The National tribune., 1883-08-23

sticking out and, in the castle yard, hard
upon the shore, be ruins of a great, solemn. old
nunnery.' The sea only knows where thess
ruins are now We must not forget to men,
ton that local history relates that, when Queen
Elizabeth was here in 1913, the mayor received
her according to custom-one probably that
Elizabeth did not at all approve Of-m0unted
on three-legged stool, and formally addressed
her
:" Most gracious Queen,
Welcome 70 FOikesteen -
he received the somewhat curt reply;
Most gracious fool
Get OF that stoolt'r
So much for the fraementary story of Folks-
stone We know Folkest0us IN America
chiefly as the route to Paris from London.
which people follow who do not 90 via Dover
and Calais, but its function as a Kentish sea-
side resort IS none the less important
MARGATE AND RANsGArE
Very different are Margate and Ramsgate.
the former famous as the choiee Of AIRY and
Is ATrIet on bank holiday, and the latter as
the scene OF the sad career of Dickens TUGS
Family" OF these resorts description is vain.
Any one VINO knows COney Island and can
imagine the crowds at the Objectionable end
thereof, dressed IN British taste and afflicted
with British st0Gdlty. has only faint idea Of
Mar5ate, Tor the pier and the ancient houses
that crouch and Iurk IN hooks and erannies
are quite beyond our American experience.
Even Ramsgate and Margstte, however have
certain dignity Of historic association. de-
rived from their position on the Isle of Thaneb,
than which no spot in Kent is richer IN menu
ores. " Here says Keble, ~on this coast
landed those who came 70 teach US the arts OF
CIVILIZATION; those who gave US our present
national character, and those who if not the
hrst to bring Christianity 20 ibis country at
any rate were the first to plant that religion
firmly, OF which we now see the advantage
and reap the benefits
At Ebbs Fleet landed Hengist and Horsa. our
great f0retathers, the founders a. it were of cur
present characteristics, viz. steady, ind0mitabIe
perseverance and determination not lightly
made, but when made rarely departed from.
At the same place, EbbS Fleet, landed Au-
gustine, in 5J7. OF this mission we read that
it was attended with great success and helped
TO restore the Christian Church IN this country.
The missionaries arrived more thana century
alter the invasion of HeGgiSt, and were re-
ceiyed by King Ethelbert and his assembled
warriors IN the open air. The king listened to
a long sermon, as it was translated to him by
Interpreters who came with Augustine from
Gaui, and afterwards, IN replying said that
their words were new and of doubtful mean
ing" For himself, he refused To f0rsake the
gods OF his fathers, but he promised shelter
and protection TO the strangers. The CONVEX
SION OF the king soon followed. and his baptism
IN ST. Martins church, Canterbury. EtheIbert
afterwards gave up his own palace to Augustine
TO form a cathedral. Even older than the sto-
ries of HeEgist and Augustine are the castles
of Marlborough and Receivers, and the Roman
coins and urnS that are found from time 20
time In this part Of Kent, an earthen vessel
having been discovered under the foundations
OF a fort at kiEgsgate, and IN 1891 at 8faFgate,
a coin Of the Empress Helena mother OF the
Roman emperor who founded COnstantinople.
| Thanet, centuries ago, was divided FROM the
mainland by q channel Of considerable width
and OF sufficient depth to allow shipping to
pass through from Receivers to Peterborough.
This formed safe retreat from storms and was
useful as q h4rb0r, the two Roman castles pro-
teeting it at either end The channel has now
disappeared and extensive marsh and grazing
lands take Its place; what was once an island
having become so now only in name. Bede
says: On the eastern coast Of Kent is the Isle
of Thanet Of considerable bigness, that IS,
according 70 the English way Of reckoning. con-
sistins OF 500 families, which the River Waus-
sumo divides from the continent. which Is
about three furiOngs broad and passable only
/ in two places, VIZ, SaFTe and Sandwich. and
goes into the sea at bath is heads" Anchors
have been dug mp in tais neighborhOod, and
large iron rings are still seen fastened To an
/ eient walls where ships have been m0ored.
The Interest that attaches to Dover, Eolke-
! stone and the Isle OF Thauet BY reason Of the
/ fragments OF their history and the quaint sra
! diti0nS that feat about IN the atmosphere OF
each, IS characteristic Of al Kent, where every
rood OF soil seems 10 aave associations. OF
/ Canterbury l have already spoken as the first
/ resting place Of the Christian religion in Eng
| land
/ There IS, moreover, 2 more recent interest IN
many Spot- IN Kent; for did not Dickens spend
t his holidays at Broadssairs until ne went to
/ live at Gad's Hill And is not the little seaside
/ town described IN Household JF5TdS as Our
| Watering Place ?" And did not the author
/ live in a house at the head of Broadstairs Pier.
while he wrote Bleak House making his
! own abode the groundwork OF the description
4 of Lady DedlOck homer The house Is known
/ by that name to this day, aud well deserves it,
/ being a tall. angular brick house, with window
/ less walls on the inland sides, rising alone at
I the edge Of the elf, between the haEbOr nc one
/ side and the downs 1t the other. And did not
/ David COpperfield and Trsddles and the I'M
! mortal Micawber eInanate from Canterbury?
/ FIX