[Sidenote: Charles Cotton.]
[C] BASING, or OLD BASING, though a small village, is of some importance, as the scene of a desperate and b.l.o.o.d.y battle between the Danes and the Saxons, in 871, commanded by King Ethelred and his brother Alfred, when the latter were defeated. It was, however, rendered more famous by the gallant stand made against the parliamentary forces in the reign of Charles I., by John Poulet, Marquis of Winchester, a lineal descendant of Hugh de Port, who, at the time of the Domesday Survey, held 55 lordships in this county. This small village was the princ.i.p.al of these extensive possessions, and appears to have been the very site of a castle, as mention of the land of the old castle of Basing is made in a grant allowed by John de Port, to the neighbouring priory at Monks Sherborne, in the reign of Henry II. His grandson, William, a.s.sumed the surname of St. John; and Robert, Lord St. John, in the 43d of Henry III., obtained a license to fix a pole upon the bann of his moat, at Basing, with permission to continue it so fortified during the pleasure of the King. In the reign of Richard II., Basing was transferred by marriage to the Poynings; and again, in the time of Henry VI., to the Paulets, by the alliance of Constance with Sir John Paulet, of Nunny Castle, in Somersetshire. Sir William Paulet, Knt., third in descent from this couple, created Baron St. John, of Basing, by Henry VIII.; and Earl of Wiltshire, and Marquis of Winchester, by Edward VI., was a very accomplished and polite n.o.bleman, greatly in favour at court during most of the successive changes that occurred in the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. He held the office of treasurer nearly 30 years, sustaining himself by the courtly maxim, of "being a willow, and not an oak." He rebuilt Basing Castle, in a magnificent, and even in a princely style; indeed, so much so, that Camden, in allusion to the immense expense of living entailed on his family by its splendour, observes that, "it was so overpowered by its own weight, that his posterity has been forced to pull down a part of it." Here, in 1560, he entertained Queen Elizabeth with "all good cheer," and so much to her satisfaction, that she playfully lamented his great age; "for by my troth," said she, "if my Lord Treasurer were but a young man, I could find it in my heart to have him for a husband before any man in England." William, the great-grandson of this n.o.bleman, and fourth Marquis of Winchester, had also, in 1601, the honour of having Queen Elizabeth for a guest for "thirteen days, to the great charge of the sayde Lorde Marquesse." During her residence here, the Duke of Biron, accompanied by about 20 of the French n.o.bility, and a retinue of about 400 persons, were accommodated at the Vine, the seat of Lord Sandys, which had been purposely furnished with hangings and plate from the Tower, and Hampton Court, and with seven score beds and furniture, "which the willing and obedient people of the countrie of Southampton, upon two days" warning, had brought in thither to lend the Queen." When Elizabeth departed from Basing, she affirmed, that "she had done that in Hampshire, that none of her ancestors ever did; neither that any Prince in Christendom could do: that was, she had in her progresses, in her subject"s houses, entertained a royal amba.s.sador, and had royally entertained him." John, son of the preceding, and fifth Marquis of Winchester, was the brave n.o.bleman who rendered his name immortal by his gallant defence of Basing House, in the cause of Charles I., during a tedious succession of sieges and blockades, which, with short intermissions, continued upwards of two years. The journal of the siege, printed in Oxford, in 1645, is one of the most eventful pieces of history during the civil war. The final investment appears to have been undertaken by Cromwell, who took it by storm, in October 1645, and burnt it to the ground, in despite of the Aimez Loyaulte, which the Marquis had written with a diamond in every window, and which has ever since been the motto of the family arms. The plunder obtained on this occasion is said to have amounted to 200,000. in cash, jewels, and rich furniture. The number of soldiers slain before the walls from the commencement of the siege, is recorded to have been upwards of 2,000.
There is a traditionary report, that the garrison was partly surprized through some of the troops being engaged at cards when the a.s.sault commenced. From a survey made in 1798, it appears that the area of the works, including the garden and entrenchments, occupied about fourteen acres and a half. The form was extremely irregular, the ditches very deep, and the ramparts high and strong; some of the remains are yet very bold and striking. The site of the ruins is particularly commanding. The ca.n.a.l from Basingstoke has been cut through a part of the works, and the outward entrenchments have been rendered very obscure and imperfect from recent improvements in the grounds. The brave Marquis, whose property was reduced to ruin in the cause of his Sovereign, lived to the restoration, but received no recompence for his immense losses. He died in 1674, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles, who, when he saw that other men of sense were at their wits" end, in the arbitary and tyrannical reign of James II., thought it prudent to a.s.sume the character of a madman, as the first Brutus did, in the reign of Tarquin.
