JUNE 127 



espoused the losing side, had their new monastery of 

 Hyde burnt about their ears, and their great cross, the 

 gift of Cnut, was melted to a shapeless alloy of gold and 

 silver. But Henry of Blois befriended the Old Minster. 

 A great collector of works of art, he laid up vast treasure 

 in the cathedral, and richly enshrined there the relics of 

 many saints. But all these are scattered now, save the 

 great font of black stone, carved with figures illustrating 

 the miracles of St. Nicholas, still to be seen in the nave, 

 and a gold ring set with a sapphire, found when Henry's 

 tomb was opened not many years ago. A nobler and more 

 enduring monument he founded — the Hospital of St. 

 Cross — over the meadows to the south of the town, where 

 to this day the brethren refuse to no wayfarer a dole of 

 bread and a draught of ale. 



With the death of Henry i. in 1135 the sun of Win- 

 chester turned towards its setting. Hitherto the ancient 

 city had remained the practical capital of the realm, the 

 favourite abode of the Court, the repository of the public 

 records, the chief seat of justice and learning. Also it 

 could boast of the chief State prison, and no less than 

 eight carnifices or executioners — a large percentage in a 

 town of some 10,000 or 12,000 inhabitants. Yet these 

 officials never enjoyed a sinecure : and the bishop had his 

 separate prison also, with its appropriate staff. In spite 

 of this there came a time when no free Wintonian could 

 be found to do a certain act of bloody injustice. Win- 

 chester was ever faithful to her kings, no matter how 

 bad they might be ; so it came to pass that her citizens 

 warmly supported the cause of Edward ii., even through 

 the evil days of his imprisonment and death ; wherefore. 



