TH E BAYEUX TAPESTRY A H IS TO RY AN D ' DESC RIPTION F RAN K REDE FOWKE LON DON B AN D SONS ELL , 1 9 1 3 a v. PREF AC E. T is nearly a quarter of a century since the following co mments on the Bayeux Tapestry were pub li h unkn own s ed . T o heir ad ption , C u du to me, by the onservate r ’ Depot Légal au M inisté re de l Instruction Pub ue et x-A u C o mte q des Beau rts , M . J les , as “ ” of T x a the basis his apisserie de Bayeu , was n i flattering recog ition o fmy labours . My or ginal o o o f u v w rk, which c ntained a series ill strati e e s co no o o b app ndice , was stly, and, being l nger tainable to c The , it is sought supply its pla e . c o f present volume , onfined to a history the tapes x try, and to an e planation of the incidents which c c it depi ts, appears in a more ac essible form . In preparing the plates , advantage has been taken o f a method of pho to graphic repro duc tio n recently invented by C ount Ostro rog. This vi Pr eface. m method avoids the e ployment of a mesh, and consequently obviates the well - known che quered appearance i n the pic ture which is in ” c - separable from the ordinary pro ess block . REDE POWRE . LIS T OF PL ES AT . KIN G EADWARD. ’ R HAROLD S IDE To BOSHAM . THE CHURCH AT B OSHAM . H AR OLD CROSSES THE SEA . ’ H AR LD T O COMES o COUNT GUY S LAN D. H AR OLD CROSSES THE SEA . GUY SEIZ ES H AROLD. GUY TAKES H AROLD . H AR OLD LED To B EAURAIN . H AROLD AN D GUY CONVERSE . ’ WILLIAM M T R DUKE S ESSENGERS : U OLD. ’ DUKE WILLIAM S M ESSENGERS . A M ESSENGER COMES To DUKE WILLIAM . UY H AR LD T WILLI M G CONDUCTS O o A . H AR LD WILLIAM T O TAKEN BY o HIS PALACE . H AROLD BROUGHT BY WILLIAM TO HIS PALACE . A CERTAIN CLERK AND fELF GYVA. WI IAM M - DUKE LL STARTS FOR ONT SAINT MICHEL . THEY CROSS TH E RIVER COUESNON . R F ROM H H A OLD DRAGS THEM T E QUICKSAND . R ENNES . SIEGE or DIN AN . N AN H AN DI CO N G OVER THE KEYS . WIL IAM To H AR L GIVES ARMS OLD. WILLIAM COMES To BAYEUx . H AROLD W A To WILLIAM S EARS LLEGIANCE . H AROLD RETURNS To EN GLAN D. ADWARD H AROLD COMES To E . W S . THE CHURCH OF T PETER, ESTMINSTER ’ EADWARD S B To H . XXXI . ODY BORNE THE C URCH EADWARD. XXXII . DEATH OF KIN G KIN G E H . XXXIII . H AROLD Is CROWNED OF THE NGLIS A . H A ROLD. XXXIV. PEOPLE WONDER AT STAR XXXV . AN ENGLISH SHIP . XXXV I . WILLIAM ORDERS THAT SHIPS BE BUILT. XXXVII . FELLING TIMBER FOR SHIPS . XXXVIII . B UILDING THE SHIPS . XXXIX . THEY DRAG THE SHIPS TO THE SEA . XL. THEY CARRY WINE AND AR MS . ’ XLI . DUKE WILLIAM S FOLLOWERS . XLII . DUKE WILLIAM CROSSES THE SEA. XLIII . WILLIAM To . XLIV. DUKE COMES PEVENSEY XLV . ARRIVAL AT PEVENSEY . XLVI . THE HORSES ARE DISEMBARKED . K To . XLVII . THE NIGHTS PUSH ON HASTINGS Z . XLVIII . THE KNIGHTS SEI E CATTLE FOR FOOD WADARD M . XLIX . THE EAT IS COOKED L . A FEAST Is MADE . W LLIAM R . B I P ODo I LI SHO , AND OBERT A R I . LII . AMPART s DUG AT HASTINGS W To . LIII . TIDINGS OF HAROLD BROUGHT ILLIAM L A V I . IE!; !THE RMY LEA ES HAST NGS To B . LVI . THE ARMY GOING ATTLE AGAINST HAROLD I X W E I . LTTTTTDUKE ILLIAM Q U ST ONS VITAL W ’ Is . LIX . HAROLD TOLD OF ILLIAM S ARMY W ExH ORTs . LX . DUKE ILLIAM HIS SOLDIERS LXI . W ’ LXII . ILLIAM S SOLDIERS. LXIII . LXIV . v . T H E BATTLE. LXVI . LXVII . 13 1 LEOF WIN E GYRTH AR E . 