33 



peace that lasted a long time ; insomuch that a man might travel 

 with rings of gold and fear no evil greeting. 



But Arthur was gone back to Scotland to the aid of his kinsman 

 Howel. 



This legend has, with all its wild, romantic air, and poeti- 

 cally coloured beauty, two important marks which indicate 

 that we have history here. In the first place, the description 

 of Arthur's armour was given before this battle, which shows 

 that a traditional importance was attached to the battle of 

 Bath. For the narrative is taken from a book of three 

 volumes of British story, a large part being occupied by 

 Arthur, and there were plenty of opportunities of giving the 

 particulars of his armour ; but it was given before the battle 

 of Bath, which shows that considerable importance was 

 attached to that very engagement. In the next place is the 

 very striking way in which the geography of the locality 

 corresponds to the description given in the legend. The two 

 hills — Solsbury on one side and Hampton Down on the 

 other — with their several fortifications facing each other, and 

 the river Avon flowing between — agree in a remarkable man- 

 ner with the description there given. 



One of the most important periods in the history of Bath 

 is the Norman period of John de Villula, who built the 

 cathedral and re-edified the town. Of all the buildings which 

 he raised in Bath, there seems to be nothing i7i situ ; with 

 the exception of the basement of two pillars or piers, which 

 are to be seen in the Orange Grove, at the east end of the 

 present Cathedral. 'J'hese pillars indicate, it is supposed, the 

 crossing point between the chancel and the nave of the 

 Norman edifice, which must, in that case, have run out into 

 the Orange Grove. This is Mr. Irvine's interpretation of these 

 remains, and it appeai-s a natural and correct hypothesis. 

 There have been discovered in the late demolition of the 

 White Hart a corbel and some other carved fragments of the 



D 



