Westminster Abbey, if not the oldest, then one of the most ancient buildings in London, deserves the attention of a traveler, first of all, as an architectural monument of the Middle Ages, and secondly, as a pantheon of British glory, preserving in itself the mortal remains of the people who glorified their country (see Figure 1.10, Westminster Abbey).

The Abbey, as well as the Cathedral of St. Paul, lies near the bank of the Thames and the bridge bearing the same name. Not far from the abbey, closer to the riverbank, sits the Parliament building. The exterior of the abbey is grey—at certain places, dark grey, even black. For the entrance to the abbey and sightseeing, visitors have to pay a fixed fee, with the exception of the time during which the worship service is held. This building is designed in the form of an elongated cross. The middle part (le choeur) is separated from the chapels by a tall, wooden partition: this is the place where the services are conducted and the kings of England are crowned. Such partition of the building specifically for the worship service is necessary in Protestant cathedrals, where the sermon constitutes a significant part of the liturgy: In the Berlin cathedral (Domkirche), also built in the shape of a cross, the middle forms one elongated hall: if the side additions were partitioned, the voice of the preacher would be lost under the arches of the vaults. I visited Westminster Abbey once during the service, which was administered with the proper splendor and sincere piety. The preacher talked simply, or, to say it better, read from a notebook. Such is a custom in England: the preachers here are not allowed to declaim or be carried away by eloquence at the pulpit or to expound upon religious teachings with rhetorical embellishments. As a result, there are few outstanding religious orators in England, despite the great number of thinkers and writers on Christian Religion. The singing in the gallery, accompanied by the quiet sounds of an organ, is beautiful and touching. The English people are devout in their souls.