rounds three islands, from which, as if from the water, rise its
walls and towers. This castle is now the residence of Mr. Wykeham Martin
and contains many valuable antiquities. Also near the eastern border of
the Weald is Tenterden, famous for its church-steeple, which Bishop
Latimer has invested with a good story. The bishop in a sermon said that
Sir Thomas More was once sent into Kent to learn the cause of the
Goodwin Sands and the obstructions to Sandwich Haven. He summoned
various persons of experience, and among others there "came in before
him an olde man with a white head, and one that was thought to be little
lesse than an hundereth yeares olde. When Maister More saw this aged man
he thought it expedient to hear him say his minde in this matter, for
being so olde a man, it was likely he knew most of any man in that
presence and company. So Maister More called this olde aged man unto
him, and sayd, 'Father, tell me if ye can what is the cause of this
great arising of the sande and shelfs here about this haven, the which
stop it up that no shippes can arrive here. Ye are the oldest man that I
can espie in all this companye, so that, if any man can tell any cause
of it, ye of likelihode can say most in it, or at leastwise more than
any man here assembled.'--'Yea, forsooth, good master,' quod this olde
man, 'for I am wellnigh an hundreth years olde, and no man here in this
companye anything neare unto mine age.'--'Well, then,' quod Maister
More, 'how say you in this matter? What think ye to be the cause of
these shelfs and flattes that stop up Sandwich Haven?'--'Forsooth, syr,'
quoth he, 'I am an olde man; I think that Tenterton Steeple is the cause
of Goodwin Sandes. For I am an olde man, syr,' quod he, 'and I may
remember the building of Tenterton Steeple, and I may remember when
there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenterton Steeple was
a-building there was no manner of speaking of any flattes or sandes that
stopped the haven; and, therefore, I thinke that Tenterton Steeple is
the cause of the destroying and decaying of Sandwich Haven.' And even so
to my purpose," says Latimer in conclusion, "is preaching of God's worde
the cause of rebellion, as Tenterton Steeple is a cause that Sandwich
Haven is decayed." Now this "olde aged man" had some excuse for his
theory in the Kentish tradition, which says that the abbot of St.
Augustine, who built the steeple, used for it the stones collected to
strengthen