Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-18

prised and delighted at the extent of
lawn, flower and vegetable gardens,
swans and other water fowl on the pools
The quaint inn at which we stopped fur
nished study for the eye and mind, with
its old arch way and back precincts, with
stabling for sixty horses, and its pleasant
lsndlady who did everything in her pow
er to make the stay of the American
gentlemen" pleasant.
| Glastonbury is five miles from Wells
| and is associated with the earliest history
of the traditions of the England church.
Saint Joseph of Aminathea, is said TO have
migrated hither. and the famous &c as
tnnbury Thorn" which blossoms at
| Christmastide, is the result of his walking
stick being stuck into the ground GIas-
toubury is blended with the heroic legends
of King Arthur and his knights. Here
stood the great abbey, one of the richest
in England, whose ruins bear testimony
to its wonderful size and beauty. The old
inn built by the abbot for the overflow of
his guests is still used for a public house;
| il fact, il is the most aristocratic in town,
and there We saw wonderful furniture of
great beauty ard antiquity. besides COPS
per and pewter vessels for cooking, etc,
which would make an ANTIGUA do vic
lence to the 10th commandment of the
law. On Forhill. near the town. the last
abbot was hanged by Henry VIII. The
quaintest old houses. with equally quaint
old people are seen here and the sight of
an old farmer trying to sell two pigs Gu
riously tied in an old two wheeled cart,
held together by ropes and withes. will
never be forgotten.
Salisbury aud the "Bull Tavern" will
long remain in our memory The cathe.
drsl is of the purest style of early Eng
lish architecture. beautiful for situation,
| 10 its close of several h undred acres with
no buildings about it to hide its magniti
cent appearance. 1t is quite unique in
| the uniformity of its architec,ure-Degun
in 1920 and finished in 1860. II has the
highest spire in Euglsnd-406 feet The
peaceful Avon winds its lovely course
through the meadows and reflects almost
the entire cathedral in its waters The
city is full of quaint houses, and the
queer names of its many old inns would
hll a page. We went to Bemerton-two
miles-to see the old church of good
George Herbert, and found the little stone
church seating about fifty persons, 10 all
its ancient simplicity, saving some few
changes TO make il apt and meet for pure
worship. His rectory is close by with
lovely lawn sloping tn the Avon. and Que
can fancy the quiet peacefulness of this
man of God in his parish surrounded by
his peasant people who loved him with
all their heart and walked after his holy
counsel. A fine new church has been
erected close by to his memory, and am
pie evidences were present that though
dead he still ligeth. WiIton-where the
famous Wilton carpets are made. and
where Sir Philip Sidney wrote his Area
dia only three miles away, while
StOnehenge and its mysterious monu-
ments is eight miles off Cd Salisbury
plain. The Avon is still stream for
brook trout and it was interesting To see
men fishing for front within the very linn
its of SalisburY-beautiful city of The
Avon meadows-how ones memory love:
TO linger ON its loveliness, its wonderful
cathedral, q poem in itself. No finer Wis
ion meets the eye of the tourist the wide.
world over.
Winchester twenty-nine miles away
was an old town before the Roman con
iquest, and later was the capital of Alfred
| aui Shhulc. III ito dutitnS CatntuIai,
Egbert. the first Saxon king. Richard /
and several otner English monsrchs were
.crowned. and Alfred. Egbert, Canute and
William Rufus were buried here. Ii is re-
marksble for its wealth of exquisite dec
Grafton, and while not yet restored, a:
most other cathedrals in England have
been, it possesses in its very ruggednes:
q remarkable grandeur and beauty. w,
visited the famous st. Mary's college,
founded aud endowed in the fourteenth
century by the famous bishop of Win
chester. William of WVkeham. The
buildings are of immense size and hav,
sent out some of the most famous of Eng
lishmen, and the good work still goes on
having over 500 boys. 1t was interesting
to see the same old tables and benches il
the hall and dining room, the trencher on
|, square boards on which the boys get theil
bread and butter from the pantry, tn,
school rooms and what they call til,
toys" or rooms for study, etc, wher,
each boy has his little den or alcove with
stool and table and cupboard for his ball:
and bats, and other playthings, the origi-
nal brick rod with which the boys were
logged, and the quaint rough bed on
whiSh they slept. An old leather pitcher
WAS shown holding two gallons. out oil
which the daily beer was poured into
the pewter mugs of the boys An.
other very ancient institution of VIM
chester is the hospital of the Hol'
/ Cross" founded by Henry de Blois il
, 1885. and still serving its ancient:use a
an asylum for old men. though owing I,
its loss of ancient endowments the mum
! Der of pensioners Is greatly reduced. Thu
inmates all wear a very long cIoak-on,
t division of bright red. the other of black
with queer cap. An old peusione
showed us about the place-interestin.
! historical statements with gossip abou
the rules, etc, of the house. plum pud
ding five times year with gin sauce
Christmas, Easter, Ascension, New Years
and Michaelmas. A capon was formerl,
served each inmate on a certain day il
: the year. Now the old men receive min,
pence instead of the capon, and bu,
their own capon, if they choose. An ole
table OF marble with wooden legs wa
shown us, the original table on which tn,
cardinal paid the workmen their wages
, when the hospital was erected in the
eleventh century-one penny dav. Tn,
: ancient fireplace with its queer utensils
brick oven. etc, is still used on fou
days in each week, and beside the fire
J place stands the old chair on which tn
good cardinal sat each day to watch tn,
distribution of food, and see that escl
pensioner received his due share of ia
! tions. The church of the hospital i
/ large and imposing, and must have bee
gorgeous in its early days. Some ricl
| frescoes were discovered two years ago b.
one of the brothers hidden under heav