The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-08-20
WAKEMANS TRAVELS
Royal winchester, the Ancient
Seat of the British Royalty.
IT'S FAMOUS NORMAN CATHEDRAL
a Mausoloum for Prelatcs, Poten-
tates and Prlnces--.Qualnt City
scenes....The Poet Wanderers
Fourth Letter from Old Cathedral
Town in Greas Britain.
,corYalonrKD, 1soe, by EDoARL wAKENASl

WINcHEsTER, ENGLAND, August 81
Perhaps the best place, for a time, to
muse upon the ancient city Of Winches-
ter and its historic surroundings, is the
summit Of st. Giles hill, which, within
tho borough bounds, rises high above
the roofs Of the city, almost within a
stones throw Of the east window OF its
mighty cathedral.
Cushioned in It's velvety beds OF SCENT
ed clover, you feel the gentle breeze
comingsoftly the Hampshire downs.
II sends myriad wisps Of feathery
clouds across tho blue vault above.
These checker the valley and city foli-
age and roofs with changefnl arabesques
Of sunshine and shadow. In and out OF
these your fancy plays hide and seek
with the annals. legends and wraitlls OF
Minchester's long ago.
Round about this lovely Hampshire
valley threaded blythe cleaning 1tchen,
beloved haunt Of Isaac Walton, IS q
wondrous wreath OF story dim and leg
end old. Over to the north Is Sliches-
ter, an exhaustless mine OF Roman re-
mains, within whose walls the Usurper
Constantine was invested with tho pur-
pie, and legend has 1t that King Arthur
there received his crown. Near II is
Basing, site OF one Of the lordliest
castles OF early England. A little nearer
Winchester still is Oldham, birthplace
ofthe famous old grammarian, William
Lilly. Tothe northeast, at Andovor,
Anlaf the Dane promised King Ethel
red never to recommence hostilities
arainst the English. Just below this is
Danebury Fill with its famous Roman
encampment. Just west of YOU is the
sleepy hamlet OF King Sambourn, where
John OF Gaunt had his old-time palace.
AT the same distance to the cast, near
Alresford, are the great Tichborne es-
tates. And near by to the south is
Romsey, with its quaintest old abbey
church in England, and the New For
est depths, whore the arrow from Tyr
rel's bow pierced the heart OF rullian
Rufus, England's second Norman king.
AouAINT OLD SCENE.
Ifyou were standing on this hill OF
ST Giles on an autumn morning, the
hum OF the city below would recall a
quaint old scene OF 400 or 500 years ago,
for 1.-THE spot was the site Of one Of the
most wonderful fairs in all the world OF
that antique time. 1t was famous st.
Giles fair. The whole plateau Of the
hill was covered by second town, shut
in by a high wooden palisade. By royal
edict all trade was not only stopped in
Winchester itself, but in all other towns
within radius OF seven leagues.
From st. Giles day, September /, to
September 4, the vigil Of the Nativity Of
the Blessed Virgin, all traders from all
the world might come. Alter the latter
date a fine for hardness was imposed.
The fair continued in this queer old
town Of queer old wooden booths until
September 10. The bishop Of VIM
chester had his stall, as we'll as his Gus
toms duties and other fines from other
dealers. Several monasteries dealt in
wine and spices. And the foreigners
from Normandy and the low countries,
Poland, and such distant regions, and
the vendors and buyers from across
broad English counties, abode Gypsy
fashion on the hilltop.
What quaint folk, costumes, wares
and scenes must have oace crowded this
now silent hill. Each street was de.
voted to one manner Of wares or one
nation, Wines, spices, draperies, gold.
smiths, wares, brassworkers'. potters'
and furriers' goods aud weapons were
here. Normans, Poles, Dutch, Italians,
spaniards, Algerians, Cornishmen, then
accounted west OF England barbarians,
mingled together in a common interest.
Then there was the strange medley OF
buyers, sightseers and citizens, mobiles
and ladies in the rich costumes of the
period; men in tunic and mantle, long
hose and pointed shoes; women in
straight graceful gowns and wimples;
artiticers. servants, yokels and monks.
AT this quaint forerunner OF interna-
tional, exhibitions there was "Piepow-
der Court" having rule over the dusty
shanks, pedlars and mountebanks, the
pieis popdrettr; and to this court OF
quick invitation and rapid disposal
came all fair folk delinquents. At the
end OF the long and dusty day the mar
shall rode forth from the court Pavilion
and issued proclamation that all busi-
ness must cease and stalls DO closed. So
the citizens withdrew, leaving the pal
isaded hill town silent and lightless,
save for the twinkling here and there
81 wick in lamp or mortar, the only fire
allowable within the precincts of the
mart from shutdown to sunrise. This
most famous OF England's old-time fairs
was continued until a quarter Of aeon.
tury ago. Then, as Dean Kitchen
writes, gAs the city grew stronger and
the fair weaker. It slid down st. Giles
hill and entered the town where it's
noisy ghost still holds reyil once o
year.
THE OLDEST CITY.
All this was very long ago, but the
wise old annalists count this antiquity
as nothing. One can so with thom, ii
not in faith still with pleasant curios-
ity, a long way back OF this onco ta-
nous English fair. They will tell you
that Winchester is perhaps the oldest
city in Britain. They point to st. Gath
erine's Hill, over there just At the
southern edge OF tho city, still plainly
Disclosing the fortified camp Of Yes
pasian, who conquered the place from
Belen, whence its Roman name, Venta
Belgaruri.
with clear historic eyes. They, will tell
Won in all seriousness that Winchester
was founded 500 years before the
Christian era. That would be lS9 years
before the foundingof Rome, or a mat.
ter Of 2,7s4 years agol A king Of
ancient Britain, sudor RouS Hudibrass,
a said to have been the royal founder;
and It was his son, Bladud, who built
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