The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-15
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BRIEF GLIMPsBS OF SOME OLD
CATHEDRAL TOWNS.

ways or travel, IL Is Rich In His
tory, Mellow Traditions and Quaint
Old Architecture of Long Ago-Its
Noble Cathedral.
tCopyrt0ht.l
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND, April 30.-From
among the Cotswold hills had for days
caught enticing glimpses Of the spires and
roofs Of ancient Gloucester grouped about
the huge tower Of its splendid cathedral, all
Struggled amid rich verdure beside the
cleaning waters of the Severn. The old
cathedral town, far from the worn ways of
travel. rich in history, legends and quaint
old architecture of long ago. and still
peaceful and simple in its provincial color
ing and ways, at last won me from the
mountains through winding beech-lined
roads and blossoming hawthorn lanes.
Besides, there was personal interest in
the gray old town. All of US, tiJle-haters
that we Americans fiercely assure the rest
of the world we are, love to know, if we
are honest enough to confess it. that away
back somewhere along the blood line behind
us, there has been some one of our kind who
was somebody, who really did something,
and was man enough, good or bad, to have
left an impress and record upon the affairs
of his time. Without pride or envy could
contemplate those of my family and name
who as the eldest sons" had for nearly
1000 years enjoyed their titles, estates and
castles overin Shropshire aud w ales.
But to know that another relative, John
Wakeman, the last abbot of Tewkesbury,
chaplain to Henry Will, had not only been
made the first bishop of the see of Gloucester
on its erection into diocese, Sept. 3, 1541,
but had also been one of the translators Of
the New Testament, the Revelation of st
1Dhn ha ufnO baaD aeaiOpad N him uvac
thing to quicken the pace and send along
the veins pleasant thrill of fine satisfaction
and pride.
Something after the manner of the own
ership feeling of Silas Wegg in his innocent,
delusion regarding Our House" aud its
Jane" aud Uncle Parker" found myself
baskIng in the pleasant mysticisms of
tolerative relationship. The very
wraiths Of history that haunt the
valley seemed to come closer and
clearer than though my relative had not
been the first prelate Of this important see.
The Isle of Alnev, there in the Severn.
where Edmund Ironside and Canute the
Dane in 10l6 decided a great war by single
combat, was tinted with the interest of a
remote family incident. Tewkesbury across
the valley yonder where the house of York
crushed the house of Lancaster, and the
aisles OF the old abbey ran with blood in
Ouo pulCuOLJ VI buo duuSi cuIS Vi lll-IaLSu
Margaret and her murdered boy-prince,
came dreamily within the same gorgeous
setting.
Even the mad antics of Richard Plantag-
enet, who was Duke of Gloucester (Gloster),
aud who conferred many donors aud bene-
fits upon the fine city and shire, took on
more favorable guise. The burning of
Bishop Hooper hard by the cathedral gates
paled behind the filmy veil of his troublous
times There was personal and mournful
interest in the cortege which bore the body
of murdered Edward IL to its resting place
in the mighty cathedral. And from the
later days, there was waited spell of per-
sonal qualification that an archbishop of
Canter bury and man like r bert Raikes
founder Of Sunday schools, had grown into
their great stature of fame from out the
environment of this umbrous, messy town.
Self-gratulation is such wanton Jade
and intoxicant that | tramped from the
hills into the old cathedral city In elated
exultance, almost meeting the gaze OF hon.
est Gloucester folk with the exuberance of
expectant recognition. There must have
been too easy an air of familiarity in my
aspect and manner, considering that the
mud of the mountain sheep-walks was still
on my huge-soled shoes 1t seemed, in my
pleasant frame of mind as though the
landlord Of the humble inn where | came
to lodge ought to have called me by name
and come to the door to receive ms. Per-
haps he had never heard of my relative,
the bishop.
But he merely glanced at my trousers and
shoes. Then boots sho wed me to q room
in the caves Returning shortly, be pres
sented bill, in advance, as follows: Lodg-
ing, shilling aod pence; attendance,
pence; candle, 3 pence; boots, 3 pence. To-
tai, 2 shillings and pence. Paid, with
thanks"
1 don't think the landlord expected
boots" to return with the IN DneY. But he
did, and alive. For as descended into the
little vine-hung inn yard, noticed with
pain that the coffee room maid was gather
ing together, as if from hasty order the
remnants of some other travellers meal
one who probably had luggage if no great
relatives; and as passed out into the pleas
ant streets of the leafy old city | was sorely
haunted by the reflective query whether,
had that landlord known of the prelate and
of the titled folk over in Shropshire and
Wales, he would have let me lodge at the
little inn at all.
In every other English cathedral town |
have visited, have always found High
street" the principal thoroughfare into
which all other lead, and from which some
picturesque wynd or court brings you
direct to the cathedral close. 1t is different
in Gloucester. There was once a famous
cross at the very center of the city. The
two main streets of the town intersect each
other here. One running north and south,
is Northgate and Southgate to and from
the place still called 1.-THE Cross.n The other
is Eastgate and Westgate to and from the
same spot
All that which is picturesque and charm
ing from its antiquity, and chat is much in
Gloucester, will be found within distance
of 500 yards from the eros, upon these in
tersectlng thoroughfares. or in the sleepy
old courts leading into them, always in
creasing in number aud interest as you
approach the cross. In 1.-THE rows of Ches-
ter will undoubtedly be found the greatest
number of oddly constructed. half-timbered
old Elizabethan houses OF any provincial
city of England.
But here in Gloucester are certainly more
and more winsome individual instances.
At the corner OF Northgate street and
Shakespeare road. where B. jenkins. "soles
and heels gents shoes for two and sixpence,
and ladies at one and nIne," who, with his
"human various" reminds you strikingly
OF mir. Venus" in Mutual Friend. is a
quainter structure than ever Dickens
painted.
A little further up the same street, &C
No. 102, is a huge old building, now trans
formed into foundry. where Sir William
Gladstone. father of the present liberal