Case in point: it's a rainy Saturday morning and a perfect time to visit a British institution which contains some "Box Office Attractions" like a Magna Carta, Gutenberrg Bible, drawings by Michelangelo and the handwritten lyrics of Paul McCartney's "Yesterday"....all in the same room! And it works. First draft handwritten lyrics on the back of envelopes and birthday cards by Lennon and McCartney seem a natural fit for the Magna Carta across the room.
Speaking of such: this is the second Magna Carta I've seen this week. Seems there were 13 signed and but four known to still exist. I saw one up in the Lincoln Cathedral the other day and now one in the British Library.
This whole Magna Carta thiing came about because King John was fighting with his Barons, and the Pope and the military. His military campaign in France was not going well, so he doubled-down and levied more taxes and for some reason the Barons revolted. Here is how he tried to solve that problem: "He handled the rebels by disregarding justice, taking hostages and imposing ruthless punishments." It's probably the first time in history that a King dealt with injustice by handing out more injustice. The Barons still were no buying it and forced King John to sign a Magna Carta full of rights for men (but not women and certainly not serfs and slaves).
At the same time the King was in a fight with the Pope in Rome concerning the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury. So the King comes up with a brilliant Idea. First he accepts the Pope's appointment for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Pope and he become BFF's and then King John tells the Pope to "null and void" the Magna Carta which the Pope does. The Barons are not pleased and issue a Magna Carta Revised 2.0 edition which to this day rules the land (unless you are a woman or serf or slave but otherwise it's a great document if you fit into the narrow category to whom it's addressed), And if that is not enough, the document is kept in the County of Wiltshire by a woman named Ela. You couldn't make this stuff up.
Across the room are drawings by Michelangelo and Albrecht Durer, writings by Shakespeare and Chaucer, sacred texts of Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, the oldest known English document written in 678 AD, a land contract, a Gutenberg Bible, Jane Austen books in her handwriting and Beatles lyrics in the handwriting of John and Paul. Western Civilization is complete.
Onward to the British Museum.
I love this place and so does half of London on this rainy June Saturday but I make for the Medieval Section to see some of the relics of the era in which I have been living the past week. It does not disappoint, nor does the section on African art and folklore, another area which fascinates me.
The main hall was absolutely packed with people who were trying to sit and rest and eat their sandwiches. It looked like an airport waiting room in blizzard when all the flights have been delayed for two days. But we made a wrong turn on the way to the Africa section and discoverd an entire empty floor of comfortable chairs, air conditioning, restrooms and nobody. Absolutely nobody. We lounged, refreshed and headed out into the daylight now that the rain had ceased.
The great Architect of the 17th Century was Christopher Wren who designed St. Paul's and dozens of other churches after the disastrous fire of London in 1666. I have a list of some remaining churches by him and we went in search of them, but most were closed on a Saturday by 3 pm, except St. Mary Le Bow in the Cockney area of London.
Stunning. But I doubt this bears little resemblence to the original by Wren and even then Wren's design for St Mary was the third redesign over the centuries and more came after him. WWII saw the chuch and neighborhood bombed by Hitler. A decade later or more, we get this.
These are some of the best modern stained glass windows that I have seen. We will return to the neighborhood later in the week to see more Christopher Wren masterpieces. But now it is nearly time for 5 pm Evensong (Evening Prayers) at St. Paul's down the street.
Christopher Wren outdid himself and nearly everyone else with this masterpiece. It is far and away more impressive than Westminster Abbey and might even be a rival to St. Peter's in Rome for eye popping splendor.
As for Evensong. A male choir (have yet to see or hear females or girls in Anglican choirs though women are fully a part of the clergy) begins from the central part of the nave beneath the dome behind us. Then the procession begins to the Choir. Songs, Psalms. Bowing. Slow walking preceded by great pomp and circumstance. There must be a thousand in attendance, but a small slice of the tourists who were there earlier. Frankly, most of those in attendance are tourists, but it is a wonderful opportunity for Christendom to show what solemn and uplifiting worship can do for the soul.
Peace, Bob
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