The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-08-22

1T is great glory for the house of
Sherborne and for Sherborne school to
have him among US, says the warrior
prelate. For his presence lifts Sher-
borne on high as the chief city of
Wessex."
Brief comment from the chorus fills
up gap of considerably over a CEN
fury and introduces the fourth episode.
the date of which is 998. 1t graphi-
cally depicts the laxity of life into
which the monastery at Sherborne, in
common with other nnonasteries, had
fallen at that time. The monks are
shown drinking and feasting and hav-
ing a high old time generally. Upon
this scene enters Bishop Wulfsy III.
and reads an ecclesiastical riot act to
them, denouncing them as ''graceless
brood of vipers," reminding them that
life is short and hell is near at
hand" and soaring them into a peni.
tential mood, in which they accept the
rule Of st. Benedict.
Time takes another jump, and Viii.
liam the Conqueror, full armed, stern
and wrathful, stalks upon the scene
and frightens the monks worse than
Wulfsy did.
by Gods grace" he says, Eye shall
find William the Norman hath a swift
hand to seize and strong hand to
hold"
Then he goes on to declare that
Sherborne is no longer a see, the
church no longer a cathedral, and the
town no longer the chief city of Yves
sex. He transfers the bishopric to
Sarum, and departs, attended by his
knights on horseback and followed by
the bishop, whom he compels to trudge
after him afoot to his new billet.
The next episode shows Roger OF
Caen, the chief minister of Henry l.,
| laying the foundations of the castle
whose ruins supplied the stage on
which the folk play was performed.
The episode which followed, the sew.
enth, presents a striking contrast to
those which precede it and is carried
out in the Dorset dialect. 1t portrays q
| dispute between the Pensioners and
! the monks, which starts in a contro
versy concerning the erection of a font
/ in the parish church and ends with
= the firing of the abbey by the parish
| priest. During the progress of this
scene Robin Hood. Maid Marian, Friar
Tuck, Little John and their retinue
were introduced and gave a Morris
dance. 1t was danced to the original
tune, too.
The foundation of the almshouse
still flourishing institution in Sher
borne, by Sir Humphrey Stafford and
others in the year 1437, forms the
subject of the eighth episode.
The ninth shows the expulsion Of
the monks at the dissolution of the
monastery by King Harry and the
sale of the abbey church.
The next illustrates the refoundins
of the famous Sherborne school ant
the receipt of its charter from Kinl
Edward vi. in 1850.
The last of the episodes introduces
one of the most heroic and tragic
figures of English history, Sir Walter
Raleigh, whose association with Sher
borne is accounted not the least of it!
claims to distinction. 1t depicts hi
Homecoming, with his wife, to the cas-
tie which had been granted him b!
Queen Elizabeth. Sir Walter makes
some pretty and gallant speeches 6
his wife, which puts her in such goot
humor that she fills his pipe for hin
and leaves him to the enjoyment o
the ''Virginian weed" which he is sup
posed to have first introduced int
England Then occurs that humorous
incident with which every smoker il
familiar. A servant comes in, ant
imagining his master is on fire, sousei
him with jug of ale.
The performance concluded with ;
final tableau emblematic of the pres
ent and past greatness of Sherborne
in which all the principal figures tina