To-day we spent in Bristol, except for a brief trip to Bath 11 miles away, to visit the remains of the Roman Baths, built 873 years before Christ. St. Mary Redcliffe is a famous church in Bristol. Queen Elizabeth said this was the “fairest, goodliest, and most famous church in all England.” It was built in the 13th. century. In the lobby, we saw a poster of Roosevelt’s, on the evils of divorce. Beautiful chimes sounded as we entered. A beautiful Memorial window is here to the memory of John Cabot and the father of William Penn is buried here. Wonderful carving everywhere and a little box with lock in each seat to hold the books.
Looked with interest at the stone seats around the wall, put there for the aged. Formerly people did not sit in church but stood or knelt, and only elderly people would sit. From this came the saying “the weak have gone to the wall.” The “Leper’s Squint” was an opening where lepers could look through the wall and see the priest, but could not come inside. A bible printed in 1795 was chained to a rack as it used to be on account of high price. Mrs. Boole read some verses from it - selections from the book of Isaiah.
Went down into the prison underneath where Cromwell confined prisoners. Went into the crypt which was damp and “smelly” and filled with memories of past ages. We sat on stools and benches made in the time of Queen Anne in 1710, which they put down the aisles, and the people sat back to back. Handel who died in 1579, used to come here and play the great organ. Fourteen young men from the choir were killed in the recent war.
We went to Bath in the afternoon to view the oldest ruin in western England. - wonderful masonry. Drank of the water at 120 degrees fahrenheit and heard a fine concert. Saw the home of Sir Walter Scott, Wordsworth, and Lord Nelson, when they lived in Bath.
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