the high and arched space, awful and terrific.
The falling masses of wood, and bells, sounded like the near
discharge of artillery, and were echoed back from the dark passages,
whose glomy shade, and hollow responses seemed mourning at the
funeral pile that burned so fiercely. In one hour, the tower was
completely gutted, and masses of burning timber lay piled against the
south-west door. The upper and under roof, composed principally of
fir timber, covering the nave, as far as the centre tower, had, by
this time, become fired, and burned with extraordinary rapidity. The
firemen, by a well-managed direction of the water, prevented the
flames passing through the west windows of the centre tower, and
continued their exertions at that spot, until the whole of the roof
had fallen in, and lay, in the centre of the aisle, a sea of fire.

"The west doors had, now, become nearly burnt through, and planks
were brought to barricade them, and prevent the rushing of air to fan
the embers to flame, which might have communicated to the organ, and
thence, throughout the whole pile of buildings.

"At 1 o'clock, this morning, I again entered the Cathedral, and then
concluded there was no further danger of destruction. The tower is
standing, also the walls and pillars of the nave; and, beyond that,
the building, I am happy to state, is saved.

"The fire is supposed to have originated from a clock maker, who has
been, for some time past, occupied in repairing the clock in that
tower, who might accidentally, have dropped a spark from a candle."

The repairs in 1829, when the Cathedral was fired by the fanatic, John
Martin, cost 65,000 pounds, which was raised by subscription, and it was
estimated that the cost of the present repairs would amount to about
20,000 pounds.

* * * * *

I know of no other general topic of conversation in May, but, in June,
there was one which set every one in the United Kingdom, and the whole
civilized world, a talking.--THE QUEEN HAD BEEN SHOT AT!!! A little
after 6 p.m. the Queen and Prince Albert left Buckingham Palace for their
before-dinner drive, and had barely got one-third up Constitution Hill,
when a young man, who had been walking backwards and forwards, as the
carriage came near, and was nearly opposite him, turned round, and,
drawing a pistol from his breast, fired at