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+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #64905 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64905)
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-The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Child's Pictorial History of England, by
-Julia Corner
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
-will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
-using this eBook.
-
-Title: The Child's Pictorial History of England
-
-Author: Julia Corner
-
-Release Date: March 23, 2021 [eBook #64905]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-Produced by: Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online Distributed
- Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net and the Online
- Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
- book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust
- Digital Library.)
-
-*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILD'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF
-ENGLAND ***
-
-
-
-
- TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
-
- Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.
-
-
-
-
-THE
-
-CHILD’S PICTORIAL
-
-HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
-
-
-[Illustration: DEATH OF LLEWELLYN.]
-
-[Illustration: DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.]
-
-
-
-
- THE CHILD’S
-
- PICTORIAL
-
- HISTORY OF ENGLAND;
-
- FROM THE
-
- EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME.
-
-
- BY MISS CORNER,
-
- AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, GREECE, ROME, FRANCE,
- SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.
-
-
- From the Thirteenth London Edition.
-
-
- PHILADELPHIA:
- HENRY F. ANNER’S,
- 48 NORTH FOURTH STREET
- 1853.
-
-
-
-
- Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by
-
- H. F. ANNERS.
-
- In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States,
- in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
-
-
- PHILADELPHIA:
- STEREOTYPED BY GEORGE CHARLES,
- No. 9 Sansom Street.
-
-
-
-
-PREFACE
-
-TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.
-
-
-A juvenile history of England has long been needed in our primary
-schools.
-
-Those already prepared, and in use, are written in a style entirely
-beyond the capacities of young children, and too comprehensive in
-detail.
-
-“History for children ought to be told in their own simple language,
-or it fails to interest them; while all that is unfitted for childish
-ears, or unsuited to a childish understanding, should be carefully
-omitted; at the same time, it is essential to avoid making false or
-imperfect impressions by an injudicious brevity.”
-
-_Philadelphia_, 1853.
-
-
-
-
-The Publisher invites the attention of those engaged in tuition, to
-the following reviews, selected from a large number, recommendatory
-of Miss Corner, as an historian for the school-room:
-
-“Miss Corner is an excellent historian for the school-room; she
-narrates with fluency and clearness, and in a concise and lively
-manner.”--_London Spectator._
-
-“It is written with clearness and simplicity, the principal events
-are accurately and briefly described, and the whole is well adapted
-to the comprehension of young persons.”--_London Atlas._
-
-“Miss Corner is concise in matter, yet perspicuous in style, delicate
-in narration, yet accurate in record, comprehensive in reference, yet
-simple in arrangement.”--_Devonport Independent._
-
-“Miss Corner writes intelligently and fluently, with much ease and
-winning grace.”--_London Magazine of Arts and Sciences._
-
-“The beauty of composition throughout the writings of Miss Corner is
-singular and fascinating.”--_London Sun._
-
-“This meritorious work is written in a very easy and agreeable style,
-perfectly adapted to the capacities of the young persons for whom it
-is intended.”--_London Times._
-
-“Miss Corner has acquired a deserved celebrity for the
-singularly-attractive and intelligible manner she has in narrating
-history.”--_London Critic._
-
-
-
-
- Contents.
-
-
- CHAPTER I.
- PAGE
- THE ANCIENT BRITONS, 9
-
-
- CHAPTER II.
-
- THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN, 16
-
-
- CHAPTER III.
-
- THE SAXON HEPTARCHY, 24
-
-
- CHAPTER IV.
-
- MANNERS OF THE SAXONS, 33
-
-
- CHAPTER V.
-
- THE DANES AND ALFRED THE GREAT, 41
-
-
- CHAPTER VI.
-
- FROM THE DEATH OF ALFRED TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST, 50
-
-
- CHAPTER VII.
-
- THE NORMAN CONQUEST, 59
-
-
- CHAPTER VIII.
-
- THE NORMAN PERIOD--1087 TO 1154, 68
-
-
- CHAPTER IX.
-
- HENRY THE SECOND, RICHARD THE FIRST, AND JOHN--1154
- TO 1216, 82
-
-
- CHAPTER X.
-
- FROM THE DEATH OF KING JOHN TO THE ACCESSION OF
- RICHARD THE SECOND--1216 TO 1377, 95
-
-
- CHAPTER XI.
-
- FROM THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD THE SECOND TO THE
- WAR OF THE ROSES--1377 TO 1422, 110
-
-
- CHAPTER XII.
-
- THE WARS OF THE ROSES--1422 TO 1461, 119
-
-
- CHAPTER XIII.
-
- FROM THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH, TO QUEEN ELIZABETH--1461
- TO 1558, 128
-
-
- CHAPTER XIV.
-
- QUEEN ELIZABETH--1558 TO 1603, 140
-
-
- CHAPTER XV.
-
- THE STUARTS. FROM THE UNION TO THE REVOLUTION--1603
- TO 1689, 150
-
-
- CHAPTER XVI.
-
- THE REVOLUTION--1689 TO 1714, 168
-
-
- CHAPTER XVII.
-
- HOUSE OF HANOVER--1714 TO 1830, 175
-
-
- CHAPTER XVIII.
-
- FROM THE DEATH OF GEORGE THE THIRD, 1830, TO THE
- PRESENT TIME, 190
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I.
-
-THE ANCIENT BRITONS.
-
-
-[Illustration: ANCIENT BRITONS.]
-
-1. Would you not like to read about your own country, and to know
-what sort of people lived in it a long while ago, and whether they
-were any thing like us? Indeed, they were not; neither was England,
-in ancient times, such as it is now.
-
-2. There were no great cities, no fine buildings, no pleasant
-gardens, parks, or nice roads to go from one place to another; but
-the people lived in caves, or in the woods, in clusters of huts,
-which they called towns.
-
-3. The country was not then called England, but Britain; and its
-inhabitants were called Britons. They were divided into many tribes;
-and each tribe had a king or chief, like the North American Indians;
-and these chiefs often went to war with one another.
-
-4. Some of the tribes lived like savages, for they had no clothes but
-skins, and did not know how to cultivate the land: so they had no
-bread, but got food to eat by hunting animals in the forests, fishing
-in the rivers, and some of them by keeping herds of small hardy
-cattle, and gathering wild roots and acorns, which they roasted and
-eat.
-
-5. But all the Britons were not equally uncivilized, for those who
-dwelt on the south coasts of the island, had learned many useful
-things from the Gauls, a people then living in the country now called
-France, who used to come over to trade with them, and with many
-families of Gauls who had at various times settled amongst them.
-
-6. They grew corn, brewed ale, made butter and cheese, and a coarse
-woollen cloth for their clothing. And they knew how to dye the wool
-of several colors, for they wore plaid trowsers and tunics, and dark
-colored woollen mantles, in shape like a large open shawl.
-
-7. Perhaps you would like to know what they had to sell to the Gauls;
-so I will tell you. Britain was famous for large dogs; and there
-was plenty of tin; and the South Britons sold also corn and cattle,
-and the prisoners which had been taken in war, who were bought for
-slaves; and you will be sorry to hear that many of the ancient
-Britons sold their children into slavery.
-
-8. They carried these goods in carts, drawn by oxen, to the coast of
-Hampshire, then crossed over to the Isle of Wight, in light boats,
-made of wicker, and covered with hides or skins, in shape something
-like half a walnut shell.
-
-9. The merchants from Gaul met them in the Isle of Wight; and as they
-brought different kinds of merchandise to dispose of, they managed
-their business almost entirely without money, by exchanging one thing
-for another.
-
-10. The Britons were very clever in making things of wicker work, in
-the form of baskets, shields, coated with hides, boats, and chariots,
-with flat wooden wheels.
-
-11. These chariots were used in war, and sharp scythes were fixed
-to the axles of the wheels, which made terrible havoc when driven
-through a body of enemies.
-
-12. But I shall not say much about the wars of the ancient Britons,
-or their mode of fighting; as there are many things far more pleasant
-to read of, and more useful to know.
-
-13. At that time, which is about one thousand nine hundred years ago,
-the country was almost covered with forests; and when the people
-wanted to build a town, they cleared a space for it by cutting down
-the trees, and then built a number of round huts of branches and
-clay, with high pointed roofs, like an extinguisher, covered with
-rushes or reeds.
-
-14. This was called a town; and around it they made a bank of earth,
-and a fence of the trees they had felled; outside the fence, they
-also dug a ditch, to protect themselves and their cattle from the
-sudden attacks of hostile tribes.
-
-15. As to furniture, a few stools or blocks of wood to sit upon,
-some wooden bowls and wicker baskets to hold their food, with a few
-jars and pans of coarse earthenware, were all the things they used;
-for they slept on the ground on skins, spread upon dried leaves, and
-fern, or heath. Their bows and arrows, shields, spears, and other
-weapons, were hung round the insides of their huts.
-
-16. The Britons were not quite ignorant of the art of working in
-metals; for there was a class of men living among them who understood
-many useful arts, and were learned, too, for those times, although
-they did not communicate their learning to the rest of the people.
-
-17. These men were the Druids, or priests, who had much more
-authority than the chiefs, because they were so much cleverer;
-therefore the people minded what they said.
-
-18. They made all the laws, and held courts of justice in the open
-air, when they must have made a very venerable appearance, seated in
-a circle on stones, dressed in long white woollen robes, with wands
-in their hands, and long beards descending below their girdles.
-
-19. The ignorant people believed they were magicians, for they knew
-something of astronomy, and of the medicinal qualities of plants and
-herbs, with which they made medicines to give the sick, who always
-thought they were cured by magic.
-
-20. Some of the Druids were bards, that is poets, and musicians;
-others taught young men to become Druids; and some of them made a
-great many useful things out of the metals that were found in the
-mines.
-
-21. You will perhaps wonder where the Druids gained all their
-knowledge. I cannot tell you; but many learned men think that the
-first Druids came from India or Persia, as the religion they taught
-was very similar to that of the Persians and Hindoos.
-
-22. They did not believe in the true God, but told the people there
-were many gods, and that they were in trees and rivers, and fire,
-which they worshipped for that reason.
-
-23. They had no churches, but made temples, by forming circles of
-large stones, of such immense size that nobody can guess how they
-were carried to the places where they stood, for there are some of
-them still remaining.
-
-24. They used to hold several religious festivals in the course of
-the year, when all the people made holiday, and the bards played on
-their harps and sang, and there was plenty of feasting, and merry
-making; and they used to light bonfires, and make an illumination by
-running about with torches in their hands, for they believed that a
-display of fire was pleasing to their gods; and so you see that our
-custom of having fireworks, and illuminations, and bonfires, on days
-of public rejoicing, is as old as the time of the ancient Britons.
-
-25. The Druids had a great deal to do on those days; for they used
-to go to their temples and say prayers, and sacrifice animals for
-offerings to their false gods; and on New Year’s Day, they walked in
-procession to some old oak tree to cut the mistletoe that grew upon
-it, for this was one of their religious ceremonies; and the oldest
-Druid went up into the tree to cut the plant, while the rest stood
-below singing sacred songs, and holding their robes to catch the
-boughs as they fell; and crowds of men and women stood round to see
-them.
-
-26. But I must make an end of this chapter about the ancient Britons,
-and tell you how the Romans came and conquered the country, and made
-quite a different place of it.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 3. What was England called in ancient times?
-
- 4. How did the Britons resemble the American Indians?
-
- 5. Describe the tribes that were most civilized.
-
- 7. With whom did they trade, and in what commodities?
-
- 8. How and where was their trade carried on?
-
- 10. For what manufacture were the Britons famous?
-
- 13. How did they build a town?
-
- 15. Describe the furniture of their habitations.
-
- 17. Who were the Druids?
-
- 18. Tell me what you know about them.
-
- 19. Mention the different employments of the Druids.
-
- 21. Where is it supposed the first Druids came from?
-
- 25. Describe their temples.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II.
-
-THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
-
-
-[Illustration: LANDING OF JULIUS CÆSAR.]
-
-1. The Romans, about the time of the birth of Christ, were the
-richest, the most powerful, and the cleverest people in the world.
-Rome was a grand city, and there were many other fine cities in Italy
-belonging to the Romans, who knew how to build handsome houses, and
-make beautiful gardens, besides being excellent farmers.
-
-2. They had elegant furniture, and pictures, and marble statues; and
-they were well educated, and wrote a great number of books in Latin,
-for that was their language, and many of those books are used in our
-schools to this day.
-
-3. They had large armies, and had conquered a great many countries,
-when Julius Cæsar, a great Roman General, brought an army to Britain,
-about fifty years before the birth of our Saviour, to try to conquer
-the Britons also; but thousands of British warriors went down to
-the sea shore, by Dover cliffs, to fight the Romans as soon as they
-landed; and they took a great many war chariots with them, and fought
-so bravely, that after two or three battles, Cæsar offered to make
-peace with them, and go away, if their princes would pay tribute to
-the Roman government; which they consented to do.
-
-4. However, the Romans thought no more about Britain for nearly a
-hundred years, when they came again, and went to war in earnest
-with the natives, who at length were obliged to submit to them; and
-Britain became a part of the Roman Empire, just as India is at this
-time a part of the British Empire.
-
-5. Now this was a good thing for the Britons, although they did not
-then think so; for as soon as they left off fighting, the Romans
-began to teach them all they knew, and to make a much better place
-of Britain than it had ever been before.
-
-6. As soon as a part of the country was conquered, some great man was
-sent from Rome to govern it, and to make the people obey the Roman
-laws.
-
-7. Then other great men came to live here, and brought their families
-and furniture and plate from Rome; and built fine houses, and planted
-gardens, with flowers and fruit trees, and vegetables, that were
-never seen here before, for they brought the roots and seeds and
-young trees with them.
-
-8. At first, the Roman governors made the Britons pay very heavy
-taxes; not in money, for they had none; but they were obliged to give
-a part of their cattle, and corn, and metals, or any thing else they
-had; and to work with the Roman soldiers at building, making roads,
-draining the watery lands, and cutting down trees, to make room for
-houses and gardens.
-
-9. They did not like this, and one of the tribes, named the Iceni,
-who lived in that part of Britain which is now called Norfolk and
-Suffolk, determined to make another effort to drive the Romans out of
-the country.
-
-10. You will be surprised to hear that they were headed by a woman;
-but there were queens among the Britons as well as kings; and the
-king of the Iceni being dead, his widow Boadicea governed in his
-stead.
-
-11. She encouraged her people to rebel against their new rulers, and
-led them to battle herself, mounted in a chariot, and armed like a
-warrior; but the Romans won the battle, and the brave but unfortunate
-queen put an end to her own life.
-
-12. After this, there was another long war, which lasted till all
-the South British tribes were subdued, and the Roman government
-established all over the country, except the north part of Scotland.
-
-13. It was lucky for the Britons that a very good Roman, named
-Agricola, was made governor about this time, for he behaved so kindly
-that they began to like the Romans, and to wish to live as they did,
-and to know how to do all the clever things they could do.
-
-14. I should tell you that all the Roman soldiers were educated as
-engineers and builders, surveyors, and cultivators of land, and when
-not actually engaged in fighting, they were employed daily for four
-hours in some such out-of-door labour or occupation; so, when the
-war was over, they were set to work to improve the country, and the
-Britons had to help them.
-
-15. They made good hard broad roads, paved with stones firmly
-cemented together, and set up mile stones upon them.
-
-16. The Romans had built London during the war, and given it the name
-of Augusta, but the houses were almost all barracks for the soldiers
-and their families, so that it was not nearly so handsome as York
-and Bath, and many other cities that they built in place of the old
-British towns.
-
-17. The Britons, who had never seen any thing better than their
-own clay huts, must have been quite astonished at the fine houses
-constructed by the Romans; who also built, in every city, temples,
-theatres, and public baths, with large rooms for people to meet in,
-like a coffee house.
-
-18. Then, in each town, was a market place for people to buy and sell
-goods, and the Romans taught the Britons generally to use money,
-which was more convenient than taking things in exchange.
-
-19. The Romans were excellent farmers, as I said before; so they
-shewed the natives how to manage their land better than they had
-done, and how to make many useful implements of husbandry.
-
-20. By cutting down the forest trees, which they used in building,
-they obtained more land for cultivation, and grew so much corn that
-there was more than enough for the people in Britain, so that a great
-deal was sent every year to the Roman colonies in Germany.
-
-21. By degrees, the Britons left off their old habits, and those
-above the lowest rank wore the Roman dress, spoke the Roman language,
-and adopted the manners and customs of their conquerors, who treated
-them as friends and equals.
-
-22. There were schools opened in all the towns, where British and
-Roman boys were instructed together, and the former were all brought
-up to serve in the Roman armies; for there were no more wars among
-the British princes; who held the same rank as before, but paid
-tribute to the Roman governor, and were under his authority, as many
-of the princes of India are now under the authority of the English
-Governor General in India.
-
-23. The Britons had to pay a great many taxes, but they likewise
-enjoyed many rights, for the Roman laws were much better laws than
-those of the Druids, which were made for barbarians, and not for
-civilized people, such as the Britons had now become.
-
-24. You will, perhaps, wonder what the Druids were about all this
-time. The Romans did not approve of their religion, so they put an
-end to it very soon, after they came here; but what became of the
-Druids, is not exactly known.
-
-25. It is supposed that many of them were killed by the Romans in the
-isle of Anglesea, where the chief Druid always resided; and that all
-the rest fled to Scotland, or the Isle of Man.
-
-26. The Romans, however, were themselves heathens, when they first
-settled in Britain, and worshipped a number of false gods; but their
-gods were different from those of the Druids, and the rites and
-ceremonies of their religion were different too.
-
-27. But, in course of time, many of the Romans became Christians, and
-Christianity was taught in Britain, where the heathen temples were
-converted into Christian churches, and the Britons, as well as the
-Romans, at length learned to worship the one true God.
-
-28. The Romans had kept possession of Britain for more than three
-hundred years, when it happened that great armies of barbarians went
-to fight against Rome, and all the soldiers were sent for, to try to
-drive them away again; so that this country was left unprotected, for
-it was the Roman soldiers who had kept enemies from coming here.
-
-29. The Britons hoped they would come back again, as they did more
-than once; but affairs got worse and worse at Rome, so the rulers
-there sent word to the British princes, that they did not wish to
-keep the island any longer, therefore the Britons might consider
-themselves a free people. But was freedom a blessing to them? I think
-we shall find it was not.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 3. By whom was Britain first invaded?
-
- 4. When did the Romans again appear?
-
- 5. Was this conquest a good or bad thing for the Britons, and why?
-
- 8. What occasioned the revolt of the Iceni?
-
- 10. Who headed the insurrection, and what were its consequences?
-
- 13. Who was Agricola?
-
- 14. How were the Roman soldiers employed in time of peace?
-
- 15. Tell me of the improvements made in Britain by the Romans.
-
- 25. What became of the Druids?
-
- 28. When and why did the Romans leave Britain?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III.
-
-THE SAXON HEPTARCHY.
-
-
-[Illustration: A SAXON SHIP.]
-
-1. It is now time to tell you something about the Picts and Scots.
-They were the people of Scotland, and were called by the Romans
-Caledonians, which meant men of the woods, because they were very
-rude and fierce, and lived among woods and wilds.
-
-2. They had always been sad enemies to the Britons; but the Romans
-had kept them away, and the good governor Agricola built a row of
-strong forts, all across their country, and placed soldiers in them,
-to make the Caledonians keep on the other side.
-
-3. However, they sometimes managed to break through; so the Emperor
-Severus, who was here from the year 207 to 211, had a stone wall
-built across that narrow part, where Northumberland joins Cumberland,
-and it was so strong, that parts of the banks and forts are still
-remaining.
-
-4. But when all the Roman soldiers were gone, the Picts and Scots
-began to come again, and robbed the people of their corn and cattle,
-and stole their children for slaves, and did a great deal of mischief.
-
-5. Now, if the British princes had agreed among themselves, and
-joined together to drive out these terrible foes, things might have
-gone on very well; but they were foolish enough to quarrel, and go to
-war with one another; while some of the captains, who wanted to be
-princes, got a number of soldiers to help them, and took possession
-of different places, where they called themselves kings, and made the
-people obey them.
-
-6. They did not continue the good Roman laws; nor elect magistrates
-to keep order in the cities, as used to be done while the Romans were
-here; and tillage was neglected, because the farmers were afraid
-their crops would be destroyed, so that numbers of people died of
-famine.
-
-7. There were still many Romans in Britain, who were not soldiers but
-were settled here, most of them having married into British families;
-and there were a great number of people who were Britons by birth,
-but whose ancestors had been Romans; and all these were desirous that
-the country should still be governed by the Roman laws, and formed
-what was called the Roman party.
-
-8. But there was a British party also, that wanted to do away with
-the Roman laws altogether, and not to let the Romans have any thing
-to do with ruling the country; so each of these parties elected a
-king.
-
-9. The Britons chose a prince named Vortigern; and the Romans chose
-one called Aurelius Ambrosius; and there was war between them.
-
-10. Then Vortigern, the British king, thought it would be a good
-thing to get some other brave people to join his party, that he might
-be able to overcome his rival, as well as to drive away the Picts and
-Scots; so he proposed to some of the British chiefs that they should
-ask the Saxons to come and help them, and they thought it would be
-a good plan.
-
-11. The Saxons inhabited the north of Germany, and parts of Holland
-and Denmark, which were then poor and barren countries.
-
-12. Many of their chiefs were pirates, that is, they lived by going
-out on the seas to fight and plunder; nor did they think it wicked so
-to do; but, on the contrary, imagined it was brave and noble.
-
-13. Two of them, Hengist and Horsa, happened to be cruising near
-the British coast, when they received a message from Vortigern; who
-made a bargain with them, and offered to give them the little island
-of Thanet, if they would come with all their men, to assist him in
-driving out the Picts and Scots.
-
-14. Thanet is that part of Kent where Margate is now situated, but
-was then separated by an arm of the sea, so that it was a small
-island, standing alone, nearly a mile from the coast.
-
-15. The Saxons were very ready to come, for they knew that Britain
-was a pleasant, fertile country, and hoped to get some of it for
-themselves; but they did not let the Britons know they thought of
-doing so.
-
-16. Hengist and Horsa were very brave, and their men were well armed,
-so they soon forced the Picts and Scots to retreat to their own
-country; and shortly afterwards they went to the Isle of Thanet,
-which they fortified, and many more Saxons came there to them.
-
-17. I cannot tell you how the affairs of the Britons went on, or what
-became of Vortigern; but this I can tell you, that the Saxons soon
-began to quarrel with the people of Kent, and fought with them, and
-having driven most of them away, took the land for themselves, and
-began to live there.
-
-18. The chief who made this conquest, was Esca, the son of Hengist,
-who called himself king of Kent, which, from that time, was a small
-Saxon kingdom, for the Britons never won it back again.
-
-13. Then other chiefs, hearing how Esca had succeeded, got together
-bands of soldiers, and landed in different parts of the country, to
-try to gain kingdoms also; but they did not all come at once, and
-their conquests were made by such slow degrees, that the wars lasted
-more than one hundred and fifty years; so you may guess how hard the
-Britons fought in defence of their liberty.
-
-20. We can learn but very little about those unhappy times, for the
-few histories that were then written were mostly destroyed in these
-long wars; and though songs were composed by the bards or poets,
-which the people used to learn and teach to their children, these
-songs were not all true.
-
-21. They were mostly about the wars, and the brave British chiefs who
-defended the country against the Saxons; and if you should ever hear
-anybody speak of king Arthur, and the knights of the Round Table, you
-may remember that he is said to have been one of those chiefs; and,
-if we may believe the tale, killed four hundred Saxons with his own
-hand in one battle.
-
-22. Those who made the story about him, say that the nobles of his
-court were all so equal in bravery and goodness, that he had a large
-round table made for them to feast at, that no one might sit above
-another; so they were called knights of the Round Table. But let us
-return to our history.
-
-23. The Saxons went on making one conquest after another, till, at
-last, they were in possession of the whole country; where very few
-of the natives were left, for most of those who had not been killed
-in the wars, had fled into Gaul, or taken refuge among the Welsh
-mountains; so from this time we shall hear no more of the Britons,
-but must look upon the Saxons as the people of England.
-
-24. I told you how Esca had established the little kingdom of Kent.
-Well, in the course of the wars, six more kingdoms had been formed
-in the same manner, by different Saxon chiefs, so that, by the time
-the conquest was completed, there were seven kingdoms in Britain,
-namely, Kent, Sussex, Essex, and East Anglia, Northumbria, Wessex,
-and Mercia; and this division of the country among seven kings, was
-called the Saxon Heptarchy.
-
-25. The Saxons were not clever people, like the Romans, but were
-rough and ignorant, and cared for nothing but fighting; so while the
-wars were going on, they ruined and destroyed all the beautiful and
-useful works that had been done in the Roman times; for they did
-not understand their value, and only thought it was a fine thing to
-destroy all that belonged to their enemies.
-
-26. But the works of the Romans were very strong; for even now, when
-workmen are digging in London, and different parts of the country,
-they sometimes find Roman walls, and pavements, and foundations of
-houses, that show what good architects the Romans were.
-
-27. When the Saxons had got possession of the whole country, you
-may perhaps suppose they would be quiet and contented, but this
-was not the case; for as long as there were separate kingdoms, they
-were continually at war with each other, and the principal cause of
-disagreement was, that, among the kings, there was always one called
-the Bretwalda, or ruler of Britain, who had some degree of authority
-over the rest; but as any one of them might be raised to this
-dignity, it was a constant source of quarrels and warfare, until, at
-length, the weaker kingdoms were overcome by the more powerful ones,
-and there was but one king over the whole country, which then took
-the name of Angleland or England, from a particular tribe of people
-called the Angles, who came here in great numbers with the Saxons.
-
-28. I dare say you did not know before how Britain came to be called
-England; and you would be very much amused to hear how many of the
-places in it, came by their present names.
-
-29. We will take for example Norfolk and Suffolk, which, with
-Cambridge, formed the kingdom of East Anglia, and was conquered by
-the Angles. Now these Angles consisted of two tribes, who divided
-their conquest between them, one tribe settling in the north part,
-the other in the south; so that they were called North folk, and
-South folk, and thus came the names of the two counties.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who were the Caledonians?
-
- 4. How did they molest the Britons?
-
- 6. What was the state of the country at this time?
-
- 7. What was the Roman party?
-
- 8. What was the British party?
-
- 10. Who was Vortigern, and what did he do?
-
- 11. Tell me something about the Saxons.
-
- 16. Who were Hengist and Horsa, and how did they assist the Britons?
-
- 23. What did the Saxons do after this?
-
- 24. What was the Heptarchy?
-
- 25. How was the country changed by the wars?
-
- 27. How was the Heptarchy destroyed?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV.
-
-MANNERS OF THE SAXONS.
-
-
-[Illustration: ANCIENT SAXONS.]
-
-1. I am now going to tell you what sort of people the Saxons were,
-and how they lived after they were quite settled in England; for you
-ought to know all about them, as they were our own ancestors, and
-made a great many of our laws; and their language was English too,
-although it has so much altered that you would hardly know it for the
-same.
-
-2. The Saxons were not Christians when they first came here; but
-their religion was different from that of both the Druids and heathen
-Romans; for they worshipped great images of stone or wood, that they
-made themselves, and called gods; and from the names of their gods
-and goddesses, our names of the days of the week are derived.
-
-3. At length, the bishop of Rome, who was called the Pope, sent some
-good men to persuade the Saxons to leave off praying to wooden idols,
-and to worship the true God.
-
-4. These missionaries first went to Ethelbert, king of Kent, who
-was then Bretwalda, and reasoned with him, so that he saw how wrong
-he had been, and not only became a Christian himself, but let the
-missionaries go and preach among the people, who were baptized in
-great numbers, and taught to believe in God and Jesus Christ.
-
-5. The missionaries were all priests or monks; and some of them lived
-together in great houses called monasteries, which they built upon
-lands given them by the kings and nobles, on which they also raised
-corn, and fed sheep and cattle.
-
-6. They had brought from Rome the knowledge of many useful arts,
-which they taught to the people, who thus learned to be smiths and
-carpenters, and to make a variety of things out of metal, wood and
-leather, which the Saxons did not know how to make before.
-
-7. Then the priests could read and write, which was more than the
-nobles, or even the kings could do; and they used to write books, and
-ornament the pages with beautiful borders, and miniature paintings;
-and the books, thus adorned, are called illuminated manuscripts.
-
-8. Still the Saxons, or English, as I shall henceforth call them,
-were very rough and ignorant as compared with the Romans.
-
-9. Their churches and houses, and even the palaces of the kings, were
-rude wooden buildings, and the cottages of the poor people were no
-better than the huts of the ancient Britons.
-
-10. The common people were almost all employed in cultivating the
-land, and lived in villages on the different estates to which they
-belonged; for the Saxon landlords were not only the owners of the
-land, but of the people also; who were not at liberty, as they are
-now, to go where they pleased; neither could they buy land for
-themselves, nor have any property but what their lords chose. I will
-tell you how it was.
-
-11. The Saxon lords had divided all the land amongst themselves, and
-had brought from their own countries thousands of ceorls, or poor
-people, dependent on them, to be their labourers.
-
-12. Each family of ceorls was allowed to have a cottage, with a few
-acres of land, and to let their cattle or sheep graze on the commons,
-for which, instead of paying rent, they worked a certain number of
-days in each year for their lord, and, besides, gave him a stated
-portion of those things their little farms produced; so that whenever
-they killed a pig, they carried some of it to the great house; and
-the same with their fowls, eggs, honey, milk and butter; and thus the
-chief’s family was well supplied with provisions by his tenants, some
-of whom took care of his sheep and herds, cultivated his fields, and
-got in his harvests.
-
-13. Then there were always some among them who had learned useful
-trades, and thus they did all the kinds of work their masters wanted.
-
-14. Yet, with all this, the poor ceorls generally had enough for
-themselves, and some to spare, which they sold at the markets, and
-thus were able to save a little money.
-
-15. Their cottages were round huts, made of the rough branches of
-trees, coated with clay, and thatched with straw. They had neither
-windows nor chimneys; but a hole was made in the roof to let out the
-smoke from the wood fire, kindled on a hearth in the middle of the
-room; and they used to bake their barley-cakes, which served them for
-bread, on these hearths, without any oven.
-
-16. They made a coarse kind of cloth for clothing from the wool of
-their sheep, a part of which was also given to their lord, and was
-used to clothe the servants of his household, for the rich people got
-a finer cloth for themselves, which was brought from other countries.
-
-17. Great men usually wore white cloth tunics that reached to the
-knee, with broad coloured borders, and belts round the waist. They
-had short cloaks, linen drawers and black leather shoes, with
-coloured bands crossed on their legs, instead of stockings. The
-common people wore tunics of coarse dark cloth, and shoes, but no
-covering on the legs.
-
-18. But I must tell you something more about these country folks,
-who, at the time, formed the great mass of the English population.
-They were, strictly speaking, in bondage, for they could not leave
-the place where they were born, nor the master they belonged to,
-unless he gave them their freedom; they were obliged to serve as
-soldiers in war time, and when the land was transferred to a new
-lord, the people were transferred with it.
-
-19. All they had might at any time be taken from them, and their sons
-and daughters could not marry, without consent of their lord.
-
-20. Yet these people considered themselves free, because they could
-not be sold like the slaves; for I ought to tell you there was a
-lower class of bondmen, called thralls, and there were regular slave
-markets where they were bought and sold.
-
-21. A landowner could sell a thrall just as he could sell an ox;
-but he could not sell a vassal tenant, or, as they were called in
-the Saxon times, a ceorl, or churl, without the estate to which he
-belonged. The thralls were employed to do the hardest and meanest
-work, and had nothing of their own.
-
-22. The houses of the great men were very like large barns, and each
-house stood on an open space of ground, enclosed by a wall of earth
-and a ditch, within which there were stacks of corn, sheds for the
-horses and cattle, and huts for the thralls to sleep in.
-
-23. The principal room was a great hall, strewed with rushes, and
-furnished with long oak tables and benches.
-
-24. The windows were square holes crossed with thin laths, called
-lattices, and the fire-place was a stone hearth in the middle of the
-earthen floor, on which they used to burn great logs of wood, and let
-the smoke go out at a hole in the door.
-
-25. But the great people often had merry doings in these halls,
-for they were fond of feasting, and used to sit at the long wooden
-tables, without table cloths, and eat out of wooden platters or
-trenchers with their fingers.
-
-26. Boiled meats and fish, usually salted, were put on the table in
-great wooden dishes, but roast meats were brought in on the spits
-on which they were cooked, and handed round by the thralls, to the
-company, who helped themselves with knives which they carried at
-their girdles.
-
-27. There was plenty of ale, and among the richest, wine also, which
-they drank out of horn cups; and when the meats were taken away, they
-used to drink and sing, and play on the harp, and often had tumblers,
-jugglers, and minstrels to amuse them.
-
-28. Then the visitors used to lie down on the floor to sleep, covered
-with their cloaks; for very few people had bedsteads, and the only
-beds were a kind of large bags, or bed-ticks, filled with straw, and
-blocks of wood for pillows.
-
-29. Such were the rough manners of our Saxon forefathers, who were,
-however, in some respects a good sort of people, and you will be
-sorry for them by and by, when you read how the Normans came, and
-took away their lands, and made slaves of them. But I must first tell
-you what happened in the Saxon times, after the Heptarchy was broken
-up, and there was only one king of England.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 4. How were the Saxons converted to Christianity?
-
- 6. By what means did they learn many useful arts?
-
- 8. What was the condition of the common people?
-
- 15. Describe the cottages of the poor.
-
- 16. How did the Saxons dress?
-
- 21. What were ceorls? and what were thralls?
-
- 22. Describe the house of a Saxon chief.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V.
-
-THE DANES AND ALFRED THE GREAT.
-
-
-[Illustration: ALFRED THE GREAT.]
-
-1. It was nearly 380 years after the first Saxons came here with
-their two pirate chiefs, Hengist and Horsa, that England began to
-have only one king.
-
-2. There were still some other princes, who bore that title, but they
-had so little power, that they could hardly be called kings; so that
-a brave prince, named Egbert, who conquered the last kingdom of the
-Heptarchy, is usually called the first king of England.
-
-3. The civil wars were thus, for a time, ended; but it seemed as if
-the English were never to be long at peace, for they now had some
-terrible enemies to contend with, who kept the country in constant
-alarm.
-
-4. These were the Danes who came from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden,
-and were almost the same people as the Saxons; for they spoke the
-same language, followed the same customs, and lived by piracy, as the
-Saxons did in former times.
-
-5. I have not room to tell you of half the mischief they did in
-England. Sometimes they would land suddenly from their boats in the
-night, when the affrighted people were awakened by a cry of, “the
-Danes! the Danes!” and, starting up, perhaps, beheld their villages
-in flames; and, as they ran in terror from their cottages, were
-either killed or dragged away to the pirate vessels, with the cattle
-and any thing else that could be found, and made slaves.
-
-6. Egbert had fought a battle with them in Cornwall, and forced them
-to depart; but, during the reign of Ethelwulf, the next king, and
-three of his sons, they not only attacked the towns and villages
-on the sea-coast, but used to seize the horses and ride about the
-country in search of plunder.
-
-7. They broke into the monasteries, where the people often put their
-money and jewels for safety; and if the inmates made any resistance
-they would set the building on fire.
-
-8. Then they set up fortified camps, in many places; that is, a
-number of tents, arranged together, like a town surrounded with
-a wall and ditch; and thus a great many of the Danes established
-themselves in the country, and conquered all the northern part of it.
-This was the sad state of affairs when Alfred the Great came to the
-throne.
-
-9. I dare say you have heard of this good prince, who was the
-youngest and favorite son of king Ethelwulf, for he was the cleverest
-and best. His mother, being an accomplished lady, tried to teach all
-her sons to read; but none of them would learn except Alfred, who
-afterwards went to Rome to study Latin, and learn to write, so that
-he was a good scholar for those times.
-
-10. His three brothers had all reigned in turn, and were all dead
-by the time he was twenty-two years old, therefore he was then heir
-to the crown; but, instead of being able to think about the best
-way of governing the country, he was obliged to get together as many
-soldiers as he could, and go out with them to fight the Danes.
-
-11. There was no regular army then, as there is now; but, when the
-king wanted soldiers, he sent to all the noblemen and landholders
-in the kingdom, who were obliged to come themselves and bring so
-many men with them, according to the size of their estates, some on
-horseback, some on foot, and all well armed.
-
-12. You must remember that people could not buy land then for money,
-nor have it for paying rent; but large estates were given to the
-thanes and nobles by the king, on condition that they should perform
-certain services for him; and you have already seen how the vassals
-of the nobles held their little farms on similar terms.
-
-13. This was called the feudal system, which means, holding land for
-services instead of rent; and the person holding the land was called
-the vassal of him to whom it belonged, whether rich or poor; so the
-nobles were the vassals of the king, and the ceorls were the vassals
-of the nobles.
-
-14. I think you now understand what the feudal system was, therefore
-I shall proceed with the history of Alfred the Great.
-
-15. The war had gone on for several years, and the king was so
-unfortunate that, at last, he was obliged to hide himself in a woody
-marsh in Somersetshire, called the Isle of Athelney, because it was
-surrounded by bogs and rivers.
-
-16. The Danes were then in pursuit of him; and, one time, fearing to
-be taken prisoner, he got some man to let him keep his cows, or pigs,
-I do not know which; so that, if the Danes happened to see him, they
-might not guess who he was.
-
-17. I dare say, you have heard the story of this peasant’s wife
-scolding Alfred one day, for letting some cakes burn, which she had
-left to bake on the hearth, whilst she was out; but she did not know
-that he was the king, or, of course, she would not have taken that
-liberty.
-
-18. At last, Alfred heard there were many chiefs and noblemen, with
-their vassals, ready to join him again; so he determined to try
-another battle, but thought it would be prudent first to learn what
-was the real strength of the enemy.
-
-19. Now the Danes, like the Saxons, were fond of good cheer, and
-liked to have songs and music to make them merry while they were
-feasting; and this put it into Alfred’s head to go into their camp
-disguised as a harper, for he could play the harp and sing very well.
-
-20. So away he went, with his harp at his back, and, when he came
-there, the Danish chiefs had him called into their tents, and made
-him sit down and play to them, and gave him plenty to eat and drink.
-
-21. Then he heard them talking about king Alfred, and saying, they
-supposed he was dead, as he did not come to fight them, so they need
-think of nothing but enjoying themselves; and thus he discovered they
-were not prepared for a battle, and were almost sure to be defeated,
-if taken by surprise.
-
-22. He, therefore, left the camp as soon as he could, and sent
-a message to his friends to meet him in Selwood Forest, also in
-Somersetshire, with all the men they could muster; and, when they
-were all come, he put himself at their head, and, marching suddenly
-down upon the Danes, fought and won a great battle at Ethandune, a
-place in Gloucestershire, now called Woeful Danes’ Bottom, from the
-terrible slaughter of the Danes there.
-
-23. But there were a great many Danes in England who had not been
-engaged in this battle, and who had possession of almost all the
-northern part of the country; so the king wisely considered that
-it would be much better to induce them to settle peaceably in the
-country as friends, rather than prolong those dreadful wars, which
-had already caused so much misery.
-
-24. He therefore proposed to the Danish chief that, if he would
-promise to keep at peace, he should have a wide tract of country,
-which had been desolated by these wars, all along the east coast,
-from the river Tweed to the river Thames, for himself and his people,
-to be called the Dane land; so Guthrun, the Danish chief, accepted
-the offer, and parcelled the land out amongst his followers, who
-settled there with their vassals, and lived the same manner as the
-Saxons.
-
-25. You may think how glad the people were that the wars were over,
-and the king was very glad too, for he now had time to do what was
-more pleasant to him than fighting, which was, to do all the good he
-could for the country. He thought the best way to defend it against
-its enemies was to have good ships to keep them from landing; but,
-as the English did not know much about ship-building, he sent for
-men from Italy to teach them, and also had models of ships brought
-that they might see how they were constructed, and men were taught to
-manage them, so that England, for the first time, had a navy.
-
-26. These ships were called galleys, and were worked both with oars
-and sails; they were twice as long as those of the Danes, and stood
-higher out of the water.
-
-27. While some workmen were making ships, others were employed in
-rebuilding of the towns and villages that had been burned down by
-the Danes; and the king ordained that there should be schools in
-different parts of the kingdom, where noblemen’s sons might be
-educated, for he had found the benefit of learning himself, and
-thought it a sad thing that all the great men should be so ignorant
-as they were.
-
-28. You may, perhaps, wonder why so good a man as Alfred should only
-think of having the great people taught to read; but reading would
-have been of no use to the common people, as the art of printing was
-unknown, and there were no books but those written by the monks or
-nuns, which were so expensive that none but very rich people could
-afford to have even two or three of them.
-
-29. The principal school founded by king Alfred was at Oxford, which
-was then a small, poor place, with a monastery, and a few mean wooden
-houses for the scholars to live in, very different from the present
-grand university, and the masters, who were all churchmen, and called
-learned clerks, resided in the monastery.
-
-30. Alfred, with the help of some good and clever men, whom he
-consulted in every thing, made some very wise laws, and obliged
-the people to obey them, by having courts of justice held in the
-principal cities, regularly once a month; for nobody had thought much
-about law or justice either, while the wars were going on, so that
-there was need of some very strict regulations to restore good order,
-without which there can be neither happiness nor comfort any where.
-
-31. Under the good government of Alfred the Great, England enjoyed
-more peace and prosperity than it had known since the days of the
-Romans; and as his son and grandson both endeavoured to follow his
-example, the influence of his wisdom was felt long after his death,
-which happened when he was about fifty years old, in the year 900.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 2. Who was called the first king of England?
-
- 4. Who were the Danes?
-
- 8. How did they establish themselves in the country?
-
- 10. Who went to war with them?
-
- 11. How was an army raised in those times?
-
- 12. What was the feudal system?
-
- 15. What happened to Alfred?
-
- 22. What was the battle of Ethandune?
-
- 24. How did Alfred make friends of the Danes?
-
- 26. How was a navy first formed?
-
- 29. Which of our universities was founded by Alfred the Great?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI.
-
-FROM THE DEATH OF ALFRED TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST.
-
-
-[Illustration: CANUTE AND HIS COURTIERS.]
-
-1. Alfred was succeeded by his son Edward, who was a very good king,
-though not so clever as his father. He built walls round a great
-many of the towns, to defend them in case the Danes should come
-again; for, although so many of them were living quietly in the
-country, those who did not live here were still enemies, and the
-resident Danes were always ready to join their countrymen.
-
-2. But they could not do much mischief while Edward was king, or
-in the reign of his brave son Athelstan, who was almost as great a
-prince as Alfred himself.
-
-3. He knew that commerce was one of the best things in the world for
-any country, so he had more ships built, and sent them to trade with
-foreign countries; and he said that, when any man had made three
-voyages in a vessel of his own, he should be made a Thane; which was
-the same as knighting a gentleman in these days.
-
-4. There were no stores in England at this time, but the people
-bought every thing they wanted at markets and fairs; and they used to
-salt a great deal of their meat and fish, that it might keep a long
-time.
-
-5. In buying and selling, they sometimes used slaves and cattle,
-instead of money, a man slave being worth a pound of silver, and an
-ox worth a quarter of a pound, which was called five shillings, as a
-shilling was the twentieth part of a pound in weight.
-
-6. If a nobleman, therefore, wanted to buy any thing of two pounds
-value, he could pay for it with two of his thralls, or eight oxen,
-and the seller was obliged to take them; but he could sell them again
-directly; for I am sorry to say there were slave markets in England
-till some time after the Norman Conquest.
-
-7. Athelstan had a good deal of fighting to do, for the people of
-the Daneland revolted, and he was obliged to lead his soldiers into
-their territory, to bring them to order; and then he had to march
-against Howel, the Prince of Wales, who was defeated in battle, when
-Athelstan nobly gave him back his dominions, saying, “There was more
-glory in making a king than in dethroning one.”
-
-8. I shall not mention all the kings that reigned after Athelstan,
-because there were many of them who did nothing that is worth telling
-about; but I must speak of a great churchman, named Dunstan, who was
-Archbishop of Canterbury, and, for several reigns, ruled the whole
-country, for the kings and nobles were obliged to do just as he
-pleased.
-
-9. He was a very clever man, and so good a worker in metals that he
-made jewellery and bells, and gave them to some of the churches,
-which was considered an act of piety; for it was about this time
-that bells began to be used in England, and they were highly valued.
-
-10. Dunstan persuaded the kings and rich noblemen, to rebuild the
-monasteries that had been plundered and destroyed by the Danes, and
-endow them with lands; so that, at last, nearly one-third of all the
-landed property in the kingdom belonged to the clergy.
-
-11. There was a king named Edgar, the fourth after Athelstan, who did
-many useful things for the country; and, among others, he thought
-of a plan to destroy the wolves, which were so numerous in all the
-forests, that the people were in constant alarm for the safety of
-their sheep, and even of their little children.
-
-12. Edgar, therefore, ordered that each of the princes of Wales, who
-had to pay tribute to the kings of England, should send, instead of
-money, three hundred wolves’ heads every year; so they were obliged
-to employ huntsmen to go into the woods to kill those dangerous
-animals, which were so generally destroyed in a few years that they
-have seldom been found in England ever since.
-
-13. Then Edgar kept the Danes away by having as many as three hundred
-and sixty vessels always ready for service; but, when he and Dunstan
-were dead the navy was neglected; and the country was again overrun
-with those terrible enemies, who fought with the English every where,
-robbed them of their property, took their houses for themselves, and
-acted just as if they were the conquerors and lords of the land.
-
-14. At last, the Danish king, Sweyn, landed with a great army, and
-began a dreadful war with Ethelred, who was then king of England,
-that lasted about four years, in the course of which he and Ethelred
-both died; but the war was continued by Canute, the son of Sweyn, and
-with such success, that, in the end, he was crowned king of England.
-
-15. It was lucky for the English that Canute happened to be a wise
-and good prince; for he said to himself, “As I am now king of these
-people, I will behave kindly to them, that they may love me, and
-then we shall go on comfortably together.” So he began to repair the
-mischief that had been done in the late wars, by setting people to
-work to rebuild the towns that had been destroyed; which was soon
-done in those days, when the houses were so roughly built, and only
-of wood.
-
-16. He also made a law that the Danes should not rob and insult the
-English, as they had been in the habit of doing; and ordered that
-they should obey the other laws of the country; which he did not
-alter in the least; neither did he interfere with the estates of the
-nobles, nor with their rights over their vassals; and he consulted
-with the Witanagemote, or Parliament, in all affairs of importance.
-
-17. This Parliament was composed of the great nobles and the bishops,
-so that it was like our House of Lords; and, when the king made a
-new law, the people were not obliged to obey it, until it had been
-approved by the Witanagemote.
-
-18. As long as Canute reigned, which was nineteen years, there were
-peace and plenty, and the poor people were much happier than they
-had been for a long time, for they could stay at home and mind their
-farms, or work at their trades, without being called away continually
-to fight the Danes.
-
-19. The king, it is true, kept a large army of Danish soldiers, and
-the people had to pay heavy taxes to support them; but this was
-better than seeing them come as enemies into the towns and villages
-to destroy or take every thing.
-
-20. After the death of Canute, his two sons reigned in succession,
-but they were neither very good nor very clever, and both died
-within six years.
-
-21. All this while there was a Saxon prince, named Edward, son of
-king Ethelred, living at the court of the Duke of Normandy, who was
-his uncle, and had afforded him shelter and protection whilst his
-enemies were ruling in England.
-
-22. He was now restored to the throne, and the English people thought
-themselves happy in having again a king of their own nation; but they
-little foresaw the terrible consequences of placing over them one who
-had formed so close a connection with the Normans.
-
-23. Edward was attached to the Normans, for they had been kind to
-him in his misfortunes; but it was neither wise nor just to bring
-a great number of them to his court, and set them up above his
-own countrymen, by giving them the highest appointments in the
-government, which, of course, gave offence to the English noblemen.
-
-24. Edward was called the Confessor, because he spent much of his
-time in devotion. He rebuilt Westminster Abbey, which was founded
-during the Heptarchy; but this building was pulled down about 160
-years afterwards, by Henry the Third, who erected the present edifice
-in its place.
-
-25. But I was going to tell you what happened in consequence of the
-king’s attachment to the Normans. His uncle was dead, and his cousin
-William, a bold spirited prince, who was now Duke of Normandy, came
-over to England to visit the king, and see what sort of a place it
-was.
-
-26. He brought a great many noblemen with him, and it seems they all
-liked the country so much that the Duke thought he should like to
-be its king, and his friends thought they should like to get good
-estates here; so king Edward was persuaded to make a will, or give
-his promise, that, when he died, his cousin William, who was more
-than twenty years younger than himself, should be his successor.
-The English lords knew nothing about this at the time, but they had
-reason enough to know it afterwards, as you will presently find.
-
-27. Edward the Confessor died at the beginning of the year 1066,
-when Harold, his wife’s brother, a brave and popular nobleman, took
-possession of the throne, with the consent of the chief nobles and
-clergy.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who succeeded Alfred?
-
- 2. Who was the next king?
-
- 3. How was trade encouraged by him?
-
- 5. Tell me the way of making purchases at this period.
-
- 7. Were there any wars in the reign of Athelstan?
-
- 8. Who was Dunstan?
-
- 14. Who was Canute, and how did he obtain the throne?
-
- 16. What were the chief acts of Canute?
-
- 18. How long did Canute reign?
-
- 19. What was the general state of the country under his government?
-
- 20. Who succeeded Canute?
-
- 21. How was the Saxon government restored?
-
- 23. How did the king displease his subjects?
-
- 24. Why was Edward called the Confessor?
-
- 27. When did Edward die, and who succeeded him?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII.
-
-THE NORMAN CONQUEST.
-
-
-[Illustration: DEATH OF HAROLD.]
-
-1. As soon as the Duke of Normandy knew that Edward the Confessor
-was dead, and Harold made king, he called his friends together, and
-promised to bestow lands and honors in England on all who would
-assist him to win the crown; which, he said, was his by right, and
-that Harold was an usurper.
-
-2. Now this is a doubtful question; for, although the king could
-appoint a successor, if he thought proper; yet it was necessary
-that his choice should have the approval of the Witenagemote,
-which had not been given in this case; so the English said that,
-notwithstanding king Edward’s will, the Duke of Normandy had no right
-to the throne.
