59 



now over some seventy j'-ears, vre come to a Chronicle of 

 extreme interest, the Gesta Stephani* hitherto altogether over- 

 looked. Covering the time of Stephen, a terrilsle time, 

 imperfectly known through our present histories, this Chronicle 

 is of particular interest, as, contrary to those more known, it 

 is in Stephen's favour. Unlike the others too, which treat more 

 of northern affairs, the western events being but shortly 

 mentioned and from general rather than personal knowledge, 

 this one treats the western events fully, the author writing as 

 having been an eye witness of what he records. Who the author 

 was is unknown ; but he was clearly cotemporary — probably a 

 Norman — and connected either with the Court or the King. 



After describing Bristol and the Castle, and telling us that the 

 latter, " vast and fearful " to beholders, was made terrible to the 

 district by a garrison of freebooters and robbers, he adds : — 

 " There is a city six miles [error for twelve] from Bristol where 

 the hot springs circulating in channels beneath the surface are 

 conducted in channels artificially constructed and are collected 

 into an arched reservoir, to supply the warm baths which stand 

 in the middle of the place — most delightful to see and beneficial 

 for health. The city is called Batta, the name being derived from 

 a word in the English tongue which signifies Bath, because iufirm 

 people resort to it from all parts of England for the purpose of 

 washing themselves in these salubrious waters, and persons in 

 health also assemble there to see the curious bubbling up of the 

 warm springs and to use the baths." 



The date of this charmingly pretty account is 1138, and it is 

 the earliest mention of the scene. By a little imagination we can 

 see Bath, " The " bath back to the Conquest, and had the writer 

 added that in a gallery hard by minstrels minstreled, we should 

 have before us almost as perfect a picture as through any much 

 later description. 



* By Sewell. 



