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Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 TABLE OF CONTENTS HOW THE 'PRENTICES SHUT THE GATES, OR THE STORY OF
LONDONDERRY .....................................................................48
THE STORY OF QUEEN BOADICEA .......................................... 4 BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE .....................................................50
KING ARTHUR AND KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE ............. 5 THE STORY OF ROBERT CLIVE ..............................................51
THE STORY OF SAINT COLUMBA ............................................ 7 THE STORY OF CAPTAIN COOK .............................................53
THE STORY OF AIDAN, OR THE GOSPEL IN THE NORTH........... 9 THE STORY OF NELSON, THE HERO OF THE NAVY ................55
ALFRED THE ROYAL HARPER ............................................... 10 THE STORY OF NELSON, (CONTINUED) ..................................56
KING CANUTE BY THE SEA-SHORE ....................................... 12 HOW THE SLAVES GAINED THEIR FREEDOM, ........................59
THE STORY OF MACBETH ..................................................... 13 GEORGE STEPHENSON, FATHER OF THE RAILWAY ................61
HEREWARD "THE LAST OF THE ENGLISH" ............................ 15 VICTORIA THE GOOD ............................................................63
THE RED KING IN THE NEW FOREST ..................................... 16 HOW THE PIPERS CAME TO LUCKNOW .................................65
THE LOSS OF THE WHITE SHIP .............................................. 18 THE LADY WITH THE LAMP ...................................................67
RICHARD THE LION-HEART AND HIS BRAVE DEEDS ............. 20 GENERAL GORDON—A GREAT CHRISTIAN HERO ................68
ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRY MEN ..................................... 22 EDWARD THE PEACEMAKER..................................................70
SIR WILLIAM WALLACE, THE HERO OF SCOTLAND .............. 23
ROBERT BRUCE AND THE BLACK DOUGLAS ......................... 25
QUEEN PHILIPPA AND THE BRAVE MEN OF CALAIS .............. 26
THE STORY OF "MADCAP HARRY" ....................................... 28
THE STORY OF RICHARD WHITTINGTON............................... 29
KING JAMES I AND BRAVE CATHERINE DOUGLAS ................ 31
QUEEN MARGARET AND THE ROBBER .................................. 32
THE LITTLE PRINCES IN THE TOWER..................................... 34
KING JAMES IV AND THE BATTLE OF FLODDEN.................... 36
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS ...................................................... 37
THE STORY OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY ........................................ 39
THE LITTLE "REVENGE" ....................................................... 41
KING CHARLES I AND HIS CHILDREN .................................... 42
THE STORY OF MONTROSE, OR "THE GREAT MARQUIS" ...... 44
KING CHARLES II AND THE ROYAL OAK .............................. 45
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON ............................................... 47

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 CHAPTER I

THE STORY OF QUEEN BOADICEA

Two thousand years ago, the country in which we live,
and to which we are proud to belong, was very different from
what it is to-day. It was then called Britain, as now; but, instead
of being one of the richest and most powerful of countries, it was
scarcely known to the rest of the world.
Far away from Britain there was the great city and
empire of Rome. The Romans, as its people were called, were
very brave and skilful in war, and had conquered nearly all the
other nations of the world.
So we find that, at last, they sent a large army, in
hundreds of ships, to add our island home to their already large
empire.
The Britons fought bravely against their powerful foes;
but, instead of always fighting side by side, they were often
quarrelling among themselves. Now, there were many kings or
chiefs in our land, each ruling over a tribe, as it was called.
One of these tribes, the Iceni, lived in that part of our
country now known as Norfolk and Suffolk. The chief of that THE STATUE OF BOADICEA ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT
tribe had made friends with the Romans, and, when he died, he You can understand how insulted the brave queen would
left half of his money and lands to them, and the other half to his feel, at being treated in this way. She called her subjects
queen, Boadicea, and her daughters. together, and, when they heard the story of her wrongs, they
He thought that, by doing this, his queen and daughters were eager to march against the Romans.
would be kindly treated by the Romans; but this was not the The Romans had already built some towns, and it was
case. against three of these, London, Colchester and St Albans, that
Not content with what they had already, the Romans the fierce Britons marched. The Roman army was away in
seized the property of queen Boadicea; and it is said that they another part of Britain, and these towns were defended only by
even went so far as to beat her and her daughters with rods. They some old soldiers.
also behaved very cruelly to her people.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 They were quite unable to stand against the fierce attacks A writer of that time tells us that the Roman governor,
of the angry Britons, who not only destroyed these three towns, after winning this great victory, was more cruel than before; but
but also killed all the men, women and children living in them. still the Britons would not give in. So, at last, a kind governor
was sent from Rome, and, in a short time, the Britons laid down
When the Roman general heard the bad news, he set out
their arms.
at once with his army to meet the Britons. Queen Boadicea heard
of his coming, and ordered her men to make a strong camp, in Before many years had passed, they were quite good
what is now called Epping Forest. friends with their Roman masters. They copied the Roman dress,
and learned how to build better houses and streets.
It was not long before the Roman army drew near, and a
camp was quickly made, not far from that of queen Boadicea. From Rome, too, came fruit and flowers, such as the
Both armies at once got ready to fight. apple and plum, the rose and the violet: and, best of all, the
Britons forsook their old gods and became Christians.
Before the battle began, queen Boadicea made a great
speech to her men. She stood in a war chariot, spear in hand,
with a bright collar of gold round her neck, showing that she was CHAPTER II
a queen.
She said to her troops, "Are you willing to remain the KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE
slaves of the Romans, or do you wish to be free men? Do not
fear them—they are few in number, and you are as brave as
ROUND TABLE
they."
The Romans remained in our country 400 years; but, in
The brave words of their queen put new life into the the end, they were forced to take away all their soldiers from
Britons, and they felt quite sure they would beat the Romans Britain, to defend their great city, Rome.
easily. So sure were they, that they allowed their women and
Then, bands of fierce men, known as the English, came
children to watch the fight, from a number of wagons at the rear.
over the North sea, each band trying to gain a part of this
The Roman soldiers went into the fight in splendid order, country for itself.
and, brave as the Britons were, they were, in the end, forced to
An old British chief, who is generally spoken of as king
flee. This they could not do very well, as the wagons at the rear
Arthur, gained a great victory over the English, at a place named
barred their way.
mount Badon. Some very pretty stories are told of this king—
So a terrible slaughter took place, the Romans killing stories, which, even though they be not true, have been read with
women, children and even the cattle of their enemies. They great delight by children, for hundreds of years.
could not forget the sad sight which they had seen in London of
We are told that when Arthur was born, no one was told
houses burned, and their friends cruelly murdered.
of his birth, except a wise man named Merlin. Merlin gave the
We are not quite sure what became of the brave queen; baby prince into the care of a good knight named Sir Hector,
but most people think that she put an end to her life by taking who had him trained as a king's son should be. While Arthur was
poison, rather than fall into the hands of the Romans. still a young man, his father, the king, died.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 5 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 As no one knew anything about Arthur, a number of Sir Kaye's sword, but, as he was returning, he came through the
great men claimed the crown. This led to a great deal of fighting, churchyard.
and very soon the country was in a very bad state.
Here he saw the sword embedded in the stone, and,
Merlin now came forward, and told the great lords, that if without reading the words on it, he seized it by the handle, and it
they would meet him at a certain place, they would find out who came out quite easily. When Sir Hector saw Arthur bearing the
was the true heir to the throne. sword, and read what was written on it, he and his son knelt
down and greeted Arthur as king.
They met in a great church, and then a very solemn
service was held. After the service was over, all the people went Soon afterwards, in the presence of all the great lords,
into the churchyard. There they found a large block of marble. Arthur again drew the sword from the anvil, although no one
On the top of this was an anvil of solid steel. else could move it. All who saw it cried out "Arthur and no other
shall be king."
It was a good thing for the country that the king had been
found, for war had turned a fair land into a wilderness. The
fields were covered with weeds, the houses were in ruins, and
the misery of the people had made them forget God.
King Arthur at once began to change all this. He made
broad roads through the land, and cleared the country of bad
men, who were doing much mischief.
As he could not do everything himself, he called together
a band of noble men to help him. These had the honour of sitting
at table with the king, and they were called "The Knights of the
Round Table."
Before anyone could become a knight of the Round
Table he had to prove that he was of noble birth, and had done
KING ARTHUR'S CASTLE, TINTAGEL, CORNWALL some very brave deed. He then had to promise to be true to the
Firmly fixed in the anvil was a very bright sword, and on king, to help his brother knights—even at the cost of his own
the handle were these words, "He who pulls out this sword is the life—and to be always ready to defend women and children
rightful king of Britain." from all harm.
Nearly all the great men tried to remove the sword, but in King Arthur also believed that his knights could not do
vain. Now, it so happened, that soon after this, Sir Hector, and the greatest deeds of bravery unless they were good. Of one of
his son, Sir Kaye, attended by Arthur, rode near the place. them we are told that, "His strength was as the strength of ten,
because his heart was pure."
Suddenly, Sir Kaye found that he had forgotten his
sword. So he sent Arthur back to find it. Arthur could not find We have not time to tell here of the many wonderful
doings of Arthur and his knights. Tennyson, one of our greatest
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 6 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
poets, has told us, in noble verse, of their great deeds. You may
read there of Arthur's magic sword, Excalibur, of his beautiful CHAPTER III
queen, and how he passed from this world.

THE GOSPEL IN SCOTLAND, OR THE STORY

OF SAINT COLUMBA
In the last chapter we saw how the heathen English came
to Britain. Before many years had passed, the Christian religion
was quite stamped out. In the northern part of our island, or
Scotland, as we now speak of it, the people, too, did not know
the truth. They still wor¬shipped false gods, and were also very
rough and rude in their habits. They thought more of hunting and
fighting than of anything else.
To the west of Britain lies a beautiful green island, which
is now known as Ireland. In those times it was spoken of as "the
Isle of Saints," for there, peace and quiet reigned, and men
thought most of learning, and of leading holy lives. Some of
them were very clever in making fine ornaments of gold and
KING ARTHUR'S ROUND TABLE, WINCHESTER COUNTY HALL silver; while others loved to spend their time in making copies of
The Britons believed, long after his death, that he would the Bible, or of some part of it.
return and save them from their cruel foes, and it is pleasant for In the north of Ireland there lived a scholar named
us to remember, that at least two places are named after this old Finnian, who had a beautiful copy of the Psalms. One of the
British king. One, Cader Idris, is a mountain in Wales: the other, pupils of Finnian was a young man named Columba, who
Arthur's Seat, overlooks the old city of Edinburgh, the capital of wished very much to have this book for himself.
Scotland.
His master, however, would not part with it, neither
would he allow Columba to make a copy of it. This book was
always kept in the church, and at last Columba thought of a plan
by which he might copy it.
He went to church every day, and, after service was over,
he remained behind to copy the book which he prized. It took
him a long time to do this, and, one day, Finnian happened to
return, and found out what he had been doing.
He then claimed the copy as his own, but, as you may
suppose, Columba was not willing to part with it.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 7 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 So they went to the king of that part of Ireland, and asked there was a house where they all met together for meals; one that
him to say whose the volume was. The king replied, "To every was used as a kitchen; and another where they all slept. Round
cow belongs its own calf." This was a quaint way of saying that the whole of the buildings a deep ditch was dug, so that wild
the copy belonged to the owner of the book, that is, to Finnian. animals or evil men could not easily molest them.
Strange to say, this quarrel led to a war, for Columba was Soon the little island became famous. Chiefs and kings
of royal blood, and had many powerful friends. No less than visited it, and heard the Gospel story from the lips Columba or
three battles were fought between him and the king; and, in the his monks. Many places in Scotland can be reached by water: so
end, Columba thought it best to leave the country. we find the missionaries, as we call them, using a little fleet of
vessels to go from place to place.
With twelve of his friends, most of whom were of high
rank, Columba left his native land. Their boat, of wicker work Wherever they went, a church was built. Look at a map
covered with skins, was a very frail bark in which to cross a of Scotland, and you will find the names of many places
stormy sea. beginning with "Kil." The word "Kil "is an Irish word, meaning
a church; so, most likely, in places thus named, a church was
built by Columba, or his followers.
In this way, Scotland became a Chris¬tian land, and we
may very well speak of Columba, as "the Apostle of
Scotland."He lived to be an old man, dying in the year 597. In
this same year, a band of missionaries came from Rome to the
south of England, and, before many years had passed, the whole
of Britain had become Christian.
Columba was buried near the church he had built. His
friends lovingly kept the books and other things he had used, and
pilgrims came from far and wide to see them.
At Iona, many ruins of churches, tombs and carved
crosses may still be seen. Kings of Scotland, and even of
Norway, thought it a great honour to be buried in the place made
holy by the good deeds of St Columba.

IONA CATHEDRAL FROM ABBOT'S MOUND

Day after day passed, and at length a small island was

reached. Here the friends made up their minds to make their
home, to which they gave the name Iona.
They soon set to work to build a church. Close to it, they
set up a number of small houses, or cells, made of wattles. Then
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 8 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 and made his home on the small island of Lindisfarne, which
CHAPTER IV was afterwards known as Holy island.
The good monks, in those days, loved to dwell in such
THE STORY OF AIDAN, OR THE GOSPEL IN quiet places as this, where they could teach their pupils, and do
all kinds of useful work in safety. The little island soon became
THE NORTH famous, for good men went from it to all parts of the north of
England, and the south of Scotland, carrying the good news of
In this chapter you will hear of two men, who were both the Gospel.
taught by St Columba, and, like him, were eager to convert the
You may be sure that king Oswald helped Aidan and his
heathen to the true religion.
missionaries as much as he could in their work. A beautiful story
The first of these was a prince named Oswald. He came is told of this great and good king.
from a part of our island, then called Northumbria, over which
One day, he was sitting at meat with Aidan, when he was
his father had ruled. He was only a lad when he took refuge at
told that a crowd of beggars were waiting at the gate of his
Iona, but he was not too young to learn a great deal from the
palace. He at once ordered that all the food on the table before
pious monks. Soon we hear of him returning to his native land as
them should be given to these poor people; and that the great
a king.
silver dish, on which the meat had been placed, should be broken
He found that his people had forgotten nearly all that the into small pieces, and divided among them.
missionaries from the south of England had taught them. They
Aidan was delighted with this good act of the king.
had returned to the old worship of the sun, the moon and the god
Seizing the royal hand, he said, "May the hand that hath done
of thunder.
this good deed never grow old!"
This caused king Oswald much sor¬row, for he had
A sad time was now coming to the land over which king
become a true Christian, and wished to give his life for the good
Oswald ruled. A fierce and savage king, named Penda, who still
of his subjects.
prayed to the old false gods, and hated the Christians, marched
So we find him sending to far-away Iona for a with a great army against him.
missionary. A very stern preacher was sent, but he soon
In the fierce fight which followed, king Oswald was
returned, saying that the people were so stubborn and savage that
slain. As he lay dying, those around him caught the words,
he could not teach them anything.
"Lord, have mercy on the souls of my people!" His body and
A young monk, named Aidan, said, "Perhaps you did not limbs were set up on stakes, by order of the savage king Penda,
speak kindly to these poor people. Instead of telling them of the and an old story tells us that, long after these were decayed, the
love of Christ, perhaps you told them only of God's anger at their hand which Aidan had blessed remained white and fair as in life.
wrong doing."
For several years, Penda carried fire and sword through
When the other monks heard this, they all thought that the unhappy land. At last he led his army against Bamborough,
Aidan himself would be the best one to send. Aidan gladly went, the strongest fortress of all. So strong was it, that the old king

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 9 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

felt quite sure that he could not break through the walls in the
usual way. CHAPTER V

ALFRED THE ROYAL HARPER

In this chapter we shall read of one of the best kings that
ever lived, king Alfred the great. It is more than a thousand years
since he lived; but we still like to hear the story of his great and
beautiful life.
For some years before he was born, our country had been
troubled by a fierce race of heathens, known as the Northmen, or
Danes. These men, like the English many years before, came
over the North sea.
They rowed up the mouths of rivers, and, as soon as they
landed, at once made a strong camp. From this safe place they
would go out into the country round about, burning churches and
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND houses, putting men, women and children to cruel deaths, and
So his men piled wood against it and set fire to it. The stealing everything worth having.
wind blew the flames towards the town. Now at this time Aidan Alfred began to rule over a part of England, known as
was on Fame island and, from the windows of his room, the Wessex, when he was twenty-two years old. All the country
good bishop could see all that was happening. north of the river Thames was over-run by the Danes, and now
The story relates that he cried, "See, Lord, what evil they came into Wessex also.
Penda is doing," and at once the wind changed, blowing the Alfred fought very bravely for several years, sometimes
flames away from the city, which was thus saved. winning a battle, at another time losing one. It was hard work,
Many other stories are told of Aidan, which seem to for, as fast as the Danes were killed, others took their places. At
show us, that the people believed that he had special powers last they came in such large numbers, that Alfred was forced to
given to him by God. This perhaps explains why his preaching flee for his life. With a few of his men, he hid on a small island
was very suc¬cessful. Certain it is that, before long, the country in Somersetshire. All around were wide marshes not easy to
had again become Christian, and has remained so, even to this cross, and so Alfred felt quite safe there.
day. After his death he was spoken of as St Aidan; and many In his hiding-place, he was ever thinking of how he could
churches are named after him in the north of England. beat his fierce foes. Now, not far away, the Danes had made a
strong camp. They thought they had nothing to fear from Alfred;
so they spent their days in feasting and drinking, and did not
keep a very good watch.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 10 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 northern lands. This pleased them very much, and very soon he
was asked to play before king Guthrum and his chiefs, as they
sat at meat.
Of course, Alfred was quite ready to do this, and he
pleased them very much with his playing. They gave him plenty
to eat and drink, and it is said that Guthrum gave him a gold cup
which had once been Alfred's own, but which had been stolen by
the Danes.