-
-3. I cannot pretend to say which was right; but, as it is of more
-consequence to know how the dispute ended, we will proceed to the
-history of the conquest.
-
-4. The Normans were great warriors; so that even many of the clergy
-would sometimes put on armour under their robes, and lead their own
-vassals to battle; and they had as much interest in the dispute as
-the nobles, for they expected to come into possession of some of the
-Bishops’ sees and rich abbey lands, provided Duke William should
-succeed in his enterprise.
-
-5. While all this was going on in Normandy, Harold’s brother, Tosti,
-had raised a rebellion in the north of England, and was joined by the
-king of Norway, who landed with an army in Yorkshire: so Harold had
-to go and fight with them, and there was a great battle at Stamford
-Bridge, where the king gained a complete victory.
-
-6. Two or three days after this he was enjoying himself at a great
-feast, at York, when news was brought to him that the Normans had
-landed in Sussex, where they were doing all manner of mischief,
-driving the people away from the towns and villages, and taking every
-thing they could lay their hands on.
-
-7. The king made all the haste he could to get his soldiers together,
-and began his march to oppose the invaders, but it took nearly a
-fortnight to get to where they were; and all that time the invaders
-were making dreadful havoc for miles round their camp, so that the
-terrified people fled to the woods, or shut themselves up in the
-churches, for fear of being killed.
-
-8. At last, Harold came, and a battle was fought near Hastings, on
-the 14th of October, 1066, where the king and two of his brothers,
-with a great many of the English nobles, were slain, and the
-conqueror from that day looked upon himself as the master of the
-country.
-
-9. But the English had seen enough of the Normans to know that
-they should be very badly treated if they once suffered a Norman
-government to be established, so they resolved to do their utmost to
-prevent it, and thus the Normans had to fight for every town, and
-castle, before it was given up to them.
-
-10. William had marched to London, and laid siege to it, soon after
-the battle of Hastings, and the people having submitted to him, he
-was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on Christmas day.
-
-11. A few of the English nobles went to offer their submission, that
-is, they agreed to obey him as their king, since he had promised that
-all who did so should be permitted to enjoy their rank and property
-undisturbed.
-
-12. But it was only a few who trusted to these promises, and they
-were deceived in the end, for it is almost certain that the Conqueror
-intended, from the first, to take every thing from the English to
-give to the Normans.
-
-13. I mean the English lords; for he meant to make the common people
-remain on the estates to which they belonged, that the new masters
-might have vassals and slaves to cultivate their lands.
-
-14. Now the poor people did not like this any more than the nobles
-themselves, so they fought bravely for their masters in many places;
-but it was all to no purpose; for, at the end of seven years, the
-Normans were in possession of all the land in the country, and most
-of its former lords had either been killed, or were reduced to such
-a state of poverty and wretchedness that it is melancholy to think of.
-
-15. I will not attempt to describe the sufferings of the people
-during that long period, but you may imagine how very miserable they
-must have been, for the Normans got the better of them all over the
-country, and took delight in robbing and insulting their unhappy
-victims.
-
-16. I told you that the design of the Conqueror was to take all the
-land, and divide it among his followers, except what he chose to keep
-for himself, as crown lands.
-
-17. Now there were many Saxon ladies who possessed estates, in
-consequence of their fathers or brothers having been killed at the
-battle of Hastings; and most of these heiresses were compelled,
-against their will, to marry Norman lords, who thus gained lands as
-well as brides.
-
-18. Then the estates of all those who had not submitted to the king
-were declared to be forfeited, and William gave them to the Normans,
-or, more properly speaking, he gave the Barons leave to take them by
-force; so the English lords had to fight for their houses and lands,
-and many were killed, and many fled to other countries.
-
-19. The rustics, on these forfeited estates, would fight for their
-lord to the last; but, when he was forced to yield, they had no
-choice but to submit to the new lord, or to see their cottages set
-on fire, and their wives and children perhaps murdered before their
-eyes.
-
-20. Some of the English nobles hid in the forests with their
-families, and as many of their vassals as would go with them, where
-they made habitations, and supported themselves by robbery and
-hunting; and this was the origin of the numerous bands of robbers
-that, in after times, were the terror of the country.
-
-21. The famous Robin Hood, who lived in the reign of Richard the
-First, is supposed to have been a descendant of one of these
-unfortunate English nobles.
-
-22. The Bishops’ sees and abbey lands were seized in the same violent
-manner, as the estates of the nobles, and given to the Norman clergy;
-and many of the monasteries, after being broken open and plundered,
-were taken for the abode of monks who came over from Normandy in
-great numbers.
-
-23. The Normans built a great many castles in different parts of
-the country; and, if they wanted to build one on a spot where there
-happened to be houses, they thought nothing of turning out the
-inhabitants, and pulling down the houses, to make room: and they
-pressed the poor people, both men and women, to do all the labour,
-without pay, and treated them very cruelly besides; for, if they did
-not work hard enough, these unfeeling taskmasters would urge them on
-with blows.
-
-24. Then wherever the Norman soldiers stayed, they went and lived in
-the houses of the people, took what they pleased, and made the family
-wait upon them.
-
-25. The king, himself, cruelly laid waste different parts of the
-country in revenge for the opposition made to his progress by some of
-the English earls, especially in the north, where, about three years
-after the battle of Hastings, such a scene of desolation was made by
-fire and sword, that, from York to Durham, the houses, the people,
-and all signs of cultivation, were utterly destroyed.
-
-26. The last stand made against the Normans was in a little island,
-formed by bogs and lakes, in Cambridgeshire, and still called the
-Isle of Ely. There, a brave chief, named Hereward, set up a fortified
-camp, and was joined by other noblemen, and many of their dependents,
-who, with the ceorls, or tenants, belonging to the Abbey of Ely, made
-quite an army.
-
-27. It was a secure place of refuge, because the only safe paths into
-the island were unknown to the Normans, who would most likely have
-been lost in the bogs, if they had ventured to approach.
-
-28. But they had built a castle close by, at Cam Bridge, and they
-brought boats and tried to make causeways by which they might get
-into the camp of refuge; but the English would go out in bands
-at night and destroy all that their enemies had done, and kept
-constantly on the watch for straggling parties, who were often
-attacked unawares, and many of them killed, while the English could
-always retreat to their camp, where they were safe from pursuit.
-
-29. At last the Normans established a blockade of boats round the
-island, and provisions began to get scarce within it; so two or three
-bad selfish men, who lived in the abbey, went to the Normans at Cam
-Bridge, and said, they would show them the way into the island, if
-they would promise not to meddle with the abbey.
-
-30. These men led the Normans secretly into the island, and a
-terrible battle was fought, in which almost all the English were
-killed.
-
-31. When Hereward saw it was useless to fight any longer, he made his
-escape, and went to his own castle of Bourn, in Lincolnshire; where I
-believe, he afterwards made peace with the king, and was allowed to
-keep his estate.
-
-32. I have given you a long history of the Conquest, because it
-was the most important event that ever occurred in the history of
-England, and was the last sudden and violent change made in this
-country by foreign invasion.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Explain the cause of the Norman invasion.
-
- 8. What was the battle of Hastings, and where was it fought?
-
- 9. Did the English make any further resistance?
-
- 14. How long was it before the conquest was completed?
-
- 18. How did many of the Norman lords obtain their estates?
-
- 20. What became of the English nobles?
-
- 23. How were the English treated by the Norman soldiers?
-
- 26. What was the Camp of Refuge, and by whom established?
-
- 31. What became of Hereward?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII.
-
-THE NORMAN PERIOD.--1087 TO 1154.
-
-
-[Illustration: DEATH OF WILLIAM RUFUS.]
-
-1. The Normans were a cleverer people than the English, and lived
-in a superior manner. They were better acquainted with the arts of
-agriculture and architecture, and they knew a great deal more about
-useful gardening; for all the convents in Normandy had good gardens,
-planted with vegetables and herbs; and the monks brought over plenty
-of seeds and roots to sow or plant in gardens here.
-
-2. The Normans built stone castles, and strong houses of timber,
-with upper stories, so that their dwellings, in general, were
-higher and more substantial than those of the Saxons; and one great
-improvement was that they had chimneys; but their furniture was as
-rough and clumsy as the furniture used in the Saxon times, and their
-way of living was almost the same, except that they did not care so
-much about feasting, but preferred spending their time in hunting,
-hawking, and fighting in sport, for pastime.
-
-3. I should here tell you that William the Conqueror made the first
-game laws, and very severe they were, and very hard upon the poor
-people, who used to be at liberty to kill game in the forests; but,
-after these new laws, they dared not so much as take even a hare or
-partridge in their own fields.
-
-4. It was not only the English, who were forbidden to hunt on the
-royal domains, but the Normans also, unless they had special leave to
-do so; and, if any one was bold enough to kill a deer in the king’s
-forests, he was punished in the most cruel manner, by having his eyes
-put out, or his hands cut off.
-
-5. The king’s palace was at Winchester, and he wanted to have a
-forest close by for hunting, so he ordered that all the towns and
-villages should be pulled down for about thirty miles, and the land
-planted with trees; and, what was worse, he gave nothing to the poor
-people for turning them out of their homes; and this is still called
-the New Forest.
-
-6. In imitation of this bad example, many of the nobles began to make
-large parks, enclosed with walls to keep deer, and they cared no more
-than William had done about taking away the fields and pasture lands
-of the poor cottagers, who dared not complain, and were even obliged
-to run to their doors with refreshments to offer to the Norman lords
-and their followers when they were out hunting, although they often
-saw them riding over their corn, and breaking through their hedges.
-
-7. It was not till after several reigns that the descendants of the
-Norman Conquerors began to consider themselves Englishmen, and to
-treat their vassals more like fellow countrymen.
-
-8. The first hundred years after the conquest is therefore usually
-called the Norman period, and includes the reigns of William the
-Conqueror, William Rufus, Henry the First, and Stephen.
-
-9. I have already told you that the Feudal system was brought into
-England by the Saxons, and I explained what it was; but I must now
-mention that this system was carried much farther by the Normans,
-that is, their feudal laws were stricter, and the nobles themselves
-were bound by them as well as the common people.
-
-10. I should wish you to understand this as clearly as possible,
-because the manners and customs of the age were governed entirely by
-those laws.
-
-11. First, then, the king was lord of the land, and kept a great
-portion of it for himself, which made what were called crown lands;
-and all the people, who lived on the crown lands, whether in burgh,
-town, or country, were his tenants, and paid him rent, or taxes,
-both in money and produce, besides being obliged to furnish him with
-soldiers at their own expense.
-
-12. For example, if a town had to find two or more horse-soldiers,
-the inhabitants were, besides, obliged to pay the expenses of their
-arms, horses and maintenance, for the time they were on service.
-
-13. The Manors and Abbey lands were held of the king on the same
-conditions; and every man, who had a certain quantity of land, was
-bound either to serve as a soldier himself, or send a substitute.
-
-14. The rest of the country was divided by the king amongst the great
-barons, who agreed, in return, that whenever he went to war they
-would go with him, and take with them so many men, properly armed
-and trained for warfare, perhaps fifty or a hundred, or even more,
-according to the extent of lands they held.
-
-15. These great Baronies were called Feods, and the king was the
-feodal or feudal lord of the barons, who were called crowned vassals;
-and, when any one of them died, the king took the lands again until
-the heir paid him a large sum of money to redeem them.
-
-16. Some of the kings behaved very ill in this, in making the heirs
-pay a great deal more than was just; and, if a baron died, and left
-a daughter only, she was obliged to marry any one the king chose, or
-he would not let her have her inheritance at all.
-
-17. The feudal laws were therefore very bad, because they gave men
-the power of being tyrants to each other; for the nobles had the same
-power of oppressing their vassals that the king had of oppressing
-them.
-
-18. You must understand that the great Barons, who held very
-extensive domains, gave small estates out of them to men who were
-not so high in rank as themselves, on the same conditions as the king
-had given the large baronies to them, so that the lesser nobles were
-the vassals of the great ones, and were bound to aid them with men
-and money when required.
-
-19. Then all the nobles, from the highest to the lowest degree, were
-the absolute lords of all the common people that dwelt on their
-lands, and could make them do just whatever they pleased, as I told
-you they could in the Saxon times; but then the Norman lords treated
-them, at first, a great deal more harshly than the Saxon lords did,
-and took a great deal more from them.
-
-20. After the Norman conquest they were called villeins, which meant
-villagers, and they lived in the same manner, and had the same kind
-of duties to perform for their lords, as in the Saxon times; but
-there were many new feudal customs brought here by the Normans; as
-for example, a mill was set up on every estate, to which all the
-poor people were obliged to take their corn to be ground, instead of
-grinding it at home with hand-mills, as they used to do; and, out of
-each measure, a part was taken for the baron, which was a very hard
-tax upon them, especially if they had large families.
-
-21. Another feudal custom was this; a duty was laid on every thing
-sold at the fairs and markets; that is, if a man went to the market
-to buy a sheep, he must pay so much for the sheep, and so much for
-duty, the duty being for the baron, or lord of the manor.
-
-22. There were a great many other customs which I have not room to
-mention, but I think I have said enough to show you what the feudal
-system was in the first ages after the Norman conquest; so now I will
-tell you something about the first Norman sovereigns.
-
-23. William the Conqueror died in 1087, and was succeeded by his
-eldest son, Robert, in Normandy, and by his second son, William
-Rufus, in England; but after a time Duke Robert wanted money to
-go to the Holy Wars, which I will tell you about presently, so he
-mortgaged his duchy of Normandy to his brother William, who thus
-became sovereign of both countries, as his father had been. He was a
-sad tyrant, and so rude in his manners that nobody liked him.
-
-24. I told you what strict game laws were made by the Conqueror,
-but William Rufus made them more severe still, and so displeased
-the noblemen, by forbidding them to hunt without his leave, that
-some of them formed a conspiracy to dethrone him; but the plot was
-discovered, and the Earl of Northumberland, who was at the head of
-it, was taken prisoner, and confined in Windsor Castle all the rest
-of his life.
-
-25. There was another great lord, the Count d’Eu, who was accused
-of being engaged in this plot, by a knight called Geoffrey Bainard,
-so the king had him arrested. The Count, however, denied having any
-thing to do with it, and said he defied his accuser, and was ready to
-fight with him, and that God would give the victory to whichever of
-them was in the right.
-
-26. So they fought with swords, in the presence of the king and
-court, when Bainard was victorious, and the Count being thus
-convicted, was condemned to have his eyes torn out.
-
-27. This was a strange way for a man to prove his innocence of any
-crime, but it became a common custom in England, and was called
-“Wager of battle.” Even law-suits, respecting right of property, were
-often thus decided; and, if a lady had a quarrel or a lawsuit, she
-might get a man to do battle for her, and he was called her champion.
-
-28. It was the fashion for many ages, not only in England, but all
-over Europe, for young men of noble birth to roam about the world in
-search of adventures; and, as they were generally poor and depended
-chiefly on their swords for subsistence, they would engage in
-anybody’s quarrels; fight in the cause of women or children who were
-either injured or oppressed, and enlist in the service of princes and
-barons who were at war.
-
-29. This was called chivalry, and these knights errant, or wandering
-knights, were made welcome wherever they went, and treated with
-hospitality at the castles of the great.
-
-30. Numbers of them went to the Holy Wars, but, as I suppose you do
-not know what the Holy Wars were, I will tell you about them.
-
-31. Many pious Christians in those days thought it a duty to make a
-journey, or pilgrimage as it was called, to Jerusalem, once in their
-lives, to say their prayers at our Saviour’s tomb; but Jerusalem
-had been conquered by the Mahomedans, who hated the Christians, and
-behaved very cruelly to the pilgrims; so the Pope, who you know is
-the great Bishop of Rome, and at that time had more authority over
-all the countries of Europe than the kings had, said that it was the
-duty of all Christian warriors to go to Palestine, or the Holy Land,
-to fight against the Saracens, and try to drive them from Jerusalem.
-
-32. Then a religious man, called Peter the Hermit, went about
-preaching a crusade, that is, exhorting the princes and nobles in
-France, Germany, and Italy, to undertake this war, which was called
-a crusade, or _croisade_, because the ensign on their banners was to
-be the Cross.
-
-33. Robert, Duke of Normandy, was among the first crusaders, and, as
-he wanted money to keep himself and all the fighting men he took with
-him, he pledged his duchy to his brother, William Rufus, for a very
-large sum.
-
-34. The English did not join in these wars, at first, but after a
-time there was scarcely a knight or noble in the land that did not
-go to the Crusades, for they were continued, in all, more than two
-hundred years; and, during two hundred years; and, during that time,
-great numbers of the lower order of people in England were freed from
-bondage, in consequence of being allowed to purchase their liberty to
-supply their lords with money for these wars.
-
-35. William Rufus, who was killed by accident as he was hunting
-in the New Forest, was succeeded by his brother, Henry the First,
-surnamed Beauclerk, because he was a learned man, who behaved much
-better to the Saxon English than the two former kings had done,
-and restored to some of the old families a part of their ancient
-possessions.
-
-36. He likewise altered the forest laws, which had given so much
-discontent, and gave the citizens of London leave to hunt in Epping
-Forest, which then reached very nearly to the walls of the city.
-
-37. Winchester was then the capital of England, but London was one
-of the best cities and the richest, as many of its inhabitants were
-merchants who traded with foreign countries; yet the houses were only
-mean wooden buildings, with no glass in the windows, and thatched
-with straw.
-
-38. Westminster was quite a separate city, and divided from London
-by country houses, fields and a village. The king had a palace at
-Westminster, and William Rufus built Westminster hall adjoining it,
-for his Christmas feasts.
-
-39. A curious privilege was granted by Henry the First to the
-citizens of London, which will serve to show you what grievances the
-people were subject to in those times.
-
-40. There were a great number of persons who were employed in various
-ways about the court, and who followed the king wherever he went; for
-great men, when they travelled, were obliged to take every thing they
-wanted with them, there being no public accommodation to be had any
-where; so they carried with them waggon loads of furniture, plate,
-wine, cooking utensils, and I do not know what besides; with their
-domestics and retainers of all descriptions, who formed a numerous
-retinue.
-
-41. Now, the inhabitants of any city, where the king happened to be
-holding his court, were obliged to give board and lodging, at free
-cost, to all these people, who generally behaved very ill; for they
-would insist upon having the best rooms, order whatever they chose,
-and treat the family just as if they were their servants.
-
-42. It was, therefore, a very good thing for the Londoners when king
-Henry released them from this heavy burthen, but all other towns had
-to bear it for a very long period.
-
-43. In this reign the first manufactory for woollen cloth was
-established in this country, by some weavers from Flanders, where the
-best cloth was made from English wool, which was the staple commodity
-of England at that period; I mean, the thing of which they had most
-to sell; for quantities of sheep were reared on every estate.
-
-44. England had no manufactures then, so there were no employments
-for the lower classes but agriculture, and the few useful arts, that
-were but very imperfectly understood.
-
-45. Henry the First died in the year 1135. He left the crown to his
-daughter Matilda, who had been twice married; first, to the Emperor
-of Germany, and again to Geoffrey Plantagenet, Earl of Anjou, who was
-dead also, therefore she was again a widow.
-
-46. But there was a nephew of the late king, named Stephen, who was
-rather a favorite among the Barons, and was quite willing to take
-advantage of their good will; so, before Matilda could reach England,
-her cousin Stephen had mounted the throne.
-
-47. Then there was a civil war in this country, which was carried on,
-at times, for fifteen years, for a great many French noblemen came
-here with Matilda to fight for her; and some of the English Barons,
-who had become dissatisfied with Stephen, because he had not done
-all they expected he would do, joined the other party, and there was
-fighting all over the country.
-
-48. Wherever there is civil war, there is sure to be famine and
-misery of all kinds, and there never was more misery in England than
-during the reign of king Stephen; for, in order to keep as many of
-the Barons on his side as he could, he let them do just as they
-pleased; and he gave titles and estates to a great many bold and bad
-men, who built castles and kept bands of ruffians, who went at night
-to rob and plunder the towns and villages; so that the people, when
-they shut up their houses at night, used to kneel down and pray that
-God would protect them from robbers and murderers.
-
-49. At last, it was settled that Stephen should keep the crown as
-long as he lived; but that Matilda’s son, Henry Plantagenet, should
-succeed him; and, soon after this arrangement, he died, having
-reigned nineteen years.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. How did the Normans improve the country?
-
- 3. What is the origin of the game laws?
-
- 5. How was the New Forest made?
-
- 8. Which reigns are called the Norman period?
-
- 15. When a baron died, how were his lands disposed of?
-
- 18. How did the lesser barons become vassals of the great ones?
-
- 21. What new feudal customs were brought here by the Normans?
-
- 23. Who succeeded William the Conqueror?
-
- 28. What was chivalry?
-
- 31. Give some account of the Crusades.
-
- 35. Who succeeded William Rufus?
-
- 36. How did he gain popularity?
-
- 43. What was the first manufacture in England?
-
- 45. To whom did Henry leave the crown?
-
- 46. Who usurped the throne?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX.
-
-HENRY THE SECOND, RICHARD THE FIRST, AND JOHN.--1154 TO 1216.
-
-
-[Illustration: JOHN SIGNING THE MAGNA CHARTA.]
-
-1. As soon as Henry the Second came to the throne, he began to set
-things to rights again. He had all the new castles pulled down, and
-made the bad men who had lived in them, leave the country; then
-he set people to work to rebuild the towns that had been burned
-down in the late wars; and ordered that the judges should go on
-circuits; that is, travel to all the cities, and hold assizes, two or
-three times a year, as they do now, to see that justice is done to
-everybody.
-
-2. But it was not quite so easy to do justice then; for, as long as
-the feudal laws lasted, the rich could always oppress the poor, and
-every great man had an army of his own vassals, who would do any
-thing he bade them, whether it was lawful or not.
-
-3. Now the king wisely thought that the best thing in the world for
-the country would be to give more freedom to the people, so that the
-Barons might not have quite so much power.
-
-4. He, therefore, granted charters to some of the cities, which made
-them a little more independent; but it was by very slow degrees that
-the people of England became free, although this happy change was
-beginning to take place.
-
-5. Another thing the king wanted to do, was to make the clergy
-answerable to the judges for any bad acts they might commit, instead
-of having particular laws and judges for themselves; and, I am sorry
-to say, they sometimes did very wicked things, for which they were
-not punished half so severely as other people would have been for
-similar offences, which certainly was unjust.
-
-6. But the bishops were unwilling to let the king have any thing to
-do with church affairs, and the Pope encouraged them to oppose him,
-in this respect; for the Pope, in those days, had more power over all
-Europe than the kings themselves, who seldom dared to disobey him.
-
-7. The person who quarrelled most with Henry about these things was
-Thomas à Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, a very proud man, who
-wanted to rule both king and state his own way.
-
-8. The king was so much annoyed at the opposition he constantly met
-with from the archbishop, that one day, in a fit of passion, he said
-he wished that troublesome priest was dead; on which some persons,
-who heard these incautious words thinking to get into favor, rode off
-to Canterbury, and killed the archbishop in his Cathedral.
-
-9. But they gained nothing by this wicked deed; for the king was
-shocked when he heard of it, and sorry for what he had said; which
-shows how wrong it is for people to use violent expressions when they
-feel angry.
-
-10. One very remarkable event which occurred in this reign, was the
-conquest of Ireland. That country had been, for many years, divided
-into several small kingdoms, and the disputes of the chiefs had often
-given rise to warfare among themselves; but it now happened that the
-king of Leinster, having been deposed by another prince, went direct
-to the king of England, to beg his assistance, which Henry readily
-promised, on condition that, if he were restored, he should hold his
-kingdom as a vassal of the English crown.
-
-11. Dermot, that was the name of the Irish prince, agreed to these
-terms, and several English knights and noblemen undertook the
-enterprise. After a great many interesting adventures, which are told
-in the history of Ireland, Dermot was replaced on his throne; but
-other quarrels arising among the chiefs, the English continued the
-war, and, after some time, the Irish chiefs acknowledged the king of
-England as a lord and master of Ireland, which has been under the
-authority of the English government ever since.
-
-12. Henry the Second died in 1189, and was succeeded by his son
-Richard, who was called Cœur-de-lion, because he was very brave, so
-that everybody said he had the heart of a lion.
-
-13. Now it is a very good thing for men to be brave, for I do not
-know what we should do without brave men for soldiers and sailors,
-to fight for us; but it is not the most useful quality a king can
-possess; and I think you will agree with me, when I tell you that
-Richard the First, instead of staying at home to make good laws, and
-take care of his subjects, went away to fight, or gain glory, as
-fighting was then called, in the Holy Land, while all things were
-going wrong in England, for the want of somebody to keep order.
-
-14. But there was some excuse for him, as everybody in those days
-thought that the most praiseworthy act princes and nobles could do,
-was to fight for their religion against all persons who believed
-differently from themselves; so Richard was very much admired by his
-people, although he did nothing for their real benefit; but, on the
-contrary, caused them very much misery, and great distress.
-
-15. Another evil was that the Barons, who went with him to the
-Crusades, took all their own money as well as all they could get from
-their tenants, to support themselves and their fighting men abroad,
-so that the generality of the people were left very poor.
-
-16. A great number, indeed, obtained their freedom, by giving up
-all they had to their lords; but then they were left without money
-or employment, and many turned robbers, to save themselves from
-starving; therefore, you see, it was not always a good thing, at
-first, for the bondmen to be set at liberty; but it was good in the
-end, for their children were born free, and, as times got better, the
-free middle classes began to be of some consequence, and have gone
-on gradually increasing in wealth and importance, till they have now
-become the best safeguard and support of the country.
-
-17. While Richard was gone to the wars, his brother John, who was a
-very bad man, wanted to make himself king in England, and there were
-some of the nobles who encouraged him, while others defended the
-rights of the absent monarch; so that there was great confusion, and
-the laws were sadly disregarded.
-
-18. At last, Richard heard of all these bad doings, and left the Holy
-Land, intending to come home as fast as he could; but, unfortunately,
-he was made prisoner, on his way, by the Duke of Austria, and
-confined in a castle in Germany for some time before the English
-people knew what had become of him.
-
-19. Richard knew this duke was his enemy, because he had affronted
-him when in the Holy Land, so he had taken the precaution of
-disguising himself in passing through his dominions, and took with
-him only a single page; but, one day, being tired and hungry, he
-stopped to rest at a village near Vienna, and sent his page into that
-city to buy some provisions.
-
-20. The youth, foolishly, hung a pair of handsome gloves in his
-belt, and as gloves were, in those days, only worn by persons of
-the highest rank, this circumstance excited suspicion, and he was
-arrested, and obliged to confess the truth.
-
-21. The duke immediately sent a band of soldiers to seize the king,
-whom they found busy turning some meat that was roasting at the fire.
-
-22. He started up, drew his sword, and fought valiantly, but was
-captured, and sent to a strong fortress, where he had remained a
-prisoner some months, when he was discovered, it has been stated, by
-a wandering minstrel, who heard him singing in his prison, and knew
-his voice. But this is a fabulous tale.
-
-23. A large sum was raised in England, by taxes, for his ransom,
-and he came back; but he did not stay long at home; for he had
-quarrelled, while in the Holy Land, with the king of France, and went
-over to Normandy for the purpose of going to war with him, where he
-was killed by a poisoned arrow, aimed at him from the walls of a
-castle he was besieging, in the year 1199, having reigned ten years.
-
-24. Prince John was now made king of England, but he had no lawful
-right to the throne, as prince Arthur, the orphan son of an elder
-brother, was living, and was the true heir, according to the rules of
-succession.
-
-25. But this unfortunate prince was made prisoner, in Normandy, by
-his wicked uncle, and most people believe he met with a violent death.
-
-26. It was a very serious misfortune for the country when the king
-happened to be a bad man, because the government was, at that time,
-despotic; that is, the king made the laws himself, and had the power
-of doing whatever he pleased; whereas, now, the laws are made by the
-parliament; so that, before any new act can be passed, a great many
-good and clever men must agree to it, which is a great protection to
-the people.
-
-27. However, king John was compelled much against his will, to make
-some very good laws, and the reason of this was, that his tyranny
-was felt by the nobles even more than the common people, for their
-estates were often unjustly seized, and they were obliged to give
-him large sums of money to get them back again; then he would not
-let them marry unless they paid him for leave to do so; and if any
-person wanted to go out of the country, they were obliged to buy
-his permission. In short, no one was free to do any thing till the
-consent of the king was obtained by a handsome present.
-
-28. At length, his tyranny was carried to such a height that the
-chief nobles resolved to make him act more justly, or dethrone him;
-so they wrote down, on parchment, all the things they wished to have
-done, or altered, and agreed with each other that, if he refused to
-sign it, they would go to war with him, and they took care to have
-all their vassals armed, and in readiness.
-
-29. John was very much frightened when he found the barons were in
-earnest, and agreed to meet them at a place called Runnymede, between
-Staines and Windsor, where, after a great deal of disputing, he was
-obliged to sign his name to what they had written, which thus became
-the law of the land. An ancient copy of this parchment is now in the
-British Museum.
-
-30. It is called Magna Charta, which is the Latin name for ‘the Great
-Charter;’ and it was framed with a view to take from the king the
-power of doing unjust things, and to make him govern according to the
-laws, and not to be able to make new laws, or impose new taxes, at
-his pleasure.
-
-31. This famous act is generally regarded as the beginning of the
-liberty which all Englishmen are so justly proud of; but the laws it
-contained were, in many respects often broken by the sovereigns of
-England, for a very long period.
-
-32. The Barons of England still lived in their castles, on their own
-estates, in the midst of their vassals and serfs. Their castle-halls
-were crowded with knights, squires, pages, and military dependents,
-for it was their pride to have as many of such retainers as they
-could possibly maintain. The pages were boys of high rank, generally
-the younger sons of noblemen, whose profession was to be knight
-errantry.
-
-33. Now, in order to obtain the honour of knighthood, they were
-obliged to serve some great baron, first as pages, then as esquires,
-for several years, and to be very obedient and respectful in their
-conduct, and do all that was required of them readily and cheerfully.
-
-34. While pages, they had to wait upon their lords and his guests at
-dinner and supper, to carry messages, and perform little services for
-the ladies of the family; but they were themselves waited upon by the
-domestic slaves, and, when they had finished their day’s duties,
-were allowed to mix with the company.
-
-35. They were taught to use the sword and lance, and to manage a
-horse skilfully, and were instructed in religious duties by the
-priests of their lord’s household.
-
-36. When old enough, they were made esquires, and then their duties
-were to take care of the horses and armour, and to attend their lords
-on all occasions; which services he usually rewarded by making them
-knights, when they were free to go wherever they pleased; and you
-have already been told what their mode of life was afterwards.
-
-37. The great people were very fond of hunting and hawking, and
-fighting at tournaments; but, perhaps, you do not know what a
-tournament was, so I will tell you.
-
-38. There was a place built up, something like a large theatre,
-with galleries for the ladies and gentlemen, to sit and see the
-combats in the open space below, and this was called the lists.
-Then the gentlemen, who wished to exhibit their valour, used to
-come in armour, and fight with each other on horseback till one was
-conquered, when the victor received a prize from the greatest lady
-present.
-
-39. When only two knights fought, it was called a tilt; but if there
-were several on each side, it was a tournament; and, although these
-combats were held for sport, the combatants were often dangerously
-wounded, and sometimes killed.
-
-40. When John had signed Magna Charta, the Barons went home to
-their castles, to enjoy their usual pleasures; but the king had no
-intention of behaving any better than before, and secretly sent
-agents to Flanders, to raise troops of foreigners, promising that
-they should be allowed to plunder the estates of the Barons, if they
-would enlist in his service.
-
-41. Thus he soon appeared at the head of an army, and went to war
-with the nobles, who, in revenge, did a very wrong and foolish thing,
-which was, to offer the crown to Louis, the son of the king of France.
-
-42. Louis soon came over with a French army, and, after having in
-vain tried to take Dover Castle, he entered London in triumph, whilst
-John was obliged to retreat; but the Barons began to think they
-had done wrong, and, as John died suddenly, in the midst of this
-confusion, they turned their arms against Louis, and forced him to
-leave the country.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. What were the first acts of Henry the Second?
-
- 7. Who was Thomas à Becket?
-
- 8. How was the death of Becket caused?
-
- 10. What conquest was made in this reign?
-
- 12. When did Henry die, and who succeeded him?
-
- 13. How did Richard employ the chief part of his reign?
-
- 17. What occurred in England during his absence?
-
- 22. What happened to the king on his way home?
-
- 23. State the date and manner of his death.
-
- 24. Who was the next king?
-
- 27. How did the king act towards the nobles?
-
- 30. What was Magna Charta?
-
- 40. What did the king do after he had signed that Charter?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X.
-
-FROM THE DEATH OF KING JOHN TO THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD THE
-SECOND.--1216 TO 1377.
-
-
-[Illustration: DEATH OF LLEWELLYN.]
-
-1. The reign of Henry the Third, who was only nine years of age when
-he succeeded his father, was a very long and a very unhappy one.
-
-2. At first, things went on very well, because the king had a good
-guardian, the Earl of Pembroke, who managed the government wisely;
-but he, in a few years, died, and others came into power who did
-not act so well, and the king was too young to know what was right
-himself.
-
-3. It was a pity the good earl died, for, if Henry had been fortunate
-enough to have had a wise instructer, he might have been a better
-sovereign, but, as it was, he was a very bad one.
-
-4. The great mischief was this. He married a French princess, who had
-no more wisdom than himself; and they were both so extravagant that
-they spent a great deal more money than they could afford; and, then,
-to get fresh supplies, the king ordered the people to pay more taxes,
-and began to do all the unjust things that had caused so much misery
-in the time of his father.
-
-5. Sometimes the Barons assembled and obliged him to promise he would
-abide by the terms of Magna Charta; but he soon forgot his promises,
-and went on the same as before, so that the people were worse and
-worse off every year, and many men became robbers on the highways,
-because they could not support their families by honest industry.
-
-6. This was the state of affairs for many years, till at last, there
-was a civil war again, and, after a great deal of fighting and
-bloodshed, the king and his eldest son, Edward, were made prisoners
-in a battle, fought at Lewes, in Sussex, in 1264, and the Earl of
-Leicester, the king’s brother-in-law, took the government upon
-himself.
-
-7. This was an important event, because the earl summoned a
-parliament to consult as to what it would be best to do under these
-circumstances; and he desired that, besides the nobles and bishops,
-there should come to this parliament knights, or gentlemen from
-every county, and citizens and burghers, from every city and burgh
-to state what the condition of the people really was, and to help
-to advise what could be done for them; so that the commoners were
-now, probably, for the first time, admitted to some share in the
-government of the country, which was a great step gained by the
-people, who, before this, had no representatives in the national
-council, or parliament, to take their part; and this was the
-beginning of our House of Commons, so it is worth remembering.
-
-8. Prince Edward, after this, escaped from Hereford, where he had
-been kept a prisoner, and gained a great victory over the Barons, and
-replaced his father Henry on the throne; after which, he went on a
-crusade to the Holy Land.
-
-9. He had married a Spanish princess, named Eleanor, who was the
-first person, in England, that had a carpet, which she brought from
-Spain, for the floors of the best apartments in the palace were
-strewed with rushes; and, in houses, where they could not get rushes,
-they used straw.
-
-10. Henry the Third died about seven years after his restoration,
-in the year 1272, having reigned fifty-seven years; and, although
-the news was sent to his son as soon as possible, it was nearly two
-years before he returned to England; such was the difference between
-travelling then and now; for the journey to and from the Holy Land
-may now be accomplished in a few weeks.
-
-11. Edward the First was a much wiser and better prince than his
-father, but he was too fond of war, and too anxious to be renowned as
-a conqueror, which was the cause of the long wars in Scotland, for
-his great ambition was to conquer that country.
-
-12. But, the first thing he thought of, when he came home, was to
-make such regulations as were most likely to protect the people from
-robbery; so he had watchmen and patrols appointed in all the cities,
-and ordered that nobody should be abroad in the streets of London,
-nor any taverns kept open, after the curfew bell had tolled.
-
-13. The curfew was instituted by William the Conqueror, to prevent
-fires, which were very frequent, when houses were in general built
-of wood, and thatched; so, when this bell tolled at eight o’clock,
-the people, for a long time after the conquest, were obliged to put
-out their fires and candles; but the custom of tolling the bell was
-continued after that of putting out fire and candle was done away
-with, and even to this day, in many places.
-
-14. Edward the First took care that the magistrates should do their
-duty, and punished those who broke the laws, which the kings had been
-afraid to do in the last two reigns, because their lives would have
-been in danger if they had.
-
-15. I must also tell you that this wise monarch did not alter what
-the Earl of Leicester had done about the parliament; but he made it
-a rule that the people should continue to send their members, and
-every freeholder of land in the counties, and, in general, all men,
-in the cities and burghs, who paid taxes, had a right to vote at the
-election of members of parliament.
-
-16. I should be glad to have nothing to say about warfare in this
-reign; but the Scottish wars form so large a portion of the history
-of the times, that you ought to know something about them.
-
-17. First, however, the king invaded the northern part of Wales,
-which had never been conquered by the English, and was then governed
-by a prince, named Llewellyn.
-
-18. This chief made a gallant resistance, but he was killed, and the
-whole country was then united to England, and afterwards, in the
-reign of Henry the Eighth, divided into shires.
-
-19. The queen, Eleanor, of Castile, Edward’s first wife, went to
-visit Wales soon afterwards, and her son Edward was born there, so
-the king said he should be called prince of Wales, and that is the
-reason why the eldest son of the English sovereign has since had that
-title.
-
-20. After this, there were a few years of peace, before the wars with
-Scotland were begun; so I will fill up the time by saying a little
-about the manners and customs of the English at this period.
-
-21. The nobles lived in, what we should think, a very rough way
-indeed. Their large comfortless rooms, and floors without carpets,
-unglazed windows, and clumsy furniture, would not suit our modern
-notions, either of comfort or convenience.
-
-22. They had their dinner at ten o’clock in the morning, in the
-great hall of the castle; lords, ladies, knights, esquires, priests,
-dependents, and strangers, all together; for, when there were
-no inns, it was usual for travellers to stop at any castle, or
-monastery, on the road, where they were never refused lodging and
-entertainment.
-
-23. There were no table cloths, and the dishes and cups were mostly
-of wood, but they were well filled with meat, game, fish, or poultry,
-which, with bread and ale, constituted the rude, but substantial fare.
-
-24. The Baron, with his friends, sat at an upper table, which was
-served with wine; and, sometimes he would have his hounds lying at
-his feet, and his favorite hawk, upon a perch, beside him.
-
-25. The supper, at five o’clock, was just like the dinner, and these
-were the only regular meals at that period.
-
-26. I said there were no inns in those days, which reminds me to
-speak of the difficulty and danger of travelling. The roads were very
-bad and lonely, often running through forests and across wide heaths,
-infested with robbers.
-
-27. Then there were no public conveyances of any kind, nor any way of
-making a journey, but on horseback, or on foot; and, as to stopping
-at the country towns, there was very little accommodation to be had
-there, for they were poor places, the houses in them being very
-little better than wooden sheds.
-
-28. There were no shops, so that every thing was bought, as formerly,
-at the markets and fairs.
-
-29. A great many merchants, from London, France, and Flanders, used
-to bring goods to the fairs for sale, and they were obliged to pay
-tolls and duties to the lord of the manor, which came to a great deal
-of money, because they brought a quantity of valuable merchandise,
-as the nobles themselves purchased their wearing apparel, jewellery,
-spices, and many other commodities, at the fairs, which sometimes
-lasted fifteen days.
-
-30. The dress of the great nobility, in the fourteenth century, was
-very handsome, for they wore mantles of satin or velvet, with borders
-worked in gold, over jackets highly embroidered; and their velvet
-caps were often adorned with jewels.
-
-31. The middle classes wore close coats of cloth, with leather belts
-round the waist, such as the Blue-Coat Boys now wear, and they had
-tight pantaloons, short boots, and cloth caps.
-
-32. The clothing of the working people was made of very coarse wool,
-sometimes undyed, and all spun and woven at home by the women, who
-had nothing else for their own wearing, as there were no cottons or
-stuffs made in England then, nor any of the nice comfortable things
-that the poor people can get so cheap now.
-
-33. The country towns were at this period inhabited chiefly by free
-artisans, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and others, of different
-trades; but there were still a great many villeins and serfs, on all
-the cultivated lands, for slavery was never abolished in England by
-any act of parliament, but gradually died away with the feudal laws.
-
-34. The armies were not raised then as they were at an earlier
-period, by feudal service, but soldiers were hired and paid by the
-day; but there was no standing army, as there is at present; for, as
-soon as the wars were over, the men were all discharged, which was a
-bad thing, as it often happened they had no homes or employment to
-return to, and so formed themselves into bands of robbers.
-
-35. However, fighting men had plenty of occupation during the reign
-of Edward the First, of whose wars in Scotland I am now about to
-speak.
-
-36. The king of Scotland died about this time, and as he left no
-son, and his grand-daughter and heiress, Margaret, died soon after,
-unmarried, there were two princes, who each thought he had a right
-to succeed to the throne; so they agreed to let the king of England
-decide the dispute, which he readily took upon himself to do. One
-prince was named Robert Bruce, the other, John Baliol.
-
-37. Edward said Baliol ought to be king, and he was crowned
-accordingly; but the English monarch soon began to find fault with
-him, and at last went to war, for he made up his mind to try to unite
-England and Scotland into one kingdom, and to be the king of both
-countries himself; but he did not succeed, although he dethroned
-Baliol, and was at war with Scotland for nearly eleven years.
-
-38. I dare say you have heard of a renowned Scottish chief, called
-Sir William Wallace. He fought bravely for his country in these wars,
-but he was taken prisoner at the battle of Falkirk; and, I am sorry
-to say, king Edward was so cruel and unjust as to have his head cut
-off.
-
-39. But this did not put an end to the war, for another chief, Robert
-Bruce, grandson of him before-mentioned, took the place of Wallace,
-gained several victories, and was crowned king.
-
-40. The two sovereigns then prepared for a long war, and Edward was
-on his way to Scotland, with his army, when he was taken ill, and
-died in the year 1307, having reigned thirty-four years.
-
-41. His son, Edward the Second, was so careless of every thing but
-his own pleasure, that he neglected the affairs of both England and
-Scotland, so that the Scots recovered all they had lost; and when,
-at last, the king was persuaded to renew the war, he met with such
-a terrible defeat at the battle of Bannockburn, that the Scots are
-proud of it to this very day.
-
-42. There is nothing more worth telling about the reign of Edward
-the Second, whose misconduct caused many of the barons to rebel, and
-he was, at last, made prisoner by them, and cruelly murdered, in
-Berkeley castle, in 1327, having reigned about twenty years.
-
-43. His son, Edward the Third, was scarcely fifteen, at the time of
-his father’s death; but he was a very clever prince, and soon began
-to manage the affairs of the country himself.
-
-44. He married a Flemish princess, named Philippa, who was much
-beloved by the English people, as, indeed, she deserved to be, for
-she was both good and beautiful, as well as one of the cleverest
-ladies of her time, and she employed her talents in doing all the
-good she could for England.
-
-45. She knew that the people of her own country, which was Flanders,
-had grown rich by their trade and manufactures, so she did all in
-her power to increase the trade of England, and paid a number of
-Flemish weavers to come over here and settle at Norwich, that they
-might improve the people there, in the art of making woollen cloth
-and stuffs, for which a manufactory had been established by Edward
-the First.
-
-46. She also founded several schools, and was a friend to those who
-distinguished themselves by their learning.
-
-47. I must not forget to tell you that Chaucer, the first great poet
-that wrote in English, lived at this time, and received much kindness
-from the king and queen.
-
-48. The English language was now beginning to be spoken by the higher
-classes, instead of French, and was not very unlike the English
-spoken now, as you might see, if you were to look at the poems
-written by Chaucer.
-
-49. Edward the Third was, unfortunately, as fond of war as his
-grandfather. He renewed the war with Scotland, but his great wars
-were in France, for his ambition was to be king of that country, and
-he pretended he had a right to the throne, because his mother was
-the sister of the late king.
-
-50. But the French thought otherwise, and chose another prince for
-their king, so Edward invaded France, where he commenced a long and
-destructive war, which lasted nearly forty years, and was carried on,
-for a great part of that time, by his eldest son, who was called the
-Black Prince, because he wore black armour.
-
-51. He made great conquests in the south of France, and, at the
-celebrated battle of Poictiers, took the French king prisoner, and
-brought him to England, where he remained a captive for the rest of
-his life, but was treated with so much kindness and respect, that he
-had little to complain of but the loss of his liberty.
-
-52. The Black Prince was not only a brave warrior, but was a good and
-clever man; therefore, his death, which happened a few months before
-that of his father, was a great grief to the English people.
-
-53. Edward the Third died in 1377, after a long reign of fifty years.
-He had been a pretty good king, had made the people obey the laws,
-and, in general, observed them himself.
-
-54. When he wanted money for the French wars, he had allowed the
-villeins and serfs, on his manors, or crown lands, to buy their
-freedom, so that there were now, comparatively, but few of the lower
-orders remaining in bondage; and the agricultural labourers were paid
-for their labour, as well as the artisans and mechanics.
-
-55. Their wages were, in general, from twopence to threepence a
-day, but you must remember that twopence, at that time, was equal,
-in purchasing the necessaries of life, to about one shilling and
-eightpence of our money, and would buy much more than sufficient food
-for a whole family.
-
-56. They lived chiefly on meat, brown bread, and ale; for there were
-no vegetables for the table, cultivated by the people in England,
-till the time of Henry the Eighth; nor any potatoes, till that of
-queen Elizabeth; and then they were considered a dainty dish, and
-only seen at the tables of very rich people.
-
-57. However, there were gardens, orchards, and vineyards, belonging
-to the monasteries, and to persons of high rank and fortune.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who succeeded king John?
-
- 2. What were the consequences of the king’s misconduct?
-
- 7. What great change was made in parliament, and how?
-
- 9. Who first brought a carpet into England?
-
- 10. How long did Henry the Third reign? and by whom was he
- succeeded?
-
- 11. What was the character of Edward the First?
-
- 12. Mention some of his first acts.
-
- 15. How did he regulate the parliament?
-
- 18. How was Wales united to England?
-
- 37. What gave rise to the Scottish wars?
-
- 38. Who was the great Scottish chief and patriot; and what was his
- fate?
-
- 39. Who was made king of Scotland?
-
- 40. When did Edward die? and who succeeded him?
-
- 41. What became of Edward the Second?
-
- 43. Who was the next king?
-
- 44. Whom did he marry?
-
- 47. Who was the first great English poet?
-
- 49. Why did Edward the Third invade France?
-
- 53. When did the death of Edward take place?
-
- 54. How did Edward the Third raise money for the wars?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI.
-
-FROM THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD THE SECOND TO THE WAR OF THE
-ROSES.--1377 TO 1422.
-
-
-[Illustration: ABDICATION OF RICHARD.]
-
-1. Richard the Second, the son of Edward, the Black Prince, was
-but eleven years old when, by the death of his grandfather, he
-became king of England. His uncles governed the country till he was
-old enough to act for himself; but they did not teach him to be a
-wise, nor a just man, and this injustice was the cause of all his
-misfortunes.
-
-2. One of the first things he did on his own account, was to break a
-promise he made to the people; and this was how it happened. A new
-tax had caused great discontent among the labouring classes, and
-their unwillingness to pay it was increased by the insolence of the
-collectors, who, one day, in the house of a man called Walter, or
-Wat Tiler, behaved so ill to his daughter, that he gave one of them
-a blow on the head with his hammer, which unluckily killed him.
-
-3. Now the neighbours knew that if Walter should be taken, he
-would be put to death for the offence, and as they all had cause
-to complain of the tax-gatherers, they assembled in front of his
-cottage, and declared they would protect him.
-
-4. This was at Deptford, and they all proceeded to London, being
-joined by thousands of men from different towns, and a dreadful riot
-there was; so that it was thought necessary for the king to take some
-means of pacifying the rebels.
-
-5. Accordingly he went, with the lord mayor and some nobles and
-gentlemen, to meet them in Smithfield, and whilst Tiler, their
-leader, was talking with the king, the mayor came behind him, and
-struck him on the head with his mace, and stunned him, and he was
-killed by Richard’s party; and then the king, fearing the rioters
-would kill him in return, asked them what they wanted, saying, he was
-ready to do any thing that was right and just.
-
-6. They said they desired that the poll tax should be taken off;
-slavery and villeinage abolished by law; so that all who were still
-in bondage should be made free; and that the old feudal custom of
-paying duties on goods, at all the markets and fairs, should be done
-away with.
-
-7. All this Richard promised to do; but no sooner had the men
-dispersed and gone back to their homes, than he sent out a military
-force to seize all who had been concerned in the rebellion; and I
-grieve to say that, although he had given his word that they should
-all be pardoned, he ordered the judges to have every one of them
-executed.
-
-8. After such conduct as this, you will not expect to hear much good
-of Richard the Second, whose selfish extravagance led him to do all
-kinds of unjust things, for the purpose of raising money to spend
-on his own pleasures; so that it might truly be said that he was
-constantly robbing his subjects; as, for instance, he once wanted
-to borrow a large sum of the citizens of London, which they would
-not lend him, because they knew very well he would never return it;
-so he took away their charter, that is, the grant which gives them
-the right to elect a lord mayor, and to manage the affairs of the
-city independently of the king; and they were obliged to give him ten
-times as much to get it back again, as they had refused to lend.
-
-9. The citizens of London were very rich at this period, many of
-them being great merchants, and it was in this reign that the famous
-Whittington was Lord Mayor.
-
-10. He had made a large fortune in the coal trade, which was then a
-new branch of commerce, for coals were very little used for firing
-till the time of Edward the Third.
-
-11. King Richard had unjustly banished his cousin Henry, Earl of
-Hereford, and on the death of Henry’s father, the Duke of Lancaster,
-had taken possession of his estates.
-
-12. This nobleman was a grandson of Edward the Third, and was much
-liked by the English, who would rather have had him for their king
-than the unworthy sovereign they had got, although he would have had
-no right to the throne, even if Richard had been dead.
