HISTORY OF ENGLAND, FROM TIIE INVASION OF JULIUS CASAR TO TIlE PRESENT TIME. WIT'H!LLUSTRATIVE NOTES, CHRONOLOGICAL CHART OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND, TABLES OF CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS, AND A TABLE, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE PRESENT CONDITION OF GREAT BRITAIN. BY HANNAH TOWNSEND. PHI- ILADE L PII IA: LINDSAY & BLAKISTON. 1852. Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by LINDSAY & BLAKISTON, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN. C. SHERMAN, PRINTER. PREFACE. THIS little work has been written under the impression that verse is generally more readily learned, and longer retained in the memory, than prose, and that, if the incidents in the History of England could be thus clearly, but briefly enumerated, the student would have in his mind a consecutive history, the minuter details of which he could supply by farther study. Abstaining from mere kingly gossip, I have endeavoured to select those facts which are of actual importance —which have affected the nation, the people -which have indicated their progress in civilization, religion, commerce, literature, science, and art-to place cause and effect together, thus helping the student to think, and to condense as much as possible, that (iii) iv PPREFACE. the memory may not be burdened with useless words. I hope the difficulty of this condensation, with the continual introduction of names, dates, and unrhythmical words and phrases, will serve as an apology to the reader, when his ear is annoyed by inharmonious verse; but, above all, I trust that nothing will be found which can poison the mind, that no seed will be implanted which may hereafter grow to bear bitter fruit. I have endeavoured to remove the gloss from war-to speak against it when I could-and to distinguish between those conflicts which were aggressive, and productive of only military glory, and those which were an expression, though an unchristian one, of insulted manhood, for a maintenance of just rights. PIILADELPHIA, 1852. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. DIVISIONS OF ENGLAND IN THE ROMAN PERIOD........... 7 RULERS OF BRITAIN DURING THE ROMAN PERIOD......... 8 INTRODUCTION.......................13................. 3 EGBERT............................................... 20 ETHELWOLF............................. 20 ETHELBALD. ETHELBERT.............................. 21 ETHELRED I........... 21 ALFRED...............21 EDWARD THE ELDER.................... 24 ATHELSTAN. EDMUND I................................ 25 EDRED. EDWY. 26 EDGAR THE PEACEABLE.26 EDWARD THE MARTYR................................27 ETHELRED II. SWEYN............28 EDMUND II........29 CANUTE............................ 29 HAROLD I. HARDI-CANUTE............ 30 EDWARD THE CONFESSOR..............................30 HAROLD II....................................32 WILLIAM TEE CONQUEROR............................ 33 WILLIAM II............................... 37 CRUSADES........................38 HENRY I..........................................39 STEPHEN.................................41 HENRY II......................................... 43 RICHARD I....... 48 JOHN...........................................50 (v) vi TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. HENRY I........................... 53 EDWARD I 5..6 EDWARD II............. 58 EDWARD III......................................... 60 RICHARD II......................................... 63 HENRY IV........................................... 65 HENRY V........................................... 67 HENRY VI.......................................... 68 EDWARD IV......................................... 71 EDWARD V....................................... 74 RICHARD III................................... 74 HENRY VII..................... 76 HENRY VIII........................................ 79 EDWARD VI................................. 83 MARY............................................ 85 ELIZABETH....... 87 JAES I......................... 91 CHARLES I........................................ 95 THE COMMONWEALTH................................. 99 CHARLES II......................... 102 JAMES II...................................... 105 WILLIAM III. AND MARY............................ 106 AiNNE............................................ 108 GEORGE I............................... 111 GEORGE II......................... 113 GEORGE III........................................ 116 GEORGE IV.......................................... 123 WILLIAM IV......................................... 126 VICTORIA............................ 128 REIGNING SOVEREIGNS OF EUROPE..................... 133 SOVEREIGNS OF ENGLAND............................. 136 STATISTICAL TABLES................................. 142 DIVISION OF ENGLAND, AT THE TIME OF THE ROMAN INVASION. England, including Wales, was, at the invasion of the Romans, divided into the following seventeen states:CALLED BY THE ROMANS, CONSISTING OF 1. THE DAMMONII..... Cornwall and Devon. 2. DUROTRIGES........ Dorsetshire. 3. BELGE............... Somersetshire, Wilts, and part of Hants. 4. ATTREBATTI........Berkshire. 5. REGNI............... Surrey, Sussex, and remaining part of Hants. 6. CANTII............... Kent. 7. Don3UNI...G......... Gloucester and Oxfordshire. 8. CATTICUCHLANI.... Bucks, Bedford, and Herts. 9. TRINOBANTES...... Essex and Middlesex. 10. ICENI............... Suffolk, Norfolk, Huntingdon, and Cambridge. 11. CORITANI........... Northampton, Leicester, Rutland, Lincoln, Nottingham, and Derby. 12. CORNARI............ Warwick, Worcester, Stafford, Chester, and Shropshire. 13. THE SILITRES...... Radnor, Brecon, Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Hereford. 14. DEMETA2............ Pembroke, Cardigan, and Caermathon. 15. ORDOICES......... Montgomery, Merioneth, Caernarvon, Flint, and Denbigh. 16. THE BRIGANTES... York, Durham, Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland. 17. OTTADINI........... Northumberland to the Sweed. ( vii) RULERS OF BRITAIN, FROM THE INVASION OF JULIUS CJESAR TO THE DEPARTURE OF THE ROMANS. B. C. 1. CASSIVELAUNUS................................ 83 2. TIIEO3IANTIUS.......................................... 50 3. CYMBELINE........................................ 24 A. D. 4. GUIDERIUS...................................... 45 5. ARNIAGUS.............................................. 73 6. MARIUS.................................................. 125 7. COILUS................................................... 179 8. LUCIUS............................................... 207 9. SEVERUS (Emperor)...................... 211 10. BASSIANUS....................................... 218 11. CARAUSIUS........................................ 225 12. ALECTUS....................................... 232 13. ASCLEPIODORUS....................................... 262 14. COILUS II............................................... 289 15. CONSTANTIUS (Emperor).................... 310 16. CONSTANTINE (Emperor)............................. 329 FROM THE DEPARTURE OF THE ROMANS TILL THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SAXONS BY VORTIGERN. A. D. 1. OCTAVIUS............................................... 383 2. MAXIMINIAMUS..................................... 391 3. GRATIAN............................................... 431 4. CONSTANTINE I........................................ 446 5. CONSTANTIUS.......................................... 446 6. VORTIGERN................... 450 (viii) HISTORY OF ENGLAND, FROM THE ROMAN INVASION TO THE END OF THE SAXON HEPTARCHY. B. C. 55 — A. D. 827. 882 YEARS. FROM Tan, a country, and Breit, tin, The name of Britain came,* And only as the Land of Tin, Was it first known to fame.t'T was peopled by the Celts and Gaelsj In time to us unknown, Its history preserved in song Of Cambrian bards alone.~ * Pictorial History of England. t The Phienicians traded very early with the inhabitants of Corn. wall for copper and tin; but they were unacquainted with the interior of the country. I A colony from Gaul, (the ancient France.) Their descendants are chiefly in Wales, the highlands of Scotland, and the north of Ireland. They are still a distinct race, speaking the language of their remote ancestors.-McCulloch. & Pliny. — The earliest authentic history commences with the invasion by Julius Caesar, B. C. 55. 2 (13) 14 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, B. C. 55. Caesar, before Christ fifty-five, Anchored upon its strand, And found a people clad in skins* Inhabiting the land. Bravely by Cassibe'lan led,t Did they resist his will; But their rude warfare could not cope With Roman arms and skill. B. C. 43. Rome from the conquest little gained Until, in forty-three, Ostoriust went, and o'er the kings Obtained a victory. Caractacus, the chieftain brave, Who last in arms remained, * Their arms and legs were uncovered, and were usually painted blue. Their long hair flowed over their shoulders; but their beards, excepting on the upper lip, were closely cut. Plutarch says they were so habitually regular and temperate, that they only began to grow old at a hundred and twenty years. t Mentioned by the early historians as the first British general who opposed the Romans. The name is variously written. Cassibealau'nus, Cassivelau'nus, and Cassibe'lan. " Cesar relates that Cassivelau'nus, after dismissing all his other forces, retained no fewer than 4000 war-chariots about his person. These chariots had short scythes attached to the axle-trees, which inflicted terrible wounds." - Haydn. t In the reign of the emperor Claudius. IN VERSE. 