h in the way within so important a fortress seeing how
international the interests of their congregation were. The church, of
course, remained. It was originally a cruciform building, with central
tower, but the south transept has been destroyed as has the chapel east
of the north transept where now the vestry stands. The eastern apse,
too, has been replaced by a square end. Apart from these changes,
however, the church remains largely as it was in the time of Henry I.,
the west front being especially fine, and the font with its relief of
the Baptism of Our Lord, a very notable Romanesque work. I lingered
long in Porchester, indeed till sundown. Nothing in all England rightly
understood is more reverent than this great ruin, not even the Wall.
It, too, like that great northern barrier, was built in our defence by
our saviours against our worst foes the barbarians, the pagans. It,
too, was an outpost of civilisation and of the Faith against the
darkness. Wherever Rome has passed, there a flower will blow for ever,
wherever Rome has been, there is light, wherever Rome has built, there
is something which moves us as nothing else can do, and not least here
in England of my heart upon the verge of the Saxon shore, while we
recall the past at evening and question the future, the future which
will not be known.

CHAPTER XVII

SOUTHAMPTON

When I left Porchester I went on into Fareham to sleep, and next
morning set out by train, for it was raining, to go to Clausentum.
Before I left the railway, however, the weather began to clear, and
presently the sun broke through the clouds, so that when I came into
Clausentum the whole world was again full of joy.

Clausentum, which even to-day, is not without charm was as I understand
it, the mother of Southampton, a Roman, perhaps even a Celtic
foundation, for its name Clausentum is certainly of Celtic origin. Of
its high antiquity there can at least be no doubt, for there we may
still see parts of the Roman walls near nine feet thick and innumerable
Roman remains have been found within them.

The situation of Clausentum, too, was rather Celtic than Roman. It
stands upon a tongue of land thrust out into the Itchen from the left
bank, between Northam and St Denys on the right bank; the river washed
its walls upon three sides, north, south and west, but upon the
landward side to the east it was protected by two lines of defence, an
outer and an inner, the one nearly three hun