$6Tis dreadful! "How rev'rend is the face of this tall pile, "Whose ancient pillars rear their marble heads "And terror to my aching sight! The tombs, They assimilated with my own thoughts at that moment, and I felt and owned their truth. It was mid-twilight when we stepped over the vestibule into the church, and we had scarcely secreted ourselves behind one of the massy columns, that support the main body of the building, in order to elude the search of the door-keeper, when that menial officer shut to the doors, with a thundering clap, that rolled in solemn, but dying echoes, through all the aisles and avenues of the building, turned the massy bolt, and quitted his post for the night. We heard his departing footsteps, and found ourselves alone, in the body of a building, so vast, and awfully profound, that our vision in vain endeavoured to search its extremities, through the thick gloom of the departing evening. Many minutes were elapsed in an expressive silence, which neither of us felt inclined to break; but at length, rousing myself from the superstitious lethargy, into which I found myself gradually sinking, I proposed to my companion, that we should deposit our provisions in some appropriate spot, and forthwith explore the beautiful architecture of the venerable pile. We accordingly placed our cargo, most devoutly, in the large font, and covered it over; we then wandered on, in silence, towards that part of the church where the monuments are erected. The marbled honours of the dead were arranged on either side of the upper end of the middle, and principal aisle; and, had I been subject to the impressions of supernatural fear, this lonely, solemn spot, arrayed in funeral pomp, and mostly concealed in the deepning gloom of evening, would certainly have prepared my mind for any superstitious affection, however absurd. Even in that state of sacrilegious hardihood, to which I had worked up my mind, I could scarcely resist a secret, silent impression of awe, that stole, almost imperceptibly, over my faculties, and seemed to cover them as with a veil of mysterious delusion, that continued to increase, until I felt uneasy under the weight of a nameless something, that I wished to be removed from my mind. I felt depressed, and I knew not why. I gazed in a kind of fixed stare upon the white statutes and monuments that faintly glared through the dim perspective, until my vision became partly disordered, and I imagined the figures I be held to glide about through the gloom. To such a degree was my mind worked up, that I involuntarily started back. My kind companion, partaking of the infection, caught my arm, and trembling, endeavoured, but in vain, to speak. This sudden seizure of my arm, at once aroused my almost-bewildered senses from the delirium into which they had been gradually hastening, and recovering myself, I ventured to laugh at my own weakness, and propose to my companion, that we should await the rising of the moon before we proceeded any further, and in the mean while strike of the main body of the cathedral, in order that a general, but faint light, might be thrown upon the extensive walls. My friend approving of this proposal, we retired to our temporary store room, the font, and striking a light, produced our tapers, and placing them singly at stated distances from each other, against the lofty and massy columns that support this immense gothic structure, a faint light gleamed partially upon the walls and rose in wan flames, through the damp air that pervaded the long and gloomy aisles through which we now wandered, already chilled by the deadly coldness of the place. Wrapped up in our cloaks, we paced the whole length of the building, backwards and forwards, waiting with the utmost anxiety for the appearance of the moon to dispel the deeper shades of night, and render our situation more interesting. The pale glare of light produced by our tapers was so faint, that not one half of the beautiful perspective of the edifice was distinguishable, yet the fine gothic arches appeared to sink behind each other, more and more imperceptible 'till at length they retired into the obscure mist that shrouded the remote distance from our view, and which also veiled the lofty summit of the arches and the sculptured roof of the building, in the same dun pall of obscurity. My companion, who was a most excellent musician, consented to tune the fine organ that stands in the centre of the church, whilst I wandered through the aisles, listening to the melody of his music. He ascended to the instrument, and I proceeded to the furthermost extremity of the middle aisle, and there I took my station under a gothic archway that terminated the long avenue, and commanded a view of the whole perspective, but partially illumined by the small glimmering tapers suspended from the fluted columns, and the antique organ dimly reared its towering height over the bluish mist that concealed the yet more remote distance from my view. Here wrapt in my cloak, with my eyes bent towards the choir, I attentively listened for those sounds which I knew would emancipate my soul from all earthly considerations. At length a gentle swell of solemn music whispered through the aisle and trembled on the air; it deepened, and the full melody of the peal fill'd the vast edifice with |