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King of England set foot on our shores. He found his 
countrymen everywhere in power, and Norman the recognised 
language of the Court. He resolved to endeavour to succeed his 
cousin on the English throne. Within a few months of 
William’s return to Normandy, the Norman sway was for the 
time brought to an end. Godwin was established in power more 
firmly than ever, but after being Prime Minister for six months, 
he was seized with apoplexy at the King’s table and died very 
shortly. He was succeeded by Harold, who spent twelve years 
in consolidating the power of the Kingdom. About the year 
1064, Harold made the visit to Normandy which is depicted on 
the tapestry, and during that visit he took the oath, the breaking 
of which was the leading cause alleged by William for the 
invasion. The exact nature of the oath is unknown. The 
consecration of Westminster Abbey—in the erection of which 
the King had taken an intense interest—took place on December 
28th, 1065. On the 5th of the following month the last male 
King of the house of Cedric died. If the ordinary custom had 
been followed, Edgar Atheling, one of Cedric’s line, would have 
been chosen to succeed Edward. But the wise men rightly 
judging that the crisis was no time for setting a stripling on the 
throne, selected Harold, who had shown himself a thorough 
Englishman, and in whom had been discovered the craft of the 
statesman and the skill of the warrior. The period of Harold’s 
reign was only nine months, and that a time of turbulence. 
William claimed the crown, but the Norman’s demands were 
indignantly rejected. The tapestry vividly depicts the prepara- 
tions made for war. When Harold was in Yorkshire quelling 
the Norwegian invasion, news came to him that William had 
landed at Pevensey. Then came the march to London and to 
Bath, and the memorable fight of Hastings. Thrilling incidents 
of the battle are shown on the tapestry. With Harold’s fall was 
involved the fall of England. The life went out of the nation 
when their champion expired on Senlac field. It is hard to find 
consolation in defeat; but may we not say that from the 
encounter of the stubborn and law-loving Saxon with the 
chivalric and art-loving Norman a new nation has been moulded, 
preserving the best characteristics of the two antagonists, and 
that from that hard fought battlefield has come a race which has 
had a greater share in the world’s work and progress than has 
fallen to the lot of any other nation ? 
An excellent reproduction of the Bayeux tapestry was exhibited. 
This work was begun in 1885. Fac-simile water-colour drawings 
of the original tapestry were lent by the authorities of South 
Kensington Museum, from these tracings were obtained, which 
were subsequently transferred to cloth. The material resembles 