KING ALFRED'S JEWEL

He was also allowed to go about the camp just as he

pleased, and, in doing so, he heard all about their plans. When he
thought he had learned enough, he quietly left the camp and
STATUE OF KING ALFRED, WINCHESTER returned to his men. He quickly got a little army to¬gether, and
fell upon the Danes, when they were not at all ready to fight.
In his younger days, Alfred had learned to play on the This time, as you may suppose, he gave them a good beating.
harp, and could sing as he played. The Northmen, like the
Now, what do you think Alfred did after this? He might
English, were very fond of music: so the thought came into the
have put all the Danes to death; but, instead of that, he tried to
king's mind, "Why should I not go into the Danish camp, as a
make them his friends. So he said that, if they would become
minstrel? I may hear what they are going to do next, and I shall
Christians, he would give them a part of England where they
be more ready to fight them, if I know that."
could live.
He put on a minstrel's dress, and, like the brave man that
Guthrum and most of his men agreed to this, and
he was, went boldly into the camp of the Danes. Now, Alfred
promised to live in peace. The part of England in which they
had always been fond of learning poetry, for in those days the
lived was known as the Dane-law. Only once, during the rest of
stories of brave deeds were always told in verse.
Alfred's life, did the Danes break their word; so Alfred's plan of
So he sang to the Danes the songs of Woden the god of turning enemies into friends was a very good one.
war and Thor the god of thunder, and of the brave men of
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 11 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 Now that most of the fighting was over, this wise king at built churches and schools, and ruled the land by the laws which
once set to work to prevent other Danes coining to England, and the wise Alfred had made.
to do all he could to make his people happy. He built a great
He treated the native English just as well as his own
number of ships—much bigger than those of the Danes—and countrymen, the Danes: indeed, he sent his large army out of the
these were always sailing round our coasts on the look out for country, thus showing the English people that he could trust
the Northmen. then. He was king of three other countries besides England.
Then, too, he had schools built, and asked clever men to Now, as I daresay you know, a king is often surrounded
come from other lands to teach his people. He also found time to by men who wish to please him in every way. They are apt to
teach himself a great deal; and it is said he always carried a book think that, if they praise and flatter their royal master, they will
in his bosom, so that, when he had a spare moment, he might get rich rewards for their trouble.
read.
Even a foolish and bad king is sometimes made to
It would make a very long story to tell of all the wise and believe that he is wise and good. Canute had his flatterers, too.
good things that Alfred did. He did not live to be very old, and They told him that he was the greatest king that ever lived. Not
you will understand how sorry his people were when he died. only was he master on land, but the sea, also, would do his
A thousand years have passed away, but, in all that time, bidding.
we have not had any better king than Alfred the truth-teller, King Canute had too much sense to be pleased with such
England's darling, Alfred the Great. silly talk as this. So he made up his mind to teach these men a
useful lesson, as soon as he had the chance to do so.
CHAPTER VI Now, not far away from the royal city of Winchester,
where Canute lived, was a seaport named Southampton. Once
KING CANUTE BY THE SEA-SHORE the king was staying there, and, as usual, his courtiers were
telling him of his great¬ness. "This," thought the king, "is just
About 100 years after good king Alfred died, the Danes the time and the place to show them how foolish they are."
began to trouble our land once more. The king of England, at So he ordered his royal chair to be brought down to the
that time was neither brave nor wise; so we find he was quite sea-shore, quite close to the water's edge. The tide was coming
unable to drive away his enemies. In fact, he himself fled to in. Canute sat down in his chair, and in loud tones told the waves
another land for safety. not to flow over and wet his feet.
The leader of the Danes, named Canute or Knut, then Around him stood his flatterers—now, quite silent—for
became king of England, and ruled the country well. When quite they could see they were going to be found out. Of course, as
a young man, he had been very fierce and savage, and he was you may suppose, the waves took no notice of the king's
once heard to say, "I call that man my friend who brings me the command. In a still louder voice, he cried, "O sea, I, your king,
heads of my enemies." command you to go back."
Canute became a Christian, and now all he thought about Soon, the tide was flowing all round the king's seat and
was the good of his people, and how he might gain their love. He where his courtiers were standing. He rose from his seat, and,
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 12 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
turning to those near him, who were almost ashamed to look him CHAPTER VII
in the face, he said: "You see how well the waves obey me. God
has made me a king on land, but He, and He alone, can say to
the sea, 'Thus far shalt thou come and no further.'" THE STORY OF MACBETH
Most boys and girls have heard, at some time or another,
of Shakespeare. He was a famous writer of plays, that is, stories
which are acted on the stage.
One of Shakespeare's best plays is Macbeth. Macbeth
lived in Scotland, about the time that king Canute was reigning
in England. In the play, we are told that king Duncan of Scotland
sent Macbeth with an army against the Danes. He beat them, and
was returning home, when a strange thing happened to him.
He was crossing a lonely moor when, suddenly, he was
met by three weird-looking creatures, who were said to be
witches. The first one said, "Hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane
of Glamis!" The second said "Hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane
of Cawdor!" while the third said, "Hail, Macbeth, that shall be
king hereafter!"
Before Macbeth could ask them any questions, the weird
KNUTSFORD, CHESHIRE sisters had van¬ished from his sight. While he was still thinking
of what they had said, a mes¬senger came and told him that his
It is said that, after this, Canute would never wear his
father was dead, and that he was now thane of Glamis. Soon
crown. He hung it up in the cathedral at Winchester, over an
after, a second messenger met him and told him that the king had
image of our Saviour. No doubt, whenever people looked up and
made him thane of Cawdor. This was a reward for beating the
saw it, they would feel how wrong it is to be proud and vain.
Danes.
In the town of Southampton, a build¬ing may still be
"Now," thought Macbeth, "I wonder whether the saying
seen which is said to have been a part of Canute's palace; and, on
of the third witch will come to pass." This was, you will
the sea-shore, there is a large stone to show where he sat.
remember, that he should be king of Scotland. When he reached
A pretty village Cheshire, known as in the county of home, he told his wife, lady Macbeth, all that had happened to
Knutsford, keeps in memory the name of a king who tried to do him.
the best he could for his people. Canewdon, in Essex, is also said
She said to her husband, "You cannot be king while
to be named after Canute, and marks the site of a battle that was
Duncan is alive. So we must ask him to come and see us, and
fought between him and Edmund Ironside.
then you must kill him while he is asleep." At first Macbeth

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 13 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

would not hear of such a wicked thing, but, in the end, he agreed King Macbeth was in a strong castle, called Dunsinane,
to do as his wife wished. when the English army, under Malcolm and earl Siward, drew
near. A few miles away, there was a wood known as Birnam
So the king came to their castle, and, while he was fast
wood.
asleep, was murdered by Macbeth. Then Macbeth and his wife
became king and queen of Scotland. Shakespeare says that the witches had told Macbeth that
he would be quite safe "till Birnam wood came to Dun¬sinane."
The king did not very well see how a wood could move, and so
he felt he had nothing to fear.
Now Malcolm did not wish Macbeth to know how many
men he had: so he told each man in his army to cut a large
branch off a tree, and carry it in front of him. Thus it seemed as
though Birnam wood came to Dunsinane.
In the fight which took place, earl Siward and his men
fought so well that Macbeth was beaten. Malcolm then became
king of Scotland. He was a big, rough man, but we are pleased to
know that he married an English princess, who, as the "Good
queen Margaret," became one of the best queens that Scotland
ever had.
Before this story closes, you will like to hear a little more
BIRNAM WOOD about brave old Siward. He died about a year after he had been
fighting in Scotland. When he knew that his end was near, he
Now all this is part of the story which Shakespeare has
said to those around him, "Lift me up, that I may die standing,
written; but most people think that it is not quite true, and that
and not lying down, like a cow." So, girt with helmet and sword,
Macbeth was far from being a bad king. We believe that there
he died, like a soldier in battle.
was a battle between king Duncan and his under-king, Macbeth,
and that Duncan was beaten, and had to flee for his life. We
believe, too, that he was killed in some way or another. Indeed, a
stone hut is still pointed out as marking the spot where he was
killed.
His two sons fled to England, where they were kindly
treated. After a time, Malcolm, the elder son, asked the English
king to help him to get back his father's throne. The English
king, Edward, did not love fighting, but he allowed earl Siward,
a brave old warrior, to lead an army into Scotland.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 14 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 life. Here, then, Hereward formed his "Camp of Refuge," as it
CHAPTER VIII was called.

HEREWARD "THE LAST OF THE ENGLISH"

More than 800 years ago, there was living in the county
of Lincolnshire a rich Englishman, known as the lord of Bourn.
He had a son named Hereward, who was taller and
stronger than anyone living in that part of England. His great
strength and love of fighting led him into many a quarrel; and so
most people were not very sorry when he crossed the sea to fight
in other lands.
Now about this time, a sad trouble befell our native land.
A great warrior, William, duke of Normandy, came across the
strait of Dover with a large army. In the famous battle of
Hastings, fought in the year 1066, our brave king, Harold, was
slain. William the Norman then became the ruler of England, ELY CATHEDRAL
and he gave most of the land in this country to his Norman Day by day, his little band grew larger; for the news soon
friends. spread that one brave Englishman scorned to yield to the cruel
The father of Hereward was now dead; and, soon, news Normans; and those who had suffered at their hands got a very
came to the brave young Englishman that his old home had been good welcome indeed from Hereward. There was not much fear
given to a follower of the new king. Hereward came home at of food run¬ning short, for these hardy men could live on the
once, and very soon gathered a few friends round him. With fish and wild fowl which swarmed around them.
these, he made such a fierce attack on the Norman that he was For a long time the Normans had tried in vain to get near
forced to flee. their foes, but this was no easy matter. Men clad in armour did
In this way, Hereward won back his old home, but he not dare to cross the swamps, and they could not find a path
was not allowed to remain in peace. All the Normans near across them. And so, for some years, Hereward and his men
banded themselves together to punish this daring man; so were quite safe.
Hereward and his friends had to flee to a very safe place known But at last, king William, himself, came with an army
as the Isle of Ely. against these brave Fen men. He soon saw that he must make
We still call this part of England the Fens; and in some kind of a path across the swamps. So he got a great
Hereward's day it well deserved the name. All around was a number of skins blown full of air, and then beams of wood were
waste of waters, with here and there a little island. There were laid upon them.
swamps, too, in which a man could easily sink and thus lose his
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 15 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 Slowly but surely, the floating bridge grew. But one day, he would spare their monastery. William gave the promise; the
Hereward and his men stole out of the camp and set fire to some Camp of Refuge was taken at last; and more than a thousand of
reeds growing near the bridge. A number of Normans were its brave defenders were killed.
burnt, and others, in their hurry to get away, fell into the soft We are not quite certain what became of Hereward.
slimy ground, where they sank, and so lost their lives. Some say that he cut his way through the Norman ranks, and
escaped to France: others tell us that the king was so pleased
with his wonderful bravery, that he allowed him to return to his
old home at Bourn.
Whatever was the end of this brave hero, we know that
for many years afterwards his countrymen loved to tell, in song
and story, of his daring deeds. As there was not one after him
who dared to fight against king William, we generally speak of
Hereward, as "the Last of the English."

CHAPTER IX

THE RED KING IN THE NEW FOREST

When William the Conqueror died, his second son,
William, became king. He had red hair and a very red face, and
so he was often called "Rufus," which means "The Red." His
reign was a short one, and it was a good thing for the country
that it was so; for Rufus was a very bad and cruel king.
The best thing we can say of him is that he was very
brave. Once he wanted to cross the sea to France. When he
WORKERS IN THE FENS reached the sea-shore, a great storm was raging, and the sailors
said it was not safe to put out to sea. But William only laughed
Still, king William kept on with the work, and in time the at their fears. He got on board the first ship he could see, and
path was finished. And now, thousands of Normans, clad in ordered the captain to set sail, saying, "Did you ever hear of a
heavy coats of mail, began to cross the frail bridge; but before king being drowned?"
they could reach the Camp of Refuge the path gave way beneath
them. Soon, most of them were struggling in the mud, where The Red king and his Norman friends were fond of
they quickly sank, never to rise again. hunting deer. Quite close to the city of Winchester where the
king lived, was a large forest, known as the New Forest. There
It is said that, in the end, the monks of Ely sent to king
William, and offered to show him a secret path to the island, if
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 16 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
had always been a forest in that part of the country, but William really meant to kill the king. He therefore galloped away from
the Conqueror had made it much larger. the fatal spot as fast as he could. He soon reached the sea coast,
got into a ship, and sailed across the Channel to France.
He did this by pulling down a number of churches and
houses, and driving away poor people. The deer could thus roam Now all this time the dead king was lying where he fell.
through the leafy glades without being disturbed. If a poor man It is said that, when prince Henry heard of the sad event, he at
dared to kill one of these royal animals, he was cruelly punished once rode with all speed to Winchester, to seize the money and
by having his eyes put out. jewels belonging to his dead brother.
One fine day in August, in the year 1100, a great party In the evening, a poor charcoal burner was passing
met together for a day's hunting in the New Forest. The king and through the forest and saw the dead body of the king. He placed
his brother, prince Henry, were there, and so was a Norman it in his cart and carried it to the great church at Winchester,
knight, Sir Walter Tyrrell, one of the king's friends, and a great where it was buried.
hunter like himself.
Rufus had spent the night before at Malwood Keep, a
kind of hunting lodge, and the old writers tell us that his sleep
was broken by fearful dreams.
In the morning, too, an old woman begged him not to go
out to the hunt, as evil would surely befall him that day. "Am I
to be frightened by an old woman's tale?" asked the rough and
ready king, and away he gaily rode to the chase.
All through the day, Sir Walter Tyrrell kept close to the
king's side, quite away from the rest of the party. Late in the
afternoon, a large stag sud¬denly darted from the bushes, and
passed between the king and his friend.
Rufus at once drew his bow, but the string broke and the
arrow fell to the ground. The startled deer stopped its flight for a
moment, and the king at once called out to the knight, "Shoot,
THE RUFUS STONE, IN THE NEW FOREST
Walter, shoot!"
Tyrrell did so; but the arrow, instead of going straight to For hundreds of years afterwards, an oak tree was
its mark, glanced against the trunk of a tree, and then struck the pointed out as being the one against which, the fatal arrow
king, piercing him to the heart. He fell from his horse, quite glanced. A stone was set up in the place where it fell, and this is
dead. called "The Rufus Stone."

You can understand how alarmed Sir Walter was, when No one was sorry that the Red king was dead. As an old
he saw what he had done. No one else had seen what had writer says, "He feared God but little, and man not at all."
happened: so, very likely he thought people would say he had
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 17 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 CHAPTER X William sent some wine for the sailors, who drank more than
they should have done.

THE LOSS OF THE WHITE SHIP, OR, HOW A About midnight, the White Ship set sail. There was a fine
breeze, and the fifty sailors who rowed the ship pulled at their
PRINCE WAS DROWNED oars as hard as they could. The prince and his young friends
were very merry, and told the sailors to row still quicker.
Prince Henry became king of England after the death of
William Rufus. He is sometimes spoken of as Henry the scholar,
because he could read and write and knew a little Greek and
Latin. He was fond of animals, too, and is said to have kept a
menagerie at Woodstock, in Oxfordshire.
Henry the First, although a hard and selfish man, was
much better than the Red king; and, on the whole, he ruled his
people well. He pleased the native English by marrying a
princess who was descended from "Good king Alfred."
King Henry and his queen had a son named prince
William. When the prince was about eighteen years old, his
father took him across to Normandy. At this time, Henry ruled
that land as well as England, and he wished to show the great
barons their future king. After the Normans had promised to
serve and obey the prince when he became king, the royal party
got ready to return to England.
Just as king Henry was about to go on board his ship, a
sea captain named Fitz-Stephen begged leave to speak to him.
When he was taken before the king, he said, "Sire, my father
steered your father's ship when he sailed across the sea to win
the English throne. Let me have the honour of taking you across
in my fine vessel, the White Ship."
The king replied, "I have already chosen my ship; but
there is my son, the prince, and his young friends, who may sail
with you, if they please."
HENRY I
The king's vessel started some time before the White
Ship: for, as the captain said, his vessel was so swift that he The ship was now going very fast; but, sad to say, no one
could easily overtake the other. Before going on board, prince seemed to be on the watch to see that it kept in the right course.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 18 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

Suddenly a loud crash was heard, for the vessel had struck on a When the captain saw that his ship was sinking, he put
rock, and through the large rent in its side the water was fast the prince and a few of his friends into the only boat there was,
pouring in. telling them to row as quickly as they could to shore.
This might have been done quite easily, as the sea was
smooth and the night clear. But, before they had rowed very far,
prince William heard his sister's voice calling for help.
In the hurry and disorder, she had been left behind. The
prince at once ordered that the boat should go back for her. But,
when it reached the side of the vessel, so many jumped down
that the boat was upset, and all in it were cast into the sea.
The ship soon sank, and, out of nearly three hundred
persons, only one man was saved. This was a butcher, who,
wrapped in his sheepskin coat, managed to hold on to a floating
mast till morning. Some fishermen saw him and took him into
their boat. He then told them the sad story of the loss of the
White Ship.
When the news reached England next day, no one cared
to tell the poor king of the loss of his only son. At last, the
courtiers sent a little boy, who fell at Henry's feet and told him
the sad tale.
The old writers say that the king was so grieved that,
during the rest of his life, he was never seen to smile. Whether
this was so or not, we may be sure he never forgot the young
prince, for whom he had constantly planned and thought.

