The story of the English

Preface

Down to the colonial period, if not to the Revolutionary War, English history concerns American children just as much as it does their brothers and sisters who speak the same language on the other side of the broad Atlantic. It is therefore very important that our boys and girls should as soon as possible become familiar with its salient events.

To interest them in their own race, introduce them to their mother country, and make the past as vivid as possible, characters, customs, and places have in this book been depicted principally through anecdotes, many of which have become classical, although not all are admitted into works intended for more mature minds.

The gradual evolution of English law, the growth of liberty, and the various changes in religion are as unintelligible as uninteresting to the average child ; so they have been touched upon very briefly, and in the most simple way.

The principal object has been to make pupils so familiar with the prominent characters of English history that these shall henceforth seem like old acquaintances, and, in addition, to use every device to make history so attractive to youthful minds as to rouse their enthusiasm and stimulate them to further study.

Although all the main facts have been given, least space has been allotted to modern times. That is not only because many of the events which have occurred within the past two centuries are more difficult of comprehension, but because any intelligent child is sure to have them brought to his or her notice in other books. For that reason, also, the wars in America are merely mentioned, and pupils are referred to United States histories for detailed accounts of them.

To enrich young minds and to emphasize the need of patient endeavour, courage, faithfulness, gentleness, truthfulness, and all other desirable qualities, all that is good has been heartily commended, and all that is base or dishonourable has been made to appear in an unfavourable light. Nevertheless, it has also been the writer's aim to cultivate a spirit of fairness and charity towards all men.

Much reading and research stand back of this little book, and the author is indebted to historians, biographers, novelists, poets, and artists for the material of which it is composed. It is with the hope that the road to literature and history will seem easier and more attractive, after the way has been made somewhat smoother by these little paving stones, that this book is placed before the public.

The pronunciation of difficult proper names has been indicated in the text, in order to make easier the reading of the book, and to prevent the formation of incorrect habits of pronunciation. The symbols used for this purpose are self-explanatory in most cases; the diacritical marks are explained on p. 343. Besides this, the pronunciation of all proper names is more fully indicated by diacritical marks in the index.

A Saxon Nobleman .

• 67

XXIII. Lady Godiva's Ride

• 70

XXIV. The Battle of Hastings

XXV. The Conquest

XXVI. Lords and Vassals

XXVII. Death of William

XXVIII. The Brothers' Quarrels

XXIX. Arms and Armour

XXX. The " White Ship " .

XXXI. Matilda's Narrow Escapes

XXXII. The Story of Fair Rosamond

XXXIII. Thomas a Becket

XXXIV. The Murder of Thomas a Becket XXXV. Richard's Adventures .

XXXVI. Richard and the Saracens

XXXVII. The Faithful Minstrel .

XXXVIII. Death of Richard

XXXIX. The Murder of Arthur

XL. The Great Charter

XLI. The Weak Rule of Henry III

XLII. A Race

XLIII. Persecution of the Jews

XLIV. The Conquest of Wales

XLV. A Quarrel with France

XLVI. The Coronation Stone .

XLVII. The Insolent Favourite

XLVIII. Bruce and the Spider .

XLIX. Death of Edward II. .

L. The Murderers punished

LI. The Battle of Crecy .

LII. The Siege of Calais

LIIL The Age of Chivalry .

LIV. The Battle of Poitiers .

LV. The Peasants' Revolt .

LVI. Richard's Presence of Mind

LVII. A Tiny Queen .

LVIII. Henry's Troubles

LIX. Madcap Harry .

LX. A Glorious Reign

LXI. The Maid of Orleans

LXII. The Beginning of the War of the Roses

LXIII. The Queen and the Brigand

LXIV. The Triumph of the Yorks

LXV. The Princes in the Tower .

LXVI. Richard's Punishment

LXVII. Two Pretenders

LXVIII. A Grasping King

LXIX. The Field of the Cloth of Gold

LXX. The New Opinions

LXXI. Death of Wolsey

LXXII. Henry's Wives .

LXXI1L The King and the Painter

LXXIV. A Boy King

LXXV. The Story of Lady Jane Grey

LXXVI. The Death of Cranmer

LXXVII. A Clever Queen

LXXVIII. Elizabeth's Lovers .

LXXIX. Mary, Queen of Scots

LXXX. Captivity of Mary Stuart .

LXXXI. Wreck of the Spanish Armada

LXXXII. The Elizabethan Age

LXXXIII. Death of Elizabeth .

LXXX1V. A Scotch King .

LXXXV. The Gunpowder Plot

LXXXVI. Sir Walter Raleigh .

LXXXVII. King and Parliament

LXXXVIII. Cavaliers and Roundheads

LXXXIX. "Remember" .

174 176 179

183 187 189

254 257 260 263 266

IO xc.

The Royal Oak

XCI.

The Commonwealth

. 271

XC1I.

The Restoration

• 275

XCIII.

Plague and Fire

. 278

XCIV.

The Merry Monarch

. 280

xcv.

James driven out of England

• 283

XCVI.

A Terrible Massacre

. 286

XCVII.

William's Wars

. 288

XCVIII.

The Duke of Marlborough

. 291

XCIX.

The Taking of Gibraltar

. 294

c.

The South Sea Bubble .

. 296

CI.

Bonny Prince Charlie

. 299

CII.

The Black Hole of Calcutta

• 303

cm.

Loss of the Thirteen Colonies

• 305

CIV.

The Battle of the Nile .

• 309

cv.

Nelson's Last Signal

. 312

CVI.

The Battle of Waterloo .

• 314

CVII.

The First Gentleman in Europe

• 319

CVIII.

The Childhood of Queen Victoria

. 320

CIX.

The Queen's Marriage

• 323

ex.

Some Wars in Victoria's Reign

• 327

CXI.

The Jubilee ....

• 334

Genealogical Table ....

The Sovereigns of England

• 342