LECTURE IV.HISTORIC CENTRES AND THEIR INFLUENCEUPON NATIONAL LIFE.
HISTORIC CENTRES AND THEIR INFLUENCEUPON NATIONAL LIFE.
1.Stonehenge.
The English did not always live in the British Islands. They came, long centuries ago, across the sea from the mainland of Europe. Before them there lived in the islands peoples of whom we know but little. Some of these early peoples have, however, left to us monuments, which have been preserved in the more lonely parts of the country. They were apparently temples, built with great stones, such as we see here at Stonehenge. Of the language of the people who built them we know nothing—of their arts of life we know little. We believe that they were barbarous tribes who offered human sacrifices; but at least they must have had some command over machinery, or they never could have raised such stones as these, which are more than twice as high as a man.
2.The Roman Wall.
After these people there came others, and yet others, and at last a very powerful and highly civilised people, the Romans, who conquered nearly all the Western world. They conquered England, but never Ireland or Northern Scotland. The Romans have left monuments in various parts of the country, of which the most remarkable is this wall across the island. They did not care to invade those rugged regions of the North, filled with mountains and great moorlands, which we saw in the pictures of the last Lecture. In Scotland there continued, therefore, to dwell the wild peoples who inhabited all the island before the coming of the Romans. The mountaineers were kept outof the South by a stone wall, built right across the island, the remains of which are still for the most part standing to-day. The Roman wall shows you something of the strength of the Roman people, to whom the islands of Britain owed their first civilisation.
3.Roman Bath at Bath.
Here is another evidence of the Roman epoch in Britain. It is the ruin of a Roman bath in the town which is now called Bath. The houses around are, of course, modern. Hot water rises at Bath from great depths, and is used for medicinal purposes. The springs were known to the Romans, and for that reason they built a Roman city here. All the upper portion of the building is, as you see, gone, but there remains the bath itself, with the steps leading down to it, and the bases of the columns which formerly supported a covered way around. The Romans came from the South—from the Mediterranean—and experienced a climatic difficulty in Britain, just as white men to-day experience one in the tropics. But white men have difficulty in tropical climates because of the heat; the Romans had difficulty in the northern countries because of the cold; and therefore it was that they valued the warm water of the baths at Bath.
4.Round Tower at Glendalough.
Christianity was first preached in Britain while the Romans were there. It was carried by missionaries even beyond the Roman frontiers into Ireland, and afterwards into Scotland. When the Romans left the country, after ruling there for 400 years, there came over the seas the forefathers of the English—a race of wild, bold seamen. They were not Christians; but at first they did not conquer either Ireland or Scotland, and the Christian religion continued among the ancient peoples of those countries. Some of the most ancient of the Irish and Scottish monuments relate to the time when the English were newly come into England. This round tower, for instance, is probably a monument of that time. It is ina very beautiful mountainous portion of Ireland, and is known as the Round Tower of Glendalough.
5.Iona Cathedral.
Crossing the sea to Scotland, we come to the islet of Iona, placed out in the Western ocean beyond the coast of the mainland of Scotland. Here are the ruins of a Cathedral of great antiquity. At Iona there ruled the Lord of the Isles, who was King over the pirates from the North. They seized all the Western isles of Scotland and held them until about six hundred years ago, when they were defeated at sea, and there was peace on the ocean off Britain.
6.King Alfred’s Statue at Winchester.
Let us now return to England—to the England which had been conquered by the Romans and abandoned by them, and had been conquered afresh by the tribes of the English from over the water. Let us pass on through some dark centuries, as they are called, because history has little to tell of them, until we come to the first great Englishman, King Alfred the Great, from whom our present King-Emperor, Edward the Seventh, is descended. King Alfred lived a thousand years ago, and is called Great because he united the tribes of the English, and made the Kingdom of England. Here is the monument erected in his city of Winchester on the thousandth anniversary of his death.
7.Bradford-on-Avon Church.
Some generations before King Alfred, Christian missionaries came again to the land of England and slowly converted the English to Christianity—first one tribe and then another. Here is, perhaps, the most ancient of the Christian churches of England—it is at Bradford-on-Avon. The missionaries came from Rome, and taught the English to build in stone, with round tops to the windows, as the Romans built.
We have now mentioned five ages of English history. First, were the Ancient Britons; second, the Roman conquerors; third, the English conquerors; fourth, theChristian Missionaries; and fifth, was King Alfred. A sixth age had to elapse before the England which we know was made. In this a new race of fierce seamen came over the water, who were called Normans, or North men. One branch of them were the Pirates just now mentioned at Iona. Another branch conquered the southern part of Britain, the part now called England, and added one more strain of blood to the people who have ever since lived in Britain and sailed the ocean. The Normans completed the work of King Alfred, and the English, being now united, have not since been conquered from across the water. You see that it was by no chance that the people of Britain became the race of sea-fighters and of rulers beyond the sea such as they are now known in all parts of the world.