THE WRECK OF THE WHITE SHIP

A terrible cry arose from those on board, which, it is

said, was heard by some of the people in the king's ship. They,
however, did not know what it meant, and so thought no more
about it.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 19 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 this great warrior, mounted on his powerful war horse, was quite
CHAPTER XI enough to make the Turks flee.

RICHARD THE LION-HEART AND HIS BRAVE

DEEDS
This story is about king Richard the First, one of the
bravest of our kings. He was a big, golden-haired, handsome
man, and as he was very brave, he was called Richard the Lion-
Heart.
When he came to the throne, he made up his mind to go
to the Holy Land to fight against the Turks. These people had
taken the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus had died and had been
buried. For many years past, pilgrims had travelled from all parts
of Europe, to worship and pray at the Holy City.
But the Turks hated Christians, and would not let them
visit the Holy Places; so, many of the bravest kings and princes
of western Europe started the crusades or wars of the Cross.
They were so called because everyone taking part in them wore
a cross on his arm or breast.
Richard and the king of France met together, and with a
fine army of 100,000 men set out to capture the Holy City. On
their way they stopped and took the strong town of Acre.
As Richard had done most of the fighting, he planted his STATUE OF KING RICHARD I AT WESTMINSTER
flag on the wall of the captured town. So did another crusader,
In spite of all this, Richard was not able to take
the duke of Austria, who set up his flag close to that of king
Jerusalem. The king of France and other princes were jealous of
Richard. The Lion-Heart thought the duke very forward in doing
our king, and returned to their own lands, leaving him with only
this, and in a great temper he tore down the Austrian flag. The
a small army. The Lion-Heart was now only a few miles from
duke did not forget this insult as we shall see later.
Jerusalem; but, to his great sorrow, he had to make peace with
From Acre, the soldiers of the Cross went on, taking the leader of the Turks.
strong towns, and fighting fierce battles. Everyone was talking
When Richard found that he could not take Jerusalem, he
of the wonderful deeds of the Lion-Hearted king. It is said that
would not even look at it, but hid his face in his cloak. Soon, we
no one but himself could lift his great battle-axe. The sight of

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 20 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

find him, with what was left of his army, returning by sea to So he sent some soldiers to the place where the king was
England. staying, and took him prisoner. Richard was now shut up in a
strong castle, and for a long time his friends in England did not
On the way, a great storm wrecked many of his ships. So
know where he was. Very likely many of them thought he was
the king resolved to set out on foot; but, unluckily for him, he
dead.
had to pass through the lands of the duke of Austria. Now,
Richard felt quite sure that, if the duke knew he was passing There is a pretty story telling how the king was found.
through his country, he would try to take him prisoner. Years before, Richard had been very fond of a minstrel named
Blondel, who now resolved to find out what had become of the
So, instead of travelling like a king, he dressed himself as
Lion-Hearted king. So, harp in hand, he travelled about from
a merchant, and took with him only a little boy. One day the
castle to castle. He stopped at every one, and sang some of the
king and his little page were passing through a small town.
songs his master loved.
Richard stopped to rest at an inn, and sent the boy into the
market place to buy some food. Now the lad was carrying a very One day, after singing the first verse of a song, he was
fine purse, and in his belt there were some very costly gloves. delighted to hear a voice, inside the castle, singing the second
verse. He felt quite sure that this must be the king, and, full of
joy, he returned to England with the good news.
Everyone in our country was very angry to think that the
bravest warrior of the day should have been treated thus. But, for
all that, a great sum of money had to be paid before Richard was
set free.
In a short time the king was able to return to his native
land; but, a few years afterwards, he was killed while trying to
take a castle in France. We are told that, on his death bed, he
freely forgave the archer who shot him.
Thus died Richard the Lion-Heart, who, although not a
great king, was a fine model of a brave, true-hearted knight.

RICHARD FIGHTING IN THE HOLY LAND

Several people noticed this, and thought that his master

must be of very high rank. The news soon reached the ears of the
duke of Austria, who felt quite sure that the boy's master must be
his old enemy, the famous king Richard.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 21 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 fear from Robin and his men, would pay them a visit, and cheer
CHAPTER XII them with his art.
But in the long summer days their time was spent out of
ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRY MEN doors. Dancing on the green, chasing the king's deer, and
trapping smaller animals gave them fine sport.
Most boys and girls, at some time or another, have paid a
visit to a forest. How pleasant it is to play at hide and seek
among the trees and bushes; to look for ferns and wild flowers;
and to catch a glimpse of the birds and animals there!
In the days of Richard the Lion-Heart, very large forests
were to be found in many parts of our country. One of these,
called Sherwood forest, covered a great part of the middle of
England. Here lived a bold outlaw named Robin Hood, and his
merry men; and many stories are told of their free, wild life in
the woodland.
We are told that Robin Hood, or, to give him his real
name, Robin Fitzooth, had been a rich man at one time. But he
had spent all his money, and, it is also said, had killed a man in a
quarrel; so he fled to the woods for safety. Here he was joined
by others, who, like himself, had very good reasons for hiding
there.
SHERWOOD FOREST
They could not have found a better place. So thickly
grew the trees and bushes that, in most places, it was a hard Now, as you know, killing a deer was thought a great
matter to force a way through them. Then, again, wild animals, crime in those days, and the sheriff, as the chief man in the
such as deer, wild boars, hares and rabbits, were plentiful, so that county was called, sadly wanted to catch Robin and his men.
there was no lack of food for men who were skilful with the bow
and arrow. But this was no easy matter, for the outlaws knew all the
narrow forest paths, and the sheriff did not. It was not at all safe
In many parts of the forest there were caves, in which for any great man, or rich abbot, to go along the bridle paths—as
they could make themselves fairly comfortable. One of these is the roads were often called—for the outlaws took a delight in
pointed out, even now, as Robin Hood's stable. Here, when the robbing such people. If, however, there were any ladies in the
weather was wet and cold, they could take shelter, or, at the party, no harm befell the travellers.
close of day, amuse themselves with merry-making and song.
Sometimes a wandering minstrel, who knew he had nothing to These outlaws, rough though they looked and seemed,
had kind hearts. Many a poor man was helped by them when in

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 22 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

trouble; and, if the rich were robbed, the poor and weak knew
that Robin Hood was their friend. CHAPTER XIII
The names of some of his men have come down to us in
the stories of the time. Robin's chief friend was known as "Little
John." His real name was said to be John Little; but as he was
SIR WILLIAM WALLACE, THE HERO OF
seven feet high, and very big and strong likewise, he was, in SCOTTISH FREEDOM
pure fun, always known as "Little John." Then there were Friar
Tuck, Will Scarlet and Much the Miller's son. Nearly a hundred years after the time of Richard the
Lion-Heart, there was a great king of England named Edward
Robin is said to have had more than a hundred men in his
the First. In Westminster abbey you may see his tomb, and on it
band. Everyone could shoot well, and all could deal an enemy
are some Latin words which mean "Edward the First, the
some hard blows with the quarter-staff, a favourite weapon of
Hammer of the Scots." This was a very good way of describing
Englishmen in the olden time. Indeed, a man had only to prove
him: for a great part of his life was spent in striking many hard
himself good at these sports, and he became one of Robin's men.
blows at the people of Scotland.
If, at any time, their leader found himself in danger of
Edward had conquered a little country, Wales, and he
being taken, he had only to blow a horn, which hung round his
thought it would be a good thing, if he could also rule over
neck. Very quickly his green-coated men would be at his side, to
Scotland. So we find him leading a great army into that country,
give him the help he needed.
and very soon most of the strong castles and towns were in his
Robin Hood is said to have lived to a very great age. hands.
When he was dying, he asked Little John to give him his bow.
It is now that we hear of the noble Sir William Wallace.
Then, with what strength he had left, he shot an arrow, and asked
Most of the great barons in Scotland had lands in England
his men to bury him where it fell.
besides: so they did not care very much whether an English or a
This they did; and in Yorkshire there may still be seen a Scottish king ruled them. But Wallace was a true lover of his
flat stone, which, the country people say covers the grave of native land, and could not rest till it was free.
"Bold Robin Hood."
Like our own Richard the. Lion-Heart, he was very brave
and strong. He soon gathered round him a little band of men,
most of whom were armed only with a pike and a shield. They
were, however, ready to die for their country, which made
amends for their lack of armour.
Wallace and his men moved about so quickly that they
took the English by surprise. As each castle or town was taken,
fresh men joined him, and so, very soon, he had a fairly large
army at his back.
An English army was now sent against him. Wallace was
at the head of 40,000 men, and, with these, he took up a very
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 23 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
strong position on a hill, or crag, near the old town of Stirling. A This happened at last, and the great patriot was taken to
deep river, crossed by a single bridge, ran almost round the hill. London to go through a form of trial. He was found guilty, and
put to a cruel death. Edward thought, in this way, to strike terror
So eager were the English to get at the Scots, that they at
into the hearts of the Scottish people.
once began to cross the narrow bridge. When about half their
army was over, Wallace and his men rushed down from the hill
and put the English to flight. There was a great slaughter and
many fell into the river and were drowned.
The rest of the army, on the other side of the river, fled in
great haste. Thus Wallace had gained a great victory, and he won
back nearly all the castles and towns which the English had
taken.
The bad news from Scotland soon reached the ears of
king Edward, who was fighting in Flanders. He hurried home,
and before long he was marching northward with a great army.
Wallace did not think it wise to fight a battle, but he kept fairly
close to the English, so as to give them as much trouble as he
could.
Soon word came to Edward that the Scots were quite
close to him, at a place called Falkirk. He at once set out for this
place, and, that night, his men slept in their armour, so as to be
ready in the morning for the fight. The king, like a true soldier,
lay on the bare ground, with his troops.
When Wallace knew that the hour of battle was near, he
drew up his men in four circles. Men armed with pikes or long
spears formed the outer rings, while inside were the archers.
In this battle, the English, under their great leader. were
too strong for the brave Scots. Edward's knights, clad in armour,
rode fiercely at the circles; while the famous English bowmen THE WALLACE MONUMENT, ABBEY CRAIG, STIRLING
poured showers of arrows on their poorly armed foes.
Before long, the rings of stubborn spearmen were
broken, and there was nothing for them but flight. Wallace was In this, however, he was mistaken. The noble acts of
now without an army, and for several years he was a wanderer. Wallace, useless though they seemed to have been, had stirred to
But he would not submit to Edward, who, in the end, offered a life another great man, the famous Robert Bruce.
great reward to anyone who would give him up.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 24 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 CHAPTER XIV It was a good thing for king Bruce that Edward I did not
live long enough to meet him in battle. Edward's young son,
Edward II, was too fond of pleasure to carry on the war; and, in
ROBERT BRUCE AND THE BLACK DOUGLAS a few years, Bruce and his brave followers had won back all
their. towns, except Stirling.
The cruel death of Sir William Wallace only made the
Scots the more ready to fight for the freedom of their country. A
few months later they crowned Robert Bruce, at Scone, the old
crowning place of the Scottish kings.
Bruce belonged to the royal family of Scotland, and was,
in every way, a great king. He was strong and brave, kind-
hearted and true; and, although he had many hardships to
undergo, he never lost heart.
By his royal master's side, in storm and sunshine, was
"the Good lord Douglas"—or "the Black Douglas" as he was
often called. No deed was too daring for him to attempt, and
many are the stories related of him.

DUNFERMLINE ABBEY

Then the young English king roused himself from his life
of ease, and led a splendid army into Scotland, only to be beaten
in the great battle of Bannockburn. This, perhaps, was the
greatest fight which ever took place on Scottish soil, and it is the
one of which the Scots are most proud.
"Good king Robert" only lived a few years after his
country became free, and, on his death bed, he sent for his old
friend, Sir James Douglas, and many of his great lords.
He made them swear to be true to their country and to his
little son, David, who would soon be their king. Then he called
Douglas to his side, and said, "Sir James, my dear friend, it has
long been my wish to go and fight the enemies of the Cross, in
THE BRUCE STATUE, LOOKING TOWARDS THE WALLACE MONUMENT, the Holy Land. But, alas! I cannot go, and so, when I am dead, I
STIRLING want you to take my heart to the Holy City."

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 The good knight, with tears fast flowing down his CHAPTER XV
cheeks, gave a solemn promise to do as his master wished. Soon
after this, the hero king died, and his body was laid to rest in the
old abbey of Dunfermline. His heart had been removed, QUEEN PHILIPPA AND THE BRAVE MEN OF
embalmed and placed in a silver casket, and it was entrusted to CALAIS
the loving care of Sir James.
We are told that he would not trust his precious burden Just about the time when "the Good king Robert" lay
away from his own person; so he hung it round his neck, by a dying, a famous young king, known as Edward III, began to
string of silk and gold. Soon afterwards, with a band of brave reign over England. He gave up the idea of trying to conquer
knights, he set sail for the Holy Land. Scotland, and claimed the kingdom of France, which was a
much larger and richer country.
On the way, he stopped to help the king of Spain, who
was fighting against the Moors. These people were of the same So he took an army across the English Channel, and beat
race and religion as the Turks; so Douglas thought he was quite the French in the famous battle of Crecy. He then led his men
right in joining in the war against them. towards the town of Calais, which is only about twenty miles
from our own port of Dover. Calais was a very strong place,
In one of the battles, the band of Scots did some
having thick walls and a deep ditch round it.
wonderful deeds; but they were not helped much by their
Spanish friends. The king had little wooden huts made for his soldiers,
stretching all the way round Calais; and, in front of the harbour,
It is said that Douglas then threw the silver casket into
he placed ships full of armed men. Thus, you see, no one could
the midst of the foe, saying:—
pass through to help the men of Calais, or take food to them.
"Forward, brave heart, as thou wert wont,
The battle host before, The king of France came with a large army to try to save
Douglas will follow thee, or die, the town; but a great marsh lay between him and the English.
To conquest, as of yore." His troops could not cross this, and so the poor people in the
town began to lose all hope of being saved from the enemy.
He then fought his way to where he had thrown the heart,
but soon fell, covered with wounds. When his body was found, Nearly a year passed, and many of the people of Calais
the casket was lying beneath it, quite unharmed. died of hunger. They had eaten the horses, the dogs, the cats and
even the rats and mice. But now these were gone, and there was
Then the rest of the little company carried their dead nothing left for them but to give up their town to the English.
leader back to Scotland, to be buried with his fathers: as for the
heart of Bruce, it was laid to rest in Melrose abbey. So, with hearts full of sorrow, they pulled down their
own flag from the wall of the town, and put up the banner of
Six hundred years have passed since Wallace, Bruce and England instead. When king Edward saw this, he sent his brave
Douglas did such mighty deeds for Scotland, but their names knight, Sir Walter Manny, who spoke over the wall to the
will ever be loved by all true-hearted Scots. governor of the town. The governor asked that the people of
Calais might go free, if they gave up their town to the English.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 26 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 When they reached king Edward's tent, they handed him
the keys of the gates, and fell on their knees, praying for mercy.
But the king looked sternly at them, and ordered them to be at
once put to death. Then many of his brave knights, with Sir
Walter Manny at their head, pleaded for the lives of these brave
men; but Edward's only reply was, "Let the headsman be
summoned."

THE BATTLE OF CRECY

But Edward was very angry and said he would put all the
people to death, un¬less six of the chief men came out to him,
with ropes round their necks, bare-headed and with bare feet. In
their hands they were to bring the keys of the town, and give up
their own lives that the rest of the people might be spared.
When the governor heard this, he called a meeting of the
townsmen in the market place. He then, amid loud weeping and
cries of distress, gave them the stern message of the English
king. EDWARD III

At last, one of the richest men stepped forward, and said, At this trying moment, good queen Philippa fell at her
"I will give my life as a ransom for the rest." When he had husband's feet. "Gentle sire," said she, "I have crossed the sea, in
spoken, five others promised to do likewise. So these six noble great danger, to bring you good news. For our dear Lord's sake,
men, clad in nothing but their night-shirts, and with ropes round spare the lives of these brave men."
their necks, set out for the English camp.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 27 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 The king, looking at her tenderly, said, "Ah! dame, I By this time, Hal could see he was wrong to have acted
wish you had not been here. But I cannot refuse you anything, so in such a rude way, and so he quietly obeyed the order of the
take these men away, and do with them just as you please." judge. This story, if true, shows that the prince was not only a
faithful friend, but also, that he had much good sense.
You may be sure that the good queen was delighted. She
led the six brave men to her own tent, clothed them and gave
them a good meal. Then, with rich presents in their hands, they
returned to their homes, to tell the happy tidings to their friends
and neighbours.