-
-13. However, he came back to England, and finding most of the nobles
-as well as the people willing to make him king, Richard was obliged
-to resign the crown, and was imprisoned in Pomfret castle, where
-it is supposed he died by unfair means; but as this is not quite
-certain, we will hope it was not so. He had reigned twenty-two years,
-when he was deposed, in 1399.
-
-14. This usurpation of Henry the Fourth was the cause of the long
-civil wars in England, called the Wars of the Roses, which began in
-the time of Henry the Sixth, whose right to the throne was disputed,
-although his father and grandfather had been suffered to reign
-without opposition.
-
-15. Henry the Fourth was, on the whole, a popular monarch, and under
-his government things went on pretty well with the generality of the
-people.
-
-16. There was an insurrection in Wales, headed by a gentleman, named
-Owen Glendower, who wished to restore the Welsh to their former
-independence, and to be their prince, as he was of the ancient royal
-family; and he was joined by the powerful Earl of Northumberland, and
-his son Henry Percy, better known by the name of Hotspur, who was
-one of the bravest knights of the age.
-
-17. These noblemen had a quarrel with the king, and wanted to depose
-him; but he gained a victory over them in a battle fought near
-Shrewsbury, where Hotspur was killed. These events are not of much
-importance, but I tell them because when you hear any celebrated
-characters spoken of, you ought to know who they were, and when they
-lived.
-
-18. The prince of Wales, afterwards Henry the Fifth, was also
-celebrated for his valour, but not for his good behaviour in his
-youth; for his conduct was sometimes so disgraceful that his father
-was quite ashamed of him, and nobody would have supposed he was the
-son of a king.
-
-19. One thing he used to do was to go out at night, with some idle
-companions, and rob people on the highway, for amusement; yet he had
-not a bad disposition, for once one of the judges sent him to prison
-for trying to rescue one of his wicked companions; and he not only
-submitted to the punishment, but when he came to be king, he treated
-that judge with great respect and attention, because he knew he was a
-just man, and would punish the rich as well as the poor, if they did
-wrong. King Henry the Fourth died in 1413, in the fourteenth year of
-his reign.
-
-20. Henry the Fifth is famed as the conqueror of France. He went to
-war with that country, on the same pretext that Edward the Third did
-before; and with better success, for the French king was at last glad
-to make peace by agreeing that Henry should be king of France after
-his death.
-
-21. The greatest victory gained by the English, was at the battle of
-Agincourt. King Henry married the French king’s daughter, but he died
-soon afterwards, in 1422, having reigned nine years; and leaving an
-infant son; and in a little while the king of France died too, and he
-also left a son.
-
-22. Then there was a dispute which of these princes should be king of
-France, and a new war was begun which lasted many years, during which
-the English lost all that the armies of Henry the Fifth had won.
-
-23. In the mean time the young king, Henry the Sixth, grew up so
-weak in mind and sickly in body, that he was not able to govern the
-country; therefore, his ministers and the queen, a French princess,
-named Margaret of Anjou, had to manage every thing for him.
-
-24. But many people did not like the queen, and began to say that
-her husband had no right to the throne as his grandfather was a
-usurper; but that Richard, Duke of York, ought to be king of England;
-while others said that, as the Parliament had consented to let the
-family of the Duke of Lancaster reign, it was lawful for them to keep
-the crown; and that although king Henry was not fit for a ruler, the
-rights of his son, prince Edward, ought to be protected.
-
-25. The Duke of York was then governor of Ireland, but when he heard
-of these disputes, he came back, and was placed at the head of the
-government here, instead of the queen.
-
-26. I think you will now quite understand why there was a civil war
-in England. Every nobleman in the country took one side or the other,
-and the friends of the Duke of York wore a white rose or ribbon
-rosette; while those who supported the king, or House of Lancaster,
-wore a crimson one; as people now wear different colored ribbons at
-an election, to show which party they belong to; and this is why
-these wars are called the Wars of the Roses.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who succeeded Edward the Third?
-
- 2. Who was Wat Tiler, and how was his rebellion occasioned?
-
- 4. How did the rebels proceed?
-
- 5. What means were taken to quell the insurrection?
-
- 6. What were the demands of the rebels?
-
- 7. What was the conduct of Richard on this occasion?
-
- 12. Who was the Earl of Hereford?
-
- 13. How was Richard dethroned, and what became of him?
-
- 16. What battle was fought in this reign, and why?
-
- 17. Who was killed in this battle?
-
- 18. Who succeeded Henry the Fourth?
-
- 20. How did Henry the Fifth distinguish himself?
-
- 23. What was the character of Henry the Sixth?
-
- 24. What gave rise to the Wars of the Roses?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII.
-
-THE WARS OF THE ROSES.--1422 TO 1461.
-
-
-[Illustration: EDWARD IV.]
-
-1. The civil wars may be said to have lasted thirty years, from the
-first battle at St. Alban’s, in 1455, to the battle of Bosworth,
-in 1485; for although there were intervals of peace, the quarrel
-between the house of York and Lancaster was not finally settled
-till the two families were united by the marriage of Henry the
-Seventh, who was heir of the House of Lancaster, with Elizabeth, the
-grand-daughter of Richard, Duke of York, and heiress of that family.
-
-2. During that thirty years, the country was, as you may suppose, in
-a very unhappy condition. Every Baron wanted to collect as many men
-around him as he could, to defend his castle in case of siege; so the
-countrymen left their rural labors and went to enlist in the service
-of this or that nobleman, because they were sure of getting plenty to
-eat and drink.
-
-3. Thus the castle halls were crowded, but the fields were left
-without sufficient laborers to plough and sow them, consequently the
-crops were generally bad, and bread was at times, so dear, that many
-poor families could get none at all, but were obliged to eat herbs
-and berries that they found in the woods, which did not nourish them,
-so that numbers died of want.
-
-4. Many battles were fought in different parts of England, and the
-queen was present at some of them, for it was she who conducted the
-war, as the king was incapable of so much exertion, and Margaret
-could not bear to see her young son Edward deprived of his birthright.
-
-5. Three victories had been gained by the Duke of York, when he was
-killed at the battle of Wakefield; but this event did not put an
-end to the contest, for his son Edward, who succeeded to his title,
-continued the war and, in the end, became king of England, while poor
-king Henry was kept a prisoner in the Tower, where he died in 1471.
-
-6. Edward owed his success chiefly to the Earl of Warwick, the
-richest and most powerful nobleman in England, and considered as the
-last of the great feudal Barons, for it is said that he maintained no
-less than thirty thousand people at his own expense, who were ready
-to devote their lives to his service.
-
-7. He had a great many castles in different parts of England, and a
-noble mansion in Warwick lane, London, which still bears that name,
-although it presents a very different appearance from what it did
-when this mighty Earl lived there like a sovereign prince, and the
-place was crowded with his armed retainers.
-
-8. Edward had been very well received by the citizens of London, and
-crowned, with their consent, long before the death of king Henry.
-
-9. Two battles were fought soon after his accession to the throne,
-one at Towton the other at Hexham; and it was after the latter,
-that a story is told how queen Margaret wandered about in a forest
-with her little boy, till they were both half dead with hunger and
-fatigue, when she met with a robber, and instead of trying to avoid
-him, told him who she was, and begged he would protect her child.
-
-10. The man took them to a cave, and gave them food and shelter,
-until he found an opportunity of getting them on board a vessel that
-was going to Scotland.
-
-11. People were now in hopes there would be peace; but the new
-sovereign was so unwise as to quarrel with the Earl of Warwick, who
-became his enemy, and resolved to deprive him of the crown he had
-helped him to win.
-
-12. Then the war was begun again, and went on for several years
-longer, till Warwick was killed at the battle of Barnet, on Easter
-Sunday, 1471, just ten years after the battle of Towton.
-
-13. On the day of this battle, queen Margaret, and her son, prince
-Edward, then a youth of eighteen, landed in England, for they had
-lived in France some years, and were sadly grieved at the news of
-Warwick’s defeat and death; but as they had a great many friends,
-the queen determined upon trying another battle, which was a great
-pity, for both herself and her son were made prisoners, and the young
-prince was killed in king Edward’s tent, for making a spirited answer
-to some insulting question put to him by the haughty monarch.
-
-14. The miserable mother was sent to the Tower, where her husband
-had just died; but she was afterwards released, and ransomed by her
-father; and she returned to live with him in France, her native
-country.
-
-15. And now, that we have done with the wars, we may begin to think
-of something more pleasant. Have you ever heard it was in the reign
-of Edward the Fourth that books were first printed in England?
-
-16. The art of printing, which enables us to have so many nice books
-to instruct and amuse us, had lately been invented in Germany, and
-was brought here by an English merchant, named William Caxton, who
-went to Cologne, on purpose to learn how to print, and when he came
-back, he set up a printing-press in Westminster Abbey, which, at that
-time, was a monastery.
-
-17. We ought to be very much obliged to the clever person that
-invented printing; for only think how very ignorant we should be,
-and how much pleasure we should lose, if there were no books to tell
-us any thing.
-
-18. There were books, certainly, before that time; but they were
-all written, and it took so long to copy them, that they were very
-expensive, so that none but very rich people could have even a few
-volumes.
-
-19. Printed books were also, for a long time, much too dear to be in
-general use, but people of rank soon began to be much better educated
-than in former times, and their habits and manners became much
-improved in consequence.
-
-20. Then a great many of the old Norman castles had been destroyed
-in the wars, which put an end, after a time, to the customs of
-chivalry; and the nobles, instead of sending their sons to be brought
-up for warlike knights, sent them to Oxford, or Cambridge, to become
-scholars; or to Eton College, which had been founded by Henry the
-Sixth.
-
-21. King Edward died in 1483, when his eldest son, who is called
-Edward the Fifth, although he never was really king, was only
-thirteen years old; and he, and his younger brother, the Duke of
-York, were under the guardianship of their uncle Richard, Duke of
-Gloucester, who was a very bad man.
-
-22. Instead of protecting the fatherless children entrusted to his
-care, he only thought how he might take advantage of their youth to
-obtain the crown himself; so he sent them both to the Tower, but not
-as prisoners, for it was then used occasionally as a royal residence,
-especially in times of public disturbances; so Richard told the
-people the boys would be safe there; but in a little while it was
-reported that they were dead, and it was thought he had caused them
-to be murdered, which was most likely the truth, although some people
-think they were not put to death, but were kept there as prisoners
-for some years.
-
-23. Richard the Third was not a very bad king, for he made some
-laws that were very useful to the merchants who traded with foreign
-countries, and he was the first who thought of having postmen, or
-couriers, to carry letters, so that, wicked as he was, we cannot say
-he did no good as a sovereign.
-
-24. The post was, at first, only for government letters, and it was
-a long time before any arrangements were made for private persons to
-correspond by the same means; but this was done by degrees, and in
-the time of Oliver Cromwell, the General Post Office was established,
-when everybody had the benefit of this excellent institution, which
-adds so much to people’s happiness; for who could possibly be happy
-now, if they could not hear from their absent friends?
-
-25. Richard the Third reigned only two years, for he was disliked by
-the nobility, and a conspiracy was formed against him by the friends
-of the House of Lancaster, who were desirous of placing on the throne
-the heir of that family, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.
-
-26. This young nobleman was living in exile, at the time, in France.
-But he was soon informed of what was going on, and told the French
-king, who lent him forty ships, and about five thousand soldiers,
-with which he sailed directly for England, where he found friends
-ready to join him with more troops.
-
-27. The battle of Bosworth was fought on the 22nd of August, 1485,
-when Richard was killed, and the conqueror proclaimed king on the
-field; and thus ended the Wars of the Roses.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. What was the duration of the civil wars?
-
- 2. Describe the general state of the country.
-
- 4. Who conducted the war for the king?
-
- 5. How did the Duke of York lose his life?
-
- 6. To whom did Edward owe his success?
-
- 9. Name the battles that were fought after Edward became king.
-
- 11. Why was the contest renewed?
-
- 12. Where was the Earl of Warwick killed, and when?
-
- 13. What happened after this battle?
-
- 14. When were books first printed in England?
-
- 16. Where was the art of printing invented?
-
- 20. Who founded Eton College?
-
- 21. Who obtained the crown on the death of Edward the Fourth?
-
- 22. Relate the circumstances.
-
- 23. What was the origin and progress of the Post Office?
-
- 25. How was the reign of Richard soon terminated?
-
- 27. Name the date of the battle of Bosworth.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII.
-
-FROM THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH, TO QUEEN ELIZABETH.--1461 TO 1558.
-
-
-[Illustration: LADY JANE GREY REFUSING THE CROWN.]
-
-1. Henry the Seventh was not an amiable man, but he had many
-qualities that were good and useful in a sovereign, and the country
-prospered greatly under his government.
-
-2. One of the conditions on which he succeeded to the throne, was
-that he should marry the princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward
-the Fourth, and thus secure peace by uniting the families of York
-and Lancaster:--the princess Elizabeth was a lady much beloved by
-every body, and her many acts of benevolence were long remembered in
-England, so that she was generally called the good queen Bess.
-
-3. The king wished to increase the wealth and prosperity of the
-nation, and he took the best means of doing so by promoting commerce.
-He made commercial treaties, that is, agreements about trade, with
-foreign princes, by which he obtained many advantages for the English
-merchants, just as our government has lately made a treaty with the
-emperor of China, about our trade in his country.
-
-4. No English ship had ever been to China then, nor even to India;
-and America had not yet been discovered; but in the time of Henry
-the Seventh, the Spaniards and Portuguese made longer voyages than
-had ever been made before, and the celebrated Christopher Columbus,
-whom I dare say you have often heard of, found out by study, that
-there was an unknown land on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean,
-and although people laughed at him, he at last persuaded the king
-and queen of Spain to let him have ships, and sailors, and money, to
-go in search of it, so he was the first that found out the way to
-America, which, for a long time, was called the New World.
-
-5. Soon after this, the Portuguese found out the way to India by sea;
-and then the English began to make voyages of discovery also, and
-to find that the world had more countries in it than they had ever
-dreamed of before.
-
-6. Maps and charts, which had been known to the Greeks and Romans,
-now began to be much improved, though they were still incorrect, as
-you may suppose.
-
-7. However, all these new discoveries, together with the invention
-of printing, made people think more about learning, and less about
-fighting than they used to do; especially as the nobility were
-beginning to live more in the way they do now, and to have handsome
-houses in London, instead of living always in their gloomy old
-castles.
-
-8. Their domestics were no longer slaves, but hired servants; their
-tenants were not villeins, but free farmers, who paid rent for their
-land; and the poor peasantry, no longer in bondage, were at liberty
-to go where they pleased, and were paid for their daily labour.
-
-9. You remember that in the feudal times all the land in the country
-belonged to the king, the nobles, the knights, and the bishops, and
-abbots.
-
-10. But Edward the First made a law in favour of the sale and
-purchase of all lands except those held immediately of the king; and
-Edward the Third gave his own vassals leave to sell their estates.
-
-11. Other laws were afterwards made, by which landed property was
-made liable to seizure for debt, and might be given by will, or sold
-at the pleasure of the owner. And Henry the Seventh, by another law,
-further encouraged the sale of land, and the consequent division of
-large estates.
-
-12. Then many of the nobles, who had more land than they wanted, sold
-some of it to wealthy merchants and others, who built large mansions,
-to which they often gave their own family name, as for instance, if
-the name of the proprietor happened to be Burton, he would probably
-call his residence Burton Hall.
-
-13. These country gentlemen formed quite a new class of people in
-England, and they have ever since that time continued to increase in
-wealth, rank, and importance.
-
-14. A strange thing happened in the reign of Henry the Seventh, which
-has made some people think the sons of Edward the Fourth were not
-put to death in the Tower, as is generally believed, but you shall
-hear the story.
-
-15. A young man, called Perkin Warbeck, came to Ireland from
-Flanders, and declared he was the younger of those two princes, and
-the lawful heir to the throne, as his brother was dead.
-
-16. He told a wonderful tale, how he had escaped from the Tower,
-and related many adventures which he said had befallen him; so the
-Irish people said they would fight for him, and try to take the crown
-from king Henry; but as they could not raise a sufficient force by
-themselves, Warbeck applied to the king of France, who also promised
-to help him, and then he went to the Duchess of Burgundy, who was
-Edward the Fourth’s sister, and, strange to say, that lady declared
-she believed the young man was her brother’s son, and persuaded the
-Flemings to lend him their aid.
-
-17. But the king of France changed his mind; and made a treaty of
-peace with king Henry, who ordered the English merchants not to carry
-on any trade with Flanders while the Flemings continued to favour the
-cause of Perkin Warbeck, so they deserted him too.
-
-18. I have not the room to tell you the rest of his adventures, but
-they ended in his being taken prisoner by the king, who had him put
-to death as a traitor. Henry the Seventh reigned twenty-four years,
-and was succeeded in 1509 by his son, Henry the Eighth.
-
-19. The young king was married to Catharine of Arragon, the daughter
-of the king of Spain, a beautiful and talented woman, who deserved a
-better husband, for Henry was a sad tyrant in his family, as well as
-over the nation.
-
-20. The greatest man in the kingdom next to the king, was his
-minister, Cardinal Wolsey, who governed the country for many years,
-and was so rich, that he not only lived in as much splendour as the
-king, but he built the palaces of Hampton-court and Whitehall, and
-founded the College of Christ Church at Oxford.
-
-21. A Cardinal is a priest of high dignity in the Catholic Church,
-being next in rank to the Pope.
-
-22. Wolsey was clever and learned; but he was very proud, so he had
-many enemies, and at last fell into disgrace with the king, and died
-of grief.
-
-23. Soon after this Henry chose to be separated from his good wife,
-Catharine, because he had seen a young lady named Anna Boleyn, whom
-he thought he should like to marry; so he sent the queen and his
-daughter Mary, away from court, and made Anna Boleyn queen; but he
-soon began to dislike her, and said she had done some very wicked
-things, as an excuse for sending her to the Tower, where he had her
-head cut off; and then he married another young lady, named Jane
-Seymour, who soon died. She left a little baby, who was king Edward
-the Sixth; and Anna Boleyn also had a baby, who was queen Elizabeth.
-
-24. I must now tell you of a great change made by Henry the Eighth,
-with regard to religion, and called the Reformation.
-
-25. The church of England had, till this period, been the same as
-that of Rome, and the people were Roman Catholics; but there were a
-good many people in Germany, and in England also, who thought that
-some of the forms of the Catholic religion were not right, and ought
-to be altered, and these persons were called reformers, and all who
-adopted their opinions took the name of Protestants, because they
-protested against certain things.
-
-26. Now Henry the Eighth had a disagreement with the Pope, about his
-second marriage; so he determined to abolish the Catholic religion,
-to seize on and destroy the monasteries and nunneries, and to have
-Protestant clergymen to preach and read the prayers in the churches.
-
-27. It would be too long a story to tell you how he accomplished all
-this; but it was done. There were nearly a thousand religious houses,
-that is, convents, abbeys, and priories, in England, inhabited by
-monks and nuns, clerks and friars, of different orders, who had no
-other homes, nor any means of living, but on the property of the
-establishments to which they belonged; and these were all suppressed,
-together with many colleges and hospitals, which also supported a
-great many poor people.
-
-28. The poor were very sorry the convents were broken up, for they
-had been accustomed to go there when they were in distress, for food,
-clothing, or medicine; and now they did not know where to get relief,
-as there were no workhouses; the hospitals, and all other charitable
-institutions, except some alms-houses, having been destroyed; nor was
-it till almost the middle of the reign of queen Elizabeth that any
-provision was made by law for the destitute poor.
-
-29. The manufactures of England were now fast increasing.
-Manchester, Birmingham, and Sheffield, were beginning to be known
-as manufacturing towns; the first, for woollens and cottons; the
-others, for cutlery and hardware.
-
-30. Pewter plates and dishes were made in large quantities, for they
-were now used in the most respectable families instead of wood; hats
-were also made in England in this reign; and a clock, the first ever
-manufactured in this country.
-
-31. But nothing was more useful than the improvements made in
-gardening, for which we are indebted to the Flemings and Dutch, who
-were the best gardeners in Europe, and who brought here many kinds of
-vegetables for the table, such as cabbages, lettuces, &c., and many
-fruits that had not been cultivated in England since the time of the
-Romans, particularly cherries and currants.
-
-32. Potatoes were not known until the reign of queen Elizabeth, when
-Sir Walter Raleigh brought some from America, and planted them, first
-in Ireland, little thinking, perhaps, that this root would, at a
-future time, be almost the only food of the Irish people.
-
-33. Henry the Eighth had three more wives, Anne of Cleves, whom he
-divorced; Catherine Howard, whom he had beheaded, like poor Anna
-Boleyn; and Catherine Parr, who outlived him.
-
-34. He reigned thirty-eight years, and was succeeded by his son,
-Edward the Sixth, who was only nine years old, and died before he
-was sixteen; so that he can scarcely be reckoned among the kings of
-England.
-
-35. He was a pious and amiable prince, fond of learning, and
-extremely charitable. He founded St. Thomas’s Hospital, for the sick
-poor; and Christ’s Hospital and School, for the education of boys who
-had lost their fathers.
-
-36. He had a cousin, Lady Jane Grey, whom he was very fond of, for
-she was about his own age, gentle and beautiful, and being fond of
-study, was educated with him; so that it was no wonder he liked her.
-
-37. They were both Protestants; but Edward’s eldest sister, Mary, was
-a Catholic; and as some of the great noblemen were Protestants, they
-did not like to have a Catholic queen; so when the young king was
-dying, they persuaded him to make a will, leaving the crown to Lady
-Jane Grey, which was not right, because his father had ordered, and
-the parliament confirmed his will, that, if he died, Mary was to be
-queen. Edward the Sixth died in the seventh year of his reign.
-
-38. Lady Jane was married to young Lord Guildford Dudley, and knew
-nothing about king Edward’s will till after he was dead, when her
-husband’s father told her she was to be queen.
-
-39. At first she refused, but was, at length, persuaded or compelled
-to allow herself to be proclaimed; and very unhappy it made her, so
-that she was very glad, at the end of ten days, to give up the title
-of queen to her who had a better right to it.
-
-40. Now Mary was a woman of a morose temper; and, unfortunately, at
-that time, and long afterwards, people who differed in religious
-opinions were very cruel to each other; so she would not forgive poor
-Lady Jane Grey, but sent her and her husband to the Tower, where they
-were both beheaded.
-
-41. The reign of queen Mary lasted only five years, and there is
-little to tell about it, except that she did all she could to
-restore the Roman Catholic religion, and re-established some of the
-monasteries; but they were suppressed again, after her death, by her
-sister Elizabeth, who had been brought up in the Protestant faith.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 2. How did Henry the Seventh secure peace?
-
- 3. How was the prosperity of the country increased?
-
- 4. What great discoveries were made in his reign?
-
- 7. What changes may be noticed in the mode of living?
-
- 8. How was a new class of people formed?
-
- 15. Who was Perkin Warbeck?
-
- 18. Who succeeded Henry the Seventh?
-
- 19. To whom was he married?
-
- 20. Who was Cardinal Wolsey?
-
- 23. Why did the king put away his first queen?
-
- 25. What was the Reformation?
-
- 26. How was this change accomplished?
-
- 29. Which towns had become famous for their manufacture?
-
- 33. How many wives had Henry the Eighth?
-
- 34. How long did he reign, and who succeeded him?
-
- 36. Who was Lady Jane Grey?
-
- 37. What is chiefly remarkable of queen Mary?
-
- 41. By whom was she succeeded?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV.
-
-QUEEN ELIZABETH.--1558 TO 1603.
-
-
-[Illustration: QUEEN ELIZABETH REVIEWING HER TROOPS.]
-
-1. Elizabeth is one of the most celebrated of our sovereigns, for she
-was a remarkably clever woman, although, like her father, she was
-harsh and tyrannical.
-
-2. It was a merry day in England when she was crowned, for great
-numbers of the people had not liked queen Mary. The citizens of
-London testified their joy by decorating the outsides of their houses
-with draperies of silk and satin; and by having shows and pageants in
-the streets, as was customary, at that time, on all joyful occasions.
-
-3. In one place, a fountain ran with wine; in another, a boy, dressed
-to represent an angel with wings, descended from the top of an arch,
-as the queen’s chariot was passing under, and presented her with a
-bible; then was drawn up again by a cord, to look as if he flew away;
-and there were many other things of the same kind, which I have not
-room to tell of.
-
-4. The ladies and gentlemen who attended the queeen rode on
-horseback, for coaches were not used in England till some years
-afterwards, when a gentleman, from Holland, brought a carriage over
-here, and then the English soon began to build coaches, and ladies
-of rank left off riding on horses, as they used to do, seated on a
-pillion, behind their husbands.
-
-5. Elizabeth was a good queen in many respects, for she was a friend
-to learning, commerce, and all useful arts; and she chose able
-ministers, who ruled the country with wisdom and prudence; but she
-behaved very cruelly about religion, for although numbers of the
-people were still Catholics, she made a law that everybody should go
-to Protestant churches; and those who did not were put in prison, or
-made to pay such large sums of money, that they were quite ruined.
-
-6. In other countries, particularly the Netherlands, the Protestants
-were as ill-treated as the Catholics were here, so that a great many
-of them came to England, and were very useful in teaching the English
-several arts and manufactures they did not know before.
-
-7. Pins, needles, and paper, were now first made in England, and the
-cotton and other factories were greatly improved, so that there was
-more employment for the working classes.
-
-8. Then workhouses were established for the destitute, and all
-householders, for the first time, were obliged to pay a tax, called
-the poor rate, to support and find the poor in food and clothes, so
-that they might not be driven, by want, to beg or steal.
-
-9. The middle classes became more wealthy, and lived in better style
-than at any former period, especially the citizens of London, many
-of whom were rich merchants, living like noblemen, and among these
-was Sir Thomas Gresham, who built the first Royal Exchange, at his
-own expense, and gave a grand dinner there to the queen, in the year
-1570.
-
-10. English merchants now began to think of trading to the East
-Indies: but as it required a great deal of money to fit out ships,
-to make so long a voyage, for it took about four times as long then
-as it does now, a number of rich merchants joined together, and for
-a sum of money, obtained a charter from the queen, which made it
-unlawful for any other persons to carry on any trade with that part
-of the world.
-
-11. It is very interesting to read how this East India Company first
-were only permitted just to land in India, and buy and sell a few
-goods; then, how they obtained permission of the emperor, for there
-was an emperor of India then, to build some warehouses on the sea
-coast, and form a little settlement, called a factory; then how they
-gradually established more factories, and took soldiers to protect
-them, and gained possession of lands, where they built towns, so that
-many English families went to live there.
-
-12. Such was the beginning of the British empire in India; and, I
-dare say, that if the emperor could have foreseen the consequences,
-he would not have consented to have an English factory built on his
-coast.
-
-13. In the reign of Elizabeth, Captain Francis Drake made a voyage
-all round the world, though he was not the first navigator who did
-so, but he was the first English one.
-
-14. This was a grand exploit, as few people had believed, then, that
-it was possible, or that the world was really a round body; so you
-see how these voyages tended to increase knowledge, as well as to
-improve commerce.
-
-15. When Drake returned, the queen went to dine with him on board his
-ship, and made him a knight, after which he was called Sir Francis
-Drake, and he soon became an admiral.
-
-16. In the mean time, several voyages had been made to America, and
-Sir Walter Raleigh, who was one of the great men of the time, had
-taken possession of a tract of land for the queen of England, which
-he called Virginia, and it still bears that name.
-
-17. The Europeans behaved very unjustly about America, for although
-the natives were savages, they had no right to take away their lands.
-
-18. But they did so in every place they went to; and if they were
-Spaniards, they set up the Spanish flag, and the commander of the
-ship said, “I take this country for the king of Spain;” and then
-would fight with the poor natives, and kill them or drive them away;
-and, I am sorry to say, the English used to act much in the same
-manner.
-
-19. The Spaniards who had taken some of the West India Islands, and
-settled colonies in South America, wanted slaves to work in the gold
-mines, and their sugar plantations; so an English captain took out
-some ships to Africa, and carried off a great many negroes, whom
-he sold in the West Indies, for a large price; and from that time
-this trade was carried on to a great extent, and was permitted, by
-government, until the beginning of the present century.
-
-20. But we must now think of what was going on in England. Elizabeth
-had a cousin, named Mary, who was queen of Scotland, and was next
-heir to the English crown.
-
-21. She was young and beautiful, and had been married to the king of
-France, who was now dead; so she had returned to Scotland, and, after
-a time, married lord Darnley, and had a son, who was our king James
-the First.
-
-22. Lord Darnley was murdered, and Mary married another lord, who was
-disliked by the Scots, so that there was a civil war, and she was
-obliged to resign the crown, and after much ill-treatment, escaped to
-England, and begged the protection of queen Elizabeth.
-
-23. Now the queen had always been jealous of her, and she was now
-cruel enough to shut her up in a castle, and, after keeping her a
-prisoner for eighteen years, in different places, gave orders for
-her execution, and the unfortunate queen of Scots was beheaded in
-Fotheringay castle.
-
-24. Soon after this event, news arrived that a large fleet was
-coming to invade England. The king of Spain, Philip the Second, had
-been married to our queen Mary; and had offered his hand to queen
-Elizabeth, but she had resolved not to marry at all, and at any rate,
-she would not have had Philip, for she did not like him.
-
-25. He was, therefore, offended; and was also angry because the queen
-had been kind to the Protestants who had fled to England from the
-Netherlands, for he was king of those countries as well as of Spain;
-and her admirals having attacked some of his settlements in America,
-he determined to invade England, and make himself king there too, if
-he could.
-
-26. He got ready the largest fleet that was ever known, and called
-it the Invincible Armada; but it did not prove to be invincible,
-although the English had but a very small navy at that time, not more
-than fifteen ships of war; but the merchants lent their ships, and
-manned them at their own expense; and people of all classes gave
-money to pay soldiers, to defend the country, in case the Spaniards
-should effect a landing.
-
-27. But they never did land; for the English vessels, though so much
-smaller than Spanish ships, were lighter, and more manageable, and
-kept them from coming near the shore; and when they anchored off
-Calais, the English admiral sent fire ships among them, and burnt
-some of them, which created such terror, that they sailed away as
-fast as they could, some one way and some another, and the English
-ships chased them and disabled a great many; while others were
-wrecked by a violent storm; and thus the Armada was nearly destroyed.
-
-28. Small handbills were printed and sent about the country, to let
-the people know that the danger was over.
-
-29. Many more books were now published, and there were many clever
-authors in this reign, especially Shakespeare, who wrote a number of
-beautiful plays.
-
-30. The queen was a great admirer of Shakespeare’s plays, and used
-to go to see them acted; but the theatres were then not much better
-than the shows at a country fair, and the performance was in the day
-time.
-
-31. People of fashion, in those days, dined at eleven o’clock; the
-merchants and tradespeople, at twelve; and laborers, at one; and all
-public amusements were between dinner and supper, which was taken
-about six.
-
-32. These amusements did not show very good taste, for gentlemen and
-ladies of rank used to go and see cock fighting, and bull and bear
-baiting, which are cruel disgusting exhibitions, and I only mention
-them to show you the difference between the manners at that time and
-this.
-
-33. I will now give you an idea what kind of dress people used to
-wear in the time of queen Elizabeth. The gowns were open before,
-with a stiff bodice, just like a pair of stays, laced in front, and
-a large ruff round the neck.
-
-34. In the street, most ladies used to wear a little black velvet
-mask, and shoes with such high heels they could scarcely walk in
-them. Gentlemen wore short jackets, reaching a little below the
-waist, with a belt and sword, a cloak, and a high-crowned hat.
-
-35. One great improvement was made in dress in this reign, by the
-invention of stockings, which, for a long time, were all knitted;
-but they were found much more convenient than the cloth hose, that
-everybody used to wear, till then.
-
-36. Queen Elizabeth died, after a long, prosperous and peaceful
-reign, of forty-five years, in 1603, having named for her successor,
-her cousin, James Stuart, king of Scotland: and thus the two kingdoms
-of England and Scotland came to be united, and took the name of Great
-Britain.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. What was the character of queen Elizabeth?
-
- 4. What was the fashion of riding at this period?
-
- 5. Mention the good and bad features of Elizabeth’s government.
-
- 6. How were new manufactures brought into England, and what were
- they?
-
- 8. What provision was made for the poor?
-
- 9. When was the Royal Exchange built, and by whom?
-
- 10. What was the origin of the East India Company?
-
- 13. Who was the first English captain that sailed round the world?
-
- 15. What honors were bestowed on him on his return?
-
- 19. How was the slave trade begun?
-
- 26. What was the Spanish Armada?
-
- 29. What celebrated author lived in this reign?
-
- 36. When did Elizabeth die?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV.
-
-THE STUARTS. FROM THE UNION TO THE REVOLUTION.--1603 TO 1689.
-
-
-[Illustration: CROMWELL EXPELLING THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.]
-
-1. The people of Scotland did not like the union of the two kingdoms,
-at first, because the king and many of the nobility went away to
-live in London, which, as there was little trade, left Scotland in
-a very poor condition; and it was a long time, indeed, not before
-the people had experienced the great benefits of British trade and
-commerce, that they began to feel as a part of the English nation;
-but now that the English and Scots have become like one people, it is
-certainly much happier and better for both.
-
-2. James had not been king two years, when a conspiracy was formed
-against the government, called the Gunpowder Plot. I cannot tell you
-for certain by whom it was contrived, but it was a wicked scheme
-to blow up the houses of parliament, when the king, and most of
-the lords and commons were there assembled; but, happily, it was
-discovered a short time before the meeting of parliament, and all the
-greatest men in the country were saved from a dreadful death.
-
-3. James the First was not a good king, for he had a mistaken
-notion that a king ought to do whatever he liked; and that, if he
-wanted money he had a right to make new taxes, without the consent
-of parliament, and, in fact, he thought it unnecessary to have any
-parliament at all, and he taught his son Charles to be of the same
-opinion, which was the cause of that monarch’s untimely fate, and
-the civil wars that you will presently read about.
-
-4. In the reign of James the First, there were such severe laws
-against those who did not conform to the church of England, that
-hundreds of people emigrated to America, and settled themselves
-in colonies in a wild country, where at first they suffered many
-hardships and privations; but these colonies, and others, afterwards
-formed, gradually improved, till they became large flourishing
-states, now called the United States of America.
-
-5. James the First reigned twenty-two years, and was succeeded, in
-the year 1625, by his son Charles, whose bad education led to all the
-miseries of a long civil war, and to misfortunes that fell upon his
-own head.
-
-6. The quarrels between Charles and the parliament, arose from his
-taking upon himself the power of raising money by taxes, without the
-consent of the House of Commons; and in other things he chose to act
-by his own will, although it might be quite contrary to the laws of
-the country.
-
-7. Many people were put in prison because they would not lend him
-money when he desired it; and, at last, he dissolved the parliament
-altogether, and said he would govern without one, and then the
-people had no protection from his tyranny.
-
-8. Those who were treated the worst were the Puritans, a religious
-sect, whose form of worship was very similar to that of the present
-Scottish Church, which is different from the English, as they have
-no bishops, do not use prayer books, and have particular rules about
-choosing their own clergymen.
-
-9. The Scots who hold these opinions are called Presbyterians. The
-Puritans dressed very plainly, like quakers, and had their hair cut
-close, and on that account they obtained the name of Roundheads; and
-those who took part against the king in the civil war, generally
-adopted that fashion, and were distinguished by that name.
-
-10. After a time, the king began to find that, if he continued to
-govern by himself, there would certainly be a serious rebellion; so
-he consented to have a new parliament, and there was an election
-directly, and as many of the new members were Puritans, they perhaps
-wanted the king to yield too much, and thus provoked him not to give
-up so much as he ought.
-
-11. I cannot tell how this might be; but a great many people at
-length began to think it would be better to have a Republic, that is,
-a government without a king, and many of the Puritans were of that
-opinion.
-
-12. Charles had undoubtedly brought all his troubles upon himself,
-but it was now evident he must either give up his authority as
-a sovereign, or fight to maintain it; so he chose the latter
-alternative, and a war was commenced between the king and the
-parliament. Each party raised a large army.
-
-13. The queen, who was sister to the French king, went to France, to
-raise money to pay soldiers to fight for her husband, and to bring
-arms for them. He was supported by most of the English nobility,
-while the principal commoners sided with the parliament.
-
-14. The first general for the parliament was the Earl of Essex, who
-resigned in favor of general Fairfax, but the greatest general of the
-parliamentary army was a country gentleman named Oliver Cromwell, who
-was very clever, both as a military officer and a statesman; and,
-after the death of Charles, he became the ruler of England.
-
-15. The war caused a great deal of unhappiness in private families;
-for, although it was principally the soldiers who fought, everybody
-was interested in the question whether there should be a king, or
-not; and such violent quarrels arose, that the nearest relatives,
-even fathers and sons, and brothers often became enemies, and many
-young men went to join one army, or the other; so that sometimes two
-brothers might be on different sides; and then think how dreadful it
-was, when a battle took place, that they should be fighting against
-each other.
-
-16. The Royalists, who were called Cavaliers, were known from the
-Roundheads by their handsome style of dress, for they wore colored
-doublets made of silk or satin, with lace collars falling over them,
-and a short cloak over one shoulder. Their hair was curled in long
-ringlets, and their broad hats adorned with long feathers.
-
-17. There was as much difference in dress between the ladies as the
-gentlemen, for the female Roundheads were very plain and prim in
-their attire, while the Royalists were dressed in the gayest fashion.
-
-18. I shall not enter into the particulars of the war. It is enough
-to say that after it had gone on three years, the king was totally
-defeated, at the battle of Naseby, in Northamptonshire, and soon
-afterwards was made prisoner.
-
-19. The Republicans then had it all their own way. The king was
-brought to trial on a charge of having broken the laws of the
-country; was condemned to death, and beheaded at Whitehall, January
-30th, 1649.
-
-20. But the civil war did not end with the death of Charles the
-First, for his son, prince Charles, who was in Holland at the time,
-went to Scotland, where the generality of the people were not
-disposed to have a republican government, so they made the prince
-promise not to interfere with their religion, but to join the
-Presbyterians, and then they proclaimed him king, and soon raising an
-army, he marched into England.
-
-21. A battle was fought at Worcester, where Cromwell gained a great
-victory, and the young king had to make his escape, in disguise,
-with a few friends, who were anxious to get him safely out of the
-country; and many curious adventures they met with, for parties of
-the republican soldiers were sent off in all directions in pursuit of
-the fugitive prince, who was several times very nearly caught.
-
-22. His escape was chiefly owing to the fidelity of five brothers,
-named Penderel, farmers and woodmen, who were tenants of a gentleman
-that was warmly attached to the Royal family. They lent him a
-woodman’s dress, called him Will Jones; and rode about with him,
-to show him what houses he might safely go to for shelter and
-entertainment.
-
-23. On the third day after the battle, he was obliged to hide in a
-wood, in Boscobel, on the borders of Staffordshire, where he met with
-a friend, Major Carlis, who was hiding himself.
-
-24. They heard soldiers about the wood, so they both got up into an
-old oak tree, with some bread and cheese and beer, that one of the
-Penderels had brought to Charles, and while they were there, they
-heard the soldiers talking close under the tree, and saying how glad
-they should be to find the king, and that they were sure he must be
-somewhere thereabouts.
-
-25. The tree was afterwards called the Royal Oak; and there is a tree
-now on the same spot, raised from an acorn of the original one, which
-is still distinguished by that name.
-
-26. One time he travelled with a lady, as her groom, and when they
-stopped at an inn, he went into the kitchen, where the cook told him
-to wind up the jack, which he did so awkwardly, that she scolded him.
-
-27. He made an excuse, saying that where he came from, they did not
-have roast meat very often, and never used a jack; but I dare say, he
-laughed heartily afterwards, for he was always merry in the midst of
-his troubles.
-
-28. At last, after being at hide and seek for nearly two months, he
-embarked at Shoreham, and reached the continent in safety.
-
-29. Great Britain was now not a kingdom, for there was no king, but
-it was a Republic, or Commonwealth, which is a government managed by
-the people, or their representatives in parliament.
-
-30. But Oliver Cromwell was an ambitious man, and wanted to have all
-the power in his own hands; so he got the soldiers on his side, and
-then told the members of parliament that it was time for them to
-go out of office, that there might be a new election; and on their
-refusal, he went to the House of Commons with a regiment of soldiers,
-turned out the members, locked the doors, and took away the keys.
-
-31. He soon formed a new Parliament of men who were devoted to his
-interest, and he was made chief ruler of the state, under the name of
-Protector of the Commonwealth; but he might as well have been called
-king, for he was almost as absolute a sovereign as any that had yet
-reigned.
-
-32. However, he made a good use of his power by promoting trade, and
-foreign commerce, besides which, he had an excellent army, and a good
-navy, so that England was considered of more importance, by other
-nations, than it had ever been before.
-
-33. The English Admiral, Blake, gained some great victories over
-the Dutch at sea; and some conquests were made both in the East and
-West Indies, particularly that of Jamaica, which was taken from the
-Spaniards.
-
-34. The English people obeyed Cromwell more from fear than love,
-yet he had so many great qualities that he was respected, as well
-as feared. Milton, the poet, was one of his secretaries, and was
-much attached to him, as I believe most people were, who belonged to
-his domestic circle, for Cromwell was kind and mild in his family,
-although severe and determined in his public character.
-
-35. There was not much merriment in England, while he was its ruler,
-for the Puritans thought it sinful to dance, or feast, or sing, or
-play at any games; so all the theatres and other places of public
-amusement were ordered to be shut up, even at Christmas, which had
-previously been a very gay time, when everybody, rich or poor, used
-to make holiday for twelve days; and in every country mansion, there
-was a good Christmas dinner, and plenty of fun afterwards, old and
-young playing at forfeits, blindman’s buff, and other Christmas
-gambols, in the great hall.
-
-36. But these frolics were forbidden in Cromwell’s time, and if any
-merry-hearted folks indulged in such doings, it was by stealth, and
-they kept it secret.
-
-37. The prim dress, and hats with high crowns, were worn by both
-sexes; for if any persons had dressed in a gayer fashion, they would
-have been taken for Royalists. Cromwell died six years after he was
-made Protector, and ten from the death of Charles the First.
-
-38. A great many improvements were made during the Commonwealth; for
-instance, coffee, sugar, and India muslins, were first brought to
-this country.
-
-39. When Oliver Cromwell was dead, his son Richard was made
-Protector; but he liked a quiet life, and soon gave up the
-troublesome task of ruling the country; and as most people were now
-of opinion it was better to have a king than not, the parliament
-resolved to recall Charles, who was residing in Holland, and
-messengers were sent to tell him that he would be restored to the
-throne, on condition that all persons should have liberty to follow
-their religious belief, and that no one should be punished for
-having taken part against him, or his father, before.
-
-40. He returned to England, and entered London in great state, on the
-29th of May, 1660, on which day, every year, you may always hear the
-bells ringing, to commemorate the restoration of Charles the Second.
-
-41. But the rejoicing is because the old form of government was
-restored; for Charles was not, by any means, a good sovereign, nor
-had he one quality to be admired, except that he was good natured to
-those about him, and liked to make fun of every thing. However, I
-must not forget to say that he rewarded the Penderels, who had been
-so kind to him in his misfortunes.
-
-42. England was now quite a different place from what it had been.
-Every body might be as merry as they chose; the theatres were
-re-opened; holidays kept; the villagers danced round their may-poles
-as they used to do, and were not afraid to laugh and sing; while
-the towns-people had their pleasant social meetings, and the London
-citizens their grand feasts, and fine shows, as in the days of
-Elizabeth.
-
-43. During the Commonwealth, there were no bishops, nor any music
-allowed in the churches; but now, the bishops were restored to their
-former dignity, and beautiful church music was again heard.
-
-43. But, I am sorry to say, the king did not keep his promise to let
-all persons enjoy their own religion, which caused a great deal of
-unhappiness, for numbers of families, to escape being put in prison,
-or having their property taken from them, left their comfortable
-homes, and went to settle in the new American colonies, where they
-had to endure many hardships, for it is a long time before the people
-in new settlements can obtain the means of living in any degree of
-comfort.
-
-44. About five years after the return of king Charles, the plague
-broke out in London, and continued to rage for many months with
-fearful violence.
-
-45. The streets were, at that time, narrow and dirty; the houses
-mostly of wood, and not airy; nor was the city so well paved
-or cleansed, nor so well supplied with water, as at present,
-consequently it was not so healthy; and then, the doctors were not
-so clever as they are now, so that many died, who perhaps might have
-been saved.
-
-46. It was a melancholy time. The houses were all shut up; no
-business was transacted, and scarcely anybody was to be seen in the
-streets, which were sad and silent, for death was in almost every
-house.
-
-47. The king and queen, and most of the great people, went out of
-town, but some of the clergymen and other benevolent persons, stayed
-to do what good they could, and some of them caught the infection,
-and died.
-
-48. At last, when the heat of the summer was over, the plague began
-to abate, and those who had survived it, returned to their usual
-occupations; but with sorrowful hearts, for most of them had to mourn
-the loss of their dearest friends.
-
-49. The plague had often raged in London before, but had never been
-so bad; and perhaps the great fire that followed it, tended greatly
-to remove the cause of this dreadful distemper.
-
-50. The memorable fire of London happened September, 1666. It began
-at a baker’s shop, near London-bridge, and spread rapidly from street
-to street, till almost all the town was in flames.
-
-51. It continued to burn for three days, and destroyed nearly the
-whole city, with most of the churches and public buildings; but there
-were very few lives lost, as the people fled from their houses when
-they saw the fire approaching the street in which they lived.
-
-52. Many, however, were ruined by the loss of their property, and all
-were left houseless, so that they had to set up tents in the fields,
-to shelter themselves till they could find some place to go to; and
-subscriptions were made for the relief of those who were most in
-need, for generally the respectable citizens had saved their plate,
-jewels, and money.
-
-53. The fire put an end to the pestilence, and so far proved a
-benefit, in the end; for the city was rebuilt with wider streets; the
-houses were built of brick or stone, and altogether it was handsomer
-and more healthy; one proof of which is, that the plague has not been
-known in London since.
-
-54. The visitation of the cholera, in 1829-30, although partaking
-somewhat of the character of a plague, was a different disease, and
-yielded to cleanliness and medical treatment.
-
-55. It was about this time, that tea was first brought to England,
-from China, by the East India Company; but it was so very dear, that
-a pound of tea was thought a handsome present, and it was a very long
-while before people drank it as they do now.
-
-56. Except in London, Liverpool, and some of the principal towns,
-nobody had ever heard of such a thing as tea; for there was but
-little intercourse between London and the country towns at that
-time, as the roads were still bad, and there were no stage coaches
-till a few years after the death of Charles the Second, and then only
-on three or four of the principal roads.
-
-57. The rich country gentlefolks lived in a plain homely way, and
-their daughters were brought up to assist in domestic duties, such as
-washing, ironing, cooking, knitting, and many other useful things;
-but they seldom had any other accomplishments, and very few could
-read or write.
-
-58. Charles the Second died in 1685, twenty-five years after his
-restoration, and was succeeded by his brother James, who was a
-Catholic, and tried to restore the Catholic religion, although he had
-promised not to do so.
-
-59. The people soon began to feel that he did not mind breaking the
-laws to accomplish this object; so a great many Protestant noblemen
-and gentlemen agreed that it would be better to take the crown from
-him, and to place on the throne a prince of another family, for
-they said, the laws would never be rightly observed so long as the
-Stuarts, or a Catholic king, reigned; so they sent to William, prince
-of Orange, who was married to the king’s daughter, Mary, and asked
-him to become king of England, and he consented.
-
-60. He came, with a large army, to Torbay, in Devonshire; but there
-was no fighting, for king James, with his wife and infant son, fled
-to France, where he was kindly received by the French king, Louis the
-Fourteenth, who promised to try and replace him on the throne; but
-the attempt was unsuccessful, as you will presently see.
-
-61. James the Second had only reigned in England three years, and
-during that time the Protestants were so cruelly treated in France,
-that thousands of industrious artisans came over here, chiefly silk
-weavers, but also watchmakers, cutlers, and manufacturers of glass,
-writing paper and many other things; from whom the English learned to
-make all these things as well as the French.
-
-62. The middle classes were much better off than at any former time,
-on account of the increase of trade; but the lower orders were not so
-well off, for wages were less, in proportion to the prices of bread
-and meat, than they were at earlier periods of our history.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 2. What was the gunpowder plot?
-
- 3. What was the opinion of the new king with regard to sovereignty?
-
- 4. How were the American States first colonized?
-
- 5. Who succeeded James the first?
-
- 6. What gave rise to quarrels between the king and parliament?
-
- 9. Who were the Roundheads?
-
- 11. What sort of government was desired by the people?
-
- 14. Who was Oliver Cromwell?
-
- 16. What were the Cavaliers?
-
- 17. What was the ultimate fate of king Charles?
-
- 19. Name the date of his death.
-
- 20. Did this event put an end to the war?
-
- 21. What was the battle of Worcester?
-
- 30. How did Cromwell obtain sovereign power?
-
- 31. What was his title?
-
- 33. What conquests were made in his time?
-
- 37. How long did Cromwell rule?
-
- 38. What improvements were made in his time?
-
- 39. What followed the death of Cromwell?
-
- 40. Name the date of the restoration.
-
- 44. What calamities befel London in this reign?
-
- 60. In what year was the fire of London?
-
- 63. Why did it eventually prove a benefit?
-
- 65. When was tea first brought to England?
-
- 58. How long did Charles the Second reign?
-
- 59. Why was James disliked by many of the people?
-
- 61. How were the useful arts improved in England, about this time?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI.
-
-THE REVOLUTION.--1689 TO 1714.
-
-
-[Illustration: DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.]
-
-1. The changes made in the government by taking the crown from James
-the Second, and giving it to William the Third, was called the
-Revolution, and was a good thing for England, as it was then settled
-that no sovereign, in the future, should follow his own will, or act
-contrary to the laws of the country; that all new laws should be
-proposed by the parliament, and not by the king; who was only to
-have the power of giving or refusing his consent to them; which is
-very different from being able to make laws without asking any one,
-as the kings and queens of England had hitherto often done.
