The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-03
WAkEMAN'S TRAVELS.
Curious Legend of the Discovery
of the Healing Waters
At THE ANCIENT CITY OF BATH.
Its Roman Baths of tho Third Gem
fury in Uso To-day---Tho Ways and
Folk of Beau Nash's Time charm-
inEIy observation-disclosures Men whose
Favorite Resort Bath Was.

u 6pfCluA t1iftlIVhusliggl AhS AAeNBN'eF''
Barn, England. Aug. 22.-Nowhere
in England have 80 many great men
and women come and for time lived
and left behind them such clear and
charming chronicles of their tarrying,
as in the interesting old somersetshire
city Of Bath.
Curiously enough it furnishes few Of
the ordinary characteristics which rem
der most other British cities attractive
TO the traveller. There are no ruins OF
castles or yestiges Of siege and slaughter.
No kings we're crowned or are entomb-
ed within it. 1t has no cathedral, vast,
dim, shrineful, where a Cromwell can
still be remembered in the headless
and limbless eiIigies OF martyrs and
saints. Even its abbey church has
scarcely had time to turn gray from the
hands Of its sixteenth and seventeenth
century builders. The city's noble
crescents and parades are scarcely an
hundred years old, and only in odd quar-
tiers Of the old town are found the ten
der browns and grays mingled with the
masses OF ivy which mutely tell OF q re-
mote and hoary long ago.
And yet Bath has known antiquity
Of nearly 1000 years, one that you can
see any day OF the year with your own
eyes, and claimed antiquity OF nearly
athousand years beyond that 1t is in
the baths OF Bath, modern and ancient
that chief interest centers. From the
standpoint Of modern elegance and con-
venienee, no city in the world possesses
more splendid provisions; while there
is certainly wonderful fascination and
interest in the feeling that hero in
west OF England city, while enjoying
hot baths under conditions OF luxury
unsurpassed in Europe, your surround
ings are those of the Roman emperors
and generals Of ], 400 to 1900 years ago,
while the same thermal waters possibly
banished the ills OF st. David, King Ar
thur and vast line Of old British
princes and potentates Tor half thou
sand years beyond. s
Whatever may be the actual an
tiuuity OF this ancient city and its
more ancient baths, the legend of their
discovery is most curious and interest
ing. Hudibras, King Of Britain, who
flourished B. c., S92, had son named
Bladud, who being leper was ex-
PEELED from the royal court at Win
chester, and wandered in poverty
throughout the land. After time he
BECAME a swineherd along the banks OF
the Somersetshire Avon, but soon dis
covered in dismay that all the animals
in his charge had become as leprous as
himself.
Fearful OF discovery Of his master he
drove his pigs across tho river at
point still known as Swineford, and
took up a position on the hillside
where shelter and acorns were in
abundance. 1t happened that one Of
the finest sows was addicted to rowing.
She strayed from the rest, and Bladud
on searching for her discovered her
contentedly wallowing in pool of
muddy warm water. But Bladud
found much more TO hes satisfaction.
The animal had been cleansed of her
leprosy, and following her example, he
not only drove the whole herd to the
warm pool morning and night, but
himself wallowed within 1t among the
swine.
Finally the prince returned to his
fathers court clean and whole. There
was great rejoicing, and Bladud re-
sumed his place as heir apparent, but
for long time could not be prevailed
upon to make the place or circum'
stances OF his cure known. He was
sent to and educated in Greece under
the name Of Abaris, and returned a
capable governor OF the nation" He
now bethought himself to make his
secret known for the benefit OF others.
Thereupon he built the city of Bath
(about 200 years agoy when he ap-
piled himself so diligently and exclu-
sively to ingenious studies that he suc-
ceeded in inventing and making for
himself wings with which to fly; but IN
one OF his flights he fell down upon a
church steeple, which caused the break
ing OF his neck. from which he died.
A GREAT CHANGE.
However allthis may be, certain 1t is
that at about the beginning Of the last
century Bath suddenly rose from the
condition OF neglected provincial
town to a second capital OF English
fashion. Its baths attracted all the
rich and great. Thon it was that the
unknown Richard Nash, who, when
law student ut chambers in the Temple,
London, had been raised to royal favor
by his conduct as master OF the pa-
geaiit on the visit OF the king, came to
Bath. and, by common consent as mas
ter OF all city cereInonials and the most
trihing questions of etiquette concern
ing tho social rotations OF visitors, held
undisputed sway for oyer fifty years.
New York has now mimic OF this
famous king coxcomb, sort OF social
male tape measure and steelyards Of
ceremonial inanities, but the Beau
Nash Of Bath was intellectually, and in
the matter of actual power, king in
decd in comparison with all the butfoon
imitators who have followed him.
II is q lovely. leaiy, roomy, rare old
city. this Bath, without any of its curl.
Gus old associations lite baths are finer
than can be found elsewhere in Europe.
Perhaps 100000 visitors seek their heal
ing qualities annually. Wealth, age,
refinement and wonderful beauty OF sur
rounding, render tarrying here luxuri-
Gus and charming. And then what q
treat It is to have added to this modern
day luxury the constant experience OF
sweltering in these hot waters precisely
where the swine. Bladud and all the
old Romans have wallowed! The old
Roman bath Is here to-day almost pre-
cisely as It was built and the generals
OF the empire lett It, Something like
100 feet in length and 20 in breadth are
rs dimensions. The ancient vaulted
roof, fifty feet high, supported by six
massive piers, is only lacking. But