The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21
WAKEMAN'SWA NDERINGS
INTERBS TING SKETCHES OF SOM 6
OLD CATHEDRAL TOWNS.


Royal Winchester the Ancient Seat of
British, Norman and Saxon Royalty.
It's Famous Norman Cathedral a
Mausoleum for Prelates. Potentates
and Princes-Quaint City Scenes.
(Copvri0htl
WINCHESTER, ENG, Aug. S.-Perhaps
the best place, for time, to muse upon the
ancient city of Winchester and its historic
surroundings, is the summit Of St. Giles
hill, which. within the borough bounds,
rises high above the roofs of the city, almost
within stones throw Of the east window
Of its mighty cathedral.
Cushioned IN its velvety beds of scented
clover. you feel the gentle breeze coming
softly over the Hampshire downs. 1t sends
a myriad wisps of feathery clouds across
the blue vault above. These checked the
valley and city foliage and roofs with
changeful arabesqueS of sunshine and
shadow. In and out of these your fancy
plays hide and seek with the annals, legends
and wraiths Of Winchester's long ago.
Round about this lovely Hampshire val
ley threaded by the cleaning Itchen, be-
loved haunt of Izaak Walton, is a wonder
Gus wreath Of story dim and legend old.
Over to the north OF Slichester, an exhaust
less mine of Roman remains, within whose
walls the Usurper Constantine was invested
with the purple, and legend has it th at
King Arthur there received his crown.
Near it is Basing one of the lordiest castles
of early England. A little nearer VIM
chester still is Oldham. birthplace Of the
famous old grammarian, William
Lilly. To the northeast, at Andover,
Anlaf the Dane promised King
Ethelred never to recommence hostilities
against the English. Just below thisis Dane
bury hill with its famous Roman enoamp-
ment. Just west Of you is the sleepy hamlet
of King Sembourn where John Of Gaunt
had his old time palace. At the same dis
lance to the east near Alresford are the
great Tichborpe estates. And near by to
the south is Romsey with its quaintesT old
abbey church in England and the New
Forest depths, where the arrow from TyrrePs
bow pierced the heart OF ruffian Rufus, Egg
lands second Norman king.
If you 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 OF 500 years ago, for 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. This whole
plateau Of the hill was covered by a second
d
By royal edict all trade was not only stopped
in Winchester itEelf, but in all other towns
within radius of seven leagues.
From st. Giles day, Sept. l, to Sept z.
the vigil of the nativity Of the Blessed
Virgin, all traders from all the world might
come. After the latter date a fine for
hardness was imposed. The fair continued
in this queer old town of queer old old
wooden booths until Sept. l5 The bishop
of Winchester had his stall, as we'll as his
customs duties aud other fines from other
dealers. Several monasteries dealt in vine
and spices. And the foreigners from Nor
mandy 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 once crowded this now
silent hill. Each street was devoted to one
manner OF wares or one nation. Wines,
spices, draperies, goldsmith wares, brass
workers, pOtters and furriers' goods and
weapons we're here. Normans, Poles, Dutch,
Italians, Spaniards, Algerians. CornishmeD,
then accounted west of England barbarians,
mingled together in a common interest.
Then there was the strange medley of buy
ers, sightseers and citizens, MOBILES and
ladies in the rich costumes Of the period
men in tunio and mantle, long hose and
pointed shoes; women In straight graceful
gowns and wig.ples; artitcers, servants,
yokels and monks.
At this quaint forerunner OF international
exhibitions there was "Piepowder Court"
having rule over the dusty shanks, peddIers
and mountebanks, the pieis poltdreur; and
to this court of quick invitation and rapid
disposal came all fair folk delinquents. At
the end of the long aud dusty day the mar
shall rode forth from the court pavilion and
issued proclamation that all business must
cease and, stalls be closed. So the citizens
withdrew, leaving the palisaded mill town
silent aud lightless, save for the twilklng
here and there Of wick In lamp or mortar,
the only fire alo wable 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 a century
ago. Then, as Dean KItchin writes "As
the city grew stronger and the fair weaker,
it slid down st. Giles hill and entered the
town where its noisy ghost still holds rsvel
once q year."
All this was very long ago but the wise
old annalists count this antiquity as moth
ing. One can go with them, il not in all
faith still with pleasant curiosity, a long
way back Of this once famous English fair.
They will tell you that Winchester is per-
haps the oldest city in Britain. They point
to st. GATHERINGS hill, over there just at
the southern edge of the city, still plainly
disclosing the fortified camp OF Vespasian,
who conquered the place from BelgR,
whence its Roman name, Venta Belgarum.
Far, far beyond these they have seen with
clear historian eyes. They will tell you in
all seriousness thas Winchester was founded
800 years before the Christian era. That
would be l39 years before the founding of
Rome, or a matter of 2, 784 years agol A
king Of ancient Britain, Sudor Rous Hudi-
brass, is said to have been the royal founder:
and il was his son, Bladud, who built and
enriched with the indistinguisha BILE fires of
Minerva the fine old Somersetshire city of
Bath.
Some things about royal Winchester's
antiquity and history are easy enough to
know with exactitude aud they mellow the
thought perspective of the rare old town
charmingly. invest every gray old stone of
the place with wonderful associative in
terest and give to every tone OF the huge
old cathedral bells the thrilling voice of a
richly stored past.
Julius Caesar visited the city B. c. 81, and
the Emperor Vespasian few years later
occupied it and built walls, vestiges Of
which remain. For the next 500 years
Winchester was celebrated for its magnif-
icent embroideries for the imperial court,
examples of which remain Egbert the
first king of all England was crowned here
and established a sort of empire with sub
kings under him, out of which came the
English monarchical and nobility systems Of
to-day.