He danced, hunted, or hawked, a part of the day, went to bed before noon, and constantly sat at table all night. He went to dinner at six or seven in the evening, and his meal lasted till six or seven in the morning; during which time he ate, drank, smoked, talked, or listened to music. The company that dined with him were at liberty to rise and amuse themselves, or to take a nap, whenever they were so disposed; but the dishes and bottles were all the while standing upon the table. Such a man as this was thought a very unlikely person to concern himself with politics, or with religion. By this conduct, he was neither embroiled in public affairs, nor gave the least umbrage to the court; but he exerted himself so much in the revolution, that he was, for his eminent services, created Duke of Bolton: he afterwards raised a regiment of foot for the reduction of Ireland. Charles, son of the former, and second Duke of Bolton, a.s.sisted in the great work of the revolution; and was one of the n.o.blemen appointed at Exeter, in November, 1688, to manage the revenues of the Prince of Orange, as Sovereign of England. In 1717, he was declared Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. Charles, the eldest son, and third Duke of Bolton, filled several high offices in the state.
This n.o.bleman, on the death of his first wife, from whom he had long been separated, wedded the celebrated Lavinia Beswick, or Fenton, more known by the name of Polly Peachem, from her celebrity in the performance of that character in the "Beggar"s Opera." The parish church of Basing is a large, ancient, and curious structure, standing at a short distance from the site of Basing House, with a tower rising in the centre. In a niche at the west-end is a figure of the Virgin Mary: the roof is supported by round arches, springing from ma.s.sive columns. This edifice was repaired in 1510, by Sir John Paulet, who, with his father, John Paulet, Esq., and their respective wives, lie buried beneath two arched tombs, one on each side the chancel. Beneath the south aisle is the family vault of the Paulets, in which six Dukes of Bolton, with many of their n.o.ble relations, are deposited. A mural monument has also been erected in this church to the memory of Francis Russel, Esq., F.R.S. and F.S.A., a native of Basingstoke, who a.s.sisted Mr. Nichols in his History of Leicestershire. He died in 1795.
[Sidenote: Great battles fought here.]
[Sidenote: Queen Elizabeth splendidly entertained here for 13 days.]
[Sidenote: Burnt by Cromwell.]
[Sidenote: The sixth Marquis of Winchester, a singular character.]
[Sidenote: Polly Peachem.]
MapNames of Places.County.Number of Miles From+--+------------------------+-------+------------+-----------+ 16Basingstoke[A] m.t. & pHants.Andover 13Reading 15+--+------------------------+-------+------------+-----------+Dist.MapNames of Places.Number of Miles FromLond.Population.
+--+------------------------+--------------------+-----+----+ 16Basingstoke[A] m.t. & pWinchester 17463581+--+------------------------+--------------------+-----+----+
[A] BASINGSTOKE. This large, ancient, and populous town is situated in a pleasant and well-wooded part of the county, and commands a considerable trade from its standing at the junction of five great roads. In the "Domesday Book" it is mentioned as always having been a royal manor, and as never having paid any tax, nor been distributed into hides: it is also noticed in that survey as having a market, whose tolls were worth "thirty shillings": we presume this to have been the weekly collection--a large sum in those days. From this town a ca.n.a.l was made to the river Wey, in Surrey; it was commenced in 1778. Its length is thirty-seven miles and a quarter, and the expense of cutting it amounted to 100,000. A large portion of this sum was laid out in forming a tunnel, nearly three quarters of a mile in length, through a hill near Odiham. Besides corn and flour, coals, timber, manure, and goods of almost every description are conveyed to different parts of the country by this channel. The first barge arrived at Basingstoke Wharf in January, 1794. Among the numerous projected advantages which led to the formation of the ca.n.a.l, was, the presumed cultivation of Bagshot Heath, and other heaths within the line of its course. A beautiful ruin overlooks the town on the north side, called Holy Ghost chapel. This was founded by Sir William, afterwards Lord Sandys, who with Bishop Fox, obtained a licence from Henry VIII. to found a brotherhood, to continue in perpetual succession, for the maintenance of a priest to perform divine service, and for the instruction of youth in literature. On an eminence in the vicinity, is an ancient encampment of an elliptical form, supposed to be British, three thousand three hundred feet in circ.u.mference; it is called "Aubrey Camp," or familiarly "Bury Bank;"
the ditch on the outside is partly filled up by the labours of the agriculturist; and in Rook"s Down, in this neighbourhood, while cutting a new road in 1831, a number of human skeletons were discovered, supposed to be of those who fell in some battle fought near this place.
