1984

           Onecouldnotlearnhistoryfromarchitectureanymorethanonecouldlearnitfrombooks. Statues,inscriptions,memorialstones,thenamesofstreets—anythingthatmightthrowlightuponthepasthadbeensystematicallyaltered. 

           ‘Ineverknewithadbeenachurch,’hesaid. 

           ‘There’salotofthemleft,really,’saidtheoldman,‘thoughthey’vebeenputtootheruses. Now,howdidthatrhymego?Ah!I’vegotit! 

           "Orangesandlemons,saythebellsofStClement’s, 

           Youowemethreefarthings,saythebellsofStMartin’s——" 

           there,now,that’sasfarasIcanget.Afarthing,thatwasasmallcoppercoin,lookedsomethinglikeacent.’ 

           ‘WherewasStMartin’s?’saidWinston. 

           ‘StMartin’s?That’sstillstanding.It’sinVictorySquare,alongsidethepicturegallery.Abuildingwithakindofatriangularporchandpillarsinfront,andabigflightofsteps.’ 

           Winstonknewtheplacewell.Itwasamuseumusedforpropagandadisplaysofvariouskinds—scalemodelsofrocketbombsandFloatingFortresses,waxworktableauxillustratingenemyatrocities,andthelike. 

           ‘StMartin’s-in-the-Fieldsitusedtobecalled,’supplementedtheoldman,‘thoughIdon’trecollectanyfieldsanywhereinthoseparts.’ 

           Winstondidnotbuythepicture. Itwouldhavebeenanevenmoreincongruouspossessionthantheglasspaperweight,andimpossibletocarryhome,unlessitweretakenoutofitsframe.