-
-2. The way, now, is this:--when a gentleman of the House of Commons,
-or a nobleman of the House of Lords, thinks of any thing that will be
-good for the nation, he mentions it to the rest and they all consult
-about it, every one giving his opinion whether he thinks it good or
-not; and if the greater number think it will be good, it is settled
-that it shall be done, if both Houses of Parliament and the sovereign
-agree to it; for whichever House of Parliament begins and agrees to a
-measure, it is sent to the other House for approval:--this is called
-passing the bill.
-
-3. When both Houses have done what they consider good and necessary,
-it is submitted to the queen or king, who generally approves of it
-also; and then it becomes a law.
-
-4. Another rule made at the Revolution was, that the parliament
-should meet every year, and that there should be a new election at
-least once in three years, to give the people an opportunity of
-choosing other members, if they had not approved the votes of the old
-ones; but, in the reign of George the First, this arrangement was
-altered to seven years, and so it has continued ever since.
-
-5. It was also agreed that none but a Protestant should ever be king
-or queen of England; and all these, with many other regulations, were
-written down, and signed by king William, and this is called the Bill
-of Rights.
-
-6. No one was to be persecuted on account of his or her religion;
-but the Catholics were not allowed to hold landed property, or to
-be members of parliament; and it was not till the reign of George
-the Fourth that people of the Catholic faith were restored to their
-ancient rights and privileges.
-
-7. Soon after William was made king, he had to go to Ireland, to
-fight against James the Second, who had landed there with a French
-army, thinking the Irish would assist him to recover the throne. But
-he was defeated in a battle fought on the banks of the river Boyne,
-and obliged to go back to France, where he lived in retirement for
-the rest of his life.
-
-8. His daughter, Mary, the wife of king William, was a very amiable
-woman, and much beloved by the English. It was she who induced the
-government to convert the palace at Greenwich into an asylum for
-poor old sailors; and the king gave money for the purpose.
-
-9. The East Indian trade was very much increased during this reign,
-so that all things that came from China and India, such as tea, silk,
-cotton, spices, porcelain or china ware, and many other beautiful and
-useful things, became more easy to be procured in this country.
-
-10. I must also tell you that the Bank of England was now first
-established, for the purpose of raising money for the government to
-carry on war against Louis the Fourteenth, of France; and this was
-the beginning of what you will sometimes hear called the National
-Debt; for when people put money into the bank, it is the same as
-lending it to the king or the government; and as long as they choose
-to lend it, they are paid so much a year for doing so, and this is
-called their dividend, which they go to the Bank twice a year to
-receive.
-
-11. The war in which king William was engaged, had nothing whatever
-to do with the English, but was only for the sake of helping the
-Archduke of Austria, to fight out his quarrels with the king of
-France; yet, after William’s death, these wars were carried on during
-the whole reign of queen Anne, who succeeded William the Third, in
-the year 1702, after he had reigned thirteen years.
-
-12. These wars caused great distress in England, where the taxes were
-increased, to pay the expenses of the soldiers, and trade was much
-injured, as we were at war with both France and Spain.
-
-13. There was a duty, for the first time, laid upon many things that
-people have to use every day, such as soap, starch, and paper, so
-that all these articles became much dearer.
-
-14. The meaning of a duty is this:--The parliament says, no person
-may make any paper, unless he give to the government so much money
-for every ream he makes; so the paper-makers pay the money, and
-charge more for their paper to the shopkeepers, who buy it of them;
-then you and I, and everybody who uses paper, must pay more for it
-than if there was no duty; and the same with all things on which
-there are duties. So you see the expenses of war fall upon every one,
-in some way or other.
-
-15. Queen Anne was a daughter of James the Second, but as she was
-a Protestant, no objection was made to her accession, although her
-brother was excluded from the throne, as being a Catholic.
-
-16. The most important event that took place in the reign of queen
-Anne, was the complete union of England and Scotland, for although
-they had been governed by one king, since the time of James the
-First, they had separate parliaments, and different laws; but it was
-now settled that a certain number of the Scottish lords and commons
-should sit in the English houses of parliament, and that all the laws
-about trade, and every thing that did not interfere with the habits
-or religion of Scotland, should be the same.
-
-17. This union of the parliaments took place in 1707, from which time
-England and Scotland have been one country, called Great Britain.
-
-18. There was a celebrated General, the Duke of Marlborough, who
-won some famous battles in Germany in the reign of queen Anne; and
-there was a brave Admiral, Sir George Rooke, who took the fortress
-of Gibraltar, which was a conquest of some importance to England,
-because it stands at the entrance of the Mediterranean sea, and may
-be said to command the passage taken by ships trading to the Grecian
-islands, Egypt, Turkey, &c. Queen Anne died in the year 1714, having
-reigned twelve years.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. What was meant by the Revolution?
-
- 2. What were the changes made in the government?
-
- 4. How was the duration of parliaments settled?
-
- 5. What was the Bill of Rights?
-
- 7. What was the battle of the Boyne?
-
- 8. Who was the wife of William the Third?
-
- 10. When was the Bank of England established, and why?
-
- 11. What was the object of the wars, and how long did they last?
-
- 16. What union was effected at this time?
-
- 17. When did it take place?
-
- 18. When did queen Anne die?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII.
-
-HOUSE OF HANOVER.--1714 TO 1830.
-
-
-[Illustration: DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE.]
-
-1. When queen Anne died, the crown of England went to a German
-prince, named George, the elector or sovereign of Hanover, whose
-mother was grand-daughter of James the First.
-
-2. He was rather advanced in age, and being a stranger to the manners
-of the people, and to the language and laws of the country, was not
-likely to become a popular monarch; yet it was thought better that he
-should succeed to the throne, than to let the son of James II., who
-was now about six-and-twenty, be king of Great Britain.
-
-3. But there were a great many people in Scotland who wished to see
-the family of their ancient kings restored, and some of the great
-men, there, raised an army, and invited prince James Stuart, who is
-usually called the Pretender, to place himself at the head of it, and
-go to war with George the First.
-
-4. The Pretender went to Scotland, and two battles were fought, one
-near Dumblane, and the other near Preston, in Lancashire; but the
-English troops gained the victory at both places, and the prince was
-glad to get back to France again.
-
-5. A great many English had joined in this rebellion, for, as I said
-before, the new king was not very generally liked; and it was mostly
-the English party that fought for the Pretender at Preston, and, I am
-sorry to say, all who were made prisoners were very cruelly treated.
-The leaders were put to death, and those who had fought under their
-command, were mostly sent to America, and sold for slaves.
-
-6. You remember how the American colonies were first settled. Well,
-they had now become large populous places, and cities had been built
-there; but the people were cultivators, and had no manufactures
-of any kind, for they were obliged to have all they wanted of
-manufactured goods, either for clothing, or any other purpose, from
-England, which was a great advantage to this country, by furnishing
-employment for English manufactures.
-
-7. Perhaps you will say, why could they not have things from other
-countries, as well as from England?--but you must bear in mind that
-the American states were then under British government, and remained
-so till the reign of George the Third, when the Americans established
-a government of their own, and went to war with Great Britain, as
-you will presently read, and with the assistance of France, made
-themselves independent of this country.
-
-8. George the First died in 1727, having reigned nearly thirteen
-years, and he was succeeded by his son, George the Second.
-
-9. There had been a great change in the mode of dress since the
-time of the Stuarts, for queen Anne had introduced a fashion of
-setting out the gowns with hoops; and gentlemen wore coats with broad
-square-cut tails, waistcoats with long flaps, colored stockings
-drawn up over the knee, lace ruffles, large shoe buckles, wigs with
-rows of stiff curls, three-cornered hats bound with gold-lace, and
-swords.
-
-10. Towards the close of the eighteenth century this formal
-inconvenient style of dress was altered gradually; swords were left
-off; the hair which, in the early part of the reign of George the
-Third, was frizzed out, pomatumed and powdered, was dressed in a more
-natural manner; round hats came into fashion, and people began to
-look something like what they do now.
-
-11. The reign of George the Second, which lasted thirty-three years,
-was on the whole rather a prosperous one, the greater part of it
-being spent in peace. There was no war for about twelve years, and
-during that time improvements were going on all over the country.
-
-12. Most of the great towns were made larger, and new manufactories
-built, for the trade of England was increasing every year, and great
-quantities of manufactured goods were sent out to foreign countries;
-besides which, new roads were opened, waste lands cultivated, canals
-formed, and new harbors made for shipping, so that there was plenty
-of employment for the laboring people.
-
-13. We had a good navy at this time, and the first war that broke
-out was carried on entirely at sea. It was with the Spaniards, who
-had taken possession of a great part of South America, and, as they
-chose to keep all the trade to themselves, they had ships constantly
-sailing about, to prevent the ships of other nations coming there,
-which was all very fair; but not content with guarding their own
-possessions, they interfered with British merchants, who were going
-to or from other places, plundered some of their vessels, and behaved
-so ill, that the British government was obliged to declare war, and
-sent out a great many ships to fight the Spaniards.
-
-14. I dare say you have heard stories about press-gangs taking away
-poor men against their will, to make sailors of them. This cruel
-expedient for getting plenty of sailors, was resorted to in all the
-wars during the reigns of George the Second and George the Third,
-when many a poor fellow, in going to or returning from his daily
-labor, was met by a party of armed men, called a press-gang, and
-carried off, by force, to a ship, without being allowed to go home,
-or take leave of his family. Such things ought not to be done in a
-free country, and I hope they never will be done again, even if we
-should have the misfortune to be at war.
-
-15. At this time, the French had large possessions in India, as well
-as the English, and it seemed doubtful which of the two nations
-would, in the end, be masters of the country; but this question was
-decided in the reign of George the Second, for, while the war with
-Spain was going on, a war broke out between France and England, about
-the affairs of Germany, where our king himself commanded the army,
-and fought at the battle of Dettingen; but the fighting between the
-French and English in India, was of more consequence, as several
-great victories were gained by a brave commander, named Clive, by
-which the superiority of the English in India was quite established,
-and ever since that time, we have gained one place after another, in
-that extensive and rich country, until a large portion of India has
-become a province of the British empire.
-
-16. While these wars were going on abroad, there was another great
-rebellion in Scotland; for prince Charles Edward Stuart, the son of
-the old Pretender, being now a man, had come there to make another
-attempt to recover the throne for his father; and being joined by
-some of the Highland chiefs, and numbers of Scotch people, as well as
-by many English who were discontented with the government, he went
-to Holyrood house, the old palace of his ancestors, at Edinburgh,
-where he held a court, and behaved as if he had been sovereign of the
-country.
-
-17. Of course, an army was sent from England, to put down this
-rebellion, which caused a great deal of misery; for, besides the
-numbers of brave men that were killed in the several battles which
-took place, many were afterwards executed as traitors, which must
-have been more dreadful for their families than if they had fallen in
-battle.
-
-18. If Charles Edward had any good feeling, I think he must have been
-very sorry for the mischief he caused. He was finally defeated at the
-battle of Culloden, and obliged to escape, like Charles the Second,
-after the battle of Worcester, and his adventures are very similar,
-but more full of suffering, than those of the merry monarch. This is
-usually called the Rebellion of ’45, because it was in the year 1745.
-
-19. There is only one thing more of importance to mention in the
-reign of George the Second, and that is the conquest of the large
-country of Canada, in North America, which had belonged to the
-French, who had settled there as the English had in the United
-States, and built several good towns, one of which was Quebec.
-
-20. There had frequently been quarrels between the French and
-English in America, respecting their possessions, which, at length,
-occasioned a war there, and soldiers were sent out both from France
-and England, the French wanting to conquer the British states, the
-English to gain possession of Canada.
-
-21. This war had lasted about five years, when the renowned General
-Wolfe gained a great victory at the battle of Quebec; after which,
-the French gave up Canada, which has belonged to England ever since,
-and is a very useful possession, supplying abundance of fine corn,
-and timber for building.
-
-22. General Wolfe was killed on the field of battle, just as the
-victory was won, and his death was much lamented in England, where
-the news of the conquest arrived a few days before the death of
-the king, which happened in October, 1760, after he had reigned
-thirty-three years.
-
-23. The eldest son of George the Second was dead, but he had
-left a son, named George, who succeeded his grandfather, and was
-about twenty-two years old. He was a very good man and was highly
-respected, although many people say he was more fitted for a country
-gentleman than a king.
-
-24. He married a German princess, whose name was Charlotte, and they
-had many children, some of whom are yet living. Our queen is the
-grand-daughter of George the Third.
-
-25. About two years after the new king came to the throne, peace was
-made with France and Spain, and there were no more wars for thirteen
-years, when the Americans became dissatisfied with the English
-government, and resolved to have a government of their own.
-
-26. But let us see what useful things were done in England during
-that thirteen years of peace. First of all, the manufacture of China
-ware was begun in Staffordshire, by a gentleman, named Wedgewood, who
-built large factories and employed a great number of people in this
-new branch of art. Then a machine was invented for spinning cotton,
-by which we were enabled to manufacture cotton goods in much larger
-quantities than before, and as they could be sold abroad, this was a
-great benefit.
-
-27. It was also discovered how very useful steam engines might be
-made; but I fancy nobody then imagined that we should ever travel by
-steam, or print by steam, or do many other wonderful things, that are
-now done by that means.
-
-28. Turnpike roads were established all over the kingdom, and
-travelling thus rendered safer and more expeditious. People were in
-general much better educated than in the preceding century, and all
-arts and sciences were greatly improved.
-
-29. And now I will tell you something about the American war. The
-quarrel began about some taxes which the British government imposed
-on the Americans, to help to pay the expenses of the wars with France
-and Spain, which the Americans thought they had nothing to do with;
-and considered it unjust that they should have to find money towards
-paying for them.
-
-30. British troops were sent out, to force them to obey the orders of
-the government; but instead of complying, all the colonies agreed to
-join together and fight for their liberty; and a very brave and good
-man, named General Washington, took the command of the American army.
-
-31. This war lasted many years, and the French and Dutch assisted the
-Americans with troops, ships, and money.
-
-32. There were many gentlemen in the English parliament who wanted to
-put an end to the war, by giving up all control over the Americans;
-but others would not consent, the king was unwilling to do so, till,
-at last, finding there was little chance of success, the English
-government gave up the contest, and the American colonies became
-independent of England, and took the name of the United States.
-
-33. This event took place in 1783, after which, there were a few more
-years of peace, and then the long wars with France were begun, which
-lasted above twenty years, and were ended by the famous battle of
-Waterloo.
-
-34. The cause of the war was this. There had been a great revolution
-in France. The people rose up against king Louis the Sixteenth,
-who was made prisoner, and beheaded; just as Charles the First was
-treated here, and for much the same cause. Then a number of persons
-took the government into their own hands, and governed without a
-king, and declared war against the king of Great Britain, and also
-against the stadtholder of Holland, and the king of Spain, for
-disapproving of what the French people had done.
-
-35. The Spaniards and Dutch were afterwards obliged to join the
-French, and many battles were fought both on land and at sea, and
-some naval victories were gained by the British Admirals Duncan,
-Howe, and Nelson, and other officers.
-
-36. The greatest man in France at this time was Napoleon Bonaparte,
-an artillery officer, who raised himself to the head of the state,
-just as Cromwell did here, by getting the soldiers to side with him.
-He was called consul, at first, but afterwards he was made emperor,
-and he conquered a great part of Europe, and he made the governments
-of those countries which he did not conquer do just as he pleased,
-except England, for he had the largest armies of any sovereign in the
-world.
-
-37. The most celebrated of our generals in the war against Bonaparte,
-were Abercrombie, Sir John Moore, and the Duke of Wellington, the
-last of whom won a great many battles in Spain, and at last, with the
-assistance of the Prussians, gained the great victory at Waterloo,
-near Brussels, on the 18th of June, 1815, after which, Bonaparte
-surrendered to the English, and was banished to a small island,
-called St. Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean, where he died in a
-few years. The fall of Bonaparte was followed by a general peace.
-
-38. George the Third was still living, but he had been out of his
-mind, and blind, for some time, so that his son George, prince of
-Wales, had been made regent in the year 1810, and conducted the
-government with that title, till his father’s death, which happened
-in the year 1820, he having reigned above fifty-nine years, when
-George the Fourth became king, instead of regent.
-
-39. But I must now go back some years to tell you of something that
-was done at the beginning of this century. You have been told that
-Ireland had been subject to England, ever since the time of Henry the
-Second; but there had constantly been quarrels and warfare between
-the native Irish, and the new Irish, who were the descendants of the
-English, who had settled there, after the conquest.
-
-40. Then the new Irish were just as ready to quarrel with new English
-settlers, as the old Irish were with them; and, till the last fifty
-years, little had been done to make the people of Ireland a better or
-a happier race. They had a parliament of their own, but it did not
-encourage the people to be industrious, so they were, of course, very
-poor.
-
-41. A few years after the war with France began, there was a great
-rebellion in Ireland, and soldiers were sent from England, to put a
-stop to it, which I am afraid was not done without a great deal of
-cruelty; but it was in consequence of this rebellion that the English
-government resolved that the parliament and country of Ireland should
-be united to that of England; as the parliament and country of
-Scotland had been, and this union took place on the first of January,
-1801, which you will easily remember, because it was the first day of
-the nineteenth century.
-
-42. Many good laws have been made since then, for the benefit of
-Ireland, and much been done to improve the country; but numbers of
-the Irish people still remain in a very distressed condition, and
-some of them wanted to have a separate Parliament again; and this is
-what is meant by Repeal of the Union; but this feeling is now fast
-dying away.
-
-43. In the reign of George the Third, there were National and Sunday
-schools established in almost every part of England, so that the poor
-people might be able to have their children taught to read and write,
-which was a great blessing to them; for although there had long been
-charity schools in London, there were few in the country, and many of
-the shopkeepers in country towns, who had become quite respectable
-people by their industry, were so ignorant that they could not even
-make out their own bills, or keep their own accounts.
-
-44. There were two more great improvements before the death of George
-the Third; the one was the invention of gas lights, which make the
-streets much lighter at night than the dim oil lamps that were
-formerly used; and the other was the introduction of steam boats,
-which had lately been invented in America.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who succeeded queen Anne?
-
- 3. Who was the Pretender?
-
- 4. What was the Rebellion?
-
- 5. How did it end?
-
- 6. What was the state of the American colonies at this period?
-
- 8. Who succeeded George the First?
-
- 12. How was the country improved in this reign?
-
- 13. With whom did the English go to war, and why?
-
- 14. How were sailors forcibly obtained?
-
- 15. Were there any other wars in this reign?
-
- 16. What was the Rebellion of ’45?
-
- 18. Where was the final battle fought?
-
- 19. What great conquest was made in this reign?
-
- 20. What gave rise to the war?
-
- 21. What battle decided the contest?
-
- 22. Which of our Generals was killed in the moment of victory?
-
- 23. Who succeeded George the Second?
-
- 29. What was the cause of the American war?
-
- 30. Who was the leader of the Americans?
-
- 32. How did the war terminate?
-
- 34. What gave rise to the last war with France?
-
- 36. Who was Bonaparte?
-
- 37. What victory put an end to the war?
-
- 38. Who ruled in England at this time?
-
- 41. When did the Union with Ireland take place?
-
- 42. What other improvements took place during the reign of George
- III.?
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.
-
-FROM THE DEATH OF GEORGE THE THIRD, 1830, TO THE PRESENT TIME.
-
-
-[Illustration: QUEEN VICTORIA’S VISIT TO THE CITY OF LONDON.]
-
-1. George the Fourth, who had been regent ten years, reigned as a
-king from 1820, to 1830. During that time, every improvement that
-had been begun was carried to a greater extent. The education of
-all classes of people was conducted on a better system, and greater
-numbers of cheap books were published for the instruction of the
-working classes.
-
-2. London was greatly improved by the building, in some parts,
-of wide handsome streets, in the place of narrow, dirty, crowded
-ones, and the manners of the English were improved also, by their
-intercourse with foreign nations; for after the peace, people began
-to visit France, Italy, and other parts of Europe, while a great
-number of foreigners came here, and we adopted such of their customs
-as were superior to our own; for people may always improve from each
-other.
-
-3. The French, German, and Italian languages began to be more
-generally studied in England: and the arts and sciences, especially
-painting and music, were more highly cultivated.
-
-4. But I am sorry to say that, amid all these benefits, there was a
-great deal of distress among the laboring people, for the expenses
-of the war had been so heavy that it was some years before the
-blessings of peace could be felt; and thus all the necessaries of
-life continued to be very dear, and wages, in proportion, very low,
-which occasioned riots in many parts of the kingdom; for the poor
-people had expected that, as soon as there was peace, most of the
-taxes pressing on them would be taken off.
-
-5. But the government thought it right first to take off the
-property tax, and then found they could not do without the money
-the other taxes produced. Then the people, not getting relief from
-the taxation, thought some alterations in the laws might remedy
-their distress, and sent petitions to parliament praying that these
-alterations might be made. The principal thing they wanted was, what
-you have perhaps heard called the Reform Bill.
-
-6. This was a law to give the right of voting for members of
-parliament to a greater number of people, and also to make
-alterations with regard to the places that were allowed to send
-members to parliament; for there were many old boroughs that were
-formerly important places, but now had scarcely a house left
-standing, yet still were represented by two members in parliament;
-which was ridiculous, because the object of sending a member to
-parliament is, that he may do all the good he can for the people of
-the place he represents, as well as for the nation; then there were
-many large towns, such as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, &c., that
-had grown into importance since the time when it was settled what
-places should have representatives, and these had none at all.
-
-7. Another thing desired by the people, was an alteration in the
-Corn Laws, so that bread might be cheaper; and this alteration was to
-be made by letting corn be brought from abroad without paying duty.
-Neither of these points were gained while George the Fourth was king;
-but the Reform Bill was passed during the reign of his successor,
-William the Fourth; and, in the year 1846, some important alterations
-were made in the corn and provision laws.
-
-8. William the Fourth was the brother of George the Fourth, and on
-the death of that monarch, in 1830, succeeded to the throne.
-
-9. That same year is memorable for the opening of the first Railway
-for travelling, which was that between Manchester and Liverpool; a
-circumstance that may be mentioned as the commencement of one of the
-greatest changes of modern times, and when we consider the number and
-extent of the railways now in use, we cannot but admire the immense
-works of the kind that have been performed in so short a space of
-time.
-
-10. The speed with which we can now travel, both by sea and land,
-would astonish our good old ancestors, who used to think it a great
-and dangerous undertaking to set out on a journey of twenty or thirty
-miles.
-
-11. In the time of Charles the Second, the poet Cowley, who had
-a country house at Chertsey, which is only twenty-two miles from
-London, invited a friend in town to pay him a visit, saying in his
-letter, that as he could not perform the whole journey in one day, he
-might sleep at Hampton.
-
-12. I think he would have been glad of a railway, which would have
-taken him all the way before breakfast. In 1706, the stage coach
-from York was four days coming to London; and so late as 1763, there
-was only a coach once a month from Edinburgh to London; and it was a
-whole fortnight on the road; so I think you will see the advantages
-of our present mode of travelling.
-
-13. The custom of buying and selling negroes had been abolished by
-parliament during the reign of George the Third, but there were many
-thousands of slaves in the West India islands, belonging to the
-British planters there.
-
-14. During the reign of William the Fourth, the British government
-gave twenty millions of money to buy all the slaves of their masters
-and then set them free. The day when the negroes became free people
-was the first of August, 1838.
-
-15. I told you that the Reform Bill was passed in this reign. One
-consequence of this measure was, the lessening of the duties, or
-taxes, on many articles of necessity, thereby reducing their prices,
-so that the poor people could live much better than they had formerly.
-
-16. The harvests were also plentiful for several years, so that bread
-was very cheap, and the prices of all kinds of clothing were less
-than in previous years.
-
-17. Upon the whole, there had never been a better time in England
-than the seven years that William the Fourth occupied the throne.
-He died in 1837, and was succeeded by her present Majesty, queen
-Victoria, who was the daughter of his deceased brother, the Duke of
-Kent.
-
-18. In 1840, she married her cousin, Prince Albert, of Saxe Coburg
-and Gotha. Their family now consists of eight children, four princes,
-and four princesses.
-
-19. The most remarkable events that have yet happened in the reign of
-queen Victoria, are the wars in China and India: but I ought to have
-mentioned an alteration made in the last reign, with regard to the
-East India trade, which you, perhaps, remember was carried on solely
-by the East India Company, according to a charter granted by queen
-Elizabeth, and renewed, from time to time, by other sovereigns.
-
-20. In 1813, however, it was made lawful for private merchants to
-trade to India; but this right was not extended to the trade with
-China, which was still confined to the Company till 1833, when a new
-law was made with regard to that also, and any person then was at
-liberty to go to China for tea, silk, and other commodities, which
-have since been much cheaper in consequence. Tea is little more than
-half the price it used to be, which is a great benefit and comfort to
-the poor.
-
-21. But this had nothing to do with the war in China, which arose
-from a dispute about the British merchants selling opium to the
-Chinese, who were forbidden by their emperor to buy it, because it
-injures the health of those who take it, like drinking spirits.
-
-22. Still the merchants continued to carry opium to China, and the
-people to buy it; so the governor at Canton, the only Chinese town
-in which foreigners were allowed to trade, seized and burnt some
-ship-loads of opium, for which he would not pay the owners; and this
-was the cause of the war.
-
-23. There were several battles fought, in which the Chinese were
-always defeated, for they were not much acquainted with the present
-art of war; but, at last, after three years of warfare, peace was
-made with the British; and the Chinese emperor agreed to pay a sum
-of money, and to cede, or give up, to the British government, the
-Island of Hong Kong; besides agreeing that English ships might land
-goods for sale, at five ports, instead of one only, and that British
-merchants might have warehouses, and reside at those places. A treaty
-to this effect was signed in August, 1842.
-
-24. The war in India, was much more serious, and lasted a great deal
-longer. It was begun for the purpose of restoring to his throne an
-Indian prince, the king of Caboul, who had been deprived of his
-kingdom by another prince.
-
-25. The wars occasioned by this usurpation being likely to endanger
-the safety of the British possessions, the Governor General thought
-it necessary to interfere; and from the year 1839 to that of 1846,
-the British armies in India were engaged in terrible and destructive
-wars with the Affghans, and other nations in the north and west of
-India.
-
-26. These calamitous strifes were happily ended by two great
-victories gained on the banks of the Sutlej, at the beginning of
-1846, the one by General Sir Harry Smith, the other, by General Sir
-Hugh Gough. By the conquests made during these wars, the British
-empire is extended over the greater part of India.
-
-27. Among the important inventions of this reign, may be mentioned
-that of the Electric Telegraph, by means of which communications can
-be made between places a hundred miles apart in one moment, or indeed
-to any imaginable distances.
-
-28. I have already mentioned the distressed condition of great
-numbers of the Irish people; and am sorry to have now to say that
-their misery has been greatly increased in the last three years, by
-the failure of the potato crops, on which the lower orders in Ireland
-depend for their subsistence.
-
-29. This food they can, with two or three months labor in the year,
-grow for themselves; and as they are, unfortunately, contented with
-such poor living, it is a very sad thing for them when a bad season
-occurs, and the potatoes are spoiled; which happens generally once in
-six or seven years.
-
-30. But there have now been three bad seasons following each other;
-and this calamity has caused so much distress, that thousands have
-died of fevers and other diseases, occasioned by want of wholesome
-and sufficient food.
-
-31. The Parliament expended several millions of money in relieving
-their distresses, and providing them employment. Large sums of
-money were also subscribed by individuals in England, Scotland, and
-America, for the relief of the people in Ireland; and charitable
-committees were formed in many parts of that country to receive the
-money, and distribute the food and clothing purchased with it.
-
-32. New poor laws have also been made by the government, to afford
-greater relief to the destitute; and every thing has been done, that
-humanity could suggest, to better their condition and relieve their
-wants.
-
-33. The year 1848 will ever be memorable for the revolutions that
-have taken place in France and other parts of the continent. Louis
-Philippe, the French king, was dethroned on the 24th of February,
-1848, and fled with his family, to England.
-
-34. At Berlin, the capital of Prussia, there was also an insurrection
-in March, 1848, when a frightful battle was fought in the streets,
-between the soldiers and the people.
-
-35. Great numbers of persons were killed on both sides, and many
-houses were destroyed; and although peace was restored by the king
-granting the demands of his subjects, yet that could not bring back
-happiness to those who had lost their fathers, husbands, or brothers,
-in the fatal conflict.
-
-36. Besides those already named, revolutions, attended with great
-loss of life and destruction of property, have taken place at Vienna,
-the capital of Austria, and other parts of Germany. Italy, too, has
-shared in the spread of revolution; Naples, Milan, and Venice, having
-been scenes of fearful tumult and destruction of life.
-
-37. In most of the places I have mentioned, the people having been
-fighting for a constitutional form of government, similar to that of
-our own happy united kingdom; conveying the strongest proof that we
-ought not to wish for a change. Yet there have been some attempts
-made to disturb the peace of this country, by ill-informed or
-worthless persons.
-
-38. Perhaps the desire for some increase in the number of the
-electors, and in the places represented in parliament, by uniting the
-adjacent towns to the small boroughs, is not unreasonable.
-
-39. But when we think of the dreadful state of things in France,
-Italy and Germany, where so many thousands of people have lost their
-lives, where trade is ruined, where the middle classes are reduced to
-poverty, and the working people, in consequence, starving, for want
-of employment, we cannot be too thankful for the peace, the liberty,
-and prosperity, we enjoy in this more favored and happier country.
-
-
-QUESTIONS.
-
- 1. Who succeeded George the Third?
-
- 6. What was the Reform Bill?
-
- 8. Who succeeded George the Fourth, and in what year?
-
- 9. When was the first Railway opened?
-
- 13. When was slavery abolished in the West Indies?
-
- 17. When did William the Fourth die?
-
- 17. When did Victoria ascend the throne?
-
- 18. Who did Victoria marry?
-
- 19. Name the principal events of her reign.
-
- 22. What gave rise to the war in China?
-
- 23. How did it end?
-
- 24. Why was the war in India commenced?
-
- 26. What has been the result?
-
- 28. What has caused great misery in Ireland?
-
- 31. What has been done for the relief of the Irish people?
-
- 33. What has taken place in France?
-
- 36. Where have other Revolutions taken place?
-
-
-THE END.
-
-
-
-
-CATALOGUE
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-OF
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-MISCELLANEOUS, POETICAL
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-AND
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-JUVENILE BOOKS,
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-PUBLISHED AND FOR SALE BY
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-
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-T. S. ARTHUR’S
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-MORAL TALES FOR THE PEOPLE.
-
-
-VOL. I.
-
-THE MAIDEN.
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.
-
-
-VOL. II.
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-THE WIFE.
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.
-
-
-VOL. III.
-
-THE MOTHER.
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.
-
-
-VOL. IV.
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-OR, MARRIAGE AND CELIBACY CONTRASTED.
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- life might be.”--_City Item._
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-CONTAINING
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-CONTAINING
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- THE GAMESTER.
-
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-VOL. II.
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-
-VOL. III.
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-VOL. IV.
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- “Five of the choicest books for children. The very name of Abbot,
- is sufficient to ensure every one of their excellence. They are
- truly moral tales, and may be put into the hands of the young with
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-
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-
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- learned much of the world. A wholesome tone pervades the book, and
- it may be read with pleasure and profit.”--_City Item._
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- “A charming sea story for the Juveniles. It reminds us of
- Jack Halyard, and the Swiss Family Robinson and is quite as
- interesting.”--_Godey’s Lady’s Book._
-
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-STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE,
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- Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
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- Pg 8 Chapter XI: ‘1392 to 1422’ replaced by ‘1377 to 1422’.
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- Main text:
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- Pg 81: ‘that the peeple’ replaced by ‘that the people’.
- Pg 93: ‘was obiged to’ replaced by ‘was obliged to’.
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- Pg 110: ‘1392 TO 1429’ replaced by ‘1377 TO 1422’.
- Pg 122: ‘youth of oighteen’ replaced by ‘youth of eighteen’.
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-<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Child's Pictorial History of England, by Julia Corner</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
-most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
-of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
-at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you
-are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the
-country where you are located before using this eBook.
-</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Child's Pictorial History of England</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Julia Corner</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March 23, 2021 [eBook #64905]</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div>
-
-<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)</div>
-
-<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILD'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND ***</div>
-
-
-<div class="transnote">
-<p class="bold">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</p>
-
-<p class="customcover">The cover image was created by the transcriber
-and is placed in the public domain.</p>
-
-<p>Some minor changes to the text are noted at <a href="#TN">the end of the book</a>.</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowp65" id="cover">
- <img class="w100" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" />
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1"></a>[Pg 1]</span></p>
-
-<h1>
-<span class="fs60">THE</span><br />
-
-CHILD’S PICTORIAL<br />
-
-<span class="fs80 nolsp">HISTORY OF ENGLAND.</span></h1>
-</div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_2"></a>[2]</span><br /></p>
-
-<div class="figcenter illowp65" id="frontispiece">
- <img class="w100" src="images/frontispiece.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DEATH OF LLEWELLYN.<br />
-DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.</div>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-<div class="chapter"></div>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3"></a>[3]</span><br /></p>
-
-<p class="p2 pfs180 lsp2 wsp">THE CHILD’S</p>
-
-<p class="p2 pfs150 lsp2">PICTORIAL</p>
-
-<p class="p1 pfs240 nolsp wsp">HISTORY OF ENGLAND;</p>
-
-<p class="p3 pfs70 wsp">FROM THE</p>
-
-<p class="p2 pfs120 wsp">EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME.</p>
-
-<p class="p3 pfs100 lsp2 wsp">BY MISS CORNER,</p>
-
-<p class="p2 pfs60 lsp2 wsp">AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, GREECE, ROME, FRANCE,<br />
-SPAIN, AND PORTUGAL.</p>
-
-<hr class="r20a" />
-<p class="pfs120 antiqua">From the Thirteenth London Edition.</p>
-<hr class="r20b" />
-
-<p class="pfs90 lsp">PHILADELPHIA:</p>
-<p class="pfs100 lsp2 wsp">HENRY F. ANNER’S,</p>
-<p class="pfs80 wsp">48 NORTH FOURTH STREET</p>
-<p class="pfs100 lsp2">1853.</p>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4"></a>[4]</span><br /></p>
-<div class="chapter"></div>
-
-<hr class="r65a" />
-<p class="pfs70">Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by</p>
-
-<p class="pfs70 lsp2 wsp">H. F. ANNERS.</p>
-
-<p class="pfs70">In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States,<br />
-in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.</p>
-<hr class="r65b" />
-
-<hr class="r30a" />
-<p class="fs60 lsp2 pad4">PHILADELPHIA:</p>
-<p class="fs60 wsp">STEREOTYPED BY GEORGE CHARLES,</p>
-<p class="fs60 wsp pad4">No. 9 Sansom Street.</p>
-<hr class="r30b" />
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5"></a>[5]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="p2 nobreak" id="PREFACE">
-<span class="fs120 lsp2">PREFACE</span><br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs90">TO THE AMERICAN EDITION.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-<hr class="r15" />
-
-<p>A juvenile history of England has long been
-needed in our primary schools.</p>
-
-<p>Those already prepared, and in use, are written
-in a style entirely beyond the capacities of
-young children, and too comprehensive in detail.</p>
-
-<p>“History for children ought to be told in their
-own simple language, or it fails to interest them;
-while all that is unfitted for childish ears, or
-unsuited to a childish understanding, should be
-carefully omitted; at the same time, it is essential
-to avoid making false or imperfect impressions
-by an injudicious brevity.”</p>
-
-<p><em>Philadelphia</em>, 1853.</p>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter"></div>
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6"></a>[6]</span></p>
-
-<p class="p4">The Publisher invites the attention of those engaged in tuition,
-to the following reviews, selected from a large number, recommendatory
-of Miss Corner, as an historian for the school-room:</p>
-
-<p>“Miss Corner is an excellent historian for the school-room; she
-narrates with fluency and clearness, and in a concise and lively
-manner.”&mdash;<cite>London Spectator.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“It is written with clearness and simplicity, the principal
-events are accurately and briefly described, and the whole is well
-adapted to the comprehension of young persons.”&mdash;<cite>London Atlas.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“Miss Corner is concise in matter, yet perspicuous in style,
-delicate in narration, yet accurate in record, comprehensive in
-reference, yet simple in arrangement.”&mdash;<cite>Devonport Independent.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“Miss Corner writes intelligently and fluently, with much ease
-and winning grace.”&mdash;<cite>London Magazine of Arts and Sciences.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“The beauty of composition throughout the writings of Miss
-Corner is singular and fascinating.”&mdash;<cite>London Sun.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“This meritorious work is written in a very easy and agreeable
-style, perfectly adapted to the capacities of the young persons for
-whom it is intended.”&mdash;<cite>London Times.</cite></p>
-
-<p>“Miss Corner has acquired a deserved celebrity for the singularly-attractive
-and intelligible manner she has in narrating history.”&mdash;<cite>London
-Critic.</cite></p>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7"></a>[7]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="p2 nobreak fs180 antiqua" id="Contents">Contents.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<hr class="r15" />
-
-<table class="autotable fs90" width="80%" summary="">
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER I.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl"></td>
-<td class="tdrb fs70">PAGE</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Ancient Britons,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER II.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Romans in Britain,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER III.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Saxon Heptarchy,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_24">24</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER IV.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">Manners of the Saxons,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER V.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Danes and Alfred the Great,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VI.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">From the Death of Alfred to the Norman Conquest,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Norman Conquest,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER VIII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Norman Period&mdash;1087 to 1154,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_68">68</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER IX.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8"></a>[8]</span></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">Henry the Second, Richard the First, and John&mdash;1154 to 1216,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_82">82</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER X.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">From the Death of King John to the Accession of Richard the Second&mdash;
-<ins class="corr" id="tn-8x" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: '1216 to 1399'">
-1216 to 1377</ins>,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XI.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">From the Accession of Richard the Second to the War of the Roses&mdash;
-<ins class="corr" id="tn-8xi" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: '1392 to 1422'">
-1377 to 1422</ins>,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Wars of the Roses&mdash;1422 to 1461,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XIII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">From the Battle of Bosworth, to Queen Elizabeth&mdash;1461 to 1558,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XIV.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">Queen Elizabeth&mdash;
-<ins class="corr" id="tn-8xiv" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: '1558 to 1613'">
-1558 to 1603</ins>,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XV.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Stuarts. From the Union to the Revolution&mdash;1603 to 1689,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_150">150</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVI.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">The Revolution&mdash;1689 to 1714,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_168">168</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">House of Hanover&mdash;1714 to 1830,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdc">CHAPTER XVIII.</td>
-</tr>
-<tr>
-<td class="tdl">From the Death of George the Third, 1830, to the Present Time,</td>
-<td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td>
-</tr>
-</table>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9"></a>[9]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE ANCIENT BRITONS.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_009">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_009.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">ANCIENT BRITONS.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. Would you not like to read about your
-own country, and to know what sort of people
-lived in it a long while ago, and whether they
-were any thing like us? Indeed, they were not;
-neither was England, in ancient times, such as
-it is now.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10"></a>[10]</span></p>
-
-<p>2. There were no great cities, no fine buildings,
-no pleasant gardens, parks, or nice roads
-to go from one place to another; but the people
-lived in caves, or in the woods, in clusters of
-huts, which they called towns.</p>
-
-<p>3. The country was not then called England,
-but Britain; and its inhabitants were called
-Britons. They were divided into many tribes;
-and each tribe had a king or chief, like the
-North American Indians; and these chiefs often
-went to war with one another.</p>
-
-<p>4. Some of the tribes lived like savages, for
-they had no clothes but skins, and did not know
-how to cultivate the land: so they had no bread,
-but got food to eat by hunting animals in the
-forests, fishing in the rivers, and some of them
-by keeping herds of small hardy cattle, and
-gathering wild roots and acorns, which they
-roasted and eat.</p>
-
-<p>5. But all the Britons were not equally uncivilized,
-for those who dwelt on the south coasts
-of the island, had learned many useful things
-from the Gauls, a people then living in the country
-now called France, who used to come over to
-trade with them, and with many families of
-Gauls who had at various times settled amongst
-them.</p>
-
-<p>6. They grew corn, brewed ale, made butter<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11"></a>[11]</span>
-and cheese, and a coarse woollen cloth for their
-clothing. And they knew how to dye the wool
-of several colors, for they wore plaid trowsers
-and tunics, and dark colored woollen mantles, in
-shape like a large open shawl.</p>
-
-<p>7. Perhaps you would like to know what they
-had to sell to the Gauls; so I will tell you.
