he 'first history of the
English People,' as some one has correctly said. Part of it was
written by Alfred himself, and the rest was done by others, under his
direction. It is simply a record of all important events which were
written down as they took place. The 'Chronicle' grew and grew for
about two hundred and fifty years, the last mention being of the
accession to the throne of Henry II, in 1154. For many years it was
kept here at its birthplace, but it has now been moved to the library
of Corpus Christi College at Oxford. You see, therefore, that this
important work really marked the start of the wonderful succession of
literary productions which Englishmen have brought forth in these one
thousand years."

Quite at the other end of the town from Wolvesley Castle is the County
Court, a fine old hall, which once upon a time formed part of a castle
built by William the Conqueror. Mrs. Pitt had some difficulty in
finding the caretaker who could admit them, and not until they were
actually inside did the children understand why she was so very
anxious that they should see it.

Many were the exclamations of delight, however, when the guide pointed
to the wall at one end of the Norman room, and told them that the
round, flat object hanging thereupon was "King Arthur's Round Table."

"What!" cried Betty, her mouth wide open in her excitement, "the very
table at which the knights sat!--Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir
Perceval, Sir Galahad, and all the rest! Why, I never knew it was
here, or I should have come to see it before anything else! To think
of it's being the real table!"

It was hard for Mrs. Pitt to tell Betty that all the legends
concerning this table are pure fiction. "Not all authorities consider
its identity absolutely certain," she admitted unwillingly, "but we're
going to believe in it just the same. It must date from the sixth
century! Fancy! However, it was all repainted in the time of Henry
VIII, and these peculiar stripes and devices were the work of some
sixteenth century brush."

Betty sat right down on the floor, and stared up at the table of her
adored King Arthur and his knights. With much difficulty could Mrs.
Pitt persuade her to leave the hall, and that was not accomplished
until after Betty had trustingly inquired of the guide whether he knew
where the chairs were in which the knights sat when they gathered
about the table, for "she'd like so much to find them right away."

Passing under