8.Iffley.
9.Durham Cathedral.
All this time the English were advancing in civilisation. Though they fought among themselves, though they obeyed their rulers with difficulty, already they venerated the churches of their Christian religion. While they could not put their wealth into beautiful houses, which might be pillaged, yet they were able to build magnificent churches, which all men respected, and these churches are the most splendid monuments they have left to us. Before they crossed to Britain the Normans stayed for a time on the mainland of Europe and learned there a new style of building. Here is the Norman church of Iffley. You still notice the rounded Roman arches, but the building is clearly of a more finished type than the church of Bradford-on-Avon, which we saw just now. Next is the great cathedral at Durham, also Norman work, but with some later building added, for in each generation men loved to enlarge and enrich the chief temple of their town or district.
10.Canterbury Cathedral.
We now come to a Cathedral of later date. It is that of Canterbury. Here, as you see, the windows have pointed tops to them, for they are built in the Gothic style,which succeeded the Roman style of the Normans. Canterbury Cathedral is a very large church. Its three great towers contain bells which call the people to worship. This is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and is placed where the missionary Augustine first taught the Christian religion to the English, who had lately crossed the seas into Britain.
11.Salisbury—West Front.
Here is the west front of Salisbury Cathedral. You see clearly that we are coming into civilized times, for the men who built this cathedral could work in stone with delicate skill. They no longer employed great massive columns and rows of narrow, round headed windows. All this front has pointed arches, and in many of them you have sculptured images of the good men of past times.
12.Wells Cathedral.
13.Wells—West Front.
This is Wells Cathedral, surrounded by beautiful trees and gardens. And here is the front of the same cathedral, with still more delicate and elaborate work. Do you realise the love which the builders put into each little piece of what they did?
14.Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford—Interior.
And here lastly is the interior of Oxford Cathedral. It is very interesting, because upon arches of Norman date, roughly and massively hewn, you have a vaulted roof of the latest and most delicate Gothic or pointed style. In this respect the cathedrals of England are like everything else that is English. In each age Englishmen accept with veneration what their forefathers hand down to them, and adapt it with as little change as possible to the needs of their own time. It is only so that a mighty and lasting Empire can be founded.
In the country parts of England, where no town requires a large building for worship, here and there a church has fallen, in times of past strife, into decay. But the people of the present take care of these ruins, and regard them with veneration, for they are often very beautiful, andpreserve a record of the past most faithfully, because there has been no need to adapt them to modern requirements.
15.Glastonbury.
16.Netley.
Here, for instance, is the ruin of Glastonbury Abbey, and here that of Netley Abbey. In both, as you see, the roof has fallen in, but you can imagine what kind of church there must have been formerly. With these exceptions the buildings in England are maintained in perfect order, for the cool, moist climate requires that, for comfort sake, the weather should be kept out.
While the cathedrals were built without defence, and beautiful churches were often set in the green country and yet were not attacked even in wild ages, the houses of the great men of the land were formerly small fortresses or castles. These castles still stand in different parts of the country, having in some cases been adapted to modern requirements; but for the most part they have become ruins, for it was easier to build again from the foundations. Moreover, many of them were broken in warfare.
17.Stirling Castle.
18.Alnwick Castle.
Here is Stirling Castle, set high on a rock, in Scotland; and here is Alnwick Castle, built near the frontier between England and Scotland. For centuries there was much fighting between the English and the Scots, though now, as you know, they have joined together in friendship, and are subjects of one King.
19.Windsor Castle.
Here is the greatest of all the Castles. It is Windsor Castle—the castle of the King of England. It stands on a hill beside the River Thames, higher up the river than London. You can see the Round Tower in the centre of it. In all the old castles there was a strong refuge in the centre for final defence in case a besieger should effect an entry into the outworks, and this most important part of the castle was called the “keep.” At Windsor the Round Tower was the keep. Here to the right we havethe church of the castle, called St. George’s Chapel. In the old times there lived within such a castle as this of the King of England almost a whole town of his servants. You will remember from the second lecture that the Parliament and the Judges used to sit in the King’s Palace at Westminster. In modern times people think it healthier and more comfortable not to be crowded.
20.Windsor Round Tower.
Now we go inside the castle and stand beside the Round Tower. You see from the slightly pointed heads of the windows that the Tower belongs to a later time than that of the Normans, who built with round-headed windows.
21.Windsor from Home Park.
