54 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



not then crested by that skeleton, that wretched 

 anatomy of a spire, nor fringed by tall black chimneys. 



At Rouen Linnaeus embarked in a vessel bound for 

 Helsingborg. Wind and tide bore him swiftly past the 

 heights of Canteleu, by the houses hewn in the white 

 cliffs at Duclair ; and the towers of Jumieges, tinged 

 with the story of that pardoned Magdalen, the tender 

 Agnes Sorel. Carl gathered myosotis at her tomb. He 

 sailed by leafy curving Caudebec, beloved of painters ; 

 and Lillebonne, enjoyed of antiquaries, with its Con- 

 queror's castle and Roman theatre; and Tankarville, 

 which Turner has idealised from beauty to another form 

 of beauty, where the buildings are all in Roman style, 

 with brick string-courses in the flint walls, suggesting 

 the stratified greyish -white cliffs of the adjacent coast 

 with courses of flints all the buildings, that is, but 

 the thick bulging church spires, which are like stout 

 cotton umbrellas. The river opens out near hilly 

 Honfleur and magnificent Havre ; yet not so wide but 

 that for long Carl could see the pleasant woods and 

 distinguish particular trees, and hear the good-byes of 

 the French birds, singing their good wishes to his love, 

 as his vessel threaded its course among the fishing-boats 

 scudding in the sunlight between the sandbanks. 



He landed with the pilot at Honfleur, marketing 

 some radishes, ' petits pains,' and other provisions for 

 his voyage ; and collecting an innocent little contraband 

 of peace some honey-suckle, an ivy wreath, a few wild 

 strawberries. 



