wits. The men decided to go in a body and fell large trees across a certain upland, over which the royal party must pass to enter the town. This they did, making a barrier through which mounted horsemen would find it difficult to break, and which would compel a party like the king's to turn off by another way.

"When King John came to the eminence, and found his progress arrested, he was very angry, and, finding a couple of rustics near the place, he demanded of them who had made the barrier.

"The people of Gotham,' answered one of the rustics.

"Go you to Gotham,' said the king, and tell the people from me, that as soon as I return to camp I will send a troop to cut off their noses.'

"The two rustics ran off, terribly frightened, and reported the cheerful intelligence at Gotham. Oh, then there were stirring times in that old town! The people had no wish to receive a kingly decoration in that way.

"Now there were wise men in Gotham, and, when the convention met, these wise men expressed their opinions not only on the nose question, but on public affairs in general. After a long deliberation, one of these wise men, whom I will call Fitz Peter, said: 'Our wits have thus far prevented King John from setting foot in our town, and our wits are able to save our noses.' This opinion was received with great satisfaction.

"But how should they accomplish the end?

"Now chief among the wise men of Gotham was one whom I will call Leofric. He at last stood up with a very knowing look, and said: 'I have heard of many people who were punished for being wise, but I never heard of a person who was punished for being a fool. When the king's troops come, let us each imitate a safe example, and act like a fool.'

"At this the people shouted. So they decided to rely on their wits for the safety of their noses, and to act like fools.

"One morning, very early, as a party of horsemen were leaving the town for hunting, a troop appeared, with a fierce sheriff at their head.

The bowmen were terribly scared, and the question passed around as to what they should do. They hit upon a plan, and threw away their hunting-gear. When the sheriff came up, he found the old men rolling great stones up the hill, and the young men bending over and grunting as if they were in great distress.

"What are you doing?' demanded the sheriff of one of the old men who was tugging away at a stone.

"We are rolling stones up hill for day.' "You old fool!' said the sheriff.

day will come itself.'

66 6

Go home and go to bed, and

Why,' returned the man, as though greatly astonished, 'I never thought of that. How wise you be! You are the wisest man I ever

did see!'

"And what are you doing?' asked the sheriff, of one of the young men.

"We do the grunting,' was the prompt reply.

"The old men do the lifting, and the young men do the grunting!' exclaimed the sheriff. Well,' he added, in sudden good-humor, 'that is the way the world goes everywhere!' And he galloped away, leaving the men unharmed.

"The sheriff next met four old women, with brooms on their shoulders.

"Whither away?' asked the sheriff.

"To the priest's, to be married,' said they all.

"To the priest's, to be married?'

"We go every morning to be married,' answered one of the old

crones, and we have been for the last forty years!'

"Then why are you not married?'

66 6

The priest says that we do not bring the right thing. We carry something new every morning.'

666

But why do you not take a man?'

"A MAN!' exclaimed the old woman, leaping straight into the air. 'A MAN? I never thought of that! How wise you be! Why, you are the wisest man that I ever did see!'

"The sheriff next met some men who had started on a journey, each of whom carried on his back a door.

66 6

Why do you carry that door?' asked the sheriff of one of the

travellers.

"Then why not leave the door at home too?' "Afraid of thieves.'

666

Afraid of thieves? Then leave your door at home to protect your money.'

666

They can't break in, because, you see, I've got the door.' "Leave your door at home, and take your money with you.'

666

I never thought of that. How wise you be! You are the wisest man that I ever did see!'

"The sheriff let the travellers pass on unmolested.

"The people are all fools here,' he said.

"It would be too bad to harm such simple people,' said his comrades.

Let us go back,' said the sheriff, and report to the king that the people in Gotham are fools.'

"So they returned to the king, and reported that Gotham was a place of fools. And from these circumstances, or incidents like these, if I may believe an old tale, the men of that place were called, in derision, The Wise Men of Gotham,' from that day."

CHAPTER IX.

A SERIES OF MEMORABLE VISITS.

TOMMY GOES HUNTING. "PEVERIL OF THE PEAK." THE BOY AT THE WHEEL. LEAMINGTON. STRATFORD-ON-AVON. SHAKSPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE, GARDEN, AND KENILWORTH. ERNEST'S ALBUM LEAVES WARWICK CASTLE. THE MIGHTY GUY. THE ANTIQUE Portress.

TOMB.
FLOWERS.

QUEER RELICS.

-

OF

AND

PASTER LEWIS gave the boys a couple of days in Nottingham to enjoy themselves as they liked.

M

Tommy Toby went hunting.

"I want to be able to tell people," he said, "that I have hunted in Sherwood Forest, the royal hunting-ground of English kings."

"In midsummer?" asked Master Lewis. "I fancy if you were to use a gun in the Forest of Sherwood, you might make a longer vacation abroad than you intended."

"I do not intend to use a gun. I have bought me a bow and some arrows."

"Let me see them," said Master Lewis. "They look very harmless, certainly." Master Lewis seemed to hesitate about making further objections.

Just what came of Tommy's hunting we cannot state at this stage of our narrative. He left the boys at the hotel, bow and arrows in hand, and saying as a word of parting, —

"Let's go to the wood, said Richard to Robin.'”