--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They bear down upon Westminster, the…" description: "\"“They bear down upon Westminster, the ghost-consecrated Abbey, and the history-crammed Hall, through the arches of the bridge with a rush as the tide s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/hume-nisbet-56565_bridge-of-sighs_they-bear-down-upon-westminster-the-ghos_2079812.jpg" --- # They bear down upon Westminster, the ghost-consecrated… ![“They bear down upon Westminster, the ghost-consecrated Abbey, and the history-crammed Hall, through the arches of the bridge with a rush as the tide swelters round them; the city is buried in a dusky gloom save where the lights begin to gleam and trail with lurid reflections past black velvety…” quote by Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/hume-nisbet-56565_bridge-of-sighs_they-bear-down-upon-westminster-the-ghos_2079812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/hume-nisbet-56565_bridge-of-sighs_they-bear-down-upon-westminster-the-ghos_2079812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2b/hume-nisbet-56565_bridge-of-sighs_they-bear-down-upon-westminster-the-ghos_2079812.jpg) > ““They bear down upon Westminster, the ghost-consecrated Abbey, and the history-crammed Hall, through the arches of the bridge with a rush as the tide swelters round them; the city is buried in a dusky gloom save where the lights begin to gleam and trail with lurid reflections past black velvety- looking hulls - a dusky city of golden gleams. St. Paul's looms up like an immense bowl reversed, squat, un-English, and undignified in spite of its great size; they dart within the sombre shadows of the Bridge of Sighs, and pass the Tower of London, with the rising moon making the sky behind it luminous, and the crowd of shipping in front appear like a dense forest of withered pines, and then mooring their boat at the steps beyond, with a shuddering farewell look at the eel-like shadows and the glittering lights of that writhing river, with its burthen seen and invisible, they plunge into the purlieus of Wapping. ("The Phantom Model")”” [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid, atmospheric description of London’s nightscape, highlighting its eerie beauty and historic weight. **In simple terms:** London at night feels both beautiful and oppressive. Key Takeaway Observe and appreciate urban ambience. Themes urbanism history atmosphere Mood melancholic reflective Type literary descriptive When to use this quote - night walks - photography - historical tours Key Concepts romanticism urban decay visual metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does darkness shape your perception of a city? - What stories do the shadows tell? A Different Perspective May romanticize decay, overlooking social issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Thames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thames/) [Westminster abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/westminster-abbey/) ## Related quotes > [“A strong, vague persuasion that it was better to go forward than backward, and that I could go forward— that a way, however narrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/a-strong-vague-persuasion-that-it-was-better-to-go-forward-than/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Always there have been six ravens at the Tower. If the ravens fly away, the kingdom will fall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen-theobald/always-there-have-been-six-ravens-at-the-tower-if-the-ravens-fly-away/) [John Owen Theobald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen-theobald/) ## More by Hume Nisbet > [“When a man devotes himself body and spirit to a single object, if he has training and aptitude, no matter how mediocre he may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hume-nisbet/when-a-man-devotes-himself-body-and-spirit-to-a-single-object-if-he/) [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) > [“There is no river in the world to be compared for majesty and the witchery of association, to the Thames; it impresses even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hume-nisbet/there-is-no-river-in-the-world-to-be-compared-for-majesty-and-the/) [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) > [“Through silent alleys where dark shadows fleeted past them like forest beasts on the prowl; through bustling market-places where bloaters predominated, into crammed gin-palaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hume-nisbet/through-silent-alleys-where-dark-shadows-fleeted-past-them-like/) [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) > [“They were both young men under thirty. Art is not so precocious as literature, and does not send quite so many early potatoes into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hume-nisbet/they-were-both-young-men-under-thirty-art-is-not-so-precocious-as/) [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) > [“You will find very exquisite flowers sometime even on a dust-heap, as well as where humanity grows thickest and rankest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hume-nisbet/you-will-find-very-exquisite-flowers-sometime-even-on-a-dust-heap-as/) [Hume Nisbet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) [Explore all 6 Hume Nisbet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hume-nisbet/) ## More London quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [Hackney gets a bit of a bad rap, but it's the only place I've ever lived that felt like a community. I know my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/hackney-gets-a-bit-of-a-bad-rap-but-it-s-the-only-place-i-ve-ever/) [Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/) > [Everything is global now. It's not London, it's not Spain, it's not Italy - everything is everywhere. So you have to be everywhere, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manolo-blahnik/everything-is-global-now-it-s-not-london-it-s-not-spain-it-s-not/) [Manolo Blahnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manolo-blahnik/) > [Go to The Spaniards Inn on Hampstead Heath. It's an old-fashioned pub, and from there, you can look out over the London skyline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-quest/go-to-the-spaniards-inn-on-hampstead-heath-it-s-an-old-fashioned-pub/) [Richard Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-quest/) > [Global poverty is the product of reversible policy failures overseen by politicians, past and present. The poorest of the poor don't vote in American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-evans/global-poverty-is-the-product-of-reversible-policy-failures-overseen/) [Hugh Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-evans/) > [In that sense, I became politicized because the people in the coal mining villages who were involved in the struggle knew why they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/in-that-sense-i-became-politicized-because-the-people-in-the-coal/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [I've been so lucky with the people I've worked with, but I'm such a fan girl. When I moved to London at 16, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-smith/i-ve-been-so-lucky-with-the-people-i-ve-worked-with-but-i-m-such-a/) [Sheridan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-smith/) > [London, from the architecture to the culture to the fashion to the accents, feels like it's a special place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/london-from-the-architecture-to-the-culture-to-the-fashion-to-the/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [Rien ne se peut comparer a' Paris. Nothing can compare to Paris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustache-deschamps/rien-ne-se-peut-comparer-a-paris-nothing-can-compare-to-paris/) Eustache Deschamps > [My parents and my sister always leave me over New Year, so I'm always on my own in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-dimoldenberg/my-parents-and-my-sister-always-leave-me-over-new-year-so-i-m-always/) [Amelia Dimoldenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-dimoldenberg/) > [Londoners are really good at dealing with any crap that's thrown at them. We hunker down, we grit our teeth and we get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-oliver/londoners-are-really-good-at-dealing-with-any-crap-that-s-thrown-at/) [Andi Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andi-oliver/) > [Whether Theresa May had stabbed has stabbed the former Mayor of London in the back and Michael Gove had stabbed him in the front.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-evans/whether-theresa-may-had-stabbed-has-stabbed-the-former-mayor-of/) Nigel Evans > [I don't think it's any different if I'm in the U.S. or in London. 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It's very difficult, but I have to do it for my country and fulfill my dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kom/i-miss-my-kids-and-they-miss-me-it-s-very-difficult-but-i-have-to-do/) [Mary Kom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kom/) [Browse all 3,850 London quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They bear down upon Westminster, the ghost-consecrated Abbey, and the history-crammed Hall, through the arches of the bridge with a rush as the tide swelters round them; the city is buried in a dusky gloom save where the lights begin to gleam and trail with lurid reflections past black velvety- looking hulls - a dusky city of golden gleams. St. Paul's looms up like an immense bowl reversed, squat, un-English, and undignified in spite of its great size; they dart within the sombre shadows of the Bridge of Sighs, and pass the Tower of London, with the rising moon making the sky behind it luminous, and the crowd of shipping in front appear like a dense forest of withered pines, and then mooring their boat at the steps beyond, with a shuddering farewell look at the eel-like shadows and the glittering lights of that writhing river, with its burthen seen and invisible, they plunge into the purlieus of Wapping. 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