The free grammar school adjoins the venerable ruins of the chapel of the Holy Ghost; it is an ancient edifice, and is supposed originally to have been the parish church. This grammar school was first founded by Sir William Sandys, in connexion with the "Guild of the Holy Ghost," and was re-established upon the dissolution of that fraternity, by Queen Mary, in the succeeding reign. There are twelve boys at present on the foundation. Drs. Jos. Warton, the refined poet and critic, and his brother Thomas Warton, Poet Laureate, were both educated here, under their father, Thomas Warton, B.D., Professor of Poetry in the university of Oxford, a writer of considerable ability. John De Basinge, a learned Greek scholar, a friend and contemporary of that intelligent historian, Matthew Paris, was a native of this town. He was a man eminent for piety and learning, and a perfect master of the Greek and Latin languages--an eloquent orator--an able mathematician, and a sound divine. Having laid the foundation of his university learning at Oxford, he went to Paris, and from thence to Athens; upon his return to England, he brought over several curious Greek ma.n.u.scripts, and introduced the use of Greek numerical figures into this country; and to facilitate the knowledge of that rich language, which at that remote period was very little known or appreciated in the western world. He translated from the Greek, into the Latin, the celebrated Grammar, ent.i.tled "The Denatus of the Greeks," and the learning and piety of this truly good man, recommended him to the esteem of all the lovers of literature of that time: particularly that of Robert Grosteste, Bishop of Lincoln, by whom he was promoted from the Archdeaconry of London, to that of Leicester; he died in 1252. Among other subjects he wrote a Latin translation of the harmony of the four Gospels; and it was this learned individual that informed Robert, Bishop of Lincoln, that he had seen at Athens, a book called "The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs," upon which the Bishop sent for it and translated it into Latin; this valuable MS. was first printed in 1555, and has often been reprinted in English. At Basingstoke, was also born Sir James Lancaster, an eminent navigator, who in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, explored the Arctic Sea. Thomas Warton, the historian of English Poetry, was descended from an ancient and honorable family in Beverly, County York, and born at Basingstoke, in 1728; from his infancy he discovered a vein for poetry, and at the age of nine years he wrote to his sister that remarkable production of his genius: viz. a translation from the Latin of Martial:--
"When bold Leander sought his distant fair, (Nor could the sea a braver burthen bear) Thus to the swelling waves he spake his woe, Drown me on my return--but spare me as I go."
This curious doc.u.ment bears date from the school of Basingstoke, Nov.
1737. In March 1773, at the age of sixteen, he was admitted a Commoner at Trinity College, Oxford, and soon after elected a Scholar. At this college Mr. Warton continued, with trifling intervals, forty-seven years. In 1745, he published "The Pleasures of Melancholy." In 1749, in consequence of a foolish riot occasioned by some of the scholars, Mason, the Poet, produced a poem called the "Isis," reflecting upon the loyalty of the college, upon which Mr. Warton immediately wrote the "Triumph of Isis," a poem of some merit, and a severe commentary upon the other production. About this time, his talents being generally acknowledged, he became Poet Laureate, and in 1750 he took a Master"s Degree, and in 1751 succeeded to a Fellowship. In 1754 he published his observations on the "Faerie Queene of Spencer." In 1757, upon the resignation of Mr Hawkins, of Pembroke College, he was elected Professor of Poetry, which he held according to the usual custom for ten years. He died, May 21, 1790. Basingstoke is one of the polling places for the northern division of the county.
_Market_, Wednesday.--_Fairs_, Easter Tuesday, for cheese and cattle; Whit-Wednesday for pedlary; September 23, for cattle and hiring servants, Devonport. _Mail_ arrives 12.55 morning; departs 1.48 morning.--_Bankers_, Raggett and Co., draw on Masterman and Co.--_Inn_, Crown.
[Sidenote: Royal manor.]
[Sidenote: Aubrey Camp.]
[Sidenote: Eminent men born here.]
MapNames of Places.County.Number of Miles From+--+-----------------+--------+------------+----------+ 24Basingthorpe paLincolnCorby 3Grantham 853Basingwerk[A] vilFlintHoleywell 1Flint 510Baslow chapDerbyMiddleton 3Bakewell 5+--+-----------------+--------+------------+----------+Dist.MapNames of Places.Number of Miles FromLond.Population.
+--+-----------------+---------------------+-----+----+ 24Basingthorpe paFolingham 1010512253Basingwerk[A] vilPark Gate 720410Baslow chapChesterfield 10158863+--+-----------------+---------------------+----+-----+
[A] BASINGWERK. This place is chiefly celebrated for the remains of its ancient abbey; for the vestiges of a house belonging to the Knights Templars; and for a castle, once the key to this part of the country.
