A QUAINT CORNER OF ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 66

A QUAINT CORNER OF ENGLAND.

(C. Dudley Lampex. in Cassell's Magazine.) Within a dozen miles severally of the towns of Dover, Canterbury, Ramsgate, and Margate hes a corner of England wellnigh unique both as regards its historical associations and in, the charm imparted by its picturesque and old-world appearance. The spot, which has been trodden alike by the feet of a Caesar and a Boadicea, a Hengist and an Augustine ; which has witnessed the hurried flight and conceal ment of a Becket, the successive landings of Saxons, Jute«, Danes, and Norsemen, of French soldiers and Dutch sailors must needs be interesting, ever, had it never witnessed the grand, if somewhat boisterous, pageant of Queen Elizabeth's coming, or the homage paid to Horatio, Lord Nelson. It was here, according to ancient local tradition, that Julius Qi'sar landed on August 26, B.C. 55 ; encamping among the sandhills not far from the place where the Britons had their oppidum, and where — to translate the soldier-author"s words — the natives "had been used to meet together in order that they . might be able to check an invasion." From time to time the sandhills, (now largely occupied by the St. George's Golf Club) have disclosed evidence of the coming of the great Julius. Coins in considerable numbers have been discovered ; and during the making of the Deal railway, in June 1879, the skeleton of a Roman soldier, having by his .side the typical broad, shoit, and double-edged sword, was brought to light. There are further traditions concerning the crowds of be-woaded Britons as,sem!bled along the sandhills to drive away the invadeis : of Cascar rallying his troops, who failed at first to effect a landing ; of the braveiy of the standard -beaier of the Tenth Le>gion, ■who, crying aloud to the gods of Rome, leaped from the high prow of his galley, bearing aloft the eagle symbol, and, leading afresh the attack, secured a victory from which developed a conquest piegnanfc with far-i caching results. When, in the fifth century, the English landed on the same shore they found the locality so suited to their tastes that they decided to settle here Their advent was not without its- baptism of blood ; and Foxborough Hill, situated pome two miles from Sandwich, was probably tho scene of the burial of "The Fox," leader of the Saxons. In the seventh centuiy Egbert, seventh King of Kent, on succeeding his father, established hh palace in the " royal ville " of Eastria, row called Kistry, a large village two and a-half miles from Sandwich, and on the main road to Dover. With him there came to reside two young men of noble birth, Ethelred and lvthelbert. being the King's cousins. They are described as being greatly noted for their learning and good manners, a.s well as for their ability in field sports. So much so that (accoiding to Lambarde) "they gave to all weldisposed persons and lovers of vertue great expectation that they would become at length wortliie of much estimation and honour : and, on the other side, drew upon them the feaie. mishkmg, and bitter hatred of the naughtie, wicked, and malicious sort."' The King's chief adviser was a man named Thunnex (Thunder), who seems to have been the villain of the play Simon of Durban describe* him as " a certain man of sin and son of perdition, a limb of Satan and of the house of the devil." This man, being filled with envy against the voting princes, made use of every opportunity to poi«on the King's mind "with regard to them ; suggesting especially that they were plotting against the throne. He even went so far as to persuade Egbert that he should take no steps to punish any who might iriake away with them. It "was not long before Thunner's opportunity came. The two princes were secretly slain, and the wicked Prime Minister "buried their bodies in the King's hall under the cloth of his estate." Then conies the supernatural revelation of the affair— after the manner dearly loved by the historians, of the time — " for in the dead of night theie appealed a trUttering pillar of light, s-hining over the 'hall of the Kings palace." The~ho\i»ebold was aroused, and the a Slighted monarch, beholding the mysterious light. "was touched," says- Lambarde. "with the conscience of murther. v hereunto- he had a little before in hart consented." Hastilysummoning the kicked Thunner, Egbert forced him to confess the murder of the princes Himself being overwhelmed with contntion for that winch be had not hindered, he straight way sent to Canterbury for the archbishop, Theodore, to whom he made confession of his crime and sin. Whereupon the archbishop directed that the bodies be exhumed and sent to the cathedral for proper burial. But, says the historian, when the king's servants attemp- \ ted to drag thither the vehicle bearing the two coffins, it stuck fast and could not be moved. It is curious that at the present time a light is sometimes s ee n hovering ovei the ancient portion of the bouse known as "Edstiy Court.' on the side which adjoins the churchyard In 1573 — to pass over a wide interval of time — Good Queen Be«s took it into her head to visit Sandwich Due notice of her coming Mas sent to the brewers of the locality (who, then as now. were noted for their' a!'') to "brewe good beer against her comying ' For Elizabeth herself was said to be fond of the foamumtankard.