The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1905-09-27
Letter from England.
A VisN >kb-Pump Room and Roman Baths
Modern ahd7oeerJept Associations-The { ley.
Beautiful Waks-Victoria -rsc-k enS--veechen
Cliffs.
Letter from England.


shire and, besides the town of Warwick, where we
made headquarters, visited bennington, Kenilworth
and Stratford. OF this region however, so much
has before been said in this correspondence that
little will be added For natural beauty, we'll
literary and historical association there is
in England more frequented, and the facilities of
easy survey already many, have during the present
summer been increased by the opening of cleo
trio railway between Warwick and bennington. At
Warwick the castle, ST. Mary's church. the Lei
cester Hospital and the quaint old streets not
less interesting than the ruins which Scott has
lnlmortalized at Keniworth, four miles away. In
passing, it may be remarked that visitors to War
wick Castle now pay an admission fee of two shil-
lngs instead OF one as formerly. Some suppose TINS
is occasioned by the misconduct the part of
the crowds that come of which there has long been
complaint, and the importance OF diminishing their
numbers, while others say it is to increase the in
come of an impoverished estate Eight miles south
west of Warwick is Stratford, that Mecca of every
lover of the greatest of poets, which is of
the prime attraction of all. Four or five miles in
the opposite direction lies pretty bennington,
fashionable watering place. which, though without
antiquities, yet boast of the stateliest and
handsomest as well as largest parish churches in
the kingdom-the Church of All Saints. Our next
objective point reached in less than three hours Uid
Oxford, Bath, where we passed several plea
SAINT days
Bath, the chief place in Somerset with about
$4,000 people, beautifully situated in the valley
of the Avon and on the slopes of the surrounding
hills is perhaps unrivalled among English provn-
cial towns for its combination of archaeological,
historic, scenic and social nterest-a city of cres
and terraces rising tier above tier to height
of above 600 feet. 1t does not look DID, yet there
is hardly in all England a place whose prominence
far back the first century is well ascer-
tanned. It's celebrity a health resort, its
shows is due to its hot springs both for
bathing and drinking and no other like place in
Britain is so we'll known. Though it's fame in
modern times dates back two hundred and fifty
years, it until the eighteenth century that
it eliminated and Bath became the most fashion
able in the kingdom. The springs yield a half
million gallons daily at about 1907 of lime car
donated water and regarded as of highest
utility in govt and rheumatism well in liver
and skin diseases. No other place probably has
been so often the subject of English literary allu
sion in the past two centuries, nor any save the
metropolis visited by so many people OF distinction
Sir Walter Scott child brought here for
the treatment; DR.. johnson came here with the
Thraes; the Pitts Burke Nelson, Goldsmith,
Sheridan and Miss Barney in their time took the
waters" Here the scenes of "The Rivals and of
many of Miss Austin's writings are laid, and here
at one time Mr.. Pickwick In the Pickwick
Papers, by the way, there is valuable historical
sketch of the town The troubles of the civil war
hndered the prosperity of the place. but after the
Restoration it visited by both Charles and
cratic resort. Mr. Pepys in his diary at this time
records the first of a long series of gmpses of
Bath which from this time are found in Well-knoWn
writers.
The centre of interest to the invalid is the great
pump room, a big building in the classical style
erected something more than a century ago, with
a motto from Pindar the portico-which, be-
ing interpreted, is Water IS best. 1t is said to
have been suggested by Dr. Johnson. Access is free
but water is dispensed in acove at one side to
non-subscribers at I'd a glass At one end OF the
room ie statue of the celebrated Richard Nash
(Beau NaSh), framed copies Oh WHOSE quaint ueS
of conduct hang in several places. 1t is said tc
have been due to this famous master of ceremo
MES in the first half of the eighteenth century thai
modern Bath became famous his services havine
been effectua in introducing order and method
into the amusements and customs of the place
He died in 1861 at advanced age, and is com
memorated by interesting mural monument II
the Abbey.
But interesting the associations of the
Bath of today they are far surpassed IN this re
gard by something else to be seen by merely pass
ing from the great pump room into contiguous
new building in similar style erected few years
since in which is the entrance to the Roman Baths
These baths, not yet fully explored, included al
area of six or seven acres. OF them five great ones
have already been excavated and they are believed