If in exterior magnificence St. Paul's surpasses all our other
buildings, the interior, however, from many causes, is not so beautiful.
You enter, and the naked loftiness of the walls, and the cold and barren
stateliness of every thing around, would induce one to believe that an
enemy--were such a thing possible in Britain--had taken London, and
plundered the cathedral of all its national and religious paintings,
together with a world of such rare works of curiosity or antiquity
as find a sanctuary in the great churches of other countries. A few
statues, some of them of moderate worth, are scattered about the
recesses; and certain coloured drawings, done by the yard by Sir James
Thornhill, may be distinguished far above; but all between is empty
space, save where some tattered banners, pierced with many a shot,
the memorials of our naval victories, hang dusty half-pillar high.
This nakedness, however, is not so much the fault of the architect as
of the clergy, who aught to have adorned this noble pile more largely
by the hand of the painter and the sculptor. It was the wish of Wren
to beautify the inside of the cupola with rich and durable Mosaic,
and he intended to have sought the help of four of the most eminent
artists in Italy for that purpose; but he was frustrated by the seven
commissioners, who said the thing was so much of a novelty that it would
not be liked, and also so expensive that it could not be paid for. The
present work, too, over the communion table was intended only to serve
till something more worthy could be prepared; and, to supply its place,
Wren had modelled a magnificent altar, consisting of four pillars
wreathed of the finest Greek marbles, supporting a hemispherical canopy,
richly decorated with sculpture. But marble, such as he liked, could not
readily be procured: dissensions arose, and the work remained in the
models. The interposition of the Duke of York--the malevolence of the
commissioners--the Puritanic, for I will not call them Protestant,
prejudices of the clergy--and, I must add, the tastelessness of the
nation at large, have all conspired to diminish the interior glory
of St. Paul's, and render it less imposing on the mind than many a
cathedral of less mark and reputation.--George III. saw what was
wanting, and would have endeavoured to supply it; but all his efforts to
overcome the ecclesiastical objections were unavailing. Let us hope that
some of that truly good and English king's descendents may have better
success.--_Family Library_, No. xix.
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