15 Was sent to Rome, and, with his wife, Walked through the city, chained.* But still the Britons, unsubdued, Arose, the foe to meet;'Till Nero sent Suetonius The conquest to complete. The Druidst o'er the people held An undisputed sway; Priests, poets, and historians, And magistrates, were they. In caves they lived, on berries fed, Were strict in faith and life; They urged the Britons to revolt, And led them in the strife. * It is related of Caractacus, that, looking around upon the costly splendour of the city, he exclaimed, "How is it possible that men possessed of such magnificence at home, should envy Caractacus an humble cottage in Britain?" t A celebrated order among the ancient Germans, Gauls, and Britons, who were so called from their veneration for the oak (Drys). In England, they were chosen from the best families, that the dignity of their birth, added to that of their station, might procure them the greater respect. Rowland's Mona Antiqua.-They worshipped in the open air; and there remain in England circles of stone laid upon the ground, which it is supposed enclosed their sanctuaries. The mistletoe, a parasitic plant, was used in their rites, and venerated as a symbol of their faith. Mrs. Markham. - They sacrificed human victims, which they burned in large wicker idols. 16 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Sue'tonius doomed them unto death, Wherever they were seen, And conquered Boadi'cea, Ice'ni's hero queen. Upon that bloody field of war His slaughtered thousands lay; Then Britain, broken-hearted, bowed Beneath the Roman sway. Agric'ola next went, and taught The useful arts of life; But with the Caledonians waged* A fierce and deadly strife. He built a chain of forts across, From Solway Frith to Clyde, To keep the bold, free-hearted chiefs Upon the northern side. The Emperor Ad'rian raised a wall Composed of turf alone; And afterward Antonius Made one of earth and stone. * Caledonia -Scotland. The name is supposed to be derived from Gael or Gaelmen, or Gadel-doine, corrupted by the Romans.Haydn. IN VERSE. 17 At length Seve'rus, who resolved The enemy should yield, Went thither in two hungdred seven, But could not gain the field: His army built another wall From Solway Frith to Tyne; But still the Caledonians waged Fierce war beyond the line. The Romans left the British Isles Four hundred and fourteen, But still remains of roads and walls, And villas, can be seen. Next came the Scots and Picts,* and spread Rapine and ruin far; The Britons called the Saxon chiefs To aid them in the war: 448-460. They came, and fought the Scots and Picts, But conquered Britain, too; From Angle, a famed Saxon tribe, The name of England grew.t * The name by which the inhabitants of Scotland were at that time distinguished. The Picts, so called from Pictich, a plunderer, and the Scots, from Scuite, a wanderer, in the Celtic tongue, were only different tribes of Caledonians. - Dr. Henry. t The national appellation of Britons in time gave place to that of Anglo-Saxons, the latter signifying Saxons born in England. A 2* 18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Each Saxon chief kept for himself The land torn from his foes; And thus the Saxon Heptarchy On Britain's ruins rose. The Romans first the Druids killed, And brought the Christian faith, And now the Saxons persecute The Christians unto death. Some of the Britons fled to Wales, And hid in mountains lone, And others to the north of France, As Brittany now known. Arthur, the prince of the Silures, Opposed the Saxon might — His knights of the Round Table fought Full many a desperate fight. Among the Saxons were five ranks - First Kings, and second Earls, Freemen the third, each to some lord Attached, and named the Ceorls. The fourth, ignoble Ceorls, were sold, Or given with the land; history of the Anglo-Saxons, relates to the people who inhabited England from the Saxon to the Norman invasion. —Mrs. Markham. IN VERSE. 19 The fifth were theowes, or full slaves, Sold at the market stand.* Gildas, of Wales, surnamed "The Wise," The oldest writer known, Among the British people lived, Five hundred sixty-one. The "Venerable Bede" was born Six hundred seventy-three, And unto him the English owe Their first church history. Adhelm, renowned as the first bard Who English ballads wrote, Lived in six hundred ninety-eight, A linguist he of note. Then Caedmont lived, and Alcuin,., Who Saxon poets were; And Nennius, an historian, Who died eight hundred four. * Even little children were carried to Rome and exposed in the public markets for sale, and this led to the first Christian mission upon record. A. D. 596, Gregory, observing the extreme beauty of some of these children, observed, " They would have been angels, had they been Christians." And when he afterwards became Pope, he sent St. Augustine, with forty monks, to redeem Britain from paganism. t Died 600. 1 Died 600. Also wrote on history and theology. 20 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, SAXON KINGS.-17. EGBERT - FIRST SOLE MONARCH OF ENGLAND. 827-838. 11 YEARS. 827. Eight hundred twenty-seven saw The Heptarchy* o'erthrown, And1Egbert, the first sovereign Of England, reigned alone. Then from the north came forth the Danes, And overran the land; But they were driven out with loss, Twice by King Egbert's hand. ETII'ELWOLF. 838-857. 19 YEARS. King Eth'elwolf repulsed the Danes; He granted tythes to priests, And gave them from all services And imposts, a release. * Heptarchy - seven kingdoms. IN VERSE. 21 ETH'ELBALD. ETH'ELBERT. ETH'ELRED I. 857-872. 15 YEARS. Next Ethtelbald and Eth'elbert Ruled jointly, and their reigns Lasted nine years. Then Eth'elred, Who died fighting the Danes. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINGS OF SCOTLAND. A. D. A. D. A. D. Gregory 1V...... 823 Michael I...... 821 Congallus III.... 824 Sergius II....... 844 Theophilus I.... 829 Dongallus...... 829 Leo IV......... 847 Michael III...... 842 Alpinus........ 834 Benedict III..... 855 Kennethus II.... 849 Nicholas I..... 858 EMPERORS OP THE WEST AND KINGS OF FRANCE. Donaldus....... 859 Johrn VIII.... 872. Lewis I........ 814 Constantius..... 865 Lotharius....... 840 Lewis II........ 855 ALFRED THE GREAT. 872-900. 28 YEARS.'Twas in eight hundred seventy-two Great Alfred gained the throne, 22 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Lenient, yet just, learned,* wise, and good, His people's cause his own.t He fought the Danes, and conquered them, Then changed the foe to friend; He gave them land, and all the aid His kingly power could lend. The English navy he commenced; But what was better far, He taught his people they should live For peace, and not for war. So for the Saxon, who required, To pass the weary time, The fight, the hunt, the game of chess, Or wandering gleeman's rhyme, * The following extract from the Lord's Prayer, translated by Alfred, will give an idea of the language then spoken in England: Faeder ure thu the earth on heafenum, si thin nama gehalgod, to becume thin rice, Gewurthe hin willa on earthen swa swa on heafenum urne ge daegwanlican hlaf syle us to daeg, and forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgivath urum gyltendum, and ne geladde thu us on consenung ac alyse us of yfle. (Si it swa.) t King Alfred endeavoured to impress this principle upon the mind of his son and successor. Calling him to his side when he felt his last moments approaching, he said, "My son, be thou the children's father and the widow's friend. Comfort thou the poor, shelter the weak, and, with all thy might, right that which is wrong." IN VERSE. 23 He built the University Of Oxford, pledging then Places in Church and Government Only to learned men. He framed a code of laws,* enforced The jury trial, too,t' And founded schools, where landed men Must send, or pay the due. The kingdom into counties was Divided in this reign; Markets and fairs were introduced, As readier means of gain.~ Houses of wood alone were seen, Stone but in churches found, But the first Christian church was built Of wattles, interwound. * This code is lost; but it is supposed to have been the origin of the common law. t The introduction of the jury trial is usually attributed to Alfred; but Phillips says that there is evidence of a case having been tried at Hawarden nearly a hundred years before his reign. The list of the twelve jurors is preserved. I It was divided into counties, hundreds, and tithings. County courts were held monthly, and became the great safeguard of the civil rights of Englishmen. @ Coined money was not used; everything was bought and sold by barter. 24 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Few were the learned men; but first Were Eth/elwald* and Asser,t J. Scotus Erigina,$ too, The famed philosopher. