my discovery of england-第5章

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；　the　principal　penitentiary　of　the　city。　Here　Queen　Victoria　was　imprisoned　for　many　years。

Excellent　gasoline　can　be　had　at　the　American　Garage　immediately　north　of　the　Tower；　where　motor　repairs　of　all　kinds　are　also　carried　on。

These；　however；　are　but　the　superficial　pictures　of　London；　gathered　by　the　eye　of　the　tourist。　A　far　deeper　meaning　is　found　in　the　examination　of　the　great　historic　monuments　of　the　city。　The　principal　ones　of　these　are　the　Tower　of　London　（just　mentioned）；　the　British　Museum　and　Westminster　Abbey。　No　visitor　to　London　should　fail　to　see　these。　Indeed　he　ought　to　feel　that　his　visit　to　England　is　wasted　unless　he　has　seen　them。　I　speak　strongly　on　the　point　because　I　feel　strongly　on　it。　To　my　mind　there　is　something　about　the　grim　fascination　of　the　historic　Tower；　the　cloistered　quiet　of　the　Museum　and　the　majesty　of　the　ancient　Abbey；　which　will　make　it　the　regret　of　my　life　that　I　didn't　see　any　one　of　the　three。　I　fully　meant　to：　but　I　failed：　and　I　can　only　hope　that　the　circumstances　of　my　failure　may　be　helpful　to　other　visitors。

The　Tower　of　London　I　most　certainly　intended　to　inspect。　Each　day；　after　the　fashion　of　every　tourist；　I　wrote　for　myself　a　little　list　of　things　to　do　and　I　always　put　the　Tower　of　London　on　it。　No　doubt　the　reader　knows　the　kind　of　little　list　that　I　mean。　It　runs：

　　　　1。　Go　to　bank。

　　　　2。　Buy　a　shirt。

　　　　3。　National　Picture　Gallery。

　　　　4。　Razor　blades。

　　　　5。　Tower　of　London。

　　　　6。　Soap。

This　itinerary；　I　regret　to　say；　was　never　carried　out　in　full。　I　was　able　at　times　both　to　go　to　the　bank　and　buy　a　shirt　in　a　single　morning：　at　other　times　I　was　able　to　buy　razor　blades　and　almost　to　find　the　National　Picture　Gallery。　Meantime　I　was　urged　on　all　sides　by　my　London　acquaintances　not　to　fail　to　see　the　Tower。　〃There's　a　grim　fascination　about　the　place；〃　they　said；　〃you　mustn't　miss　it。〃　I　am　quite　certain　that　in　due　course　of　time　I　should　have　made　my　way　to　the　Tower　but　for　the　fact　that　I　made　a　fatal　discovery。　I　found　out　that　the　London　people　who　urged　me　to　go　and　see　the　Tower　had　never　seen　it　themselves。　　It　appears　they　never　go　near　it。　One　night　at　a　dinner　a　man　next　to　me　said；　〃Have　you　seen　the　Tower？　You　really　ought　to。　There's　a　grim　fascination　about　it。〃　I　looked　him　in　the　face。　〃Have　you　seen　it　yourself？〃　I　asked。　〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　answered。　〃I've　seen　it。〃　〃When？〃　I　asked。　The　man　hesitated。　〃When　I　was　just　a　boy；〃　he　said；　〃my　father　took　me　there。〃　〃How　long　ago　is　that？〃　I　enquired。　　〃About　forty　years　ago；〃　he　answered；

〃I　always　mean　to　go　again　but　I　don't　somehow　seem　to　get　the　time。〃

After　this　I　got　to　understand　that　when　a　Londoner　says；　〃Have　you　seen　the　Tower　of　London？〃　the　answer　is；　〃No；　and　neither　have　you。〃

Take　the　parallel　case　of　the　British　Museum。　Here　is　a　place　that　is　a　veritable　treasure　house。　A　repository　of　some　of　the　most　priceless　historical　relics　to　be　found　upon　the　earth。　It　contains；　for　instance；　the　famous　Papyrus　Manuscript　of　Thotmes　II　of　the　first　Egyptian　dynastya　thing　known　to　scholars　all　over　the　world　as　the　oldest　extant　specimen　of　what　can　be　called　writing；　indeed　one　can　here　see　the　actual　evolution　（I　am　quoting　from　a　work　of　reference；　or　at　least　from　my　recollection　of　it）　from　the　ideographic　cuneiform　to　the　phonetic　syllabic　script。　Every　time　I　have　read　about　that　manuscript　and　have　happened　to　be　in　Orillia　（Ontario）　or　Schenectady　（N。Y。）　or　any　such　place；　I　have　felt　that　I　would　be　willing　to　take　a　whole　trip　to　England　to　have　five　minutes　at　the　British　Museum；　just　five；　to　look　at　that　papyrus。　Yet　as　soon　as　I　got　to　London　this　changed。　　The　railway　stations　of　London　have　been　so　arranged　that　to　get　to　any　train　for　the　north　or　west；　the　traveller　must　pass　the　British　Museum。　The　first　time　I　went　by　it　in　a　taxi；　I　felt　quite　a　thrill。　〃Inside　those　walls；〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃is　the　manuscript　of　Thotmes　II。〃　The　next　time　I　actually　stopped　the　taxi。　〃Is　that　the　British　Museum？〃　I　asked　the　driver；　〃I　think　it　is　something　of　the　sort；　sir；〃　he　said。　I　hesitated。　〃Drive　me；〃　I　said；　〃to　where　I　can　buy　safety　razor　blades。〃

