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quest of England, intended to have been Continued to 

 Duke William's coronation, but from some cause or otber 

 left unlinisbed. Mr. Gurney considered it to be an apolo- 

 getical history of the claims of William to the crown of 

 England, and of the breach of faith and fall of Harold ; and 

 that, as it stands, it contains a perfect and finished action. 



In the mean time, the Society of Antiquaries in 1816 

 despatched an excellent and accurate artist, Mr. Charles 

 Stothard, to Bayeux, who in that and the succeeding year 

 brought home aperfect fac-simile of the tapestry; the draw- 

 ings of which have been since engraved, coloured like the 

 original, and published in the sixth volume of the Vetusta 

 Monumenta, plate i. to xvii. 



The appearance of the first portion of Mr. Stothard's draw- 

 ings gave rise to some Observations from Mr. Amyot, in re- 

 futation of an historical fact which the tapestry had been 

 supposed to establish : namely, that of Harold's mission to 

 Normandy by the Confessor to offer the succession to Wil- 

 liam. (Arc/ueol. vol. xix. p. 88.) These were followed by 

 C. Stothard's own observations while at Bayeux, pointing out 

 such circumstances as presented themselves to his notice 

 during the minute investigation to which the tapestry was 

 necessarily subjected (Ibid. vol. xix. p. 184), and again fol- 

 luwod by A Defence of the early antiquity of the Tapestry, 

 by Mr. Amyot (Ibid. p. 192), in which the objections raised 

 by the Abbe de la Rue against the tradition which made 

 the tapestry co-eval with the events it celebrates, are com- 

 pletely invalidated. The last account of this tapestry is in 

 Mrs. Stothard's Letters from Normandy, 4to. Lond. 1820, 

 let. xi. pp. 121-134 ; except a brief notice of it in Dibdin's 

 Bibliographical Tour, Svo. Lond. 1821, vol. i. pp. 373-391. 



The work begins with the figure of a king seated upon 

 l.is throne, who is addressing one of two persons standing by 

 his.-ide: the inscription is simply ' EDWARD RKX.' It ap- 

 pears to be Harold taking leave. We next see Harold pro- 

 ceeding to Boseham attended by several followers ; he carries 

 n hawk upon his fist, at that time the distinguishing mark of 

 nobility ; his dogs are running before him : ' IBI HAROLD 



DVX ANGLORVM ET SVl MIL1TES EQV1TANT AD I1OSHAM.' 



A church is then represented, in front of which are two men 

 who appear about to enter : above is the word ' ECCLESIA.' 

 This church is Hoseham in Sussex. The parly next appear 

 feasting at a table in a house, previous to their embarkation. 

 Some persons are descending the steps from the apartment 

 where they have been dining; others are embarking in four 

 vessels. Harold enters first, still bearing the hawk and 

 carrying a dog under his arm. These last-mentioned 

 figures are wading through the water, naked from the waist 

 downwards : ' me HAROLD MAKE NAVIGAVIT ET VKLIS 



VKNTO PLEN1S VENIT IN TERRAM WIDONIS COMITIS.' The 



last of the four vessels next appears anchoring in France, 

 Harold standing at the prow : his name ' HAROLD' above. 

 Three figures are then represented upon land; one of them 

 is Harold in the act of being seized by order of Guy Earl of 

 Ponthieu, who is on horseback, followed by his people : ' Hie 



APPRKHEN'DIT WIDO HAROLDVM KT DVX1T KVM AD BELREM 



KT >bi KVM TENVIT.' Harold and Guy are next seen 

 mounted upon their horses, and attended both by Saxon and 

 Norman soldiers. The Saxons are distinguished by wear- 

 ing mustachios; the Normans have none. Harold and Guy 

 appear in conversation, ' vni HAROLD ET WIDO PARAHO- 

 LANT :' when messengers arrive from William Duke of Nor- 

 mandy to the Earl of Ponthieu ' VBI NVNTU WIJ.IELMI DV- 

 CIS VKNURVNT AD wiDONKM.' Between the Earl of Ponthieu 

 who is seated, and his guards who receive the messengers, 

 a tree divide* the subject, as other trees, in like manner, 

 divide all the principal events throughout the work. A 

 d'.vyrf, with the name of 'TVROLD' above, holds the horses 

 of Duke William s messengers. William's messengers are 

 again represented on horseback, bearing shields ;' NVNTII 

 v. M.IKLMI.' Next is a Saxon messenger mustached, kneel- 

 ing l William on his ducal seat : ' HIC VENIT NVNCIVS AD 

 VVII.GELMVM nvCEM.' Guy is seen immediately after, con- 

 diirtmg Harold to the duke: 'HIC WIDO ADDVXIT HAROL- 



KVM .\I) \VII.GELMVM NOHMANNORVM DVCEM.' William 



meets them, and returns with Harold to his palace : ' HIC 



1MX VT1LOKLM CVM HAROLDO VENIT AD PALATIUM SVVH.' 



