The record-union., 1892-09-24
Special Correspondence OF the RECORD
UNION. Copyright 1921

Special Correspondence OF the RECORD
UNION. Copyright, 1892
CANTERBURY, Eng, September II. 1892.
Despite the huge proportions, the beau
tiful interior and the still existing evil
dences of splendor in treasure and cere-
monial in the olden days of the Cathedral
at Canterbury-frst established seat OF
Episcopal power in England, the present
See of an Archbishop, prlmate OF all Eng
land and metropolitan-both the Cathe-
dral and city seem to impress the visitor
with an indefnable sense of sadness and
unrest nowhere else experienced in the
old cathedral towns of England.
This is not easily analysed and made
clear to others. 1t is true, however, that
at Worcester, at Exeter, at Lincoln, at
Wells, at Winchester, at Gloucester, at
Salisbury, at Litchfield, at Chester, at
Ely, and even to some extent at the huge
and shadowy minister of York, there is
something so warm and sunny in the
immediate surroundings, so deep an
affection of townsfolk for the venerable
edifices is apparent, something SO hushed,
reposeful and soothing is felt in the calm
of close, cloister and church itself, that
one imperceptibly yields TO the gentle
spell and is touched by the sweet and
tender influence.
At Canterbury the entire Interpretation
of locality, history, association and struc-
rural impressiveness is different The
sea and another land and tongue are too
close to give the cathedral and town that
complete and harmonious setting and en-
vironnent peculiar to nearly all other
cathedrals of England. Somehow there
are too many SplatcheS of blood upon
M 10 StnnaG
vent a chill and a shudder as you come
close to the place of historic and dreadful
tragedies and one of the foulest murders
of the Christian era gave this cathedral
its vastest treasure and greatest renown.
The Shrines of Canterbury are of kings
and prelates only. The heart is not
greatly stirred by these. The humble
shrine of IZaak Walton warns the human
affections more to the one venerable ca
thedral where the gentle angler lies, and
the poets Corner" or the one little
slab bearing the name Charles Dick
ens,' in Westminster, holds the affection
closer to London's abbey church than all
the tombs of kings, prelates and saints in
immeasurably more splendid Canter-
bury. And the majestic and priceless
dreams in stone in this glittering and
princely cathedral, while they compel an
intellectual submiSsivenesS akin to awe,
still possess a repellant grandeur rather
than that mellow and tender winsome-
ness which twines every tendril of ones
heart, close as their MOSES and iVieS. in
and around all other old cathedrals and
cathedral towns of England.
When Caesar with his Roman legions
crossed the Straits of Dover and pushed
on to London to subjugate the entire
island save Scotland, Wales and portions
of Cornwall, he found a British hamlet at
a ford of the river Stour, fifteen miles
from Dover and 1ifty-six from London.
The Romans utilized this strategic place
as a base of supplies and military
station, and gave it the name of Durover-
mum. After the Romans retired from
England and the Saxon domination be-
gan, the present county of Kent became
a kingdom. Its chief city and capital
the former DuroVernum, was then called
Cantwarabyrig, and the name Canter-
bury of to-day is simply slight cor
ruption of the city's old Saxon title.
The manner in which Canterbury be-
came the seat of the Primate of the An
glican Church was ia this wise: Pope
Gregory the Great, in 500, conceived the
idea of ChristianiZing the inhabitants of
England, independent of the splendid
missionary laborS of the followers of St
Patrick in Ireland and upon the western
coasts of Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.
Augustine, called the apostle of the Eng
lish, originally a monk in the Convent of
st. Andrew at Rome, where he was edu.
Gated under Pope Gregory, was selected
to undertake the conversion of the
British.
Conditions were favorable to this mis-
sion. Ethelbert was then the fourth
King of Kent. His wife, Bertha, daugh-
ter of Cherebert, King of France, was
Christian Princess, and had stipulated
for the free exercise OF her religion in her
marriage contract. Her influence upon
Ethelbert was such as to assure Angus
tine and his followers of a hospItable re-
ception. Soon after Augustine's arrival
King Ethelbert not only embraced Chris
tianity and caused, by royal command,
the conversion and baptism of his mobiles
and people, but also granted the city of
Canterbury and its dependencies to Au-
gustine, who had been invested with
archiepiscopal dignity by Pope Gregory,
The Pope soon after sent additional mis-
sionaries and empowered Augustine to
constitute a Bishop of York, but this
IN such manner that Augustine of
Canterbury and each of his successors
should remain metropolitan of all Eng
land.
Augustine died in the year 604 at Can
terbury. He was buried in the church
yard Of the Augustine monastery, the
cathedral building then not being COM
pleted. After the cathedral was conSe-
Grated his body was removed to the north
porch, where it remained until 1901. when
it was placed within the cathedral. All
this is interesting, briefly traced, as it
gives exact data as to the origin of epis-
copacy in England; shows the source and
circumstances of the creation of eccIesias-
tic primacy at Canterbury, and is evil
dence that the original Canterbury cathe-
dral, an important portion of which is in
tact within the present cathedral walls,
was in progress of construction at least
/ ,290 years ago.
The ordinary modern pilgrimage to
Southeastern Railway, and pleasant
one 1t Is But far pleasanter one is TO
Saunter over the ancient way taken by
the pilgrims in those days when the
shrine OF Thomas a Beckett was to the
pious Of England what Mecca is to the
followers of Mahomet. This leads from
out through Southwark. in Surrey, over
into Kent and, for about fifty miles. past
the lavender fields, the strawberry farms
and great hop vineyards of the most
fruitful portion of England
Though Southwark is now merely a
portion of London, like Chelsea on the
west. it has many characteristic old time
bits worth studying; and any one fanlil-
lar with Chaucer will find pleasure in
idling about the place where stood the
old Iabard Inn. The original Tabard
Inn was burned in 1910; but another
Tabard Inn, fashioned after the hosiery
of Chaucer's time, aud now itself old aud
picturesque enough 10 please any idler
among the moses OF antiquity, at once
took its place, and is now Mecca to
many literary pilgrims.
In the first Tabard Inn-as at Sudbury
Inn in Longfellow's ''Tales of a Wayside
1nn," and no doubt Longfellow took
Chaucer's quaint hosiery and groupings
Tor his model-were supposed to have
Deen gathered those who related the
canterbury Tales" Chaucers fancy
grouped quaint company here at the
Deglnnlng of the sr1.itl mo ncro-