ButJacobmighthavebeenthinkingofRomeofarchitectureofjurisprudenceashesatundertheplanetreeinHydePark.
TheomnibusstoppedoutsideCharingCrossandbehinditwerecloggedomnibuses,vans,motor-cars,foraprocessionwithbannerswaspassingdownWhitehall,andelderlypeoplewerestifflydescendingfrombetweenthepawsoftheslipperylions,wheretheyhadbeentestifyingtotheirfaith,singinglustily,raisingtheireyesfromtheirmusictolookintothesky,andstilltheireyeswereontheskyastheymarchedbehindthegoldlettersoftheircreed.
Thetrafficstopped,andthesun,nolongersprayedoutbythebreeze,becamealmosttoohot.Buttheprocessionpassedthebannersglittered—farawaydownWhitehallthetrafficwasreleasedlurchedonspuntoasmoothcontinuousuproarswervingroundthecurveofCockspurStreetandsweepingpastGovernmentofficesandequestrianstatuesdownWhitehalltothepricklyspires,thetetheredgreyfleetofmasonry,andthelargewhiteclockofWestminster.
FivestrokesBigBenintonedNelsonreceivedthesalute.ThewiresoftheAdmiraltyshiveredwithsomefar-awaycommunication.AvoicekeptremarkingthatPrimeMinistersandViceroysspokeintheReichstagenteredLahoresaidthattheEmperortravelledinMilantheyriotedsaidtherewererumoursinViennasaidthattheAmbassadoratConstantinoplehadaudiencewiththeSultanthefleetwasatGibraltar.Thevoicecontinued,imprintingonthefacesoftheclerksinWhitehall(TimothyDurrantwasoneofthem)somethingofitsowninexorablegravity,astheylistened,deciphered,wrotedown.Papersaccumulated,inscribedwiththeutterancesofKaisers,thestatisticsofricefields,thegrowlingofhundredsofwork-people,plottingseditioninbackstreets,orgatheringintheCalcuttabazaars,ormusteringtheirforcesintheuplandsofAlbania,wherethehillsaresand-coloured,andboneslieunburied.
Thevoicespokeplainlyinthesquarequietroomwithheavytables,whereoneelderlymanmadenotesonthemarginoftypewrittensheets,hissilver-toppedumbrellaleaningagainstthebookcase.