Foreign News

London, Oct. 28th, 1840. BROTHERS ROBINSON & SMITH: As we consider it perfectly consistant [consistent] with our calling, with reason and revelation, that we should form a knowledge of kingdoms and countries, whether it be at home or abroad, whether it be ancient or modern, or whether it be of things past present or to come, whether it be in heaven, earth or hell, air or seas; or whether we obtain this knowledge by being local or travelling [traveling], by study or by faith, by dreams or by visions, by revelation or by prophecy, it mattereth not unto us: if we can but obtain a correct principle and knowledge of things as they are, in their true light, past, present, and to come. It is under such a view of things that we are endeavoring to avail ourselves of every opportunity in our travels among the nations of the earth, to record an account of things as they pass under our observation; extracts of which we may forward to you from time to time, which may not be uninteresting to your readers. We will on this occasion make a few extracts from Elder Woodruff's Journal, concerning certain places which we visited while in the city of London, which is at your disposal.

On the 21st of August 1840 we visited the noted monument erected in commemoration of the dreadful fire of London, in the year 1666, built under the inspection of that great architect, Sir Christopher Wren. We entered a door at its base, (Paid 1d on entering) and ascended 345 black marble steps, which brought us 200 feet into the air, about 150 feet above the highest dwellings; we stepped on the outside of the pillar; surrounded by an iron railing which at once presented to our view an indescribable scenery upon every hand. Here we were standing 200 feet in the air, upon the highest and finest modern column in the world, and with the glance of the naked eye, we could overlook, and survey the largest, most noted, populous and splendid commercial city upon the face of the whole earth; even a city containing a million and a half of human beings, and such a grand scenery, and sublime prospect our eyes never before beheld. We were situated so as to overlook nearly the whole city. East of us lay the splendid Tower of London and the Mint. North the mansion of the Lord Mayor of London and the Bank of England. Northwest, St. Pauls Cathedral. West, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, &c. South lies the river Thames running from west to east with five large arched bridges across it in full view, and another which is not seen from the pillar, making six, five of which are hewn stone, and one is all of solid cast iron, viz: Southwark, while London, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster and Vauxhall bridges, are all stone. On the south of the river lies the Borough &c. In addition to these were hundreds of churches, chapels, spires and monuments standing in the midst of one universal, dense mass of brick and stone buildings; covering about six miles square of ground. While viewing this scenery in a clear day and beholding the streets and bridges crowded with human beings of every rank and station, and with beasts and vehicles of every kind, and the Thames covered with British Shipping, from the skiff to the man of war, a Prussian traveler, (citizen of Berlin) who was standing by our side, exclaims, "I have traveled over Europe and Asia and other parts of the world, but I have never before found a spot upon the face of the earth which hath presented to my view as grand a scenery as the one now lying before us." This monument is 24 feet higher than Trajans Pillar at Rome: it cost $75,500. The following is inscribed upon one side of the monument in Latin. "In the year of Christ 1666, the second day of Sept., from hence at the distance of two hundred and two feet, the height of this column, about midnight a most terrible fire broke out, which, driven on by a high wind, not only wasted the adjacent part, but also places very remote, with incredible noise and fury: it consumed 89 churches, the gates of the city, Guildhall, many public structures,

hospitals, schools, libraries, a vast number of stately edifices, 13,200 dwelling houses, 400 streets and 26 wards; it utterly destroyed 15 and left 8 others shattered and half burnt.-The ruins of the city were 436 acres, from the tower by the Thames side, to the Temple church: from the north, east gate along the city wall to Holborn bridge. To the estates and fortunes of the citizens it was merciless, but to their lives, very favorable, (only eight being lost,) that it might in all things resemble the last conflagration of the world. The destruction was sudden, for in a small space of time the same city was seen most flourishing, and reduced to nothing, three days after when the fatal fire had baffled all human councils and endeavors, the opinion of all, as it were by the will of heaven, it stopped, and on every side was extinguished."