CHAPTER XVI

A MERRY YOUNG PRINCE, OR THE STORY OF

"MADCAP HARRY"
Most of you will think "Madcap Harry" a strange nick-
name for a prince—yet this was what one of our greatest kings
was called, when a young man. He was so full of fun and
mischief that all his friends thought the name suited him very
well.
Everyone loved the gay young prince, who was very
handsome and strong. He was very fond of all kinds of sport,
and once, we are told, he and a friend caught a deer without the
help of horses and dogs. At another time, he chased a fox until
he caught it; and for a long while afterwards wore the fox's brush
in his cap.
Once, the prince is said to have got into serious trouble.
He heard that one of his friends had been taken before the judge,
for some wrong thing he had done. Without thinking much of
what he was doing, prince Hal boldly entered the court, and
ordered the judge to let his friend go free.
Now, although the judge knew that Hal was the king's
eldest son, or prince of Wales, he was not afraid to do what he PRINCE HENRY AND CHIEF JUSTICE GASCOIGNE
thought to be right. So he ordered the prince to be sent to prison,
for not showing proper respect to one of the king's judges.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 28 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 Now, his father, king Henry IV, was a cold, selfish and then gave his son some very good advice, as to how he should
unhappy man, and could not understand the free and happy rule the land when he became king.
nature of his son; so, when he heard of prince Hal's wild doings,
In another book, you will read of our prince, when king
he was angry with him, and you may be sure that the prince soon Henry V, winning great battles in France, and how, for a short
heard of it. time, he ruled both that country and England.
But Hal really loved his father and wished to please him.
You will think, however, that he showed this in a very quaint CHAPTER XVII
way. He went to the king, wearing a coat full of large
buttonholes. The stitching of these holes was not quite finished;
and, hanging from each hole, was the needle and silk with which THE STORY OF RICHARD WHITTINGTON
it was worked.
Most of you have read of Dick Whittington and his cat—
Now, what do you think this meant? Very likely the king
of the way in which a poor boy sold his pet cat for a large sum of
understood by it that his son was going to give up his idle ways,
money and was a rich man for the rest of his life. In this chapter,
and settle down to the serious work expected of a prince.
you will read what we believe to be the true story of Sir Richard
We believe prince Hal did so: for we know that, before Whittington.
he was twenty, he had fought bravely against the king's foes, and
In the reign of Edward III, there lived in the county of
helped to rule the country.
Gloucestershire a gentleman named Sir William Whittington.
During the last few years of king Henry IV's life, he When he died, he left three sons, William, Robert and Richard.
suffered from a terrible disease, and very often, too, he would When the two elder brothers grew up to be men, each had an
fall into a kind of fit. While this lasted, he seemed like a dead estate to live on; but there was very little left for the youngest.
man. One day, the prince entered his father's bedroom, and
Now Dick, as we may call him, had often heard his
thought by his look that he must be dead.
mother speak of a rich merchant, named Sir John Fitzwarren,
On a cushion by the bedside was the crown. Perhaps who lived in the great city of London. She had known him when
prince Hal remembered that some of our kings had been robbed a boy, and, although she had not seen him for many years, still
as they lay dying; so he removed the crown into the next room looked upon him as a friend.
for safety.
So she sent a message to him, asking him if he would
Soon, however, the king opened his eyes, and at once take her youngest son as an apprentice, to learn the trade of a
saw what had happened. He thought that his son must be in a mercer, for that was what Sir John was called. When, therefore,
great hurry to be king, by taking away the crown. So he sent for Dick's mother heard that her old friend was ready to take her
the prince, and told him how grieved he was at what he had boy, she felt pleased indeed.
done.
Thus we find the lad, at the age of fourteen, setting out
However, the king was very pleased to find that his son for the great city. We do not think he went alone. Very likely he
still loved him, and did not wish him to die. Our great poet, travelled with a number of people for safety, as there were many
Shakespeare, has told us, in some beautiful lines, how Henry
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 29 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
robbers in those days, who were only too ready to rob lonely trader, like his master, and perhaps soon have a ship of his own.
travellers. This he would very likely call "The Cat," in honour of the little
animal which gave him a start in life.
On the journey, which would take four or five days, Dick
would hear from his fellow travellers about the wonders of
London. He would hear of the king and his court, of great feasts
and merry-makings, of the ships in the river and of many other
things, new and strange to a country lad.
But it is quite likely that, for a little while, Dick would
feel lonely in his master's home. So we can very well fancy him
saying, "I'll not stay here any longer, but will go back to the old
place."
We can imagine him getting up early, walking as fast as
he could and then stopping to rest on Highgate hill. While sitting
there, he could very well hear the bells of Bow church, in
Cheapside, and, as they rang, they seemed to say, "Turn again,
Whittington, Lord Mayor of London." He then resolved to go
back, and do his best to make the message of the bells come true.
We feel sure that, during his seven years as an
apprentice, his master would be very kind to him, and would see
that he learnt his trade well. Dick would have to work hard; but,
all through the year, there would be many things to amuse him,
in his spare time. Sometimes, he would go with lads of his own
age to a place named Moor-fields, where in winter there would
be skating and sliding. When there was no frost, they could play
at quarterstaff or football. In summer, there would be archery or
wrestling for the 'prentice lads.
Now, Dick's master, besides selling silks, satins and cloth
of gold, often sent ships to countries far away to trade with the
people there. Thus, the lad would get a chance to talk to sailors,
who would tell him of the wonders of far-off lands. BOW CHURCH, CHEAPSIDE
Some people do not think there is any truth in the story
Anyway, we know that, by the time he was thirty,
of Dick's cat. But he may have had a cat, and may have sent it by
Richard Whittington was a rich man. He did become mayor of
one of the sailors, to a place where these animals were of great
London, holding that great office no less than three times. He
value. Then, with the money he got for it, he would start as a

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 30 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

was so rich that he lent king Henry V a very large sum of When the Scottish king, who was very old and feeble,
money, to pay his soldiers in the French wars. complained of this mean act, he was told that his son would be
trained just as well in England as in France. A year after this, the
While he was mayor for the third time, Whittington gave
prince became king with the title of James I; but he remained a
a great feast to the king and queen. Everything was of the best of
captive in England for eighteen years longer.
its kind, and even the fires were made of cedar wood. Now,
when Sir Richard lent the king money, he would get in return a
written promise, or bond, saying that the money would be
repaid.
Well, during this feast, Sir Richard threw the bond into
the fire in the sight of the king and queen. This meant that he
was making the king a present of the money. You may be sure
this pleased king Henry very much, for he said, "Any king ought
to be proud to have Sir Richard Whittington for a subject." To
this, the polite knight replied, "Any subject ought to be proud of
having such a king."
We also read, that Sir Richard married Alice, the
daughter of his old master, and made many rich gifts to the city
of London. He built schools for the young, almshouses for the
old and hospitals for the sick.

CHAPTER XVIII

KING JAMES I OF SCOTLAND AND BRAVE

CATHERINE DOUGLAS
For hundreds of years after the time of Edward I the
people of England and Scotland hated each other bitterly. Each KING JAMES I OF SCOTLAND
tried to do the other an ill turn, whenever there was a chance to
do so, even when the two countries were not at war. You must not picture him as being' unhappy during all
these long years; for he was treated with great kindness, and was
This is very well seen in one of the acts of king Henry
taught everything that a king should know. We find that he was
IV. He heard that prince James of Scotland was going to France,
fond of books, music and playing tennis. He loved poetry, also,
where he could be better taught than in his native country. So he
and could compose very good verses of his own.
sent an armed vessel, and captured the young prince, who was
then brought as a prisoner to London.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 31 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 In the garden of the palace where he lived, he often saw a soon burst open the door, breaking the noble lady's arm in doing
beautiful young lady walking. The king fell in love with her, and so.
told her of his love, in some very fine verses. She was Lady Jane
They then made a careful search through the house, but
Beaufort, cousin of king Henry V, and was fitted in every way to no trace of the king could be seen. Then, one of the men noticed
be a queen. that the floor had been disturbed—and thus the king's hiding-
When king James returned to Scotland with his young place was found out. These cruel outlaws then descended into
queen, he found there was much work for him to do. The the cellar and killed the king.
Scottish nobles were selfish and cruel, and did very much as Most of the people of Scotland were very angry when
they liked. The king made these men obey the laws; if they did they heard of his death. Those were rough times, and so we are
not do so, they were sharply punished. not surprised to hear that, when the bold Graham was caught, he
The common people loved James for being just, but the was put to a very cruel death.
great men hated him. One of them, Sir Robert Graham, said that As for Lady Catherine Douglas, she was ever afterwards
the king was a tyrant, and that he would kill him if he had a known as Kate Bar-lass, in memory of her brave act.
chance to do so. For this, the bold man was banished to the
Highlands.
CHAPTER XIX
Soon afterwards, the king and queen were staying' at a
monastery in the old city of Perth. It was Christmas time, and the
long winter evenings were spent in reading, games and song. QUEEN MARGARET AND THE ROBBER
One night, the king was chatting with the queen and her ladies,
when they heard a loud noise outside. Henry V, who was such a great soldier, died when quite a
young man. His little son, who at the time was only a baby, then
In the courtyard, they could see, by the glare of torches, a
became king as Henry VI. When he grew up to be a man, it was
number of fierce-looking men. These proved to be Sir Robert
quite clear to most people that he was not fitted to rule the
Graham, and three hundred wild Highlanders.
country.
The little party in the monastery ran at once to fasten the
The great men, or nobles, needed a strong, firm king to
great door; but, to their dismay, they found that someone had
keep them in order; and they thought very little of the gentle
taken away the bolts.
Henry, who, indeed, would have been better in a monastery, than
The king then tried to escape by one of the windows, but on the throne. To make matters worse, he sometimes went out of
the iron bars were too strong for him to move. He then lifted up his mind, and then someone had to rule the country in his stead.
a plank in the floor, and got down into a kind of cellar below.
This duty fell to the duke of York, who belonged to the
By this time, those in the room could hear footsteps royal family. Some of his friends thought he ought to be king
outside, coming up to the great door. Quick as thought, instead of poor Henry. This led to a great quarrel between the
Catherine Douglas, one of the queen's ladies, thrust her arm king's friends, and the friends of the duke of York.
through the staples, to act as a bolt. This gave the others time to
Shakespeare tells us that, one day, some nobles were
cover up the flooring; but, as you may suppose, the fierce men
walking in the Temple gardens in London. Among them were
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 32 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
the duke of Somerset, a great friend of the king and queen, and the duke of York should reign. Now, queen Margaret, the wife
the earl of Warwick, a friend of the duke of York. of the king, would not hear of this for a moment, for she wanted
her little son, Edward, to reign after his father's death.
So the fighting went on again, but, in most of the battles,
the king's party was beaten. The queen was very brave, and she
and her son were present at a fierce battle in the north of
England. Her friends were beaten, and we are told that she fled
into a thick wood, holding her son by the hand.
Now, the queen was richly dressed and was wearing
some fine jewels. Before she had gone far, she met a band of
robbers, who stole all her jewels, and what gold she had. But
they could not settle how to divide the plunder, and began to
quarrel over it.
Seeing this, queen Margaret and the little prince hurried
away as quickly as they could, to a thicker part of the forest,
where they thought the robbers would not find them. Soon,
however, the poor queen had a great fright, for right in her path
stood another fierce-looking man.
Now, I told you that Margaret was a brave woman, and,
at this dreadful moment, she did just the right thing. She went
straight up to the man, looked him calmly in the face, and said,
"I am your queen, and this is the son of your king. Save him
HENRY VI from the evil men who seek his life."
They soon began to quarrel, and then the earl of The man was touched by the queen's brave words, and
Warwick, picking a white rose, said, "I choose this flower as my promised to keep her and the prince from all harm. He then took
badge. All who love me will do the same." At this, the duke of them to a cave, where he gave them food and shelter. He also
Somerset plucked a red rose, and called upon his friends to do told the queen that he had fought on her side, and was hiding in
likewise. the woods from the White Rose party.
Thus it was that, in the wars which followed, the king's Queen Margaret and her son remained in the cave for a
side was known as the Red Rose party, while the followers of few days, and then made their escape into Scotland.
the duke of York called themselves the party of the White Rose. Here the queen found a ship, which took her across to
The wars of the Roses, as they were called, led to a great France. Her husband, king Henry, was at this time a prisoner in
deal of bloodshed. After one of the battles, it was settled that the Tower of London, and the son of the duke of York was
king Henry should rule while he lived, but that, after his death, reigning as Edward IV.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 33 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 crowned, the young king was seized by his uncle Richard, duke
of Gloucester. This man was very cruel and crafty, and, though
he tried to make people think that he loved his nephew, had
really made up his mind to be king himself.

THE TOWER.

The rest of the story of the queen and her son is very sad.
They stayed in France for a few years, and then returned to
England to fight against king Edward IV.
Again, the queen's army was beaten, and after the battle
her brave son was killed by some of the king's friends. Poor
Henry VI was found dead in the Tower about the same time, and
most people thought that he had been put to death.

CHAPTER XX

THE LITTLE PRINCES IN THE TOWER

You have already heard of the Tower of London—that
gray old building over-looking the river Thames. Many sad
stories have been told of the cruel deeds done within its walls;
but there is none sadder than the story of little king Edward AT,
and his young brother, the duke of York. RICHARD III

Their father died when little Edward was about thirteen The writers of the time have told us that the duke was
years of age. On his way to London, where he was to be deformed, and so went by the name of Richard Crookback. They
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 34 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
also tell us that he had done many cruel murders; you can the young princes were. They found them fast asleep, locked in
understand, then, how alarmed the queen was, when she knew each others arms, and none but wicked men could have harmed
that her eldest son was in his keeping. them.
So she set off, in great haste, with the rest of her children,
to the church in Westminster. She thought that no harm would.
befall them there. Soon after this, Richard and little Edward V
reached London, and in a short time the young king was sent to
the Tower. His uncle said he was to wait there until he could be
crowned, but Richard never meant this to take place.
After a while, Richard sent to the queen and told her that
the little king was lonely, and wished to have his younger
brother with him. At first, the queen would not part with her
boy; but, in the end, she let him go for his brother's sake. She felt
very sad indeed, when she thought of her two little boys, at the
mercy of their false uncle, in the grim old Tower.
Now that the princes were in his power, their crafty uncle
took a great deal of pains to get himself crowned king. One or
two great men spoke up for the little captives in the Tower, but
Richard III, as we may now speak of him, at once had these men
beheaded. After this, no one dared to say a word, and the cruel
king did as he pleased.
Still, he knew that he would never be quite safe while his
nephews were alive. So, word was sent to the keeper of the
Tower that the little princes were to be put to death. Now, the
keeper had a kinder heart than the king, and refused to do this
wicked deed.
He was then told that, on a certain day, he must give up
the care of the Tower to another man. Of course, the keeper was
forced to obey, as he was only the king's servant after all. So, a
worse man took his place, and after that day no one ever saw the
little princes alive.
Now you must know that these poor boys had only one MURDER OF THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER
room, and slept in the same bed. That night, when everyone else But these men had been well paid to do their wicked
was fast asleep, two bad men crept quietly up to the room where work, and so, taking some pillows, they pressed them down over

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 35 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

the faces of the boys, until they were dead. Then, in great haste, There had been peace between England and Scotland for
they dug a deep hole, at the foot of the staircase, and there buried some years, so king Henry thought he could safely take a great
the bodies of the little princes. army across to France. He wished to win great battles there, as
Edward III and Henry V had done.
As you may suppose, no one knew of this cruel deed
except the king and those who had taken part in it. Most people Now, shortly after he landed in France, the queen of
thought that the princes had been murdered, but in what way France wrote a letter to king James, asking him, as her own true
they did not know. knight, to lead an army into England. She thought that Henry
would be forced to send back part of his army to fight the
About two hundred years afterwards, some workmen
Scots—and, indeed, this really happened. The Scottish king
were digging in that part of the Tower, and found a box several
could not refuse her request, and soon got ready for war.
feet under the floor. In it were the bones of what everyone
believed to be the two young princes. Still, there were many fighting men left in England, and
these, under the command of the earl of Surrey, marched to the
Their cruel uncle did not long wear the crown he had
north. Queen Katharine sent standards and banners, and cheered
thus wickedly gained. Two years later, he was killed in the battle
the English soldiers with many brave words.
of Bosworth, which was the last battle of the wars of the Roses.
King James, at the head of a large army, had already
CHAPTER XXI crossed the river Tweed, and, after taking some strong castles, he
pitched his camp on the hill of Flodden. At the foot of the hill
flowed a river, crossed by a bridge. When the earl of Surrey
KING JAMES IV OF SCOTLAND AND THE drew near, he saw that he had not much chance of beating the
BATTLE OF FLODDEN Scots, while they remained in such a strong place.
So he ordered his men to cross over the bridge, and place
About 400 years ago, king James IV was ruling in themselves between the Scottish army and their native land.
Scotland. The Scots were very proud of their king, who was said Now, it was at this point that king James made a very great
to be of noble stature, and handsome as a man can be." mistake. You will remember what Wallace did, when the
He loved to see his people take part in manly sports, and English were crossing the bridge over the Forth—how his men
was sure to reward any man who showed much skill in them. We charged down the hill, and won a great victory.
are told that, at some sports which were held at Edinburgh, the Most people think that James should have done very
king gave the best man a spear, the head of which was made of much the same thing. Instead of that, however, he allowed the
pure gold. entire English army to cross over, and draw up, in line of battle,
But James loved more dangerous sport—the sport of war. behind him. Then he knew that he must fight.
At this time, Henry VIII was king of England, and one of his Setting fire to his tents, he led his men down the hillside
sisters was married to the Scottish king. Yet this did not prevent in deep silence. The thick smoke prevented the English from
war between the two countries; for both monarchs wished to let seeing their foes, until they were quite close to them.
all the world see how clever they could be in winning battles.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 36 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 In this fierce battle, king James proved himself a very of this. The earl of Surrey had lost so many men that he did not
brave man, but a poor general. He fought right in front, with his think it wise to push on into Scotland. When you are older, you
brave nobles all around him, but he knew very little of how the must read the very fine account of this battle which Sir Walter
rest of his men were faring. They were suffering very much from Scott gives, in a poem called Marmion.
the arrows of the English, whereas the king and his nobles were
protected by their fine steel armour. CHAPTER XXII
Night was now coming on, and the Scots were nearly
surrounded by the English; but they still fought bravely, never
thinking of flight. We are told that king James cut his way to
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS
within a few feet of the earl of Surrey, but was himself killed
The story of Mary, queen of Scots, is known to nearly
just at that moment.
everyone. She became queen of Scotland when only a few
months old. Henry VIII was king of England at that time, and he
thought it would be a very good plan if his young son, Edward,
were to marry the little Scottish queen.