The abbey, which had the names also of Maes-Glas and Greenfield monastery, is beautifully situated in a meadow between two hills, on the eastern side of the mouth of the Holywell river. It was founded, according to Tanner, in 1131, by Ranulph, Earl of Chester; others say in 1150, by Henry II. The abbot was frequently summoned to attend in parliament by Edward I. and at the dissolution of monasteries, the annual revenue amounted to 150 7s. 3d. The remains convey an imperfect idea of the original architecture. The doors and lower arches were semi-circular and unornamented, the windows were long, narrow, and pointed; but the south wall of the transept, one doorway, and one pointed arch, are all that remain of the church, and the offices have entirely disappeared. At a short distance from the ruins is an oak of great age, called the Abbot"s Oak, which measures fifteen feet two inches in circ.u.mference. But the oaks and elms in this neighbourhood, though of a large size, appear withered and blasted by the effect of the channel breezes; the sycamores and maples are the only trees that flourish; a useful hint to planters. The house for the lay order of the Knights Templars, was inst.i.tuted by Henry II., for the purpose of defence against the inroads of the Welsh, and of this no more than some portion of the offices remain. Vestiges of the castle are yet visible in the fragments and foundation of a wall at some distance from the abbey, on the very margin of Watts-d.y.k.e. On a slope among hanging woods, near the township of Bagilt, stands Bagilt hall, a substantial mansion of ancient erection, late the seat of Paul Panton, Esq. Mostyn hall, a seat of Sir Thomas Mostyn, exhibits a variety of interesting features.
Approached by a venerable avenue and a magnificent gateway, it stands in a small but beautiful park; it consisted originally of a square tower and two halls, in the larger of which the festive orgies of the baronial board were performed; but large additions were made in 1631, and many of its pristine features are defaced. Numerous paintings decorate the rooms, consisting for the most part of portraits, which ill.u.s.trate all the varieties of costume in the several ages of their production; among the treasures of art are also many unique statues, busts, bronzes, and other articles of ancient or foreign production. In this neighbourhood are numerous collieries, the different appearance of which are phenomena interesting to the geologist. On the summit of a height called Mostyn mountain, is a monumental stone denominated Maen Achwynfan (the stone of lamentation). Its form is that of an obelisk; in height twelve feet, and two feet-four in thickness. It is probably a memorial of the dead slain in battle; but there appear to be no certain grounds for determining the period of its formation.
[Sidenote: Ancient Abbey.]
[Sidenote: Mostyn Hall.]
MapNames of Places.County.Number of Miles From+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+ 26Ba.s.saleg[A] paMonmouthNewport 3Cardiff 119Ba.s.senthwaite pac.u.mberlandKeswick 5c.o.c.kermth 1023Ba.s.set House ex.p.libLeicesterLeicester 13Atherstone 86Ba.s.singbourn paCambridgeRoyston 5Potton 924Ba.s.singham paLincolnNewark 9Lincoln 929Ba.s.sington toNorthumbAlnwick 4Eglingham 424Baston paLincolnM. Deeping 4Bourn 427Bastwick paNorfolkAcle 5Norwich 935Baswich paStaffordStafford 2Rugeley 812Batcombe paDorsetSherborne 10Cerne 434Batcombe paSomersetBruton 3Shepton 634Bath[B] citySomersetSalisbury 38Cheltenham 41+--+---------------------+----------+------------+-------------+Dist.MapNames of Places.Number of Miles FromLond.Population.
+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+ 26Ba.s.saleg[A] paBristol 1215116649Ba.s.senthwaite paIreby 829654923Ba.s.set House ex.p.libLutterworth 11100236Ba.s.singbourn paCaxton 942144624Ba.s.singham paNavenby 713370429Ba.s.sington toWhittingham 731261324Baston paStamford 99370927Bastwick paYarmouth 911721935Baswich paPenkridge 613954612Batcombe paDorchester 1212717834Batcombe paFrome 1011283934Bath[B] cityBristol 1410638063+--+---------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
[A] Ba.s.sALEG, a beautiful picturesque little village. In this parish was a Priory of black monks of the Benedictine order, founded by Robert de Haye, and Gundreda, his wife, between the years 1101 and 1120. No remains of this building exist but a ruin in a wood, about one mile distant from the church, called Coed-y-monachty, which is supposed to have been part of the structure. At about one mile distant, near the road to Llanfihangel, is a circular encampment, called Careg-y-saesson, but almost obscured by underwood. Its name has induced some to attribute it to the Saxons, but saesson is a term of reproach, which the Welsh bestow on all foreigners. The entrenchment is a single foss and rampart of earth. About one mile distant is another of a singular shape, with loose stones lying in the foss, probably the remains of walls. These fortresses are apparently British, and a meadow near Machen Place, called Maes Arthur, records the memory of that celebrated hero. From Ba.s.saleg to the vale of Machen, the country is undulating and fertile.
This vale is pleasingly sequestered, yet intermixed with wildness and cultivation. The hills which skirt it are partly covered with herbage, and partly overhung with thick forests. The Rumney continues the boundary of the two counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan. This river, with the church, and Machen hill, almost covered with lime-kilns, give variety and cheerfulness to the scenery. Machen Place lies at the commencement of the vale, under the hanging groves of Rupara. A circular apartment called the hunting-room is decorated with a rich stuccoed ceiling, representing Diana in the middle, surrounded with seats, churches, and parties, in twelve compartments.
[Sidenote: Machen place.]