-Britain was famous for large dogs; and there
-was plenty of tin; and the South Britons sold
-also corn and cattle, and the prisoners which
-had been taken in war, who were bought for
-slaves; and you will be sorry to hear that many
-of the ancient Britons sold their children into
-slavery.</p>
-
-<p>8. They carried these goods in carts, drawn
-by oxen, to the coast of Hampshire, then crossed
-over to the Isle of Wight, in light boats, made
-of wicker, and covered with hides or skins, in
-shape something like half a walnut shell.</p>
-
-<p>9. The merchants from Gaul met them in the
-Isle of Wight; and as they brought different
-kinds of merchandise to dispose of, they managed
-their business almost entirely without
-money, by exchanging one thing for another.</p>
-
-<p>10. The Britons were very clever in making
-things of wicker work, in the form of baskets,
-shields, coated with hides, boats, and chariots,
-with flat wooden wheels.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12"></a>[12]</span></p>
-
-<p>11. These chariots were used in war, and
-sharp scythes were fixed to the axles of the
-wheels, which made terrible havoc when driven
-through a body of enemies.</p>
-
-<p>12. But I shall not say much about the wars
-of the ancient Britons, or their mode of fighting;
-as there are many things far more pleasant
-to read of, and more useful to know.</p>
-
-<p>13. At that time, which is about one thousand
-nine hundred years ago, the country was almost
-covered with forests; and when the people
-wanted to build a town, they cleared a space for
-it by cutting down the trees, and then built a
-number of round huts of branches and clay, with
-high pointed roofs, like an extinguisher, covered
-with rushes or reeds.</p>
-
-<p>14. This was called a town; and around it they
-made a bank of earth, and a fence of the trees
-they had felled; outside the fence, they also dug
-a ditch, to protect themselves and their cattle
-from the sudden attacks of hostile tribes.</p>
-
-<p>15. As to furniture, a few stools or blocks of
-wood to sit upon, some wooden bowls and wicker
-baskets to hold their food, with a few jars and
-pans of coarse earthenware, were all the things
-they used; for they slept on the ground on
-skins, spread upon dried leaves, and fern, or
-heath. Their bows and arrows, shields, spears,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13"></a>[13]</span>
-and other weapons, were hung round the insides
-of their huts.</p>
-
-<p>16. The Britons were not quite ignorant of
-the art of working in metals; for there was a
-class of men living among them who understood
-many useful arts, and were learned, too, for
-those times, although they did not communicate
-their learning to the rest of the people.</p>
-
-<p>17. These men were the Druids, or priests, who
-had much more authority than the chiefs, because
-they were so much cleverer; therefore the
-people minded what they said.</p>
-
-<p>18. They made all the laws, and held courts
-of justice in the open air, when they must have
-made a very venerable appearance, seated in a
-circle on stones, dressed in long white woollen
-robes, with wands in their hands, and long
-beards descending below their girdles.</p>
-
-<p>19. The ignorant people believed they were
-magicians, for they knew something of astronomy,
-and of the medicinal qualities of plants
-and herbs, with which they made medicines to
-give the sick, who always thought they were
-cured by magic.</p>
-
-<p>20. Some of the Druids were bards, that is
-poets, and musicians; others taught young men
-to become Druids; and some of them made a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14"></a>[14]</span>
-great many useful things out of the metals that
-were found in the mines.</p>
-
-<p>21. You will perhaps wonder where the
-Druids gained all their knowledge. I cannot
-tell you; but many learned men think that the
-first Druids came from India or Persia, as the
-religion they taught was very similar to that of
-the Persians and Hindoos.</p>
-
-<p>22. They did not believe in the true God, but
-told the people there were many gods, and that
-they were in trees and rivers, and fire, which
-they worshipped for that reason.</p>
-
-<p>23. They had no churches, but made temples,
-by forming circles of large stones, of such immense
-size that nobody can guess how they were
-carried to the places where they stood, for there
-are some of them still remaining.</p>
-
-<p>24. They used to hold several religious festivals
-in the course of the year, when all the people
-made holiday, and the bards played on their
-harps and sang, and there was plenty of feasting,
-and merry making; and they used to light
-bonfires, and make an illumination by running
-about with torches in their hands, for they believed
-that a display of fire was pleasing to their
-gods; and so you see that our custom of having
-fireworks, and illuminations, and bonfires, on
-days of public rejoicing, is as old as the time of
-the ancient Britons.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15"></a>[15]</span></p>
-
-<p>25. The Druids had a great deal to do on
-those days; for they used to go to their temples
-and say prayers, and sacrifice animals for offerings
-to their false gods; and on New Year’s
-Day, they walked in procession to some old oak
-tree to cut the mistletoe that grew upon it, for
-this was one of their religious ceremonies; and
-the oldest Druid went up into the tree to cut the
-plant, while the rest stood below singing sacred
-songs, and holding their robes to catch the
-boughs as they fell; and crowds of men and women
-stood round to see them.</p>
-
-<p>26. But I must make an end of this chapter
-about the ancient Britons, and tell you how the
-Romans came and conquered the country, and
-made quite a different place of it.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>3. What was England called in ancient times?</p>
-
-<p>4. How did the Britons resemble the American Indians?</p>
-
-<p>5. Describe the tribes that were most civilized.</p>
-
-<p>7. With whom did they trade, and in what commodities?</p>
-
-<p>8. How and where was their trade carried on?</p>
-
-<p>10. For what manufacture were the Britons famous?</p>
-
-<p>13. How did they build a town?</p>
-
-<p>15. Describe the furniture of their habitations.</p>
-
-<p>17. Who were the Druids?</p>
-
-<p>18. Tell me what you know about them.</p>
-
-<p>19. Mention the different employments of the Druids.</p>
-
-<p>21. Where is it supposed the first Druids came from?</p>
-
-<p>25. Describe their temples.</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16"></a>[16]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_016">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_016.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">LANDING OF JULIUS CÆSAR.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The Romans, about the time of the birth of
-Christ, were the richest, the most powerful, and
-the cleverest people in the world. Rome was a
-grand city, and there were many other fine cities
-in Italy belonging to the Romans, who knew
-how to build handsome houses, and make beautiful
-gardens, besides being excellent farmers.</p>
-
-<p>2. They had elegant furniture, and pictures,
-and marble statues; and they were well educated,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17"></a>[17]</span>
-and wrote a great number of books in
-Latin, for that was their language, and many of
-those books are used in our schools to this day.</p>
-
-<p>3. They had large armies, and had conquered
-a great many countries, when Julius Cæsar, a
-great Roman General, brought an army to Britain,
-about fifty years before the birth of our
-Saviour, to try to conquer the Britons also; but
-thousands of British warriors went down to the
-sea shore, by Dover cliffs, to fight the Romans
-as soon as they landed; and they took a great
-many war chariots with them, and fought so
-bravely, that after two or three battles, Cæsar
-offered to make peace with them, and go away,
-if their princes would pay tribute to the Roman
-government; which they consented to do.</p>
-
-<p>4. However, the Romans thought no more
-about Britain for nearly a hundred years, when
-they came again, and went to war in earnest
-with the natives, who at length were obliged to
-submit to them; and Britain became a part of
-the Roman Empire, just as India is at this time
-a part of the British Empire.</p>
-
-<p>5. Now this was a good thing for the Britons,
-although they did not then think so; for as soon
-as they left off fighting, the Romans began to
-teach them all they knew, and to make a much<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18"></a>[18]</span>
-better place of Britain than it had ever been
-before.</p>
-
-<p>6. As soon as a part of the country was conquered,
-some great man was sent from Rome to
-govern it, and to make the people obey the
-Roman laws.</p>
-
-<p>7. Then other great men came to live here,
-and brought their families and furniture and
-plate from Rome; and built fine houses, and
-planted gardens, with flowers and fruit trees,
-and vegetables, that were never seen here before,
-for they brought the roots and seeds and young
-trees with them.</p>
-
-<p>8. At first, the Roman governors made the
-Britons pay very heavy taxes; not in money, for
-they had none; but they were obliged to give a
-part of their cattle, and corn, and metals, or
-any thing else they had; and to work with the
-Roman soldiers at building, making roads, draining
-the watery lands, and cutting down trees, to
-make room for houses and gardens.</p>
-
-<p>9. They did not like this, and one of the
-tribes, named the Iceni, who lived in that part
-of Britain which is now called Norfolk and Suffolk,
-determined to make another effort to drive
-the Romans out of the country.</p>
-
-<p>10. You will be surprised to hear that they
-were headed by a woman; but there were queens<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19"></a>[19]</span>
-among the Britons as well as kings; and the
-king of the Iceni being dead, his widow Boadicea
-governed in his stead.</p>
-
-<p>11. She encouraged her people to rebel
-against their new rulers, and led them to battle
-herself, mounted in a chariot, and armed like a
-warrior; but the Romans won the battle, and the
-brave but unfortunate queen put an end to her
-own life.</p>
-
-<p>12. After this, there was another long war,
-which lasted till all the South British tribes
-were subdued, and the Roman government established
-all over the country, except the north
-part of Scotland.</p>
-
-<p>13. It was lucky for the Britons that a very
-good Roman, named Agricola, was made governor
-about this time, for he behaved so kindly
-that they began to like the Romans, and to
-wish to live as they did, and to know how to do
-all the clever things they could do.</p>
-
-<p>14. I should tell you that all the Roman soldiers
-were educated as engineers and builders,
-surveyors, and cultivators of land, and when
-not actually engaged in fighting, they were employed
-daily for four hours in some such out-of-door
-labour or occupation; so, when the war
-was over, they were set to work to improve
-the country, and the Britons had to help them.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20"></a>[20]</span></p>
-
-<p>15. They made good hard broad roads, paved
-with stones firmly cemented together, and set
-up mile stones upon them.</p>
-
-<p>16. The Romans had built London during the
-war, and given it the name of Augusta, but the
-houses were almost all barracks for the soldiers
-and their families, so that it was not nearly so
-handsome as York and Bath, and many other
-cities that they built in place of the old British
-towns.</p>
-
-<p>17. The Britons, who had never seen any
-thing better than their own clay huts, must have
-been quite astonished at the fine houses constructed
-by the Romans; who also built, in
-every city, temples, theatres, and public baths,
-with large rooms for people to meet in, like a
-coffee house.</p>
-
-<p>18. Then, in each town, was a market place
-for people to buy and sell goods, and the Romans
-taught the Britons generally to use money,
-which was more convenient than taking things
-in exchange.</p>
-
-<p>19. The Romans were excellent farmers, as I
-said before; so they shewed the natives how to
-manage their land better than they had done,
-and how to make many useful implements of
-husbandry.</p>
-
-<p>20. By cutting down the forest trees, which<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21"></a>[21]</span>
-they used in building, they obtained more land
-for cultivation, and grew so much corn that
-there was more than enough for the people in
-Britain, so that a great deal was sent every year
-to the Roman colonies in Germany.</p>
-
-<p>21. By degrees, the Britons left off their old
-habits, and those above the lowest rank wore
-the Roman dress, spoke the Roman language,
-and adopted the manners and customs of their
-conquerors, who treated them as friends and
-equals.</p>
-
-<p>22. There were schools opened in all the
-towns, where British and Roman boys were instructed
-together, and the former were all
-brought up to serve in the Roman armies; for
-there were no more wars among the British
-princes; who held the same rank as before,
-but paid tribute to the Roman governor, and
-were under his authority, as many of the princes
-of India are now under the authority of the
-English Governor General in India.</p>
-
-<p>23. The Britons had to pay a great many
-taxes, but they likewise enjoyed many rights,
-for the Roman laws were much better laws than
-those of the Druids, which were made for barbarians,
-and not for civilized people, such as the
-Britons had now become.</p>
-
-<p>24. You will, perhaps, wonder what the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22"></a>[22]</span>
-Druids were about all this time. The Romans
-did not approve of their religion, so they put an
-end to it very soon, after they came here; but
-what became of the Druids, is not exactly
-known.</p>
-
-<p>25. It is supposed that many of them were
-killed by the Romans in the isle of Anglesea,
-where the chief Druid always resided; and
-that all the rest fled to Scotland, or the Isle of
-Man.</p>
-
-<p>26. The Romans, however, were themselves
-heathens, when they first settled in Britain, and
-worshipped a number of false gods; but their
-gods were different from those of the Druids,
-and the rites and ceremonies of their religion
-were different too.</p>
-
-<p>27. But, in course of time, many of the Romans
-became Christians, and Christianity was
-taught in Britain, where the heathen temples
-were converted into Christian churches, and the
-Britons, as well as the Romans, at length learned
-to worship the one true God.</p>
-
-<p>28. The Romans had kept possession of
-Britain for more than three hundred years, when
-it happened that great armies of barbarians
-went to fight against Rome, and all the soldiers
-were sent for, to try to drive them away again;
-so that this country was left unprotected, for it<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23"></a>[23]</span>
-was the Roman soldiers who had kept enemies
-from coming here.</p>
-
-<p>29. The Britons hoped they would come back
-again, as they did more than once; but affairs
-got worse and worse at Rome, so the rulers
-there sent word to the British princes, that they
-did not wish to keep the island any longer, therefore
-the Britons might consider themselves a
-free people. But was freedom a blessing to
-them? I think we shall find it was not.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>3. By whom was Britain first invaded?</p>
-
-<p>4. When did the Romans again appear?</p>
-
-<p>5. Was this conquest a good or bad thing for the Britons,
-and why?</p>
-
-<p>8. What occasioned the revolt of the Iceni?</p>
-
-<p>10. Who headed the insurrection, and what were its consequences?</p>
-
-<p>13. Who was Agricola?</p>
-
-<p>14. How were the Roman soldiers employed in time of
-peace?</p>
-
-<p>15. Tell me of the improvements made in Britain by the
-Romans.</p>
-
-<p>25. What became of the Druids?</p>
-
-<p>28. When and why did the Romans leave Britain?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24"></a>[24]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE SAXON HEPTARCHY.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_024">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_024.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">A SAXON SHIP.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. It is now time to tell you something about
-the Picts and Scots. They were the people of
-Scotland, and were called by the Romans Caledonians,
-which meant men of the woods, because
-they were very rude and fierce, and lived
-among woods and wilds.</p>
-
-<p>2. They had always been sad enemies to the
-Britons; but the Romans had kept them away,
-and the good governor Agricola built a row of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25"></a>[25]</span>
-strong forts, all across their country, and placed
-soldiers in them, to make the Caledonians keep
-on the other side.</p>
-
-<p>3. However, they sometimes managed to break
-through; so the Emperor Severus, who was here
-from the year 207 to 211, had a stone wall built
-across that narrow part, where Northumberland
-joins Cumberland, and it was so strong, that
-parts of the banks and forts are still remaining.</p>
-
-<p>4. But when all the Roman soldiers were
-gone, the Picts and Scots began to come again,
-and robbed the people of their corn and cattle,
-and stole their children for slaves, and did a
-great deal of mischief.</p>
-
-<p>5. Now, if the British princes had agreed
-among themselves, and joined together to drive
-out these terrible foes, things might have gone
-on very well; but they were foolish enough to
-quarrel, and go to war with one another; while
-some of the captains, who wanted to be princes,
-got a number of soldiers to help them, and took
-possession of different places, where they called
-themselves kings, and made the people obey
-them.</p>
-
-<p>6. They did not continue the good Roman
-laws; nor elect magistrates to keep order in the
-cities, as used to be done while the Romans were
-here; and tillage was neglected, because the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26"></a>[26]</span>
-farmers were afraid their crops would be destroyed,
-so that numbers of people died of
-famine.</p>
-
-<p>7. There were still many Romans in Britain,
-who were not soldiers but were settled here,
-most of them having married into British families;
-and there were a great number of people
-who were Britons by birth, but whose ancestors
-had been Romans; and all these were desirous
-that the country should still be governed by the
-Roman laws, and formed what was called the
-Roman party.</p>
-
-<p>8. But there was a British party also, that
-wanted to do away with the Roman laws altogether,
-and not to let the Romans have any
-thing to do with ruling the country; so each of
-these parties elected a king.</p>
-
-<p>9. The Britons chose a prince named Vortigern;
-and the Romans chose one called
-Aurelius Ambrosius; and there was war between
-them.</p>
-
-<p>10. Then Vortigern, the British king, thought
-it would be a good thing to get some other brave
-people to join his party, that he might be able
-to overcome his rival, as well as to drive away
-the Picts and Scots; so he proposed to some
-of the British chiefs that they should ask the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27"></a>[27]</span>
-Saxons to come and help them, and they thought
-it would be a good plan.</p>
-
-<p>11. The Saxons inhabited the north of Germany,
-and parts of Holland and Denmark,
-which were then poor and barren countries.</p>
-
-<p>12. Many of their chiefs were pirates, that is,
-they lived by going out on the seas to fight and
-plunder; nor did they think it wicked so to do;
-but, on the contrary, imagined it was brave and
-noble.</p>
-
-<p>13. Two of them, Hengist and Horsa, happened
-to be cruising near the British coast,
-when they received a message from Vortigern;
-who made a bargain with them, and offered to
-give them the little island of Thanet, if they
-would come with all their men, to assist him in
-driving out the Picts and Scots.</p>
-
-<p>14. Thanet is that part of Kent where Margate
-is now situated, but was then separated by
-an arm of the sea, so that it was a small island,
-standing alone, nearly a mile from the coast.</p>
-
-<p>15. The Saxons were very ready to come, for
-they knew that Britain was a pleasant, fertile
-country, and hoped to get some of it for themselves;
-but they did not let the Britons know
-they thought of doing so.</p>
-
-<p>16. Hengist and Horsa were very brave, and
-their men were well armed, so they soon forced<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28"></a>[28]</span>
-the Picts and Scots to retreat to their own country;
-and shortly afterwards they went to the
-Isle of Thanet, which they fortified, and many
-more Saxons came there to them.</p>
-
-<p>17. I cannot tell you how the affairs of the
-Britons went on, or what became of Vortigern;
-but this I can tell you, that the Saxons soon
-began to quarrel with the people of Kent, and
-fought with them, and having driven most of
-them away, took the land for themselves, and
-began to live there.</p>
-
-<p>18. The chief who made this conquest, was
-Esca, the son of Hengist, who called himself
-king of Kent, which, from that time, was a
-small Saxon kingdom, for the Britons never won
-it back again.</p>
-
-<p>13. Then other chiefs, hearing how Esca had
-succeeded, got together bands of soldiers, and
-landed in different parts of the country, to try
-to gain kingdoms also; but they did not all
-come at once, and their conquests were made by
-such slow degrees, that the wars lasted more
-than one hundred and fifty years; so you may
-guess how hard the Britons fought in defence
-of their liberty.</p>
-
-<p>20. We can learn but very little about those
-unhappy times, for the few histories that were<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29"></a>[29]</span>
-then written were mostly destroyed in these long
-wars; and though songs were composed by the
-bards or poets, which the people used to learn
-and teach to their children, these songs were not
-all true.</p>
-
-<p>21. They were mostly about the wars, and
-the brave British chiefs who defended the country
-against the Saxons; and if you should ever
-hear anybody speak of king Arthur, and the
-knights of the Round Table, you may remember
-that he is said to have been one of those chiefs;
-and, if we may believe the tale, killed four hundred
-Saxons with his own hand in one battle.</p>
-
-<p>22. Those who made the story about him, say
-that the nobles of his court were all so equal in
-bravery and goodness, that he had a large round
-table made for them to feast at, that no one
-might sit above another; so they were called
-knights of the Round Table. But let us return
-to our history.</p>
-
-<p>23. The Saxons went on making one conquest
-after another, till, at last, they were in possession
-of the whole country; where very few of
-the natives were left, for most of those who had
-not been killed in the wars, had fled into Gaul,
-or taken refuge among the Welsh mountains; so
-from this time we shall hear no more of the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30"></a>[30]</span>
-Britons, but must look upon the Saxons as the
-people of England.</p>
-
-<p>24. I told you how Esca had established the
-little kingdom of Kent. Well, in the course of
-the wars, six more kingdoms had been formed in
-the same manner, by different Saxon chiefs, so
-that, by the time the conquest was completed,
-there were seven kingdoms in Britain, namely,
-Kent, Sussex, Essex, and East Anglia, Northumbria,
-Wessex, and Mercia; and this division
-of the country among seven kings, was called
-the Saxon Heptarchy.</p>
-
-<p>25. The Saxons were not clever people, like
-the Romans, but were rough and ignorant, and
-cared for nothing but fighting; so while the wars
-were going on, they ruined and destroyed all the
-beautiful and useful works that had been done in
-the Roman times; for they did not understand
-their value, and only thought it was a fine thing
-to destroy all that belonged to their enemies.</p>
-
-<p>26. But the works of the Romans were very
-strong; for even now, when workmen are digging
-in London, and different parts of the country,
-they sometimes find Roman walls, and pavements,
-and foundations of houses, that show
-what good architects the Romans were.</p>
-
-<p>27. When the Saxons had got possession of
-the whole country, you may perhaps suppose<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31"></a>[31]</span>
-they would be quiet and contented, but this was
-not the case; for as long as there were separate
-kingdoms, they were continually at war with
-each other, and the principal cause of disagreement
-was, that, among the kings, there was
-always one called the Bretwalda, or ruler of
-Britain, who had some degree of authority over
-the rest; but as any one of them might be raised
-to this dignity, it was a constant source of quarrels
-and warfare, until, at length, the weaker
-kingdoms were overcome by the more powerful
-ones, and there was but one king over the whole
-country, which then took the name of Angleland
-or England, from a particular tribe of people
-called the Angles, who came here in great numbers
-with the Saxons.</p>
-
-<p>28. I dare say you did not know before how
-Britain came to be called England; and you
-would be very much amused to hear how many
-of the places in it, came by their present names.</p>
-
-<p>29. We will take for example Norfolk and
-Suffolk, which, with Cambridge, formed the
-kingdom of East Anglia, and was conquered by
-the Angles. Now these Angles consisted of two
-tribes, who divided their conquest between them,
-one tribe settling in the north part, the other in
-the south; so that they were called North folk,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32"></a>[32]</span>
-and South folk, and thus came the names of the
-two counties.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who were the Caledonians?</p>
-
-<p>4. How did they molest the Britons?</p>
-
-<p>6. What was the state of the country at this time?</p>
-
-<p>7. What was the Roman party?</p>
-
-<p>8. What was the British party?</p>
-
-<p>10. Who was Vortigern, and what did he do?</p>
-
-<p>11. Tell me something about the Saxons.</p>
-
-<p>16. Who were Hengist and Horsa, and how did they assist
-the Britons?</p>
-
-<p>23. What did the Saxons do after this?</p>
-
-<p>24. What was the Heptarchy?</p>
-
-<p>25. How was the country changed by the wars?</p>
-
-<p>27. How was the Heptarchy destroyed?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33"></a>[33]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">MANNERS OF THE SAXONS.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_033">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_033.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">ANCIENT SAXONS.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. I am now going to tell you what sort of
-people the Saxons were, and how they lived
-after they were quite settled in England; for
-you ought to know all about them, as they were
-our own ancestors, and made a great many of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34"></a>[34]</span>
-our laws; and their language was English too,
-although it has so much altered that you would
-hardly know it for the same.</p>
-
-<p>2. The Saxons were not Christians when they
-first came here; but their religion was different
-from that of both the Druids and heathen Romans;
-for they worshipped great images of
-stone or wood, that they made themselves, and
-called gods; and from the names of their gods
-and goddesses, our names of the days of the
-week are derived.</p>
-
-<p>3. At length, the bishop of Rome, who was
-called the Pope, sent some good men to persuade
-the Saxons to leave off praying to wooden idols,
-and to worship the true God.</p>
-
-<p>4. These missionaries first went to Ethelbert,
-king of Kent, who was then Bretwalda, and
-reasoned with him, so that he saw how wrong
-he had been, and not only became a Christian
-himself, but let the missionaries go and preach
-among the people, who were baptized in great
-numbers, and taught to believe in God and
-Jesus Christ.</p>
-
-<p>5. The missionaries were all priests or monks;
-and some of them lived together in great houses
-called monasteries, which they built upon lands
-given them by the kings and nobles, on which
-they also raised corn, and fed sheep and cattle.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35"></a>[35]</span></p>
-
-<p>6. They had brought from Rome the knowledge
-of many useful arts, which they taught to
-the people, who thus learned to be smiths and
-carpenters, and to make a variety of things out
-of metal, wood and leather, which the Saxons
-did not know how to make before.</p>
-
-<p>7. Then the priests could read and write,
-which was more than the nobles, or even the
-kings could do; and they used to write books,
-and ornament the pages with beautiful borders,
-and miniature paintings; and the books, thus
-adorned, are called illuminated manuscripts.</p>
-
-<p>8. Still the Saxons, or English, as I shall
-henceforth call them, were very rough and ignorant
-as compared with the Romans.</p>
-
-<p>9. Their churches and houses, and even the
-palaces of the kings, were rude wooden buildings,
-and the cottages of the poor people were
-no better than the huts of the ancient Britons.</p>
-
-<p>10. The common people were almost all employed
-in cultivating the land, and lived in villages
-on the different estates to which they
-belonged; for the Saxon landlords were not only
-the owners of the land, but of the people also;
-who were not at liberty, as they are now, to go
-where they pleased; neither could they buy
-land for themselves, nor have any property but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36"></a>[36]</span>
-what their lords chose. I will tell you how it
-was.</p>
-
-<p>11. The Saxon lords had divided all the land
-amongst themselves, and had brought from their
-own countries thousands of ceorls, or poor
-people, dependent on them, to be their labourers.</p>
-
-<p>12. Each family of ceorls was allowed to have
-a cottage, with a few acres of land, and to let
-their cattle or sheep graze on the commons, for
-which, instead of paying rent, they worked a
-certain number of days in each year for their
-lord, and, besides, gave him a stated portion of
-those things their little farms produced; so that
-whenever they killed a pig, they carried some
-of it to the great house; and the same with
-their fowls, eggs, honey, milk and butter; and
-thus the chief’s family was well supplied with
-provisions by his tenants, some of whom took
-care of his sheep and herds, cultivated his fields,
-and got in his harvests.</p>
-
-<p>13. Then there were always some among
-them who had learned useful trades, and thus
-they did all the kinds of work their masters
-wanted.</p>
-
-<p>14. Yet, with all this, the poor ceorls generally
-had enough for themselves, and some to
-spare, which they sold at the markets, and thus
-were able to save a little money.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37"></a>[37]</span></p>
-
-<p>15. Their cottages were round huts, made of
-the rough branches of trees, coated with clay,
-and thatched with straw. They had neither
-windows nor chimneys; but a hole was made in
-the roof to let out the smoke from the wood fire,
-kindled on a hearth in the middle of the room;
-and they used to bake their barley-cakes, which
-served them for bread, on these hearths, without
-any oven.</p>
-
-<p>16. They made a coarse kind of cloth for clothing
-from the wool of their sheep, a part of which
-was also given to their lord, and was used to
-clothe the servants of his household, for the rich
-people got a finer cloth for themselves, which
-was brought from other countries.</p>
-
-<p>17. Great men usually wore white cloth tunics
-that reached to the knee, with broad coloured
-borders, and belts round the waist. They had
-short cloaks, linen drawers and black leather
-shoes, with coloured bands crossed on their legs,
-instead of stockings. The common people wore
-tunics of coarse dark cloth, and shoes, but no
-covering on the legs.</p>
-
-<p>18. But I must tell you something more about
-these country folks, who, at the time, formed
-the great mass of the English population. They
-were, strictly speaking, in bondage, for they
-could not leave the place where they were born,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38"></a>[38]</span>
-nor the master they belonged to, unless he gave
-them their freedom; they were obliged to serve
-as soldiers in war time, and when the land was
-transferred to a new lord, the people were transferred
-with it.</p>
-
-<p>19. All they had might at any time be taken
-from them, and their sons and daughters could
-not marry, without consent of their lord.</p>
-
-<p>20. Yet these people considered themselves
-free, because they could not be sold like the
-slaves; for I ought to tell you there was a lower
-class of bondmen, called thralls, and there were
-regular slave markets where they were bought
-and sold.</p>
-
-<p>21. A landowner could sell a thrall just as he
-could sell an ox; but he could not sell a vassal
-tenant, or, as they were called in the Saxon
-times, a ceorl, or churl, without the estate to
-which he belonged. The thralls were employed
-to do the hardest and meanest work, and had
-nothing of their own.</p>
-
-<p>22. The houses of the great men were very
-like large barns, and each house stood on an
-open space of ground, enclosed by a wall of
-earth and a ditch, within which there were
-stacks of corn, sheds for the horses and cattle,
-and huts for the thralls to sleep in.</p>
-
-<p>23. The principal room was a great hall,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39"></a>[39]</span>
-strewed with rushes, and furnished with long
-oak tables and benches.</p>
-
-<p>24. The windows were square holes crossed
-with thin laths, called lattices, and the fire-place
-was a stone hearth in the middle of the earthen
-floor, on which they used to burn great logs
-of wood, and let the smoke go out at a hole in
-the door.</p>
-
-<p>25. But the great people often had merry
-doings in these halls, for they were fond of
-feasting, and used to sit at the long wooden
-tables, without table cloths, and eat out of
-wooden platters or trenchers with their fingers.</p>
-
-<p>26. Boiled meats and fish, usually salted,
-were put on the table in great wooden dishes,
-but roast meats were brought in on the spits on
-which they were cooked, and handed round by
-the thralls, to the company, who helped themselves
-with knives which they carried at their
-girdles.</p>
-
-<p>27. There was plenty of ale, and among the
-richest, wine also, which they drank out of horn
-cups; and when the meats were taken away,
-they used to drink and sing, and play on the
-harp, and often had tumblers, jugglers, and
-minstrels to amuse them.</p>
-
-<p>28. Then the visitors used to lie down on the
-floor to sleep, covered with their cloaks; for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40"></a>[40]</span>
-very few people had bedsteads, and the only
-beds were a kind of large bags, or bed-ticks,
-filled with straw, and blocks of wood for pillows.</p>
-
-<p>29. Such were the rough manners of our
-Saxon forefathers, who were, however, in some
-respects a good sort of people, and you will be
-sorry for them by and by, when you read how
-the Normans came, and took away their lands,
-and made slaves of them. But I must first tell
-you what happened in the Saxon times, after the
-Heptarchy was broken up, and there was only
-one king of England.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>4. How were the Saxons converted to Christianity?</p>
-
-<p>6. By what means did they learn many useful arts?</p>
-
-<p>8. What was the condition of the common people?</p>
-
-<p>15. Describe the cottages of the poor.</p>
-
-<p>16. How did the Saxons dress?</p>
-
-<p>21. What were ceorls? and what were thralls?</p>
-
-<p>22. Describe the house of a Saxon chief.</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41"></a>[41]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE DANES AND ALFRED THE GREAT.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_041">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_041.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">ALFRED THE GREAT.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. It was nearly 380 years after the first
-Saxons came here with their two pirate chiefs,
-Hengist and Horsa, that England began to have
-only one king.</p>
-
-<p>2. There were still some other princes, who
-bore that title, but they had so little power, that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42"></a>[42]</span>
-they could hardly be called kings; so that a
-brave prince, named Egbert, who conquered the
-last kingdom of the Heptarchy, is usually called
-the first king of England.</p>
-
-<p>3. The civil wars were thus, for a time, ended;
-but it seemed as if the English were never to
-be long at peace, for they now had some terrible
-enemies to contend with, who kept the
-country in constant alarm.</p>
-
-<p>4. These were the Danes who came from Denmark,
-Norway, and Sweden, and were almost
-the same people as the Saxons; for they spoke
-the same language, followed the same customs,
-and lived by piracy, as the Saxons did in former
-times.</p>
-
-<p>5. I have not room to tell you of half the
-mischief they did in England. Sometimes they
-would land suddenly from their boats in the
-night, when the affrighted people were awakened
-by a cry of, “the Danes! the Danes!” and,
-starting up, perhaps, beheld their villages in
-flames; and, as they ran in terror from their
-cottages, were either killed or dragged away to
-the pirate vessels, with the cattle and any thing
-else that could be found, and made slaves.</p>
-
-<p>6. Egbert had fought a battle with them in
-Cornwall, and forced them to depart; but, during
-the reign of Ethelwulf, the next king, and three<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43"></a>[43]</span>
-of his sons, they not only attacked the towns
-and villages on the sea-coast, but used to seize
-the horses and ride about the country in search
-of plunder.</p>
-
-<p>7. They broke into the monasteries, where the
-people often put their money and jewels for
-safety; and if the inmates made any resistance
-they would set the building on fire.</p>
-
-<p>8. Then they set up fortified camps, in many
-places; that is, a number of tents, arranged together,
-like a town surrounded with a wall and
-ditch; and thus a great many of the Danes
-established themselves in the country, and conquered
-all the northern part of it. This was the
-sad state of affairs when Alfred the Great came
-to the throne.</p>
-
-<p>9. I dare say you have heard of this good
-prince, who was the youngest and favorite son
-of king Ethelwulf, for he was the cleverest and
-best. His mother, being an accomplished lady,
-tried to teach all her sons to read; but none of
-them would learn except Alfred, who afterwards
-went to Rome to study Latin, and learn to write,
-so that he was a good scholar for those times.</p>
-
-<p>10. His three brothers had all reigned in
-turn, and were all dead by the time he was
-twenty-two years old, therefore he was then heir
-to the crown; but, instead of being able to think<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44"></a>[44]</span>
-about the best way of governing the country, he
-was obliged to get together as many soldiers as he
-could, and go out with them to fight the Danes.</p>
-
-<p>11. There was no regular army then, as there
-is now; but, when the king wanted soldiers, he
-sent to all the noblemen and landholders in the
-kingdom, who were obliged to come themselves
-and bring so many men with them, according to
-the size of their estates, some on horseback,
-some on foot, and all well armed.</p>
-
-<p>12. You must remember that people could not
-buy land then for money, nor have it for paying
-rent; but large estates were given to the thanes
-and nobles by the king, on condition that they
-should perform certain services for him; and you
-have already seen how the vassals of the nobles
-held their little farms on similar terms.</p>
-
-<p>13. This was called the feudal system, which
-means, holding land for services instead of rent;
-and the person holding the land was called the
-vassal of him to whom it belonged, whether rich
-or poor; so the nobles were the vassals of the
-king, and the ceorls were the vassals of the
-nobles.</p>
-
-<p>14. I think you now understand what the
-feudal system was, therefore I shall proceed with
-the history of Alfred the Great.</p>
-
-<p>15. The war had gone on for several years,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45"></a>[45]</span>
-and the king was so unfortunate that, at last, he
-was obliged to hide himself in a woody marsh
-in Somersetshire, called the Isle of Athelney,
-because it was surrounded by bogs and rivers.</p>
-
-<p>16. The Danes were then in pursuit of him;
-and, one time, fearing to be taken prisoner, he
-got some man to let him keep his cows, or pigs,
-I do not know which; so that, if the Danes happened
-to see him, they might not guess who he
-was.</p>
-
-<p>17. I dare say, you have heard the story of
-this peasant’s wife scolding Alfred one day, for
-letting some cakes burn, which she had left to
-bake on the hearth, whilst she was out; but she
-did not know that he was the king, or, of course,
-she would not have taken that liberty.</p>
-
-<p>18. At last, Alfred heard there were many
-chiefs and noblemen, with their vassals, ready
-to join him again; so he determined to try
-another battle, but thought it would be prudent
-first to learn what was the real strength of
-the enemy.</p>
-
-<p>19. Now the Danes, like the Saxons, were fond
-of good cheer, and liked to have songs and
-music to make them merry while they were feasting;
-and this put it into Alfred’s head to go into
-their camp disguised as a harper, for he could
-play the harp and sing very well.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46"></a>[46]</span></p>
-
-<p>20. So away he went, with his harp at his
-back, and, when he came there, the Danish
-chiefs had him called into their tents, and made
-him sit down and play to them, and gave him
-plenty to eat and drink.</p>
-
-<p>21. Then he heard them talking about king
-Alfred, and saying, they supposed he was dead,
-as he did not come to fight them, so they need
-think of nothing but enjoying themselves; and
-thus he discovered they were not prepared for a
-battle, and were almost sure to be defeated, if
-taken by surprise.</p>
-
-<p>22. He, therefore, left the camp as soon as he
-could, and sent a message to his friends to meet
-him in Selwood Forest, also in Somersetshire,
-with all the men they could muster; and, when
-they were all come, he put himself at their
-head, and, marching suddenly down upon the
-Danes, fought and won a great battle at Ethandune,
-a place in Gloucestershire, now called
-Woeful Danes’ Bottom, from the terrible slaughter
-of the Danes there.</p>
-
-<p>23. But there were a great many Danes in
-England who had not been engaged in this battle,
-and who had possession of almost all the
-northern part of the country; so the king wisely
-considered that it would be much better to induce
-them to settle peaceably in the country as<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47"></a>[47]</span>
-friends, rather than prolong those dreadful wars,
-which had already caused so much misery.</p>
-
-<p>24. He therefore proposed to the Danish
-chief that, if he would promise to keep at peace,
-he should have a wide tract of country, which
-had been desolated by these wars, all along the
-east coast, from the river Tweed to the river
-Thames, for himself and his people, to be called
-the Dane land; so Guthrun, the Danish chief,
-accepted the offer, and parcelled the land out
-amongst his followers, who settled there with
-their vassals, and lived the same manner as the
-Saxons.</p>
-
-<p>25. You may think how glad the people were
-that the wars were over, and the king was very
-glad too, for he now had time to do what was
-more pleasant to him than fighting, which was,
-to do all the good he could for the country. He
-thought the best way to defend it against its
-enemies was to have good ships to keep them
-from landing; but, as the English did not know
-much about ship-building, he sent for men from
-Italy to teach them, and also had models of
-ships brought that they might see how they were
-constructed, and men were taught to manage
-them, so that England, for the first time, had a
-navy.</p>
-
-<p>26. These ships were called galleys, and were<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48"></a>[48]</span>
-worked both with oars and sails; they were twice
-as long as those of the Danes, and stood higher
-out of the water.</p>
-
-<p>27. While some workmen were making ships,
-others were employed in rebuilding of the towns
-and villages that had been burned down by the
-Danes; and the king ordained that there should
-be schools in different parts of the kingdom,
-where noblemen’s sons might be educated, for he
-had found the benefit of learning himself, and
-thought it a sad thing that all the great men
-should be so ignorant as they were.</p>
-
-<p>28. You may, perhaps, wonder why so good a
-man as Alfred should only think of having the
-great people taught to read; but reading would
-have been of no use to the common people, as
-the art of printing was unknown, and there were
-no books but those written by the monks or
-nuns, which were so expensive that none but
-very rich people could afford to have even two
-or three of them.</p>
-
-<p>29. The principal school founded by king
-Alfred was at Oxford, which was then a small,
-poor place, with a monastery, and a few mean
-wooden houses for the scholars to live in, very
-different from the present grand university, and
-the masters, who were all churchmen, and called
-learned clerks, resided in the monastery.</p>
-
-<p>30. Alfred, with the help of some good and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49"></a>[49]</span>
-clever men, whom he consulted in every thing,
-made some very wise laws, and obliged the people
-to obey them, by having courts of justice held
-in the principal cities, regularly once a month;
-for nobody had thought much about law or
-justice either, while the wars were going on, so
-that there was need of some very strict regulations
-to restore good order, without which there
-can be neither happiness nor comfort any where.</p>
-
-<p>31. Under the good government of Alfred the
-Great, England enjoyed more peace and prosperity
-than it had known since the days of the
-Romans; and as his son and grandson both endeavoured
-to follow his example, the influence
-of his wisdom was felt long after his death, which
-happened when he was about fifty years old, in
-the year 900.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>2. Who was called the first king of England?</p>
-
-<p>4. Who were the Danes?</p>
-
-<p>8. How did they establish themselves in the country?</p>
-
-<p>10. Who went to war with them?</p>
-
-<p>11. How was an army raised in those times?</p>
-
-<p>12. What was the feudal system?</p>
-
-<p>15. What happened to Alfred?</p>
-
-<p>22. What was the battle of Ethandune?</p>
-
-<p>24. How did Alfred make friends of the Danes?</p>
-
-<p>26. How was a navy first formed?</p>
-
-<p>29. Which of our universities was founded by Alfred the Great?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50"></a>[50]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">FROM THE DEATH OF ALFRED TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_050">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_050.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">CANUTE AND HIS COURTIERS.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. Alfred was succeeded by his son Edward,
-who was a very good king, though not so clever
-as his father. He built walls round a great<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51"></a>[51]</span>
-many of the towns, to defend them in case the
-Danes should come again; for, although so many
-of them were living quietly in the country, those
-who did not live here were still enemies, and the
-resident Danes were always ready to join their
-countrymen.</p>
-
-<p>2. But they could not do much mischief while
-Edward was king, or in the reign of his brave
-son Athelstan, who was almost as great a prince
-as Alfred himself.</p>
-
-<p>3. He knew that commerce was one of the
-best things in the world for any country, so he
-had more ships built, and sent them to trade with
-foreign countries; and he said that, when any
-man had made three voyages in a vessel of his
-own, he should be made a Thane; which was the
-same as knighting a gentleman in these days.</p>
-
-<p>4. There were no stores in England at this
-time, but the people bought every thing they
-wanted at markets and fairs; and they used to
-salt a great deal of their meat and fish, that it
-might keep a long time.</p>
-
-<p>5. In buying and selling, they sometimes used
-slaves and cattle, instead of money, a man slave
-being worth a pound of silver, and an ox worth
-a quarter of a pound, which was called five shillings,
-as a shilling was the twentieth part of a
-pound in weight.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52"></a>[52]</span></p>
-
-<p>6. If a nobleman, therefore, wanted to buy
-any thing of two pounds value, he could pay
-for it with two of his thralls, or eight oxen, and
-the seller was obliged to take them; but he
-could sell them again directly; for I am sorry
-to say there were slave markets in England till
-some time after the Norman Conquest.</p>
-
-<p>7. Athelstan had a good deal of fighting to
-do, for the people of the Daneland revolted, and
-he was obliged to lead his soldiers into their territory,
-to bring them to order; and then he had
-to march against Howel, the Prince of Wales,
-who was defeated in battle, when Athelstan
-nobly gave him back his dominions, saying,
-“There was more glory in making a king than
-in dethroning one.”</p>
-
-<p>8. I shall not mention all the kings that
-reigned after Athelstan, because there were
-many of them who did nothing that is worth
-telling about; but I must speak of a great
-churchman, named Dunstan, who was Archbishop
-of Canterbury, and, for several reigns,
-ruled the whole country, for the kings and
-nobles were obliged to do just as he pleased.</p>
-
-<p>9. He was a very clever man, and so good a
-worker in metals that he made jewellery and
-bells, and gave them to some of the churches,
-which was considered an act of piety; for it was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53"></a>[53]</span>
-about this time that bells began to be used in
-England, and they were highly valued.</p>
-
-<p>10. Dunstan persuaded the kings and rich
-noblemen, to rebuild the monasteries that had
-been plundered and destroyed by the Danes, and
-endow them with lands; so that, at last, nearly
-one-third of all the landed property in the kingdom
-belonged to the clergy.</p>
-
-<p>11. There was a king named Edgar, the fourth
-after Athelstan, who did many useful things for
-the country; and, among others, he thought of
-a plan to destroy the wolves, which were so numerous
-in all the forests, that the people were
-in constant alarm for the safety of their sheep,
-and even of their little children.</p>
-
-<p>12. Edgar, therefore, ordered that each of
-the princes of Wales, who had to pay tribute to
-the kings of England, should send, instead of
-money, three hundred wolves’ heads every year;
-so they were obliged to employ huntsmen to go
-into the woods to kill those dangerous animals,
-which were so generally destroyed in a few
-years that they have seldom been found in England
-ever since.</p>
-
-<p>13. Then Edgar kept the Danes away by
-having as many as three hundred and sixty
-vessels always ready for service; but, when he
-and Dunstan were dead the navy was neglected;<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54"></a>[54]</span>
-and the country was again overrun with those
-terrible enemies, who fought with the English
-every where, robbed them of their property,
-took their houses for themselves, and acted just
-as if they were the conquerors and lords of the
-land.</p>
-
-<p>14. At last, the Danish king, Sweyn, landed
-with a great army, and began a dreadful war
-with Ethelred, who was then king of England,
-that lasted about four years, in the course of
-which he and Ethelred both died; but the war
-was continued by Canute, the son of Sweyn, and
-with such success, that, in the end, he was
-crowned king of England.</p>
-
-<p>15. It was lucky for the English that Canute
-happened to be a wise and good prince; for he
-said to himself, “As I am now king of these
-people, I will behave kindly to them, that they
-may love me, and then we shall go on comfortably
-together.” So he began to repair the
-mischief that had been done in the late wars,
-by setting people to work to rebuild the towns
-that had been destroyed; which was soon done
-in those days, when the houses were so roughly
-built, and only of wood.</p>
-
-<p>16. He also made a law that the Danes should
-not rob and insult the English, as they had been
-in the habit of doing; and ordered that they<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55"></a>[55]</span>
-should obey the other laws of the country;
-which he did not alter in the least; neither did
-he interfere with the estates of the nobles, nor
-with their rights over their vassals; and he consulted
-with the Witanagemote, or Parliament, in
-all affairs of importance.</p>
-
-<p>17. This Parliament was composed of the
-great nobles and the bishops, so that it was like
-our House of Lords; and, when the king made
-a new law, the people were not obliged to obey it,
-until it had been approved by the Witanagemote.</p>
-
-<p>18. As long as Canute reigned, which was
-nineteen years, there were peace and plenty, and
-the poor people were much happier than they had
-been for a long time, for they could stay at home
-and mind their farms, or work at their trades,
-without being called away continually to fight
-the Danes.</p>
-
-<p>19. The king, it is true, kept a large army
-of Danish soldiers, and the people had to pay
-heavy taxes to support them; but this was
-better than seeing them come as enemies into
-the towns and villages to destroy or take every
-thing.</p>
-
-<p>20. After the death of Canute, his two sons
-reigned in succession, but they were neither very<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56"></a>[56]</span>
-good nor very clever, and both died within six
-years.</p>
-
-<p>21. All this while there was a Saxon prince,
-named Edward, son of king Ethelred, living at
-the court of the Duke of Normandy, who was
-his uncle, and had afforded him shelter and protection
-whilst his enemies were ruling in England.</p>
-
-<p>22. He was now restored to the throne, and
-the English people thought themselves happy in
-having again a king of their own nation; but
-they little foresaw the terrible consequences of
-placing over them one who had formed so close
-a connection with the Normans.</p>
-
-<p>23. Edward was attached to the Normans, for
-they had been kind to him in his misfortunes;
-but it was neither wise nor just to bring a great
-number of them to his court, and set them up
-above his own countrymen, by giving them the
-highest appointments in the government, which,
-of course, gave offence to the English noblemen.</p>
-
-<p>24. Edward was called the Confessor, because
-he spent much of his time in devotion. He
-rebuilt Westminster Abbey, which was founded
-during the Heptarchy; but this building was
-pulled down about 160 years afterwards, by
-Henry the Third, who erected the present edifice
-in its place.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57"></a>[57]</span></p>
-
-<p>25. But I was going to tell you what happened
-in consequence of the king’s attachment to the
-Normans. His uncle was dead, and his cousin
-William, a bold spirited prince, who was now
-Duke of Normandy, came over to England to
-visit the king, and see what sort of a place it
-was.</p>
-
-<p>26. He brought a great many noblemen with
-him, and it seems they all liked the country so
-much that the Duke thought he should like to
-be its king, and his friends thought they should
-like to get good estates here; so king Edward
-was persuaded to make a will, or give his promise,
-that, when he died, his cousin William,
-who was more than twenty years younger than
-himself, should be his successor. The English
-lords knew nothing about this at the time, but
-they had reason enough to know it afterwards,
-as you will presently find.</p>
-
-<p>27. Edward the Confessor died at the beginning
-of the year 1066, when Harold, his wife’s
-brother, a brave and popular nobleman, took
-possession of the throne, with the consent of
-the chief nobles and clergy.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who succeeded Alfred?</p>
-
-<p>2. Who was the next king?</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58"></a>[58]</span></p>
-
-<p>3. How was trade encouraged by him?</p>
-
-<p>5. Tell me the way of making purchases at this period.</p>
-
-<p>7. Were there any wars in the reign of Athelstan?</p>
-
-<p>8. Who was Dunstan?</p>
-
-<p>14. Who was Canute, and how did he obtain the throne?</p>
-
-<p>16. What were the chief acts of Canute?</p>
-
-<p>18. How long did Canute reign?</p>
-
-<p>19. What was the general state of the country under his
-government?</p>
-
-<p>20. Who succeeded Canute?</p>
-
-<p>21. How was the Saxon government restored?</p>
-
-<p>23. How did the king displease his subjects?</p>
-
-<p>24. Why was Edward called the Confessor?</p>
-
-<p>27. When did Edward die, and who succeeded him?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59"></a>[59]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE NORMAN CONQUEST.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_059">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_059.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DEATH OF HAROLD.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. As soon as the Duke of Normandy knew
-that Edward the Confessor was dead, and Harold
-made king, he called his friends together, and
-promised to bestow lands and honors in England
-on all who would assist him to win the crown;
-which, he said, was his by right, and that Harold
-was an usurper.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60"></a>[60]</span></p>
-
-<p>2. Now this is a doubtful question; for,
-although the king could appoint a successor, if
-he thought proper; yet it was necessary that his
-choice should have the approval of the Witenagemote,
-which had not been given in this case;
-so the English said that, notwithstanding king
-Edward’s will, the Duke of Normandy had no
-right to the throne.</p>
-
-<p>3. I cannot pretend to say which was right;
-but, as it is of more consequence to know how
-the dispute ended, we will proceed to the history
-of the conquest.</p>
-
-<p>4. The Normans were great warriors; so that
-even many of the clergy would sometimes put
-on armour under their robes, and lead their own
-vassals to battle; and they had as much interest
-in the dispute as the nobles, for they expected
-to come into possession of some of the Bishops’
-sees and rich abbey lands, provided Duke William
-should succeed in his enterprise.</p>
-
-<p>5. While all this was going on in Normandy,
-Harold’s brother, Tosti, had raised a rebellion
-in the north of England, and was joined by the
-king of Norway, who landed with an army in
-Yorkshire: so Harold had to go and fight with
-them, and there was a great battle at Stamford
-Bridge, where the king gained a complete
-victory.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61"></a>[61]</span></p>
-
-<p>6. Two or three days after this he was enjoying
-himself at a great feast, at York, when news
-was brought to him that the Normans had landed
-in Sussex, where they were doing all manner of
-mischief, driving the people away from the
-towns and villages, and taking every thing they
-could lay their hands on.</p>
-
-<p>7. The king made all the haste he could to
-get his soldiers together, and began his march
-to oppose the invaders, but it took nearly a fortnight
-to get to where they were; and all that
-time the invaders were making dreadful havoc
-for miles round their camp, so that the terrified
-people fled to the woods, or shut themselves up
-in the churches, for fear of being killed.</p>
-
-<p>8. At last, Harold came, and a battle was
-fought near Hastings, on the 14th of October,
-1066, where the king and two of his brothers,
-with a great many of the English nobles, were
-slain, and the conqueror from that day looked
-upon himself as the master of the country.</p>
-
-<p>9. But the English had seen enough of the
-Normans to know that they should be very badly
-treated if they once suffered a Norman government
-to be established, so they resolved to do
-their utmost to prevent it, and thus the Normans
-had to fight for every town, and castle, before it
-was given up to them.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62"></a>[62]</span></p>
-
-<p>10. William had marched to London, and laid
-siege to it, soon after the battle of Hastings,
-and the people having submitted to him, he was
-crowned in Westminster Abbey, on Christmas
-day.</p>
-
-<p>11. A few of the English nobles went to offer
-their submission, that is, they agreed to obey
-him as their king, since he had promised that all
-who did so should be permitted to enjoy their
-rank and property undisturbed.</p>
-
-<p>12. But it was only a few who trusted to these
-promises, and they were deceived in the end, for
-it is almost certain that the Conqueror intended,
-from the first, to take every thing from the English
-to give to the Normans.</p>
-
-<p>13. I mean the English lords; for he meant
-to make the common people remain on the estates
-to which they belonged, that the new masters
-might have vassals and slaves to cultivate their
-lands.</p>
-
-<p>14. Now the poor people did not like this any
-more than the nobles themselves, so they fought
-bravely for their masters in many places; but it
-was all to no purpose; for, at the end of seven
-years, the Normans were in possession of all the
-land in the country, and most of its former lords
-had either been killed, or were reduced to such<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63"></a>[63]</span>
-a state of poverty and wretchedness that it is
-melancholy to think of.</p>
-
-<p>15. I will not attempt to describe the sufferings
-of the people during that long period, but
-you may imagine how very miserable they must
-have been, for the Normans got the better of
-them all over the country, and took delight in
-robbing and insulting their unhappy victims.</p>
-
-<p>16. I told you that the design of the Conqueror
-was to take all the land, and divide it
-among his followers, except what he chose to
-keep for himself, as crown lands.</p>
-
-<p>17. Now there were many Saxon ladies who
-possessed estates, in consequence of their fathers
-or brothers having been killed at the battle of
-Hastings; and most of these heiresses were compelled,
-against their will, to marry Norman
-lords, who thus gained lands as well as brides.</p>
-
-<p>18. Then the estates of all those who had not
-submitted to the king were declared to be forfeited,
-and William gave them to the Normans,
-or, more properly speaking, he gave the Barons
-leave to take them by force; so the English lords
-had to fight for their houses and lands, and many
-were killed, and many fled to other countries.</p>
-
-<p>19. The rustics, on these forfeited estates,
-would fight for their lord to the last; but, when
-he was forced to yield, they had no choice but<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64"></a>[64]</span>
-to submit to the new lord, or to see their cottages
-set on fire, and their wives and children
-perhaps murdered before their eyes.</p>
-
-<p>20. Some of the English nobles hid in the
-forests with their families, and as many of
-their vassals as would go with them, where they
-made habitations, and supported themselves by
-robbery and hunting; and this was the origin
-of the numerous bands of robbers that, in after
-times, were the terror of the country.</p>
-
-<p>21. The famous Robin Hood, who lived in
-the reign of Richard the First, is supposed to
-have been a descendant of one of these unfortunate
-English nobles.</p>
-
-<p>22. The Bishops’ sees and abbey lands were
-seized in the same violent manner, as the estates
-of the nobles, and given to the Norman clergy;
-and many of the monasteries, after being broken
-open and plundered, were taken for the abode
-of monks who came over from Normandy in
-great numbers.</p>
-
-<p>23. The Normans built a great many castles
-in different parts of the country; and, if they
-wanted to build one on a spot where there happened
-to be houses, they thought nothing of
-turning out the inhabitants, and pulling down
-the houses, to make room: and they pressed the
-poor people, both men and women, to do all the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65"></a>[65]</span>
-labour, without pay, and treated them very
-cruelly besides; for, if they did not work hard
-enough, these unfeeling taskmasters would urge
-them on with blows.</p>
-
-<p>24. Then wherever the Norman soldiers stayed,
-they went and lived in the houses of the people,
-took what they pleased, and made the family
-wait upon them.</p>
-
-<p>25. The king, himself, cruelly laid waste different
-parts of the country in revenge for the
-opposition made to his progress by some of the
-English earls, especially in the north, where,
-about three years after the battle of Hastings,
-such a scene of desolation was made by fire and
-sword, that, from York to Durham, the houses,
-the people, and all signs of cultivation, were
-utterly destroyed.</p>
-
-<p>26. The last stand made against the Normans
-was in a little island, formed by bogs and lakes,
-in Cambridgeshire, and still called the Isle of
-Ely. There, a brave chief, named Hereward,
-set up a fortified camp, and was joined by other
-noblemen, and many of their dependents, who,
-with the ceorls, or tenants, belonging to the
-Abbey of Ely, made quite an army.</p>
-
-<p>27. It was a secure place of refuge, because
-the only safe paths into the island were unknown
-to the Normans, who would most likely<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66"></a>[66]</span>
-have been lost in the bogs, if they had ventured
-to approach.</p>
-
-<p>28. But they had built a castle close by, at
-Cam Bridge, and they brought boats and tried
-to make causeways by which they might get into
-the camp of refuge; but the English would go
-out in bands at night and destroy all that their
-enemies had done, and kept constantly on the
-watch for straggling parties, who were often
-attacked unawares, and many of them killed,
-while the English could always retreat to their
-camp, where they were safe from pursuit.</p>
-
-<p>29. At last the Normans established a blockade
-of boats round the island, and provisions
-began to get scarce within it; so two or three
-bad selfish men, who lived in the abbey, went to
-the Normans at Cam Bridge, and said, they
-would show them the way into the island, if
-they would promise not to meddle with the
-abbey.</p>
-
-<p>30. These men led the Normans secretly into
-the island, and a terrible battle was fought, in
-which almost all the English were killed.</p>
-
-<p>31. When Hereward saw it was useless to
-fight any longer, he made his escape, and went
-to his own castle of Bourn, in Lincolnshire;
-where I believe, he afterwards made peace with
-the king, and was allowed to keep his estate.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67"></a>[67]</span></p>
-
-<p>32. I have given you a long history of the
-Conquest, because it was the most important
-event that ever occurred in the history of
-England, and was the last sudden and violent
-change made in this country by foreign invasion.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Explain the cause of the Norman invasion.</p>
-
-<p>8. What was the battle of Hastings, and where was it
-fought?</p>
-
-<p>9. Did the English make any further resistance?</p>
-
-<p>14. How long was it before the conquest was completed?</p>
-
-<p>18. How did many of the Norman lords obtain their estates?</p>
-
-<p>20. What became of the English nobles?</p>
-
-<p>23. How were the English treated by the Norman soldiers?</p>
-
-<p>26. What was the Camp of Refuge, and by whom established?</p>
-
-<p>31. What became of Hereward?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68"></a>[68]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE NORMAN PERIOD.&mdash;1087 TO 1154.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_068">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_068.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DEATH OF WILLIAM RUFUS.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The Normans were a cleverer people than
-the English, and lived in a superior manner.