FLODDEN FIELD

Although their king was dead, the Scots still held the hill;
and it was only at daybreak that they began to retreat. They then
found out how great was their loss. It is said that 10,000 Scots
were killed, and that there was not a noble family in Scotland
which had not cause to mourn over "Flodden's fatal field." QUEEN MARY'S BEDROOM, HOLYROOD PALACE
When the sad news reached Edinburgh, there was much
Now, the mother of the young queen was a French
weeping and sorrow, but the old men were quite ready to defend
princess, and she thought it would be much better for her little
the city, should the English come. However, there was no need
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 37 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
daughter to marry a French prince. So Mary was sent to France A few years after queen Mary came back to Scotland, she
when only seven years of age, and she lived there until she was married her cousin, lord Darnley; and, in the end, this led her
eighteen. into sad troubles. One night, some men who hated Darnley blew
up his house with gunpowder; and, in the morning, his dead
Her life in France was very bright and gay. Everybody
body was found lying in the gardens outside.
thought the young queen beautiful, witty and clever. She married
her cousin, the young king of France, and so, for a time, was You will be surprised to hear that Mary did not punish
queen of two countries. Some of her friends told her to take the the men who had done this deed. A little later, she went so far as
title of queen of England, too, and this she did. to marry one of them. This turned the hearts of her people from
her: they rose up in arms, and made her give up the crown to her
This was not a wise thing to do, for it displeased our
infant son.
queen Elizabeth, and caused Mary much trouble in after years.
She was not queen of France very long, for her husband died the Mary was now shut up in a castle which stood on a small
next year; and Mary then left the land where she had been island in the middle of a lake. One day, her page managed to
happy, to return to her native country. steal the keys of the castle, and so set his mistress free. He
locked the gate, flung the keys into the lake, and placed the
queen in a boat which he had ready for her.
Before long, she was at the head of a little army, and
trying to get back her crown once more. But her army was
beaten, and she was forced to flee.
We are told that she rode sixty miles without stopping.
Some of her friends begged her to find a ship which would take
her to France. Instead of doing this, however, she crossed into
England.
She very likely thought queen Elizabeth would help her
to get back her throne, or allow her to cross over to France.
Now, the English queen did not think it safe to let Mary do
either of these things. So the unlucky queen of Scots was shut up
in a castle, and for eighteen years she was moved from prison to
HOLYROOD PALACE, FROM THE CALTON HILL, EDINBURGH. prison.
Here, everything seemed very strange to her, and she Then some of her friends made a plot to set her free, and
missed the bright life of the French court very much. Many of to put queen Elizabeth to death. It was found out, and the
her people, too, did not agree with her about religion, and this unhappy queen Mary was tried for her life. She said, over and
made it hard for Mary to rule the land well. Still, most of her over again, that she knew nothing about the plot for killing
people loved her for her beauty and her kind heart. queen Elizabeth, but wished only to get back her freedom.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 38 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 CHAPTER XXIII

THE STORY OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

This is a story of the days of queen Elizabeth, or "Good
Queen Bess," as she is often called. When this great queen began
her reign, England was weak, and in great danger from other
nations: before she died, the country was strong and feared by all
the world.
You will like to know how this came about. First of all,
the queen, herself, though she had many faults, was very great
and wise, and dearly loved her country. She thought of England,
and her people, before everything else; and they, in their turn,
thought there was no one in the world so great and clever as their
queen.
Then, too, she had many great and famous men to help
her. Some of these, like lord Burghley, helped her to govern the
country; while others, like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter
Raleigh, fought our enemies on land and sea. In queen
Elizabeth's reign, too, lived our great poet, Shakespeare, who did
much to give our country its name of "Merrie England."
One of the best men of that day was Sir Philip Sidney.
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS He was so handsome and brave, and so polite in his manners,
that Elizabeth said he was "the brightest jewel in her crown." He
In the end, she was found guilty; and then, the chief men was a writer, too; and the queen and her ladies loved to read his
in the country begged the English queen to sign the warrant for poems.
Mary's death. This was done at last, and the sad life of the queen
We were not then friendly with Spain, the most powerful
of Scots came to an end, at the castle of Fotheringay.
country in Europe. So, when queen Elizabeth knew that the
Spanish king was ill-treating the people of Holland, she sent an
army to help the Dutch, as the people there are called. One of the
leaders of this army was Sir Philip Sidney.
One day, Sir Philip heard that the Spaniards were
sending a great quantity of food into a town that the English
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 39 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
were trying to take. So, with about 500 brave soldiers, he set out However, our soldiers made the best of it, and, under
to prevent this. On the way, a thick fog arose, and the English their brave leader, fought so well that the Spaniards were beaten.
were unable to see where they were going. Before long, they Sir Philip Sidney was in the thickest of the fight, cheering on his
found themselves in front of a great Spanish army of 5000 men. men, but, before the battle was over, he was wounded in the leg,
by a bullet.
After the battle, his friends helped him down from his
horse, and a doctor tried to get the bullet out of the wound. This
caused Sidney much pain, and loss of blood made him very
thirsty. So his friends managed to get him some water to drink.
Just as he was raising the water to his lips, a poor dying
soldier was carried past him. Sidney noticed that the wounded
man looked with longing eyes on the precious water.
Forgetting his own thirst, he handed the water to the poor
soldier, saying, as he did so, "Take it, friend, for your need is
greater than mine."
This noble man lived for several days afterwards, and,
indeed, everyone thought at first that he would recover. The
doctors, however, had not done their work well, and soon he
knew that he was dying. But he met his death calmly and
bravely, feeling that his life had been gentle and pure.
His body was brought to England, and buried with great
state in Westminster abbey. All the country, from the queen on
the throne, down to the poorest soldier in her army, mourned for
one who forgot his own pain, and gave comfort to a poor dying
man.

DEATH OF SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 40 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 the other hand, the great "San Philip" was hurt so much by the
CHAPTER XXIV fire from the "Revenge," that it had to leave the fight.

THE LITTLE "REVENGE" OR, "ONE AGAINST

FIFTY-THREE"
This is another story of the brave days of "Good Queen
Bess," but, in this case, a great sailor, and not a soldier, is the
hero of the tale.
The "sea-dogs," as we call the great seamen of that day,
dearly loved to chase and sink great Spanish ships, and bring
home to England their rich cargo of gold and silver.
So, when Sir Thomas Howard set out with six ships to
meet a great Spanish treasure fleet, everyone was in high glee.
One of the English ships was the little "Revenge," and Sir
Richard Grenville, who commanded it, had struck many hard
blows at the Dons, as the Spaniards were often called.
Soon, the ships of Spain came in sight; not, however,
ships full of gold, but fifty-three great fighting vessels. Sir
Thomas Howard thought it no disgrace for six to run away from
fifty-three; so he gave orders for his vessels to flee.
But Sir Richard Grenville had never fled from a
Spaniard, and would not do so now. So he told his men to get SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE
ready for the fight—the fight of one against fifty-three. At first,
as you may think, the Spaniards thought it quite a joke, but they Just as darkness was coming on, two Spanish ships sank.
soon found out their mistake. As for the others, many were shattered and so could fight no
more. By this time, the powder and shot of the "Revenge" were
This strange and wonderful battle began about three running short, but still its brave leader cried out to his men
o'clock in the afternoon, and, when midnight came, the brave "Fight on! Fight on!"
little ship and its crew were still unbeaten. The Spanish ships
were so high that the shot from the big guns did but little harm to Of the brave crew, forty were dead, and the sixty who
the brave "Revenge." were left were nearly all wounded. Grenville had been struck by
a bullet; his little vessel could scarcely keep afloat; but he was as
Its sails and masts, indeed, were shot away, but this did brave as ever. If he could not win, he was too proud to fly.
not matter to Sir Richard, who scorned the thought of flying. On
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 41 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 He even sent for the gunner, and told him to sink the
ship; for, said he, "It is better to fall into the hands of God than CHAPTER XXV
into the hands of Spain."
But now his men came to him, and begged him to give
in; for, said they, "We have children, we have wives, and, if we
KING CHARLES I AND HIS CHILDREN
yield now, the Spaniards will let us go, and we can fight them
When you are older, and go on a visit to the great city of
another time." So, at last, Sir Richard Grenville gave way, and,
London, you will, perhaps, be taken to the National Gallery,
sorely wounded, he was taken on board the Spanish flag-ship.
where there are pictures painted by the greatest artists in the
Here, the stately Spanish men came round him as he lay world.
dying at the foot of the mast, and they praised him to his face.
One of them shows you a noble looking man, seated on a
They thought it a glory to have fought with such a brave man. At
fine horse. You will be told that this is a portrait of king Charles
the last moment, he raised himself, and, in a clear voice, said,
I, who, like his father, James I, ruled over both England and
"I have fought for Queen and Faith, Scotland. You will be sorry to hear that this kingly looking man
Like a valiant man and true, had a very unhappy reign, and came to a sad end.
I have only done my duty,
As a man is bound to do, For several years there had been many quarrels between
With a joyful spirit, I, the king and his people. Many of them thought that Charles
Sir Richard Grenville, die." wished to rob them of their freedom, dear to every Briton. The
king felt that they wanted him to be king only in name, and to
Then, to the great grief of both friend and foe, he "fell take away most of his power.
upon the deck and died." And what of the little "Revenge"? Two
So, at last, war broke out between the king's friends, who
hundred Spanish sea-men were sent on board, but a great storm
were called Cavaliers, and the party who thought that the king
arose in which the little vessel was lost.
was in the wrong. These were known as Roundheads, because
Thus, like its brave master, the little "Revenge" could not their hair was cut short. The king's men rode on horses, wore
remain a slave to Spain; and, surely, no Briton will ever forget their hair very long, and dressed in fine style.
the brave story of Sir Richard Grenville—or the fight of "one
Now, you must know that king Charles had three sons
against fifty-three."
and four daughters. When the fighting began, the queen went to
France, taking with her Charles and James, the two eldest sons,
and three of the princesses. But, somehow or other, the little
princess Elizabeth, who was about seven years old, and her baby
brother, prince Henry, were left behind.
The little princess never saw her brothers and sisters
again; and, during the seven years that the war lasted, these two
poor children saw their father only two or three times.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 42 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 In the end, the king was beaten, and fell into the hands of The next day, king Charles was taken in front of his own
his enemies. They and their leader, Oliver Cromwell, then palace, at Whitehall, where a scaffold had been set up. Stern
brought him to trial; and, although Charles said they had no right soldiers guarded the way, and thousands of people filled the
to try him, the court said that he was to be put to death. streets near. The king showed no fear at the last; and, when his
head was struck off, a deep groan rose from the crowd.
Soon after this sad event, princess Elizabeth was sent to a
castle in the Isle of Wight. Her father had been a prisoner there,
some time before his death; so it was not a very happy place for
the poor little princess to live in.

CHARLES I WITH HIS CHILDREN

The day before the king was to die, his two children went
to see him for the last time. Charles had always been fond of
them, and so you can think what a sad meeting it was. The little CARISBROOKE CASTLE GATEWAY
princess, who was now about thirteen years old, wrote her
father's last words in a book, and also a list of good books, which She was never well after this, indeed, she soon grew
she was to read. worse. One day, she was found sitting in her room, quite dead.
Her cheek was resting on the open Bible, which her father had
The king then took his little son, Henry, on his knee, and
given her, and there is no doubt that the last hours of her sad
said to him, "They will cut off your father's head, and, perhaps,
little life were spent in reading the best of books. Her little
make you a king. Now, you must not be a king so long as your
brother was sent across the sea to his mother, after two years had
brothers, Charles and James, are alive."
passed.
To this, the brave little prince replied, "I will be cut in
Our good queen Victoria, who died a few years ago, was
pieces first." After the king had kissed his children and given
deeply touched by the sad story of this little Stewart princess. So
them his blessing, there came the sad parting.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 43 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 she had a beautiful monument set up to her memory, near the Montrose sent a message to king Charles, that he hoped soon to
spot where she died. It is the figure of a young girl with her bring an army of 20,000 men to help him.
cheek resting on an open Bible. There are some lines beneath,
telling of the brave way in which the little princess bore her
troubles.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE STORY OF MONTROSE, OR "THE GREAT

MARQUIS"
In the last chapter we saw how the Cavaliers fought the
Roundheads, in the great civil war. Just at the time when all
seemed so dark for the king's party in England, a bright ray of
hope shone forth, far away in the north of Scotland.
The people in the south of Scotland were now helping
the king's foes; but a brave nobleman, James Graham, marquis
of Montrose, thought he could raise an army in the Highlands, to
fight for king Charles.
So he sent the fiery cross through the Highland glens to
summon all to battle, and in a few days three thousand brave
Highlanders were marching beneath his banner.
Montrose, clad in tartan and kilt, led them against the old THE MARQUIS OF MONTROSE
city of Perth. When the people there heard of his coming, they
Now, this was more than he could do, for his Highland
came out in great numbers, to give him battle.
men did not like fighting far away from their homes. So, many
But they were no match for Montrose and his men. With of them left their great leader, and, at a place named
wild cries, the Highlanders rushed to the fight, and soon the field Philiphaugh, he was beaten by general Leslie.
was won; for no one could stand against their great two-handed
He was now without an army, and was forced to leave
swords. Perth was taken, and, before a year had passed, other
Scotland. He was away for some years, and it was during this
towns were won.
time that king Charles was put to death. Many of the Scots did
In this short time, "the Great Marquis" won six battles, not approve of this, and so they asked his son to cross the seas
and was able to leave the Highlands and attack the Lowlands. and be crowned as Charles II.
The two cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow were taken, and

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 44 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 Now, the brave Montrose was just as ready to fight for
the new king, as he had been for his father. So he got an army CHAPTER XXVII
together, but the ships in which they sailed were scattered by a
storm. Thus, when he reached Scotland, he had scarcely a
thousand men behind him. KING CHARLES II AND THE ROYAL OAK
Once more he tried the Highlands. Before him floated a
Soon after the death of "the Great Marquis," prince
banner, on which was a picture of the bleeding head of king
Charles crossed over from Holland to Scotland. The Scots were
Charles I, and underneath were these words, "Judge and avenge
quite ready to crown him king, if he would only worship God in
my cause, O Lord!" In spite of this appeal, only a few men
the way they thought best. Charles did not like their form of
joined him, and in a short time he was surrounded by the soldiers
worship very much; but, as he had made up his mind to be king,
of general Leslie.
he gave them the promise they wanted.
He managed to escape, by swimming his horse across a
A fine army, under the careful and wise general Leslie,
river, and then disguising himself as a peasant. For some time he
was now ready to fight for the young king. But things soon
wandered about, but was at last betrayed and given up to his
began to turn out badly for Charles; for that great soldier, Oliver
enemies.
Cromwell, led his famous soldiers against Leslie, and beat him
They treated him very badly, making him ride on a poor at the battle of Dunbar.
old horse, without a saddle, and with his feet tied together under
Then Charles led his army into England, but, by the time
its body. He bore these insults with great patience, and so won
he reached the city of Worcester, Cromwell and his army
the hearts of many who had hated him.
overtook him. A fierce fight took place, partly in the city itself,
Montrose was taken to Edinburgh, where he was tried and partly outside it; and again the king's army was beaten, for
and condemned to be hanged. This was thought to be a shameful no troops could withstand the famous Ironsides of Cromwell's
way for a great nobleman to die; and, indeed, his enemies army.
behaved very meanly to their fallen foe.
Charles II was now a wanderer, as his army was quite
Still, he bore these troubles with such a calm and brave scattered. He was in great danger of being caught, for Cromwell
spirit, that many in the crowd felt great pity for him. Even the offered a thousand pounds to anyone who would give the king
rough hangman shed tears when the moment came to place the into his hands.
rope round the neck of the brave Montrose.
In all the country round, Cromwell's soldiers were iii
A few years ago, some admirers of this noble man set up search of Charles Stewart; and many were the escapes he had.
a monument to his memory in the church of St Giles, Edinburgh.
Of course, the first thing he did, was to disguise himself.
It is the figure of a knight, clad in armour, with his sword lying
So he cut off his long hair, and put on the dress of a countryman.
on his breast, the whole being carved in fine white marble.
He stayed at the house of some poor woodcutters, named
Penderell, and, although they knew him to be the king, they
would have died, rather than have betrayed him. Once, when
they thought the soldiers were coming to search their house, they
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 45 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
sent Charles into a thick wood close by, where he climbed up of Bristol, in the west of England. Now Charles wished to find a
into an oak-tree. ship which would take him to France.
So it was settled that he should go as the lady's servant,
and soon he was on horseback, with his supposed mistress
behind him, for that was the way in which ladies travelled in
those days. At last, Bristol was reached, but there was no ship
ready to sail from that port.
So the king left Bristol, and, with one or two faithful
friends, pushed on until he reached Brighton, then only a little
seaside village. Here a ship was found, and, in a very short time,
king Charles had joined his mother and friends in France. For
several years, there was no king in Britain, and the country was
ruled by Oliver Cromwell. When he died, nearly everyone in our
island wanted Charles to return. This he was delighted to do;
and, on a fine day in May, in the year 1660, he landed at Dover.
The people were mad with joy, to know that the king had
got his own again. The church bells rang, bonfires blazed, the
fountains ran with wine, and crowds cheered the king, as he
drove in his fine coach to London.
"Really," said king Charles, who was very witty, "I have
been very foolish not to come back sooner, for everyone seems
very glad to see me."
He entered London on 29 May, which was also his
birthday. For 250 years this day has been called "Royal Oak"
day, or "Oak Apple" day, to remind us of the way in which the
king hid from his enemies. In country places, most boys and
CHARLES II
girls wear sprigs of oak on Oak Apple day.
Here he stayed all day, and, from his leafy hiding-place,
he saw the Roundhead soldiers looking for him on all sides.
They little thought how near they were to the king.
At night, when all the soldiers were gone, Charles was
taken by Richard Penderell to the house of a gentleman named
Lane. This gentleman had a sister who was travelling to the port

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 46 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 fire, in the usual way. The people, too, seemed to have lost their
CHAPTER XXVIII senses, and very little was done to stop the flames from
spreading.

