Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-09-19
Canterbury Cathedral.

r. Canterbury is the premier Arch
4 episcopal See of England: When 81
Augustine arrived in Britain in 597
he found traces of q Christian peopl
and indications of their Worship. Ethel
bert, who was then King of Kent, as
signed. Augustine home in the islam,
OF Thanet, whore he had I'm interview
witkthe saint, after Which lie permitted
him to reside in the city Of gantefburyi
(which was the metropolis of all his do
minions. There was, says Bede, a
that time. on the east side of the city
a church dedicated to tho honor of St
Martin, built while the Romans wer,
still in the island. St. Augustine wa,
Uniformed that this church had beer
built by the ancient Roman Christians
and consecrated to the name of oul
Holy Savior God and Lord Jesus Christ
and he there established residenc,
for himself and his successors.
Ethelbert: erected the foundation of thu
Church of St.: Peter and Paul, and en-
dowed the See with various grants o.
land. Augustine died in sos, and hit
body was deposited "close by The
CE urch of the Apostles" Here, also,
were buried Ethelbert and his Queen
Bertha. In 619 Millitus, the third
Bishop IN the See improved the origi
nal structure, and saved the edifice
from calamity similar to that which
we record to-day. Bede describes the
occurrence thus: 1T happened that
the City of Canterbury, being by care.
lessness set on fire, was in danger oi
being consumed by the spreading oi
tue conflagration. Water was thrown
upon the fire in vain. A considerable
part Of the city was already destroyed,
and the fierce flame advanced; toward
the Bishop, when be, ronfiding in the
Divine assistance where human failed,
ordered himself to be carried toward
the raging fire. (The old. man was suf.
fering from an attack OF the gout ot
which he died. The Church of the
-Four Crowned martyrs was in the
place where the fire ragged most. The
Bishop, being carried thither by bis
servants, averted the danger by prayer.
Immediately the wind, which was
blowing from the south, and had spread
the condagration through the city,
turning to the north, prevented the
destruction of the sacred editice,
and the: flames were Immediately
extinguished. Millitus died on the
oath Of April, 624, aud was buried in
the monastry. His successors added
to tho original edifice, which was liber
ally endowed by the reigning Sover-
eigns. Dunstan was bishop of this see,
as was Stigapd Lanfranc, who rebuilt
and enlarged the edifice, Anselm, and
the celebrated Thomas Beckett. This
unscrupulous prelate attempted to rival
the King, and aped the show of royalty.
He was usually attended by 700 barons,
knights, and men at arms; $50 boys
went behind him singing songs.
hounds and horses swelled the train of
the proud Churchman, aud we
are told that the cavalcade
was succeeded by twelve stumper
horses, on each of which rode a mon
key, with groom. In moment OF
passion the King expressed wish to
be rid of Beckett, and some officious
followers took the hint and dispatched
the Archbishop at the foot of the al
tar" Local superstition made mar
tyr of Beckett, and we are told that the
pavement in front of his gorgeous
shrine was worn into hollows by the
knees of innumerable pilgrims. The
humiliating penance to which Henry
afterward submitted is matter
of history. In 1174 the Church
was again destroyed by fire. Gervasie,
! a monk of the diocese and an eye-wit-
ness, describes the confagration. The
present building being constructed at
different periods, and each addition
partaking of the then prevailing style,
is a mixture of what is known as the
Saxon and early Norman. It is in the
form of double cross, having tower
226 feet high, with a pierced transept
| and pinnacles, and octagonal tulrets at
the angles, terminating in minarets
rising from the intersection of the nave
and the western transepts. At the
western are two towers in the Norman
style. The eastern part of the edifice is
considered to 6e of peculiar grandeur.
The Chapel of Henry Nv. is celebrated
for the simplicity and elegance of it's
design. The shrine of Beckett is be-
hind the high altar. The whole length
of the building within the walls is 514
feet. Cardinal Pole, Cranmer, the un-
fortunate Laud, and the celebrated
Tillotson, filed the See of Canterbury.
The Archbishop is Primate of all Eng
land, and takes precedence as first Peer
of the realm next the royal family. He
crowns the Sovereign in Westminster
Abbey, and, among other privileges,
confers degrees in divinity, low and
phyaic. His jurisdiction embraces
twenty Suffragan Bishops, and his dio
cese covery 258 parishes, besides 100
parishes in other sees. The spacious
crypt beneath the Cathedral is nsed "a
a church by the French Protestants.
Schools, richly endowed, are attached
to the church. The old "Checquers
Inn, immortalized by Chaucer, is =
the neighborhood. The poet wa
fined two shillings for beating Fran
! ciscan friar within the precinct. -
The precinct covers an area OF
three-quarters of mile in circumfer-
ence, and contains within its limits a
library with a valuable collection of
books, and cabinet of Greek and
Roman coins, a chapter house and
other offices appurtenant to the
! Cathedral. Many interesting objects
are found within the buildings, the old
Episcopal chair and the stone seats
ancicntly used by the monks.
Explosive Cigars.
/ The sale Of explosive cigars has,
says the Figaro, begun again in the
streets of Paris. in spite of alllthe pre-
cautions taken by the police to prevent
these dangerous articles from being
offered to the public. The cigars ir
question appear genuine 10 the pur
chaser, but contain a minute squib o.
cracker, which, when the cigar hal
been consumed to a certain point, ex