The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-08-15
rEWKEsRuRY TOWER.
A Famous Old English Relic OF the Mid
die 4 ges.

"A EamOuS oiu EnEliSn RelC OF the MID
die Ages.
If to one who follows the windings OF
Avon, the recurrent suggestion of its
scenery be that of pcrmanence, here
fitly, in the old tower of Tewl1es bury.
he finds that permancnce embodied
monumentally in stone. No building
that know of in England-not West
minister Abbey, with all it's sleeping
enerations-conveys the impression OF
durability in the same degree as does
this Norman tower, which. for eiaht
centuries has stood four-square to the
storms of heaven and the frenzy of
men. Though it rises 1872 feet from the
ground to the coping of its battlcments,
and though its upper stages contain
much exquisite carving, there is no
lightness on its SCARED, indomitable
face, but only strength. The same
strength is repeated within the church
by the fourteen huge cylindrical col.
umns from which the arches spring to
bear the heavy roof of the nave In
spite of the groining and elaborate
tracerieS above, the rich eastern Win
dows, the luXuriant decorations of the
chantry chapcls and their monuments,
these fourteen columns give the note of
the edifice. To them we return, and
standing beside them are able to ignore
the mutilation of years, and see the old
church as it was on a certain spring day
in 1471, when its painted windows col
ored the white faces, and it's ceilings
echoed the cries of the beaten Lam
castrians that clung to it's altar for
sanctuary.
For lin the field by Tewlesbury," a
little to the south, beside the highway
that runs to Gloucester and Chelten-
ham, the crown of England has been
won and lost. There, on the 4th of
| May, 147l, the troops of Queen Mar
garet and the young Prince Edward,
led by the Duke of Somerset from Ex-
eter to join another army, that the Earl
of Pembroke was raising in Wales,
were overtallen by Edward w., who
had hurried out from Windsor to inter.
cept them. Footsore and bedraggled
they had reached Tcwkesbury ON the
| 3D. and plight their field in close
euen hard at the towne's end, hauing
the towne and abbeie ut their backes;
and directlie before them, and upon
each side of them, they were defended
with cumbersome lanes, deepe bitches,
and mamie hedges, besides hills and
dales so as the place seemed as moi
some as might be to approach unto. "
From this secure position they were
drawn by ruse of the Crook backs
and slaughtered like sheep. Many, we
know, fled to the abbey, were seized
there and executed by dozens at TewlSes-
bury Cross, where High street and Bur.
ton street divide. Others were chased
into the river by the Abbey mill and
drowned A house in Church street is
pointed out as the place where Edward
Prince of Wales, was slain, anC
some stains in the floor boards
of one of the upper rooms are still
held to be his blood marks. Tradition
has marked has burial place in the Alb
bey church, and written above IT,
"Eheu, hominum furor: matris tn sola
lux es, ct gregis ultima spes." The
dust of his enemy false
fieeting, perjured Clarence".-lies but &
little way off, behind the altar screen
There is a narrow field, one Of the
last that Avon washes, down the center
of which runs narrow, withy-bCrderet
wutercoursts 1t is called the BLOODY
Meadow, " after the carnage of that day
when, as the story goes, blood enough
lay at its foot 70 float boat and JUS
beyond, our river is gatbnred int tn,
greater Severn. "A. 7, Quiller Couch, il
Harper's Magazine