Omaha daily bee., 1892-10-17
ROYAL WINCHESTER SCHOOL
Prototype and xemplar of All Preparatory
Schools in English-speaSing Lands
WILLIAM OF wYcKHAM'S WoRTHlEsT WORK
Career OF an Extraordinary Man OF sturdy
ieoman Blood VINO Rose to he
Chancellor OF England-Treasures
of the Old schools Archives.
TCopyrightcd lSg2.l

eminent man OF my acquaintance who In mo
ments of honest confidence often confesses 20
me that his nostrils are never assalleu by the
vigorous aroma of boiling cabbage ana corned
beef that be is not instantly possessed OF an
almost unccntrollable impulso to bodily as
saut and drive out his many servant mas
ters, sell his house and belongings, free him
self from the aoject slavery of his present
arstocratc surroundings, fling social dis
tinction aud honors to the winds, aud at
plunge return 10 the care-free, zestful and
humble habits, appetites, qualifications and
ways of the old farm homo in which he was
born.
Similarly with men, when tho shadows be-
gin to lengthen, an almost overwhelming
heart-hungcr comes whenever the eyes,
turning from the sterner affairs OF life, fall
upon the faded walls Of some old school, 1t
does not matter whether 1T be historic spot
like Winchester treasure house of men,
ories and associations verify interviewer
with the best of civilizations making; some
modest village seminary, where lads and
misses have built their day dreams together,
or the little old red country school house
you and used to know, with its tiny black
board ana sheet iron stove, aud roundabout
ground worn brown and smooth by the
coming and going of barefoot children. One
is fossllized quite il Tie heart Is not strangely
stirred where all these budding hopes have
been and are If the eyes do not mist as the
boy you were takes your hand in his and
leads you back with him into the sweet
young paths again.
Mother of English Schools.
All this gentle influence will reach and
touch you at Winchester college. There is
a grave and stirring charm besides. Its
great antiquity alone fills you with revcr-
ence for in reality old Winchester is the
mother school of all preparatory schools IN
all English-speaking lands. Harrow, Rugby,
aud even old Eton under the shadow of
Windsor castle, are all modern In cOmpar
son with Winchester. Even Merton college,
Oxford, is structually only about 100 years
older, while New college, oxford, whose
founding was the real birth Of the English
university III its broad sense, was still an
afterthought in the inception of tho mind
which gave England her great university
and college system, for Wyckham the
founder of both, simply built tho university
at Oxford that he might send to it those
who should be prepared for it at royal
Winchester
This William Of Wyckham was an extra
ordinary man. His career was one of many
examples of sturdy plebeian blood having the
iron in it to carry its possessor past ali
bounds of caste or class to the lasting fame
of personal achievement. Ho was born IN
| 1924 in the village OF Wvckham, near Fare
! ham. HIS fathers namo was John, and be-
| cause of his stature he was nlcknamed Long
John" He was as tall and huge man as
| the late Long john Wentworth of Chi
| cago Tho gigantic figure OF his son Will
lam looms through the mystery OF the time
| grandly. The lad was educated at the then
| royal city of Winchester at the expense of
| Sir John Scures: in 1916 entered the house
| hold of Bishop Edyngton, prelate of VIM
| chester: the latter turned him over to King
| Edward LII, and by that king he was at
once employed in architectural art. 1t was
| Wyckham who built the great tower or
| s.Ip nd rah nj Iyh hiph IN 10
the meeting place of the newly founded order
| of the Garter.
william of WycIsham's Work.
| In 1864 he was made keeper of tho privy
| seal, then in 1867 bishop of Winchester, and
| the same year he was appointed chancellor
| of England. He was for second time ap
F., pointed chancellor, from 1889 to 1891, and the
| plowboy of Wyckham mad become virtual
| ruler of England. Whatever his political or
strictly ecclesiastical ability and power, his
| fame will chiefly rest upon his architectural
| skill and his educational foundations. He
| transformed Winchester cathedral and was
| national in genius, feeling and purpose. He
is regarded as the father OF the perpendicu-
| lar style of architecture, and his own chantry
| In the cathedral here, built by himself, is one
| of the most matchlessly beautiful creations
| IN stone to be found in all Britain. 1t stands
between two pillars in the nave of the cathe-
| dral, in the south tier, and curlously enough
the great prelate placed his own monument
thedral which originally correspondec with
the pierced side of the Savior on the cross.
There is no doubt of Wyckham's pety.
He was determined to improve the intellec-
tual and social condition of the clergy. His
| college was dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
| Solemn professional ntrance was made into
| the structure at 9o'clock on tho morning OF
| March 2G, 1893, few months less .han SOC
| wears ago The name of every officer, fellow
| and scholar who took part in that historic
| ceremony, carefully registered in vellum
book. Is still preserved. And the school that
| "Wyckham's seventy poore scholars" then
entered is standing here today just as Bishop
| Wyckham built il, apparently brave anC
| stout enough to shelter "Wyckhamltes" a;
its alumni are proudly called, for another hall
| q thousand years.
| Well Worn Winchester.
| Winchester Is not only an old school town
but il is an ancient cathedral city ana per
haps the Oldest city in England, 1T was
| 'royal Winchester 1000 years, tradition
says, before London was more than marshy
| fishing village huddleu about the gate
Belin. Ludor Rous Hudibras founded it SO
BIC So there is antiquity here outside o.
the flinty walls Of the quaint old school
King Rufus was buried here and here st
Swithin lies Cerdic was crowned in th
heatten temple which preceded the cathe
| drai and the bones OF Canute Wilma, Alvin
| Stigan and Emma, who trod the heatet
plowshares unscathed, are gathered II
| mortuary chests over the side screens OF tn
| cathedral choir But tho real Winchester
| dear to the hearts OF Englishmen, is not th
| Brilon or Roman Winchester, but the cit.
which is represented by the square Norman
. | tower and the ridge of the Mighty nave rls
ing above broad masses of foliage and scale
| bv the graceful tower and turrets OF Wyck
ham college to tho south.
The shiny reaches of the ltchen stream
show here and there entrancingly. Split u
with numerous crystalline thrcadings. yo
| come upon their vagarous wanderlngs un
! expectedly and always with sense OF sun
prise and delight. In tho bystreets ar
7 many curious OLD nests Of homes, little ston
: ! pens with tiny windows, heavy overhangin
3 | gables, chimneys u fourth as large rs tn
houses, strangely carved easements, low an
narrow doors strong enough TO Withstand
siege; all covered by masses OF ivy so packe
ana dense that tney seem like haDitatlon
cut odt of verdure matted rock.
smocked Louts and College Dons.
, Again the ancient city is given color an
| interest To the stranger by the presence q
/, ! all times as in all English provincial town
, or sleepy old cathedral cities, of sturdy couT
try folk from roundabout. IL Is as though
fair or a market had just been held or wa
about TO open. Heavy -jowled stock buyer
, are here. FrocBed yeomen look wonderngl
into little shop windows as though they hel
the maryes of Regent street or the Strant
Smocked louts FROM near hamlets david
about the streets, snRppy eyed farmers
| has pf n