[Illustration:  OLD PARR’S COTTAGE.]

Parr was feted in London to such an extent that he died of surfeit, and was buried in the Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey, where his tombstone still exists, and is inscribed: 

Thomas Parr of Y’E County of Sallop Borne in A’P 1483.  He lived in Y’E Reignes of Ten Princes VIZ:—­ K. Edw. 4.  K. Edw. 5.  K. Rich. 3.  K. Hen. 7.  K. Hen. 8.  K. Edw. 6.  Q. Ma.  Q. Eliz.  K. Ja. & K. Charles Aged 152 Years & was buried Here Novemb. 15. 1635.

His portrait was painted by Van Dyck, who at that time was the Court painter of King Charles I, and there were other oil paintings of him in various places in England and abroad.

(Distance walked thirty-one miles.)

Friday, November 3rd.

[Illustration:  ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH, COVENTRY.]

Our hotel was quite near the Coventry Parish Church dedicated to St. Michael, which was said to be the largest parish church in England, so we went out early this morning to visit it.  We found it to be a very fine church, and in it we saw some workmen erecting a beautiful stained-glass window in which they had already placed the likeness of two saints, one of whom was St. Ambrose.  We wondered why they should be putting such images in what we supposed to be the Reformed Church of England.  The men told us we should find a very fine stained-glass window across the way in St. Mary’s Hall, which had been erected in the time of Henry VI, and was originally the work of John Thornton of Coventry, who also had charge of the erection of the famous east window we had already seen in York Minster.  We only saw the exterior of the windows in St. Mary’s Hall, as we could not find any door that was open, so we hurried away to form the acquaintance of “Peeping Tom,” whose image we had come so many miles to see.  We found him high up on a corner of a street as if looking down on the passers-by below.  The building in which he appeared was doing duty as a public-house, so we went in and saw the landlord, to whom we explained the nature of our visit and journey, and he kindly conducted us up the steps to the small room at the top of the house where Peeping Tom was to be seen.  He was a repulsive-looking image of humanity, made of wood, without arms, and with a hideous face; how long he had occupied his present position no one knew, but as we had seen images of wood made hundreds of years ago, we were willing to suppose that he was a relic of antiquity.  Photography at the time of our visit was only in its infancy, but small cards, 4 inches long by 2-1/2 inches wide, with photographic views on them, were beginning to make their appearance—­picture postcards being then unknown.  On our tour we collected a number of these small cards, which were only to be found in the more populous places.  In our case we were able to get one at Coventry of Peeping Tom, a facsimile of which we here produce.  We did not stay long in his company, for we looked upon him as an ugly and disreputable character, but hurried back to our hotel for a good breakfast before starting on our walk to the country of Shakespeare.