On the 1st day of September we visited the Thames Tunnel, by descending about 80 feet into the bowels of the earth on the south side of the river, and entering the archway on the left which was finished 1120 feet and was beautifully lighted up with gas; we walked through it under the Thames, with the river and British shipping over our heads: in the middle of the river there was only about 15 feet between the top of the arch and the bed of the river-there is two archways 22 feet high, the whole length of the Tunnel which affords free communication from one shore to the other. This is considered one of the most stupenduous [stupendous] works of modern times, and truly shows that man hath sought out many inventions.

On the 24th of August we visited St. Pauls church, the whole history of which would be too tedious to be inserted here, snffice [suffice] it to say, it was first built by St. Augustine in the year A. D. 610. It was destroyed by fire in 961 and rebuilt the following year; it was not til [till] the reign of Athelstan that London became the metropolis of England, and it was to this Prince, more perhaps, than to any of his predecessors, that the Cathedral of Saint Paul was indebted for its permanent establishment and pre-eminence. In 1086 this Cathedral was again destroyed by fire, which also involved the greater part of the metropolis in ruin. It was sufficiently rebuilt by 1099, to again admit of public worship, and again partly burned 1132, and again in 1135-6 it sustained considerable injury. It was fired by lightning in 1444 and repaired in 1462. In June 1561 the spire was again set on fire which destroyed spire and roof. Repairs were commenced by Queen Elizabeth and finished by Laud and king Charles the first, who expended 104,330 [pounds] 7-8, but immediately dissentions [dissension's] arose between the king and parliament, the revenues of the church was confiscated, the money and materials seized by the parliament, and the whole body of the building was converted into stables and barracks for dragoons. It was again repaired in the reign of Charles the second, but it was not finished before it became a prey to the flames in the great fire of London, 1666, which destroyed the chief part of the metropolis: the above is a very brief history of St. Pauls church until 1666.

The now present building, or new Cathedral was built under the direction of Sir Christopher Wren, the first stone was laid on the 21st of June, 1674 and the highest stone of the pile was laid at the top of the lantern by Mr. Christopher Wren, the son of the architect in the year 1710, and the last finishing and adorning the church was issued in 1715 by George the first; the whole expense of erecting this magnificent structure was about 736,000 [pounds], near $3,680,000. The entire dimensions of the Cathedral is as follows: length of the church from east to west is 500 feet, the breadth of the body is 285 feet, the height from the pavement in the street to the top of the cross over the dome is 404 feet, two campanite towers at the west end, are each 222 feet in height, the general height of the wall is about 90 feet; it was 40 years in building, and covers about two acres of ground. It contains 47 monuments of fine marble erected over the tombs of certain Lords, Bishops, Generals, Earls and other titles, who had distinguished themselves in the military service of Great Britain and otherwise, Lord Nelson being the most noted.-We walked through this church from the base to the ball, being about 400 feet high, from which place we could

also have a view of the city, we passed through the whispering gallery as we ascended, and though it was exceeding large, yet a whisper could be distinctly heard and understood from the most remote part of it, and when the door shut together it would penetrate the ear like peals of thunder. This is considered the largest Cathedral in the world excepting the Vatian [Vatican ?] Temple at Rome dedicated to St. Peter.

