A soft turf, covered with wild thyme, heath, and fern, makes the meandering walks amongst the huge blocks of moss-mantled stone, tempting and delightful, in spite of their steepness; and the delicious perfume of the fragrant herbs, growing in great luxuriance everywhere, is refreshing in the extreme.

The snowy tower of strength, rising from its bed of piled up rock--the broad high walls, and their firm buttresses and circular windows, through which the blue sky gleams--the nodding foliage and garlands of ivy which adorn the huge towers--and, far beyond, a rich and glowing country, altogether present a scene of beauty, difficult to be equalled in any part of Normandy, rich as that charming province is in animated landscape.
We spent many hours of a brilliant summer's day, climbing amongst the rocks, and making sketches of the castle in its different phases, all of which offer studies to an artist: here the majestic donjon forms a fine object; there the ruined arsenal; and farther off the battered walls, separated and hurled down by the cannon of Henri IV.

when through this breach his white plume was seen triumphantly waving as he cheered his warriors on to the attack, changing the _six months_ proposed by Brissac into _six days_, during which he took the fortress and the town.
An anecdote is related of a heroine of Falaise, whose exploits are recorded with pride by her countrymen, by whom she is called _La Grande Eperonniere_.

She had headed a party of valiant citizens, who defended one of their gates, and fought with such determination, as to keep her position for a long time against the soldiers of Le Vert Galant.
The king, when the town was in his power, summoned her before him: she came, and approaching with the same undaunted air, interrupted him, as he was about to propose terms to her, and demanded at once the safety of all the women and aged men of the town of Falaise.

Henry was struck with her courage, and desired her to shut herself up in a street with the persons she wished to save, together with all their most precious possessions, and gave her his word that no soldier should penetrate that retreat.