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE WEST KINGS OF SCOTLAND. A. D. AND KINGS OF FRANCE. A. D. John VIII....... 872 A. D. Constantine II... 863 Martin II....... 882 Lewis II...... 855 Ethus.......... 878 Adrian III...... 884 Charles I...... 873 Gregory........ 880 Stephen VI..... 885 Charles II....... 880 Donaldson VI.... 898 Formosus..... 891 Arnold. 888 Lewis III...... 899 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. Basilius I..... 867 Leo VI........ 886 EDWARD THE ELDER. 900-925. 25 YEARS. Edward the Elder wisely ruled; He oft repulsed the Dane; The Cambridge University Was founded in his reign. X Died 900. Wrote " History of Great Britain." t Died 909. Wrote "History of England," and "Life of Alfred." T Died 883. Wrote a philosophical work, entitled " Of the Nature of Things." His theological views are said to have been similar to Luther's. IN VERSE. 25 ATH'ELSTAN. EDMUND I. 925-948. 23 YEARS. An able king was Athlelstan, And popular his reign; He fought and conquered Irish, Welsh, Northumbrian, Scot and Dane. The Scriptures were translated then Into the Saxon tongue; And, as a title, was conferred The name of gentleman — On every merchant who had been Twice to the midland sea.* Next Edmund First was crowned the king; But a short reign had he; For Leolf in the monarch's blood -His robber hands imbrued. In this, and the succeeding reign, The Danes the war renewed. * The Mediterranean -at that time called Midland Sea. 3 26 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, EDRED. EDWY. 948-959. 11 YEARS. Edred was bigoted and weak, The dupe of Dunstan's art. Dunstan and Odo killed the queen, Dear unto Edwy's heart. And when, excited by these priests, His brother Edgar tried To seize upon his throne, he drooped, And, broken-hearted, died. EDGAR THE PEACEABLE. 959-975. 16 YEARS. King Edgar, by wise government, Subdued the robber bands; No wars he made, but killed the wolves* Infesting all the lands. * Their heads were demanded as a tribute (particularly three hundred yearly from Wales) by King Edgar, A. D. 961, by which step they were totally destroyed. - Carte. IN VERSE. 27 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. A. D A.. Joh XIII....... 965 Henry I........ 919 Benedict IV. 900 Benedict VI. 900 Ben972 Otho..... 936 Leo V. 904. Donus.......... 972 Otho II.. 973 Sergius III....... 905 Anastasius III... 910 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINS OF FRANCE. Lando.......... 912 Leo VI.......... 886 Charles III 899 John X.... 913 Constantine Por- Lewis IV 936 Ieo VI.......... 928 phyrogenitus.. 910 Lothaire I..... 954 Stephen VIII.... 929 Romanus the John XI........ 931 Younger....... 959 KINGS OF SCOTLAND. Leo VII........ 936 Nicephorus...... 963 Stephen IX...... 939 Zimisces........ 970 Constantine III... 909 Martin II...... 943 Malcolm I....943 Agapet II....... 950 EMPERORS OF THE WEST. Indulphus.....958 John XII....... 956 Lewis IV.. 899 Duffus........ 967 Benedict V...... 964 Conrade I. 912 Culenus........ 972 EDWARD THE MARTYR. 975-978. 3 YEARS. Edward, surnamed the Martyr, was Gentle and kind to each; And yet his wicked step-mother Met him with courteous speech, And proffered wine; and as he drank, Unconscious of her art, A servant, by her orders, thrust A dagger to his heart. 28 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, ETH'ELRED II., THE UNREADY. SWEYN (DANE). 978-1016. 38 YEARS. The second Ethelred was ne'er Prepared to meet the Danes; He gave them bribes to leave the land, Again and yet again; And to procure this fund, imposed A tax which was abhorred, Called Daneyelt, which remained until The Saxon line restored. He wed a Norman* princess, thus Securing Norman aid; But in revenge of former wrongs, A massacre was made Of all the Danes throughout the land; And when the act was known, Sweyn, who was king of Norway,t came And seized upon the throne. * Normandy (situated in the north of France) was anciently called Neustria. It was granted by the king of France to duke Rollo and his Normans (Northmen); hence Normandy. - Putnam. t The Norwegians were also called Danes. IN VERSE. 29 Ethelred fled to Normandy; But King Sweyn dying soon, He came back, fought the Danes, and left The kingdom to his son. EDMUND II., IRONSIDE. 1016-1017. 1 YEAR. Edmund the Second (Ironside) Oft battled with the Dane; Then with Canute parted the crown, But was soon after slain. DANISH KINGS.-3. CANUTE THE GREAT. 1017-1036. 19 YEARS. Canute the Great was crowned; and thus, After two centuries passed In fighting with and conquering Danes, A Dane was king at last..9 * 30 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, And he was thought the greatest king Reigning in Europe then; Wise laws he made, and patronized Letters and learned men. He sent his fleet and army back, To make it clearly known, He felt himself secure with them, And safe upon their throne. HIAROLD I., HAREFOOT. HARDI-CANUTE. 1036-1041. 5 YEARS. Harold his son succeeded him; His chief joy was the chase; Hardi-Canute, his brother, next, Last of the Danish race. SAXON LINE RESTORED. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR. 1041-1066. 25 YEARS. Weary at length of Danish kings, The greatest joy was shown IN VERSE. 31 When Edward, "the Confessor" styled, Received the proffered throne. He was the son of Eth'elred, And of his Norman wife, And in a Norman monastery Thus far had passed his life. He introduced the Norman dress, And spoke the Norman tongue;* The Norman baron's haughty tread Throughout his palace rung. He exiled Godwin and his sons, Because they frowned on this, And gave their broad and fertile lands To Norman favourites. But with a fleet they soon returned, Demanding lands and right; They conquered, and the Normans fled The country in affright. The people thought that Edward's touch The scrofula would cure; And the kings touched for this disease Six hundred years and more. * The language used by the Saxons in England was the NormanSaxon. The Normans introduced the Norman-French; and the Latin, previously introduced by the Romans, was used in the churches. The present English is a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Norinan-French, and Latin. 32 HI-ISTORY OF ENGLAND, HAROLD II. 1066-1066. When Edward died, Earl Godwin's son, Harold, usurped the throne; He was the last of Saxon blood That ever sat thereon - Nor reigned he very long, before The Norman William came, In right, he said, of Edward's will, The English crown to claim: And in ten hundred sixty-six, October, fourteenth day, They fought at Hastings; and the land Passed to the Norman sway.* * At the time of the Norman invasion, nearly a third of the land is said to have belonged to monasteries, nunneries, and the clergy; and this is supposed to have been one great cause of the duke of Normandy's easy victory." - Mrs. Markham. There is still preserved in the town-house of Rouen, a curious monument of antiquity, called the Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered by Matilda, queen of William the First. It represents all the facts of the conquest, commencing with the visit of Harold at the Norman court, and ending with the crowning of William, 1066. It is divided into compartments, and is 214 feet long and 19 inches wide. IN VERSE. 33 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINGS OF FRANCE. A. D. A. D. A. D. Benedict VII. 975 Basilius II...... 975 Lothaire. 954 John XIV. 984 Constantine X... 102.5 Louis V. 986 John XV....... 985 Romanus III.....1028 Hugh Capet.... 987 Gregory V.... 996 Michael IV..... 1034 Robert II....... 997 Silvester II..... 999 Michael V...... 1041..Henry I.... 1031 John XVI..... 1003 Constantine XI.. 1042 Philip........ 1060 John XVII..... 1004 Theodore (emp.) 1054 Sergius IV.... 1009 Michael VI..... 1056 KINGS O SCOTLAND. Benedict VIII... 1012 Isaac Comnenus 1059 Culenus.. 972 John XVIII.... 1024 Constantine XII. 1059 Kenneth III. 977 ~Benedict IX...~ 1033 Constantine IV.. 1002 Gregory VI. 1044 EMPERORS OF THE WEST. Gremius....... 1005 Clement II.... 1046... Damascus II.... 1048 Otho II......... 973 Malcolm II....... 1054 Leo IX...... 1049 Otho III...... 983 DuncanI. 1031 Victor II....... 1055 Henry II...... 1002 Macbeth.......1043 Stephen X...... 1057 Conrad II..... 1024 Malcolm III.... 1057 Nicholas I..... 1059 Henry III...... 1039 Alexander II.... 1061 Henry IV...... 1056 NORMAN FAMILY.-3. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. 1066-1087. 21 YEARS. Though William, styled "the Conqueror," Had gained the English throne, 34 IIISTORY OF ENGLAND, The people still were resolute Saxons should rule alone. They saw the Normans growing rich On lands which they had tilled, And offices in church and state By Normans only filled. In every court and school did they The Norman language hear; And in the service of the church It grated on their ear. The surname then was introduced By Normans who had come, Adding unto their Christian name That of their early home. William permitted game to be Killed only by his hand; And thirty villages he burned, For the "New Forest" land.* And any one who killed a beast That in that Forest ran, Suffered a heavier penalty Than he who slew a man. * Ile dispeopled the country for thirty miles round. - Stowe. IN VERSE. 