[B] BATH. This ancient and far-famed city is the chief ornament of the west of England; that it is indebted to its medicinal springs for its origin as well as importance, there can be little doubt, but the period of its foundation is altogether unknown. The discovery of its springs, or rather, of their virtues, was for a long time ascribed to King Bladud, traditionally recorded "as the son of Lud Hudibras, King of Britain, about 2,500 years ago. In his youth he became infected with the leprosy, and, at the pet.i.tion of the courtiers, who feared the contagion, was banished by his father from the palace. The Queen, on his departure, gave him a ring, as a token by which he should make himself known to her if ever he recovered. The young prince, when he reached Keynsham, met with a swineherd, by whom he was retained as an a.s.sistant.
In a short time, he perceived that he had tainted the pigs with his leprosy. To conceal this misfortune, he sought permission to drive the herd to the opposite side of the Avon, under pretext that the acorns there were finer, and more abundant. Pa.s.sing the river at a ford, since denominated Swineford, he led his herd to the hills on the north-side of Bath. While he was addressing his prayers to the rising sun, the pigs, impelled by a sudden phrenzy, ran up the valley to the spot where the hot-springs, boiling up, mixed their waters with the decayed weeds and foliage, and formed a bog. In this warm oozy-bed they began to roll, and wallow with delight; nor could their keeper allure them away, until extreme hunger pressed them to follow him. On washing them, he perceived that some had shed their white scurf; and he had not been many days longer in these parts, here he perceived that one of his best sows, which had been long wandering in the mire about the waters, was perfectly cured. Bladud, judging that the remedy which had succeeded in a particular instance, would prove generally efficacious, stripped himself naked, alternately rolled in the mud, and washed in the waters; and, after a few repet.i.tions of this discipline, came out perfectly sound. Elated by this good fortune, he drove home his pigs, returned to court, and, shewing his ring, was recognized with rapture, and restored to his former rank and dignity. His father afterwards determined on sending him to Athens, to improve his natural genius. A splendid retinue was ordered to attend him; but Bladud preferred to travel as a private person, considering the parade of grandeur as an impediment to the acquisition of knowledge. After devoting eleven years to the study of literature, mathematics, and necromancy, he returned to Britain, was appointed Regent during his father"s old age, and succeeded to the throne after his death. One of his first public works was the erection of a city near the springs, which thenceforward became the capital of the British monarchs. In his old age he devoted himself to the formation of visionary projects; the most daring of which was the construction of a pair of wings to fly with. In one of his attempts he fell and broke his neck, much to the grief of his subjects, who had enjoyed the blessings of his wise government more than twenty years." This account of the origin of Bath was long popular; but the inquiries of the present day have proved it unworthy of credit, and have adduced reasons to conclude that the city was founded by the Romans, about the middle of the first century. The form of the city approached to a parallelogram, extending on one side so as to form an outline somewhat pentagonal, and stretching in length, from east to west, about 1200 feet, and in the broadest parts, from north to south, 1140 feet. The wall, which enclosed this s.p.a.ce, appears, from subsequent discoveries, to have been twenty feet above ground in height, and in thickness sixteen feet at the base, and eight at the summit, strengthened with five towers, rising at the angles, and having four portae, or entrances, facing the cardinal points, which were connected by two grand streets, dividing the city into four parts, and intersecting each other at the centre. Near the point of intersection were the springs, which the Romans converted into magnificent baths, by attaching to them suitable edifices, which, when complete, extended to two hundred and forty feet from east to west, and one hundred and twenty from north to south. The Roman appellation of the city, expressive of the genial heat and vigour derived from the springs, was Aquae Solis, the waters of the sun. Roads were soon constructed to communicate with the neighbouring posts and encampments, and "a little Rome began to adorn a dreary and inhospitable wild." Agricola pa.s.sed a winter here, after his successful campaign in Wales; and Arian erected here a "fabrica," or college of armourers. About the year 208, Geta, the younger son of Septimius Severus, resided in Bath, while his father was in Caledonia, quelling an insurrection. Some complimentary statues were raised on this and other occasions. The most eminent of the Roman structures was the temple of Minerva, on the eastern side of the great fosse-way, and nearly mid-way between the Porta Dec.u.mana, and the Porta Flumentana. Its western front consisted of a portico, supported by large fluted columns, of the Corinthian order. Behind this temple, towards the east, stood the splendid baths, the foundations of which were discovered in 1755, at the depth of twenty feet beneath the surface. Of the remains of Roman grandeur discovered from time to time, various specimens are preserved, and deposited, by order of the corporation, in a small building erected for the purpose, at the end of Bath-street. In the year 493, a large army of Saxons, under the command of aella, and his three sons, Cymenus, Pleting, and Cissa, encamped on Lansdown, and laid siege to Bath. At this period the heroic Arthur was performing