On the 5th of September we visited Westminster Abbey, which is composed of 11 chapels, (only separated by walls or partitions,) viz: St. Benedicts, St. Edmund, St. Nicholas, Henry the Seventh, St. Paul, St. Edward the confessor, St. Erasmus, Abbot Islip, St. John, St. Andrew and St. Michael. These chapels contain the bodies, tombs and monuments of 13 kings, viz: Edward I, III, V, VI, Charles II, Henry III, V, VII, James I, George II, Richard II, William III, and Sebert king of the east Saxons, who first built this church, and died, July, 616. Also 13 Queens, viz: Athelgoda Queen of Sebert who died September 13 615, and Phillippa, Matilda, Mary I and II, and Queen Mary of Scotland, Elizabeth, Catherine, Queen Anne, Editha, Eleanor, and Caroline, and of 6 princes, 11 Dukes, 7 Duchess's 1 Marquis, 7 Lords, 3 Vicounts [Viscounts ?], 8 Countesses, 3 Barons, 16 Earls, 11 Admirals, 10 Generals, 5 Colonels, 3 Majors. 10 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 16 Bishops, 6 Divines, 15 Doctors, 52 Sirs, 152 Gentleman and 48 Ladies, making 421 persons who have been deposited in vaults in this abbey, and monuments erected to their memory.

We saw the full stature and perfect likeness of Queens Elizabeth, Mary and Anne, Lord Nelson, Pitt and others. We sat in the coronation chair in which Queen Victoria was crowned, and all the Kings and Queens in England fer [for] the last 800 years, it is covered with gold tissue, it contains a stone under the seat, upon which all the Scottish Chiefs and Kings were crowned ever since they were a nation or people; they have a tradition among them that it is Jacob's Pillar. In walking through this abbey, we see frequent marks of violence from Oliver Cromwell in defacing some of the tombs, monuments and brass work with which some of the abbey was adorned. Here we behold the art of man with all its combined force and power, spun to the finest thread, and expanded to the fullest extent, in the building and finishing of this abbey as a general whole, but more especially, that part called Henry the seventh chapel; and a visit to this chapel is not only worthy of the attention of all travelers, but to occupy a place in the Journal of any historian that has any interest in British antiquity.

While speaking upon this subject, we would not pass over our visit to the House of Parliament, which is but a few rods from the abbey. As we entered the House of Lords, (now occupied by the Commons,) we did not behold so much to interest the sight of the eye as the meditation of the mind, however, we had the privilege of resting ourselves, by sitting in the chair in which the speaker of the House of Lords has sat for many years. In this room all the speeches were made by Mr. Wm. Pitt while advocating the American cause before the Revolution. In this room all the laws were made that now governs and controls near 200,000,000 of human beings.-The House of Commons being burnt down several years since they now occupy this room, and another one is erected where the House of Lords sit. Some might suppose, that a House of Parliament fitted up to contain Kings, Lords and Commons would be extra grand and expensive, but we found it quite the reverse; It is exceedingly plain and undecorated. On entering the room, one would sooner think he was in an American school house, rather than in a House of Lords, and Commons. While retiring from this scenery we had a view of the order of British soldiers, or foot guards while on parade in St. James Park, accompanied by a full band of music: also of the queen's horse guards, well mounted upon black horses, the bodies of the men covered with steel which was glistening in the sun. We had a view of the monument erected in honor to the Duke of York which was 135 feet in height, and of the mansion of Queen Dowager-in fine St. James park is surrounded with dwellings, mansions castles, and Palaces, of the first class.

as to size, splendor and note of any in London, of which Buckingham palace is chief, this is for the royal family, and is occupied by her majesty queen Victoria, and his highness prince Albert, when they are in the metropolis. This palace was built by his late majesty William IV, it covers a number of acres of ground, and is a very costly and splendid edifice: every door, entrance and gate leading to it is strongly guarded with armed soldiers. While we were there we saw his highness prince Albert while riding from his palace across St. James Park, mounted upon a gray horse accompanied only by his groom. We have visited the British Museum, which contains a vast number and quantity of Egyptian Sepulchres [Sepulchers], Mummies, Hieroglyphics, and Papyrus, the history and account of which we feel much interested in, and shall forward you an account of the same in a future communication.

We subscribe ourselves your brethren in the everlasting covenant,

C. KIMBALL, W. WOODRUFF, G. A. SMITH.

TIMES AND SEASONS.

D. C. SMITH, EDITOR.

CITY OF NAUVOO, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1841