rch: the King talking eagerly to the Abbot; the
monks or lay-brothers digging in the place indicated by the words of
the song; the knights in armour, their mantles wrapped about them,
standing by.

Then, as the monks search 7 feet below the surface, a spade rings
upon stone. Picture the interest, the excitement of these
antiquarians. It is a broad stone which is uncovered, and upon it is a
thin leaden plate in the form of a corpse, bearing the inscription:

'HIC JACET SEPULTUS INCLYTUS REX ARTURIUS IN INSULA
AVALONIA.'

They draw up this great stone, and with greedy eyes read the
inscription. The monks continue to dig. Presently, at the depth of 16
feet, they find the trunk of a tree, and in its hollowed shape lie
Arthur and his Queen--Arthur and Guinevere, two names which to us now
are part of England, part of ourselves, as much as our patron St.
George.

Here they lie upon the turf, and all the party gaze on their remains.
The skull of Arthur is covered with wounds; his bones are enormous.
The Queen's body is in a good state of preservation, and her hair is
neatly plaited, and is of the colour of gold. Suddenly she falls to
dust.

They bury them again with great care. So lay our national hero since
he died at the Battle of Camlan in Cornwall in the year 542, and
after death was conveyed by sea to Glastonbury, and all traces of his
burial-place lost except in the songs of the people until such day as
Henry found him and his Queen.

THE WOMEN

[Illustration: {A woman of the time of Henry II.; a circular pin}]

About this time came the fashion of the chin-band, and again the glory
of the hair was hidden under the wimple.

To dress a lady's hair for this time the hair must be brushed out, and
then divided into two parts: these are to be plaited, and then brought
round the crown of the head and fastened in front above the forehead.
The front pieces of hair are to be neatly pushed back from the
forehead, to show a high brow. Now a cloth of linen is taken, folded
under the chin, and brought over the top of the head, and there
pinned. Then another thin band of linen is placed round the head and
fastened neatly at the back; and over all a piece of fine linen is
draped, and so arranged that it shall just cover the forehead-band and
fall on to the shoulders. This last piece of linen is fastened to the
chin-band and the forehead-strap by pins.

[Illustration: {Four steps to dress a woman's hair}]

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