THERE is no more richly antique and historically interesting city in the kingdom than Coventry. In its old churches and hall, its picturesque halftimbered houses standing in irregular narrow streets, its quaint gable fronts, its odd nooks and corners, which speak so eloquently of the past; in its legends, and stories of kings, of parliaments, of tournaments, and sieges; in its old pageantry, its fighting, feasting, and play, it is more than abundantly wealthy. The date at which the town was founded is lost in antiquity. It has been assumed that it had an existence in the days of the Britons; but nothing is known of the place until 1016, when Canute, King of Denmark, invaded Mercia, and destroyed a nunnery which stood at Coventry. Twenty years afterwards, when Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his Countess Godiva ruled, they

founded a goodly monastery on the spot where the first religious house had stood, and endowed it with most ample revenues; Leofric giving half the town and twenty-four lordships, and Godiva enriching it with all her treasure, sending for "skilful goldsmiths, who, with all the gold and silver she had, made crosses, images of saints, and other curious ornaments, which she devoutely disposed thereto." William of Malmesbury tells how this monastic establishment "was enriched and beautified with so much gold and silver that the walls seemed too narrow to contain it, insomuch that Robert de Limesi [Bishop of the diocese in the days of William Rufus] scraped from one beam that supported the shrines five hundred marks of silver." It had also its wonderful and precious relics, amongst the most costly being an arm of St. Augustine, which was placed upon a silver shrine, and which was bought by the Archbishop of Canterbury, from the Pope, "for the sum of one talent of silver and two hundred talents of gold."

It was in these days that tradition places Godiva's memorable ride through the old city. Dugdale, with pardonable scepticism, and yet with a saving credulity, thus tells the story:

"This Leofrik wedded Godeva, a most beautifull and devout Lady, Sister to one Thorold, Shiriff of Lincolnsh. in those days, and founder of SpaldingAbby: As also of the stock and lineage of Thorold, Shiriff of that County in the time of Kenulph, K. of Mercia. Which Countess Godeva, bearing an extraordinary affection to this place, often and earnestly besought her husband that, for the love of God and the blessed Virgin, he would free it from that grievous servitude whereunto it was subject: but he, rebuking her for importuning him in a matter so inconsistent with his profit, commanded that she should thenceforth forbear to move therein; yet she, out of her womanish pertinacy, continued to solicit him; insomuch that he told her if she would ride on Horseback naked from the one end of the town to the other in the sight of all the people, he would grant her request. Whereunto she returned But will you give me leave so to do? And he replying yes, the noble Lady, upon an appointed day, got on Horseback naked, with her hair loose so that it covered all her Body but the legs, and thus performing the journey return'd with joy to her husband; who

thereupon granted to the Inhabitants a Charter of freedom; which immunity I rather conceive to have been a kind of manumission from some such servile tenure, whereby they then held what they had under this great Earl, than onely a freedom from all manner of Toll, except Horses, as Knighton affirms ; In memory whereof the picture of him and his said Lady were set up in a South window of Trinity Church in this City, about K. R. 2. time, and his right hand holding a Charter, with these words thereon:

The more popular tradition, however, is to the effect that, previous to Godiva's riding through the town, all persons were commanded to keep within doors and away from their windows during her progress; but that a certain profligate tailor, full of curiosity, looked out at the lady as she passed. Godiva's horse neighed, and the pitiful tailor being caught in the fact was incontinently deprived of his sight. In conformity with this version of the legend, a wooden figure of "Peeping Tom" is placed in an opening in the upper part of a house in one of the principal streets; while the memory of Godiva's ride is still kept green by an annual pageant and procession. There is, however, some reason to believe that the whole story is fabulous. It is not mentioned until about 250 years after Leofric's death, when Matthew of Westminster, in his veracious chronicle, first gave it to the world. The figure of "Peeping Tom" most certainly does not represent a tailor of the eleventh century, and as Dugdale when he wrote says nothing of it, the probabilities are that it is of comparatively modern origin, just as the Godiva procession, as now conducted, can be traced no farther back than the reign of Charles II.

