Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-16
THE SARUM OF ROMAN BRITAIN
The City and Its Noble Old
Cathedral.


Muiisii anu buuuen ueteilGe OF some teat-
ures OF English government nor for all
bngllsh institutions, nor for some very
unpleasant English things and people. It
II because every square acre Of England is
so enuearlng In its age, association and
beauty, and those who possess IL will
justly brook no belittlement of il all. anv
more than you would let some smart
stranger come into your home and sncer
AZ your sweetest and most cherished if
simple, belonglngs--beAutili by effort.
halloMed by time and use, even more ten,
derby love for your own errors and short
comings-without pitching both him and
MS airs incohtinently into the highway.
~ Is such beautiful country; such a
well Kept and delicious old garden; such Il
smiling land in sunshine and snug and
comfortable one in storm, and withnl gives
10 The stranger within it such sense of
constant interest, coupled with close human
coinpanionship and sympatnies that cynic
nho priR and incapable of interest in any
land but his own though he be, he cannot
now and then ropress II kindling enthusi
asm, be here and there pricked into secret
admiration, i'll this place and that find ten
der and associative interest, and however
dlsloyal 1t may be to his determined
"hmericanism," in spite of himself melt
under its innumerable appeals to his heart
ana intellect, until its good and sunny face
~fNets' AAAo - iEI"Nl ititO IL uTlEHl, TtSDDll-
slve look, and unwittingly his tongue PAYS
tribute with:
Dear old England most venerable and
mellow in all things, most cantankerous
anu obstinate i'll many, thy face has kim
ship and kingship in it, and thou art
brightest and loveliest Of all strange
lands !"
And never will this be truer than when
niter tidy break fast at some quiet old city
kpl Ia all 3 al ~ Al
can get ut you--you are whirled away,
from the CRIME and slime of London, over
the London and Southwestern railway.
across the Shires of Surry and lInnts. to
ancient Salisbury town.
III that less than two hours Journey. on
an English day in Daytime what inn,lul-
cradle scenes of interest, of stirring
quality and of restfulness and repose fash
upon you from your carriage window :
Passing from Waterloo station. or from
any other railway station in the heart of
London through the lessening donsities of
the wonderful city 10 the first reaches of
grassy fields, is in itself Il tremendous
social object lesson and historic panorama.
But here to the left is gay old Epson
over yonder to the right. is brilliant Ascot,
with the vast and tlirreted home of Eng
llnu queen at Windsor, II leaden gray
Silhouette piercing the sky beyond 10
the south sweeps
the downs Of Banatcd, edged with woods,
And toWry vilaa
while at Working glimpse is caught of IA
Brrii Engllsh gypsy encampment.
Whisking into Hants, or HAMPSHIRE
you pass Oldham, birthplace Of the gram.
marian, William Lilly; and to the north
lie Basing, site of one of the lordliest
castles OF early England, and Slichester, 10
TINS day All exhaustless mine of Roman
remains. Within its walls the Usurper
CONSTANTINE was invested with the purI,le,
and legend has it that King Arthur here
received his crown. Further towards the
sea, near Alrestord, are the great Itch.
borne estates; the sleepy hamlet of king
Salnbourn, where John of Gaunt had his
old-time palace; Danebury Hill. with its
lrownlng head and Roman encampment;
ana beyond. the low, square tower of Win.
chester, behind which the purple fringe of
woods hints of New Forest depths where
tile arrow from Tyrrel's bow pierced the
heart Of rniiian Rufus, England's second
Norman king.
These are few of the things one will
know about from the books. Still mora
gratefully feastful are the things one will
see and feel, rs innumerable hamlets,
houses and halls are passed Glorious old
manor houses flash from parks and
demcsne forests. Thatched roofs OF viii
iase homes, yellow with lichen, are varied
here and there by red tiling. Avenues of
anclent elins beech and lines give TEMPT.
lng Nlstas above broad roads tesselated
with nights and shades, and as gray and
smooth as some old cathedral floor.
cropped hedges with trim, tiny fields give
place here and there to downs rolling
away IN billowy hills If heather, spangIeJ
with the golden asphodel, or wide meadows
ana tlny marshes where flames the yellow
marigoid, or where the forget ne-nots are
so dense and blue that their surface seen,
Ike q breeze-rippled pool hawthorn lanes
are white above and beneath US banks of
driven snow. Great masses of hnneystclle
tTail rom copSe and hedge, and IN around
ana above all This May time nntlirc- heaven
thrishes and blackbirds. high above the
roaring ol your train. Hood all the morn
with song.
Almost enraptured one descends intotht
| valleys OF the downs of South Wiltshire
Here, where the tiny Bourne, the southern
Avon, the Nader and the Wiley songrully
meet N rich and beautiful valley. ara
seen the gray masses of the old cathcdra
town.
| Old as il is il was originally built piec,
| by piece out OF the Snrum, tile dry place'
| oil the komanS. Old and New Sartlin IN,
| site OF the old city and the new city itscll
are called. As you approach Safisbur,
down the winding course of the Bourne
| you Will sec the old Roman station 10 Won
rlSht, about two miles north of the city
~ stands upon chalky eminenee tn,
headland OF a ridge of downs dominating
all the beautiful valley below.
NO one KNOWS how long before its occll
natlon ny the Romans II had been a forti
he'd British camp. Six great roads still
traceablc, led up to it, and when Rom,
conquered Britain, Vespasian's legion,
gave u sun more imposing Notifications
town was built about it. 1t was III turr
| bishoprlc OF the West Saxons. n grea
Norman garrison, an English cathedra
city from the time of King Alfred, an,
| now, though for centuries in ruins, il /,
still to the antiquary and Archaeological on,
OF the many marvels of England's earl,
days.
Serene and reposeful is all the vale,
scene--the gray old city with its masses o
stone. red roofs and splendid foliage with
its marvellous cathedral spire piercing .
cloudless sky; the messy bridges witt
parapet loiterers, the outlying farms an,
sleepy Eamlets, and The silvcrv river
threading through and among odorou
hedges and tlowery ineads But awfu
slaughter has Redeemed and enriched tn,
valley; Britains and Romans in murta
strife for kingdom. Brtains against thei
hnnl Saxon conquerers SaXons, in turn
against the murdcrous Danes. and tn
flame and sword and Uncomfortable butch
cries and rapine OF Cromwell, who re
spected neither life nor shrine in the nam
Of onr dear Lord.
Then what IL little world OF interest il
this and that of historic moment antiaua
rian marvel and literary charm are toiln
Immediately roundabout. The famou
British king Aurelius Ambrnsius lie
buried ut Amesbury, an hours iournc
distant. though closer to the heart Is Ames
Dury House, often the residence of til
poet Gay In the near little borough tow
of Wilton is the splendid seat Of the earl
of Pembroke. Nearer still Is Benertot
the old nome of George Herbert, and tn
fine memorial church TO him who wa