Havergal College - Magazine Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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Havergai College Magazine England. He then tells his adventures to Edward, whose death and funeral follow immediately after (it may be noticed that the funeral comes first). Amidst great rejoicings Harold ascends the throne. Then the news reaches AYilliam and he begins im- mediate preparations for war. The Normans set sail at once for England, and here we see a mariner walking lightly upon the waves bearing a huge anchor, which he fastens to a slender tree. They march to Hastings, and encamp there ; then the great battle follows, Harold is killed and the English flee. Quite a number of buildings are included in the tapestry, such as Edward ' s palace, AYilliam ' s castle and Westminster Abbey itself. They are all perfectly flat, as a small child draws houses, but there are signs of Norman architecture in the rounded arches and heavy pillars. Much can be gleaned from the study of the work con- cerning the military and civil dress of the times. The costume of the ordinary man appears to be composed of a short smock caught in at the waist by a cord and a long sweeping cape fastened to the shoulders. A soldier wears a coat of mail made of heavy chain, and bears on his head a very fine helmet. He carries the usual banner and shield. The manners and customs of these people seem to be very natural and true to life, and the whole production speaks of vigour and spirit. The ex- pressions of the different faces seem animated and full of life. For instance, AYilliam ' s feelings on receiving the news of what is taking place in England are quite apparent from the sulky, disagreeable expression he bears. The old tapestry remains a monument to the patience and industry of those ladies of the eleventh century and to the grim realities bv which a mighty Empire is built up. EMBREE McBRIDE. Form Lower VI. A SUMMER EXPERIENCE. It was a lonely little bay on the mainland, not often visited because there was nothing out of the ordinary to attract most people. One side was high and rocky and covered in places with masses of moss and ferns, the other was low and marshy, the shore fringed with tall grass and reeds. The end of the bay was filled with lily pads and tall grass with a background of evergreens and poplar. Deer had been seen in the bay, though not often, but we were determined to see one, at least, before the end of the summer. Every evening about sunset we paddled quietly into the bay and hid the canoe and ourselves, as well as possible, among the tall grass at one side of the bay. Generally the watching and waiting were in vain, and often we were driven home by sand flies and mosquitoes. But if no deer appeared 36

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Havergal College Magazine of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. In all probability it was used to decorate the nave of the Cathedral and because of the great quantities of similar work accomplished at that period, it was considered of no special value. For years it hung unheeded and unnoticed while great events were taking place. It saw Normandy become part of the Angevin Empire, then slip away from John ' s careless hands and finally become part of the realm of France. Great changes took place ; the tapestry still hung on the wall and gradually all work of its kind died out. All through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries tapestry was considered a lost art, except in the Roj al factories, till finally this great specimen was discovered and placed in the public libraries in Bayeux as a very valuable possession. There it may be seen to-day, its once brilliant colors now faded by the suns of time to a more subdued and delicate hue. This marvellous piece of needlework is on a band of linen two hundred and thirty feet long, but only twenty inches wide, and is divided up into seventy-two scenes, each supposed to illustrate some historical event in the conquest of England by William of Normandy. The drawing is rough and unfinished, with absolutely no pretence at perspective, but it is all the more quaint and interesting. Such an idea as giving people two whole legs if only one would do was unthought of, so we get a crowd of people amongst whom there are scarcely enough legs or arms for eacli head. The hind legs of a horse or any parts which are not so prominent are always worked in a lighter color — perspective being hinted at in this way. In the border there are numerous objects such as trees, weird looking animals and birds, and human beings or portions of them which look like heraldic signs. In the battle scenes the border is decorated with numerous arms and legs flying about ; and some poor heroes may be seen walking about without heads. Corresponding to a hunting scene there are birds, strange creatures whose species is doubtful, and to a sea voyage even stranger fish may be found. The story can easily be followed from the tapestry but the pious women thought to make it clearer by little explana- tory sentences in Dog Latin. The first scene on the tapestry represents Harold taking leave of Edward the Confessor, and his subsequent departure for Bosham with many faithful attendants. He then takes ship at the Sussex coast, very prudently removing his hose before embarking because he must needs walk a few steps through the water first. On landing, however (hose once again removed), he is taken prisoner by Guy, Earl of Ponthieu, and is sent to Beauraine, but William begs for his release. Then follows the mighty battle in which Harold helps William against the Earl of Bretagne, his oath never to interfere with William ' s suc- cession to the Confessor ' s throne and his final departure for 35

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Haverga! College Magazine there was always something to watch. Sometimes a big brown owl would sail noiselessly by in search of his evening meal, or a squirrel begin to scold us from the trees overhead. The stillness was broken occasionally by the splash of a fish leap- ing out of the water, or by the notes of the thrush and the whitethroat sparrow. One evening, some small animal started to swim across the bay and we set off in pursuit to see what it was. Just as we got near, it dived, but soon reappeared some yards away. We started after it again, but happening to look towards the back of the bay I saw on the shore a small deer quietly feeding on the grass and lily pads. Letting the canoe drift, we sat perfectly still while it fed, now and then lifting its dainty head to gaze uneasily in our direction. It was a light reddish brown in colour, with large soft ears, no horns, and pretty, delicately shaped legs and body. For ten or fifteen minutes it stayed in view and then quietly disappeared into the woods. Our long waiting had been rewarded. PHYLLIS ROSS, Form Lower VI. WINTER. Spirit of Winter, glorying in thy power, From bitter North, where none dispute thy reign, Thou comest down, and following in thy train Are elements which make the strongest cower ; And few there be who may escape thy lour. Long months thou guard ' st well the key we fain Would have unlock earth ' s streams, and for them claim Their vanished life for yet another hour. And yet, Winter, thou are not always cruel — Thou too hast days, when far afield we wander Charmed by the beauty thou dost so freely squander. Thou too, like man, canst claim a nature dual, At once relentless, stern and seeming hard And vet of summer ' s gifts the faithful guard. H. L. LES PRECIEUSES. In studying the rise of the drama, we turn to France, and France of the seventeenth century, for the supreme examples of comedy. When we find that the greatest master of this most delicate art, Moliere, has twice over selected a passing phase of the manners of his time as a fitting subject for his genius, we do well to pause and ask ourselves what this phase signified. In France, in the early and middle seventeenth century, there was a tendency to lower the standard of conversation 37