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

When Charles II had been on the throne about five years,
two sad troubles befell the city of London. The first of these was
an awful disease called the plague, which killed thousands of
people, during the spring and summer of the year 1665.
In those times, people were not very careful to keep their
houses and streets clean; and dirt, as perhaps you know, is a.
great cause of disease. Neither did they know the best way to
stop a disease like the plague, after it had broken out, and thus
much sorrow and trouble were caused.
While the great plague lasted, London was a very
dreadful place in which to live. The once busy streets were now
silent, and almost empty; the dead were buried in great pits, like THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
dogs; and many people fled from the city into the country.
When night came, the city was as bright as day, and the
At last the plague stopped, and, in a few months, London glare lit up the country for ten miles around London. By the next
was itself again. Then, one night in September, 1666, a fire day, St Paul's cathedral was burning, and the molten lead from
broke out in a baker's shop, standing in a place known as its great roof flowed down the streets in streams.
Pudding Lane, not far from London Bridge. This shop was built
People living near the river Thames crowded what goods
of wood, and its roof was coated with pitch, so you can see that
they could save into boats and barges; while hundreds of carts
it would burn very fiercely.
and wagons carried still more into the fields lying round the city.
Most of the other houses near were also built of wood, Here, thousands of poor people could be seen, some living in
and the flames from the burning shop were blown towards then tents which they had put up, and others lying on the bare ground.
by a strong east wind. Soon, many houses were in flames: not
By this time, the greater part of the city had been burned
only those on the same side of the street, but those on the other
to ashes, and it seemed that the king's palace at Whitehall, and
side also.
Westminster abbey, too, would be destroyed. At this point, many
This was because the streets were so narrow, that the houses were purposely blown up by gunpowder, thus making
flames could leap across them quite easily. great gaps, which the flames could not easily cross.
Soon, large warehouses, filled with such things as pitch, So the fire was at last stayed; but London was a city of
tar and resin, were on fire; and, as there were no fire engines at ruins. Thirteen thousand houses, and eighty-nine churches are
that time, there was not much hope of putting out such a large
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 47 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
said to have been burnt down; and thousands of rich people were
now poor, having lost everything by the fire. CHAPTER XXIX
King Charles, who generally thought only of his own
comfort, behaved very well at this time. He helped to blow up
the houses, which, as you have just read, put an end to the fire;
HOW THE 'PRENTICES SHUT THE GATES, OR
and he also sent food and money to the people who had lost their THE STORY OF LONDONDERRY
homes.
When Charles II, the "Merry Monarch," died, his brother
You will be surprised to learn, that, in the end, the Great
James succeeded him. After ruling the country very badly for
Fire was a good thing for the city of London. When London was
three years, he was forced to flee to France. James had tried to
built again, most of the houses were of brick or stone, and the
alter the religion of the land, and so his son-in-law, William,
streets were made much wider than before.
prince of Orange, was invited to become king in his stead.
Sir Christopher Wren, a great architect, rebuilt St Paul's
Now, most of the Irish people thought as James did, in
as we see it to-day, and no less than 36 of the 53 new churches
matters of religion; and so, after a while, James set sail for
which arose in the city.
Dublin, the capital of Ireland, and there the Irish gave him a very
It is thought, too, that the fire burnt out all traces of the joyful welcome.
great plague, and London, which, in the old days, had a great
deal of sickness, is now a very healthy place.
Two things about the Great Fire you can easily
remember: it began at Pudding Lane, and ended at Pie Corner.
Near the spot where it began, stands a very tall column, known
as the Monument. From the top of it, the whole of London may
easily be seen. The Monument was built by Wren in memory of
the greatest fire which London ever had.

LONDONDERRY

But the people of Londonderry, in the north of Ireland,

looked upon William as their king. The governor of this town

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 48 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

was a friend of James, and he told him that, if some soldiers Before long, there was no meat left, except horseflesh,
were sent, the town should be given up to them. and not much of that. Dogs, cats and even rats and mice were
eaten by the starving people, but their cry was still "No
The people of Londonderry found out this base plot just
surrender!" Fever now broke out among them, and brave major
in time to stop it; and, when the soldiers of king James appeared,
Baker and many others died of it.
thirteen bold "'prentice" lads shut the gates in their faces.
One day, a watchman on the wall saw some ships coming
The governor now fled from the city; but two brave
up the river Foyle. How glad the people were, when they found
men—one, a soldier, named major Baker, the other, a
out that these vessels were bringing them food! But, alas 1 their
clergyman, George Walker—were chosen governors in his
troubles were not yet over; for the commander of the little fleet
place.
did not try to break through the boom.
Walker was a fine speaker, and his burning words so
For six long weeks he remained in sight of the poor
roused the people that they flew to defend the walls of their
starving people, and during all that time did nothing to help
town. Now, these walls were not very strong, and there was not
them. At last, a stern message came from king William that he
much food in the town, so king James and his generals thought it
must try to force the boom.
would be a very easy matter to take the place. But in this they
were greatly mistaken, for the 7000 men in Londonderry were One of the ships was called the "Mountjoy," and its
the bravest in the land. master had lived in Londonderry all his life. So he begged that
his ship might lead the way; for he wished to be the first to bring
They soon put cannon in all the weak places on the wall,
help to his fellow townsmen.
and sentries kept watch both night and day. So little, too, did
they care for the enemy, that, several times, they dashed out of His wish was granted, and straight at the boom went the
the gates, and fought them. In one of these sharp fights, they brave little "Mountjoy." The shock made the vessel go over on
killed a general and a great many men. its side in the low water, but the next ship cleared a way for itself
through the broken boom. When the tide rose, the "Mountjoy"
Then the king's army made an attack on the walls and
floated again, and also passed through; but, sad to say, its brave
gates, only to be beaten back after losing many of their troops.
master was killed just at that moment by a cannon ball.
We are told that the women in the town helped their husbands
and brothers in this fight, for they even loaded the guns, and You can imagine the joy of the people in Londonderry
took food to the brave men on the wall. when the ships unloaded their casks of beef, great cheeses, kegs
of butter, flitches of bacon and sacks of biscuits. That night, the
It was now plain that the town was not to be taken in this
bells rang out from all the churches, while, amid their joyous
way. So the army outside tried to prevent any food or arms from
peals, could still be heard the booming of the cannon outside.
reaching the brave defenders, for they knew that, if this could be
done, the town would be forced to give in at last. Thus, Londonderry was saved; and, two days later, the
enemy pulled down their tents and marched away. The siege had
To make sure of this, they built a "boom" across the river
lasted 105 days, and during that dreadful time more than half the
Foyle, which was to keep ships from bringing food into the
people had died.
town. This boom was made of trunks of trees, bound tightly
together by strong chains, and it stretched right across the river.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 49 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 CHAPTER XXX Prince Charlie's men were tired and hungry, but, in spite
of this, they fought very bravely. They broke through the front
rank of the duke's army, only to find another rank drawn up,
BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE waiting for them with loaded guns.

Soon after Londonderry was saved, James II left Ireland The fire from these killed hundreds of the Highlanders,
and returned to France, where he died a few years later. But, for and very soon the battle was over. The duke of Cumberland's
many years afterwards, there were people in Britain who wished army behaved very cruelly to their flying foes; wounded men
that the Stewarts would come back again. were killed where they lay; and a barn, where a number of men
had taken shelter, was burned to the ground.
So, when prince Charles Edward, the grandson of James,
landed in the north of Scotland, to win back the throne of his For weeks afterwards, parties of the duke's men went
fathers, he met with a hearty welcome from the brave about, burning houses and castles, and turning the country into a
Highlanders. Everybody loved the handsome young prince, with desert. Men were shot like wild beasts, while women and
his bright, winning ways; and soon, several thousand men were children were turned out to starve.
marching to Edinburgh, wearing the badge of the white cockade. During this sad time, prince Charlie was hiding as best he
He entered the city, and went to the old palace of could. The great sum of £30,000 was offered to anyone who
Holyrood; but in a few days was forced to march out and fight would give him up to the king's men; but these poor Highlanders
the army of king George II, which was led by Sir John Cope. A were so true to their bonnie prince that no one claimed the
wild rush of the Highlanders soon put to flight the king's troops; money.
in fact, the battle was over in about ten minutes. For months, he wandered about among the hills and
The prince was soon joined by more men, and he thought glens, sometimes spending the night in a poor hut, sometimes on
his best plan now was to march southward. So the Border was the bleak moors. At one time, he was hiding on a small island off
crossed, and, in a short time, the town of Derby was reached, the west coast of Scotland, and, when the king's soldiers heard
which was only a little more than a hundred miles from London. this, orders were given that no one was to leave the island
without a passport.
Prince Charlie had expected many of the English to join
him, but very few did so. As his little army passed through the Then, a brave young lady, Flora Macdonald, the daughter
chief towns, the people came out to see the strange sight, but that of a chieftain, came to his help. She dressed the prince as a maid
was all. servant, and called him "Betty Burke." She then boldly asked for
a passport for herself, her manservant and "Betty," and crossed
So, when his friends said his army was not strong enough over in safety to her home in the island of Skye.
to go forward, the prince, with a sad heart, gave the order to
retreat. Very strange prince Charlie must have looked, for he was
a tall man, and he would feel very awkward in a woman's dress.
This was done; and, after many weary weeks of It is said that he was nearly found out by the long steps which he
marching, he drew up his little army on Culloden Moor, in the took.
far north of Scotland. Soon, the army of king George, led by his
son, the duke of Cumberland, came up.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 50 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 Many a heart will break in twa,
Should he ne'er come back again."
Prince Charlie never returned, and when he died, forty
years later, few would have known him as the "King of the
Highland hearts, Bonnie Prince Charlie."

CHAPTER XXXI

HOW INDIA WAS WON, OR THE STORY OF

ROBERT CLIVE
Most of you have heard of a great country named India.
The many millions of people there look upon king George as
their emperor; and for more than a hundred years India has been
a part of the great British empire.
How is it, that this vast country, thousands of miles
away, should be ruled by the British race, whose island home
seems such a small spot on the map of the world? The story of
Robert Clive will help to show us how this came to pass.
THE FLORA MACDONALD STATUE AT INVERNESS This great man lived when George II was king. The
people of the little town of Market Drayton, in Shropshire,
Then, for a few weeks, he lived in a cave with some where he was born, had never before seen such a bold, daring
outlaws, who were very kind to him. They managed to get the lad, as Robert Clive. He was always the leader of the other boys
prince some fresh clothes, and two of them acted as his guides. when any mischief was being done; and he loved to do things
At last, five months after the battle of Culloden, his which other boys dared not do.
friends found a ship, which took him safely across to France. One day, he climbed up the steeple of the church, and sat
One of the last to say good-bye to him was brave Flora on a stone spout near the top. Everyone thought he would fall
Macdonald, who had done much to help him to escape. and be killed, but the daring lad only looked upon it as fun.
Many Scottish songs are full of the praises of "Bonnie He went from school to school, learning very little, and
prince Charlie." How he was loved is well shown in. the getting into all sorts of scrapes wherever he went. So, when he
following verse: was about seventeen years of age, his father was very glad to get
"Bonnie Charlie's now awa', him a clerk's place, in far-away India.
Safely o'er the friendly main;

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 Now, British merchants had been trading with India for the British. To spoil their plans, Clive said that an army should
many years, and so had French and Dutch; but none of them be sent to take the town of Arcot.
owned much land there.
The governor thought this very good advice, and sent
The East India Company, as our traders were known, had Clive himself, at the head of a little army of 200 white men and
three towns to which our goods might be sent, and exchanged 300 sepoys, or native Indian soldiers. With this little army, Clive
for Indian articles. marched to Arcot, and when the people in the town saw him
coming they fled in sudden fear, leaving the place in his hands.
After a time, they thought they had been rather foolish,
and came back in thousands to take the town. Now, Arcot was
not a strong place, for the walls were low and broken in some
parts; but, in spite of all this, Clive kept it for 50 days against the
attack of a big army.
At the end of this time, the enemy gave up the siege, and
marched away. Soon, everyone in India was talking of the young
clerk, who had shown greater skill in war than generals who had
spent all their lives in fighting.
Some years later, news came to Madras of a cruel deed
that had been done at Calcutta, another of our trading stations. A
young native prince, who hated the British, had suddenly
marched against the town, and taken it. He then shut up 146
white people in a small room, which had only one small window
in it.
These poor people thought their guards were joking
when they were told to enter this room, but they soon found out
their mistake. They were driven in at the point of the sword.
LORD CLIVE During the hot night, the poor captives cried for mercy,
and offered large sums of money to have the door opened. But
One of these places was Madras, and it was there that their cruel jailers only laughed at their sufferings, and soon most
young Robert Clive was sent. The life of a clerk was not a of the prisoners were dead.
suitable one for a bold, young fellow, who liked to be in the
open air all day long: so we find that, at first, he was very dull In the morning, only 23 persons staggered out of that
and sad. Soon, however, a great change came. dreadful place alive, and ever since it has been spoken of as the
"Black Hole" of Calcutta. Clive was sent with an army of 3000
It happened in this way. The French, at this time, were men to punish the prince, or nabob, who had ordered this cruel
trying to get all the power in that part of India, and to drive out deed to take place.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 52 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 When he reached Calcutta, Clive found that the nabob became an apprentice in a grocer's shop, in a little seaport town,
was at the head of 50,000 men. Clive's friends said it would not not far from his home.
be wise for their little army to attack another so large, but, in the
Here he would often talk with sailors, who would tell
end, Clive gave the order to fight. him of voyages to the Arctic seas in search of whales; of days
The battle began, and before long the big army was and nights spent on the stormy North sea, fishing for cod and
beaten, and the great victory of Plassey was won. Soon, a great herring; and so the sounds and sights of the great sea would be
part of India came under our rule, and Robert Clive went back to ever before him.
his native country, a famous man.
The title of Lord Clive was given him, and his father and
friends were now quite proud of him. Still, he was not happy, for
he suffered a great deal from illness; and some men, who were
jealous of him, said he had done some wrong deeds in India.
They even brought him to trial; but the judges said he
had done wonderful things for Britain, and so he left the court
with honour. But, sad to say, he could not forget the cruel
treatment he had had from his enemies, and, at last, he took his
own life.

