, 1863-05-14
A Legend Of Canterbury Castle.

The pr0DaOlnty 1s, however, tnRt II was DunL Dy
the Saxons and used by the Conqueror for the
According to DOmesday Book, It was received BY
the Conqueror from the Archbishop and Abbot
Of St. Augustine's, in exchange for some land. 1t
was reduced without resistance by Louis Of France
in the time Of King John. 1t became afterwards
prison and in the barbican certain Of the pris-
Onefs used to sit bound ID chains to beg their
daily bread" Jews were frequently confined here,
and many versicles Of the psalms in Hebrew re-
NAMED on the walls Of the northeast staircase 90
late as 1872 Canterbury Castle is, after those Of
| Norwich and Colchester the largest Norman keep
in England. We cannot have o more striking
illustration Of the stuPeIdots changes time has
wrought than the fact that this old Norman keep,
| whose donion and barbican, and dafkly vaulted
apartments, were the scenes Of many most awful
Tragedies, the witness Of crimes and anguish mex
pressible, should In this year Of grace be used as
gas factory! This certainly is transformation
which the most gifted fOrseer OF future events
would have considerable dlliiculty ln deserving,
eight hundred and 6fty yeats ago, when the re-
markable occurrences on which the following mar
rative Is based took place.
1t was on q 6ne evening in the autumn Of 1912.
The year had been crowned with the bounties Of
on abundant harvest and the binds and husband
men Of the Isle Of Thanet were celebrating joy
Gus harvest home. Stalwart Saxons, with wives
and sweethearts beautiful blueeyed and fairhaired,
sat before full trenchers Of the latest kline, and
famous mead and fOaming ale made glad the hearts
Of honest men and bonny lasses. After the feast
was over, music and dancing, and mrthProyokiIg
Jest and game, were called in to supplement the
enjoyment which excellent food and drink had SO
successfully begun.
But earthly happiness, even when most widely
dihdsed, is not comprehensive enough to include
every one within its sweet influence. Even when
the sun Of human enjoyment is most high in heaven,
and most potent on EARTH there are in this valley
of the shadow Of death divers hOlows and crevices
and caverns which It's lile-imparting beams fail
either to warm or to illume. So II was on this
fair evening in the pleasant lind Of Kent, in the
old Saxon times alluded to. some fifty years and
more before the terrible Norman had established
his sway in the rich English land. No sound Of
revclry penetrated the thick walls Of the Convent
Of ST. Winifred, in which the Lady Edelburga was
immuFed. In few hours, and sore against her
will she would have to abjure the world and its
vanites and bind herself to life Of cold virgnty
to remain all the days Of her mortal existence bu-
ried within the four walls Of convent. o stranger
70 the ways. and doings aud -crjCyments o. the
rest Of her kindred.
The solemn hour Of midnight was appointed for
the celebration Of this painful rite And now the
devoted maiden would have sat in her cell oil alone
but for the presence Of the venerable Abbess, who
Inc'S1usly eAPasau w ~ :Le Desut S.:,, ~ VEIN ~
tne olessedneSs oI resjgnayn. ~. .ee ~ AooeIs ~:
va prolOundly nose9 y .ne gIlel ~ tne nVsl, ~.
cIAUe, auu coIlu not; ~ ncGr., neP uePlO.lus ~
NAL cell the walls were bare; no costly tapestry
concealed Ine 9a.s sscne wSsi 10 ssn ~. ~ 'sue1 s
rasnes earpeteo le nSo.; 70 ProtecI tne ~ 'rTul
'ne Snllling dampness oL tne s.Cne pSvement. Luz
Aooess nad ceaSe1 my 70 aoIOnlsni s tne maiuen con-
Ilnueu 70 weep. Ine colo . 1eans ~ tIe aStuIln
moon s'Ieamed IN suvery rus tnr3ugn tne slenoet
sii.s ot tGe cTnVSG. wlnuGm, anc slOne % WIN ~
cleS OF gnOsty ulumlnauOu on inc symmeLlca