osmer who unwittingly had so nearly brought Edmond Ironside to
grief. "Was I descended from the man?" queried Freeman. Quite proud
that my story had been substantiated and perhaps a bit vainglorious
over the fact that a man of my name had looked like a king, I was not
slow in saying that I probably was, that my line for six hundred years
after that date, honest yeomen, had lived near the spot, in the fields
of Kent. Freeman assented to the probability, but it was suggested by
others present that there was a further tradition. The Hosmer of 1016
had lost his head, the Hosmers since that day had been constantly
losing theirs, in fact, there had been no man of that name since that
time in England who had any head worth speaking of, indeed they
were said to be born without heads. Had this curious heredity been
transmitted to the American line? I was forced to admit with confusion
that I could cite no circumstances to rebut the suspicion, but all
was good-natured though pungent, and when we broke up I retired to
the guest chamber in a pleasant excitement. Freeman, who conducted me
himself, brought the guest-book, calling my attention to the fact that
the chamber had shortly before been occupied by Gladstone. The next
morning we drove to Wells where, under the guidance of Freeman and Mr.
Hunt, I studied for some hours the beautiful cathedral. It is not so
large as many cathedrals, but few of them are more interesting. The
front is finely impressive; a curious, inverted arch in the choir
which descends from the ceiling to meet an arch rising from the floor
at a point midway between the roof and pavement is a unique thing in
architecture, a master-stroke of the mediaeval builder who solved
a problem of construction and at the same time produced a thing of
beauty. I remember, too, in a chapel, an example of a central column
rising like a slender stem of a lily and foliating at the top into
a graceful tracery, springing from the columns which surround and
enclose the space. All this is elaborated with exquisite detail in the
white stone. My guides, who were full of feeling for the architectural
perfection, knew well the story of the builders and the interesting
events with which through the centuries a masterpiece had been
associated. It was a charming visit closed, appropriately, by this
inspection under Freeman's guidance, of the cathedral of Wells.

Goldwin Smith was a cosmopolite; a citizen as much of Canada and the
United St