Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-09-03

of this ancient city and its more ancient
baths, the legend of their discovery ID
most curious and interesting. Hudibras
King of Britain, who fourished B. G. 892
| had a son named Blsdud, who being q lep
! er. was expelled from the royal court al
Winchester, and wandered in poverty
| throughout the laud. After time he be,
came swineherd along the banks of the
Somersetshire Avon, but soon discovered
in dismay that all the animals in his
charge bad 3ecome as leprous as himself.
Fearful of discovery by his master he
drove his pigs across the river at a point
still known as Swineford, and took up a
position on the hillside where shelter and
acorus were in abundance. 1t happened
that one of the finest sows was addicted to
rowing. She strayed from the rest, and
Bladud on searching for her discovered
her contentedly wallowing in a pool of
muddy warm water. But Bladud found
much more to his satisfaction. The ami
NAL had been cleansed of her leprosy, and
the whole herd to the warm pool morning
and night, but himself wsllowed within
it among the swine.
Finally the prince returned to his faith
er's court clean and whole. There was
great rejoicing, and Bladud resumed his
place as heir apparent, but for q long time
could not be prevailed upon to make the
place or circumstances of his cure known.
He was sent to and educated in Greece uu-
der the name of Absris, and returned a
Capable governor of tho nation" He
now bethought himself to make his secret
known for the benefit of others. There
upon he built the city of Bath (about
twenty-seven hundred years sgoD when he
applied himself 80 diligently and e1clu-
sively to ingenious studies that he sue
ceeded in inveuting and making for him
self wings with which to fly; but in one
of his flights he fell down upon a church
steeple, which caused the breaking of his
neck, from which he died.
However all this may be, certain it is
that at about the beginning of the last
century Bath suddenly rose from the con-
dition of neglected provincial town to a
second capital of English fashion. Its
baths attracted all the rich and great.
Then it was that the unknown Richard
Nash, who, when a law student at cham
bsrs in the Temple, London, had been
raised to royal favor by his conduct as
master of the pageant on the visit of the
king, came to Bath, and, by common con-
sent as master of all city ceremonisls aud
the most trif1ing questions of etiquette
concerning the social relations of visitors,
held undisputed sway for over fifty years.
New York has now a mimic of this ia
nous king coxcomb, a sort of social male
tape measure and steelyards of ceremonial
inauities but the Beau Nash of Bath was
intellectually, and in the matter of actual
power, king indeed in comparison with
all the buffoon imita.ors who have fol-
lowed him.
1t is a lovely. leafy, roomy, rare old city,
l.. Dxxl. al. A., ii
associations. It's baths are finer than can
be found elsewhere in Europe. Perhaps
two hundred Thousand visitors seek their
healing qualities annually. Wealth, age,
refinement and wonderful beauty Of sur
rounding, render tarrying here luxurious
and charming. And then what q treat it
is to have added to this modern day luSu-
ry the constant experience of sweltering
in these hot waters precisely where the
swine, Bladud and all the old Romans have
wallowed! The old homan bath is here
to-day almost precisely as it was built aud
the generals of the empire left it. Some
thing like one hundred feet in length and
seventy in breadth are its dimensions.
The ancient vaulted roof, fifty feet high,
supported by six massive piers, is only
lacking. But here are still the clustered
pilasters on either side, and broken col
umns, wonderfully carved entablatures,
and all the curious stone work of fourteen
hundred years ago. 1t is all worth long
journey to see, for in Rome itself is no
more curious relic of Roman time and Ro-
man luxury.
To many the literary and artistic associ-
ations of Bath will have the deepest inter-
est. In no other English city, except Lon
don, can there be found such a wealth of
memories of this character. Every
you turn is some reminder of a pleasant
or pathetic sort of the doings and person
slity of the great scientists, writers, po-
cts, painters and actors, or their frisnds,
of the last, or the early part of the pres
ent, century. Bath was then in its glory.
In those days every coach from London,
winter or summer, landed come famous
parsonage at the doors of the White Horse
Inn or the Pelican Inn, which is still stand
ing and is known as the Three Cups"
At No. 81 Pulteney street lived Sir
Williams Watson, the natural philoso-
pher who introduced Sir w. Herschel to
the king and the scientific world. In
1866 the latter removed from Yorkshire
to Bath, where he lived at No. New
King street. He was for long time Or
gsnist at the Octsgon chapel and leader
of the orchestra at the public assembly
rooms. At length q simpls telescope,
only two feet in length, fell into his
uauuo. I1c "dS db OuCc uilcu Will Az
tense enthusiasm for astronomical re-
search, but dismayed at the London price
of a larger glass, he determined to con-
struct one with his own hands. Tele-
scopes of seven, of eight, of ten and
finally of twenty feet focal distance final
ly crowned his efforts and the primary
planet Uranus was discovered by him at
this old house in New King street on
March 13, 1881; and 1t is pretty pic
ture ones fancy makes of the faithful
sister sharing in ali the night watches OF
her brother with pencil in hand and
eager eyes upon the clock.
Among the noted people Of the stage
who have made more sparkling and mel
low the memories of Bath were Sarah
Siddons, Quin, the inimitabls "Fslstsff, VI
the elder Macready, John Kemble, Foote
and Garrick. 1t was here that bluff old
DR.. johnson, who professed a profound
| contempt for actors, surprised the world
with one of the neatest compliments ever
| paid to an actor. Mrs. Siddons called
| upon him in his apartments in the Pelican
Inn. There Was some confusion incident
upon Frank, the servant, not being able to
| Immediately furnish Mrs. Siddons with q
| chair, whereupon DR.. johnson instantly
| remarked: .'You see, madam, that wher-
| ever you go there are no seats to be gotI'
Mscresdy's preFence here is embalmed in
| a more savage but no less witty rejoinder.
| The "John Dories" and port of the Pelican
Inn had been two powerful for an actor
who was supporting him as Iago. An
amateur was necessarily supplied. Mac.
ready's agony was intense. On returning
| to Bath some months later a. visitor tc
| the baths the mournful Iago who had sup.
ported him sought renewal of the great
actors acquaintance. al had ths homo,
of playing 1ago to your Othello at the
Theater Royal; don't you remember me
| sirl" Remember you, siri-remembel
your thundered the irate tragedisn
"How shall 1 ever forget youl"
John Kemble while visitor at Bath, an6
when bestowing farthiDg on a beggar
gave to literature this imperishable satir,
upon the parsimony of the nobility
Friend" he said with the dignity of
Coriolanus, 1--WE give but seldom, bu
when we do give, we give like princes!"
Garrick wrote some of his finest satirei
at Bath. The great mimic, Foote, wa
nearly always to be found in his company
Sheridan when but youth of twenty wa
one of the lions of Bath. He wrote ant
contributed the same to a sort of hterar!
''fair of Parnassus" instituted by Lad
Miller, so admirably described to us b.
Horace Walpole, those exquisite stanza
beginning,
"Dry be that tear, my genltest love-"
and Ganisborough's celebrated painting O
Sheridan was also done in this city. Qui