The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-17
WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
Io Takos q Poop at the Ancient
Town Of Coventry.
LADY G0DIYA AND YEEPING TOM.
How Coventry Gained Il Charter OF
Frccdom..Thc Famous Ride Of the
God.Fcnrlns Countess Through the
Iown:.Thp EhlEics Of Popping TOM.
lliot0ry aud Tradition.
~lCGryriylt, 1921


Copyright, 1871
Sp@fa' Correspondence Of he M.Higtn0r,
COVENTRY, ENGLAND, Oct. 5, lSOl.-Thc
pertiuacitv with which a ,inylo fact In.
lioi ar lororI ;rom h,,,ona ,,.S.n n.,I,
s o'so'' "u'e' ''''",
'oos"'eAt III INC iniIas o' men, and
eventually becomes n bulwark OF local
pride and mower n, we'll rs II suhicct Of
u,ivor,ol ;n,o.o., ,..vLo.,, !. v,;,.i.
.'o''', 0 '''"'e'e III o'''',.'
more s'flk'hgly Illustrated 'hHi' III THIS
ancient city Of Coventry.
Every we'll known oIl word ,,Ioro hc,
II! r,,o,o, -, loo.o. ,h,.;,,: -. -
1T, a ',N"' Va
sp'cn"lo TACT or myth to "hic:: tho Jour
isl, ike \ mariner, directs his often
tcmpcs.uous wav. ElarncY hus its
uo,,,on pl,,n, -, ..imwI..im-.. I
." '''"'' W. sP''n.''S NUS '"u
miS;orlc places o! riot: Old 1t. Ives aud
h"ilDify arc dear IN nurscry-rhymo
lncI'I1fy. York and Canterbury arc
ric'i IN rAlhcdrals and lore OF pilgrims.
Ha"'!s9nsY %as tho Old Sarnm OF Br.t.
aH'. briS'o! i'3d II. C!lGlerton. Graz
mere ana ltH:oal Mount Knew Words:
MMorli'' ana i\esWlcii was nc nome OF
Souti'ch ana CoicridSc' men nud's
l,i'i . hlent'onca, We SEQ DICKENS ana
~! MS Wohdrous brood OF lender Gre.
atioa' arlhouti IS simply waere tho
itgTo'tyS uWcit. NcwatcaI only re.
S:i's byron. hDbolsioro, Mclrosc,. anI
irypurGn tel more thHh III! else or 81:
waiter scott. NaaeDy and Cu!lodon
mean inc u~ethroncllent OF one king
'au mo u'ler ooscur".ioh oil n heroic
prince ana lilG glorious house. Tio'l-
ccSter recalls the origin OF the Sunday
school hGnnitworth reveals the rcvcl-
res OF l.liznpet!i. Rugby suggests
everything wholesome and good in
~scIiooiooy ne. one sees III the mere
words Of Du'niries or Aver the radiant
iace OF "Eoooy" burns, Inc lame
Ansirin dIscloses the entire tragedy OF
mo lFish nations overthrow. STRAIT
Tor Shakespeare. And Coventry has
Tor 9Oo years meant, md Will forever
so!eiE suHSest-Lady doulva n Peep
ing Tom.
Nor does 1t matter whether these per
son"Ses and the curious drama in
winch they are placed by popular Il
historic belief as actors we're Tact or
ic'lon. The warp and wool OF it are set
so firmly i'll the texture OF romance,
ballad and song, that even q Cromwell
OF literature would meet but ignominy
aud defeat in attempts to rnze these
splendid cloisters OF tradition and drive
from them their loved recluscs OF ten
der conccit. Matthew OF Westminster,
VINO llour!shed about !3V-!0, first set
dow the episode as sober history, but
ialled to make a place Tor Keeping
1om:' lie says:
This Countess (Godiva) devoutly
anxious to free the city Of Coventry
IRON 4 gricvous and base thralldom,
that h ''S wo,,lJ tnn+ iuu in, ne 81 , T%uaG MH,,
Trinity and the Sacred Mother Of Cod,
lihrroio !, from such scrv;,udn Rut Va
narn ,n y au.ii ru' NJ
seu"Nca her ior valnly demanding a
thing so injurious to himself. and for
budc her m nova further thrre;n Vat
't"v'e "''"e ''eiein' .cI
sue, out OF hcr Wolnanly pertlnacit!v,
continued TO press the matter, inso-
iauch mat she obthliled TINS answer
rom nun. ASCEND. he SAID, thy
!ioEsc NAKED, ana passea mus through
me e',!' rom one enu Vi IL 10 inc othcr,
Az sIs.t. OIL tl'e PeoPie, anu OH tiny re,
urn tiHn sIialt OBTAIN my request,
IPoh wniSl' she returned. AND should
: l DC wiillnS 10 90 TINS Wilt thou give
ne ieaVc VIII, lie responded. Then
lHe countess Hodiva, beloved OF God,
aseenu"d her morse NAKED, looslng her
lohs halr' winch clothed her entire body
except AcT show;white legs. and having
performed me journey, seen by none,
returned win JOY TO her husband, who,
fesardinG IL us d miracle, tlcreupon
E'ai'co coventry 4 ciiarter OF freedom,
coiilrhi'hS II Win MS seal. -.
Every one has fingered with infinite
CHARM upon 'lle continued ta'c oil how
Then she rode forth, clothed on with chastity;
Tbs f "aI i hvw gm,i' 81 E ri \ vrsrs % r ,,an,H'es' eas'h'
F., Norln. u lille alixir.hole in fear.
l,gsrrd-hui his eyes leio.e they had their will,
auu IIrn,r''i L,,," 1".o KIN I M 20 ~ I'M ms p lSn", ..,o
walt "' WV
On noHlc deeds. cancel a scrss m',uscd.
How o: when this zone low churl,
compact OF tharEless earth" VAS first
made the Eorrid antithcsis OF Lady 90.
diva's noble sacrifice, or Why the honest
vocation o.: i tailor was called upon 20
supply Il cuiprit, no ma can tell. But
suro 1t is that "Peepin: Tom" whose
p%scudonym will continue for all time