35 He introduced the feudal laws,* Compiled the "Doomsday-book,"t And France invaded, burning all The villages he took. * Feudal, from the modern Latin word feodum or feud; in English, fief or fee. - Brande. Under the feudal system, the land was held by military tenure - that is, military service was the compensation, or rent, paid for it. It was divided by the king among the barons, who were to be prepared to follow him to battle whenever he should require it. By the barons it was again divided among the peasantry, the vassals, or retainers, as they were called, who were expected to attend them upon all their warlike excursions; which in those days, when each feudal chieftain was a sort of petty king, when each was jealous of the other, and when war was the great business of life, were very frequent. The chiefs lived not in pleasant houses, built for comfort and convenience, but in great gloomy castles, contrived only for warlike defence. Tile vassals were required to build these castles, and garrison them; to build the churches, and to attend their lords, not only in war, but in their visits to neighbouring castles, acting as their body-guards, and forming what was called their retinue. When men began to pay more attention to letters, to learn to till the ground, to study the art of clothing their neighbours rather than the art of killing them, the feudal system began to disappear; but it was not annihilated until the common men began to be respected, until they were considered not as mere appendages to their lords, but as independent, responsible beings, who had rights, inalienable rights, which ought to be respected and maintained. With the cultivation of the gentle arts of peace, the elevation of the masses, and the consequent restricted power of the aristocracy, the feudal system disappeared. t It contains a description of every landed estate throughout England, (excepting in the counties of Northumberland and Durham); lie character of its soil, its productions, the cattle with which it was 36 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The jury trial he exchanged For that of single fight;* At eight was rung the curfew-bell, To put out fire and light. The ignorant and poor he scorned; To letters gave his aid; Ingulphust honoured, and the learned Lanfranct archbishop made. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. KING OF FRANCE. A.' D. Romanus IV.... 1063 A. D. Alexander II.... 1061 Michael VII... 1071 Philip I....... 1060 Gregory VII..... 1073 NicephorusI.... 1078 Victor III...... 1086 Alexis I........ 1081 KINGS OF SCOTLAND. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. EMPEROR OF THE WEST. Malcolm III. 1059 Constantine XII. 1059 Henry IV...... 1056 Donald VIII... 1068 stocked, the name of its proprietor, and its monied value. "This domes-day book was the tax book of Kinge William." - Camden. It is still preserved in the Exchequer, and may be consulted by those who are anxious to learn to whom their lands belonged at the time of the Conquest. * In the trial by single combat, the victor was always considered the innocent person. t Secretary to William the First, and his historian, t Archbishop of Canterbury. IN VERSE. 37 WILLIAM II., RUFUS. 1087-1100. 13 YEARS. King Rufus built Westminster Hall, The London bridge and Tower, And banished Anselm,* who maintained The Pope supreme in power. The Norway king made a descent On England in this reign, Ten hundred ninety-eight, the last Invasion of the Dane. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE EAST. KING OF FRAkNCE. A. D. A. D. A. D. Victor III...... 1086 Alexis I........ 1081 Philip I........ 1060 Urban II....... L088 Pascal II....... 1099 EMPEROR OF THE WEST. KINa OF SCOTLAND. Henry IV..... 1056 Donald VIII.... 1068 * Archbishop of Canterbury. 4 38 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CRUSADES.* 1096-1291. 195 YEARS. The year ten hundred ninety-six Witnessed the first Crusade; Pope Gregory planned it, and besought Peter the Hermit's aid. And that his tomb, who was the Prince Of Peace, might not remain With those who trusted not in him, Six million men were slain! Two million men from Europe went To join the holy war;t And for two hundred fifty years Blood flowed on Syria's shore. a These wars were called Crusades, because a figure of the cross was the badge of the warrior. It surmounted the staff upon which he leaned; was painted upon his banner; engraved upon his shield, and embroidered upon his garments. He carried with him a scrip, or bag for food, and a scallop-shell, attached to the front of his cap, which served him for a drinking-cup. These warriors were called Crusaders, Pilgrims, or Palmers. The last name originated from the practice usual amongst them, of bringing with them on their return branches of palm. The palm is an emblem of victory; and being a tree peculiar to the country, it was an additional proof of their having been there. i It seemed as though all Europe had emptied itself upon Asia.Anna Comnbna. IN VERSE. 39 HENRY I., BEAUCLERC.* BEGAN TO REIGN AUGUST 5TH, 1100. REIGNED 35 YEARS. Henry the First, in those dark days For varied learning known, Upon King William Rufus' death, Usurped the vacant throne. He promised to redress the wrongs His ancestors had wrought; And first expelled from out the court The Normans Rufus brought. He then restored the Saxon laws, And chose a Saxon bride,Matilda, great-grand-daughter of King Edward Ironside. And he recalled from banishment Anselm of Canterbury; (The first archbishop who decreed That clergy should not marry.) * Fine scholar. He had heard his father say, that illiterate kings were about like crowned asses, and he was res.olved not to be considered as one of these. 40 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Then Robert, England's rightful heir, Came from the first crusade; He strove, by force, to gain the crown, But fruitless efforts made. Far into Normandy he fled; But there King Henry hied, And conquered it, and Robert threw In prison, where he died. Then Robert's son he captured, that His own might wear the crown; But blasted was his lofty hope, When the " White Ship"* went down. Then the first stone-arched bridge was built, By Queen Matilda's aid; Then, in eleven thirty-four, The first canal was made.t * The name of the vessel in which the prince was drowned. f Queen Matilda built two bridges at Stratford, in Essex (thence called De Arcubus or Le Bow). - Goldsmith. The first canal made in England, was by Henry the First, when the river Trent was joined to the Witham, A. D. 1134. — Williams. IN VERS E. 41 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINGS OF FRANCE. A D6 A. D. A.D. Pascal II....... 1099 Alexis I...... 1081 Philip I........ 1060 Gelastius II..... 1118 John Comnenus 1118 Louis VI...... 1108 Calixtus II...... 1119 Honorius II..... 1124 EMPERORS OF THEE WEST. KINGS OF SCOTLAND. Innocent II.... 1130 Henry IV....... 1056 Donald VIII.... 1068 Henry V...... 1106 Edgar........ 1108 Lotharius...... 1125 Alexander..... 1117 David......... 1124 STEPHEN OF BLOIS.* 1135-1154. 19 YEARS. Stephen, a nephew of the king, Usurped the vacant throne; And passed his reign in contests with Matilda, and her son. All England swarmed with fortresses; Large villages were found Without an inmate, others lay In ruins on the ground. Eleven hundred castles rose, By feudal chieftains built, Whose swords, in rival chieftain's blood, Were dripping to the hilt.t * A city of France. t Each chief sided with one or the other party. Those who took 4* 42 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, About this time was chivalry* In England introduced; And with it came the Tournament,t The Romance,t and the Joust.~ the oath of fealty to Stephen, required, as the price of submission, the right of fortifying their castles. * This was an institution common to Europe from the 10th to the 15th century (the period of the middle or dark ages). It owed its origin to feudalism, and it expired with it. It was designed to correct some of the evils incident to that state of society. The feudal lord exercised an almost unlimited power over his vassals. The knight of chivalry swore to fulfil his duty as the champion of God and the ladies. He devoted himself to speak the truth, to maintain the right, to protect the distressed, to practise courtesy, to fulfil obligations, and to vindicate his honour and character in every perilous adventure. t Tournaments were martial sports, or exercises, performed by two parties of cavaliers, with inoffensive weapons. The word is derived from tourner, to turn round; because great dexterity of both man and horse were required. The arrangements were magnificent and costly, especially when they were designed to celebrate coronations, the marriages of princes, or military victories. Wealth, fashion, and beauty, thronged to these exhibitions; and the successful knight received the reward of his prowess from the hand of some chosen fair one. No knight could tourney who had violated any of the rules of chivalry.; Romances were books which described extravagant chivalric feats; with stories of magicians, dragons, and giants; invulnerable men, winged horses, enchanted armour, and enchanted castles. Among those most celebrated, were "The Seven Champions of Christendom," "Sir Launcelot," "Charlemagne and his Twelve Peers," and "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.". The joust was not so favourite an amusement as the tournament, IN VERSE. 