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.

Excavations have been conducted with great difficulty, since the Roman remains lie directly under an important part of the city covered with valuable buildings.  Nearly all of the baths in the vicinity of the springs have been uncovered and found in a surprising state of perfection.  In many places the tiling with its mosaic is intact, and parts of the system of piping laid to conduct the water still may be traced.  Over the springs has been erected the modern pump-house and many of the Roman baths have been restored to nearly their original state.  In the pump-house is a museum with hundreds of relics discovered in course of excavation—­sculpture, pottery, jewelry, coin and many other articles that indicate a high degree of civilization.  Outside of the Roman remains the most notable thing in Bath is its abbey church, which, in impressive architecture and size, will compare favorably with many of the cathedrals.  In fact, it originally was a cathedral, but in an early day the bishopric was transferred to Wells.  There is no ruined fortress or castle in Bath, with its regulation lot of legends.  Possibly in an effort to remedy the defect, there has been erected on one of the hills that overlook the town a structure which goes by the epithet of the Sham Castle.