The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-09
A Day at St. Alban.
Interesting Description Of One of the Most Historic
Spots IN Old Eng land.
By JUDGE A. Nj. KELLEY.
written for the Times.)

which the Abbey now stands, just without
the gates of the town, then existing, OF
Nerutam, whence Bacon, who lived near
ST. Alban, took his title. The history OF
Nerutam is older than Christianity, Tor
Caesar. a half a century before the Sa-
YOURS birth. found a tlourishfng commu-
nifty there, and a subsequent Roman ruler
in the FIRST century created 1t q nIn!-
opium
More than eleven centuries ago the
Nercian King, Offa II, finding his con-
science little troubled by reason OF
his murder of Ethelbert, King OF the
East Angles, resolved to make some
amends by founding an abbey in honor
of England's first martyr, on the spot
where he suffered; and, curiously enough,
he wrote, announcing this design, 20
Charemagne, who warmly approved it.
Mercapon King. Offa. ordered search 10
be made for the martyrs bones, and
found them without difficulty. since a
church already existed within whose walls
they We're Inferred I may here mention
as illustrating how this building links
the present with q remote past that It's
royal founder, according to early French
chronicles. was the fifteenth in descent
from the Teuton King Wodin, worsh5pped,
under the Iarne OF Odin. by the Scandl-
navians as the god Of war.
And thus in honor Of England's first
Christian martyr, with the approval of
the great Emperor of the Franks, and
by a. descendant OF the Scandinavian Mars,
was this monastery founded, and COM
mtted to the monks of st. Benedict.
And if its origin is thus linked with
an almost mythical past, 50. also, IS its
history with the most stirring events in
the annals of England To mention these
in detail would much overpass the per-
mtted length of this article: but I may
be allowed to note here and there an
incident showing how this editice enters
into the political. literary, and moral
history of England.
FIRST INCOME TAX.
The first Peters Pence'-the earliest
income tax known in acknowledgement
ated to- ecclesiastical purposes in the
realm. was dedicated to the maintenance
of St. Alban. 1t was called Peters
Pence" because collected on the LIST day
of August. the festival of st. Peter in
chains. The order to which the abbey
was confided-St. Benedict-had been
introduced into England by st. Augustine.
1.-The Apostle of England" The earlier
abbots We're all OF the royal family.
The sixth abbot established market
about $50 and built three churches in
one Of whjch-St- Mchael's-Sr Francis
Bacon is buried. His successor, a few
years later, translated a large part of
the Bible into Saxon, the language of
INC cDIlpllctl 81 1IdIln ana Saxon
dictionary. and wrote q volume of SER
mons The eleventh abbot about 900,
composed a metrical history of ST. Alban.
and set it to music: and it was sungtin
the choir for four centuries afterwards
When the Norman William conquered
England the abbot in function was the
nearest heir to the Danish King Canute
He eStorted from William an oath. which
he himself administered, that he would
respect the laws of England: and upon,
$the Conqueror's violating his oath he
abandoned his monastery, and soon after
died o! a broken heart, having in vain
tried to rouse his countrymen to resist
the invader and restore the Saxon line.
Robert Mowbray, the great Earl OF
Northumberland, after being imprisoned
by William Rufus and Henry I. for years,
became a monk of ST. Alban, and is
| buried in the abbey. The sixteenth
abbot built a hospital for male lepers,
VINO We're very numerous in England in
those days. In the time of this abbot
King Henry I. conferred on the monas-
!: terry full jurisdiction OF civil suits and
cognizance of the smaller crimes; and
later on, King Edward ". gave the
abbot jurisdiction of all felonies-a power
exercised until the dissolution Of the abbey
under Henry VIII During the rule of
l!als abbot young man named Nicolas
Breakespeare, the son Of one of the SER
wants of the monastery, applied for
ADMISSION to the order, but was rejected
as deficient in learning. whereupon he left
England for the Continent, and applied
himself with such diligence that he was
; aonitted to orders. and eventually be-
came. under the name of Adrian w.
tne flrst and only Pope Of English birth.
n III the celebrated historian Matthew
OF OF Parls, became monk of St. Alban.s
,san3l after the wars Of the barons
broke out, and the monks applied for and.
received authority to fortify their mon
astery.I In the time of the twenty-fifth
anoot the body of Eleanor, Queen OF
Toward tat "a 9. rested at this abbey 12sI).
on ITS way from Herd ehY N hera she