43 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF TIlE EAST. KINGS OF FRANCE. A. D. A. D. A. D. Celestine II..... 1143 John Comnenus 1118 Louis VI...... 1108 Lucius IT....... 1144 Man. Comnenus 1143 Louis VII...... 1137 Eugenius IlI... 1145 Anastasius IV... 1153 EMPERORS OF THE WEST. Anastasius IV...113KING OF SCOTLA11. Adrian IV... 1154 Lothaire II.... 1125 Conrad III...... 1138 David I..... 1124 Frederick I..... 1152 HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET.*-11 KINGS. HENRY II. REIGNED FROM DEC. 8TH, 1154, TO JULY 6TH, 1189. 343 YEARS. Henry dismissed the foreign troops Called during Stephen's reign, Destroyed the castles, and restored Order and peace again. for baronial pomp was not necessary to its display. It often followed the tournament. The victor knight would ride about the lists, and call on the surrounding cavaliers, by their valiancy, and for their love of the ladies, to encounter him in their strokes of the lance.Royal Robbins. * Antiquaries are at a loss to account for the origin of this appellation. Some say that Fulk, the first earl of Anjou, of that name, being stung with remorse for some wicked action, went on a pil 44 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Charters he gave to towns, by which A citizen could claim From none, inferior to himself, The freeman's honoured name.* And " circuit judges" were compelled Throughout the land to ride,t That, in the place of feudal chiefs, They might disputes decide. Next were the " Constitutions framed Of Clarendon,"t becaus The clergy were amenable Not to the "common laws." Thus were the people recognized; And never, from that hour, grimage to Jerusalem as a work of atonement, where, being scourged with broom-twigs growving on the spot, he took the surname of Plantagenet, or Broom-stalk, which was retained by his posterity. Putnam William, of Malmsbury, says " that the name originated from Geoffry Martel, the young count of Anjou, wearing in his helmet a bunch of flowering broom (plante-de-genet), instead of a plume." * It has been previously mentioned that, in the early days of feudalism, the feudal chief had unlimited power over his retainers. Some of these, who had been freed by the chiefs, had now gone into towns, and engaged in arts and commerce; others had settled upon small estates as independent owners. t He divided the kingdom into circuits. I Named from the place where they were enacted. IN VERSE. 45 Did king, nor priest, nor feudal chief, Regain the former power. Becket,* the favourite of the king, Had regal pomp assumed; High Chancellor then, Archbishop now, Upon his rank presumed, And steadily opposed the plan The people's rights to save; But he was murdered,-and the king Did penance at his grave. * Thomas a Becket was the son of a private soldier, and was the first man of English extraction who had arrived at any eminence in political life since the time of the Norman conquest. As one evidence of his luxurious habits while High Chancellor, his secretary, Fitz-Stephen, tells us "that in winter his apartments were every day covered with clean hay and straw, and in summer, with green rushes, or boughs, that the gentlemen who paid court to him, and who could not by reason of their numbers find a place at table, might not soil their fine clothes by sitting on a dirty floor." This does not seem to us to accord very well with the scarlet coat lined with ermine, which he is described as wearing. After he became Archbishop of Canterbury, he assumed the greatest austerity, —ate only bread, drank water, in which fennel had been steeped to make it nauseous, and wore sackcloth next his skin, which he would not change until it became filled with vermin. He was killed at a suggestion of the king, who afterward repented of the act. Becket was canonized; and it is said that, within the space of one year, 150,000 pilgrims resorted to his tomb. 46 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The third of France to Henry came, As Eleanora's dower; No king in Christendom was found Possessing so much power. And by Earl Pembroke's (Strongbow's) aid, He gained all Ireland, too, And unto England'twas annexed, Eleven seventy-two. In early days had Ireland been A refuge for the learned,'Till the incursions of the Danes, When ruder times returned. From darkness slowly it emerged, Though not until the reign Of Edward First, did England's laws Throughout the realm obtain. The sons of Henry strove to wrest The sceptre from his hand, Joined by the French and Scottish kings, And barons of the land. Transient advances learning made In this and Stephen's reign, For both the monarchs patronized Letters and learned men. IN VERSE. 47 Henry of Huntingdon* we find, William of Malmsbury,t Cambrensis,t and de Hovedon,~ And John of Salisbury;ll And Simeon of Durham,~T with Pulleyn,** Glanville,tt St. Victor,1J And Layamon,~~ Nigellus,llll and Joseph of Exeter.~[f Few of the laity could read; Authors were priests alone; But books were multiplied, for now Had paper become known.*** * Chronicles of England. t Died 1143. History of Britain. t (Geraldus) Conquest of Ireland, &c. & (Roger) Chronicles of England. II Died 1181. Life of Becket, &c. ~T Chronicles of England. ** (Robert) died 1150. Theology. tt (Ralph) collection of laws.:Jt (Richard) died 1173. Theology. ~] Ten Saxon poems. [Ijj Speculum stultorum. [T Trojan War, War of Antioch, Epics. A*l In every monastery was a room called the writing-room, where the younger monks employed themselves in writing manuscripts, for the art of printing was not yet invented. 48 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A. i. Alexis II....... 1180 A. D. Adrian IV...... 1154 Andronicus 1.... 1183 Aiphonso...... 1102 Alexander III... 1159 Andronicus I.... Lucius III. 1181 Isaac Angelus.. 1185 Sancho I....... 1185 K11NG OF DENMARK. Urban III....... 1185 EMPEROR OF THE WEST.NMARK. Gregory VIII.... 1187 FreWaldemar..... 1157 Clement III..... 1188 KINGS OF SCOTLAND. KINGS OF FRANCE. David I........ 1124 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. Louis VII..... 1137 Malcolm IV.... 1153 Man. Comnenus 1143 Philip Augustus. 1180 William. 1165 RICHARD I., C(EUR-DE-LION.* 1189-1299. King Richard sold the royal lands, And every effort made Gold to procure, that he might go Upon the third Crusade. At Acre, Joppa, Ascalon, With Saladin he fought; Small was the gain, yet terrible The carnage that was wrought.t * Lion-hearted. l At Acre alone, upwards of 300,000 of the Crusaders were killed. IN VERSE. 49 The truce of three years and three months, Of three days and three hours,* Left the sea-ports of Palestine Alone with Christian powers. Richard, brave, generous, might have won A high and lofty fame, Yet childhood's cheek but blanched with fear At mention of his name. Returning in disguise, he was By Henry captive made; One hundred fifty thousand marks Were for his ransom paid. During his absence, England was A prey to force and strife; No law defended property, And none protected life. And numerous were the robber hordes; And then were Robin Hood t And his companion, Little John, The terror of the wood. * I have mentioned the length of this truce, because it was so curious. The number three is considered by some Christians to have a peculiar significance. t Robin Hood, with Little John, his second in command, were the celebrated captains of a notorious band of robbers, who infested the forest of Sherwood, in Nottinghamshire, and from thence made excursions to many parts of England, in search of booty, from 1189 to 5 50 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE WEST. KING OF PORTUGAL. A. 0 A. D.D. A. D. Clement III..... 1188 Frederick I..... 1152 SanchoI....... 1180 Celestine III.... 1191 Henry VI...... 1190 Innocent III..... 1198 Philip I. 1197 K CIN OF DENM. RK. i Canute V.. 1182 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. I Isaac II....... 1186 KING OF FRANCE. KING OF SCOTLAND. Alexis III..... 1195 Philip II....... 1180 William....... 1165 JOHN LACKLAND.* REIGNED FnOm APRIL 6TH, 1199, TO OCTOBER 7TH, 1216. 17-} YEARS. Philip of France upheld the claim Of Arthur to the throne,tAnd seized upon that half of France Which England called her own. John made the pope his enemy,t.Who used his power to lay 1247. Some historians say that this was only a name assumed by the thJen earl of Huntingdon, who was disgraced and banished the court by Richard I. at his accession. - Stowe's Chron. * Named from the loss of his French possessions. t Arthur of Brittany -his nephew.: Innocent IIT. He offended him by refusing to receive Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury because the pope had elected him. IN VERSE. 