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These abbeys are still standing, though they have been diverted from their original design. One is now used as a hospital, and the other as a public school.

"And we shall see both of them, when we get to Caen," said Grimkie, "if we go that way."

"And can we go into them ?" asked Florence. "Yes, I suppose so," said Grimkie.

"But there is one thing that we can certainly go and see," continued Grimkie, "which will amuse you very much. And that is the Bayeux tapestry."

Florence had herself read about the Bayeux tapestry in the history of William the Conqueror, but John had not, and he asked Grimkie what it was. Grimkie proceeded to explain the circumstances of this famous tapestry. The facts of the case are as follows.

William the Conqueror died about eight hundred years ago, and all the books of history and of travels relating to Normandy going back for five hundred years, speak of a roll of tapestrywith pictures worked upon it with a needle, like those made upon samplers in modern times by girls at school,-which it has always been said was worked by Matilda his queen, to commemorate the leading events of his life.. The cloth is

coarse on which the figures are worked, and the embroidery is very plain. Still the roll nas always been considered as not only very curious, but also very valuable as a memorial of the modes of dress, and the manners and customs of those early days. The roll is very long and contains representations of a great number of scenes and incidents. It is in the town of Bayeux where it has always been, and from which it derives its name of the Bayeux tapestry. For several centuries it was kept in the cathedral, among other treasures, but it is now deposited in a public library, where it is visited and examined by all travellers passing that way, who take an interest in such relics and memorials of former times.

"We will all go to see it," said Grimkie, "if we go that way. You will like to see it very much I am sure, Florence, and I think Auntie will like to see it."

"I am sure I shall like to see it," said Flor

ence.

"And yet," said Grimkie,' they say it is not very pretty after all. It is curious rather than pretty."

"Well," said Florence, "I like to see curious things, though I think I like to see pretty things the best. But I am sure I shall like to see this

tapestry."

"I don't believe I shall care anything about it," said John.

"I doubt whether you will," replied Grimkie. "But there is one place you will like to see. At least you will like to hear the story of it.”

"What is the story of it ?" asked John.

"It is about the way in which William the Conqueror got killed," said Grimkie. "He had to come back from England in the latter part of his life and fight for his old dominions, against the king of France. In one of these wars he took the town of Mantes, and he ordered it to be burnt. After the fire had subsided, he was riding through the streets to see the mischief that he had made, and his horse stepped on some of the embers that were still on fire. The embers burnt the horse's foot and made him rear up suddenly, and the pommel of the saddle, or something else there which was high and hard, struck him in the stomach and hurt him dreadfully. They took him off his horse and carried him away and took care of him, but he never got over the hurt. He was very large and fleshy at this time of his life, and that made it the worse for him. He lingered six weeks and then died. "We shall go through Mantes, and we can see the place where all this happened."

"It is a good story enough," said John, "but

I don't think it would be worth much to see where it happened. If I could see the king himself riding through the fire, and his horse rearing up, it would be worth while-but the fire is all out long before now."

"Yes," said Grimkie. "It was eight hundred years ago."

"Then the town has all been built up again I suppose," said John.

“Yes,” said Grimkie, "eight or ten times over probably. I presume that the houses in such towns do not last upon an average over a hundred years, and if that is the case eight or ten towns have been built one after another over the ground where William got hurt.”

"Then I dont think there would be much satisfaction in seeing the place," said John. "It must be all so changed."

I think that John was right in his reasoning. The interest with which we visit places and scenes celebrated in history, is greatly diminished by the total change which most of them have undergone, during the lapse of the long periods of time which have intervened, since the events which they commemorate occurred.

CHAPTER IV.

JOURNEY TO BAYEUX.

WHEN the children reported to Mrs. Morelle that they had examined the different ways of going from Paris to London, and that they hac decided in favor of the route by the Channel Islands, she seemed quite surprised, and said that she had no idea of including that remote and roundabout way among those which they were to select from. She meant that they might choose between any of the ordinary and usually travelled routes. She had three objections, she said, to going by the Channel Islands. First it was very far; secondly, it was late in the season and she was afraid it would be cold; and thirdly, there would be three sea voyages to take instead of one, that is, provided they stopped at both the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, which was Grimkie's plan.

Grimkie admitted that his aunt's promise to let the children have their choice of the modes of going to London, did not fairly include the route by the Channel Islands; and he said they

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