and　how　well　they　knew　how　to　build　in　those　old　days！　　Notice　it
  every　stone　is　laid　horizontally；　that　is　to　say；　just　as　nature
  laid　it　originally　in　the　quarry　not　set　up　edgewise；　in　our　day
  some　people　set　them　on　edge；　and　then　wonder　why　they　split　and
  flake。　　Architects　cannot　teach　nature　anything。　　Let　me　remove　this
  mattingit　is　put　here　to　preserve　the　pavement；　now　there　is　a　bit
  of　pavement　that　is　seven　hundred　years　old；　you　can　see　by　these
  scattering　clusters　of　colored　mosaics　how　beautiful　it　was　before
  time　and　sacrilegious　idlers　marred　it。　　Now　there；　in　the　border；
  was　an　inscription；　once　see；　follow　the　circle…you　can　trace　it　by
  the　ornaments　that　have　been　pulled　outhere　is　an　A　and　there　is
  an　O；　and　yonder　another　Aall　beautiful　Old　English　capitals；
  there　is　no　telling　what　the　inscription　wasno　record　left　now。
  Now　move　along　in　this　direction；　if　you　please。　　Yonder　is　where
  old　King　Sebert　the　Saxon　lies　his　monument　is　the　oldest　one　in　the
  Abbey；　Sebert　died　in　616；＇Clemens　probably　misunderstood　the
  name。　　It　was　Ethelbert　who　died　in　616。　　The　name　Sebert　does　not
  appear　in　any　Saxon　annals　accessible　to　the　author。＇　and　that's
  as　much；　as　twelve　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago　think　of　it！　　Twelve
  hundred　and　fifty　years！　　Now　yonder　is　the　last　oneCharles
  Dickensthere　on　the　floor；　with　the　brass　letters　on　the　slaband
  to　this　day　the　people　come　and　put　flowers　on　it。。。。　　There　is
  Garrick's　monument；　and　Addison's；　and　Thackeray's　bustand
  Macaulay　lies　there。　　And　close　to　Dickens　and　Garrick　lie　Sheridan
  and　Dr。　Johnsonand　here　is　old　Parr。。。。
  〃That　stone　there　covers　Campbell　the　poet。　　Here　are　names　you　know
  pretty　wellMilton；　and　Gray　who　wrote　the　Elegy；　and　Butler　who
  wrote　Hudibras；　and　Edmund　Spenser；　and　Ben　Jonsonthere　are　three
  tablets　to　him　scattered　about　the　Abbey；　and　all　got　'O；　Rare　Ben
  Jonson'　cut　on　them。　　You　were　standing　on　one　of　them　just　now　he
  is　buried　standing　up。　　There　used　to　be　a　tradition　here　that
  explains　it。　　The　story　goes　that　he　did　not　dare　ask　to　be　buried
  in　the　Abbey；　so　he　asked　King　James　if　he　would　make　him　a　present
  of　eighteen　inches　of　English　ground；　and　the　King　said　'yes；'　and
  asked　him　where　he　would　have　it；　and　he　said　in　Westminster　Abbey。
  Well；　the　King　wouldn't　go　back　on　his　word；　and　so　there　he　is；
  sure　enough…stood　up　on　end。〃
  The　reader　may　regret　that　there　are　not　more　of　these　entries；　and　that
  the　book　itself　was　never　written。　　Just　when　he　gave　up　the　project　is
  not　recorded。　　He　was　urged　to　lecture　in　London；　but　declined。　　To　Mrs。
  Clemens；　in　September；　he　wrote：
  Everybody　says　lecture；　lecture；　lecture；　but　I　have　not　the　least　idea
  of　doing　it；　certainly　not　at　present。　　Mr。　Dolby；　who　took　Dickens　to
  America；　is　coming　to　talk　business　tomorrow；　though　I　have　sent　him　word
  once　before　that　I　can't　be　hired　to　talk　here；　because　I　have　no　time　to