wonders in favour of his countrymen. Apprized of the operations of the Saxon general, he hastened after him, attacked, and defeated him in a b.l.o.o.d.y and obstinate battle. About twenty-seven years afterwards, he again delivered Bath from the a.s.saults of these ferocious invaders, by defeating a powerful army, on which occasion he is said to have slain four hundred and forty men with his own hand. John de Villula, a native of Tours, purchased the demesne of Rufus, in 1090, for five hundred marks, and obtained permission to remove the Pontifical seat from Wells thither; he rebuilt the monastery and church, restored the public and private edifices, and thus became the founder of a new city, on the ruins of the old one. Henry I. confirmed and extended the privileges which his predecessor had granted, by adding the hidage of the city; and, in 1106, Villula, then Bishop of Bath, conferred the whole on the monastery of St. Peter. Henry paid a visit to Bath in the Easter of 1107. The city remained in the possession of the bishops until 1193, when Savaric gave it to Richard I., in exchange for the rich Abbey of Glas...o...b..ry. The prior, however, continued to hold the city under an annual rent of thirty pounds, exclusive of the levies which were made by the king on extraordinary emergencies. One of these occurred in the forty-seventh year of Edward III., to the amount of 13. 6s. 8d., a sum which conveys the idea of the inferiority of Bath, in point of population, to Bristol, which paid seven times as much. Four years after that period, the number of lay inhabitants in the city, above the age of fourteen, amounted to 570, and that of the clerics, in the archdeaconry, to 201. In this and succeeding reigns the property of the monastery was greatly augmented; and the monks of Bath are said to have cultivated the manufacture of cloth to such an extent as to render it one of the princ.i.p.al cities in the west of England for that branch of trade. This city sent Members to Parliament as early as 1297. Queen Elizabeth, in 1590, granted a charter, which declared Bath to be a city of itself, and const.i.tuted a certain number of the citizens as a corporation, by "the name of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Citizens of the City of Bath." In the reign of James II. the corporation shut the gates against the Duke of Monmouth, when he summoned them, and apprehended the few adherents to his cause that remained within their walls. Six of these unfortunate persons afterwards fell victims to the vindictive cruelty of Jefferies.
The Jacobite principles prevailed at Bath long after the revolution; and Carte, the historian, is said to have headed a party in favour of the pretender, during the rebellion of 1715. Being discovered, he leaped out of a window in his canonicals, and fled. The city is nearly surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills of considerable height. This range of hills opens to allow a course for the Avon, which winds around it, receiving numerous articles of merchandize, from hence conveyed in barges to Bristol. Bath is divided into four parishes: St. Peter and St. Paul, St.
James, St. Michael, and Walcot, exclusive of the out parishes of Bath-Hampton, Bath-Wick, Bath-Ford, and Bath-Easton. The parish of St.
Peter and St. Paul occupies the centre of the city, and formerly contained two churches, the abbey church, and the church of St. Mary of Stall, which stood on the spot of ground now occupied by the houses connected with the Pump-room Piazza. The Abbey church of Bath is of that cla.s.s of architecture commonly denominated the Florid Gothic. It remains in the same form as when finished in 1532. It was founded by Oliver King, Bishop of Bath and Wells. It is in length, from east to west, 210 feet; length of the cross aisles, from north to south, 126 feet; breadth of the body and aisles, 72 feet; height of the tower, 152 feet; and the height of the roof, or vaulting, 78 feet. The west window is of extreme richness. The b.u.t.tresses, on each side of the aisle windows, are ornamented with rolls, containing inscriptions, not now legible, but are said to contain the following allegorical allusion to the founder"s name, taken out of the book of Judges, chap. ix. verse 8:--
"Trees, going to choose their king, Said--be to us the Olive king."
[Sidenote: King Bladud.]
[Sidenote: The discovery of the Baths.]
[Sidenote: Bladud and his pigs.]
[Sidenote: The Roman city.]
[Sidenote: Their temples and baths.]
[Sidenote: The monastery.]
[Sidenote: Monks were clothiers.]
[Sidenote: Cathedral and other churches.]
The windows of this church, fifty-two in number, are supposed to have given rise to its appellation of the Lantern of England. Here are various monuments, ancient and modern, and a handsome altar-piece, representing The Wise Men"s Offering, given by General Wade. Here is also a fine specimen of monumental architecture in the little chapel, or oratory of Prior Bird, who died in 1525. This chapel has suffered much from having its tracery despoiled, and a part of it cut away to make room for a wooden seat, called the Bishop"s Throne. One of the most beautiful and conspicuous monuments which ornament the transepts and nave is, that of Bishop Montague, at the north centre end of the nave.
It is an altar-tomb, over which the effigy of the prelate in his robes, lies prostrate on its back. Opposite to this is a pillar, bearing a neat monument, having on a pyramid of Sienna marble, a medallion, with a half-length figure of the witty and celebrated Quin. On a tablet below is the following inscription:
"That tongue which set the table in a roar, And charm"d the public ear, is heard no more: Closed are those eyes, the harbingers of wit, Which spake, before the tongue, what Shakspeare writ; Cold is that hand, which living was stretch"d forth, At friendship"s call to succour modest worth.
