AsIpacedthecloisters，sometimescontemplatingthismingledpictureofgloryanddecay，andsometimesendeavoringtodeciphertheinscriptionsonthetombstones，whichformedthepavementbeneathmyfeet，myeyewasattractedtothreefigures，rudelycarvedinrelief，;theepitaphswereentirelyeffaced;thenamesaloneremained，havingnodoubtbeenrenewedinlatertimes.（.1082，.1114，.1176.）Iremainedsomelittlewhile，musingoverthesecasualrelicsofantiquity，thusleftlikewrecksuponthisdistantshoreoftime，tellingnotalebutthatsuchbeingshadbeen，andhadperished;，andeventhesefaintrecordswillbeobliterated，，Iwasrousedbythesoundoftheabbeyclock，reverberatingfrombuttresstobuttress，，andtellingthelapseofthehour，which，likeabillow，，themagnitudeofthebuildingbreaksfullyuponthemind，，witharchesspringingfromthemtosuchanamazingheight;andmanwanderingabouttheirbases，，asiffearfulofdisturbingthehallowedsilenceofthetomb;whileeveryfootfallwhispersalongthewalls，andchattersamongthesepulchers，makingusmoresensibleofthequietwehaveinterrupted.
Itseemsasiftheawfulnatureoftheplacepressesdownuponthesoul，，whohavefilledhistorywiththeirdeeds，andtheearthwiththeirrenown.
Andyetitalmostprovokesasmileatthevanityofhumanambition，toseehowtheyarecrowdedtogetherandjostledinthedust;whatparsimonyisobservedindolingoutascantynook，agloomycorner，alittleportionofearth，tothose，whom，whenalive，kingdomscouldnotsatisfy;andhowmanyshapes，andforms，andartificesaredevisedtocatchthecasualnoticeofthepassenger，andsavefromforgetfulness，forafewshortyears，anamewhichonceaspiredtooccupyagesoftheworld’sthoughtandadmiration.
…
Icontinuedinthiswaytomovefromtombtotomb，;thedistanttreadofloiterersabouttheabbeygrewlessandlessfrequent;thesweet-tonguedbellwassummoningtoeveningprayers;andIsawatadistancethechoristers，intheirwhitesurplices，’，throughadeepandgloomy，，richlyanddelicatelywrought，turnheavilyupontheirhinges，asifproudlyreluctanttoadmitthefeetofcommonmortalsintothismostgorgeousofsepulchres.