Wu hswe then u female figure within the door of a church, 

 and a priest, and beneath them the words ' VNVS CLERICVS 

 ET .BLFGY. VA.' Mr. Douce says evidently Adeliza, Wil- 

 liam's daughter, who was allianccd to Harold. The next 

 event is William's warfare with Conan Earl of Bretagne, 

 in which it is apparent Harold assisted and rendered essen- 



tial service to the Norman party : ' me WILLEM DVX KT 



EXKRCITVS EIVS VENEHVNT AD MONTEM M1CHAF.US.' Sol 



diers, mounted on horseback, arrive at Mount St. Michael 

 and pass the river Cosno: 'ET HIC TRANS IERVNT FLVMEN cos- 

 NONIS ET VENERVNT AD DOL.' Harold is depicted among 

 them, assisting some persons who had fallen into the quick- 

 sands while passing the river :' HIC HAROLD DVX THAHE- 

 BAT EOS DE ARENA.' We have then the words 'ET CONAN 

 FVGA VERTIT.' Conan is seen escaping from Dol and descend- 

 ing the walls by a rope. Troops are flying and approach 

 Rennes : ' REDNES.' The Norman soldiers are next em- 

 ployed in attacking Dinant: 'HIC MILITKS WILLKLMI 

 DVCIS PVGNANT CONTRA DiNANTES,' Conan delivers up 

 to them the keys of the town, which they succeed in taking : 

 ET CVNAN CLAVES PORREXIT. After this event William 

 rewards the services of Harold by giving him a suit of ar- 

 mour: 'HIC WILLELM DED1T HAROLDO ARMA.' William 



and his party then arrive at Bayeux: ' HIC WILLELM VENIT 

 BAGIAS.' It is said that William, in order to secure to him- 

 self the succession of the Saxon throne, without having 

 Harold for a competitor, caused him to take a solemn vow 

 that he would never attempt the possession of the English 

 crown : this vow he obliged Harold (then within his power) 

 to make upon a covered altar, beneath which William had 

 placed the most sacred and precious relics. No sooner had 

 Harold sworn the oath, than the Norman duke uncovered 

 the altar, and showing him by what sacred things he had 

 vowed, enforced upon his mind the blasphemy he would 

 be guilty of, if he ever attempted the violation of his oath. 

 Harold is represented taking the oatii, while standing 

 between two covered altars 'VBI HAROLD SACRAMENTVM 

 FECIT WILLKLUOOVCI.' Harold next embarks for England : 



'HIC HAROLD DVX REVERSVS EST AD ANGL1CAM TKRRAK 



ET VENIT AD EDWARDVM HEGEM;' and is immediately after 

 represented as relating the events of his journey to the 

 Saxon king. 



The next subject is the death and funeral of Edward the 

 Confessor. The funeral procession comes first : ' HIC 



PORTATVR COHPVS EADWARDI REGIS AD ECCLESIAM PETRI 



APOSTOLI.' The king is then represented in his bed, giving 

 his last directions to the officers of his court: his wile 

 Editha weeping by his side : ' HIC EADWAHUVS REX 

 ALI.OQVIT FIUELES.' Beiieuth he is represented dead and 

 laid out: ' ET me DEFVNCTVS EST.' The next subject is 

 the crown offered to Harold by the people: ' me DEDE- 

 RVNT HAROLDO couONAM itEGis.' Harold then appears 

 upon his throne, Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, at 

 his side: 'HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORVM. STI- 

 GANT ARCHIEPISCOPVS.' The subject that follows is the 

 appearance of a cornet, at which the people are gazing : 

 ' ISTI MIRANT STELLAM.' Harold is seen below it, listening 

 to a person who has approached him : his name above, 

 ' HAROLD. Boats are represented in the border beneath. 

 The next subject which the tapestry represents is a ship, 

 bringing to William the news of Harold's having assumed 

 the English crown : 'HIC NAVIS ANGLIC A VKNIT IN TEK- 

 RAM WILLELMI DVCIS.' William and his half-brother, Odo 

 bishop of Bayeux (distinguishable by the tonsure), appear 

 consulting together and giving orders that ships should bo 

 built for the purposed invasion of England : ' HIC WILLELM 

 DVX IVSSIT NAVES EDiFiCAHE.' Accordingly several per- 

 sons are next represented as employed in cutting down 

 trees ; carpenters are constructing vessels, and others draw 

 them into the sea: 'HIC TRAHVNT NAVES AD MARK.' The 

 embarkation of the Normans forms the" succeeding subject ; 

 they carry with them on board the ships wine, arms, and 

 provisions : ' ISTI PORTANT ARMAS AD NAVES ET TRAHVNT 

 CARRVM CVM VINO ET ARMis.' William going to his own 

 vessel is next represented : ' HIC WILLELM DVX IN MAGNO 

 NAVIGIO.' Numerous ships are then seen passing the sea, 

 loaded with troops and horses, and William arrives in 

 Pevensey bay (his own vessel known by the figure of a boy 

 holding a pennon at the stern ; it bears a lantern at the 



must): ' MARE TRANSIVIT ET VENIT AI> PEVKNKS^S.' The 



troops and horses next appear disembarking : they pro- 

 ceed to Hastings, where they seize provisions : ' me 



EXEVNT CAHALLI DE NAVIDVS ET HIC M1LITES FF.STI- 

 NAVERVNT HASTINGA VT CIHVM RAPERENTVR.' A figure 



on horseback, bearing a pennon at the end of his lance, 

 is here distinguished by the words ' me EST VVADARD. 

 The Normans are now busied in cooking moats and regal- 

 ing themselves: 'HIC COQVITVR CARO ET HIC MINIS- 



TRAVERYNT MINISTRI. HIO FECERVNT PRAND1VM.' The 