Here is one more view of Windsor Castle. The Round Tower is in the background to the right, for this front of the building is new, and is in the nature of a palace rather than a castle. These wooded slopes are the beginning of the beautiful park which lies round the castle. Here are the rooms in which used to live Queen Victoria, our Empress, the mother of King Edward.
Western history is divided into three periods which are generally known as Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Modern Times. The last of these periods began about four centuries ago. The Middle Ages included about a thousand years. The Romans belonged to Antiquity, but King Alfred is of the Middle Ages, and so are most of the castles and cathedrals, except St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was built about two hundred years ago, when the earlier cathedral of London had been destroyed by fire.
22.Hatfield.
It took the whole of the Middle Ages—a thousand years—to establish law and justice and order in England, a fact which shows with what care order should be treasured, once it has been attained. But at last men began to feel that even their rulers, who in a rough age are liable to attack, might leave their houses unfortified, and place them in the midst of pleasant gardens. This was the beginning of Modern Times. Here is Hatfield House, built for oneof England’s most famous statesmen, the Lord Burleigh, who three hundred years ago, served one of her greatest monarchs, Queen Elizabeth. A few years ago Hatfield was the home of another British statesman, Lord Salisbury, who was a descendant of Lord Burleigh, and served a still greater monarch—Queen Victoria. You see how different from a castle is the appearance of this house. It has square broad windows, giving a flood of light within, even to the ground floor; for the men who built it had no longer to fear that they would be attacked by arrows and by guns through their windows, and therefore they could afford to let in the light of the sun, which is loved in this cool Northern land.
But you must not think that all of England’s greatness has been made by her rich and powerful men. It is the glory of England that some of the most valuable things done for her have been done by poor men. You remember from the second Lecture that in Westminster Abbey, not only was our King-Emperor crowned, with the dignitaries of the empire round him, but also that there is a space called the Poets’ Corner, where are the tombs and monuments of some of the chief writers who have inspired the English with ideals of order and justice and freedom. These poets were mostly poor men—some of them very poor.
23.Stratford-on-Avon.
Here in the town of Stratford-on-Avon, in the centre of England, is the humble cottage, still preserved with care, in which at the time when the splendid house of Hatfield was built for Lord Burleigh, there was born and lived the greatest of all English writers, Shakespeare. To-day, in every town in which the English live throughout the world there are copies of at least two books, the holy book of the English—the Christian Bible—and the book full of human wisdom, which was written by Shakespeare.
24.Blenheim.
In London, in the Cathedral of St. Paul, we saw the monuments over the tombs of Nelson and Wellington, the sailor and the soldier who won the victories ofTrafalgar and Waterloo. Two hundred years ago, that is to say a hundred years before Nelson and Wellington, there lived another great general, who commanded the armies of England and won victories in the days of Queen Anne. He was the Duke of Marlborough, and this is the house, Blenheim Palace, which England built for him in gratitude for the victories he had won. In our own times, Queen Victoria and King Edward have given rewards to Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener, whose names and deeds you know. Blenheim, as you see, is a modern palace, not a fortified castle of the Middle Ages. But it is built in the ancient style, for there was law and order in the Empire of the Romans, and they also could therefore build spaciously and openly.
25.Eton—from Playing Fields.
26.Eton—from the River.
27.Eton—4th June.
Now there is one kind of old building in the land of England which we have not yet mentioned, though it is very interesting and very important. The youth of the English race, and especially that part of it which in after years is to work for Government at Home, in India, and in the Colonies, is carefully brought up in the midst of monuments of the past. For Englishmen wish that the citizens of the British Empire should not think too greatly each of himself, but should think greatly of the State which they serve. Therefore they bring up their youths to know that among their ancestors there were also men who did good work for the Nation. The highest thing an Englishman can do is to play his part well in his generation by adding a little to the great scheme of order and freedom which we call the British Empire. This is the ancient building of Eton, the chief of the public schools of Britain. It was founded by one of the Kings of England under the shadow of Windsor Castle. Here is another view of it, taken from the Thames, which flows between Windsor and Eton. And here are the boys amusing themselves in boats on their annual festival-day.The view, as you see, contains the Round Tower of Windsor Castle.
28.Oxford—from Magdalen Tower.
29.Oxford—High Street.
30.Oxford—Wadham Garden.
When the boys have grown to be young men, they go from school to the Universities. There are two ancient Universities in England, well-known to not a few students from India, Oxford and Cambridge, each adorned with beautiful buildings and gardens, and full of memories of the great men of the past. There are also ancient Universities in Scotland and Ireland, and there are new Universities in England such as the London University. But the historic Universities of Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. Here is the University of Oxford as viewed from the tower of one of its colleges. We see that it is a city filled with monuments and splendid buildings. This is the High Street in Oxford, with the Church of the University and some of the Palaces called Colleges, within which the young men live, together with some of the Professors who teach them. There are twenty-one of these colleges in Oxford, each with 200 or 300 students living within. Here is the garden of one of the colleges, where men may walk and think.