Here lies James Quin:--Deign, reader, to be taught, Whate"er thy strength of body, force of thought, In nature"s happiest mould however cast, "To this complexion thou must come at last." D. GARRICK.
Ob. MDCCLXVI. Etatis LXXIII."
[Sidenote: Quin"s monumental inscription.]
Near the last mentioned monument lies buried the celebrated Beau Nash, long master of the ceremonies at Bath. Richard Nash was a native of Swansea in Glamorganshire, and was born October 18, 1674. His parents were in a respectable situation of life; and young Nash received a competent cla.s.sical education at Carmarthen school, from whence he was sent to Jesus College, Oxford, at the early age of sixteen. He was intended for the profession of the law; but this study was too dull and dry for a person of his volatile turn. Pleasure was the G.o.ddess he adored; and to whose service he devoted himself. He soon involved himself in an intrigue with an artful female in Oxford, of which description there are always numbers who are laying baits for young men of family or personal appearance, and in consequence of this he was removed from the University. His relations now purchased a pair of colours for him in the army; and here his taste for gallantry and dissipation would have been fully gratified, had not his inferior rank, and the duties attached to it, subjected him to subordination and restraint, which appeared intolerable to a man born for empire, and whose ruling pa.s.sion was too strong to submit to control. He, therefore, left the army in disgust, and returned to the law, which he had discarded, by entering himself a student of the Middle Temple. Soon afterwards Nash was presented with an opportunity of exercising his natural talents. It had been an ancient custom with the society to which he now belonged, to entertain every new sovereign with a revel and a pageant. On the accession of William, Prince of Orange, Nash was selected as the most proper person to conduct this mighty business; and he succeeded so well, that, it is said, William offered to knight him, an honour which he declined. His abilities, however, had attracted public notice, and this paved the way to his future success. Bath then beginning to rise into some little repute as a place of fashionable resort, Nash was induced to visit it in pursuit of pleasure, and soon made himself conspicuous by his taste, wit, and gaiety. At this period, it was the fashion for both s.e.xes to bathe together quite naked, and for ladies to adorn their heads before they entered the bath with all the lures of dress. By these means their charms were set off to such advantage, that the husband of a lady in the Cross Bath, who with Nash and other spectators were admiring the female dabblers, told his wife "she looked like an angel, and he wished to be with her." Nash seized the favourable occasion to establish his reputation as a man of gallantry and spirit, and therefore suddenly taking the gentleman by the collar and the waistband of his breeches, soused him over the parapet into the bath. The consequence was a duel, in which Nash was wounded in the sword-arm; and, as it does not appear he was fond of fighting, it is probable that this incident prompted him when he rose to power, to issue his edict against wearing swords at Bath, "except by such as were not ent.i.tled to wear them at any other place." About this time a vacancy happening in the office of master of the ceremonies, a place hitherto of little profit or honour, the well known talent of Nash for the direction and invention of amus.e.m.e.nts, operated so much in his favour, that he was chosen "arbiter elegantiarum," and invested with the fullest power to order, arrange, and improve, the manner of the company, routine of amus.e.m.e.nts, and points of etiquette. Under the equal administration of Nash, no rank could protect the offender, nor any dignity of situation influence him to connive at a breach of his laws. He deliberately desired the d.u.c.h.ess of Queensbury, who appeared at a dress ball in an ap.r.o.n, to take it off; and when the Princess Amelia requested to have one dance more after eleven o"clock, he replied, that the laws of Bath, like those of Lycurgus, were unalterable. This firmness of character was attended with the most beneficial consequences; and Nash, not ignorant what majesty is when stripped of its externals, took care by his dress and equipage to support the rank he a.s.sumed. He wore a large white hat, and drove a carriage with six greys, escorted by several persons on horseback, and foot, with French horns and other kinds of musical instruments. The Prince of Wales, the Prince of Orange, the n.o.bility and gentry, all treated him with respect; and the corporation, who might be considered as his privy council, never took any steps without his fiat.
His prosperity was of long duration; and, if a man who supported himself by gambling and intrigues, can be said to deserve prosperity, it was justly due to this celebrated character: but at length age and infirmities approached! and though Horace says, we should preserve consistency to the last, it appeared ridiculous to see grey hairs and decrepitude aping the gaiety and hilarity of youth. His admirers in consequence fell off; and he lived to be sensible of the folly of a life solely devoted to pleasure, and the vanity of pomp, whether real or affected.--Beau Nash died February 3, 1761, and was buried at the expence of the corporation, in the abbey church, with much pomp and solemnity. The crowd that attended his funeral was so great, that not only the streets were filled, but the very tops of the houses were covered with spectators.--Amongst the places of worship for the Dissenters, are the Unitarian chapel, in Trim Street; the Baptist chapel, in Garrard Street; the Quaker"s meeting-house on St. James"s Parade; the chapel of the Unitas Fratrum, or Moravians, in Monmouth Street; a chapel belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists, in New King Street; an Independant Calvinist chapel, in Argyle Street; a sort of semi-episcopal chapel, in the connection of the late Countess of Huntingdon, in Harlequin Row; and a Roman Catholic chapel in Orchard Street. The original pump-room, began in 1704, was opened under the auspices of Mr. Nash. Its object was to enable the drinkers to take exercise without exposing themselves to the weather. The room was enlarged in 1751; a portico, stretching from it in a northerly direction, was added in 1786; and a superb western frontispiece in 1791.
