174 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



Leeds, Hull, and Devonport ran from end to end 

 without change. 



The cathedral city of St. Albans is nine miles from 

 Barnet. It had not reached its present ecclesiastical 

 dignity in the coaching days, nor when I first knew it. 

 A cathedral in our county was a privilege which came 

 to us only in the year 1877 ; for although Barnet has 

 always stood in the Liberty of St. Albans, and mainly 

 in the county of Herts, St. Albans Abbey Church did 

 not become a cathedral nor the ancient borough the 

 seat of a bishopric and a city until towards the close 

 of that year. 



Before Lord Grimthorpe took in hand the work of 

 restoration, St. Albans Abbey had far advanced on 

 the road to ruin. Li 1870, while Divine service was 

 being performed in the fabric, the clerk of the works 

 heard mysterious sounds. They came from the sink- 

 ing tower. It was shored up only in time to avert 

 its entire destruction. Not so fortunate, I recollect, 

 about the same period, were the Dean and Chapter 

 of Chichester Cathedral. There, notice of an im- 

 pending catastrophe was given mainly by fine powder 

 floating in the air in the nave. The Dean, after 

 perambulating the cathedral, deemed it right as a 

 precaution to order the withdrawal of all employes. 

 Next day, a tradesman of the town, looking (as he 

 told me a few years later) at the lofty spire, had his 

 attention diverted for a moment by a customer : when 

 he looked again, the spire was gone ! 



They must for long have known at St. Albans that 



