Morning journal and courier., 1889-07-12
This ic no my ain house;
/ ken by the Digging o. it. p"


ance has been left unaltered. The room in
which the poet was born is low, kennel
like place. whose wall and ceiling are literally
fresoosd with the autographs of pilgrims to
his shrine.
From Henley street we wandered through
the market place and then on to the Church
of the Holy Trinity, standing on the banks
of the Avon, and surrounded by an ancient
graveyard which recalls Gray's famous ele-
Ky. On the wall above Shakespeare grave,
within the chancel rail, IL painted figure
of the bard, pen In his right hand and a
partially unrolled scroll In his left, as II COM
posing that celebrated curse resting over his
mortal remains. Below the monument on q
marble slab are these words:
"Judico pylium,. geno socratem, artc Maronem;
Terra tegit populus naeret, Olympus habet"
Following in the footsteps of Shakespeare
We crossed the fields to Shottery. and were
/ received at the cottage door by Ann Hatha-
way, direct descendant of the poets sweet
heart.
An hour or two In Worcester afforded us
an opportunity Of enjoying Its ine cathedral,
which Ia undergoing the process Of restora-
ton, and through the munifcenoe of Lord
and Lady Dudley, Is fast becoming one OF
the most magnifcently appointed churches
in the kingdom.
The celebrating air of the Malvern Hills,
the old hunting grounds of English kings,
was an agreeable change after so much sight
seeing, and Great Malvern, snugly nestled at
the foot Of the Worcestershire Beacon, was
! the place at which we decided to spend a
quiet Sunday. From the town q carriage
road winds to the Beacon's top, and foot
tourist Ia at liberty to ramble over the
velvety turf whichever way his fancy leads
him.
The Norman cathedral at Gloucester, with
its enormous stone pillars and circular
arches, makes profound impression upon
all visitors. It's cloisters are the finest In
England, both for extent and the elaborate
character of the fsn-tracery which adorns,
them. Finding little else of interest here,
We took an afternoon train for Bath, arriving
In time to enjoy hearty dinner. The city
| IL enclosed on all sides by woody hills and
contains the hot springs for which II Is so
famous. The Romans were evidently well
aware Of them, for stone baths have recently
been unearthed which testify to their
knowledge of the healing properties of these
waters. Drowning the summit of the hills
are the homes of the English gentry, inter-
spersed by parks and open squares, which
make 1t delightful residence during the
winter months.
Salisbury did not lie in our direct route,
but the desire to see OldS arum and Stone
henge drew us thither. AS we came insight
of Old Sarum we were forcibly impressed by
the air of desolate grandeur which pervades
the ruins of this "relic of ye olden time"
All that remains of the stronghold 10 dou-
BILE ditch and mound, In the center of which
is an enormous pile of rocks, once the most
powerful keep in southern England. Here
the sturdy Briton has flashed his fierce battle
| axe; here the mighty Roman has waved his
| imperial standard; here the invading Saxon
has borne the blazing tide of war; here the
ravaging Dane has pillaged the farmers fer
tile fields; here the valiant oonqueror of En-
gland has received the submission of an as
| sembled kingdom; and now the scene of all
| this pomp and splendor, once echoing with
l tho shouts of warriors and the quiet ohants
| of monks, looks like some vast mausoleum,
reared only to commemorate the deeds of the
dead.
Our way led over billowy downs, dotted
with focks of sheep under the ever watchful
eye of the shepherd and his dog, past the re-
mains of an ancient earthwork called the
l Camp of Vespasian, until at the junction Of
two old roads our much sought for Stonehenge
APPEARED. On entering it's mystic circle we
| were struck with its ohsos-like aspect, fol
only q very few of the monoliths remain up.
| right, and those which have fallen have In
| most cases been shattered to pieces. About
| two hundred feet from the outer circle stands
large Cromleoh or Bowling Stone, which pre-
sents Ga lively idea of a venerable Druidical
figure with flowing beard, in an attitude oil
devotion bending toward the sacred pile"
The heavy fog, together with the gathering
twilight, prevented our enjoyment of the
country through which we were returning, for
every step of the way was filed with histori.
cal associations. We could not think of
leaving Salibury without taking peep at the
cathedral, 30 the following morning was
spent wandering through Its maze OF archi-
teot,ro and the avAniu0 aaw ma In Oxford
A mass of towers, pinnaoles and spires rising
in the bosom of valley, dark and ancient
edifces clustered together In forms full of
richness and beauty, yet solid as If to last
forever. 80 writes Dean Stanley, and truly
90, for 1t Is one of the oldest as we'll as the
most beautiful city In the British Isles. On
sne morning after our arrival, with the bell
"a nssl Ok Magdalen a. our guide we start
% on. our ramble through the maryels