-They were better acquainted with the arts of
-agriculture and architecture, and they knew a
-great deal more about useful gardening; for all
-the convents in Normandy had good gardens,
-planted with vegetables and herbs; and the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69"></a>[69]</span>
-monks brought over plenty of seeds and roots to
-sow or plant in gardens here.</p>
-
-<p>2. The Normans built stone castles, and
-strong houses of timber, with upper stories, so
-that their dwellings, in general, were higher and
-more substantial than those of the Saxons; and
-one great improvement was that they had chimneys;
-but their furniture was as rough and
-clumsy as the furniture used in the Saxon
-times, and their way of living was almost the
-same, except that they did not care so much
-about feasting, but preferred spending their
-time in hunting, hawking, and fighting in sport,
-for pastime.</p>
-
-<p>3. I should here tell you that William the
-Conqueror made the first game laws, and very
-severe they were, and very hard upon the poor
-people, who used to be at liberty to kill game in
-the forests; but, after these new laws, they
-dared not so much as take even a hare or partridge
-in their own fields.</p>
-
-<p>4. It was not only the English, who were forbidden
-to hunt on the royal domains, but the
-Normans also, unless they had special leave to
-do so; and, if any one was bold enough to kill
-a deer in the king’s forests, he was punished in
-the most cruel manner, by having his eyes put
-out, or his hands cut off.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70"></a>[70]</span></p>
-
-<p>5. The king’s palace was at Winchester, and
-he wanted to have a forest close by for hunting,
-so he ordered that all the towns and villages
-should be pulled down for about thirty miles, and
-the land planted with trees; and, what was
-worse, he gave nothing to the poor people for
-turning them out of their homes; and this is
-still called the New Forest.</p>
-
-<p>6. In imitation of this bad example, many of
-the nobles began to make large parks, enclosed
-with walls to keep deer, and they cared no more
-than William had done about taking away the
-fields and pasture lands of the poor cottagers,
-who dared not complain, and were even obliged
-to run to their doors with refreshments to offer
-to the Norman lords and their followers when
-they were out hunting, although they often
-saw them riding over their corn, and breaking
-through their hedges.</p>
-
-<p>7. It was not till after several reigns that the
-descendants of the Norman Conquerors began
-to consider themselves Englishmen, and to treat
-their vassals more like fellow countrymen.</p>
-
-<p>8. The first hundred years after the conquest
-is therefore usually called the Norman period,
-and includes the reigns of William the Conqueror,
-William Rufus, Henry the First, and
-Stephen.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71"></a>[71]</span></p>
-
-<p>9. I have already told you that the Feudal
-system was brought into England by the Saxons,
-and I explained what it was; but I must now
-mention that this system was carried much
-farther by the Normans, that is, their feudal
-laws were stricter, and the nobles themselves
-were bound by them as well as the common
-people.</p>
-
-<p>10. I should wish you to understand this as
-clearly as possible, because the manners and
-customs of the age were governed entirely by
-those laws.</p>
-
-<p>11. First, then, the king was lord of the land,
-and kept a great portion of it for himself, which
-made what were called crown lands; and all the
-people, who lived on the crown lands, whether in
-burgh, town, or country, were his tenants, and
-paid him rent, or taxes, both in money and produce,
-besides being obliged to furnish him with
-soldiers at their own expense.</p>
-
-<p>12. For example, if a town had to find two
-or more horse-soldiers, the inhabitants were, besides,
-obliged to pay the expenses of their arms,
-horses and maintenance, for the time they were
-on service.</p>
-
-<p>13. The Manors and Abbey lands were held of
-the king on the same conditions; and every man,
-who had a certain quantity of land, was bound<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72"></a>[72]</span>
-either to serve as a soldier himself, or send a
-substitute.</p>
-
-<p>14. The rest of the country was divided by
-the king amongst the great barons, who agreed,
-in return, that whenever he went to war they
-would go with him, and take with them so many
-men, properly armed and trained for warfare,
-perhaps fifty or a hundred, or even more, according
-to the extent of lands they held.</p>
-
-<p>15. These great Baronies were called Feods,
-and the king was the feodal or feudal lord of the
-barons, who were called crowned vassals; and,
-when any one of them died, the king took the
-lands again until the heir paid him a large sum
-of money to redeem them.</p>
-
-<p>16. Some of the kings behaved very ill in
-this, in making the heirs pay a great deal more
-than was just; and, if a baron died, and left a
-daughter only, she was obliged to marry any one
-the king chose, or he would not let her have her
-inheritance at all.</p>
-
-<p>17. The feudal laws were therefore very bad,
-because they gave men the power of being
-tyrants to each other; for the nobles had the
-same power of oppressing their vassals that the
-king had of oppressing them.</p>
-
-<p>18. You must understand that the great
-Barons, who held very extensive domains, gave<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73"></a>[73]</span>
-small estates out of them to men who were not
-so high in rank as themselves, on the same conditions
-as the king had given the large baronies
-to them, so that the lesser nobles were the vassals
-of the great ones, and were bound to aid
-them with men and money when required.</p>
-
-<p>19. Then all the nobles, from the highest to
-the lowest degree, were the absolute lords of all
-the common people that dwelt on their lands,
-and could make them do just whatever they
-pleased, as I told you they could in the Saxon
-times; but then the Norman lords treated them,
-at first, a great deal more harshly than the
-Saxon lords did, and took a great deal more from
-them.</p>
-
-<p>20. After the Norman conquest they were
-called villeins, which meant villagers, and they
-lived in the same manner, and had the same kind
-of duties to perform for their lords, as in the
-Saxon times; but there were many new feudal
-customs brought here by the Normans; as for
-example, a mill was set up on every estate, to
-which all the poor people were obliged to take
-their corn to be ground, instead of grinding it
-at home with hand-mills, as they used to do;
-and, out of each measure, a part was taken for
-the baron, which was a very hard tax upon them,
-especially if they had large families.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74"></a>[74]</span></p>
-
-<p>21. Another feudal custom was this; a duty
-was laid on every thing sold at the fairs and
-markets; that is, if a man went to the market
-to buy a sheep, he must pay so much for the
-sheep, and so much for duty, the duty being for
-the baron, or lord of the manor.</p>
-
-<p>22. There were a great many other customs
-which I have not room to mention, but I think
-I have said enough to show you what the feudal
-system was in the first ages after the Norman
-conquest; so now I will tell you something about
-the first Norman sovereigns.</p>
-
-<p>23. William the Conqueror died in 1087, and
-was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert, in
-Normandy, and by his second son, William
-Rufus, in England; but after a time Duke Robert
-wanted money to go to the Holy Wars,
-which I will tell you about presently, so he
-mortgaged his duchy of Normandy to his brother
-William, who thus became sovereign of both
-countries, as his father had been. He was a sad
-tyrant, and so rude in his manners that nobody
-liked him.</p>
-
-<p>24. I told you what strict game laws were
-made by the Conqueror, but William Rufus made
-them more severe still, and so displeased the noblemen,
-by forbidding them to hunt without his
-leave, that some of them formed a conspiracy to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75"></a>[75]</span>
-dethrone him; but the plot was discovered, and
-the Earl of Northumberland, who was at the
-head of it, was taken prisoner, and confined in
-Windsor Castle all the rest of his life.</p>
-
-<p>25. There was another great lord, the Count
-d’Eu, who was accused of being engaged in this
-plot, by a knight called Geoffrey Bainard, so the
-king had him arrested. The Count, however,
-denied having any thing to do with it, and said
-he defied his accuser, and was ready to fight
-with him, and that God would give the victory
-<ins class="corr" id="tn-75" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'te whichever of'">
-to whichever of</ins> them was in the right.</p>
-
-<p>26. So they fought with swords, in the presence
-of the king and court, when Bainard was
-victorious, and the Count being thus convicted,
-was condemned to have his eyes torn out.</p>
-
-<p>27. This was a strange way for a man to
-prove his innocence of any crime, but it became
-a common custom in England, and was called
-“Wager of battle.” Even law-suits, respecting
-right of property, were often thus decided; and,
-if a lady had a quarrel or a lawsuit, she might
-get a man to do battle for her, and he was called
-her champion.</p>
-
-<p>28. It was the fashion for many ages, not
-only in England, but all over Europe, for young
-men of noble birth to roam about the world in
-search of adventures; and, as they were generally<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76"></a>[76]</span>
-poor and depended chiefly on their swords
-for subsistence, they would engage in anybody’s
-quarrels; fight in the cause of women or children
-who were either injured or oppressed, and
-enlist in the service of princes and barons who
-were at war.</p>
-
-<p>29. This was called chivalry, and these knights
-errant, or wandering knights, were made welcome
-wherever they went, and treated with hospitality
-at the castles of the great.</p>
-
-<p>30. Numbers of them went to the Holy Wars,
-but, as I suppose you do not know what the
-Holy Wars were, I will tell you about them.</p>
-
-<p>31. Many pious Christians in those days
-thought it a duty to make a journey, or pilgrimage
-as it was called, to Jerusalem, once in their
-lives, to say their prayers at our Saviour’s tomb;
-but Jerusalem had been conquered by the Mahomedans,
-who hated the Christians, and behaved
-very cruelly to the pilgrims; so the Pope,
-who you know is the great Bishop of Rome, and
-at that time had more authority over all the
-countries of Europe than the kings had, said
-that it was the duty of all Christian warriors to
-go to Palestine, or the Holy Land, to fight
-against the Saracens, and try to drive them from
-Jerusalem.</p>
-
-<p>32. Then a religious man, called Peter the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77"></a>[77]</span>
-Hermit, went about preaching a crusade, that is,
-exhorting the princes and nobles in France,
-Germany, and Italy, to undertake this war,
-which was called a crusade, or <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">croisade</i>, because
-the ensign on their banners was to be the Cross.</p>
-
-<p>33. Robert, Duke of Normandy, was among
-the first crusaders, and, as he wanted money to
-keep himself and all the fighting men he took
-with him, he pledged his duchy to his brother,
-William Rufus, for a very large sum.</p>
-
-<p>34. The English did not join in these wars, at
-first, but after a time there was scarcely a knight
-or noble in the land that did not go to the Crusades,
-for they were continued, in all, more than
-two hundred years; and, during two hundred
-years; and, during that time, great numbers of
-the lower order of people in England were freed
-from bondage, in consequence of being allowed
-to purchase their liberty to supply their lords
-with money for these wars.</p>
-
-<p>35. William Rufus, who was killed by accident
-as he was hunting in the New Forest, was succeeded
-by his brother, Henry the First, surnamed
-Beauclerk, because he was a learned man,
-who behaved much better to the Saxon English
-than the two former kings had done, and restored
-to some of the old families a part of their
-ancient possessions.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78"></a>[78]</span></p>
-
-<p>36. He likewise altered the forest laws, which
-had given so much discontent, and gave the
-citizens of London leave to hunt in Epping
-Forest, which then reached very nearly to the
-walls of the city.</p>
-
-<p>37. Winchester was then the capital of England,
-but London was one of the best cities and
-the richest, as many of its inhabitants were merchants
-who traded with foreign countries; yet
-the houses were only mean wooden buildings,
-with no glass in the windows, and thatched with
-straw.</p>
-
-<p>38. Westminster was quite a separate city, and
-divided from London by country houses, fields
-and a village. The king had a palace at Westminster,
-and William Rufus built Westminster
-hall adjoining it, for his Christmas feasts.</p>
-
-<p>39. A curious privilege was granted by Henry
-the First to the citizens of London, which will
-serve to show you what grievances the people
-were subject to in those times.</p>
-
-<p>40. There were a great number of persons
-who were employed in various ways about the
-court, and who followed the king wherever he
-went; for great men, when they travelled, were
-obliged to take every thing they wanted with
-them, there being no public accommodation to
-be had any where; so they carried with them<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79"></a>[79]</span>
-waggon loads of furniture, plate, wine, cooking
-utensils, and I do not know what besides; with
-their domestics and retainers of all descriptions,
-who formed a numerous retinue.</p>
-
-<p>41. Now, the inhabitants of any city, where
-the king happened to be holding his court, were
-obliged to give board and lodging, at free cost,
-to all these people, who generally behaved very
-ill; for they would insist upon having the best
-rooms, order whatever they chose, and treat the
-family just as if they were their servants.</p>
-
-<p>42. It was, therefore, a very good thing for
-the Londoners when king Henry released them
-from this heavy burthen, but all other towns had
-to bear it for a very long period.</p>
-
-<p>43. In this reign the first manufactory for
-woollen cloth was established in this country, by
-some weavers from Flanders, where the best
-cloth was made from English wool, which was
-the staple commodity of England at that period;
-I mean, the thing of which they had most to
-sell; for quantities of sheep were reared on every
-estate.</p>
-
-<p>44. England had no manufactures then, so
-there were no employments for the lower classes
-but agriculture, and the few useful arts, that
-were but very imperfectly understood.</p>
-
-<p>45. Henry the First died in the year 1135.<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80"></a>[80]</span>
-He left the crown to his daughter Matilda, who
-had been twice married; first, to the Emperor
-of Germany, and again to Geoffrey Plantagenet,
-Earl of Anjou, who was dead also, therefore she
-was again a widow.</p>
-
-<p>46. But there was a nephew of the late king,
-named Stephen, who was rather a favorite among
-the Barons, and was quite willing to take advantage
-of their good will; so, before Matilda could
-reach England, her cousin Stephen had mounted
-the throne.</p>
-
-<p>47. Then there was a civil war in this country,
-which was carried on, at times, for fifteen
-years, for a great many French noblemen came
-here with Matilda to fight for her; and some of
-the English Barons, who had become dissatisfied
-with Stephen, because he had not done all they
-expected he would do, joined the other party,
-and there was fighting all over the country.</p>
-
-<p>48. Wherever there is civil war, there is sure
-to be famine and misery of all kinds, and there
-never was more misery in England than during
-the reign of king Stephen; for, in order to keep
-as many of the Barons on his side as he could,
-he let them do just as they pleased; and he gave
-titles and estates to a great many bold and bad
-men, who built castles and kept bands of ruffians,
-who went at night to rob and plunder the towns<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81"></a>[81]</span>
-and villages; so <ins class="corr" id="tn-81" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'that the peeple'">
-that the people</ins>, when they shut
-up their houses at night, used to kneel down and
-pray that God would protect them from robbers
-and murderers.</p>
-
-<p>49. At last, it was settled that Stephen should
-keep the crown as long as he lived; but that
-Matilda’s son, Henry Plantagenet, should succeed
-him; and, soon after this arrangement, he
-died, having reigned nineteen years.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. How did the Normans improve the country?</p>
-
-<p>3. What is the origin of the game laws?</p>
-
-<p>5. How was the New Forest made?</p>
-
-<p>8. Which reigns are called the Norman period?</p>
-
-<p>15. When a baron died, how were his lands disposed of?</p>
-
-<p>18. How did the lesser barons become vassals of the great
-ones?</p>
-
-<p>21. What new feudal customs were brought here by the
-Normans?</p>
-
-<p>23. Who succeeded William the Conqueror?</p>
-
-<p>28. What was chivalry?</p>
-
-<p>31. Give some account of the Crusades.</p>
-
-<p>35. Who succeeded William Rufus?</p>
-
-<p>36. How did he gain popularity?</p>
-
-<p>43. What was the first manufacture in England?</p>
-
-<p>45. To whom did Henry leave the crown?</p>
-
-<p>46. Who usurped the throne?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82"></a>[82]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">HENRY THE SECOND, RICHARD THE FIRST, AND
-JOHN.&mdash;1154 TO 1216.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_082">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_082.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">JOHN SIGNING THE MAGNA CHARTA.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. As soon as Henry the Second came to the
-throne, he began to set things to rights again.
-He had all the new castles pulled down, and
-made the bad men who had lived in them, leave
-the country; then he set people to work to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83"></a>[83]</span>
-rebuild the towns that had been burned down in
-the late wars; and ordered that the judges
-should go on circuits; that is, travel to all the
-cities, and hold assizes, two or three times a
-year, as they do now, to see that justice is done
-to everybody.</p>
-
-<p>2. But it was not quite so easy to do justice
-then; for, as long as the feudal laws lasted, the
-rich could always oppress the poor, and every
-great man had an army of his own vassals, who
-would do any thing he bade them, whether it
-was lawful or not.</p>
-
-<p>3. Now the king wisely thought that the best
-thing in the world for the country would be to
-give more freedom to the people, so that the
-Barons might not have quite so much power.</p>
-
-<p>4. He, therefore, granted charters to some of
-the cities, which made them a little more independent;
-but it was by very slow degrees that
-the people of England became free, although
-this happy change was beginning to take place.</p>
-
-<p>5. Another thing the king wanted to do, was
-to make the clergy answerable to the judges for
-any bad acts they might commit, instead of
-having particular laws and judges for themselves;
-and, I am sorry to say, they sometimes
-did very wicked things, for which they were not
-punished half so severely as other people would<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84"></a>[84]</span>
-have been for similar offences, which certainly
-was unjust.</p>
-
-<p>6. But the bishops were unwilling to let the
-king have any thing to do with church affairs,
-and the Pope encouraged them to oppose him,
-in this respect; for the Pope, in those days, had
-more power over all Europe than the kings
-themselves, who seldom dared to disobey him.</p>
-
-<p>7. The person who quarrelled most with
-Henry about these things was Thomas à Becket,
-archbishop of Canterbury, a very proud man,
-who wanted to rule both king and state his own
-way.</p>
-
-<p>8. The king was so much annoyed at the opposition
-he constantly met with from the archbishop,
-that one day, in a fit of passion, he said
-he wished that troublesome priest was dead; on
-which some persons, who heard these incautious
-words thinking to get into favor, rode off to
-Canterbury, and killed the archbishop in his
-Cathedral.</p>
-
-<p>9. But they gained nothing by this wicked
-deed; for the king was shocked when he heard
-of it, and sorry for what he had said; which
-shows how wrong it is for people to use violent
-expressions when they feel angry.</p>
-
-<p>10. One very remarkable event which occurred
-in this reign, was the conquest of Ireland. That<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85"></a>[85]</span>
-country had been, for many years, divided into
-several small kingdoms, and the disputes of the
-chiefs had often given rise to warfare among
-themselves; but it now happened that the king
-of Leinster, having been deposed by another
-prince, went direct to the king of England, to
-beg his assistance, which Henry readily promised,
-on condition that, if he were restored, he
-should hold his kingdom as a vassal of the English
-crown.</p>
-
-<p>11. Dermot, that was the name of the Irish
-prince, agreed to these terms, and several English
-knights and noblemen undertook the enterprise.
-After a great many interesting adventures,
-which are told in the history of Ireland,
-Dermot was replaced on his throne; but other
-quarrels arising among the chiefs, the English
-continued the war, and, after some time, the
-Irish chiefs acknowledged the king of England
-as a lord and master of Ireland, which has been
-under the authority of the English government
-ever since.</p>
-
-<p>12. Henry the Second died in 1189, and was
-succeeded by his son Richard, who was called
-Cœur-de-lion, because he was very brave, so that
-everybody said he had the heart of a lion.</p>
-
-<p>13. Now it is a very good thing for men to be
-brave, for I do not know what we should do<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86"></a>[86]</span>
-without brave men for soldiers and sailors, to
-fight for us; but it is not the most useful quality
-a king can possess; and I think you will agree
-with me, when I tell you that Richard the First,
-instead of staying at home to make good laws,
-and take care of his subjects, went away to fight,
-or gain glory, as fighting was then called, in the
-Holy Land, while all things were going wrong
-in England, for the want of somebody to keep
-order.</p>
-
-<p>14. But there was some excuse for him, as
-everybody in those days thought that the most
-praiseworthy act princes and nobles could do,
-was to fight for their religion against all persons
-who believed differently from themselves; so
-Richard was very much admired by his people,
-although he did nothing for their real benefit;
-but, on the contrary, caused them very much
-misery, and great distress.</p>
-
-<p>15. Another evil was that the Barons, who
-went with him to the Crusades, took all their
-own money as well as all they could get from
-their tenants, to support themselves and their
-fighting men abroad, so that the generality of
-the people were left very poor.</p>
-
-<p>16. A great number, indeed, obtained their
-freedom, by giving up all they had to their lords;
-but then they were left without money or employment,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87"></a>[87]</span>
-and many turned robbers, to save
-themselves from starving; therefore, you see, it
-was not always a good thing, at first, for the bondmen
-to be set at liberty; but it was good in the
-end, for their children were born free, and, as
-times got better, the free middle classes began to
-be of some consequence, and have gone on gradually
-increasing in wealth and importance, till
-they have now become the best safeguard and
-support of the country.</p>
-
-<p>17. While Richard was gone to the wars, his
-brother John, who was a very bad man, wanted
-to make himself king in England, and there
-were some of the nobles who encouraged him,
-while others defended the rights of the absent
-monarch; so that there was great confusion, and
-the laws were sadly disregarded.</p>
-
-<p>18. At last, Richard heard of all these bad
-doings, and left the Holy Land, intending to
-come home as fast as he could; but, unfortunately,
-he was made prisoner, on his way, by
-the Duke of Austria, and confined in a castle in
-Germany for some time before the English people
-knew what had become of him.</p>
-
-<p>19. Richard knew this duke was his enemy,
-because he had affronted him when in the Holy
-Land, so he had taken the precaution of disguising
-himself in passing through his dominions,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88"></a>[88]</span>
-and took with him only a single page; but, one
-day, being tired and hungry, he stopped to rest
-at a village near Vienna, and sent his page into
-that city to buy some provisions.</p>
-
-<p>20. The youth, foolishly, hung a pair of handsome
-gloves in his belt, and as gloves were, in
-those days, only worn by persons of the highest
-rank, this circumstance excited suspicion, and
-he was arrested, and obliged to confess the
-truth.</p>
-
-<p>21. The duke immediately sent a band of
-soldiers to seize the king, whom they found busy
-turning some meat that was roasting at the fire.</p>
-
-<p>22. He started up, drew his sword, and fought
-valiantly, but was captured, and sent to a strong
-fortress, where he had remained a prisoner some
-months, when he was discovered, it has been
-stated, by a wandering minstrel, who heard him
-singing in his prison, and knew his voice. But
-this is a fabulous tale.</p>
-
-<p>23. A large sum was raised in England, by
-taxes, for his ransom, and he came back; but
-he did not stay long at home; for he had quarrelled,
-while in the Holy Land, with the king of
-France, and went over to Normandy for the
-purpose of going to war with him, where he was
-killed by a poisoned arrow, aimed at him from<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89"></a>[89]</span>
-the walls of a castle he was besieging, in the
-year 1199, having reigned ten years.</p>
-
-<p>24. Prince John was now made king of England,
-but he had no lawful right to the throne,
-as prince Arthur, the orphan son of an elder
-brother, was living, and was the true heir, according
-to the rules of succession.</p>
-
-<p>25. But this unfortunate prince was made
-prisoner, in Normandy, by his wicked uncle,
-and most people believe he met with a violent
-death.</p>
-
-<p>26. It was a very serious misfortune for the
-country when the king happened to be a bad
-man, because the government was, at that time,
-despotic; that is, the king made the laws himself,
-and had the power of doing whatever he
-pleased; whereas, now, the laws are made by the
-parliament; so that, before any new act can be
-passed, a great many good and clever men must
-agree to it, which is a great protection to the
-people.</p>
-
-<p>27. However, king John was compelled much
-against his will, to make some very good laws,
-and the reason of this was, that his tyranny
-was felt by the nobles even more than the common
-people, for their estates were often unjustly
-seized, and they were obliged to give
-him large sums of money to get them back<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90"></a>[90]</span>
-again; then he would not let them marry unless
-they paid him for leave to do so; and if any
-person wanted to go out of the country, they
-were obliged to buy his permission. In short,
-no one was free to do any thing till the consent
-of the king was obtained by a handsome present.</p>
-
-<p>28. At length, his tyranny was carried to
-such a height that the chief nobles resolved to
-make him act more justly, or dethrone him; so
-they wrote down, on parchment, all the things
-they wished to have done, or altered, and agreed
-with each other that, if he refused to sign it,
-they would go to war with him, and they took
-care to have all their vassals armed, and in
-readiness.</p>
-
-<p>29. John was very much frightened when he
-found the barons were in earnest, and agreed to
-meet them at a place called Runnymede, between
-Staines and Windsor, where, after a great deal
-of disputing, he was obliged to sign his name to
-what they had written, which thus became the
-law of the land. An ancient copy of this parchment
-is now in the British Museum.</p>
-
-<p>30. It is called Magna Charta, which is the
-Latin name for ‘the Great Charter;’ and it was
-framed with a view to take from the king the
-power of doing unjust things, and to make him
-govern according to the laws, and not to be able<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91"></a>[91]</span>
-to make new laws, or impose new taxes, at his
-pleasure.</p>
-
-<p>31. This famous act is generally regarded as
-the beginning of the liberty which all Englishmen
-are so justly proud of; but the laws it
-contained were, in many respects often broken
-by the sovereigns of England, for a very long
-period.</p>
-
-<p>32. The Barons of England still lived in their
-castles, on their own estates, in the midst of
-their vassals and serfs. Their castle-halls were
-crowded with knights, squires, pages, and military
-dependents, for it was their pride to have
-as many of such retainers as they could possibly
-maintain. The pages were boys of high
-rank, generally the younger sons of noblemen,
-whose profession was to be knight errantry.</p>
-
-<p>33. Now, in order to obtain the honour of
-knighthood, they were obliged to serve some
-great baron, first as pages, then as esquires, for
-several years, and to be very obedient and respectful
-in their conduct, and do all that was
-required of them readily and cheerfully.</p>
-
-<p>34. While pages, they had to wait upon their
-lords and his guests at dinner and supper, to
-carry messages, and perform little services for
-the ladies of the family; but they were themselves
-waited upon by the domestic slaves, and,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92"></a>[92]</span>
-when they had finished their day’s duties, were
-allowed to mix with the company.</p>
-
-<p>35. They were taught to use the sword and
-lance, and to manage a horse skilfully, and were
-instructed in religious duties by the priests of
-their lord’s household.</p>
-
-<p>36. When old enough, they were made
-esquires, and then their duties were to take care
-of the horses and armour, and to attend their
-lords on all occasions; which services he usually
-rewarded by making them knights, when they
-were free to go wherever they pleased; and you
-have already been told what their mode of life
-was afterwards.</p>
-
-<p>37. The great people were very fond of hunting
-and hawking, and fighting at tournaments;
-but, perhaps, you do not know what a tournament
-was, so I will tell you.</p>
-
-<p>38. There was a place built up, something
-like a large theatre, with galleries for the ladies
-and gentlemen, to sit and see the combats in the
-open space below, and this was called the lists.
-Then the gentlemen, who wished to exhibit their
-valour, used to come in armour, and fight with
-each other on horseback till one was conquered,
-when the victor received a prize from the greatest
-lady present.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93"></a>[93]</span></p>
-
-<p>39. When only two knights fought, it was
-called a tilt; but if there were several on each
-side, it was a tournament; and, although these
-combats were held for sport, the combatants
-were often dangerously wounded, and sometimes
-killed.</p>
-
-<p>40. When John had signed Magna Charta, the
-Barons went home to their castles, to enjoy
-their usual pleasures; but the king had no intention
-of behaving any better than before, and
-secretly sent agents to Flanders, to raise troops
-of foreigners, promising that they should be
-allowed to plunder the estates of the Barons, if
-they would enlist in his service.</p>
-
-<p>41. Thus he soon appeared at the head of an
-army, and went to war with the nobles, who, in
-revenge, did a very wrong and foolish thing,
-which was, to offer the crown to Louis, the son
-of the king of France.</p>
-
-<p>42. Louis soon came over with a French army,
-and, after having in vain tried to take Dover
-Castle, he entered London in triumph, whilst
-John <ins class="corr" id="tn-93" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'was obiged to'">
-was obliged to</ins> retreat; but the Barons began
-to think they had done wrong, and, as John
-died suddenly, in the midst of this confusion,
-they turned their arms against Louis, and forced
-him to leave the country.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94"></a>[94]</span></p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. What were the first acts of Henry the Second?</p>
-
-<p>7. Who was Thomas à Becket?</p>
-
-<p>8. How was the death of Becket caused?</p>
-
-<p>10. What conquest was made in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>12. When did Henry die, and who succeeded him?</p>
-
-<p>13. How did Richard employ the chief part of his reign?</p>
-
-<p>17. What occurred in England during his absence?</p>
-
-<p>22. What happened to the king on his way home?</p>
-
-<p>23. State the date and manner of his death.</p>
-
-<p>24. Who was the next king?</p>
-
-<p>27. How did the king act towards the nobles?</p>
-
-<p>30. What was Magna Charta?</p>
-
-<p>40. What did the king do after he had signed that Charter?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95"></a>[95]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">FROM THE DEATH OF KING JOHN TO THE
-ACCESSION OF RICHARD THE SECOND.&mdash;<ins class="corr" id="tn-95" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: '1216 TO 1399'">1216 TO 1377</ins>.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_095">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_095.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DEATH OF LLEWELLYN.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The reign of Henry the Third, who was
-only nine years of age when he succeeded his
-father, was a very long and a very unhappy one.</p>
-
-<p>2. At first, things went on very well, because
-the king had a good guardian, the Earl of Pembroke,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96"></a>[96]</span>
-who managed the government wisely; but
-he, in a few years, died, and others came into
-power who did not act so well, and the king was
-too young to know what was right himself.</p>
-
-<p>3. It was a pity the good earl died, for, if
-Henry had been fortunate enough to have had
-a wise instructer, he might have been a better
-sovereign, but, as it was, he was a very bad one.</p>
-
-<p>4. The great mischief was this. He married
-a French princess, who had no more wisdom than
-himself; and they were both so extravagant that
-they spent a great deal more money than they
-could afford; and, then, to get fresh supplies,
-the king ordered the people to pay more taxes,
-and began to do all the unjust things that had
-caused so much misery in the time of his father.</p>
-
-<p>5. Sometimes the Barons assembled and
-obliged him to promise he would abide by the
-terms of Magna Charta; but he soon forgot his
-promises, and went on the same as before, so
-that the people were worse and worse off every
-year, and many men became robbers on the
-highways, because they could not support their
-families by honest industry.</p>
-
-<p>6. This was the state of affairs for many
-years, till at last, there was a civil war again,
-and, after a great deal of fighting and bloodshed,
-the king and his eldest son, Edward, were made<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97"></a>[97]</span>
-prisoners in a battle, fought at Lewes, in Sussex,
-in 1264, and the Earl of Leicester, the king’s
-brother-in-law, took the government upon himself.</p>
-
-<p>7. This was an important event, because the
-earl summoned a parliament to consult as to
-what it would be best to do under these circumstances;
-and he desired that, besides the nobles
-and bishops, there should come to this parliament
-knights, or gentlemen from every county, and
-citizens and burghers, from every city and burgh
-to state what the condition of the people really
-was, and to help to advise what could be done
-for them; so that the commoners were now, probably,
-for the first time, admitted to some share
-in the government of the country, which was a
-great step gained by the people, who, before
-this, had no representatives in the national
-council, or parliament, to take their part; and
-this was the beginning of our House of Commons,
-so it is worth remembering.</p>
-
-<p>8. Prince Edward, after this, escaped from
-Hereford, where he had been kept a prisoner,
-and gained a great victory over the Barons, and
-replaced his father Henry on the throne; after
-which, he went on a crusade to the Holy Land.</p>
-
-<p>9. He had married a Spanish princess, named
-Eleanor, who was the first person, in England,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98"></a>[98]</span>
-that had a carpet, which she brought from Spain,
-for the floors of the best apartments in the
-palace were strewed with rushes; and, in houses,
-where they could not get rushes, they used
-straw.</p>
-
-<p>10. Henry the Third died about seven years
-after his restoration, in the year 1272, having
-reigned fifty-seven years; and, although the
-news was sent to his son as soon as possible, it
-was nearly two years before he returned to England;
-such was the difference between travelling
-then and now; for the journey to and from the
-Holy Land may now be accomplished in a few
-weeks.</p>
-
-<p>11. Edward the First was a much wiser and
-better prince than his father, but he was too fond
-of war, and too anxious to be renowned as a conqueror,
-which was the cause of the long wars in
-Scotland, for his great ambition <ins class="corr" id="tn-98" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'was to conquor'">
-was to conquer</ins> that country.</p>
-
-<p>12. But, the first thing he thought of, when
-he came home, was to make such regulations as
-were most likely to protect the people from robbery;
-so he had watchmen and patrols appointed
-in all the cities, and ordered that nobody should
-be abroad in the streets of London, nor any
-taverns kept open, after the curfew bell had
-tolled.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99"></a>[99]</span></p>
-
-<p>13. The curfew was instituted by William the
-Conqueror, to prevent fires, which were very
-frequent, when houses were in general built of
-wood, and thatched; so, when this bell tolled at
-eight o’clock, the people, for a long time after
-the conquest, were obliged to put out their fires
-and candles; but the custom of tolling the bell
-was continued after that of putting out fire and
-candle was done away with, and even to this day,
-in many places.</p>
-
-<p>14. Edward the First took care that the magistrates
-should do their duty, and punished those
-who broke the laws, which the kings had been
-afraid to do in the last two reigns, because their
-lives would have been in danger if they had.</p>
-
-<p>15. I must also tell you that this wise monarch
-did not alter what the Earl of Leicester had
-done about the parliament; but he made it a rule
-that the people should continue to send their
-members, and every freeholder of land in the
-counties, and, in general, all men, in the cities
-and burghs, who paid taxes, had a right to vote
-at the election of members of parliament.</p>
-
-<p>16. I should be glad to have nothing to say
-about warfare in this reign; but the Scottish
-wars form so large a portion of the history of
-the times, that you ought to know something
-about them.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100"></a>[100]</span></p>
-
-<p>17. First, however, the king invaded the
-northern part of Wales, which had never been
-conquered by the English, and was then governed
-by a prince, named Llewellyn.</p>
-
-<p>18. This chief made a gallant resistance, but
-he was killed, and the whole country was then
-united to England, and afterwards, in the reign
-of Henry the Eighth, divided into shires.</p>
-
-<p>19. The queen, Eleanor, of Castile, Edward’s
-first wife, went to visit Wales soon afterwards,
-and her son Edward was born there, so the king
-said he should be called prince of Wales, and
-that is the reason why the eldest son of the
-English sovereign has since had that title.</p>
-
-<p>20. After this, there were a few years of
-peace, before the wars with Scotland were begun;
-so I will fill up the time by saying a little about
-the manners and customs of the English at this
-period.</p>
-
-<p>21. The nobles lived in, what we should think,
-a very rough way indeed. Their large comfortless
-rooms, and floors without carpets, unglazed
-windows, and clumsy furniture, would not suit
-our modern notions, either of comfort or convenience.</p>
-
-<p>22. They had their dinner at ten o’clock in
-the morning, in the great hall of the castle;
-lords, ladies, knights, esquires, priests, dependents,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101"></a>[101]</span>
-and strangers, all together; for, when there
-were no inns, it was usual for travellers to stop
-at any castle, or monastery, on the road, where
-they were never refused lodging and entertainment.</p>
-
-<p>23. There were no table cloths, and the dishes
-and cups were mostly of wood, but they were
-well filled with meat, game, fish, or poultry,
-which, with bread and ale, constituted the rude,
-but substantial fare.</p>
-
-<p>24. The Baron, with his friends, sat at an
-upper table, which was served with wine; and,
-sometimes he would have his hounds lying at his
-feet, and his favorite hawk, upon a perch, beside
-him.</p>
-
-<p>25. The supper, at five o’clock, was just like
-the dinner, and these were the only regular
-meals at that period.</p>
-
-<p>26. I said there were no inns in those days,
-which reminds me to speak of the difficulty and
-danger of travelling. The roads were very bad
-and lonely, often running through forests and
-across wide heaths, infested with robbers.</p>
-
-<p>27. Then there were no public conveyances
-of any kind, nor any way of making a journey,
-but on horseback, or on foot; and, as to stopping
-at the country towns, there was very little accommodation
-to be had there, for they were poor<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102"></a>[102]</span>
-places, the houses in them being very little better
-than wooden sheds.</p>
-
-<p>28. There were no shops, so that every thing
-was bought, as formerly, at the markets and
-fairs.</p>
-
-<p>29. A great many merchants, from London,
-France, and Flanders, used to bring goods to
-the fairs for sale, and they were obliged to pay
-tolls and duties to the lord of the manor, which
-came to a great deal of money, because they
-brought a quantity of valuable merchandise, as
-the nobles themselves purchased their wearing
-apparel, jewellery, spices, and many other commodities,
-at the fairs, which sometimes lasted
-fifteen days.</p>
-
-<p>30. The dress of the great nobility, in the
-fourteenth century, was very handsome, for they
-wore mantles of satin or velvet, with borders
-worked in gold, over jackets highly embroidered;
-and their velvet caps were often adorned with
-jewels.</p>
-
-<p>31. The middle classes wore close coats of
-cloth, with leather belts round the waist, such
-as the Blue-Coat Boys now wear, and they had
-tight pantaloons, short boots, and cloth caps.</p>
-
-<p>32. The clothing of the working people was
-made of very coarse wool, sometimes undyed,
-and all spun and woven at home by the women,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103"></a>[103]</span>
-who had nothing else for their own wearing, as
-there were no cottons or stuffs made in England
-then, nor any of the nice comfortable things that
-the poor people can get so cheap now.</p>
-
-<p>33. The country towns were at this period
-inhabited chiefly by free artisans, such as blacksmiths,
-carpenters, and others, of different
-trades; but there were still a great many villeins
-and serfs, on all the cultivated lands, for
-slavery was never abolished in England by any
-act of parliament, but gradually died away with
-the feudal laws.</p>
-
-<p>34. The armies were not raised then as they
-were at an earlier period, by feudal service, but
-soldiers were hired and paid by the day; but
-there was no standing army, as there is at present;
-for, as soon as the wars were over, the men
-were all discharged, which was a bad thing, as it
-often happened they had no homes or employment
-to return to, and so formed themselves into
-bands of robbers.</p>
-
-<p>35. However, fighting men had plenty of occupation
-during the reign of Edward the First,
-of whose wars in Scotland I am now about to
-speak.</p>
-
-<p>36. The king of Scotland died about this
-time, and as he left no son, and his grand-daughter
-and heiress, Margaret, died soon after,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104"></a>[104]</span>
-unmarried, there were two princes, who each
-thought he had a right to succeed to the throne;
-so they agreed to let the king of England decide
-the dispute, which he readily took upon himself
-to do. One prince was named Robert Bruce,
-the other, John Baliol.</p>
-
-<p>37. Edward said Baliol ought to be king, and
-he was crowned accordingly; but the English
-monarch soon began to find fault with him, and
-at last went to war, for he made up his mind to
-try to unite England and Scotland into one
-kingdom, and to be the king of both countries
-himself; but he did not succeed, although he dethroned
-Baliol, and was at war with Scotland
-for nearly eleven years.</p>
-
-<p>38. I dare say you have heard of a renowned
-Scottish chief, called Sir William Wallace. He
-fought bravely for his country in these wars, but
-he was taken prisoner at the battle of Falkirk;
-and, I am sorry to say, king Edward was so
-cruel and unjust as to have his head cut off.</p>
-
-<p>39. But this did not put an end to the war,
-for another chief, Robert Bruce, grandson of
-him before-mentioned, took the place of Wallace,
-gained several victories, and was crowned
-king.</p>
-
-<p>40. The two sovereigns then prepared for a
-long war, and Edward was on his way to Scotland,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105"></a>[105]</span>
-with his army, when he was taken ill, and
-died in the year 1307, having reigned thirty-four
-years.</p>
-
-<p>41. His son, Edward the Second, was so
-careless of every thing but his own pleasure,
-that he neglected the affairs of both England
-and Scotland, so that the Scots recovered all
-they had lost; and when, at last, the king was
-persuaded to renew the war, he met with such
-a terrible defeat at the battle of Bannockburn,
-that the Scots are proud of it to this very day.</p>
-
-<p>42. There is nothing more worth telling about
-the reign of Edward the Second, whose misconduct
-caused many of the barons to rebel, and he
-was, at last, made prisoner by them, and cruelly
-murdered, in Berkeley castle, in 1327, having
-reigned about twenty years.</p>
-
-<p>43. His son, Edward the Third, was scarcely
-fifteen, at the time of his father’s death; but he
-was a very clever prince, and soon began to
-manage the affairs of the country himself.</p>
-
-<p>44. He married a Flemish princess, named
-Philippa, who was much beloved by the English
-people, as, indeed, she deserved to be, for she
-was both good and beautiful, as well as one of
-the cleverest ladies of her time, and she employed
-her talents in doing all the good she
-could for England.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106"></a>[106]</span></p>
-
-<p>45. She knew that the people of her own
-country, which was Flanders, had grown rich
-by their trade and manufactures, so she did all
-in her power to increase the trade of England,
-and paid a number of Flemish weavers to come
-over here and settle at Norwich, that they
-might improve the people there, in the art of
-making woollen cloth and stuffs, for which a manufactory
-had been established by Edward the
-First.</p>
-
-<p>46. She also founded several schools, and was
-a friend to those who distinguished themselves
-by their learning.</p>
-
-<p>47. I must not forget to tell you that Chaucer,
-the first great poet that wrote in English,
-lived at this time, and received much kindness
-from the king and queen.</p>
-
-<p>48. The English language was now beginning
-to be spoken by the higher classes, instead of
-French, and was not very unlike the English
-spoken now, as you might see, if you were to
-look at the poems written by Chaucer.</p>
-
-<p>49. Edward the Third was, unfortunately, as
-fond of war as his grandfather. He renewed
-the war with Scotland, but his great wars were
-in France, for his ambition was to be king of
-that country, and he pretended he had a right to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107"></a>[107]</span>
-the throne, because his mother was the sister of
-the late king.</p>
-
-<p>50. But the French thought otherwise, and
-chose another prince for their king, so Edward
-invaded France, where he commenced a long
-and destructive war, which lasted nearly forty
-years, and was carried on, for a great part of
-that time, by his eldest son, who was called the
-Black Prince, because he wore black armour.</p>
-
-<p>51. He made great conquests in the south of
-France, and, at the celebrated battle of Poictiers,
-took the French king prisoner, and brought
-him to England, where he remained a captive
-for the rest of his life, but was treated with so
-much kindness and respect, that he had little to
-complain of but the loss of his liberty.</p>
-
-<p>52. The Black Prince was not only a brave
-warrior, but was a good and clever man; <ins class="corr" id="tn-107" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'there. fore, his'">
-therefore, his</ins> death, which happened a few months before
-that of his father, was a great grief to the
-English people.</p>
-
-<p>53. Edward the Third died in 1377, after
-a long reign of fifty years. He had been a
-pretty good king, had made the people obey the
-laws, and, in general, observed them himself.</p>
-
-<p>54. When he wanted money for the French
-wars, he had allowed the villeins and serfs, on his
-manors, or crown lands, to buy their freedom, so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108"></a>[108]</span>
-that there were now, comparatively, but few of
-the lower orders remaining in bondage; and the
-agricultural labourers were paid for their labour,
-as well as the artisans and mechanics.</p>
-
-<p>55. Their wages were, in general, from twopence
-to threepence a day, but you must remember
-that twopence, at that time, was equal, in
-purchasing the necessaries of life, to about one
-shilling and eightpence of our money, and would
-buy much more than sufficient food for a whole
-family.</p>
-
-<p>56. They lived chiefly on meat, brown bread,
-and ale; for there were no vegetables for the
-table, cultivated by the people in England, till
-the time of Henry the Eighth; nor any potatoes,
-till that of queen Elizabeth; and then they were
-considered a dainty dish, and only seen at the
-tables of very rich people.</p>
-
-<p>57. However, there were gardens, orchards,
-and vineyards, belonging to the monasteries, and
-to persons of high rank and fortune.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who succeeded king John?</p>
-
-<p>2. What were the consequences of the king’s misconduct?</p>
-
-<p>7. What great change was made in parliament, and how?</p>
-
-<p>9. Who first brought a carpet into England?</p>
-
-<p>10. How long did Henry the Third reign? and by whom was
-he succeeded?</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109"></a>[109]</span></p>
-
-<p>11. What was the character of Edward the First?</p>
-
-<p>12. Mention some of his first acts.</p>
-
-<p>15. How did he regulate the parliament?</p>
-
-<p>18. How was Wales united to England?</p>
-
-<p>37. What gave rise to the Scottish wars?</p>
-
-<p>38. Who was the great Scottish chief and patriot; and what
-was his fate?</p>
-
-<p>39. Who was made king of Scotland?</p>
-
-<p>40. When did Edward die? and who succeeded him?</p>
-
-<p>41. What became of Edward the Second?</p>
-
-<p>43. Who was the next king?</p>
-
-<p>44. Whom did he marry?</p>
-
-<p>47. Who was the first great English poet?</p>
-
-<p>49. Why did Edward the Third invade France?</p>
-
-<p>53. When did the death of Edward take place?</p>
-
-<p>54. How did Edward the Third raise money for the wars?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110"></a>[110]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">FROM THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD THE SECOND TO
-THE WAR OF THE ROSES.&mdash;<ins class="corr" id="tn-110" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: '1392 TO 1429'">
-1377 TO 1422</ins>.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_110">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_110.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">ABDICATION OF RICHARD.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. Richard the Second, the son of Edward,
-the Black Prince, was but eleven years old when,
-by the death of his grandfather, he became king
-of England. His uncles governed the country
-till he was old enough to act for himself; but
-they did not teach him to be a wise, nor a just<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111"></a>[111]</span>
-man, and this injustice was the cause of all his
-misfortunes.</p>
-
-<p>2. One of the first things he did on his own
-account, was to break a promise he made to the
-people; and this was how it happened. A new
-tax had caused great discontent among the
-labouring classes, and their unwillingness to pay
-it was increased by the insolence of the collectors,
-who, one day, in the house of a man called
-Walter, or Wat Tiler, behaved so ill to his
-daughter, that he gave one of them a blow on
-the head with his hammer, which unluckily killed
-him.</p>
-
-<p>3. Now the neighbours knew that if Walter
-should be taken, he would be put to death for
-the offence, and as they all had cause to complain
-of the tax-gatherers, they assembled in
-front of his cottage, and declared they would
-protect him.</p>
-
-<p>4. This was at Deptford, and they all proceeded
-to London, being joined by thousands of
-men from different towns, and a dreadful riot
-there was; so that it was thought necessary for
-the king to take some means of pacifying the
-rebels.</p>
-
-<p>5. Accordingly he went, with the lord mayor
-and some nobles and gentlemen, to meet them
-in Smithfield, and whilst Tiler, their leader, was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112"></a>[112]</span>
-talking with the king, the mayor came behind
-him, and struck him on the head with his mace,
-and stunned him, and he was killed by Richard’s
-party; and then the king, fearing the rioters
-would kill him in return, asked them what they
-wanted, saying, he was ready to do any thing
-that was right and just.</p>
-
-<p>6. They said they desired that the poll tax
-should be taken off; slavery and villeinage
-abolished by law; so that all who were still in
-bondage should be made free; and that the old
-feudal custom of paying duties on goods, at all
-the markets and fairs, should be done away
-with.</p>
-
-<p>7. All this Richard promised to do; but no
-sooner had the men dispersed and gone back to
-their homes, than he sent out a military force to
-seize all who had been concerned in the rebellion;
-and I grieve to say that, although he had given
-his word that they should all be pardoned, he
-ordered the judges to have every one of them
-executed.</p>
-
-<p>8. After such conduct as this, you will not
-expect to hear much good of Richard the Second,
-whose selfish extravagance led him to do
-all kinds of unjust things, for the purpose of
-raising money to spend on his own pleasures;
-so that it might truly be said that he was constantly<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113"></a>[113]</span>
-robbing his subjects; as, for instance, he
-once wanted to borrow a large sum of the citizens
-of London, which they would not lend him,
-because they knew very well he would never
-return it; so he took away their charter, that is,
-the grant which gives them the right to elect a
-lord mayor, and to manage the affairs of the
-city independently of the king; and they were
-obliged to give him ten times as much to get it
-back again, as they had refused to lend.</p>
-
-<p>9. The citizens of London were very rich at
-this period, many of them being great merchants,
-and it was in this reign that the famous Whittington
-was Lord Mayor.</p>
-
-<p>10. He had made a large fortune in the coal
-trade, which was then a new branch of commerce,
-for coals were very little used for firing till the
-time of Edward the Third.</p>
-
-<p>11. King Richard had unjustly banished his
-cousin Henry, Earl of Hereford, and on the
-death of Henry’s father, the Duke of Lancaster,
-had taken possession of his estates.</p>
-
-<p>12. This nobleman was a grandson of Edward
-the Third, and was much liked by the English,
-who would rather have had him for their
-king than the unworthy sovereign they had got,
-although he would have had no right to the
-throne, even if Richard had been dead.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114"></a>[114]</span></p>
-
-<p>13. However, he came back to England, and
-finding most of the nobles as well as the people
-willing to make him king, Richard was obliged
-to resign the crown, and was imprisoned in
-Pomfret castle, where it is supposed he died
-by unfair means; but as this is not quite certain,
-we will hope it was not so. He had
-reigned twenty-two years, when he was deposed,
-in 1399.</p>
-
-<p>14. This usurpation of Henry the Fourth
-was the cause of the long civil wars in England,
-called the Wars of the Roses, which began in
-the time of Henry the Sixth, whose right to the
-throne was disputed, although his father and
-grandfather had been suffered to reign without
-opposition.</p>
-
-<p>15. Henry the Fourth was, on the whole, a
-popular monarch, and under his government
-things went on pretty well with the generality
-of the people.</p>
-
-<p>16. There was an insurrection in Wales,
-headed by a gentleman, named Owen Glendower,
-who wished to restore the Welsh to their
-former independence, and to be their prince,
-as he was of the ancient royal family; and he
-was joined by the powerful Earl of Northumberland,
-and his son Henry Percy, better known<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115"></a>[115]</span>
-by the name of Hotspur, who was one of the
-bravest knights of the age.</p>
-
-<p>17. These noblemen had a quarrel with the
-king, and wanted to depose him; but he gained
-a victory over them in a battle fought near
-Shrewsbury, where Hotspur was killed. These
-events are not of much importance, but I tell
-them because when you hear any celebrated
-characters spoken of, you ought to know who
-they were, and when they lived.</p>
-
-<p>18. The prince of Wales, afterwards Henry
-the Fifth, was also celebrated for his valour,
-but not for his good behaviour in his youth;
-for his conduct was sometimes so disgraceful
-that his father was quite ashamed of him, and
-nobody would have supposed he was the son
-of a king.</p>
-
-<p>19. One thing he used to do was to go out at
-night, with some idle companions, and rob people
-on the highway, for amusement; yet he had
-not a bad disposition, for once one of the judges
-sent him to prison for trying to rescue one of
-his wicked companions; and he not only submitted
-to the punishment, but when he came to
-be king, he treated that judge with great respect
-and attention, because he knew he was a
-just man, and would punish the rich as well
-as the poor, if they did wrong. King Henry<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116"></a>[116]</span>
-the Fourth died in 1413, in the fourteenth year
-of his reign.</p>
-
-<p>20. Henry the Fifth is famed as the conqueror
-of France. He went to war with that
-country, on the same pretext that Edward the
-Third did before; and with better success, for
-the French king was at last glad to make peace
-by agreeing that Henry should be king of France
-after his death.</p>
-
-<p>21. The greatest victory gained by the English,
-was at the battle of Agincourt. King
-Henry married the French king’s daughter, but
-he died soon afterwards, in 1422, having reigned
-nine years; and leaving an infant son; and in
-a little while the king of France died too, and
-he also left a son.</p>
-
-<p>22. Then there was a dispute which of these
-princes should be king of France, and a new
-war was begun which lasted many years, during
-which the English lost all that the armies of
-Henry the Fifth had won.</p>
-
-<p>23. In the mean time the young king, Henry
-the Sixth, grew up so weak in mind and sickly
-in body, that he was not able to govern the
-country; therefore, his ministers and the queen,
-a French princess, named Margaret of Anjou,
-had to manage every thing for him.</p>
-
-<p>24. But many people did not like the queen,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117"></a>[117]</span>
-and began to say that her husband had no right
-to the throne as his grandfather was a usurper;
-but that Richard, Duke of York, ought to be
-king of England; while others said that, as the
-Parliament had consented to let the family of
-the Duke of Lancaster reign, it was lawful for
-them to keep the crown; and that although king
-Henry was not fit for a ruler, the rights of his
-son, prince Edward, ought to be protected.</p>
-
-<p>25. The Duke of York was then governor
-of Ireland, but when he heard of these disputes,
-he came back, and was placed at the
-head of the government here, instead of the
-queen.</p>
-
-<p>26. I think you will now quite understand
-why there was a civil war in England. Every
-nobleman in the country took one side or the
-other, and the friends of the Duke of York wore
-a white rose or ribbon rosette; while those who
-supported the king, or House of Lancaster, wore
-a crimson one; as people now wear different
-colored ribbons at an election, to show which
-party they belong to; and this is why these wars
-are called the Wars of the Roses.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who succeeded Edward the Third?</p>
-
-<p>2. Who was Wat Tiler, and how was his rebellion occasioned?</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118"></a>[118]</span></p>
-
-<p>4. How did the rebels proceed?</p>
-
-<p>5. What means were taken to quell the insurrection?</p>
-
-<p>6. What were the demands of the rebels?</p>
-
-<p>7. What was the conduct of Richard on this occasion?</p>
-
-<p>12. Who was the Earl of Hereford?</p>
-
-<p>13. How was Richard dethroned, and what became of him?</p>
-
-<p>16. What battle was fought in this reign, and why?</p>
-
-<p>17. Who was killed in this battle?</p>
-
-<p>18. Who succeeded Henry the Fourth?</p>
-
-<p>20. How did Henry the Fifth distinguish himself?</p>
-
-<p>23. What was the character of Henry the Sixth?</p>
-
-<p>24. What gave rise to the Wars of the Roses?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119"></a>[119]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE WARS OF THE ROSES.&mdash;1422 TO 1461.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe25" id="i_b_119">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_119.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">EDWARD IV.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The civil wars may be said to have lasted
-thirty years, from the first battle at St. Alban’s,
-in 1455, to the battle of Bosworth, in 1485; for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120"></a>[120]</span>
-although there were intervals of peace, the quarrel
-between the house of York and Lancaster
-was not finally settled till the two families were
-united by the marriage of Henry the Seventh,
-who was heir of the House of Lancaster, with
-Elizabeth, the grand-daughter of Richard, Duke
-of York, and heiress of that family.</p>
-
-<p>2. During that thirty years, the country was,
-as you may suppose, in a very unhappy condition.