51 1208. The kingdom'neath an interdict,* And give his crown away. He excommunicated him;t And then did John agree To hold the throne in vassalage Unto the Holy See. But by the barons he was forced To sign, at Runnimede, The "Magna Charta,"t which to all Important rights did cede. * When a country is laid under an interdict by the pope, the doors of the churches are closed, the statues of the saints are laid upon the ground, diversions of all kinds are forbidden, marriages are performed in the church-yards, and the dead are denied funeral service, and buried in ditches and holes by the way-side. The whole kingdom was under an interdict for six years. t When a king is excommunicated, his subjects are absolved from allegiance to him, and he is denounced as unholy and polluted. When Henry IV. of Germany was excommunicated, 1077, his body was five years above ground, no one presuming to bury it.: The Magna Charta (Great Charter) contained sixty-three clauses; an enumeration of some of which may afford an idea of the previous condition of the people. "It was decreed that the goods of every free mari shall be disposed of, after his death, according to his will; that if he die without a will, his children shall succeed to his property; that no officer of the crown shall take horses, carts, or wood, without the consent of the owner; that no free man shall be imprisoned, outlawed, or banished, unless by the judgment of his peers, or the laws of the land; that even a rustic shall not, by any fine, be deprived of his carts, ploughs, and implements of husbandry. This last was the only article in that great charter for the protection of the labouring people." -Ml's. Mllarkhamn. 52 IIISTORY OF ENGLAND, A " Charter of the Forest,"* too, I-He gave; — but in his ire Called foreign aid, and wasted wide His realm with sword and fire. Degree of Doctor was conferred Twelve hundred and sixteen; In London, many houses still With thatch of straw were seen.t CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE WEST. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A.D. A.D. Innocent Il.... 1198 Philip........ 1197 Sancho 1....... 1185 Honorius III.... 1215 Otho IV........ 1208 Adolphus II.... 1212 Fredericl II.... 1211 EMPERORS OF THE EAST... 1211 KING OF DENMARK. Alexis III...... 1195 KING OF FRANCE. Waldlemar II.... 1202 Alexis IV.... 1203 Plhilip II.... 1189 KINGS OF SCOTLAND. Alexis V...... 1204 William. 1165 T'heodore I..... 1205 Alexander II.... 1214 * This charter allowed the proprietors of forests to enclose them for their own private purposes, and it abolished the royal privilege of killing game all over the kingdom. t The houses of the city of London were till this period mostly thatched with straw; for it appears that an order was issued that all houses therein should be covered with tiles or slate, instead of straw, more especially such as stood in the best streets. - Haydn. The common language of kings is we, which plural style was begun with King John, A. D. 1199. - Coke's Instit. Before this time, sovereigns used the singular in all their edicts.- Haydn. IN VERSE. 53 HENRY III. 1216-1272. 56 YEARS. Henry on foreigners bestowed Each office of command, And by his vain expenditures, Impoverished the land. The barons, to resistance roused, By the Earl Leicester led, Forced from the feeble king a grant That they should rule instead. But seeking in the parliaments* The nobles' good alone, The people looked for means whereby To make their grievance known. They formed a new assembly, where Twelve from each borough sate, 1253. And from this time we find the House Of Commons takes its date. * The fword parliament is derived from parler-la-ment, which, in the Norman law style, signifies to speak one's mind. - Barton. This name was adopted about the time of the Norman conquest. That which the Saxons gave to an assembly of the wise men of the nation, was witena-mot, or witena-gemot. 5 * 54 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The king and prince had captive been, But now the prince set free, At lEvesham o'er the barons gained A signal victory. The fire and water ordeals* were Abolished in this reign; Then was the chimney sometimes seen, And the glass window-pane. Then first the table of the rich The cup and saucer graced; Then by the tallow-candle was The torch of wood replaced. * The fire and water ordeals were introduced into England, with other superstitions, taken from the codes of the Germans, about the time of Edward the Confessor. That by fire, was confined to the upper classes of tile people; that by water, to the bondsmen and rustics. Hence the expression of going through fire and water to serve another. A prisoner who pleaded "not guilty," might choose whether he would put himself for trial upon God and his country, by twelve men,.as at this day, or upon God only; and then it.was called the judgment of God, presuming he would deliver the innocent. The accused were to pass barefooted and blindfolded over nine red-hot ploughshares, or' were to carry burning irons in their hands; and accordingly as they escaped, they were judged innocent or guilty, acquitted or condemned, The water ordeal was performed in either hot or cold water: in cold water, the parties suspected were adjudged innocent, if their bodies were borne up by the water, contrary to the course of nature; in hot water, they were to put their bare arms or legs into scalding water, which if brought out unhurt, they were adjudged innocent of the crime. - Haydn. IN VERSE. 55 1234. And then we find coal first was used,* And linen then was wrought; Then the first poet laureate;;t Astronomy then taught.1 Paris, a Benedictine monk, The papal power withstood; Itistorian, poet, orator, Learned, anti wise, and good. In this reign Roger Bacon lived,To him our thanks are due For telescopes, for spectacles, And for glass-mirrors, too. Then Roger, of Wendover, wrote; Grosseteste, Holes and Neckham, Robert of Gloucester, Holywood, And Kishanger and Peckham. * The first charter for digging coal was granted in 1239. —Haydn. i He was styled "The King's Versifier," and a hundred shillings a year were his annual stipend. - Maddox. t But so late as the reign of Edward VI., 1552, books of astronomy and geometry were burned as being infested with magic. 56 IIISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. KINGS OF DENMARK. A. V. John IV. 1259 A. D.;lonorius III.... 1216 Michael VIII.. 1259 Walemar. 1202':;regory IX. 1227 t;regory EST... 1227 Eric VI....... 1240 Celestine IV... 1241 EMPEROR OF THE WEST. Eric VI.... 240 tirocent IV..... 1243 Frederick II... 1211 ChristopherI.125 Christopher I... 1252 Alexander IV... 1254 KINGS OF FRANCE. Eric VII...... 1259 Urban IV....... L261 Philip II....... 1180 Clement IV..... 1225 Louis VIII...... 1223 KING OF SWEDEN. Gregory X...... 1271 St. Louis IX..... 1226 1 Waldernar..... 1250 Philip III...... 1270 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. KINGS OF SCOTLAND. Theodore I..... 1204 Alphonso III.... 1202 Alexander II... 1214 John III........ 1922 Sancho II..... 1233 Alexander III... 1249 Theodore II.... 1225 Alphonsus V.... 1247 EDWARD I., LONGSHANKS. 1272-1307. 35 YEARS. Edward invaded Wales, and in Twelve hundred eighty-three Attached the conquered nation to The English monarchy. The queen of Scotland dying now, Bruce and Baliol claimed The vacant throne, - and umpire there Edward the latter named. IN VERSE. 57 But Edward strove to rule the land, Weakened by civil war; And entering Scotland, he subdued Baliol at Dunbar. Then Wallace, Scotia's hero, sought His country's chains to burst, At Falkirk he was captured, though Victorious at the first. Escaped from prison, Bruce arose, His native land to free; And Edward died while planning schemes For its captivity. In England, liberty progressed; A signal point was gained; For funds could be, but by consent Of parliament, obtained. The Magna Charta was confirmed, 1289. And the last tribute paid Unto the pope; and then the first 1272. Treaty of commerce made.* * The first ever made with a foreign nation is said by some to have been with Norway, but by Anderson to have been with the Flemmings (natives of Flanders). 58 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A. D. A. DA. D. A.D. Gregory X...... 1271 Michael VIII... 1259 Alphonso III.... 1247 Innocent V.... 1276 Andronicus II... 1283 Dyonisius...... 1275 Adrian V...... 1276 John XXI..... 1276 KINGS OF DENMARK. Nicholas III.... 1277 EMPERORS OF THE WEST. Eric VII.....1... 259 Martin........ 1281 Frederick II.... 1212 Eric VIII.... 1286 Honorius IV... 1285 Rudolphus I. 1273 Nicholas IV..... 1288 Adolphus of Celestine V..... 1294 Nassau..... 1291 ManU II......1279 Boniface VIII... 1294 Albert...... 1298 Berger II.....129 Benedict IX.... 1303 KINGs OF SCOTLAND. Clement V...... 1305 KINGS OF FRANCE. Alexander III... 1246 Philip III..... 1270 John Baliol..... 1293 Philip IV....... 1285 Robert Bruce... 1306 EDWARD II., CAERNARVON.* REIGNED FROM JULY 7TH, 1307, TO SEPT. 21ST, 1327. 20 YEARtS. Edward was weak, and wholly ruled By favourites, vicious, mean, IHence strife and civil wars ensued, Led by the earls and queen. Determined to preserve his crown, Again The Bruce arose, At Bannockburn he met the king, And triumphed o'er his foes. * So called from the place of his birth. He had been crowned by the Scots just before the death of Edward I. IN VERSE. 59 And thus was he securely placed Upon the Scottish throne, But since the Conquest, such defeat Had England never known. Edward deposed, imprisoned, was Killed by his queen's command; The courts were closed, disorder reigned Uncurbed throughout the land.* CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. KINGS OF DENMIARK. A. D. Henry VIII..... 1304 A. D. Clement V...... 1305 Lewis IV.. 1314 Eric VIII....... 1286 John XXII...... 1316 KINGS OF FRANCE. Christopher II... 1319 Philip IV....... 1289 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. Lewis X....... 1314 KINGS OF SWEDEN. Andronicus II... 1283 Philip V. 1316 Berger II....... 1290 Andronicus II1.. 1320 Charles IV..... 1322 Magnus III..... 1320 KINGS OF PORTUGAL. EMPERORS OF THE WEST. Dyonisius...... 1272 KING OF SCOTLAND. Albert I..... 1298 Alphonso IV.... 1325 Robert Bruce... 1306 * In consequence of war, agriculture was neglected; and because of this, the labouring classes suffered for want of food. The nobles lived wastefully, and Edward strove to check their extravagance by a royal proclamation, which is interesting, as it shows the control the king exercised over the private affairs of his subjects. They were forbidden to have more than two courses at dinner, for, " by the outrageous and excessive multitude of meats and dishes which the great men of our kingdom have used, and still use in their castles, many great evils have come upon our kingdom, the health of our 60 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, EDWARD III. 1327-1377. 50 YEARS. "Heroic" has this reign been called, Its conquests "brilliant," "great," Its wars were most unjust, and brought But evil to the state. With wisdom Edward might have ruled,He was accomplished, learned; But with his son, the famed Black Prince, His thoughts on conquest turned. Twice did they triumph o'er the Scotch,* And with the Frencht they waged subjects has been injured, their goods consumed," &c. There were at that time very few culinary vegetables in general use, excepting carrots, parsnips, and cabbages. Potatoes were not introduced until the reign of Elizabeth. Richard II. entertained every day two thousand persons at his table. The Normans were in ancient times distinguished from the Saxons by their abstemiousness, but now they were guilty of the greatest extravagance. At the marriage banquet of Richard, earl of Cornwall, in 1243, thirty thousand dishes were served up. Although there were but two meals in the day, the greater part of it was occupied in eating them. * Under Robert Bruce, and afterwards under his son David. t Edward's mother had three brothers, who were successively kings of France, but who all died leaving only daughters. The Salic law prevailed in France, excluding women from inheriting the crown, and Edward claimed that it belonged to him. IN VERSE. 61 A war, which more than twenty years With blinding fury raged. At Cressy, Poictiers, and Calais,* Though victories were gained, E'er Edward's death, Calais was all That unto him remained. Weaving of cloth was introducedt In thirteen thirty-one; Then first to patents was affixed The broad seal of the crown. The Windsor Castle was rebuilt,T Each county sent its men; The laws had been in French before,~ They were in English then. * These victories were chiefly won by archers.-Northrop's History of London. t By two weavers fiom Brabant, who settled at York. I Edward's method of conducting the work may serve as a specimen of the condition of the people in that age. No contracts were made with workmen, as in the present times, but every county in England was assessed to send the king a certain number of masons, tilers, and carpenters, who were to perform their quota of labour. R. Robbins. i Since the period of the Conquest. 6 62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Then jester,* fool,t and juggler,t gave To king and court delight, And chivalry about that time Attained its greatest height. Then the first English traveller Of any note we find, The learned Sir John Mandeville, Accomplished and refined. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. PoPo,:W. ERIPERORS OF THE WEST. KI INGS OF DENMARK. A D. A.,D. A.D. John XXI!..... 1316 Louis IV....... 1314 Christopher II... 1319 Benedict XI..... 1334 Charles IV.... 1347 Waldemnar ll1... 1340 Clement VI..... 1342 Olaus III....... 1375 Innocent VI.... 1352 KINGS OF FRANCE. Urban V....... 1362 Charles IV.... 1322 KINGS OF SWEDEN. Gregory XI.... 1370 Philip...... 1328 Albert..... 1363 John I......... 1353 EMPERORS OF THE EAST. Charles V 1364 KINS OF SCOTLAND. Andronicus III.. 1320 Robert Bruce... 1306 John V..... 1341 KINGS OF PORTUGAL. David II....... 1330 John VI...... 1355 Alphonsus IV... 1325 Edward Baliol.. 1332 Pedro I........ 1357 David II. (restor.) 1342 Ferdinand 1... 1367 Robert (Stuart). 1370 * In some ancient works a jester is described as a witty and jocose person, kept by princes to inform them of their faults, and of those of other men, under the disguise of a waggish story. Many of the English kings kept jesters and fools. There was a jester at court in the reign of James I., but we hear of no licensed jester afterwards. t The dress of the fool was of many colours, and ornamented with little sheep-bells, which, like bells of the old women in the nurserysong, made music wherever he went. $ Jugglers were a class of itinerant players, who played and per IN VERSE. 63 RICHARD II. 1377-1399. 22 YEARS. The duke of Gloucester,* duke of York, And the famed John of Gaunt, With private feuds and public wars Reduced the land to want. A "poll-tax," levied on each one O'er fifteen years of age, Was brutally enforced, and then Burst forth the people's rage. By long oppression goaded on, They rose in arms to claim, (Led by Wat Tyler and Jack Shaw,) The freeman's rights and name.t Charters were given, but annulled When quiet was restored, And each returned to villanagel Under his feudal lord. formed ridiculous feats in the king's palace and noblemen's hall, for the entertainment of their guests. They were sometimes elevated upon carts in the public streets, that the poorer people might hlave the benefit of their exhibitions. * Pronounced Gloss'ter. t When asked by the king what they wanted, they replied, "The freedom of ourselves and our children." { The slaves held under the feudal system were called 1" villains', 64 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, King Richard seized on lands to which Hereford* was rightful heir; But while away in Ireland, Quelling disturbance there, Hereford returned from banishment, Gathered his friends around, And Richard was deposed, and he As'Henry Fourth" was crowned. Chaucer and Gower, often styled "Fathers of English song," And Wickliffe, the reformer bold,t Unto this time belong. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. KINGS OF FRANCE. QUEEN OF SWEDEN. A. D. A. D. A... Gregory XI..... 1370 Charles V...... 1364 Margaret held Urban VI..... 1378 Charles VI.... 1380 Sweden with Boniface IX..... 1389 KINGS OF PORTUGAL Denmark.... 1397 KINGS OF PORTUGAL. EMPERORS OF THE EAST. Ferdinand. 1367 KINGS OF SCOTLAND. John VI....... 1355 Jolhn I......... 1385 Emanuel II..... 1391 Robert II....... 1370 KING AND QUEEN OF Robert IIT...... 1390 EMPERORS OF THIE WEST. DENIARK. Charles IV..... 1347 Olaus III....... 1375 Winceslaus.... 1378 Margaret....... 1385 H henry, earl of Hereford, was the oldest son and heir of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. t Professor of divinity in the University of Oxford. Ile was called the morning star of the Reformation. Ile was the first who opposed the authority of the pope, the jurisdiction of the bishops, anti the temporalities of the church. - Mortimer. IN VERSE. 65 BRANCH OF LANCASTER. -3 KINGS. 1399-1461. 60 YEARS. HENRY IV., BOLINGBROKE. 1399-1413. 14 YEARS. When Henry gained the throne, to.which He had no rightful claim,* Scarce one conspiracy was crushed Before another came. Northumberland the English led; The Scotch and Welsh arose; At Shrewsbury they met the king, Who triumphed o'er his foes. There Douglas fought and Percy fellHeroes renowned in story - But round their heads a halo rests, Simply of martial glory. The people still resolved to place The crown on Edward's head, * After the deposition of Richard, Edmund Mortimer was the true heir. 6* 6C6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 1405. And Henry quelled another force, By York's Archbishop led.* Victor at length,;he strove to please The people more and more, And to the House of Commons gave A power unknown before. Then first the persecution of The Wickliffites began; He was the first of England's kings Who gave his brother man To scaffold or to flame, if found To hold another creed From that which he thought right, or deemed Sufficient for his need. And he detained the Scottish prince, (James First,) a captive long, But the dark prison hours he soothed With musict and with song. These songs have come to us, and place James First of Scotland's name Among the lyrists of the time, High on the scroll of fame. * Scroop. He was beheaded, and this was the first time in England that the penalty of death was inflicted upon a bishop. f He is said to have been the first who reduced the wild, sweet melody of Scotland to the rules of composition. IN VERSE. 67 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE WEST. KING AND QUEEN OF A. D. A. D. DENMARK AND SWEDEN. Boniface IX..... 1389 Winceslaus.... 