The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-17

WY sVNclHl EciHh NiNIlu, Nf ElNcH
burial IN the o~t!ilr.al1,lt E.tsss inContts.-
ably true that the citizens Of Coventry,
when Lcoiric's v%assals, did receive,
through Indy Godiva's efforts with her
grim warrior husband, some sort Of
mnnumisgion from scrvile tenure, us
not only ancient rccords prove, but as
was also clearly evidenced by the memo.
rial window which stood in the south
iransopt OF Trinity church up to the
10Th century, and contained Il picture
.! lady GodivINnJ Ec1ir!F, the latter
holding in his right hand WCharter
bearing the following inscription: n'
], l0ricN,. for love OF thee
Doe make CUvcn,ro tUl.irc.
This much for history Nnd historical
tradition. Literature and art, some
times more powerful Nnu i~ncisive thun
history, have done the rest. Coventry
is not Il worry large city, containing bare.
~ 10000 inhabitants; but some OF its
quarters IRE very ancient and pictur-
csquc. Tho wonderful spires 81 its
churches, especially Of Trinity aud St.
Michael. the latter icing 301 feet IN
height. adj much interest to the OLD
citr. Then IN the old days Of the mon
histories, Coventry Was ncted for its
piIgrimagcs from France. Later, parlia.
mcnts wcrc held within Il. The pu.
Ecants Of kings and queens TO Tho pious
c!ly have cqualedj the most splendid
proCessi:ns 1t ancient Canterbury.
Treat Joustq aul tournaments we're
held here. The Old city walls were
t.,rcG miles long, nine feet thick, md
wcle surrounded by thirty.two lofty
towers. The old-limc Cross OF Coventry
gave the place Z certain lime. Mary
Queen. Of Sco.p WAS. for a long time I'M
rrisoned here II the mayoress' farlor OF
st. Mars Hall, still standing, though
morD thun 800 pears old. All these,
Mii countless more, things OF exceed
ing interest develop and charm ull pill
grilns here; though tho central figures
which originally attract thcm all are
radiant Godiva and r~aacNlly Pcrping
Tom.
Ones first unprecedented Coventry are
disappointing. From u score OF miles
away It's beautiful spires uro visible and
IRE enchantin.!y suggestive OF antiquity
and!rcpose. Nearing tho city it rises
from y monot0nous% champaign country,
little wooded. and with an unpleasant
red OF the cluycy soil chcckcring the
fields and outlining the rather lonesome
and hedsolcss adjacent highways. En-
terins the city from any direction mod
ern streets bordcrcd with modern houses
hint OF a%sponging ont Of all the old
hooks, and nests, and give Il iorcboding
sense OF sainless quest. But once well
into High street, To- the right and lett, in
every direction and in interminablc
maze are narrow thoroushinrcs winding
and intcrlnciny in quaint and charming
confusion. Godivts and Pccp;ng Toms
begin to smile and glover upon you
from every niche and window.
Up there to the right runs q narrow
street. Your impulse leads you thithcr.
Not an hundrel yards, more and down
to your left opens one OF the most char
n~ctcrful thoroughiGrcs in Europe. 1t is
Butchers Row. You instantly step
from the 10Th to the 10th century. \
DAYS lettering would be amply reward
cd here. Just behind It's %ramshackle
old houses, nrc perhaps primeyal trees
irinsinG n shaGowy close, into which
are hudllcd thcchurclics 0iSt. MiclIacl's
and Trinity. All about them is almost
unrccordcd age in architecture. Hall
llmbcred houses, two, three, four and
five centuries old, crowd around the
place IN Nil manner OF angles and fan
tastic iacadcs. Atthe corner OF lIuv
Lane and Barley Lane, just;wherc the
fine old picture is mcilowcst us you look
back upon the half verdurc-covercd
masses OF angles and carvings, stands a
3O0-year-old inn, restored in its Zigzag
pattern OF oak and mortar, black and
lavender paint and ~ovcrlansing stories,
that the visitor may know how the old
town looked when its builders had lett
their work spick-lnd-span in the glory
OF first completion.
A little beyond, its low, wide front 4
mass OF cruinblins carving, stands one
OF the most interesting structures OF q
former age in England. This is st.
Mary's Hall. The other, to me, most
fascinating spot III, Covcntrv.is Ford's
Hospital i'll Gray Friar's Lane, IN aims
house for old, old women. There are
many, many other structures most rare
and curious here; among them st.
Michaels Church: over which even a
Hawthorne could be warmed into en-
claiming: "Soold, yet enduripg;sohu huge,
so rich with such intricate munutencss
i'll Its finish, that, look as long:ts YOU will
at it, YOU can always discover some
thing new directly before your eyes;
and that, "of all English things I have
seen, mcthinks the churches disappoint
me ~least;' Trinity church with its pull
pit accounted "thG very finest in the
kingdom" and Bonds hospital, Il re-
marknble structure. founded nearly 400
years ago MS 4 home for aged men. But
these Two places are so perfect in their
linking Of an oldcn in the present day:
preserves in themselves such striking
pictures OF Il remote and mellow past;
and withNl present so July and ut n
glance the very time and mold OF That
which has held all English speaking
lands to the pleasant pages from the
golden age OF English literature; that
II comes to them III :hcir hale and
sturdy age as VIZ turn with heart thrill
and delight to the bcaming iaces o!
dear old friends.
AS nearly rs can 10 asccrta;ned by
antiquarians the date OF St. Mary's
Hall is between 400 and l425. 1t is
therefore nearly Coo years old. The
ancient guilds OF Coventry we're famous
Tor their wealth and sumptuous hos
pitality, and this hall was the gather
ing place OF tho united gnilds. 1t
stands entire Just az it was built. It is
also rcmarkahlcM us being one OF the few
places or public interest. to which
strangers axe admitted il England
where 4 fee is not demanded or cx.
pccted. That alone make. one fond Of
the splendid antique. Its entrance is
opposite St. Michael's church. The