  spare。　　There　is　too　much　sociability；　I　do　not　get　along　fast　enough
  with　work。
  In　October　he　declared　that　he　was　very　homesick；　and　proposed　that　Mrs。
  Clemens　and　Susie　join　him　at　once　in　London；　unless　she　would　prefer　to
  have　him　come　home　for　the　winter　and　all　of　them　return　to　London　in　the
  spring。　　So　it　is　likely　that　the　book　was　not　then　abandoned。　　He　felt
  that　his　visit　was　by　no　means　ended；　that　it　was；　in　fact；　only　just
  begun；　but　he　wanted　the　ones　he　loved　most　to　share　it　with　him。　　To　his
  mother　and　sister；　in　November；　he　wrote：
  I　came　here　to　take　notes　for　a　book；　but　I　haven't　done　much　but　attend
  dinners　and　make　speeches。　　I　have　had　a　jolly　good　time；　and　I　do　hate
  to　go　away　from　these　English　folks；　they　make　a　stranger　feel　entirely
  at　home；　and　they　laugh　so　easily　that　it　is　a　comfort　to　make　after…
  dinner　speeches　here。　　I　have　made　hundreds　of　friends；　and　last　night；
  in　the　crush　at　the　opening　of　the　new　Guild　Hall　Library　and　Museum；　I
  was　surprised　to　meet　a　familiar　face　every　other　step。
  All　his　impressions　of　England　had　been　happy　ones。　　He　could　deliver　a
  gentle　satire　now　and　then　at　certain　British　institutionscertain
  London　localities　and　featuresas　in　his　speech　at　the　Savage　Club；
  ＇September　28；　1872。　　This　is　probably　the　most　characteristic　speech
  made　by　Mark　Twain　during　his　first　London　visit；　the　reader　will　find　it
  in　full　in　Appendix　L；　at　the　end　of　last　volume。＇but　taking　the　snug
  island　as　a　whole；　its　people；　its　institutions；　its　fair；　rural　aspects；
  he　had　found　in　it　only　delight。　　To　Mrs。　Crane　he　wrote：
  If　you　and　Theodore　will　come　over　in　the　spring　with　Livy　and　me；
  and　spend　the　summer；　you　shall　see　a　country　that　is　so　beautiful
  that　you　will　be　obliged　to　believe　in　fairy…land。　　There　is　nothing
  like　it　elsewhere　on　the　globe。　　You　should　have　a　season　ticket　and
  travel　up　and　down　every　day　between　London　and　Oxford　and　worship
  nature。
  And　Theodore　can　browse　with　me　among　dusty　old　dens　that　look　now
  as　they　looked　five　hundred　years　ago；　and　puzzle　over　books　in　the
  British　Museum　that　were　made　before　Christ　was　born；　and　in　the
  customs　of　their　public　dinners；　and　the　ceremonies　of　every
  official　act；　and　the　dresses　of　a　thousand　dignitaries；　trace　the
  speech　and　manners　of　all　the　centuries　that　have　dragged　their
  lagging　decades　over　England　since　the　Heptarchy　fell　asunder。　　I
  would　a　good　deal　rather　live　here　if　I　could　get　the　rest　of　you
  over。
  He　sailed　November　12th；　on　the　Batavia；　loaded　with　Christmas　presents
  for　everybody；　jewelry；　furs；　laces；　also　a　practical　steam…engine　for
  his　namesake；　Sam　Moffett。　　Half…way　across　the　Atlantic　the　Batavia　ran
  into　a　hurricane　and　was　badly　damaged　by　heavy　seas；　and　driven　far　out
  of　her　course。　　It　was　a　lucky　event　on　the　whole；　for　she　fell　in　with　a
  water…logged　lumber　bark；　a　complete　wreck；　with　nine　surviving　sailors
  clinging　to　her　rigging。　　In　the　midst　of　the　wild　gale　a　lifeboat　was
