too, stands close b y : it boasts also, one of the principal
hotels; and as all the chief thoroughfares of the
town communicate with it, the reader may easily
guess what sort of a place is the Royal Square nf
Jersey. I ought to mention, that this square is not
what in England is understood by a square: it is an
open space flagged with smooth stones, and resembles
rather a French place, or a Spanish pasea, than an
English square.
In walking through the streets of St. Helier one is
not struck either by the meanness or the magnificence
of shops, or of houses. The former are in general
greatly superior to those which are seen in a small
continental town,—but much upon a par with those
we find in a flourishing English country town. There
is perhaps less window display,—which is often the
symbol of poverty within; but many of the shops in
Jersey are extenrive establishments, and contain large
and varied stocks of the goods in which they deal.
As for the houses in the older and central parts of the
town, they are chiefly the residences of the shopkeepers.
The houses of those who are unconnected
with trade, and of many of the most opulent merchants
also, are to be found in the outskirts, and in those
newer streets which form the outlets,—where also,
the English residents principally reside. Some of
these streets are pretty, regular, and well built, and
have open space, and ornamented garden ground in
front of them. Two of these streets, the Terrace,
and the Crescent, are inhabited chiefly by the English;
and the latter of these, is considerably improved in its
appearance by the theatre, which forms the centre
of the arch, and whose pretty Greek portico is an
agreeable relief to the plainness of the buildings that
flank it.
It is fortunate for the traveller, that Jersey possesses
other attractions than those offered by its public buildings
; for these are devoid of either beauty or interest:
indeed, with the exception of the old church, two of
the chapels, the theatre and the gaol, there are none
deserving the name : and of these, one of the chapels,
and the portico of the theatre, have alone any claim to
architectural design. For my own part, I am no
admirer of little white gothic churches set down in the
outskirts of towns. This has been long a prevailing
fashion in England; but it seems to me, that the
gothic style needs something more than pointed arches,
and a pinnacled tower, to make it acceptable. Our
first knowledge of these relics of other days, was
obtained either from those fabrics which addressed
themselves to the imagination by their gigantic proportions,
and which excited wonder by the perfection
of their workmanship,—or from those smaller remains,
which, with equal perfection of workmanship, shewed
us how much the interest of a building is enhanced
by beauty of situation. But the modern gothic
churches have none of those attributes which are
naturally associated in our minds with gothic architecture,—
neither size, nor elaborate sculpture, nor
situation.
As for the parish church of St. Helier, it is old
and grey, and venerable enough,—built, so far back,
they say, as 1341: and will attract little beyond a
passing glance from the traveller. Inside however,
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