-Every Baron wanted to collect as many
-men around him as he could, to defend his castle
-in case of siege; so the countrymen left their
-rural labors and went to enlist in the service of
-this or that nobleman, because they were sure of
-getting plenty to eat and drink.</p>
-
-<p>3. Thus the castle halls were crowded, but the
-fields were left without sufficient laborers to
-plough and sow them, consequently the crops
-were generally bad, and bread was at times, so
-dear, that many poor families could get none at
-all, but were obliged to eat herbs and berries
-that they found in the woods, which did not
-nourish them, so that numbers died of want.</p>
-
-<p>4. Many battles were fought in different parts
-of England, and the queen was present at some
-of them, for it was she who conducted the war,
-as the king was incapable of so much exertion,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121"></a>[121]</span>
-and Margaret could not bear to see her young
-son Edward deprived of his birthright.</p>
-
-<p>5. Three victories had been gained by the
-Duke of York, when he was killed at the battle
-of Wakefield; but this event did not put an end
-to the contest, for his son Edward, who succeeded
-to his title, continued the war and, in the end,
-became king of England, while poor king Henry
-was kept a prisoner in the Tower, where he died
-in 1471.</p>
-
-<p>6. Edward owed his success chiefly to the Earl
-of Warwick, the richest and most powerful
-nobleman in England, and considered as the last
-of the great feudal Barons, for it is said that he
-maintained no less than thirty thousand people
-at his own expense, who were ready to devote
-their lives to his service.</p>
-
-<p>7. He had a great many castles in different
-parts of England, and a noble mansion in Warwick
-lane, London, which still bears that name,
-although it presents a very different appearance
-from what it did when this mighty Earl lived
-there like a sovereign prince, and the place was
-crowded with his armed retainers.</p>
-
-<p>8. Edward had been very well received by the
-citizens of London, and crowned, with their consent,
-long before the death of king Henry.</p>
-
-<p>9. Two battles were fought soon after his<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122"></a>[122]</span>
-accession to the throne, one at Towton the other
-at Hexham; and it was after the latter, that a
-story is told how queen Margaret wandered
-about in a forest with her little boy, till they
-were both half dead with hunger and fatigue,
-when she met with a robber, and instead of trying
-to avoid him, told him who she was, and
-begged he would protect her child.</p>
-
-<p>10. The man took them to a cave, and gave
-them food and shelter, until he found an opportunity
-of getting them on board a vessel that
-was going to Scotland.</p>
-
-<p>11. People were now in hopes there would be
-peace; but the new sovereign was so unwise as
-to quarrel with the Earl of Warwick, who became
-his enemy, and resolved to deprive him of
-the crown he had helped him to win.</p>
-
-<p>12. Then the war was begun again, and went
-on for several years longer, till Warwick was
-killed at the battle of Barnet, on Easter Sunday,
-1471, just ten years after the battle of
-Towton.</p>
-
-<p>13. On the day of this battle, queen Margaret,
-and her son, prince Edward, then a <ins class="corr" id="tn-122" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'youth of oighteen'">
-youth of eighteen</ins>, landed in England, for they had
-lived in France some years, and were sadly
-grieved at the news of Warwick’s defeat and
-death; but as they had a great many friends, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123"></a>[123]</span>
-queen determined upon trying another battle,
-which was a great pity, for both herself and her
-son were made prisoners, and the young prince
-was killed in king Edward’s tent, for making a
-spirited answer to some insulting question put to
-him by the haughty monarch.</p>
-
-<p>14. The miserable mother was sent to the
-Tower, where her husband had just died; but
-she was afterwards released, and ransomed by
-her father; and she returned to live with him in
-France, her native country.</p>
-
-<p>15. And now, that we have done with the
-wars, we may begin to think of something more
-pleasant. Have you ever heard it was in the
-reign of Edward the Fourth that books were
-first printed in England?</p>
-
-<p>16. The art of printing, which enables us to
-have so many nice books to instruct and amuse
-us, had lately been invented in Germany, and
-was brought here by an English merchant, named
-William Caxton, who went to Cologne, on purpose
-to learn how to print, and when he came
-back, he set up a printing-press in Westminster
-Abbey, which, at that time, was a monastery.</p>
-
-<p>17. We ought <ins class="corr" id="tn-123" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'to bo very much'">
-to be very much</ins> obliged to
-the clever person that invented printing; for
-only think how very ignorant we should be, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124"></a>[124]</span>
-how much pleasure we should lose, if there were
-no books to tell us any thing.</p>
-
-<p>18. There were books, certainly, before that
-time; but they were all written, and it took so
-long to copy them, that they were very expensive,
-so that none but very rich people could
-have even a few volumes.</p>
-
-<p>19. Printed books were also, for a long time,
-much too dear to be in general use, but people
-of rank soon began to be much better educated
-than in former times, and their habits and manners
-became much improved in consequence.</p>
-
-<p>20. Then a great many of the old Norman
-castles had been destroyed in the wars, which
-put an end, after a time, to the customs of
-chivalry; and the nobles, instead of sending
-their sons to be brought up for warlike knights,
-sent them to Oxford, or Cambridge, to become
-scholars; or to Eton College, which had been
-founded by Henry the Sixth.</p>
-
-<p>21. King Edward died in 1483, when his eldest
-son, who is called Edward the Fifth, although he
-never was really king, was only thirteen years
-old; and he, and his younger brother, the Duke
-of York, were under the guardianship of their
-uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was a
-very bad man.</p>
-
-<p>22. Instead of protecting the fatherless children<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125"></a>[125]</span>
-entrusted to his care, he only thought how
-he might take advantage of their youth to obtain
-the crown himself; so he sent them both to the
-Tower, but not as prisoners, for it was then used
-occasionally as a royal residence, especially in
-times of public disturbances; so Richard told
-the people the boys would be safe there; but in
-a little while it was reported that they were
-dead, and it was thought he had caused them to
-be murdered, which was most likely the truth,
-although some people think they were not put
-to death, but were kept there as prisoners for
-some years.</p>
-
-<p>23. Richard the Third was not a very bad
-king, for he made some laws that were very
-useful to the merchants who traded with foreign
-countries, and he was the first who thought of
-having postmen, or couriers, to carry letters, so
-that, wicked as he was, we cannot say he did no
-good as a sovereign.</p>
-
-<p>24. The post was, at first, only for government
-letters, and it was a long time before any
-arrangements were made for private persons to
-correspond by the same means; but this was
-done by degrees, and in the time of Oliver
-Cromwell, the General Post Office was established,
-when everybody had the benefit of this
-excellent institution, which adds so much to people’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126"></a>[126]</span>
-happiness; for who could possibly be happy
-now, if they could not hear from their absent
-friends?</p>
-
-<p>25. Richard the Third reigned only two years,
-for he was disliked by the nobility, and a conspiracy
-was formed against him by the friends
-of the House of Lancaster, who were desirous
-of placing on the throne the heir of that family,
-Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.</p>
-
-<p>26. This young nobleman was living in exile,
-at the time, in France. But he was soon informed
-of what was going on, and told the
-French king, who lent him forty ships, and
-about five thousand soldiers, with which he
-sailed directly for England, where he found
-friends ready to join him with more troops.</p>
-
-<p>27. The battle of Bosworth was fought on
-the 22nd of August, 1485, when Richard was
-killed, and the conqueror proclaimed king on
-the field; and thus ended the Wars of the
-Roses.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. What was the duration of the civil wars?</p>
-
-<p>2. Describe the general state of the country.</p>
-
-<p>4. Who conducted the war for the king?</p>
-
-<p>5. How did the Duke of York lose his life?</p>
-
-<p>6. To whom did Edward owe his success?</p>
-
-<p>9. Name the battles that were fought after Edward became
-king.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127"></a>[127]</span></p>
-
-<p>11. Why was the contest renewed?</p>
-
-<p>12. Where was the Earl of Warwick killed, and when?</p>
-
-<p>13. What happened after this battle?</p>
-
-<p>14. When were books first printed in England?</p>
-
-<p>16. Where was the art of printing invented?</p>
-
-<p>20. Who founded Eton College?</p>
-
-<p>21. Who obtained the crown on the death of Edward the
-Fourth?</p>
-
-<p>22. Relate the circumstances.</p>
-
-<p>23. What was the origin and progress of the Post Office?</p>
-
-<p>25. How was the reign of Richard soon terminated?</p>
-
-<p>27. Name the date of the battle of Bosworth.</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128"></a>[128]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">FROM THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH, TO QUEEN
-ELIZABETH.&mdash;1461 TO 1558.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_128">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_128.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">LADY JANE GREY REFUSING THE CROWN.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. Henry the Seventh was not an amiable
-man, but he had many qualities that were good
-and useful in a sovereign, and the country prospered
-greatly under his government.</p>
-
-<p>2. One of the conditions on which he succeeded
-to the throne, was that he should marry
-the princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129"></a>[129]</span>
-Fourth, and thus secure peace by uniting the
-families of York and Lancaster:&mdash;the princess
-Elizabeth was a lady much beloved by every
-body, and her many acts of benevolence were
-long remembered in England, so that she was
-generally called the good queen Bess.</p>
-
-<p>3. The king wished to increase the wealth
-and prosperity of the nation, and he took the
-best means of doing so by promoting commerce.
-He made commercial treaties, that is, agreements
-about trade, with foreign princes, by
-which he obtained many advantages for the
-English merchants, just as our government has
-lately made a treaty with the emperor of China,
-about our trade in his country.</p>
-
-<p>4. No English ship had ever been to China
-then, nor even to India; and America had not
-yet been discovered; but in the time of Henry
-the Seventh, the Spaniards and Portuguese
-made longer voyages than had ever been made
-before, and the celebrated Christopher Columbus,
-whom I dare say you have often heard of,
-found out by study, that there was an unknown
-land on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean,
-and although people laughed at him, he at last
-persuaded the king and queen of Spain to let
-him have ships, and sailors, and money, to go in
-search of it, so he was the first that found out<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130"></a>[130]</span>
-the way to America, which, for a long time, was
-called the New World.</p>
-
-<p>5. Soon after this, the Portuguese found out
-the way to India by sea; and then the English
-began to make voyages of discovery also, and
-to find that the world had more countries in it
-than they had ever dreamed of before.</p>
-
-<p>6. Maps and charts, which had been known
-to the Greeks and Romans, now began to be
-much improved, though they were still incorrect,
-as you may suppose.</p>
-
-<p>7. However, all these new discoveries, together
-with the invention of printing, made people
-think more about learning, and less about
-fighting than they used to do; especially as the
-nobility were beginning to live more in the way
-they do now, and to have handsome houses in
-London, instead of living always in their gloomy
-old castles.</p>
-
-<p>8. Their domestics were no longer slaves, but
-hired servants; their tenants were not villeins,
-but free farmers, who paid rent for their land;
-and <ins class="corr" id="tn-130" title="Transcriber’s Note&mdash;Original text: 'the poor pesantry'">
-the poor peasantry</ins>, no longer in bondage,
-were at liberty to go where they pleased, and
-were paid for their daily labour.</p>
-
-<p>9. You remember that in the feudal times all
-the land in the country belonged to the king,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131"></a>[131]</span>
-the nobles, the knights, and the bishops, and
-abbots.</p>
-
-<p>10. But Edward the First made a law in
-favour of the sale and purchase of all lands except
-those held immediately of the king; and
-Edward the Third gave his own vassals leave
-to sell their estates.</p>
-
-<p>11. Other laws were afterwards made, by
-which landed property was made liable to seizure
-for debt, and might be given by will, or
-sold at the pleasure of the owner. And Henry
-the Seventh, by another law, further encouraged
-the sale of land, and the consequent division of
-large estates.</p>
-
-<p>12. Then many of the nobles, who had more
-land than they wanted, sold some of it to
-wealthy merchants and others, who built large
-mansions, to which they often gave their own
-family name, as for instance, if the name of the
-proprietor happened to be Burton, he would
-probably call his residence Burton Hall.</p>
-
-<p>13. These country gentlemen formed quite a
-new class of people in England, and they have
-ever since that time continued to increase in
-wealth, rank, and importance.</p>
-
-<p>14. A strange thing happened in the reign
-of Henry the Seventh, which has made some
-people think the sons of Edward the Fourth<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132"></a>[132]</span>
-were not put to death in the Tower, as is generally
-believed, but you shall hear the story.</p>
-
-<p>15. A young man, called Perkin Warbeck,
-came to Ireland from Flanders, and declared
-he was the younger of those two princes, and
-the lawful heir to the throne, as his brother was
-dead.</p>
-
-<p>16. He told a wonderful tale, how he had
-escaped from the Tower, and related many adventures
-which he said had befallen him; so the
-Irish people said they would fight for him, and
-try to take the crown from king Henry; but as
-they could not raise a sufficient force by themselves,
-Warbeck applied to the king of France,
-who also promised to help him, and then he
-went to the Duchess of Burgundy, who was
-Edward the Fourth’s sister, and, strange to say,
-that lady declared she believed the young man
-was her brother’s son, and persuaded the Flemings
-to lend him their aid.</p>
-
-<p>17. But the king of France changed his mind;
-and made a treaty of peace with king Henry,
-who ordered the English merchants not to carry
-on any trade with Flanders while the Flemings
-continued to favour the cause of Perkin Warbeck,
-so they deserted him too.</p>
-
-<p>18. I have not the room to tell you the rest
-of his adventures, but they ended in his being<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133"></a>[133]</span>
-taken prisoner by the king, who had him put to
-death as a traitor. Henry the Seventh reigned
-twenty-four years, and was succeeded in 1509
-by his son, Henry the Eighth.</p>
-
-<p>19. The young king was married to Catharine
-of Arragon, the daughter of the king of
-Spain, a beautiful and talented woman, who
-deserved a better husband, for Henry was a
-sad tyrant in his family, as well as over the
-nation.</p>
-
-<p>20. The greatest man in the kingdom next to
-the king, was his minister, Cardinal Wolsey,
-who governed the country for many years, and
-was so rich, that he not only lived in as much
-splendour as the king, but he built the palaces
-of Hampton-court and Whitehall, and founded
-the College of Christ Church at Oxford.</p>
-
-<p>21. A Cardinal is a priest of high dignity in
-the Catholic Church, being next in rank to the
-Pope.</p>
-
-<p>22. Wolsey was clever and learned; but he
-was very proud, so he had many enemies, and
-at last fell into disgrace with the king, and died
-of grief.</p>
-
-<p>23. Soon after this Henry chose to be separated
-from his good wife, Catharine, because he
-had seen a young lady named Anna Boleyn,
-whom he thought he should like to marry; so<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134"></a>[134]</span>
-he sent the queen and his daughter Mary, away
-from court, and made Anna Boleyn queen; but
-he soon began to dislike her, and said she had
-done some very wicked things, as an excuse for
-sending her to the Tower, where he had her
-head cut off; and then he married another young
-lady, named Jane Seymour, who soon died.
-She left a little baby, who was king Edward the
-Sixth; and Anna Boleyn also had a baby, who
-was queen Elizabeth.</p>
-
-<p>24. I must now tell you of a great change
-made by Henry the Eighth, with regard to religion,
-and called the Reformation.</p>
-
-<p>25. The church of England had, till this period,
-been the same as that of Rome, and the
-people were Roman Catholics; but there were a
-good many people in Germany, and in England
-also, who thought that some of the forms of the
-Catholic religion were not right, and ought to
-be altered, and these persons were called reformers,
-and all who adopted their opinions took
-the name of Protestants, because they protested
-against certain things.</p>
-
-<p>26. Now Henry the Eighth had a disagreement
-with the Pope, about his second marriage;
-so he determined to abolish the Catholic
-religion, to seize on and destroy the monasteries
-and nunneries, and to have Protestant<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135"></a>[135]</span>
-clergymen to preach and read the prayers in
-the churches.</p>
-
-<p>27. It would be too long a story to tell you
-how he accomplished all this; but it was done.
-There were nearly a thousand religious houses,
-that is, convents, abbeys, and priories, in England,
-inhabited by monks and nuns, clerks and
-friars, of different orders, who had no other
-homes, nor any means of living, but on the
-property of the establishments to which they
-belonged; and these were all suppressed, together
-with many colleges and hospitals, which
-also supported a great many poor people.</p>
-
-<p>28. The poor were very sorry the convents
-were broken up, for they had been accustomed
-to go there when they were in distress, for food,
-clothing, or medicine; and now they did not
-know where to get relief, as there were no
-workhouses; the hospitals, and all other charitable
-institutions, except some alms-houses,
-having been destroyed; nor was it till almost
-the middle of the reign of queen Elizabeth that
-any provision was made by law for the destitute
-poor.</p>
-
-<p>29. The manufactures of England were now
-fast increasing. Manchester, Birmingham, and
-Sheffield, were beginning to be known as manufacturing<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136"></a>[136]</span>
-towns; the first, for woollens and
-cottons; the others, for cutlery and hardware.</p>
-
-<p>30. Pewter plates and dishes were made in
-large quantities, for they were now used in
-the most respectable families instead of wood;
-hats were also made in England in this reign;
-and a clock, the first ever manufactured in this
-country.</p>
-
-<p>31. But nothing was more useful than the
-improvements made in gardening, for which we
-are indebted to the Flemings and Dutch, who
-were the best gardeners in Europe, and who
-brought here many kinds of vegetables for the
-table, such as cabbages, lettuces, &amp;c., and many
-fruits that had not been cultivated in England
-since the time of the Romans, particularly cherries
-and currants.</p>
-
-<p>32. Potatoes were not known until the reign
-of queen Elizabeth, when Sir Walter Raleigh
-brought some from America, and planted them,
-first in Ireland, little thinking, perhaps, that this
-root would, at a future time, be almost the only
-food of the Irish people.</p>
-
-<p>33. Henry the Eighth had three more wives,
-Anne of Cleves, whom he divorced; Catherine
-Howard, whom he had beheaded, like poor Anna
-Boleyn; and Catherine Parr, who outlived him.</p>
-
-<p>34. He reigned thirty-eight years, and was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137"></a>[137]</span>
-succeeded by his son, Edward the Sixth, who
-was only nine years old, and died before he was
-sixteen; so that he can scarcely be reckoned
-among the kings of England.</p>
-
-<p>35. He was a pious and amiable prince, fond
-of learning, and extremely charitable. He
-founded St. Thomas’s Hospital, for the sick
-poor; and Christ’s Hospital and School, for
-the education of boys who had lost their fathers.</p>
-
-<p>36. He had a cousin, Lady Jane Grey, whom
-he was very fond of, for she was about his own
-age, gentle and beautiful, and being fond of
-study, was educated with him; so that it was no
-wonder he liked her.</p>
-
-<p>37. They were both Protestants; but Edward’s
-eldest sister, Mary, was a Catholic; and
-as some of the great noblemen were Protestants,
-they did not like to have a Catholic queen; so
-when the young king was dying, they persuaded
-him to make a will, leaving the crown to Lady
-Jane Grey, which was not right, because his
-father had ordered, and the parliament confirmed
-his will, that, if he died, Mary was to be
-queen. Edward the Sixth died in the seventh
-year of his reign.</p>
-
-<p>38. Lady Jane was married to young Lord
-Guildford Dudley, and knew nothing about
-king Edward’s will till after he was dead, when<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138"></a>[138]</span>
-her husband’s father told her she was to be
-queen.</p>
-
-<p>39. At first she refused, but was, at length,
-persuaded or compelled to allow herself to be
-proclaimed; and very unhappy it made her, so
-that she was very glad, at the end of ten days,
-to give up the title of queen to her who had a
-better right to it.</p>
-
-<p>40. Now Mary was a woman of a morose
-temper; and, unfortunately, at that time, and
-long afterwards, people who differed in religious
-opinions were very cruel to each other; so she
-would not forgive poor Lady Jane Grey, but
-sent her and her husband to the Tower, where
-they were both beheaded.</p>
-
-<p>41. The reign of queen Mary lasted only five
-years, and there is little to tell about it, except
-that she did all she could to restore the Roman
-Catholic religion, and re-established some of the
-monasteries; but they were suppressed again,
-after her death, by her sister Elizabeth, who
-had been brought up in the Protestant faith.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>2. How did Henry the Seventh secure peace?</p>
-
-<p>3. How was the prosperity of the country increased?</p>
-
-<p>4. What great discoveries were made in his reign?</p>
-
-<p>7. What changes may be noticed in the mode of living?</p>
-
-<p>8. How was a new class of people formed?</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139"></a>[139]</span></p>
-
-<p>15. Who was Perkin Warbeck?</p>
-
-<p>18. Who succeeded Henry the Seventh?</p>
-
-<p>19. To whom was he married?</p>
-
-<p>20. Who was Cardinal Wolsey?</p>
-
-<p>23. Why did the king put away his first queen?</p>
-
-<p>25. What was the Reformation?</p>
-
-<p>26. How was this change accomplished?</p>
-
-<p>29. Which towns had become famous for their manufacture?</p>
-
-<p>33. How many wives had Henry the Eighth?</p>
-
-<p>34. How long did he reign, and who succeeded him?</p>
-
-<p>36. Who was Lady Jane Grey?</p>
-
-<p>37. What is chiefly remarkable of queen Mary?</p>
-
-<p>41. By whom was she succeeded?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140"></a>[140]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">QUEEN ELIZABETH.&mdash;1558 TO 1603.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_140">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_140.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">QUEEN ELIZABETH REVIEWING HER TROOPS.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. Elizabeth is one of the most celebrated
-of our sovereigns, for she was a remarkably
-clever woman, although, like her father, she was
-harsh and tyrannical.</p>
-
-<p>2. It was a merry day in England when she
-was crowned, for great numbers of the people
-had not liked queen Mary. The citizens of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141"></a>[141]</span>
-London testified their joy by decorating the outsides
-of their houses with draperies of silk and
-satin; and by having shows and pageants in the
-streets, as was customary, at that time, on all
-joyful occasions.</p>
-
-<p>3. In one place, a fountain ran with wine;
-in another, a boy, dressed to represent an
-angel with wings, descended from the top of
-an arch, as the queen’s chariot was passing
-under, and presented her with a bible; then
-was drawn up again by a cord, to look as if
-he flew away; and there were many other
-things of the same kind, which I have not room
-to tell of.</p>
-
-<p>4. The ladies and gentlemen who attended the
-queeen rode on horseback, for coaches were not
-used in England till some years afterwards,
-when a gentleman, from Holland, brought a
-carriage over here, and then the English soon
-began to build coaches, and ladies of rank left
-off riding on horses, as they used to do, seated
-on a pillion, behind their husbands.</p>
-
-<p>5. Elizabeth was a good queen in many respects,
-for she was a friend to learning, commerce,
-and all useful arts; and she chose able
-ministers, who ruled the country with wisdom
-and prudence; but she behaved very cruelly
-about religion, for although numbers of the people<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142"></a>[142]</span>
-were still Catholics, she made a law that
-everybody should go to Protestant churches;
-and those who did not were put in prison, or
-made to pay such large sums of money, that
-they were quite ruined.</p>
-
-<p>6. In other countries, particularly the Netherlands,
-the Protestants were as ill-treated as
-the Catholics were here, so that a great many
-of them came to England, and were very useful
-in teaching the English several arts and manufactures
-they did not know before.</p>
-
-<p>7. Pins, needles, and paper, were now first
-made in England, and the cotton and other factories
-were greatly improved, so that there was
-more employment for the working classes.</p>
-
-<p>8. Then workhouses were established for the
-destitute, and all householders, for the first time,
-were obliged to pay a tax, called the poor rate,
-to support and find the poor in food and clothes,
-so that they might not be driven, by want, to
-beg or steal.</p>
-
-<p>9. The middle classes became more wealthy,
-and lived in better style than at any former period,
-especially the citizens of London, many of
-whom were rich merchants, living like noblemen,
-and among these was Sir Thomas Gresham, who
-built the first Royal Exchange, at his own expense,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143"></a>[143]</span>
-and gave a grand dinner there to the
-queen, in the year 1570.</p>
-
-<p>10. English merchants now began to think of
-trading to the East Indies: but as it required a
-great deal of money to fit out ships, to make so
-long a voyage, for it took about four times as
-long then as it does now, a number of rich merchants
-joined together, and for a sum of money,
-obtained a charter from the queen, which made
-it unlawful for any other persons to carry on
-any trade with that part of the world.</p>
-
-<p>11. It is very interesting to read how this
-East India Company first were only permitted
-just to land in India, and buy and sell a few
-goods; then, how they obtained permission of
-the emperor, for there was an emperor of India
-then, to build some warehouses on the sea coast,
-and form a little settlement, called a factory;
-then how they gradually established more factories,
-and took soldiers to protect them, and
-gained possession of lands, where they built
-towns, so that many English families went to
-live there.</p>
-
-<p>12. Such was the beginning of the British
-empire in India; and, I dare say, that if the
-emperor could have foreseen the consequences,
-he would not have consented to have an English
-factory built on his coast.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144"></a>[144]</span></p>
-
-<p>13. In the reign of Elizabeth, Captain Francis
-Drake made a voyage all round the world,
-though he was not the first navigator who did
-so, but he was the first English one.</p>
-
-<p>14. This was a grand exploit, as few people
-had believed, then, that it was possible, or that
-the world was really a round body; so you see
-how these voyages tended to increase knowledge,
-as well as to improve commerce.</p>
-
-<p>15. When Drake returned, the queen went to
-dine with him on board his ship, and made him
-a knight, after which he was called Sir Francis
-Drake, and he soon became an admiral.</p>
-
-<p>16. In the mean time, several voyages had
-been made to America, and Sir Walter Raleigh,
-who was one of the great men of the time, had
-taken possession of a tract of land for the queen
-of England, which he called Virginia, and it
-still bears that name.</p>
-
-<p>17. The Europeans behaved very unjustly
-about America, for although the natives were
-savages, they had no right to take away their
-lands.</p>
-
-<p>18. But they did so in every place they went
-to; and if they were Spaniards, they set up the
-Spanish flag, and the commander of the ship
-said, “I take this country for the king of Spain;”
-and then would fight with the poor natives, and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145"></a>[145]</span>
-kill them or drive them away; and, I am sorry
-to say, the English used to act much in the same
-manner.</p>
-
-<p>19. The Spaniards who had taken some of
-the West India Islands, and settled colonies in
-South America, wanted slaves to work in the
-gold mines, and their sugar plantations; so an
-English captain took out some ships to Africa,
-and carried off a great many negroes, whom he
-sold in the West Indies, for a large price; and
-from that time this trade was carried on to a
-great extent, and was permitted, by government,
-until the beginning of the present century.</p>
-
-<p>20. But we must now think of what was
-going on in England. Elizabeth had a cousin,
-named Mary, who was queen of Scotland, and
-was next heir to the English crown.</p>
-
-<p>21. She was young and beautiful, and had
-been married to the king of France, who was
-now dead; so she had returned to Scotland, and,
-after a time, married lord Darnley, and had a
-son, who was our king James the First.</p>
-
-<p>22. Lord Darnley was murdered, and Mary
-married another lord, who was disliked by the
-Scots, so that there was a civil war, and she was
-obliged to resign the crown, and after much ill-treatment,
-escaped to England, and begged the
-protection of queen Elizabeth.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146"></a>[146]</span></p>
-
-<p>23. Now the queen had always been jealous
-of her, and she was now cruel enough to shut
-her up in a castle, and, after keeping her a
-prisoner for eighteen years, in different places,
-gave orders for her execution, and the unfortunate
-queen of Scots was beheaded in Fotheringay
-castle.</p>
-
-<p>24. Soon after this event, news arrived that a
-large fleet was coming to invade England. The
-king of Spain, Philip the Second, had been
-married to our queen Mary; and had offered his
-hand to queen Elizabeth, but she had resolved
-not to marry at all, and at any rate, she would
-not have had Philip, for she did not like him.</p>
-
-<p>25. He was, therefore, offended; and was also
-angry because the queen had been kind to the
-Protestants who had fled to England from the
-Netherlands, for he was king of those countries
-as well as of Spain; and her admirals having
-attacked some of his settlements in America, he
-determined to invade England, and make himself
-king there too, if he could.</p>
-
-<p>26. He got ready the largest fleet that was
-ever known, and called it the Invincible Armada;
-but it did not prove to be invincible,
-although the English had but a very small navy
-at that time, not more than fifteen ships of war;
-but the merchants lent their ships, and manned<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147"></a>[147]</span>
-them at their own expense; and people of all
-classes gave money to pay soldiers, to defend the
-country, in case the Spaniards should effect a
-landing.</p>
-
-<p>27. But they never did land; for the English
-vessels, though so much smaller than Spanish
-ships, were lighter, and more manageable, and
-kept them from coming near the shore; and when
-they anchored off Calais, the English admiral
-sent fire ships among them, and burnt some of
-them, which created such terror, that they sailed
-away as fast as they could, some one way and
-some another, and the English ships chased
-them and disabled a great many; while others
-were wrecked by a violent storm; and thus the
-Armada was nearly destroyed.</p>
-
-<p>28. Small handbills were printed and sent
-about the country, to let the people know that
-the danger was over.</p>
-
-<p>29. Many more books were now published,
-and there were many clever authors in this reign,
-especially Shakespeare, who wrote a number of
-beautiful plays.</p>
-
-<p>30. The queen was a great admirer of Shakespeare’s
-plays, and used to go to see them acted;
-but the theatres were then not much better than
-the shows at a country fair, and the performance
-was in the day time.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148"></a>[148]</span></p>
-
-<p>31. People of fashion, in those days, dined at
-eleven o’clock; the merchants and tradespeople,
-at twelve; and laborers, at one; and all public
-amusements were between dinner and supper,
-which was taken about six.</p>
-
-<p>32. These amusements did not show very good
-taste, for gentlemen and ladies of rank used to
-go and see cock fighting, and bull and bear baiting,
-which are cruel disgusting exhibitions, and
-I only mention them to show you the difference
-between the manners at that time and this.</p>
-
-<p>33. I will now give you an idea what kind of
-dress people used to wear in the time of queen
-Elizabeth. The gowns were open before, with a
-stiff bodice, just like a pair of stays, laced in
-front, and a large ruff round the neck.</p>
-
-<p>34. In the street, most ladies used to wear a
-little black velvet mask, and shoes with such
-high heels they could scarcely walk in them.
-Gentlemen wore short jackets, reaching a little
-below the waist, with a belt and sword, a cloak,
-and a high-crowned hat.</p>
-
-<p>35. One great improvement was made in dress
-in this reign, by the invention of stockings,
-which, for a long time, were all knitted; but they
-were found much more convenient than the cloth
-hose, that everybody used to wear, till then.</p>
-
-<p>36. Queen Elizabeth died, after a long, prosperous<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149"></a>[149]</span>
-and peaceful reign, of forty-five years, in
-1603, having named for her successor, her
-cousin, James Stuart, king of Scotland: and
-thus the two kingdoms of England and Scotland
-came to be united, and took the name of Great
-Britain.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. What was the character of queen Elizabeth?</p>
-
-<p>4. What was the fashion of riding at this period?</p>
-
-<p>5. Mention the good and bad features of Elizabeth’s government.</p>
-
-<p>6. How were new manufactures brought into England, and
-what were they?</p>
-
-<p>8. What provision was made for the poor?</p>
-
-<p>9. When was the Royal Exchange built, and by whom?</p>
-
-<p>10. What was the origin of the East India Company?</p>
-
-<p>13. Who was the first English captain that sailed round the
-world?</p>
-
-<p>15. What honors were bestowed on him on his return?</p>
-
-<p>19. How was the slave trade begun?</p>
-
-<p>26. What was the Spanish Armada?</p>
-
-<p>29. What celebrated author lived in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>36. When did Elizabeth die?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150"></a>[150]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE STUARTS. FROM THE UNION TO THE
-REVOLUTION.&mdash;1603 TO 1689.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe25" id="i_b_150">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_150.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">CROMWELL EXPELLING THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The people of Scotland did not like the
-union of the two kingdoms, at first, because the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151"></a>[151]</span>
-king and many of the nobility went away to
-live in London, which, as there was little trade,
-left Scotland in a very poor condition; and it
-was a long time, indeed, not before the people
-had experienced the great benefits of British
-trade and commerce, that they began to feel as
-a part of the English nation; but now that the
-English and Scots have become like one people,
-it is certainly much happier and better for both.</p>
-
-<p>2. James had not been king two years, when
-a conspiracy was formed against the government,
-called the Gunpowder Plot. I cannot tell you
-for certain by whom it was contrived, but it was
-a wicked scheme to blow up the houses of parliament,
-when the king, and most of the lords
-and commons were there assembled; but, happily,
-it was discovered a short time before the
-meeting of parliament, and all the greatest men
-in the country were saved from a dreadful death.</p>
-
-<p>3. James the First was not a good king, for
-he had a mistaken notion that a king ought to
-do whatever he liked; and that, if he wanted
-money he had a right to make new taxes, without
-the consent of parliament, and, in fact, he
-thought it unnecessary to have any parliament
-at all, and he taught his son Charles to be of
-the same opinion, which was the cause of that<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152"></a>[152]</span>
-monarch’s untimely fate, and the civil wars that
-you will presently read about.</p>
-
-<p>4. In the reign of James the First, there
-were such severe laws against those who did not
-conform to the church of England, that hundreds
-of people emigrated to America, and settled
-themselves in colonies in a wild country,
-where at first they suffered many hardships and
-privations; but these colonies, and others, afterwards
-formed, gradually improved, till they became
-large flourishing states, now called the
-United States of America.</p>
-
-<p>5. James the First reigned twenty-two years,
-and was succeeded, in the year 1625, by his son
-Charles, whose bad education led to all the miseries
-of a long civil war, and to misfortunes that
-fell upon his own head.</p>
-
-<p>6. The quarrels between Charles and the parliament,
-arose from his taking upon himself the
-power of raising money by taxes, without the
-consent of the House of Commons; and in other
-things he chose to act by his own will, although
-it might be quite contrary to the laws of the
-country.</p>
-
-<p>7. Many people were put in prison because
-they would not lend him money when he desired
-it; and, at last, he dissolved the parliament altogether,
-and said he would govern without one,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153"></a>[153]</span>
-and then the people had no protection from his
-tyranny.</p>
-
-<p>8. Those who were treated the worst were the
-Puritans, a religious sect, whose form of worship
-was very similar to that of the present Scottish
-Church, which is different from the English, as
-they have no bishops, do not use prayer books,
-and have particular rules about choosing their
-own clergymen.</p>
-
-<p>9. The Scots who hold these opinions are
-called Presbyterians. The Puritans dressed
-very plainly, like quakers, and had their hair
-cut close, and on that account they obtained the
-name of Roundheads; and those who took part
-against the king in the civil war, generally
-adopted that fashion, and were distinguished by
-that name.</p>
-
-<p>10. After a time, the king began to find that,
-if he continued to govern by himself, there
-would certainly be a serious rebellion; so he consented
-to have a new parliament, and there was
-an election directly, and as many of the new
-members were Puritans, they perhaps wanted
-the king to yield too much, and thus provoked
-him not to give up so much as he ought.</p>
-
-<p>11. I cannot tell how this might be; but a
-great many people at length began to think it
-would be better to have a Republic, that is, a<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154"></a>[154]</span>
-government without a king, and many of the
-Puritans were of that opinion.</p>
-
-<p>12. Charles had undoubtedly brought all his
-troubles upon himself, but it was now evident he
-must either give up his authority as a sovereign,
-or fight to maintain it; so he chose the latter
-alternative, and a war was commenced between
-the king and the parliament. Each party raised
-a large army.</p>
-
-<p>13. The queen, who was sister to the French
-king, went to France, to raise money to pay
-soldiers to fight for her husband, and to bring
-arms for them. He was supported by most of
-the English nobility, while the principal commoners
-sided with the parliament.</p>
-
-<p>14. The first general for the parliament was
-the Earl of Essex, who resigned in favor of general
-Fairfax, but the greatest general of the
-parliamentary army was a country gentleman
-named Oliver Cromwell, who was very clever,
-both as a military officer and a statesman; and,
-after the death of Charles, he became the ruler
-of England.</p>
-
-<p>15. The war caused a great deal of unhappiness
-in private families; for, although it was
-principally the soldiers who fought, everybody
-was interested in the question whether there
-should be a king, or not; and such violent quarrels<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155"></a>[155]</span>
-arose, that the nearest relatives, even fathers
-and sons, and brothers often became enemies,
-and many young men went to join one army, or
-the other; so that sometimes two brothers might
-be on different sides; and then think how dreadful
-it was, when a battle took place, that they
-should be fighting against each other.</p>
-
-<p>16. The Royalists, who were called Cavaliers,
-were known from the Roundheads by their handsome
-style of dress, for they wore colored doublets
-made of silk or satin, with lace collars falling
-over them, and a short cloak over one shoulder.
-Their hair was curled in long ringlets, and their
-broad hats adorned with long feathers.</p>
-
-<p>17. There was as much difference in dress
-between the ladies as the gentlemen, for the
-female Roundheads were very plain and prim in
-their attire, while the Royalists were dressed in
-the gayest fashion.</p>
-
-<p>18. I shall not enter into the particulars of
-the war. It is enough to say that after it had
-gone on three years, the king was totally defeated,
-at the battle of Naseby, in Northamptonshire,
-and soon afterwards was made prisoner.</p>
-
-<p>19. The Republicans then had it all their own
-way. The king was brought to trial on a charge
-of having broken the laws of the country; was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156"></a>[156]</span>
-condemned to death, and beheaded at Whitehall,
-January 30th, 1649.</p>
-
-<p>20. But the civil war did not end with the
-death of Charles the First, for his son, prince
-Charles, who was in Holland at the time, went
-to Scotland, where the generality of the people
-were not disposed to have a republican government,
-so they made the prince promise not to
-interfere with their religion, but to join the
-Presbyterians, and then they proclaimed him
-king, and soon raising an army, he marched into
-England.</p>
-
-<p>21. A battle was fought at Worcester, where
-Cromwell gained a great victory, and the young
-king had to make his escape, in disguise, with a
-few friends, who were anxious to get him safely
-out of the country; and many curious adventures
-they met with, for parties of the republican
-soldiers were sent off in all directions in
-pursuit of the fugitive prince, who was several
-times very nearly caught.</p>
-
-<p>22. His escape was chiefly owing to the fidelity
-of five brothers, named Penderel, farmers and
-woodmen, who were tenants of a gentleman that
-was warmly attached to the Royal family.
-They lent him a woodman’s dress, called him
-Will Jones; and rode about with him, to show<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157"></a>[157]</span>
-him what houses he might safely go to for shelter
-and entertainment.</p>
-
-<p>23. On the third day after the battle, he was
-obliged to hide in a wood, in Boscobel, on the
-borders of Staffordshire, where he met with a
-friend, Major Carlis, who was hiding himself.</p>
-
-<p>24. They heard soldiers about the wood, so
-they both got up into an old oak tree, with some
-bread and cheese and beer, that one of the Penderels
-had brought to Charles, and while they
-were there, they heard the soldiers talking close
-under the tree, and saying how glad they should
-be to find the king, and that they were sure he
-must be somewhere thereabouts.</p>
-
-<p>25. The tree was afterwards called the Royal
-Oak; and there is a tree now on the same spot,
-raised from an acorn of the original one, which
-is still distinguished by that name.</p>
-
-<p>26. One time he travelled with a lady, as her
-groom, and when they stopped at an inn, he
-went into the kitchen, where the cook told him
-to wind up the jack, which he did so awkwardly,
-that she scolded him.</p>
-
-<p>27. He made an excuse, saying that where he
-came from, they did not have roast meat very
-often, and never used a jack; but I dare say,
-he laughed heartily afterwards, for he was
-always merry in the midst of his troubles.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158"></a>[158]</span></p>
-
-<p>28. At last, after being at hide and seek for
-nearly two months, he embarked at Shoreham,
-and reached the continent in safety.</p>
-
-<p>29. Great Britain was now not a kingdom,
-for there was no king, but it was a Republic, or
-Commonwealth, which is a government managed
-by the people, or their representatives in parliament.</p>
-
-<p>30. But Oliver Cromwell was an ambitious
-man, and wanted to have all the power in his
-own hands; so he got the soldiers on his side,
-and then told the members of parliament that it
-was time for them to go out of office, that there
-might be a new election; and on their refusal, he
-went to the House of Commons with a regiment
-of soldiers, turned out the members, locked the
-doors, and took away the keys.</p>
-
-<p>31. He soon formed a new Parliament of men
-who were devoted to his interest, and he was
-made chief ruler of the state, under the name
-of Protector of the Commonwealth; but he
-might as well have been called king, for he was
-almost as absolute a sovereign as any that had
-yet reigned.</p>
-
-<p>32. However, he made a good use of his power
-by promoting trade, and foreign commerce, besides
-which, he had an excellent army, and a
-good navy, so that England was considered of<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159"></a>[159]</span>
-more importance, by other nations, than it had
-ever been before.</p>
-
-<p>33. The English Admiral, Blake, gained some
-great victories over the Dutch at sea; and some
-conquests were made both in the East and West
-Indies, particularly that of Jamaica, which was
-taken from the Spaniards.</p>
-
-<p>34. The English people obeyed Cromwell more
-from fear than love, yet he had so many great
-qualities that he was respected, as well as feared.