821l AND KILLED LXX . ENGLISH AND FRENCH FALL TOGETHER . LXXI . BI P ODO TH E P . LXXII . SHO RALLIES TROO S List o P laf f es . E . HERE IS DUKE WILLIAM . USTACE THE FRENCH CONTINUE To FIGHT . THE ENGLISH FALL . HAROLD Is SLAIN . ENGLISH THEGNS STILL FIGHT. FRENCH PURSUE . THE ENGLISH PUT To FLIGH T. H ISTO RY O F TH E BAYEUX TAPE STRY. H E earliest known mention of this interesting wo rk is made in an in ventory of the ornaments of the x Cathedral of Bayeu , taken in the year 1 4 76 . The preamble o f this l sub oined document is j , together with two entries from the third chapter a nd one o m u fr the fifth , as these passages are freq ently cited by those who have written of the tapestry . In ven taire des o auLY ca ses reli uiairs omemens tentes j y , p , q , , , ’ aremen s livres et autres i en s a artenans a l e li se N ostre p , , b p g am de B a eux et en icell e trouv s veus et visit s ar vene D e y , é , é p r l et di scretes ersonn es mai stre Guillaume de Castil lon ab es p , archidl acre des V etz et N icole Mic iel F abri uier c anoines , h q , h de l adite lise 5 cc dé utez et commis en c a itre eneral de ég , p h p g l ite li se tenu et cele r a res l a feste de sainct Raven t et ad ég , b é p ’ asi h en l an mil uatre cent se tante-six tres reveren d sainct R p , q p , re en Dieu M n . Lo s de H arecourt atriarc e de erusalem pe o s y , p h J , l r eve ue et reverend ere mais re Guillaume d e B ai ll eul o s q , p t , fut f lors doyen de ladite égli se ; et aIt cc dIt inventaire en mois lusieurs ourn es 5. cc resens les rocureur de septembre par p j é , p p s teurs du rand cousteur d e ladite lise et mai stre e an et servi g ég , J h Castel ch a ellai n de ladite l se et n otaIre a ostoli ue et ic , pp ég i p q y l aIre l a est redige en frangois et vu g ang ge pour plus Clai re et i nation desdits o aulx omements et autres iens familiere des g j y , b , ’ ’ st nces u elle n eust u estre faicte en terme et de leurs circon a , q p s B z Th e B ay eux Ttapes try . 1 2 th M a 1 6 2 c On the y, 5 , the athedral was C wh o co pillaged by the alvinists , mmitted the D most ho rrible deva stations . uring this rising the clergy ha nded o ve r ma ny o ftheir treasures to c u o fo r sa n and the muni ipal a th rities fe keepi g, Pezet h as c e c u M . onj t red that the tapestry was fo r in T - c rr placed safety the own hall , and a ied m T h o f ux n c ob . e the e by the Bishop Baye , in e la tinit et est cc dit in ventaire c -a rés di ere en ordre et d é, y p g , disig né en distinction en Six chapitres En suivent pour le tiers c hapitre les pretieux manteaux et riches chapes trouvés et gardés en trian gle qui est assis en costé dextre du pulpitre dessous l e crucifix. ' P remzéremmt un mantel du uel comme on dit le due g q , , ’ Guillaume estoit vestu uand il ousa la ducesse tout d or q ép , ’ tire seme de croisettes et fiori on s d or et le ort de bas est y y , b de or traict a ymag es faict tout environ ennobly de fermailles ’ r emaillies et de cama eux et autres ierres retieuses et d o y p p , e resent en a encore se t vi n t et a sexante dix laces d p y p g , y p vuides ou aultres-foiz avoient est erl es ierres et fermailles é p , p ’ d or emaillies. — m l ’ m. n autre antel du e comme l en i I te U u d t la. ducesse g q , , estoit vestue uand elle ousa le duc Guillaume tout seme q ép , y ’ de etits ma es d or tir a or frai z ardevant et our tout le p y g é p , p ’ bort de bas enrichiz de fermailles d or emailli es et de camayeux et autres ierres retieuses et de resent en a nc r p p , p y e o e deus cens uatre-vin t—douze et a deus cen s uatre laces q g , y q p vuides ausquell es estoien t aultres-foiz pareilles pierres et fermailles ’ d or emaillies. Ensuivent our le uint c a itre les tentes ta is cortin es p q h p , p , , paremens des autels et autres draps de saye pour parer le cueur aux festes solonnelles trouv s et ard s en l i , é g é e vest aire de ladicte église.