31.Cambridge—King’s.
32.Cambridge—King’s Chapel—Interior.
33.Cambridge—Clare Bridge.
Let us visit for a moment the sister University of Cambridge. This is the Church in the college that is called King’s College, for it was founded by one of the ancestors of King Edward. Here is the interior of that church. You see how delicately the great span of the vault is built. This church was erected at the close of the Middle Ages, when men no longer put up fortresses for houses. Therefore they had learned to build lightly, and to plan arches and windows with daring skill. Next is a scene in the gardens of the Cambridge colleges, with a bridge spanning the little River Cam.
34.Oxford—Commemoration Procession, with Prince of Wales.
35.Oxford—Merton College Library.
We will return for a moment to Oxford and see something of the working of the Universities. Here is a solemn procession of the dignitaries of the University of Oxford. This is the President of the University, called the Vice-Chancellor, and beside him, as a member of the University, is the Prince of Wales, the son of the King. In front of them are two Bedels carrying the maces of state. Next we have the interior of one of the many libraries of the University. It is the library of Merton College. The first duty of the University is to treasure and increase knowledge. The second is to impart that knowledge, so that it may be used for the good of mankind. But there is also a third, which, for an imperial nation, is very important. How comes it that young Englishmen, at home and in all lands of the earth, have learned to work together? In part, no doubt, it is because the schools have taught them not to think too highly each of himself. In part, also, it is because they have learnt from books, and are intelligent. But in part it is due to the games which they play at school and at the University. These games not only develop the body and give decision to the character, but they also teach each man to sacrifice himself for the common cause. If eight men row a boat in a race, no one can win victory for himself alone, but submitting his will, must strive that his boat may win against the boat which is chasing it.
36.Oxford Boats—The Start.
37.The same—The Race.
38.The same—A “Bump”.
39.The same—After the Race.
Let us look for a moment at two or three scenes in these contests at Oxford, where men learn to work together, to keep their tempers, to bear defeat, and to try again. The subject is one of great interest to us here in India, for our young men now play the same games as the English. Here is the start for the race. The boats are arranged in procession at equal distances. All start together at the firing of a pistol. Each tries to overtake and touch the boat in front of it. A boat which succeedsin the effort starts the next day in the place ahead of the boat which it has overtaken. Thus at the end of many days a boat may work its way up to the head of the procession. But a man who rowed in that boat would not say that he won the race—he would only claim to have rowed along with other good men in the victorious boat. Thus all men will know that he has not only learnt to strive hard, but also to obey. Here is the race in progress, and here is a “bump”; the second boat has caught the first, and the man who steers the first boat is good-temperedly acknowledging defeat by holding up his arm. Here lastly are the boats resting at the close of the race.
40.A Football Match—England v. Scotland.
You must not think, however, that these games are confined to the Public Schools and the Universities. The millions of people who never go to either play the same games and learn the same lessons from them. Here you will recognize a football match. It is being played between England and Scotland, each country having chosen the best team available from among its countrymen. In this game you can see at once that a man would be unpopular who played selfishly for his own distinction and not for the victory of his team.
41.A Cricket Match—England v. Australia.
Football is in England a winter game, for it requires considerable activity. Cricket is more especially the national game, and it is a game which, as you know, the English carry with them into every corner of the globe, including the tropics. The great Colony of Australia is not everywhere tropical, but as a whole it is much warmer than the home country. Cricket is played there with much zest. Now, because Australia is in the south and Britain in the north, their seasons are reversed. Therefore, during the Australian winter a cricket eleven is often sent to England, where it arrives during the northern summer.This is a cricket match, played before many spectators between England and Australia.
42.Oxford and Cambridge Athletics—The Hurdles.
43.Finish for the Half Mile.
There are many other athletic contests in which strength and skill are matched. Here, for instance, is a race between representatives of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Even in this contest, where one man only can win, the English do not say simply that he won the race, but they say that he won it for Oxford or Cambridge, as the case may be. Part of the glory is not his, it belongs to the University which trained him. Here is the finish of another race.
44.Ladies Playing Hockey.
Lastly, we must not forget that half the nation consists of women. The English like their women to play games, and to learn lessons of courage and self-control which shall make them brave and helpful wives in foreign countries or on the borders of the Empire. These ladies are playing the game of hockey. Probably, they are students at one of the Universities, for it is felt that women require intelligence no less than men, if they are to be the wise mothers of a race of rulers.