CHAPTER XXXII

THE STORY OF CAPTAIN COOK

This is the story of a poor boy, who, by hard work and
the good use of his brains, became one of Britain's greatest
sailors.
James Cook was born at Marton, a little village in north
Yorkshire, nearly 200 years ago. His father was only a poor
labourer, who worked on a farm; and his little son, James, when
CAPTAIN COOK
only eight years old, was sent into the fields to scare the birds,
and to make himself useful in other ways. One day, he left the shop, and walked across the moors to
His master's wife, seeing that he was a bright little the town of Whitby. In the harbour lay a ship, which was just
fellow, taught him his letters; and, later, a gentleman paid for about to set sail. Cook went on board, and begged to be taken
him to be sent to the village school. When about thirteen, he with the captain, if only as the ship's boy.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 53 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 The captain did so, and the young lad was so ready to In his ship, the "Endeavour," captain Cook sailed round
learn that, by the time he was twenty-four, he had become the New Zealand. He proved, what no one knew before, that there
ship's mate, that is, he stood next to the captain. were two large islands there. From New Zealand, he sailed on,
until he came to Australia—the largest island in the world.
During these years he learnt about all the parts of a ship
and its rigging; how to sail and steer the vessel, and how to save Other sailors had been there before his time, but had
it in time of danger. He was fitting himself for the great work made no maps or charts. So it was almost an unknown land.
which he had to do later in life. Captain Cook, however, sailed all along the east coast, made a
very careful chart of it, and wrote about the people, plants and
Three years after this he joined the navy, and here, too,
animals he found there.
he got on just as quickly as when on a merchant ship. This was
because he was always working and studying, for he did not So pleased was king George III when Cook returned
waste his time, as many of his fellow seamen did. home, that the captain was sent out again in command of two
ships. He was to try to find a great continent, which was thought
Soon, he became master of a ship, and was sent to North
to be lying far away to the south.
America to make charts, or maps, of part of the sea there. So
well did he do this, that a greater piece of work was given him in For months, the ships sailed among icebergs and floating
another part of the world. ice, until they could get no further; but no southern continent
could be found. He discovered other places in the Pacific during
the voyage, and when he reached home again great honours were
given him.
It was not very long before captain Cook started on his
third and last voyage. This time, he was sent to find a new way
to India, called the North-West passage, and again his way lay
amid icebergs and bitter cold.
He went farther north than anyone had been before; but,
after a time, he sailed back to some beautiful islands in the
Pacific, to get water, fruit and food. These were known as the
Sandwich islands. Here, Cook was well known, for he had
discovered these islands on his first voyage. The natives were
pleased to see him, and supplied him with most of the things he
wanted.
But, sad to say, he lost his life there; and a very simple
WHITBY HARBOUR
thing was the cause of it. One night, some natives swam out to
This was to explore the great Pacific ocean. Very little his ship, and stole a boat. Next morning, captain Cook went
was known about it at that time, although ships had sailed across ashore to find out who had taken it.
it for hundreds of years.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 54 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 The chief of the island said he knew nothing about it, and
this made the captain very angry. So he said he would take the
chief back to his ship, and keep him there, till the boat was
found.
Thinking their chief would be killed, the natives came
down to the beach, armed with spears and knives. Some of
Cook's men fired on them, and then one of the islanders killed
the captain, who was still on the beach, with a spear.

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE STORY OF NELSON, THE HERO OF THE

NAVY
In our "rough, island story" it is hard to find a greater
name than that of Nelson; for it has been truly said, "he was the
greatest sailor since the world began."
As a boy, Horatio Nelson was not very strong, and few
people thought him the right kind of lad for the hard life of a
sailor. "What has poor Horatio who is so weak, done, that he
should be sent to rough it at sea?" said his gruff, but kind- LORD NELSON
hearted, uncle, captain Suckling.
They started, and found it very hard work indeed; so
Now, although the boy was weak in body, he was, at the William said, "Let us go back." "No," said the younger and
same time, brave and daring. "I do not know what fear is," he braver lad, "father expects do our best, so let us try again." They
said to his grandmother, when only six years old. did so, and the school was reached in safety.
His father was the clergyman of Burnham Thorpe in Another story is told of Nelson, when a boy, which
Norfolk. Little Horatio, and his elder brother William, rode on shows that he was tender and loving, as well as brave. He was
their ponies every day to a school some miles from their home. going into a shop one day, and, not seeing what he was doing,
One day, in winter, the snow was so deep, that their father was jammed a little pet lamb between the door and the counter.
half afraid to let them go to school. When he saw that he had hurt the little animal, he cried bitterly
However," said he, "you may set out, and should the for some time.
snow be too deep, you may return: but, do your best. Young Nelson was only thirteen when he joined his
uncle's ship as a midshipman. Two years later, he went on a

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 55 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

voyage to the cold, northern seas. One night, he and a friend, almost certain to be the same when a man. Now, in the stories
armed with guns, went in search of a white bear. you have just read, you have seen that Nelson thought a great
deal of duty; that he was very brave and daring; and that he was
A thick fog came on; and the captain, when he found the
also kind and tender-hearted.
two lads missing, was afraid they would be lost. About four
o'clock in the morning, the fog cleared away; and from the ship In the next chapter, you will see that as his men loved to
the two lads could plainly be seen, trying to kill a huge bear. say, our greatest seaman was, "brave as a lion, gentle as a lamb";
and that his last thoughts were of duty.
A gun was fired from the vessel, to let the truants know
they must return. They had used up all their powder shot, but,
said Nelson to his friend, "let me get at the brute with the butt CHAPTER XXXIV
end of my gun, and we shall have him."
Another gun fired from the ship frightened the bear off; THE STORY OF NELSON, THE HERO OF THE
and so Nelson and his friend returned to the vessel. You may be
sure that the captain was very angry with them for going away
NAVY (CONTINUED)
without leave. "Why did you go after that bear? "said he. "Sir,"
Before many years had passed, Nelson had become a
replied Nelson, with a pout of his lip, "I wished to kill the bear,
captain, and had a fine ship under his command. At that time, we
that I might take his skin home to my father."
were at war with the French, who, under their great leader,
Napoleon Bonaparte, were trying to conquer all the other nations
of Europe.
Napoleon was, perhaps, the greatest soldier that ever
lived; and, for a long time, no armies could stand against him.
But, at sea, our brave sailors were more than a match for the
French, who were beaten everywhere.
Nelson had much fighting all over the world before he
took part in a great battle. In one of these fights he lost the sight
of one eye, and at another time he lost his right arm.
As a captain, Nelson was very proud of his men, and did
all he could for their comfort. There is no wonder that hey were
ready to go through any danger for him; and, and he said to a
friend, "they thought no more of cannon balls than of peas."
To his young midshipmen, he was just as kind. If he saw
THE "VICTORY," PORTSMOUTH HARBOUR that one of them was half afraid to climb up the tall mast, Nelson
Some of you may have heard the saying, "The boy makes would say, "I am going to race you to the masthead, and will
the man." This means, that if a boy is brave and true, he will be meet you there." Of course, no brave lad could then refuse to try,

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 56 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

and when they met up aloft Nelson would say, "You see, it was Now, all Nelson cared about was getting his ships as
not very hard, after all." close as he could to the French vessels; and then his men, who
could fire their guns twice as fast as their foes, soon battered in
Nelson took part in four great battles at sea. In the first,
the sides of the French men-of-war.
he was not at the head of our fleet, but it was through his bravery
and cleverness that the fight was won. But at the famous battle In this battle, Nelson was wounded and was carried
of the Nile, Nelson was in command of the British fleet, and the below deck to the doctor. Around him lay many of his men, all
glory of the day was all his own. wounded too. Of course, when the doctor saw Nelson, he at once
came to attend to him.
He had been chasing the French for weeks, and at last he
found them in a strong harbour, the sides of which were lined The great admiral, however, would not allow him to do
with cannon. so, for, said he, "I will take my turn with my brave fellows."
Here, again, you see his love for his men; and there is no need to
wonder that they were ready to die for him.
This great battle was fought at night, and in the morning
it was found that all the French ships were destroyed. There was
much joy in our country when the news was heard, and the title
of Lord Nelson was given to our great leader.

In another great battle, where, strange to say, Nelson was

not at the head of our fleet, the British admiral gave the order to
stop fighting. This was done by a signal made up of flags. Now
Nelson wanted to go on with the fight, and so he put his
telescope to his blind eye, and said, "I really do not see the
signal, so go on with the battle," which, an hour afterwards, was
won.
We are now corning to Nelson's last great fight—the
battle of Trafalgar. For two years he had been looking for the
fleets of France and Spain, and when he came in sight of them
his ships at once got ready for battle.
Before the fight began, he gave his famous signal,
"England expects every man to do his duty." When our British
sailors saw it flying from Nelson's ship, the "Victory," they gave
loud cheers, and were ready to fight their hardest.
In this, his last fight, Nelson wore his admiral's coat,
THE NELSON MONUMENT, ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
which was covered with stars. These made him an easy mark for
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 57 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
the riflemen who were in the rigging of the French ships. Soon, a did so, kissing his cheek. "Now I die happy. Thank God, I have
bullet struck him in the shoulder, and he fell on his face upon the done my duty," were the last words of Nelson.
deck. His great friend, captain Hardy, at once ran to his help.
Thus died our greatest sailor, and all Britain mourned for
"They have done for me at last," said Nelson. "I hope him. Once a year, at least, we remember what he did for us; and,
not," replied Hardy. "Yes," said Nelson, "my backbone is shot on 21 October, or Trafalgar day, we deck his monument with
through." wreaths and evergreens.

THE DEATH OF NELSON

THE "VICTORY" LEAVING PORTSMOUTH HARBOR

As the hero lay dying, the cheers of his men told him that
the French ships were nearly all taken or burnt, and this thought
cheered his last moments.
The doctor now told him that he had only a few minutes
to live. Just then, Hardy came to his side. In little more than a
whisper, the dying Nelson said, "Kiss me, Hardy." The captain
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 58 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 CHAPTER XXXV brought over from the West Indies by his master; but, as the poor
slave was ill, and could not work, his cruel owner had turned
him out to die.
HOW THE SLAVES GAINED THEIR FREEDOM,
Granville Sharp took the negro home with him, fed and
clothed him, and very soon the poor fellow was quite well and
OR THE STORY OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE strong. Soon afterwards, his old master saw him in the street,
and claimed him as his slave.
All of you know that across the Atlantic ocean, lies the
continent of America. In one part of it there are great fields
where the cotton plant is grown; while in the West Indies, lying
farther south, fields of sugar canes may be seen.
A hundred years ago, black slaves toiled in these
plantations, as they were called; for white men could not, or
would not, work under the burning sun of the tropics. In most
cases, the lives of these poor slaves were very sad.
When quite young, they had been torn from their homes
in Africa, marched in gangs over the burning sands to the sea
coast, and there crowded into ships, called slavers. Here they
were treated more like beasts than men; and it often happened
that half of them died on the voyage.
When America was reached, they were sold in the
market places, in the same way as we sell horses and cattle.
Their new masters gave them food, but not wages; and, if they
were lazy, or did not please their owners in any way, they were
often cruelly whipped.
Now, you know that we often sing, "Britons never shall
be slaves," yet, strange to say, most people in this country then
thought it quite right and proper to make slaves of these poor
negroes.
GRANVILLE SHARP
At last, in the reign of king George III, some good men
began to think what a dreadful thing slavery was; and they gave When Granville Sharp heard of this, he went to the poor
up their lives to the grand work of freeing the slaves. fellow's help, and his hard master was forced to let him go. Not
long after, the judges made it quite clear that, as soon as a slave
One of these good men was Granville Sharp. One day, he set foot on the shores of Britain, he at once became a free man.
found a poor negro lying in a London street. He had been

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 59 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 Then another good man, Thomas Clarkson, wrote and He now spent much time in seeing captains of ships who
spoke against the trade in slaves; but it was William Wilberforce told him all they knew about the slave trade. Now, Whenever
who really brought this great evil to an end. Wilberforce had a chance, he talked to Pitt and other great men,
and very soon he had then on his side. Some of these gentlemen
went down to the docks in London, and saw for themselves what
a slave ship was like.
Now, a great many men in the House of Commons were
rich merchants, who made large profits by trading in slaves. As
you may suppose, they did not like Wilberforce, and tried to
hinder his good work in every way.
In spite of all this, he kept bravely on, and, after 20 years
of hard work, he had the joy of knowing that no more slaves
were to be taken to any part of our empire. Of course, there were
still slaves in the West Indies, and many good men could not
rest, till they were freed. One of the greatest of these was
Thomas Fowell Buxton.
He was a friend of Wilberforce, and when that noble man
was too ill to do any more work for the good cause he asked
Buxton to take his place. Buxton was a fine man, both in mind
and body, just the one that was needed to carry out such a great
task.
At last, in the year 1834, twenty million pounds were
paid to the West Indian planters, so that, on a certain day, the
slaves might become free men. The day agreed upon was 1
August.
The night before, all the churches and chapels in the
West Indies were thrown open, and the slaves crowded into
them. As midnight drew near, they fell on their knees in silent
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE.
prayer.
When quite a young man, he led rather a gay and When the hour of twelve had struck, amid the clash of
pleasant life; but, at the age of twenty-five, he turned his the bells, a great shout went up from thousands of lips; for at last
thoughts to serious things. One day, he bought a book written by their chains were broken, and the slaves were free.
Thomas Clarkson, and, when he had read it, he resolved to
devote his life to the work of freeing the slaves.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 60 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 the age of eighteen, he went to a night school, where he learned
CHAPTER XXXVI reading, writing and arithmetic.
A few years afterwards, Stephenson did a clever piece of
GEORGE STEPHENSON, "THE FATHER OF work, which made him famous in that part of the country. A coal
mine was flooded, and an engine had been made to pump out the
THE RAILWAY" water, but no one could make it work properly. Many clever men
tried, but in vain; so, when Stephenson said he could make it
There are old people living to-day who can just work, he was allowed to try.
remember the time when there were no railways. Very few
travelled far in those days; and, when they did, the journey was
done by a stagecoach drawn by four horses.
To-day, we can enter a fast train in one of the great
London stations, and in four hours can reach the city of York. A
hundred years ago, this same journey took five or six days. The
life of George Stephenson shows how this great change was
made.
His father worked in a mining village not far from
Newcastle, and lived in a poor little cottage, with a clay floor,
and without even plaster on the walls. He was too poor to send
his little son George to school; and, when only eight years old,
the little fellow was set to mind cows instead.
George was paid twopence a day for this work; but, later,
he earned two shillings a week for minding horses, and doing
other farm work.
Then we find him helping his father, who was the
fireman of an engine. George soon became a fireman, too; and at
the age of sixteen, he was earning twelve shillings a week.
How proud he was when he got his first week's wages!
"Now I am a made man for life," he cried. His great delight was
to take his engine to pieces, and then put it together again. In this
way, he soon knew every part of an engine, and what work it had GEORGE STEPHENSON
to do. In less than a week, the engine was working well, and the
Now, Stephenson had the good sense to know that, if he mine was soon dry. Two years after this, he was placed in charge
wanted to learn more about engines, he must read books. So, at of all the engines in a colliery, and was paid £100 a year. Was
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 61 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
not this a fine rise for the poor boy who had begun with This was not very fast, you will say; but it was much
twopence a day? better than anything that had been done before. His next great
work was to make a line from Liverpool to Manchester.
It was about this time that Stephenson began to think of
making a railway engine. When a boy, he had often seen heavy At one place, the railway had to be carried through a
wagons drawn along on iron rails by horses. He had heard, too, swamp. So stones and other things were driven in until the
of some clumsy engines, which had been made to do the work ground was quite firm, and then the rails were laid on the top of
instead of horses. it.
George Stephenson was now asked by the owners of the
line to make an engine which would travel at least ten miles an
hour. How pleased they must have been when he finished the
famous "Rocket," which travelled thirty miles in an hour!
When the railway was opened, he himself drove the train,
and in the carriages were some of the most famous men of the
day. The speed of the train filled them with wonder, for nothing
like it had been heard of before.
Since that time, railway lines have spread like a great
network, not only over this country, but also in other lands. For a
few shillings, dwellers in smoky towns may be taken hundreds
of miles to spend a happy day by the sea. Workmen, too, who
toil in big towns, are quickly carried to their homes at night, far
away from the noise and bustle of their daily work.
THE "ROCKET"

But these could only travel at the rate of two miles an

hour, and cost so much to work that people could not afford to
use them. Stephenson went to a place where one of these was in
use. He looked at it very carefully, and then said he was quite
sure he could make a much better one.
He did so in less than a year, and then he made a better
one still. Some rich men now asked him to make a railway for
them, between two towns in the north. Stephenson undertook the
work, and soon his engines were drawing heavy loads at the rate
of six miles an hour.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 62 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 doll's house and other playthings of princess Victoria may still
CHAPTER XXXVII be seen.
But it was not till she was twelve years old that she
VICTORIA THE GOOD herself knew that she would be queen of Great Britain. One day,
during her history lesson, a paper was placed in her book, and
this made it all quite clear to her.
This is the story of the royal mother of king Edward VII.
Her reign of 63 years was the longest in our history, and in many
ways it was one of the best.
Nearly a hundred years have passed since the May
morning when little princess Victoria was born. Her father and
mother, the duke and duchess of Kent, lived at Kensington
palace, in London, which, years before, had been the favourite
home of some of our kings.
The duke was very proud and fond of his little daughter.
One day he showed her to a friend, and said, "Look at her well,
for one day she will be queen of this country."
We are told that he was out walking one day, and was
caught in a heavy shower of rain. When he got home, instead of
at once changing his wet boots, the duke went up to the nursery
of the little princess. He stopped to play with his baby girl, quite
forgetting about his wet feet, and thus caught a very bad cold.
In the morning, he was very ill and. was forced to remain
in bed. He soon grew worse, and in a few days he died, leaving
little princess Victoria to the care of her mother.
The duchess of Kent was a wise and good woman, and
brought up her little girl in the very best way. She was taught to
be truthful and unselfish; to finish one task before she began
QUEEN VICTORIA
another; and to try to make others happy. Of course, much of her
time was given to study; for her mother knew that, if she lived, Then the princess understood why her mother had taken
she would be queen, and would need to be very wise to rule this such pains to train her well. Turning to her teacher, she said,
great empire well. with tears in her eyes, "I will be good! I will be good!"
This still left the little princess time for play, and she was Many older persons would have felt proud and vain on
just as fond of her dolls as any other little girl. Some day, hearing such news as this: but the only thought of Victoria was
perhaps, you will, visit the old palace at Kensington, where the how to fit herself for the great place she had to fill.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 63 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 A few years passed away, and, when the princess was These were very happy years for queen Victoria. But at
just eighteen years old, her uncle, king William IV, died, in length a great sorrow came into her life, for the "Prince
1837. Two great men, the archbishop of Canterbury and the lord Consort," as he was called, was stricken with fever. One dark
chamberlain, at once set out from Windsor castle to bear the December day, in 1861, the prince died, to the great grief of the
news to the princess. queen and all the nation.
They reached Kensington palace at five o'clock in the Queen Victoria lived for more than forty years after the
morning. They were told that princess Victoria was in such a death of her husband. During this time, she had many joys and
sweet sleep that she must not be disturbed. They replied, "But sorrows. Several of her children died; and in the last few years of
we have come to see the queen," and thus it became known that her reign her heart was filled with sadness owing to the loss of
the old king was dead. her brave soldiers in Africa.
Still, she had the joy of knowing that this country had
grown rich and great under her wise rule. Her noble resolve to be
good had helped to make her people good also. In the year 1897,
she went in great state to St Paul's, to give thanks to God for her
reign of sixty years.
This was known as the Diamond jubilee, and, from all
parts of this great empire, people came to take part in the great
event.
In 1901, queen Victoria died—and in every home in
Britain great grief was felt at the loss of the "mother, wife and
queen" whose long life had been such a fine model for her
people.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S DIAMOND JUBILEE, 1897

In a very short time, the princess came down, and on

bended knee the two gentlemen greeted her as queen. Tears
filled her eyes—tears for the kind old uncle who was dead, and
tears at the thought of the great duties she was now to perform.
About a year afterwards, she was crowned with great
pomp and show in Westminster abbey. Two years later, the
queen married her cousin, prince Albert, a very handsome and
noble man. For more than twenty years he was always at the
queen's side, helping her with good advice and loving care.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 64 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 of the women, and snatched the babies from their arms to kiss
CHAPTER XXXVIII them.