After　that　I　was　able　to　drive　past　the　Museum　with　the　quiet　assurance　of　a　Londoner；　and　to　take　part　in　dinner　table　discussions　as　to　whether　the　British　Museum　or　the　Louvre　contains　the　greater　treasures。　It　is　quite　easy　any　way。　All　you　have　to　do　is　to　remember　that　The　Winged　Victory　of　Samothrace　is　in　the　Louvre　and　the　papyrus　of　Thotmes　II　（or　some　such　document）　is　in　the　Museum。

The　Abbey；　I　admit；　is　indeed　majestic。　I　did　not　intend　to　miss　going　into　it。　But　I　felt；　as　so　many　tourists　have；　that　I　wanted　to　enter　it　in　the　proper　frame　of　mind。　I　never　got　into　the　frame　of　mind；　at　least　not　when　near　the　Abbey　itself。　I　have　been　in　exactly　that　frame　of　mind　when　on　State　Street；　Chicago；　or　on　King　Street；　Toronto；　or　anywhere　three　thousand　miles　away　from　the　Abbey。　But　by　bad　luck　I　never　struck　both　the　frame　of　mind　and　the　Abbey　at　the　same　time。

But　the　Londoners；　after　all；　in　not　seeing　their　own　wonders；　are　only　like　the　rest　of　the　world。　The　people　who　live　in　Buffalo　never　go　to　see　Niagara　Falls；　people　in　Cleveland　don't　know　which　is　Mr。　Rockefeller's　house；　and　people　live　and　even　die　in　New　York　without　going　up　to　the　top　of　the　Woolworth　Building。　And　anyway　the　past　is　remote　and　the　present　is　near。　I　know　a　cab　driver　in　the　city　of　Quebec　whose　business　in　life　it　is　to　drive　people　up　to　see　the　Plains　of　Abraham；　but　unless　they　bother　him　to　do　it；　he　doesn't　show　them　the　spot　where　Wolfe　fell：　what　ho　does　point　out　with　real　zest　is　the　place　where　the　Mayor　and　the　City　Council　sat　on　the　wooden　platform　that　they　put　up　for　the　municipal　celebration　last　summer。

No　description　of　London　would　be　complete　without　a　reference；　however　brief；　to　the　singular　salubrity　and　charm　of　the　London　climate。　This　is　seen　at　its　best　during　the　autumn　and　winter　months。　The　climate　of　London　and　indeed　of　England　generally　is　due　to　the　influence　of　the　Gulf　Stream。　The　way　it　works　is　thus：　　The　Gulf　Stream；　as　it　nears　the　shores　of　the　British　Isles　and　feels　the　propinquity　of　Ireland；　rises　into　the　air；　turns　into　soup；　and　comes　down　on　London。　At　times　the　soup　is　thin　and　is　in　fact　little　more　than　a　mist：　at　other　times　it　has　the　consistency　of　a　thick　Potage　St。　Germain。　London　people　are　a　little　sensitive　on　the　point　and　flatter　their　atmosphere　by　calling　it　a　fog：　but　it　is　not：　it　is　soup。　The　notion　that　no　sunlight　ever　gets　through　and　that　in　the　London　winter　people　never　see　the　sun　is　of　course　a　ridiculous　error；　circulated　no　doubt　by　the　jealousy　of　foreign　nations。　I　have　myself　seen　the　sun　plainly　visible　in　London；　without　the　aid　of　glasses；　on　a　November　day　in　broad　daylight；　and　again　one　night　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　I　saw　the　sun　distinctly　appear　through　the　clouds。　The　whole　subject　of　daylight　in　the　London　winter　is；　however；　one　which　belongs　rather　to　the　technique　of　astronomy　than　to　a　book　of　description。　In　practice　daylight　is　but　little　used。　Electric　lights　are　burned　all　the　time　in　all　houses；　buildings；　railway　stations　and　clubs。　This　practice　which　is　now　universally　observed　is　called　Daylight　Saving。

But　the　distinction　between　day　and　night　during　the　London　winter　is　still　quite　obvious　to　any　one　of　an　observant　mind。　It　is　indicated　by　various　signs　such　as　the　striking　of　clocks；　the　tolling　of　bells；　the　closing　of　saloons；　and　the　raising　of　taxi　rates。　It　is　much　less　easy　to　distinguish　the　technical　approach　of　night　in　the　other　cities　of　England　that　lie　outside　the　confines；　physical　and　intellectual；　of　London　and　live　in　a　continuous　gloom。　In　such　places　as　the　great　manufacturing　cities；　Buggingham…under…Smoke；　or　Gloomsbury…on…Ooze；　night　may　be　said　to　be　perpetual。

　　　　　　　　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。

I　had　written　the　whole　of　the　above　chapter　and　looked　on　it　as　finished　when　I　realised　that　I　had　made　a　terrible　omission。　I　neglected　to　say　anything　about　the　Mind　of　London。　This　is　a　thing　that　is　always　put　into　any　book　of　discovery　and　ob