Five years afterwards, Mr. Baldwin the architect, erected a new pump-room on the site of the old one, on a more extensive and magnificent scale. During the full season, a company of musicians perform in the gallery every morning. Those who drink the waters, are expected to pay about a guinea per month, besides a gratuity to the pumper. The public baths are the King"s Bath, and Queen"s Bath, which are connected with each other; the Hot Bath, and the Cross Bath. The private baths are those belonging to the corporation, in Stall Street, adjoining the King"s Bath, built in 1788, with dry pumps, sudatories, and every other accommodation; and the neat and convenient baths, called the Duke of Kingston"s, or the Abbey Baths, belonging to Earl Manvers.
The latter are supplied from the same source as the great pump-room. The Bath springs are said to have three distinct sources, the King"s Bath, the Hot Bath, and the Cross Bath, which arise within a small distance of each other. They contain a small quant.i.ty of carbonic acid gas, and also of azotic gas; some sulphate of soda, and muriate of soda; selenite, carbonate of lime; siliceous earth; and a portion of oxyd of iron. These waters, taken internally, operate as a stimulant; they increase the action of the blood-vessels, and promote the various secretions, particularly those of urine and perspiration. The diseases in which their external and internal uses render most service, are affections of the liver and stomach, jaundice, hypochondriasis, and chlorosis. They are especially efficacious in that state of gout termed atonic. The external application of the water is highly beneficial in palsy, chronic rheumatism, cutaneous diseases, scrofula, lameness, contractions, &c.
The water, in all cases, should if practicable, be drunk hot from the pump. Its effect on the stomach and nerves are sometimes remarkably speedy; persons who have lost their appet.i.tes and spirits by high living, have, by using them a few days, recovered their powers of digestion and cheerfulness of mind. The quant.i.ty taken is seldom more than a pint and a half in the course of the day, and is divided into three portions, two before breakfast, allowing half an hour between them, and a third at noon. The condition of the patient is, however, to be strictly attended to: and the quant.i.ty must be regulated at the discretion of the physician. The General Hospital of this city was established for the reception of all the sick poor in the united kingdom, whose complaints require relief from the springs of the place; excepting the resident poor, who have the advantage of taking the waters at their own houses, at a moderate charge. Edward the Sixth granted upwards of eighty tenements, gardens, &c. within the city and its suburbs, for the purpose of founding a grammar-school at Bath, and maintaining ten poor folk within the said town for ever. The Bath Theatre is scarcely inferior to those of the metropolis. The present building was erected about the year 1805, in the centre of the city; and from its height, it forms a prominent object in the distance from all its environs. There are three entrances; the grand front being in Beaufort Square. The audience part is somewhat smaller than was that of the late Covent Garden Theatre, but the s.p.a.ce behind the curtain is much larger. The length, within the main walls, is one hundred and twenty feet; the breadth sixty feet; and the height seventy. The exterior buildings are very extensive; there are three lofty tiers of boxes, affording a depth of rows towards the centre. Cast iron bronzed pillars are placed at a distance of two feet from the front, by which the first row of each circle appears as a balcony, independent of the main structure, and thus an inconceivable lightness is obtained. The private boxes are inclosed with gilt lattices: the entrance to them is by a private house, part of the property connected with the theatre, and they are accommodated with a suite of retiring rooms. The decorations are very splendid, particularly the ceiling. The Harmonic Society was inst.i.tuted under the patronage of Dr. Harrington; and there is another musical society, called the York House Catch Club. The Sydney Garden Vauxhall, at the extremity of Great Pulteney Street, abounds with groves, vistas, lawns, serpentine walks, alcoves, bowling-greens, grottoes and labyrinths. It is known to have contained four thousand persons. The riding school affords the public, amus.e.m.e.nt in wet weather.
Lansdown races are in June and July. Besides the Public Library, the circulating libraries are numerous and well supplied, and the harmonic concerts and local inst.i.tutions of a literary character, are easily accessible. It is intended to convert the common fields in the neighbourhood of Marlborough Buildings into a public park, laid out with numerous rides and walks, ornamental fountains, and plantations. Hackney coaches, and chariots, on the same principle as those used in London, are established here.