in his newly built castle to the extent of eighteen millions of gold florins in specie and seven millions in plate and jewels! Milman also describes him as harsh and relentless and a cruel persecutor, who betrayed joy not only at the discomfiture but at the slaughter of his enemies, and then goes on to speak of the fame of his piety and learning, and how he rose every night to pray and to study and every morning to attend Mass. One has to think of this cruel and callous Pope kneeling at night to thank God for his great wealth laid up for many years, for his success in overcoming his enemies, and perhaps for the general feeling of comfort and security given by the massive walls of his fortress. His successor, Benedict XII., pulled down John’s buildings and put up much of the present palace. Beyond the cathedral is a public garden, sheltered from the sun and the fierce mistral by a close growth of trees and bushes. An outer walk commands a magnificent view over the Rhone, with the broken bridge of St. Bénézet throwing its four arches into the irresistible waters down below. It was during a republic which lasted from 1135 to 1251 that the bridge was built. It originally had nineteen arches, and above one of the piers was built a chapel to St. Nicholas. This interesting little structure still survives, and is illustrated in these pages. A favourite nursery rhyme, known to anyone who has had a French nurse, is: ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon, l’on y danse, l’on y danse; Sur le pont d’Avignon, l’on y danse tous en rond.’ The best of the churches is _St. Pierre_, to the south of the Papal palace. It has an elaborate façade, built in 1520, and richly carved doors. _St. Didier_ is of the fourteenth century, and contains the grave of St. Bénézet under a slab in the centre of the nave. Near this church is the Hôtel Crillon, a fine example of the domestic architecture of the seventeenth century. _St. Agricol_ dates from 1340. The palace of the Archbishop of Avignon is a picturesque old building, dating from early in the fourteenth century. It is now a _Petit Séminaire_. Villeneuve-les-Avignon, on the west side of the Rhone, attracts one from the first, with its romantic grouping under the imposing bulk of the fourteenth-century _Fort St. André_. The great square tower by the river, also of yellow stone, was built by Philippe le Bel for the defence of the bridge. Inside the Fort St. André are the remains of a Benedictine abbey and a Romanesque chapel. The interesting parish church of Villeneuve dates from the fourteenth century, and contains the tomb of Cardinal Arnauld de Via, the founder. In the chapel of the hospital on the other side of the street is the splendid tomb of Pope Innocent VI. (1352-1362), who did much to make amends for the misdeeds of Clement VI. The richly sculptured canopy rises in pinnacles to the roof, and the whole work reveals the enormous wealth of the Avignonese Popes.