New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
A RAMBLE IN SOUTHAMPTON.
PICTURES OF AN OLD ENGLISH SEAPORT.
KING cANUTE'S PALAcE-BUINs OF ANCIENT
WALLS AND TowERs--ANNE BoLEYN's HOUSE
BIRTHPLACE OF r. wATrs-BAR GATE
RURAL ExcURsIoNs-THE GRAVE
OF soTuERN, THE COMEDIAN.
rpoah sr,FY coRnEsroXDTxT or rnF TRTBuNE.


rpos. sr,FY CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Southampton, England, August 8.
II <his old city were not 20 the maJorl'y Vi
Somblcrs, merely port of entry and departure il
the traveller were constrained TO seek II as goai
instead of treating it as thoroughiare lls uu-
common physical beauty and its eXcept1onal an
tiquarian interest would be more fifty apprecaaVed
and more highly priced than they appear 10 Dc
at present. Objects that are viewed as lncloehIaI
are seldom comprehendcd as important lranlc'
with its attendant hustle imparts TO southampton
shores an air of turbulence and commonness. Inc
popular spirit of this age, notwithstahdins theie
is newly awakened feeling OF reverence acoVeV
at work, makes account OF picturesque acces-
sories, and does nothing either TO create OF ~
perpetuatc them. In Southampton, for example,
lust as in ancient Warwick, trancar jangles along
through the grim arch of a gray stone gate OF the
Middle Ages: and this way the Present makes ITS
comment on the Past Yet the Present and the
Past are inseparaby associated,-the one being the
conequence and inheritor of the other,-and III no
way better can the student Of social deveopmeDo
pursue his study than in rambling through the
streets and among the structures that to-day mas
built amid the ruins and the relics Of yesterday
A walk in breezy Southampton, If only OF lew
hours is fun of instruction. There was great
and merry multitude upon the lovely green Coin-
mon tonight, and the band was playing IN lts
pavilion. aud the birds were circling and twltter-
ing around the tTcetops in the light of the evening
sun: but as | stood there and watched the happy
tbronr and listened to the martial music, the
scene seemed suddenly to change, and l beheld
the armored cohorts Of Henry the Fifth and heard
the trumpets bray, and saw the gallant King, upon
his mail-clad charger riding downward to the sea-
for Agincourt and the laurel OF everlasting laihe
On every side there is something in this place
to stimulate the fancy and TO awaken remembrance
of historic lore. At the foot OF the High oueet
stood King Canute'S palace; and there, upon the
neighboring beach, the monarch spoke his VAIN
command to stay the advancing waves, and made
his memorable submission to the Power that Is
greater than that of kings. In ST Michaels Square
they show you an ancient red-tiled house, maze OF
timber and brick. in which Anne Boleyn once
lived. with her royal lord King Henry VIII, and
which bears her name TO this day. 1t is tWo-
story building, surmounted with four large gables,
the front curiousy diversified with crescent pent
and with four great diamond latticcd easements
and gazing upon it, l could not fail TO conjure
up the visage of that darteyed, golden. haired
beauty whose fascination played so large part
in shaping the religion and political destiny OF
England There sic nlsy have stood, in the gloam-
luz, and looked forth upon the grim an1 gloomy
Norman church that still frowns upon this lonely
square, and would make darkness even at noon.
A few steps from ST. Aichael's will bring You to
Il relic Of different kind and fraught with widely
different associations-the birthplace of the plous
poet. Isaac Watts. The house stands in French
Street. a little back from the sidewalk on the
east side. and is two-story redbrick dwelling.
having eight windows in the front of it and two
doors. Between the house and the street there is
q garden, which, when saw it, was brilliant with
the blazing yellow of mass of blooming mari
colds A tall iron fence enoloses the garden,
within which are six poplar trees growing along
the margin and if you stand at the gate, and look
along French Street you can discern Southampton
Water at no great distance. They venerate the
memory Of DR.. Watts in this town. and they have
not only built church in his honor, just above
Bar Gate, but have set up bis statue tby Mr..
Lucas in the park,-the figure of the apostolic
bard as he appeared when in the act TO preach.
This piece of sculpture-the pedestal of which is
faced with medalons illustrative of the life and
labors of the poet-was appropriately dedicated by
the Earl of Shaftesbury, in July, 1861 Leaving
the birthplace of Watts you have only TO turn
@ neighboring corner and proceed short distance,
10 find an effect of contrast still remarkable
the remnant of the ancient Domus Del. in Wrinkle
Street, the burial place of the decapitated nDbes
who lost their lives for conspiracy to assassinate
King Henry V. This was an almshouse in Henrys
day, and later lit was founded in the reign Of
Richard the First, but only the chapel of ii re-
mains, and that has been Testor.d-a small. dark
oblong structure, partly Norman and partly Early
English Queen Elizabeth assigned this chufch
for the use of Protestant refugees who fed from
the persecution of Alva and service is still per:
formed in it in the French language. Under the
chancel floor of this old edifcc rest tic
ashes of the false friends dismissed to their death
476 wears ago). who WOuld have slain fhpir KING
and imperilled their country; and upon the south
wal, near the altar there is a tablet of gray stone
with iHGented and blacEened letters, hearing this