h century, but nothing remains of the abbey beyond a few
stones that may have belonged to it. It was near Eynsham, not very long
ago, that a strange dark-green water-plant first made its appearance in
the Thames, and spread so rapidly that it soon quite choked the
navigation of the river, and from there soon extended almost all over
the kingdom. The meadows and the rivers became practically all alike, a
green expanse, in which from an eminence it was difficult to tell where
the water-courses lay. This plant was called the "American weed," the
allegation being that it came over in a cargo of timber from the St.
Lawrence. It caused great consternation, but just when matters looked
almost hopeless it gradually withered and died, bringing the navigation
welcome relief.

ABINGDON AND RADLEY.

[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO ABINGDON ABBEY.]

Crossing over into Berkshire, we find, a short distance south of Oxford,
on the bank of the Thames, the ruins of the once extensive and
magnificent Abingdon Abbey, founded in the seventh century. It was here
that Henry, the son of William the Conqueror, was educated and gained
his appellation of Beauclerc. The gatehouse still remains, and is at
present devoted to the use of fire-engines, but there is not much else
remaining of the abbey save a remarkable chimney and fireplace and some
fragments of walls. We are told that the Saxons founded this abbey, and
that the Danes destroyed it, while King Alfred deprived the monks of
their possessions, but his grandson AEdred restored them. The abbey was
then built, and became afterwards richly endowed. For six centuries it
was one of the great religious houses of this part of England; and the
Benedictines, true to their creed, toiled every day in the fields as
well as prayed in the church. They began the day by religious services;
then assembled in the chapter-house, where each was allotted his task
and tools, and after a brief prayer they silently marched out in double
file to the fields. From Easter until October they were thus occupied
from six in the morning until ten o'clock, and sometimes until noon.
Thus they promoted thrift, and as their settlement extended it became
the centre of a rich agricultural colony, for they often, as their lands
expanded, let them out to farmers. A short distance from Abingdon is
Radley, which was formerly the manor of the abbey, and contains a
beautiful little church, wealthy in its stores of rich woodwork and
s