The favouring regard with which the place was made prosperous by Leofric and Godiva was manifested by their successors in the lordship of Coventry, which, shortly after the Conquest, devolved, by the marriage of Lucia, grand-daughter of Leofric, with Randolph de Meschines, to the Earls of Chester, who had a fortified mansion or castle within the manor of Cheylesmore, on the south side of the town. In this family and its collateral branches the lordship of Coventry remained till the reign of Edward III., when, on

its falling to the Crown, the King, in the eleventh year of his reign, having advanced his son Edward the Black Prince to the dukedom of Cornwall, settled upon him this lordship, then called the manor of Cheylesmore, annexing it to the dukedom for ever. One of the advantages accruing to the inhabitants of Coventry from the royal patronage to which this act gave them a claim was the incorporation of the town in 1344. In eleven years after a commencement was made in surrounding the city with walls. These fortifications, with the six gates "and many fair towers, to the number of thirty-two," were completed in the reign of Richard II., who made the city a favourite place of residence, confirmed to it all the privileges granted by his predecessors, and at various times granted permission to dig stone from his park at Cheylesmore, sufficient for finishing the walls and gates. In the same reign occurred the famous quarrel, narrated by Froissart and Holinshed, and immortalised by Shakespear, between Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, afterwards Henry IV., and the Duke of Norfolk. The causes of challenge are not very clear. It is said that Bolingbroke had betrayed a private conversation, in which Norfolk was represented as guilty of uttering treason. The accusation was denied, and Hereford challenged his powerful opponent to single combat. The illustrious knights met at Coventry in September, 1397, and Holinshed quaintly narrates the issue. He says:

"At the time appointed the King came to Coventry in great array, accompanied with the lords and gentlemen of their lineages. The Duke of Hereford armed himself in his tent, which was set up near to the lists; and the Duke of Norfolk put on his armour betwixt the gate and the barrier of the town, in a beautiful house having a fair perclois of wood towards the gate, that none might see what was done within the house.

"The Duke of Aumerle, that day, being High Constable of England, and the Duke of Surrey Marshal, placed themselves between them, well armed and appointed; and when they saw their time they first entered into the lists with a great company of men, apparelled in silk sendall, embroidered with silver, both richly and curiously; every man having a tipped staff to keep the field in order.

"About the hour of prime came to the barriers of the lists the Duke of

Hereford, mounted on a white courser, barbed with green and blue velvet, embroidered sumptuously with swans and antelopes of goldsmith's work, armed at all points. The Constable and Marshal came to the barriers, demanding of him what he was. He answered, 'I am Henry of Lancaster, Duke of Hereford, which am come hither to do mine endeavour against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, as a traitor, untrue to God, the king, his realm, and me.' Then, incontinently, he sware upon the Holy Evangelists that his quarrel was true and just, and upon that point he required to enter the lists. Then he put by his sword, which before he held naked in his hand; and putting down his vizor, made a cross on his horse, and with spear in hand entered into the lists and descended from his horse, and set him down in a chair of green velvet at one end of the lists, and there reposed himself, abiding the coming of his adversary.

"Soon after him entered into the field, with great triumph, King Richard, accompanied with all the peers of the realm, and in his company was the Earl of St. Paul, which was come out of France in post to see this challenge performed. The King had there above ten thousand men in armour, lest some fray or tumult might rise amongst his nobles, by quarrelling or partaking. When the King was set in his seat, which was richly hanged and adorned, a king-atarms made open proclamation, prohibiting all men in the name of the King, and of the High Constable and Marshal, to enterprise or attempt to approach or touch any part of the lists upon pain of death, except such as were appointed to order or marshal the field. The proclamation ended, another herald cried, 'Behold, here, Henry of Lancaster, Duke of Hereford, appellant, which is entered into the lists royal to do his devoir against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, defendant, upon pain to be found false and recreant.'

"The Duke of Norfolk hovered on horseback at the entrance of the lists, his horse being barbed with crimson velvet, embroidered richly with lions of silver and mulberry trees; and when he had made his oath before the Constable and Marshal that his quarrel was just and true, he entered the field manfully, saying aloud, 'God aid him that hath the right;' and then he departed from his horse, and sate him down in his chair, which was of crimson velvet, curtained about with white and red damask.