenaciously they had clung to their county. Even the
slow-moving Mallingham is not without its romances of “getting on.” One
of the most intrepid motorists in the borough is remembered by several
middle-aged burgesses as the wearer of the green baize apron and
the wielder of the broom of the caretaker and window-cleaner of a
solicitor's office; and from what I know of him I am inclined to believe
that that was the best kept office in the town when he had charge of it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN--THE CATHEDRAL TOWN
I.--IN THE SHADOW OF THE MINSTER
BROADMINSTER IS ONE OF THE LESSER cathedral towns of England. There is
nothing remarkable about the Minster except its antiquity. It does not
convey the idea of vastness as do some of these venerable buildings.
One would never imagine oneself in the midst of a petrified forest
on passing through the porch. The carving about the pillars does not
suggest lacework in stone, though it is admirable in its way, and
the screen shows signs of having been “restored” in the days when
restoration meant spoliation. The coloured glass of the windows is not
especially good, but the oldest is undoubtedly the best. The modern
memorial windows were apparently estimated for and the specification of
the lowest-priced competitor accepted; but, really, the Chapter should
have prevented the perpetration of such a blunder as that of the artist
who, in his representation of the entrance to the sacred tomb, with the
sleeping Roman guards on each side, put a crescent moon in the very blue
sky! But for that matter, when I pointed out the mistake to one of the
higher canons, he did not perceive for some time that the Paschal moon
was bound to be within a few days of the full.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account