-Milton, the poet, was one of his secretaries, and
-was much attached to him, as I believe most
-people were, who belonged to his domestic circle,
-for Cromwell was kind and mild in his family,
-although severe and determined in his public
-character.</p>
-
-<p>35. There was not much merriment in England,
-while he was its ruler, for the Puritans
-thought it sinful to dance, or feast, or sing, or
-play at any games; so all the theatres and other
-places of public amusement were ordered to be
-shut up, even at Christmas, which had previously
-been a very gay time, when everybody, rich or
-poor, used to make holiday for twelve days; and
-in every country mansion, there was a good
-Christmas dinner, and plenty of fun afterwards,
-old and young playing at forfeits, blindman’s<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160"></a>[160]</span>
-buff, and other Christmas gambols, in the great
-hall.</p>
-
-<p>36. But these frolics were forbidden in Cromwell’s
-time, and if any merry-hearted folks indulged
-in such doings, it was by stealth, and
-they kept it secret.</p>
-
-<p>37. The prim dress, and hats with high
-crowns, were worn by both sexes; for if any
-persons had dressed in a gayer fashion, they
-would have been taken for Royalists. Cromwell
-died six years after he was made Protector, and
-ten from the death of Charles the First.</p>
-
-<p>38. A great many improvements were made
-during the Commonwealth; for instance, coffee,
-sugar, and India muslins, were first brought to
-this country.</p>
-
-<p>39. When Oliver Cromwell was dead, his son
-Richard was made Protector; but he liked a
-quiet life, and soon gave up the troublesome
-task of ruling the country; and as most people
-were now of opinion it was better to have a
-king than not, the parliament resolved to recall
-Charles, who was residing in Holland, and messengers
-were sent to tell him that he would be
-restored to the throne, on condition that all persons
-should have liberty to follow their religious
-belief, and that no one should be punished for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161"></a>[161]</span>
-having taken part against him, or his father,
-before.</p>
-
-<p>40. He returned to England, and entered
-London in great state, on the 29th of May,
-1660, on which day, every year, you may always
-hear the bells ringing, to commemorate the restoration
-of Charles the Second.</p>
-
-<p>41. But the rejoicing is because the old form
-of government was restored; for Charles was
-not, by any means, a good sovereign, nor had
-he one quality to be admired, except that he was
-good natured to those about him, and liked to
-make fun of every thing. However, I must not
-forget to say that he rewarded the Penderels,
-who had been so kind to him in his misfortunes.</p>
-
-<p>42. England was now quite a different place
-from what it had been. Every body might be
-as merry as they chose; the theatres were re-opened;
-holidays kept; the villagers danced
-round their may-poles as they used to do, and
-were not afraid to laugh and sing; while the
-towns-people had their pleasant social meetings,
-and the London citizens their grand feasts, and
-fine shows, as in the days of Elizabeth.</p>
-
-<p>43. During the Commonwealth, there were no
-bishops, nor any music allowed in the churches;
-but now, the bishops were restored to their former<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162"></a>[162]</span>
-dignity, and beautiful church music was
-again heard.</p>
-
-<p>43. But, I am sorry to say, the king did not
-keep his promise to let all persons enjoy their
-own religion, which caused a great deal of unhappiness,
-for numbers of families, to escape
-being put in prison, or having their property
-taken from them, left their comfortable homes,
-and went to settle in the new American colonies,
-where they had to endure many hardships, for
-it is a long time before the people in new settlements
-can obtain the means of living in any
-degree of comfort.</p>
-
-<p>44. About five years after the return of king
-Charles, the plague broke out in London, and
-continued to rage for many months with fearful
-violence.</p>
-
-<p>45. The streets were, at that time, narrow
-and dirty; the houses mostly of wood, and not
-airy; nor was the city so well paved or cleansed,
-nor so well supplied with water, as at present,
-consequently it was not so healthy; and then,
-the doctors were not so clever as they are now,
-so that many died, who perhaps might have been
-saved.</p>
-
-<p>46. It was a melancholy time. The houses
-were all shut up; no business was transacted,
-and scarcely anybody was to be seen in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163"></a>[163]</span>
-streets, which were sad and silent, for death was
-in almost every house.</p>
-
-<p>47. The king and queen, and most of the
-great people, went out of town, but some of the
-clergymen and other benevolent persons, stayed
-to do what good they could, and some of them
-caught the infection, and died.</p>
-
-<p>48. At last, when the heat of the summer was
-over, the plague began to abate, and those who
-had survived it, returned to their usual occupations;
-but with sorrowful hearts, for most of
-them had to mourn the loss of their dearest
-friends.</p>
-
-<p>49. The plague had often raged in London
-before, but had never been so bad; and perhaps
-the great fire that followed it, tended greatly to
-remove the cause of this dreadful distemper.</p>
-
-<p>50. The memorable fire of London happened
-September, 1666. It began at a baker’s shop,
-near London-bridge, and spread rapidly from
-street to street, till almost all the town was in
-flames.</p>
-
-<p>51. It continued to burn for three days, and
-destroyed nearly the whole city, with most of
-the churches and public buildings; but there
-were very few lives lost, as the people fled from
-their houses when they saw the fire approaching
-the street in which they lived.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164"></a>[164]</span></p>
-
-<p>52. Many, however, were ruined by the loss
-of their property, and all were left houseless, so
-that they had to set up tents in the fields, to
-shelter themselves till they could find some place
-to go to; and subscriptions were made for the
-relief of those who were most in need, for generally
-the respectable citizens had saved their
-plate, jewels, and money.</p>
-
-<p>53. The fire put an end to the pestilence, and
-so far proved a benefit, in the end; for the city
-was rebuilt with wider streets; the houses were
-built of brick or stone, and altogether it was
-handsomer and more healthy; one proof of
-which is, that the plague has not been known in
-London since.</p>
-
-<p>54. The visitation of the cholera, in 1829-30,
-although partaking somewhat of the character
-of a plague, was a different disease, and yielded
-to cleanliness and medical treatment.</p>
-
-<p>55. It was about this time, that tea was first
-brought to England, from China, by the East
-India Company; but it was so very dear, that a
-pound of tea was thought a handsome present,
-and it was a very long while before people drank
-it as they do now.</p>
-
-<p>56. Except in London, Liverpool, and some
-of the principal towns, nobody had ever heard
-of such a thing as tea; for there was but little<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165"></a>[165]</span>
-intercourse between London and the country
-towns at that time, as the roads were still bad,
-and there were no stage coaches till a few years
-after the death of Charles the Second, and then
-only on three or four of the principal roads.</p>
-
-<p>57. The rich country gentlefolks lived in a
-plain homely way, and their daughters were
-brought up to assist in domestic duties, such as
-washing, ironing, cooking, knitting, and many
-other useful things; but they seldom had any
-other accomplishments, and very few could read
-or write.</p>
-
-<p>58. Charles the Second died in 1685, twenty-five
-years after his restoration, and was succeeded
-by his brother James, who was a Catholic,
-and tried to restore the Catholic religion,
-although he had promised not to do so.</p>
-
-<p>59. The people soon began to feel that he did
-not mind breaking the laws to accomplish this
-object; so a great many Protestant noblemen
-and gentlemen agreed that it would be better to
-take the crown from him, and to place on the
-throne a prince of another family, for they said,
-the laws would never be rightly observed so long
-as the Stuarts, or a Catholic king, reigned; so
-they sent to William, prince of Orange, who was
-married to the king’s daughter, Mary, and asked<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166"></a>[166]</span>
-him to become king of England, and he consented.</p>
-
-<p>60. He came, with a large army, to Torbay,
-in Devonshire; but there was no fighting, for
-king James, with his wife and infant son, fled to
-France, where he was kindly received by the
-French king, Louis the Fourteenth, who promised
-to try and replace him on the throne; but the
-attempt was unsuccessful, as you will presently
-see.</p>
-
-<p>61. James the Second had only reigned in
-England three years, and during that time the
-Protestants were so cruelly treated in France,
-that thousands of industrious artisans came over
-here, chiefly silk weavers, but also watchmakers,
-cutlers, and manufacturers of glass, writing
-paper and many other things; from whom the
-English learned to make all these things as well
-as the French.</p>
-
-<p>62. The middle classes were much better off
-than at any former time, on account of the increase
-of trade; but the lower orders were not
-so well off, for wages were less, in proportion
-to the prices of bread and meat, than they were
-at earlier periods of our history.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167"></a>[167]</span></p>
-
-<p>2. What was the gunpowder plot?</p>
-
-<p>3. What was the opinion of the new king with regard to
-sovereignty?</p>
-
-<p>4. How were the American States first colonized?</p>
-
-<p>5. Who succeeded James the first?</p>
-
-<p>6. What gave rise to quarrels between the king and parliament?</p>
-
-<p>9. Who were the Roundheads?</p>
-
-<p>11. What sort of government was desired by the people?</p>
-
-<p>14. Who was Oliver Cromwell?</p>
-
-<p>16. What were the Cavaliers?</p>
-
-<p>17. What was the ultimate fate of king Charles?</p>
-
-<p>19. Name the date of his death.</p>
-
-<p>20. Did this event put an end to the war?</p>
-
-<p>21. What was the battle of Worcester?</p>
-
-<p>30. How did Cromwell obtain sovereign power?</p>
-
-<p>31. What was his title?</p>
-
-<p>33. What conquests were made in his time?</p>
-
-<p>37. How long did Cromwell rule?</p>
-
-<p>38. What improvements were made in his time?</p>
-
-<p>39. What followed the death of Cromwell?</p>
-
-<p>40. Name the date of the restoration.</p>
-
-<p>44. What calamities befel London in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>60. In what year was the fire of London?</p>
-
-<p>63. Why did it eventually prove a benefit?</p>
-
-<p>65. When was tea first brought to England?</p>
-
-<p>58. How long did Charles the Second reign?</p>
-
-<p>59. Why was James disliked by many of the people?</p>
-
-<p>61. How were the useful arts improved in England, about
-this time?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168"></a>[168]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">THE REVOLUTION.&mdash;1689 TO 1714.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_168">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_168.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. The changes made in the government by
-taking the crown from James the Second, and
-giving it to William the Third, was called the
-Revolution, and was a good thing for England,
-as it was then settled that no sovereign, in
-the future, should follow his own will, or act
-contrary to the laws of the country; that all
-new laws should be proposed by the parliament,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169"></a>[169]</span>
-and not by the king; who was only to have the
-power of giving or refusing his consent to them;
-which is very different from being able to make
-laws without asking any one, as the kings and
-queens of England had hitherto often done.</p>
-
-<p>2. The way, now, is this:&mdash;when a gentleman
-of the House of Commons, or a nobleman of
-the House of Lords, thinks of any thing that
-will be good for the nation, he mentions it to the
-rest and they all consult about it, every one giving
-his opinion whether he thinks it good or not;
-and if the greater number think it will be good,
-it is settled that it shall be done, if both Houses
-of Parliament and the sovereign agree to it;
-for whichever House of Parliament begins and
-agrees to a measure, it is sent to the other
-House for approval:&mdash;this is called passing the
-bill.</p>
-
-<p>3. When both Houses have done what they
-consider good and necessary, it is submitted to
-the queen or king, who generally approves of it
-also; and then it becomes a law.</p>
-
-<p>4. Another rule made at the Revolution was,
-that the parliament should meet every year, and
-that there should be a new election at least once
-in three years, to give the people an opportunity
-of choosing other members, if they had not approved
-the votes of the old ones; but, in the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170"></a>[170]</span>
-reign of George the First, this arrangement was
-altered to seven years, and so it has continued
-ever since.</p>
-
-<p>5. It was also agreed that none but a Protestant
-should ever be king or queen of England;
-and all these, with many other regulations, were
-written down, and signed by king William, and
-this is called the Bill of Rights.</p>
-
-<p>6. No one was to be persecuted on account
-of his or her religion; but the Catholics were
-not allowed to hold landed property, or to be
-members of parliament; and it was not till the
-reign of George the Fourth that people of the
-Catholic faith were restored to their ancient
-rights and privileges.</p>
-
-<p>7. Soon after William was made king, he had
-to go to Ireland, to fight against James the Second,
-who had landed there with a French army,
-thinking the Irish would assist him to recover
-the throne. But he was defeated in a battle
-fought on the banks of the river Boyne, and
-obliged to go back to France, where he lived in
-retirement for the rest of his life.</p>
-
-<p>8. His daughter, Mary, the wife of king William,
-was a very amiable woman, and much beloved
-by the English. It was she who induced
-the government to convert the palace at Greenwich<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171"></a>[171]</span>
-into an asylum for poor old sailors; and the
-king gave money for the purpose.</p>
-
-<p>9. The East Indian trade was very much increased
-during this reign, so that all things that
-came from China and India, such as tea, silk,
-cotton, spices, porcelain or china ware, and many
-other beautiful and useful things, became more
-easy to be procured in this country.</p>
-
-<p>10. I must also tell you that the Bank of
-England was now first established, for the purpose
-of raising money for the government to
-carry on war against Louis the Fourteenth, of
-France; and this was the beginning of what you
-will sometimes hear called the National Debt;
-for when people put money into the bank, it is
-the same as lending it to the king or the government;
-and as long as they choose to lend it,
-they are paid so much a year for doing so, and
-this is called their dividend, which they go to
-the Bank twice a year to receive.</p>
-
-<p>11. The war in which king William was engaged,
-had nothing whatever to do with the
-English, but was only for the sake of helping
-the Archduke of Austria, to fight out his quarrels
-with the king of France; yet, after William’s
-death, these wars were carried on during
-the whole reign of queen Anne, who succeeded<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172"></a>[172]</span>
-William the Third, in the year 1702, after he
-had reigned thirteen years.</p>
-
-<p>12. These wars caused great distress in England,
-where the taxes were increased, to pay the
-expenses of the soldiers, and trade was much
-injured, as we were at war with both France and
-Spain.</p>
-
-<p>13. There was a duty, for the first time, laid
-upon many things that people have to use every
-day, such as soap, starch, and paper, so that
-all these articles became much dearer.</p>
-
-<p>14. The meaning of a duty is this:&mdash;The parliament
-says, no person may make any paper,
-unless he give to the government so much money
-for every ream he makes; so the paper-makers
-pay the money, and charge more for their paper
-to the shopkeepers, who buy it of them; then
-you and I, and everybody who uses paper, must
-pay more for it than if there was no duty; and
-the same with all things on which there are
-duties. So you see the expenses of war fall
-upon every one, in some way or other.</p>
-
-<p>15. Queen Anne was a daughter of James
-the Second, but as she was a Protestant, no objection
-was made to her accession, although her
-brother was excluded from the throne, as being
-a Catholic.</p>
-
-<p>16. The most important event that took place<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173"></a>[173]</span>
-in the reign of queen Anne, was the complete
-union of England and Scotland, for although
-they had been governed by one king, since the
-time of James the First, they had separate parliaments,
-and different laws; but it was now settled
-that a certain number of the Scottish lords
-and commons should sit in the English houses
-of parliament, and that all the laws about trade,
-and every thing that did not interfere with the
-habits or religion of Scotland, should be the
-same.</p>
-
-<p>17. This union of the parliaments took place
-in 1707, from which time England and Scotland
-have been one country, called Great Britain.</p>
-
-<p>18. There was a celebrated General, the Duke
-of Marlborough, who won some famous battles
-in Germany in the reign of queen Anne; and
-there was a brave Admiral, Sir George Rooke,
-who took the fortress of Gibraltar, which was
-a conquest of some importance to England,
-because it stands at the entrance of the Mediterranean
-sea, and may be said to command the
-passage taken by ships trading to the Grecian
-islands, Egypt, Turkey, &amp;c. Queen Anne
-died in the year 1714, having reigned twelve
-years.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174"></a>[174]</span></p>
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. What was meant by the Revolution?</p>
-
-<p>2. What were the changes made in the government?</p>
-
-<p>4. How was the duration of parliaments settled?</p>
-
-<p>5. What was the Bill of Rights?</p>
-
-<p>7. What was the battle of the Boyne?</p>
-
-<p>8. Who was the wife of William the Third?</p>
-
-<p>10. When was the Bank of England established, and why?</p>
-
-<p>11. What was the object of the wars, and how long did
-they last?</p>
-
-<p>16. What union was effected at this time?</p>
-
-<p>17. When did it take place?</p>
-
-<p>18. When did queen Anne die?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175"></a>[175]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">HOUSE OF HANOVER.&mdash;1714 TO 1830.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_175">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_175.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. When queen Anne died, the crown of
-England went to a German prince, named
-George, the elector or sovereign of Hanover,
-whose mother was grand-daughter of James the
-First.</p>
-
-<p>2. He was rather advanced in age, and being
-a stranger to the manners of the people, and to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176"></a>[176]</span>
-the language and laws of the country, was not
-likely to become a popular monarch; yet it was
-thought better that he should succeed to the
-throne, than to let the son of James II., who
-was now about six-and-twenty, be king of Great
-Britain.</p>
-
-<p>3. But there were a great many people in
-Scotland who wished to see the family of their
-ancient kings restored, and some of the great
-men, there, raised an army, and invited prince
-James Stuart, who is usually called the Pretender,
-to place himself at the head of it, and go
-to war with George the First.</p>
-
-<p>4. The Pretender went to Scotland, and two
-battles were fought, one near Dumblane, and the
-other near Preston, in Lancashire; but the English
-troops gained the victory at both places,
-and the prince was glad to get back to France
-again.</p>
-
-<p>5. A great many English had joined in this
-rebellion, for, as I said before, the new king was
-not very generally liked; and it was mostly the
-English party that fought for the Pretender at
-Preston, and, I am sorry to say, all who were
-made prisoners were very cruelly treated. The
-leaders were put to death, and those who had
-fought under their command, were mostly sent
-to America, and sold for slaves.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177"></a>[177]</span></p>
-
-<p>6. You remember how the American colonies
-were first settled. Well, they had now become
-large populous places, and cities had been built
-there; but the people were cultivators, and had
-no manufactures of any kind, for they were
-obliged to have all they wanted of manufactured
-goods, either for clothing, or any other purpose,
-from England, which was a great advantage to
-this country, by furnishing employment for English
-manufactures.</p>
-
-<p>7. Perhaps you will say, why could they not
-have things from other countries, as well as
-from England?&mdash;but you must bear in mind that
-the American states were then under British
-government, and remained so till the reign of
-George the Third, when the Americans established
-a government of their own, and went to
-war with Great Britain, as you will presently
-read, and with the assistance of France, made
-themselves independent of this country.</p>
-
-<p>8. George the First died in 1727, having
-reigned nearly thirteen years, and he was succeeded
-by his son, George the Second.</p>
-
-<p>9. There had been a great change in the
-mode of dress since the time of the Stuarts, for
-queen Anne had introduced a fashion of setting
-out the gowns with hoops; and gentlemen wore
-coats with broad square-cut tails, waistcoats with<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178"></a>[178]</span>
-long flaps, colored stockings drawn up over the
-knee, lace ruffles, large shoe buckles, wigs with
-rows of stiff curls, three-cornered hats bound
-with gold-lace, and swords.</p>
-
-<p>10. Towards the close of the eighteenth century
-this formal inconvenient style of dress was
-altered gradually; swords were left off; the hair
-which, in the early part of the reign of George
-the Third, was frizzed out, pomatumed and powdered,
-was dressed in a more natural manner;
-round hats came into fashion, and people began
-to look something like what they do now.</p>
-
-<p>11. The reign of George the Second, which
-lasted thirty-three years, was on the whole rather
-a prosperous one, the greater part of it being
-spent in peace. There was no war for about
-twelve years, and during that time improvements
-were going on all over the country.</p>
-
-<p>12. Most of the great towns were made larger,
-and new manufactories built, for the trade of
-England was increasing every year, and great
-quantities of manufactured goods were sent out
-to foreign countries; besides which, new roads
-were opened, waste lands cultivated, canals
-formed, and new harbors made for shipping, so
-that there was plenty of employment for the
-laboring people.</p>
-
-<p>13. We had a good navy at this time, and the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179"></a>[179]</span>
-first war that broke out was carried on entirely
-at sea. It was with the Spaniards, who had
-taken possession of a great part of South
-America, and, as they chose to keep all the
-trade to themselves, they had ships constantly
-sailing about, to prevent the ships of other nations
-coming there, which was all very fair; but
-not content with guarding their own possessions,
-they interfered with British merchants, who
-were going to or from other places, plundered
-some of their vessels, and behaved so ill, that
-the British government was obliged to declare
-war, and sent out a great many ships to fight
-the Spaniards.</p>
-
-<p>14. I dare say you have heard stories about
-press-gangs taking away poor men against their
-will, to make sailors of them. This cruel expedient
-for getting plenty of sailors, was resorted
-to in all the wars during the reigns of George
-the Second and George the Third, when many a
-poor fellow, in going to or returning from his
-daily labor, was met by a party of armed men,
-called a press-gang, and carried off, by force, to
-a ship, without being allowed to go home, or
-take leave of his family. Such things ought not
-to be done in a free country, and I hope they
-never will be done again, even if we should have
-the misfortune to be at war.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180"></a>[180]</span></p>
-
-<p>15. At this time, the French had large possessions
-in India, as well as the English, and it
-seemed doubtful which of the two nations would,
-in the end, be masters of the country; but this
-question was decided in the reign of George the
-Second, for, while the war with Spain was going
-on, a war broke out between France and England,
-about the affairs of Germany, where our
-king himself commanded the army, and fought
-at the battle of Dettingen; but the fighting between
-the French and English in India, was of
-more consequence, as several great victories were
-gained by a brave commander, named Clive, by
-which the superiority of the English in India
-was quite established, and ever since that time,
-we have gained one place after another, in that
-extensive and rich country, until a large portion
-of India has become a province of the British
-empire.</p>
-
-<p>16. While these wars were going on abroad,
-there was another great rebellion in Scotland;
-for prince Charles Edward Stuart, the son of
-the old Pretender, being now a man, had come
-there to make another attempt to recover the
-throne for his father; and being joined by some
-of the Highland chiefs, and numbers of Scotch
-people, as well as by many English who were
-discontented with the government, he went to<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181"></a>[181]</span>
-Holyrood house, the old palace of his ancestors,
-at Edinburgh, where he held a court, and behaved
-as if he had been sovereign of the country.</p>
-
-<p>17. Of course, an army was sent from England,
-to put down this rebellion, which caused a
-great deal of misery; for, besides the numbers
-of brave men that were killed in the several
-battles which took place, many were afterwards
-executed as traitors, which must have been more
-dreadful for their families than if they had fallen
-in battle.</p>
-
-<p>18. If Charles Edward had any good feeling,
-I think he must have been very sorry for the
-mischief he caused. He was finally defeated at
-the battle of Culloden, and obliged to escape,
-like Charles the Second, after the battle of
-Worcester, and his adventures are very similar,
-but more full of suffering, than those of the
-merry monarch. This is usually called the Rebellion
-of ’45, because it was in the year 1745.</p>
-
-<p>19. There is only one thing more of importance
-to mention in the reign of George the Second,
-and that is the conquest of the large country
-of Canada, in North America, which had
-belonged to the French, who had settled there
-as the English had in the United States, and
-built several good towns, one of which was
-Quebec.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182"></a>[182]</span></p>
-
-<p>20. There had frequently been quarrels between
-the French and English in America,
-respecting their possessions, which, at length,
-occasioned a war there, and soldiers were sent
-out both from France and England, the French
-wanting to conquer the British states, the English
-to gain possession of Canada.</p>
-
-<p>21. This war had lasted about five years,
-when the renowned General Wolfe gained a
-great victory at the battle of Quebec; after
-which, the French gave up Canada, which has
-belonged to England ever since, and is a very
-useful possession, supplying abundance of fine
-corn, and timber for building.</p>
-
-<p>22. General Wolfe was killed on the field of
-battle, just as the victory was won, and his
-death was much lamented in England, where the
-news of the conquest arrived a few days before
-the death of the king, which happened in October,
-1760, after he had reigned thirty-three
-years.</p>
-
-<p>23. The eldest son of George the Second was
-dead, but he had left a son, named George, who
-succeeded his grandfather, and was about twenty-two
-years old. He was a very good man and
-was highly respected, although many people say
-he was more fitted for a country gentleman than
-a king.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183"></a>[183]</span></p>
-
-<p>24. He married a German princess, whose
-name was Charlotte, and they had many children,
-some of whom are yet living. Our queen
-is the grand-daughter of George the Third.</p>
-
-<p>25. About two years after the new king came
-to the throne, peace was made with France and
-Spain, and there were no more wars for thirteen
-years, when the Americans became dissatisfied
-with the English government, and resolved to
-have a government of their own.</p>
-
-<p>26. But let us see what useful things were
-done in England during that thirteen years of
-peace. First of all, the manufacture of China
-ware was begun in Staffordshire, by a gentleman,
-named Wedgewood, who built large factories
-and employed a great number of people in
-this new branch of art. Then a machine was
-invented for spinning cotton, by which we were
-enabled to manufacture cotton goods in much
-larger quantities than before, and as they could
-be sold abroad, this was a great benefit.</p>
-
-<p>27. It was also discovered how very useful
-steam engines might be made; but I fancy
-nobody then imagined that we should ever travel
-by steam, or print by steam, or do many other
-wonderful things, that are now done by that
-means.</p>
-
-<p>28. Turnpike roads were established all over<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184"></a>[184]</span>
-the kingdom, and travelling thus rendered safer
-and more expeditious. People were in general
-much better educated than in the preceding century,
-and all arts and sciences were greatly improved.</p>
-
-<p>29. And now I will tell you something about
-the American war. The quarrel began about
-some taxes which the British government imposed
-on the Americans, to help to pay the expenses
-of the wars with France and Spain, which
-the Americans thought they had nothing to do
-with; and considered it unjust that they should
-have to find money towards paying for them.</p>
-
-<p>30. British troops were sent out, to force
-them to obey the orders of the government; but
-instead of complying, all the colonies agreed to
-join together and fight for their liberty; and a
-very brave and good man, named General Washington,
-took the command of the American
-army.</p>
-
-<p>31. This war lasted many years, and the
-French and Dutch assisted the Americans with
-troops, ships, and money.</p>
-
-<p>32. There were many gentlemen in the English
-parliament who wanted to put an end to the
-war, by giving up all control over the Americans;
-but others would not consent, the king
-was unwilling to do so, till, at last, finding there<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185"></a>[185]</span>
-was little chance of success, the English government
-gave up the contest, and the American
-colonies became independent of England, and
-took the name of the United States.</p>
-
-<p>33. This event took place in 1783, after which,
-there were a few more years of peace, and then
-the long wars with France were begun, which
-lasted above twenty years, and were ended by
-the famous battle of Waterloo.</p>
-
-<p>34. The cause of the war was this. There
-had been a great revolution in France. The
-people rose up against king Louis the Sixteenth,
-who was made prisoner, and beheaded; just as
-Charles the First was treated here, and for
-much the same cause. Then a number of persons
-took the government into their own hands, and
-governed without a king, and declared war
-against the king of Great Britain, and also
-against the stadtholder of Holland, and the king
-of Spain, for disapproving of what the French
-people had done.</p>
-
-<p>35. The Spaniards and Dutch were afterwards
-obliged to join the French, and many
-battles were fought both on land and at sea, and
-some naval victories were gained by the British
-Admirals Duncan, Howe, and Nelson, and other
-officers.</p>
-
-<p>36. The greatest man in France at this time<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186"></a>[186]</span>
-was Napoleon Bonaparte, an artillery officer,
-who raised himself to the head of the state, just
-as Cromwell did here, by getting the soldiers to
-side with him. He was called consul, at first,
-but afterwards he was made emperor, and he
-conquered a great part of Europe, and he made
-the governments of those countries which he did
-not conquer do just as he pleased, except England,
-for he had the largest armies of any sovereign
-in the world.</p>
-
-<p>37. The most celebrated of our generals in
-the war against Bonaparte, were Abercrombie,
-Sir John Moore, and the Duke of Wellington,
-the last of whom won a great many battles in
-Spain, and at last, with the assistance of the
-Prussians, gained the great victory at Waterloo,
-near Brussels, on the 18th of June, 1815, after
-which, Bonaparte surrendered to the English,
-and was banished to a small island, called St.
-Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean, where he
-died in a few years. The fall of Bonaparte was
-followed by a general peace.</p>
-
-<p>38. George the Third was still living, but he
-had been out of his mind, and blind, for some
-time, so that his son George, prince of Wales,
-had been made regent in the year 1810, and
-conducted the government with that title, till his
-father’s death, which happened in the year 1820,<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187"></a>[187]</span>
-he having reigned above fifty-nine years, when
-George the Fourth became king, instead of
-regent.</p>
-
-<p>39. But I must now go back some years to
-tell you of something that was done at the beginning
-of this century. You have been told
-that Ireland had been subject to England, ever
-since the time of Henry the Second; but there
-had constantly been quarrels and warfare between
-the native Irish, and the new Irish, who
-were the descendants of the English, who had
-settled there, after the conquest.</p>
-
-<p>40. Then the new Irish were just as ready to
-quarrel with new English settlers, as the old
-Irish were with them; and, till the last fifty
-years, little had been done to make the people
-of Ireland a better or a happier race. They
-had a parliament of their own, but it did not
-encourage the people to be industrious, so they
-were, of course, very poor.</p>
-
-<p>41. A few years after the war with France
-began, there was a great rebellion in Ireland,
-and soldiers were sent from England, to put a
-stop to it, which I am afraid was not done without
-a great deal of cruelty; but it was in consequence
-of this rebellion that the English government
-resolved that the parliament and country of
-Ireland should be united to that of England; as<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188"></a>[188]</span>
-the parliament and country of Scotland had been,
-and this union took place on the first of January,
-1801, which you will easily remember, because
-it was the first day of the nineteenth century.</p>
-
-<p>42. Many good laws have been made since
-then, for the benefit of Ireland, and much been
-done to improve the country; but numbers of
-the Irish people still remain in a very distressed
-condition, and some of them wanted to have a
-separate Parliament again; and this is what is
-meant by Repeal of the Union; but this feeling
-is now fast dying away.</p>
-
-<p>43. In the reign of George the Third, there
-were National and Sunday schools established in
-almost every part of England, so that the poor
-people might be able to have their children
-taught to read and write, which was a great
-blessing to them; for although there had long
-been charity schools in London, there were few
-in the country, and many of the shopkeepers in
-country towns, who had become quite respectable
-people by their industry, were so ignorant that
-they could not even make out their own bills, or
-keep their own accounts.</p>
-
-<p>44. There were two more great improvements
-before the death of George the Third; the one
-was the invention of gas lights, which make the
-streets much lighter at night than the dim oil<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189"></a>[189]</span>
-lamps that were formerly used; and the other
-was the introduction of steam boats, which had
-lately been invented in America.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who succeeded queen Anne?</p>
-
-<p>3. Who was the Pretender?</p>
-
-<p>4. What was the Rebellion?</p>
-
-<p>5. How did it end?</p>
-
-<p>6. What was the state of the American colonies at this
-period?</p>
-
-<p>8. Who succeeded George the First?</p>
-
-<p>12. How was the country improved in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>13. With whom did the English go to war, and why?</p>
-
-<p>14. How were sailors forcibly obtained?</p>
-
-<p>15. Were there any other wars in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>16. What was the Rebellion of ’45?</p>
-
-<p>18. Where was the final battle fought?</p>
-
-<p>19. What great conquest was made in this reign?</p>
-
-<p>20. What gave rise to the war?</p>
-
-<p>21. What battle decided the contest?</p>
-
-<p>22. Which of our Generals was killed in the moment of
-victory?</p>
-
-<p>23. Who succeeded George the Second?</p>
-
-<p>29. What was the cause of the American war?</p>
-
-<p>30. Who was the leader of the Americans?</p>
-
-<p>32. How did the war terminate?</p>
-
-<p>34. What gave rise to the last war with France?</p>
-
-<p>36. Who was Bonaparte?</p>
-
-<p>37. What victory put an end to the war?</p>
-
-<p>38. Who ruled in England at this time?</p>
-
-<p>41. When did the Union with Ireland take place?</p>
-
-<p>42. What other improvements took place during the reign
-of George III.?</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter">
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190"></a>[190]</span><br /></p>
-
-<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.<br />
-<br />
-<span class="fs60">FROM THE DEATH OF GEORGE THE THIRD,
-1830, TO THE PRESENT TIME.</span></h2>
-</div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter illowe30" id="i_b_190">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_b_190.jpg" alt="" />
- <div class="caption">QUEEN VICTORIA’S VISIT TO THE CITY OF LONDON.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>1. George the Fourth, who had been regent
-ten years, reigned as a king from 1820, to 1830.
-During that time, every improvement that had
-been begun was carried to a greater extent.
-The education of all classes of people was conducted
-on a better system, and greater numbers<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191"></a>[191]</span>
-of cheap books were published for the instruction
-of the working classes.</p>
-
-<p>2. London was greatly improved by the building,
-in some parts, of wide handsome streets, in
-the place of narrow, dirty, crowded ones, and
-the manners of the English were improved also,
-by their intercourse with foreign nations; for
-after the peace, people began to visit France,
-Italy, and other parts of Europe, while a great
-number of foreigners came here, and we adopted
-such of their customs as were superior to our
-own; for people may always improve from each
-other.</p>
-
-<p>3. The French, German, and Italian languages
-began to be more generally studied in
-England: and the arts and sciences, especially
-painting and music, were more highly cultivated.</p>
-
-<p>4. But I am sorry to say that, amid all these
-benefits, there was a great deal of distress
-among the laboring people, for the expenses of
-the war had been so heavy that it was some
-years before the blessings of peace could be felt;
-and thus all the necessaries of life continued to
-be very dear, and wages, in proportion, very low,
-which occasioned riots in many parts of the
-kingdom; for the poor people had expected that,
-as soon as there was peace, most of the taxes
-pressing on them would be taken off.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192"></a>[192]</span></p>
-
-<p>5. But the government thought it right first
-to take off the property tax, and then found
-they could not do without the money the other
-taxes produced. Then the people, not getting
-relief from the taxation, thought some alterations
-in the laws might remedy their distress, and
-sent petitions to parliament praying that these
-alterations might be made. The principal thing
-they wanted was, what you have perhaps heard
-called the Reform Bill.</p>
-
-<p>6. This was a law to give the right of voting
-for members of parliament to a greater number
-of people, and also to make alterations with regard
-to the places that were allowed to send
-members to parliament; for there were many
-old boroughs that were formerly important
-places, but now had scarcely a house left standing,
-yet still were represented by two members
-in parliament; which was ridiculous, because the
-object of sending a member to parliament is,
-that he may do all the good he can for the people
-of the place he represents, as well as for the
-nation; then there were many large towns, such
-as Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, &amp;c., that
-had grown into importance since the time when
-it was settled what places should have representatives,
-and these had none at all.</p>
-
-<p>7. Another thing desired by the people, was<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193"></a>[193]</span>
-an alteration in the Corn Laws, so that bread
-might be cheaper; and this alteration was to be
-made by letting corn be brought from abroad
-without paying duty. Neither of these points
-were gained while George the Fourth was king;
-but the Reform Bill was passed during the reign
-of his successor, William the Fourth; and, in
-the year 1846, some important alterations were
-made in the corn and provision laws.</p>
-
-<p>8. William the Fourth was the brother of
-George the Fourth, and on the death of that
-monarch, in 1830, succeeded to the throne.</p>
-
-<p>9. That same year is memorable for the opening
-of the first Railway for travelling, which
-was that between Manchester and Liverpool; a
-circumstance that may be mentioned as the commencement
-of one of the greatest changes of
-modern times, and when we consider the number
-and extent of the railways now in use, we cannot
-but admire the immense works of the kind
-that have been performed in so short a space of
-time.</p>
-
-<p>10. The speed with which we can now travel,
-both by sea and land, would astonish our good
-old ancestors, who used to think it a great and
-dangerous undertaking to set out on a journey
-of twenty or thirty miles.</p>
-
-<p>11. In the time of Charles the Second, the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194"></a>[194]</span>
-poet Cowley, who had a country house at Chertsey,
-which is only twenty-two miles from London,
-invited a friend in town to pay him a visit, saying
-in his letter, that as he could not perform
-the whole journey in one day, he might sleep at
-Hampton.</p>
-
-<p>12. I think he would have been glad of a
-railway, which would have taken him all the
-way before breakfast. In 1706, the stage coach
-from York was four days coming to London;
-and so late as 1763, there was only a coach once
-a month from Edinburgh to London; and it was
-a whole fortnight on the road; so I think you
-will see the advantages of our present mode of
-travelling.</p>
-
-<p>13. The custom of buying and selling negroes
-had been abolished by parliament during the
-reign of George the Third, but there were many
-thousands of slaves in the West India islands,
-belonging to the British planters there.</p>
-
-<p>14. During the reign of William the Fourth,
-the British government gave twenty millions of
-money to buy all the slaves of their masters and
-then set them free. The day when the negroes
-became free people was the first of August,
-1838.</p>
-
-<p>15. I told you that the Reform Bill was passed
-in this reign. One consequence of this measure<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195"></a>[195]</span>
-was, the lessening of the duties, or taxes, on
-many articles of necessity, thereby reducing
-their prices, so that the poor people could live
-much better than they had formerly.</p>
-
-<p>16. The harvests were also plentiful for several
-years, so that bread was very cheap, and the
-prices of all kinds of clothing were less than in
-previous years.</p>
-
-<p>17. Upon the whole, there had never been a
-better time in England than the seven years that
-William the Fourth occupied the throne. He
-died in 1837, and was succeeded by her present
-Majesty, queen Victoria, who was the daughter
-of his deceased brother, the Duke of Kent.</p>
-
-<p>18. In 1840, she married her cousin, Prince
-Albert, of Saxe Coburg and Gotha. Their
-family now consists of eight children, four princes,
-and four princesses.</p>
-
-<p>19. The most remarkable events that have
-yet happened in the reign of queen Victoria,
-are the wars in China and India: but I ought to
-have mentioned an alteration made in the last
-reign, with regard to the East India trade,
-which you, perhaps, remember was carried on
-solely by the East India Company, according to
-a charter granted by queen Elizabeth, and renewed,
-from time to time, by other sovereigns.</p>
-
-<p>20. In 1813, however, it was made lawful for<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196"></a>[196]</span>
-private merchants to trade to India; but this
-right was not extended to the trade with China,
-which was still confined to the Company till
-1833, when a new law was made with regard to
-that also, and any person then was at liberty to
-go to China for tea, silk, and other commodities,
-which have since been much cheaper in consequence.
-Tea is little more than half the price
-it used to be, which is a great benefit and comfort
-to the poor.</p>
-
-<p>21. But this had nothing to do with the war
-in China, which arose from a dispute about the
-British merchants selling opium to the Chinese,
-who were forbidden by their emperor to buy it,
-because it injures the health of those who take
-it, like drinking spirits.</p>
-
-<p>22. Still the merchants continued to carry
-opium to China, and the people to buy it; so the
-governor at Canton, the only Chinese town in
-which foreigners were allowed to trade, seized
-and burnt some ship-loads of opium, for which
-he would not pay the owners; and this was the
-cause of the war.</p>
-
-<p>23. There were several battles fought, in
-which the Chinese were always defeated, for
-they were not much acquainted with the present
-art of war; but, at last, after three years of
-warfare, peace was made with the British; and<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197"></a>[197]</span>
-the Chinese emperor agreed to pay a sum of
-money, and to cede, or give up, to the British
-government, the Island of Hong Kong; besides
-agreeing that English ships might land goods
-for sale, at five ports, instead of one only, and
-that British merchants might have warehouses,
-and reside at those places. A treaty to this
-effect was signed in August, 1842.</p>
-
-<p>24. The war in India, was much more serious,
-and lasted a great deal longer. It was begun
-for the purpose of restoring to his throne an Indian
-prince, the king of Caboul, who had been
-deprived of his kingdom by another prince.</p>
-
-<p>25. The wars occasioned by this usurpation
-being likely to endanger the safety of the British
-possessions, the Governor General thought it
-necessary to interfere; and from the year 1839
-to that of 1846, the British armies in India were
-engaged in terrible and destructive wars with
-the Affghans, and other nations in the north and
-west of India.</p>
-
-<p>26. These calamitous strifes were happily
-ended by two great victories gained on the banks
-of the Sutlej, at the beginning of 1846, the one
-by General Sir Harry Smith, the other, by General
-Sir Hugh Gough. By the conquests made
-during these wars, the British empire is extended
-over the greater part of India.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198"></a>[198]</span></p>
-
-<p>27. Among the important inventions of this
-reign, may be mentioned that of the Electric
-Telegraph, by means of which communications
-can be made between places a hundred miles
-apart in one moment, or indeed to any imaginable
-distances.</p>
-
-<p>28. I have already mentioned the distressed
-condition of great numbers of the Irish people;
-and am sorry to have now to say that their
-misery has been greatly increased in the last
-three years, by the failure of the potato crops,
-on which the lower orders in Ireland depend for
-their subsistence.</p>
-
-<p>29. This food they can, with two or three
-months labor in the year, grow for themselves;
-and as they are, unfortunately, contented with
-such poor living, it is a very sad thing for them
-when a bad season occurs, and the potatoes are
-spoiled; which happens generally once in six or
-seven years.</p>
-
-<p>30. But there have now been three bad seasons
-following each other; and this calamity has
-caused so much distress, that thousands have
-died of fevers and other diseases, occasioned by
-want of wholesome and sufficient food.</p>
-
-<p>31. The Parliament expended several millions
-of money in relieving their distresses, and providing
-them employment. Large sums of money<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199"></a>[199]</span>
-were also subscribed by individuals in England,
-Scotland, and America, for the relief of
-the people in Ireland; and charitable committees
-were formed in many parts of that country to
-receive the money, and distribute the food and
-clothing purchased with it.</p>
-
-<p>32. New poor laws have also been made by
-the government, to afford greater relief to the
-destitute; and every thing has been done, that
-humanity could suggest, to better their condition
-and relieve their wants.</p>
-
-<p>33. The year 1848 will ever be memorable for
-the revolutions that have taken place in France
-and other parts of the continent. Louis Philippe,
-the French king, was dethroned on the
-24th of February, 1848, and fled with his family,
-to England.</p>
-
-<p>34. At Berlin, the capital of Prussia, there
-was also an insurrection in March, 1848, when
-a frightful battle was fought in the streets, between
-the soldiers and the people.</p>
-
-<p>35. Great numbers of persons were killed on
-both sides, and many houses were destroyed;
-and although peace was restored by the king
-granting the demands of his subjects, yet that
-could not bring back happiness to those who had
-lost their fathers, husbands, or brothers, in the
-fatal conflict.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200"></a>[200]</span></p>
-
-<p>36. Besides those already named, revolutions,
-attended with great loss of life and destruction
-of property, have taken place at Vienna, the
-capital of Austria, and other parts of Germany.
-Italy, too, has shared in the spread of revolution;
-Naples, Milan, and Venice, having been
-scenes of fearful tumult and destruction of life.</p>
-
-<p>37. In most of the places I have mentioned,
-the people having been fighting for a constitutional
-form of government, similar to that of our
-own happy united kingdom; conveying the
-strongest proof that we ought not to wish for a
-change. Yet there have been some attempts
-made to disturb the peace of this country, by
-ill-informed or worthless persons.</p>
-
-<p>38. Perhaps the desire for some increase in
-the number of the electors, and in the places
-represented in parliament, by uniting the adjacent
-towns to the small boroughs, is not unreasonable.</p>
-
-<p>39. But when we think of the dreadful state
-of things in France, Italy and Germany, where
-so many thousands of people have lost their
-lives, where trade is ruined, where the middle
-classes are reduced to poverty, and the working
-people, in consequence, starving, for want of
-employment, we cannot be too thankful for the<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201"></a>[201]</span>
-peace, the liberty, and prosperity, we enjoy in
-this more favored and happier country.</p>
-
-
-<p class="p2 pfs70">QUESTIONS.</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>1. Who succeeded George the Third?</p>
-
-<p>6. What was the Reform Bill?</p>
-
-<p>8. Who succeeded George the Fourth, and in what year?</p>
-
-<p>9. When was the first Railway opened?</p>
-
-<p>13. When was slavery abolished in the West Indies?</p>
-
-<p>17. When did William the Fourth die?</p>
-
-<p>17. When did Victoria ascend the throne?</p>
-
-<p>18. Who did Victoria marry?</p>
-
-<p>19. Name the principal events of her reign.</p>
-
-<p>22. What gave rise to the war in China?</p>
-
-<p>23. How did it end?</p>
-
-<p>24. Why was the war in India commenced?</p>
-
-<p>26. What has been the result?</p>
-
-<p>28. What has caused great misery in Ireland?</p>
-
-<p>31. What has been done for the relief of the Irish people?</p>
-
-<p>33. What has taken place in France?</p>
-
-<p>36. Where have other Revolutions taken place?</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class="p4 pfs90">THE END.</p>
-
-
-<hr class="full x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter"></div>
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_1c"></a>[Cat 1]</span></p>
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- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_02.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-<p>T. S. ARTHUR’S</p>
-
-<p>MORAL TALES FOR THE PEOPLE.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. I.<br />
-
-THE MAIDEN.<br />
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. II.<br />
-
-THE WIFE.<br />
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. III.<br />
-
-THE MOTHER.<br />
-
-A STORY FOR MY YOUNG COUNTRYWOMEN.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. IV.<br />
-
-MARRIED AND SINGLE;<br />
-
-OR, MARRIAGE AND CELIBACY CONTRASTED.<br />
-IN A SERIES OF DOMESTIC PICTURES.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
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-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3c"></a>[3]</span></p>
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-LOVERS AND HUSBANDS.<br />
-
-A STORY OF MARRIED LIFE.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. VI.<br />
-
-SWEETHEARTS AND WIVES;<br />
-
-OR, BEFORE AND AFTER MARRIAGE.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. VII.<br />
-
-MARY ELLIS;<br />
-
-OR, THE RUNAWAY MATCH.<br />
-
-AND<br />
-
-ALICE MELVILLE;<br />
-
-OR, THE INDISCRETION.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. VIII.<br />
-
-BELL MARTEN.<br />
-
-AN AMERICAN STORY OF REAL LIFE.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4c"></a>[4]</span></p>
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-</div>
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-
-<p>VOL. IX.<br />
-
-MADELINE;<br />
-
-OR A DAUGHTER’S LOVE AND OTHER TALES.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. X.<br />
-
-THE HEIRESS.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. XI.<br />
-
-THE MARTYR WIFE.<br />
-
-THE RUINED GAMESTER;<br />
-
-OR, TWO ERAS IN MY LIFE.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5c"></a>[5]</span></p>
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- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>VOL. XII.<br />
-
-FAMILY PRIDE;<br />
-
-OR, THE PALACE AND THE POOR HOUSE.<br />
-
-A Romance of Real Life.</p>
-
-<p>PRIDE OR PRINCIPLE.<br />
-
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-
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-CONTAINING<br />
-
-THE MAIDEN. THE WIFE. THE MOTHER.</p>
-
-<p>Tales of Married Life.<br />
-
-CONTAINING<br />
-
-LOVERS AND HUSBANDS. SWEETHEARTS AND THEIR
-WIVES. MARRIED AND SINGLE.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7c"></a>[7]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_07">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_07.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>Tales of Domestic Life.<br />
-
-CONTAINING<br />
-
-MADELINE.<br />
-MARTYR WIFE.<br />
-HEIRESS.<br />
-THE GAMESTER.<br />
-</p>
-
-
-<p>Tales from Real Life.<br />
-
-CONTAINING<br />
-
-BELL MARTIN.<br />
-PRIDE AND PRINCIPLE.<br />
-FAMILY PRIDE.<br />
-MARY ELLIS.<br />
-ALICE MELVILLE.<br />
-</p>
-
-<p><em>Sent per Mail, at above prices, postage paid.</em></p>
-
-
-<p>JUVENILES.</p>
-
-
-<p>MORAL LIBRARY.<br />
-
-EDITED BY JACOB ABBOTT.</p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; These volumes may be had separately, and are well calculated
-for Sunday and District Schools, as also FAMILY READING,
-of a standard moral excellence.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8c"></a>[8]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_08">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_08.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>VOL. I.<br />
-
-Little Mill Dam, &amp;c.<br />
-
-Select and Original Tales.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. II.<br />
-
-NARINA.<br />
-
-The Story of a Little Princess and her Silver Feather.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. III.<br />
-
-The Little Gardener.</p>
-
-
-<p>VOL. IV.<br />
-
-Perseverance under Difficulties.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9c"></a>[9]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_09">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_09.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>VOL. V.<br />
-
-Henry of Eichenfels,<br />
-
-AND OTHER SELECT STORIES,<br />
-
-ILLUSTRATING THE POWER OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE.</p>
-
-<p>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Backs, 31 Cents each.</p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “An admirable series of little books, full of interest and instruction.
-It is plain that the Editor has taken especial pains to secure a useful
-tendency for these works in all the selections he has made.”&mdash;<cite>City Item.</cite></p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “Five of the choicest books for children. The very name of Abbot, is
-sufficient to ensure every one of their excellence. They are truly moral
-tales, and may be put into the hands of the young with perfect safety.”&mdash;<cite>Godey’s
-Lady’s Book.</cite></p>
-
-
-<p>The Young Cadet,<br />
-
-BY MRS. HOFLAND.</p>
-
-<p>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Back, 38 Cents.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10c"></a>[10]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_10">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_10.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>THE YOUNG PILGRIM,<br />
-
-BY MRS. HOFLAND.</p>
-
-<p>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Back, 38 Cents.</p>
-
-
-<p>FRANK FAIRFIELD,<br />
-
-OR THE YOUNG SAILOR.<br />
-
-BY M. H. BARKER, THE OLD SAILOR.</p>
-
-<p>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Back, 38 Cents.</p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “This is an excellent nautical autobiography of a Cabin Boy, who rose
-to the rank of Admiral. Well told, with historical incidents, Nelson, the
-Nile, &amp;c.”&mdash;<cite>Jeffersonian (N. O.) Republican.</cite></p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “This is an interesting story of one Frank Fairfield, a brave and good
-lad, who went to sea, where he saw lots of strange sights, and learned
-much of the world. A wholesome tone pervades the book, and it may be
-read with pleasure and profit.”&mdash;<cite>City Item.</cite></p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “A charming sea story for the Juveniles. It reminds us of Jack
-Halyard, and the Swiss Family Robinson and is quite as interesting.”&mdash;<cite>Godey’s
-Lady’s Book.</cite></p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11c"></a>[11]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_11">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_11.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE,<br />
-
-BY MISS ELIZA LESLIE.<br />
-
-CONTAINING<br />
-
-The Tell Tale.<br />
-The Boarding School Feast.<br />
-The Week of Idleness.<br />
-Madeline Malcom.<br />
-</p>
-
-<p><em>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Back. Price 38 Cents.</em></p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “These stories are from the accomplished pen of Miss Leslie, who, in
-addition to her well earned fame in other departments of literature,
-possesses the rare power of writing in a manner calculated to interest the
-juvenile reader.”&mdash;<cite>Saturday Museum.</cite></p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “Well written and adapted to youthful minds.”&mdash;<cite>Philadelphia North
-American.</cite></p>
-
-<p>KEEPSAKE STORIES,<br />
-
-BY MISS ELIZA LESLIE.</p>
-
-<p>18mo., Muslin, Gilt Back. Price, 38 Cents.</p>
-
-
-<p>BOY’S OWN WEEK-DAY BOOK,<br />
-
-FIFTY-TWO WOOD CUTS.</p>
-
-<p>16mo., Muslin, Gilt Back. Price 63 Cents.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12c"></a>[12]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_12">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_12.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>ANNALS AND OCCURRENCES<br />
-
-OF<br />
-
-New York City and State<br />
-
-IN THE OLDEN TIME.</p>
-
-<p>BEING A COLLECTION OF<br />
-
-Memoirs, Anecdotes, and Incidents, Concerning the City,
-Country and Inhabitants.</p>
-
-<p><em>From the Days of the Founders</em>:</p>
-
-<p>Intended to preserve the Recollections of Olden Time and to
-exhibit Society in its changes of manners and Customs,
-and the City and Country in their local changes
-and improvements.</p>
-
-<p>With Pictorial Illustrations.</p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “Oh! dear is a tale of olden time.”</p>
-
-<p>BY JOHN F. WATSON,<br />
-
-<em>Author of Annals of Philadelphia, and Member of the Historical Societies
-of Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts</em>.</p>
-
-<p>One Octavo Volume, Muslin, Gilt Back. Price, $2 00</p>
-
-<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “<span class="smcap">Watson’s Annals of New York.</span>&mdash;To those who are already familiar
-with his former work, the Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania,
-(and who is not?) we need only say, that the present work even surpasses
-it in interest.”&mdash;<cite>Philada. North American.</cite></p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13c"></a>[13]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_13">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_13.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>POETICAL WORKS<br />
-
-OF<br />
-
-MRS. FELICIA HEMANS.</p>
-
-<p><em>Complete in Two vols. 18mo. Fine Steel Plates.</em></p>
-
-<p>1200 PAGES.</p>
-
-<p>Muslin, Gilt Back, $2 25; Muslin, Gilt Sides &amp; Edges, $2 75.</p>
-
-
-<p>2.</p>
-
-<p>CABINET EDITION.<br />
-
-ONE VOLUME 18mo. 650 PAGES, WITH PORTRAITS.</p>
-
-<p>Muslin, Gilt Back, $1 00. Muslin, Gilt Edges, $1 25.</p>
-
-
-<p>3.</p>
-
-<p>MINIATURE EDITION.<br />
-
-ONE VOLUME 32mo.</p>
-
-<p>IN VARIOUS STYLES OF BINDING.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14c"></a>[14]</span></p>
-
-<div class="figleft illowe18_75" id="i_c_ad_14">
- <img class="w100" src="images/i_c_ad_14.jpg" alt="" />
-</div>
-
- <div class="catalog">
-
-<p>L. E. LANDON’S<br />
-
-POETICAL WORKS.</p>
-
-<p>Cabinet Edition.<br />
-
-18mo. 384 PAGES.</p>
-
-<p>Muslin, Gilt Back, 75 cts. Muslin, Gilt Sides &amp; Edges, $1 25.</p>
-
-
-<p>2.</p>
-
-<p>MINIATURE EDITION.<br />
-
-32mo. 384 PAGES.</p>
-
-<p>VARIOUS STYLES OF BINDING.</p>
-
-
-<p>POETICAL WORKS<br />
-
-OF<br />
-
-THOMAS CAMPBELL.</p>
-
-<p>Cabinet Edition.<br />
-
-ONE VOLUME 18mo. FINE FRONTISPIECE.</p>
-
-<p>
-Muslin, Gilt Back, 75 cents.<br />
-Muslin, Gilt Back, Side and Edges, $1 25.<br />
-</p>
-
-<p>ALSO,<br />
-
-MINIATURE EDITION OF THE SAME.<br />
-
-ONE VOLUME, 32mo.</p>
-
-<p>VARIOUS STYLES OF BINDING.</p>
-
-<p class="clear">&nbsp;</p>
- </div>
-
-
-<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
-
-<div class="chapter"></div>
-<div class="transnote">
-<a id="TN"></a>
-<p class="bold">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE</p>
-
-<p>Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
-corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
-the text and consultation of external sources.</p>
-
-<p>Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
-and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.</p>
-
-<p>Occurrences of ‘every body’, ‘any body’ and ‘no body’ have been
-changed to ‘everybody’, ‘anybody’ and ‘nobody’.</p>
-
-<p>For consistency, a few occurrences of ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ have been
-changed to ‘king’ and ‘queen’.</p>
-
-<p>
-Table of Contents:<br />
-<a href="#tn-8x">Pg 8</a> Chapter X: ‘1216 to 1399’ replaced by ‘1216 to 1377’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-8xi">Pg 8</a> Chapter XI: ‘1392 to 1422’ replaced by ‘1377 to 1422’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-8xiv">Pg 8</a> Chapter XIV: ‘1558 to 1613’ replaced by ‘1558 to 1603’.<br />
-Main text:<br />
-<a href="#tn-75">Pg 75</a>: ‘te whichever of’ replaced by ‘to whichever of’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-81">Pg 81</a>: ‘that the peeple’ replaced by ‘that the people’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-93">Pg 93</a>: ‘was obiged to’ replaced by ‘was obliged to’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-95">Pg 95</a>: ‘1216 TO 1399’ replaced by ‘1216 TO 1377’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-98">Pg 98</a>: ‘was to conquor’ replaced by ‘was to conquer’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-107">Pg 107</a>: ‘there. fore, his’ replaced by ‘therefore, his’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-110">Pg 110</a>: ‘1392 TO 1429’ replaced by ‘1377 TO 1422’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-122">Pg 122</a>: ‘youth of oighteen’ replaced by ‘youth of eighteen’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-123">Pg 123</a>: ‘to bo very much’ replaced by ‘to be very much’.<br />
-<a href="#tn-130">Pg 130</a>: ‘the poor pesantry’ replaced by ‘the poor peasantry’.<br />
-</p>
-</div>
-
-
-<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHILD'S PICTORIAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND ***</div>
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