  launched　and　the　perishing　men　were　rescued。　　Clemens　prepared　a　graphic
  report　of　the　matter　for　the　Royal　Humane　Society；　asking　that　medals　be
  conferred　upon　the　brave　rescuers；　a　document　that　was　signed　by　his
  fellow…passengers　and　obtained　for　the　men　complete　recognition　and　wide
  celebrity。　　Closing；　the　writer　said：
  As　might　have　been　anticipated；　if　I　have　been　of　any　service　toward
  rescuing　these　nine　shipwrecked　human　beings　by　standing　around　the
  deck　in　a　furious　storm；　without　an　umbrella；　keeping　an　eye　on
  things　and　seeing　that　they　were　done　right；　and　yelling　whenever　a
  cheer　seemed　to　be　the　important　thing；　I　am　glad　and　I　am
  satisfied。　　I　ask　no　reward。　　I　would　do　it　again　under　the　same
  circumstances。　　But　what　I　do　plead　for；　earnestly　and　sincerely；　is
  that　the　Royal　Humane　Society　will　remember　our　captain　and　our
  life…boat　crew；　and　in　so　remembering　them　increase　the　high　honor
  and　esteem　in　which　the　society　is　held　all　over　the　civilized
  world。
  The　Batavia　reached　New　York　November　26；　1872。　　Mark　Twain　had　been
  absent　three　months；　during　which　he　had　been　brought　to　at　least　a
  partial　realization　of　what　his　work　meant　to　him　and　to　mankind。
  An　election　had　taken　place　during　his　absencean　election　which
  gratified　him　deeply；　for　it　had　resulted　in　the　second　presidency　of
  General　Grant　and　in　the　defeat　of　Horace　Greeley；　whom　he　admired
  perhaps；　but　not　as　presidential　material。　　To　Thomas　Nast；　who　had　aided
  very　effectually　in　Mr。　Greeley's　overwhelming　defeat；　Clemens　wrote：
  Nast；　you　more　than　any　other　man　have　won　a　prodigious　victory　for
  GrantI　mean；　rather；　for　civilization　and　progress。　　Those　pictures
  were　simply　marvelous；　and　if　any　man　in　the　land　has　a　right　to　hold　his
  head　up　and　be　honestly　proud　of　his　share　in　this　year's　vast　events
  that　man　is　unquestionably　yourself。　　We　all　do　sincerely　honor　you；　and
  are　proud　of　you。
  Horace　Greeley's　peculiar　abilities　and　eccentricities　won　celebrity　for
  him；　rather　than　voters。　　Mark　Twain　once　said　of　him：
  〃He　was　a　great　man；　an　honest　man；　and　served　his；　country　well　and　was
  an　honor　to　it。　　Also；　he　was　a　good…natured　man；　but　abrupt　with
  strangers　if　they　annoyed　him　when　he　was　busy。　　He　was　profane；　but　that
  is　nothing；　the　best　of　us　is　that。　　I　did　not　know　him　well；　but　only
  just　casually；　and　by　accident。　　I　never　met　him　but　once。　　I　called　on
  him　in　the　Tribune　office；　but　I　was　not　intending　to。　　I　was　looking　for
  Whitelaw　Reid；　and　got　into　the　wrong　den。　　He　was　alone　at　his　desk；
  writing；　and　we　conversednot　long；　but　just　a　little。　　I　asked　him　if
  he　was　well；　and　he　said；　'What　the　hell　do　you　want？'　　Well；　I　couldn't
  remember　what　I　wanted；　so　I　said　I　would　call　again。　　But　I　didn't。〃
  Clemens　did　not　always　tell　the　incident　just　in　this　way。　　Sometimes　it
  was　John　Hay　he　was　looking　for　instead　of　Reid；　and　the　conversation
  with　Greeley　varied；　but　perhaps　there　was　a　germ