been in its palmy days. And there are few places in the Kingdom where
one is so impressed with the spirit of the ancient order of things as
when surrounded by the crumbling walls of Glastonbury Abbey.

[Illustration: ST. JOSEPH'S CHAPEL, GLASTONBURY ABBEY.]

At Wells is the cathedral that gives the town an excuse for existence.
Although one of the smallest of these great English churches, it is in
many respects one of the most symmetrical and beautiful. Its glory is
centered chiefly in its west front, with deep buttresses and many
sculptured images of kings and saints. We had only an unsatisfactory
glimpse of the interior, as services happened to be in progress. The
town of Wells is a mere adjunct to the cathedral. It has no history of
its own; no great family has ever lived there; and it can claim no
glory as the birthplace of distinguished sons. Still it has a distinct
charm as a quiet little Somersetshire town which has preserved its
antiquity and fascination. Its name is taken from the natural wells
still found in the garden of the Bishop's palace.

Bath, though it has the most remarkable Roman relics in the Kingdom, is
largely modern. It is now a city of fifty thousand and dates its rise
from the patronage of royalty a century and a half ago. It is one of the
towns that a motorist could scarcely miss if he wished--so many fine
roads lead into it--and I shall not attempt especial comment on a place
so well known. Yet, as in our case, it may be a revelation to many who
know of it in a general way but have no adequate idea of the real extent
of the Roman baths. These date from 50 to 100 A.D. and indicate a degree
of civilization which shows that the Roman inhabitants in Britain must
have been industrious, intelligent and cleanly.