The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-04
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SOME PRoMINENr FEATURES OF
TIE ANCIENT CITY OF BATH.

To-DeY-The Ways and Folk of Beau
Nssh's Time Charmingly Recalled.
(Copyri0ht.l
BATH, ENGLAND, Aug. 90 -Nowhere in
England have so many great men and
women come and for time lived and left
behind them such clear and charming
chronicles Of their tarrying, as in the in
terestiug old Somersstshire CITY Of Bath.
Curiously enough it furnishes few of the
ordinary characteristics which render most
other British cittes attractive 20 the traveller.
There are no ruins OF castles or vestiges Of
siege and slaughter. No kings we're crowned
or are entom led within it. 1t has no
cathedral, vast, dim, shrineful, where a
Cromwell can still be remembered In the
headless snd limbless etigies of martyrs and
saints. Even it's abbey church has scarcely
had time to turn gray from the hands Of its
sixteenth and seventeenth century builders.
The city's noble crescents and parades are
scarcely 100 years old. And only in odd
quarters of the old town are found the
tender browns and grays mingled with the
masses of ivy which mutely tell Of a remote
aud hoary long ago.
Auu JGb DUN nhS hUOWu 6utAQulBY OI
nearly 1000 years, one that you can see any
day OF the year with your own eyes, and Il
claimed antiquity Of nearly 1000 years be-
fore that. IL is in the baths OF Bath, mod
era and ancient, that chief interest centers.
From the standpoint of modern elegance
and convenience no city in the world
possesses more splendid provisions; while
there is certainly wonderful fascination
and interest in the feeling that here in
west of England city, while enjoying hot
baths under conditions of luxury unsur-
passed in Europe, your, surroundings are
those Of the Roman emperors and generals
OF !, 400 to ! 800 years ago, while the same
thermal waters possibly banished the ills of
ST. David, King Arthur and vast line of
old British princes and potentates for half
thousand years behind.
Whatever may be the actual antiquity of
this ancient city aud it's more ancient baths,
the legend Of their discovery is most curl
GUS and interesting. Hudibras, King of
Britain, who fourished B. c., 1892 had a son
named Bladud. who, being a leper, was ex-
PEELED from the royal court at Winchester,
and wandered in poverty throughout the
land. After a time he became a swineherd
along the banks OF the Somersetshire Avon,
but soon discovered Ia dismny that all the
animals in his charge had become as leprous
as himself
Fearful of discovery by his master he
drove his pigs across the river at q point
still known as Swineford, aud took up
position on the hillside where shelter and
acorns were In abundance. 1t happe ned
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 Blamud found much
more 10 his satisfaction. The animal had
been cleansed OF her leprosy, and following
he AL - II.
herd 20 the warm pool morning and night
but himself walloWed within il among the
swine.
Finally the prince returned to his fathers
court clean and whole. There was great
rejoicing, and Bladud resumed his place as
heir apparent, but for long time could not
be prevailed upo1 20 make the place or cir
cumskances of his cure known. He was
sent to and educated In Greece under the
name OF Abarts, and returned q capable
governor OF the nation" He now bethought
himself to make his secret known for the
benefit OF others. Thereupon he built the
city of Bath about c, TOO years agoD when
| he applied himself so diligently and exolu-
sively to ingenious studies that he succeeded
In inventing and making for himself wings
with which to fly; but in one Of his flights
he fell down upon a church stseple which
caused the breaking of his neck, from which
he died.
However all this may be, certain il is
that at about the beginning of last century
Bath suddenly rose from the condition of a
neglected provincial town TO a second capi-
tai 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 chambers in the Temple London,
had been raised to royal favor by his con-
duct as master Of the pageant on the visit
of the king, came to Bath, and, by common
consent as master of all city ceremoniaIs
and the most trihing questions of etiquette
concerning the social relations of visitors.
held undisputed sway for over fifty years.
New York has now mimic of this famous
king coxoomb, a sort Of social male tape
measure and steelyards of ceremonial mani
ties, but the Beau Nash of Bath was in
tellectually, and in the matter of actual
power, a king indeed in comparison with all
the buffoon imitGtors who have followed
him.
1t Is lovely, leafy. roomy. rare old city,
associations. Its baths are finer than can be
found elsewhere 10 Europe. Perhaps 300
900 visitors seek their healing qualities an
nually. Wealth, age, refinement and
wonderful beauty OF surrounding render
tarrying here luxurious and charming. And
then what treat it is to have added to this
m odern day luxury the constant experience
"a cWoi6OAahB III kuCA6 uOb Whl6Eb
precisely where the swine, Bladud
and all the old Romans have wal
lowed The old Roman bath is here to-day
almost precisely as it was built and the
generals of the empire left It, Something
like 100 feet Ia length and 20 in
breadth are its Dimensions The ancient
vaulted roof, 10 feet high, supported by
six massive piers, is only lacking. But
here are still the clustered pilasters on either
side, and broken columns. wonderfully
carved eutablatures, and all the curious
stone work Of / 400 years ago. It was all
worth long journey to see, for in Rome
itself Is no more curious relic of Roman
time and Roman luxury.
To many the literary and artistic asaocia.
tions OF Bath will have the deepest interest.
In no other English city, except London.
can there be found such q wealth of memo.
ries Of this character. Everywhere you
turn is some reminder of a pleasant or pa
thetio sort Of the doings and personality of
the great scientists, writer's, poets. painters
and actors, or their friends, of the last or
the early part Of the present century. Bath
was then in its glory. In those DAYS every
coach from London, winter or summer.
landed some famous parsonage at the doors
of the White Horse In or the Pelican inn.
which is still standing and is known as the
Three Cups"
At No. 81. Pulteney street. lived Sir Will
Jams Watson, the natural philosopher. who
| Gf- w ar.ok-t g.. A. 80. -