THE STORY OF HAVELOCK, AND HOW THE

PIPERS CAME TO LUCKNOW
You will remember the story of Robert Clive, and how
his skill and daring added India to our empire. Just a hundred
years later, in 1857, we were in great danger of losing India. In
this story you will read how it happened.
For many years, British officers had trained the natives
of India to be soldiers. Some of them were known as sepoys,
and, in the year just mentioned, they rose against their rulers,
and did many cruel deeds. At one place, they killed a number of
British women and children, and threw their bodies down a well.
They also surrounded the town of Lucknow, which was
defended by a little band of British, under a good and brave
soldier named Sir Henry Lawrence. He was killed by a shell,
which crashed into the room where he was sitting.
We are told that, as he lay dying, he asked that these
words might be put on his tomb, "Here lies Henry Lawrence,
who tried to do his duty." SIR HENRY HAVELOCK
Although they had lost their leader, the British in They were filled with joy, at finding them safe; for,
Lucknow held out bravely against their cruel foes. A brave during their wonderful march, this thought was always in their
general, Sir Henry Havelock, was soon marching at the head of a minds, "Shall we get there in time to save them?" Now,
little army, to save the town. Havelock's little army was not strong enough to drive away the
Havelock's men fought many battles before they reached many thousands of sepoys who were still around Lucknow: so
Lucknow, and marched as quickly as the hot Indian sun would the siege went on for some time longer.
allow them. In every fight, they beat the sepoys; so there is no Food now began to grow scarce, and it became hard for
wonder they were called "Havelock's Ironsides." the men to keep up their strength. At this trying time, the women
What a joyful scene it was, when these brave men did all they could to cheer up the men, bringing them food and
reached the town! Great, bearded Highlanders grasped the hands coffee both by day and night.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 65 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 One of these women was Jessie Brown, the wife of a
corporal. As the weary days dragged slowly along, Jessie fell ill,
and was soon in a high fever.
One day, as she was lying in the hospital, she started
wildly from the ground, with a loud cry, A look of delight broke
over her face, as she cried: "Dinna ye hear it? I'm no' dreaming,
'tis the slogan of the Highlanders! We're saved, saved!"
Those around her could hear nothing but the crack of
rifles and the roar of the cannon, and they thought that poor
Jessie was raving.
She then darted out to the batteries, where the gunners
were, and cried "Courage! courage! Hear ye not the slogan?
Here's help at last."
The gunners stopped firing and listened, but they could
not hear anything. Like the others, they thought that the poor
woman did not know what she was talking about.
For a few minutes, she sank to the ground; and then, in a
voice so clear that it could be heard all along the line, she cried:
"Will ye no' believe it now? They are playing, 'The Campbells
are coming, ho, ho! ho, ho!' Do ye hear? Do ye hear?"
By this time, all could tell that Jessie Brown was right,
for there was no mistaking the sound of the pipers. Sir Colin
Campbell, a fine old warrior, had come to their help; and, stern
soldier that he was, he must have been touched by the wild joy COLIN CAMPBELL
of all around him.
From the lips of the men and women, ay! and the
children, too, rang out a great shout of joy. Never before, or
since, has "God save the Queen" been sung as they sang it; and
when they tried to sing "Auld Lang Syne" the tears of joy
streamed down their worn faces.
In a short time, Sir Colin Campbell was able to remove
them all to a place of safety; and before long the sepoys were
beaten everywhere, and the Indian mutiny was at an end.

Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 66 Distributed by Heritage History 2009

 Nightingale, who bathed the wound, and then bound it up with
CHAPTER XXXIX much care and tenderness.
In a few days, the poor dog was better. After this, it
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, "THE LADY WITH became quite a common thing, when anyone had a cut or a
bruise, to send for "Miss Florence." You may be sure that sick
THE LAMP" animals, also, were not forgotten by the kind-hearted little girl.
As she grew older, she began to visit the hospitals of this
The long reign of queen Victoria was made famous by
country, and, later, those of other countries, too. In this way, she
the great and good deeds of many noble men and women. One of
learned how to deal with large numbers of sick people; what
these, Miss Florence Nightingale, was loved by her countrymen
treatment was best for different kinds of disease; and how to
for her kind and loving care of our sick and wounded soldiers, in
bring comfort to those lying on beds of pain. In this good work,
the great war with Russia.
she spent more than ten years of her life. The time was now
This lady was born in the fine old city of Florence, in coming when her great gifts as a nurse were to be put to their
Italy, and that is why her parents gave her that name. They soon highest use.
returned to their beautiful home in Derbyshire; and here the little
Our country was at war with Russia, in the Crimea, and
girl spent a very happy childhood.
sad stories were told of the sufferings of our wounded soldiers
there.
People heard with shame and sorrow of poor, sick men,
lying out on the bare ground, with no one to comfort them in
their pain and weakness. There was quite enough coarse and bad
food for them, such as the soldiers had who were well. There
were, however, none of those little dainties so much needed by
those who are ill.
The doctors did their best for the men; but so great was
the number of the wounded that they could not attend to them
all. Hundreds died of cold and hunger, or of their wounds.
Florence Nightingale's heart was filled with pity, as she
read these sad accounts in our newspapers. So, one day, she
wrote to a great man in the government, offering to go out as a
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AT SCUTARI nurse. He was very pleased to accept her noble offer; and, in a
She was always very fond of birds and animals, and one very short time, she set out with a band of thirty-eight nurses.
of the stories told of her is about her kindness to a poor dog. A When they reached Scutari, where the sick and wounded
cruel boy had thrown a stone at it, and its master, an old had been taken, these nurses found everything in a very bad
shepherd, thought its leg was broken. He showed it to Florence state. It took several months of hard work to put everything in
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 67 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
good order, and by this time there were two or three thousand CHAPTER XL
men under their care.
Soon, they were joined by another band of fifty nurses. GENERAL GORDON—A GREAT CHRISTIAN
Things were so well arranged now, that a cry of pain from a poor
suffering man soon brought a nurse to his side, to attend to his HERO
wants.
Charles George Gordon, the last of a famous race of
Florence Nightingale was at the head of this great
soldiers, was born at Woolwich, in Kent, in 1833. As a boy, he
hospital, and saw that everything was done properly. This left
was very brave and fearless, loving the right, and scorning to do
her very little time for rest. Yet, she might often be seen, late at
anything that he knew was mean or wrong.
night, going through the long line of beds, with a little lamp in
her hand. He entered the army at the age of sixteen, and a few
years later he was sent out to the Crimea. As you know, our
As she passed along, she would say a kind word to one,
brave fellows suffered a great deal during the cold Russian
and smile at another; and it is said that the sick men would kiss
winter; and Gordon's work was to see that wooden huts were
her shadow, as it fell on their pillows. They would then rest their
built for them.
heads on their pillows again, quite content.
Many had died before this could be done; but Gordon
For nearly two years did these good women remain at
and the men under him worked so hard that soon the huts were
their post. Some of them died, and many suffered from fever.
put up, and the soldiers made quite comfortable. During the
Among these was Florence Nightingale herself, and the doctors
same year, he had much fighting in the trenches, sometimes
thought that she, too, would die. But, at last, she began to get
staying there for twenty hours without rest or food.
better, and before long was at her work again. When this sad war
came to an end, our soldiers returned home, and so, of course, When the war was over, Gordon returned home; but,
did Florence Nightingale and her band of nurses. after a few years, he took part in a war with China. He must have
shown himself a very fine soldier, for, after the war, the Chinese
Queen Victoria had already sent a kind letter to her and a
asked him to train their army, and lead it against some rebels.
beautiful cross, covered with jewels. On it were these words, in
letters of gold, "Blessed are the Merciful." He led his men into many a fierce fight, carrying nothing
in his hand but a cane. This seemed to be a magic wand, with
A large sum of money was collected throughout Britain,
which he led his troops to victory. Soon, the rebels were beaten
for "the soldiers' friend," as Florence Nightingale was called. By
on every side, and we can understand how grateful the Chinese
her own wish, a home for nurses was set up in St Thomas's
were to Gordon.
hospital with the money.
They offered him a large sum of money, but Gordon
Here may be seen a fine statue of this great and good
would not take it, as he knew the Chinese were poor. So the
woman, carrying the little lamp in her hand. Well might the poet
emperor gave him instead a gold medal, and a yellow jacket.
say, speaking of her—
This last was the greatest honour bestowed in that strange land;
"A Lady with a lamp shall stand, for only twenty of the best men in the emperor's body-guard
In the great history of the land." were allowed to wear it.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 68 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 "Chinese Gordon," as he was now called, was not proud number of pins, each one showing where his boys happened to
because of his great deeds. He returned to England a poor man, be: for, in the midst of all his work, Gordon found time to write
wishing only to serve God, by doing all the good that lay in his to his "kings," as he loved to speak of them.
power. Not only ragged boys, but, also, anyone who was poor
and in trouble found a friend in colonel Gordon. A gentleman
once asked to see his gold medal, but Gordon made some excuse
for not showing it. In after years it was found that he had sold his
medal, and given the money to the poor!
A few years later, Gordon was made governor of a part
of Africa. It was his work to get the country into good order, and
to try to stop the slave trade, which was still carried on there.
Gordon's heart was full of pity for the poor slaves who
bad to carry heavy loads of ivory for the traders. Mounted on a
swift camel, he rode to all parts under his rule, to put a stop to
the cruel work.
This life was very hard and trying for general Gordon, as
we may now call him. Several of his friends died of fever, and
he, himself, was worn to a shadow; but he still kept bravely on.
You will be sorry to hear, however, that, after five or six years of
earnest toil for these poor people, he had to give up his post
before his great task was done.
Then, for a few years, he travelled in many lands, gaining
new life and strength in this way. He spent a very happy time in
the Holy Land, visiting the sacred places where our Lord lived
and died.
But, once again, the path of duty for general Gordon led
THE GORDON STATUE, TRAFALGAR SQUARE him to Africa. He was sent out by our government to save a
For six years after his return he lived at Gravesend. His great number of poor people. These were shut up in Khartum, a
work as a soldier kept him busy all day; but, in the evening, he town on the river Nile.
gave up his time to train a number of ragged boys. He fed and He managed to send away two or three thousand women
clothed them, and taught them to be honest and manly. and children; but, before long, the fierce Arabs, under their
Then he got them into good places, and many of them leader, the Mandi, closed round the town.
went to sea. A peep into Gordon's study would have shown you
a large map of the world, hanging on the wall. In this, he stuck a
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 69 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 When it became known in this country that general
Gordon's life was in danger, there was much talk about the best CHAPTER XLI
way of sending help to him. But nothing was done for months.
Then an army was sent up the Nile to save Khartum.
When it came in sight of the town, our soldiers saw that the
EDWARD THE PEACEMAKER
British flag was no longer flying. Two days before, the Mandi
King Edward the Seventh was the eldest son of queen
had taken the place, and Gordon had been killed on the steps of
Victoria, and her husband, the Prince Consort. For nearly 70
his palace.
years, his sayings and doings were followed with great interest
by the people of this country.
"He is a pleasing, lively boy," said someone who knew
him at the age of six. Of course, the good and wise queen
Victoria was very careful to have him well taught. He had the
best teachers in all branches of knowledge, and the queen herself
took the greatest interest in his studies.
As the future king of dominions on which the sun never
sets, it was thought right that the prince of Wales should visit
some of our lands beyond the sea. So we hear of him shooting
tigers in India, and making journeys in a canoe on the rivers of
Canada.
There were great rejoicings in 1863 when the prince
married a Danish princess—queen Alexandra. The lovely "Sea
King's daughter from over the sea" charmed the hearts of all who
saw her. Never had such crowds been seen in London as greeted
the prince and his bride.
Some years later, in 1871, the voice of prayer was heard
throughout the land for our beloved prince. He had been stricken
down with fever, and for some days it was thought he would die.
THE BLUE NILE, FROM THE PALACE, KHARTUM At last, he began to grow better, and a solemn service was held
in St Paul's cathedral, to thank God for bringing him back to
It was a dark day for Britain when the sad news came, health.
and bitter was the thought that this precious life might have been
saved. But Gordon has left behind him, like the great Havelock, For some years before queen Victoria died, many of her
the memory of a noble, Christian soldier. duties were carried out by the prince, so that he was quite used
to the work of a king, when he began to reign in 1901.

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 The crowning of king Edward and queen Alexandra in first to her seat, wearing a fine robe of purple velvet and white
1902 was a very grand ceremony. The streets of London were fur.
quite gay with tall masts, flags and fairy lamps, while the bells
King Edward entered the abbey a few minutes later. Very
rang merrily and cannon fired loud salutes. stately he looked in his crimson robes, and on each side of him
walked an archbishop. When he was seated in St Edward's chair,
he was crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury. Then the bells
rang again, trumpets were blown, and the people shouted "God
save the King."
Queen Alexandra was then crowned by the archbishop of
York, and, when the short service was over, all who were
present sang the national anthem.
Throughout the land, the day was spent in feasting and
merrymaking, and at night bonfires blazed.
During the nine years of his reign, king Edward ruled us
wisely and well. He led a very busy life, and did many things for
the good of his people.
In the olden days, kings often led their armies to war:
now, the best and wisest of monarchs are lovers of peace. We
know that king Edward did a very great deal to keep Britain at
peace with other nations.
He paid visits to most of the rulers of Europe, and many
of them were his guests. The king was liked wherever he went,
whether it was to Sandringham, his country home in Norfolk, or
to some foreign town which he liked to visit.
To the great sorrow of all his people, and, indeed, of the
KING EDWARD VII whole world, this wise and great monarch died in May 1910,
after a very short illness.
Crowds of people had filled the streets from early
morning. The day was very fine, and when the king and queen Like the knights of old, king Edward died fighting; not, it
passed along in a grand carriage, drawn by eight cream coloured is true, on the field of battle, but in trying to do his duty as a
horses, loud cheers filled the air. king, even on the day of his death. "I will work to the end" was
one of the last things he said.
When the king and queen reached Westminster abbey,
that grand old building was filled by about 6000 people, many of Our sailor-monarch, George V, has now succeeded to his
whom had come from all parts of our empire. The queen went father's throne.
Original Copyright 1913 by Cambridge University. 71 Distributed by Heritage History 2009
 In the summer of 1911 the thoughts not only of us who homage of the Indian princes at the great coronation Durbar at
live in England, but of all the "Britons beyond the seas" were Delhi. This ancient city was now declared to be the capital of the
turned to Westminster Abbey, where the crowning of our king Indian empire and those who saw the wonderful ceremony tell
and queen took place. Amidst great pomp and splendour the us what a great deal of good the royal visit did to the country in
imperial crown was placed upon king George's head and on the winning the love and strengthening the loyalty of the native
following days the people of London and of the many other peoples.
towns which he visited were able to give him and queen Mary a
loyal and eager welcome.

GEORGE V

Later in the year the king and queen showed how anxious
they were to make themselves known to the millions of our
Indian empire by making a voyage to the East and receiving the
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