1378 A. D. Innocent VII.... 1404 Robert Le Pet.. 1400 Margaret...... 1385 Gregory XII.... 1406 Sigismund..... 1410 Eric XIII...... 1411 Alexander V.... 1409 Jolin XXIII...- 1410 KING OF FRANCE. KING OF SCOTIAND. Chlarles VI... 1380.Robert III...... 1390 EMPEROR OF THE EAST. KING OF PORTUGAL. Emanuel II..... 1391 John I... 1385 HENRY V. 1413-1422. 9 YEARS. Henry maintained the claim to France By bold and desperate war, And gained a bloody victory on The field of Agincourt: Look Normandy and part of France, Married its princess there, Was regent of the realm proclaimed, And to its throne the heir.* * About this time, to the dark, grim stone castle of the feudal days, succeeded the brighter and more hospitable-]ooking mansion, built of timber, plastered without, and richly carved within. On 68 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE WEST. KING OF DENMARK AND A. D. A. D. SWEDEN. 1410 1410 A. D. John XXIII V.. Sigimund..... 1410 Eric XIII...... 1411 MIartin V.. 1417 KING OF FRANCE. EMPEROR OF THE EAST. Charles VI.... 1380 KING OF SCOTLAND. Emanuel II.... PORTUGA.. obert III.....1390 John I.. 1385 HENRY VI. 1422-1461. 39 YEARS. Henry, of England and of France The monarch was proclaimed, And Gloucester's duke and B]edford's duke hlis guardians were named. an elevated portion, (called the dais,) in the large and scantily-furnished hall, the host feasted his numerous guests. The dancers danced, the minstrel played, the jester told his story, and the juggler performed his feats for their entertainment. Above them perched the hawks; below them, the dogs quarrelled for the bones which were thrown them; the servants shouted and screamed in their boisterous merriment, and after devouring their portion of the feast, carried the remainder to the poor, who, in eager expectation, crowded around the gates to receive it. IN VERSE. 69 HIad England conquered Orleans, then All France had been her own, But she was forced to raise the siege By the intrepid Joan. Thus " Joan of Arc"* her country saved; And at no distant day, England lost all she owned in France, Save Guienne and Calais. Joan crowned the king at Rheims; but when The chance of battle turned, She fell among the English, and For witchcraft she was burned.t Now Richard, duke of York, arose To claim the English throne; The " wars of York and Lancaster"j Sprang from this cause alone. Joan of Arc was a servant in Neufchatel, in Lorraine. She.._ ined herself delegated by God to raise the siege of Orleans, and to restore to Charles the kingdom of his ancestors. She was taken at the siege of Compigne by the English, and burnt for a witch, in the 29th year of her age. t Charles, whom she had just crowned, made no effort to save her. The French soldiers were jealous of her; and when a party which she headed were repulsed, near Compigne, and retreated into the town, the governor shut her out, and she fell into the hands of the English. I These wars were also styled " The WVars of the Two Roses." The white rose was the symbol of the house of York; the red, of 70 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, From Lionel, the second son Of Edward Third, he came; From the third son of Edward Third Was the sixth Henry's claim. In fourteen hundred fifty-five Was the first battle fought;'Twas at St. Albans, and the duke Of York the conquest wrought. The king was captured, but his queen The bloody strife maintained; At Wakefield, o'er the duke of York, The victory she gained. He died; but Edward, his young son, WMas the next victor named; Then entering London, amid shouts He was the king proclaimed. The house of Lancaster, to keep Possession of the throne, Conferred on parliament a power Before that time unknown. that of Lancaster. It seems like desecrating these beautiful flowers to connect them, even in thought, with anything so sanguinary and God-defying as war! IN VERSE. 71 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES A. D. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A D. Constantine III., A. D. Martin V....... 1417 and last Chris- John I......... 135 Eugenius IV... 1431 tian emperor, Edward. 1433 Nicholas V...... 1447 succeeded by Alphonsus V.... 1438 Calixtus III..... 1455 his conqueror, Pius I[......... 1458 Mahomet II., KINGS OF SCOTLAND. who took Con- Robert II...... 1390 EMPERORS OF THE WEST. stantinople by James I... 1424 Sigismund..... 1410 storm, May 29, 1453 James II...... 1437 Albert 11...... 1438 James III...... 1460 Frederick III... 1440 KINGS OF FRANCE. KINGS OF DENMARK AND Charles VII.. 1452 SWEDEN. MPERORS OF THE EAST. Louis XI....... 1461 Eric IX...... 1411 Emanuel IT..... 1391 Christopher III.. 1439 John VII...... 1429 Christian I...... 1448 HOUSE OF YORK. 3 KINGS. EDWARD IV. REIGNED rFOmo MARCH 5TH, 1461, TO APRIL 9TH, 1483. 22 YEARS. Yet still was Edward insecure Upon the English throne; The Towton battle he had gained In fourteen sixty-one. 72 H-I HISTORY OF ENGI, AND, And more than forty thousand men Fell on the field that day, And they were ]husbands, fathers, sons, That dead and dying lay. The war of the twin roses still Raged wildly in this reign — The Lancasterians would now, And now the Yorkists gain. But Margaret, for the infant prince, Urged the fierce battles on, Until at Tewkesbury subdued, In fourteen seventy-one. Henry was murdered, the young prince Slain by the noble's lance, The captive Margaret ransomed by Louis, the king of France. And thus the bloody contest closed, Which had for sixteen years Deluged the land with human blood, And watered it with tears. But an achievement worthier note In seventy-one was wrought, For Caxton into England then The art of printing brought.* * To the west of the sanctuary in Westminster Abbey stood tlhe Eleemosynary or Almonry, where the first printing-press in England IN VERSE. 73 About this time the fisheries First into notice came; Commerce extended, opening thus The surest road to fame.* CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF TIlE TURKS. KINGS OF DENMARK AND A. D. A. D. SWEDEN. Pius II......... 1458 Mahomet II 1453 A.. Paul II. 146 Bajazet I........ 1481 Christian I..... 1448 Paul II.........1464 Bajazet II 1481...... Sextus IV..... 1471 John I.1481 KING OF FRANCE. EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Louis XI....... 1461 KING OF SCOTLAND. Frederick III... 1440 JKINGS OF PORTUGAL. ames III. 1460 Alphonsus V.... 1438 John II. 1481 was erected, in 1471, by William Caxton, encouraged by the learned Thomas Milling, then abbot. He published "The Game and Play of the Chesse," the first book ever printed in Great Britain. The title was, "The Game and Play of the Chesse. Translated out of the Frenche, and emprynted by me, William Caxton, Fynysshire, the last day of Marche, the yer of our Lord God a thousand four hundred and lxxiiij." - Leigh. * From 1462 until the present reign, a ridiculous fashion for dressing the feet prevailed among the people. The points of the shoes were so long, that, when walking, the wearers were obliged to tie them to their knees. Some were tied with laces, but the most wealthy gentlemen used silver chains. 7 74 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, EDWARD V. 1483-1483. 3 MONTHS. Young Edward and his brother were Both smothered in their bed By Richard, Gloucester's duke, who aimed To fill the throne instead. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPE. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. I KING OF DENMAIRK AND A. D. A. D. SWVEDEN. Sextus IV...... 1471 Bajazet II1......1481. 181 EMPEROR OF GERMANY. KING OF FRANCE. Frederick III.... 1440 Charles VIII.... 1483 KING OF SCOTLAND. James III....... 1460 KING OF PORTUGAL. John II...... 1481. RICHARD III. 1483-1485. 2 YEARS. When Gloucester's duke, as Richard Third, Was king of England known, Then Henry Tudor, Richmond's earl, Strove to obtain the throne. IN VERSE. 75 The Welsh around the Tudor thronged, And upon Bosworth field, In fourteen hundred eighty-five, The king was forced to yield. Unhonoured and unloved, he fell Amid the desperate fray: The wars of York and Lancaster Were ended from that day. He was the last Plantagenet Who sat upon the throne, Which, for three hundred thirty years, Was filled by them alone. For thirty years these civil wars Had ravaged wide the land, Producing, as war always must, Crime upon every hand. One hundred eighty thousand men Had fallen in the strifeOne hundred eighty thousand men By men deprived of life. And for the trade of killing men, All else had been resigned; Commerce and letters, and the arts, Had everywhere declined. 76 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMIPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KING OF DENMARIK AND A. D. A. D. SWEDEN. Sextus IV..... 1471 Bajazet II... 1481 A. D. John. 1481 Innocent VIII... 1484.......... KING OF FRANCE. EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Charles VIII.... 1483 KING OF SCOTLAND. Frederick II.... 1440 KING OF PORTUGAL. James III. 1460 John II....... 1481 HOUSE OF TUDOR.-5 KINGS. HENRY VII. 1485-1509. 24 YEARS. In Henry Seventh's marriage, were The houses both combined;*But hatred unto that of York Was rooted in his mind. And from the mass two men arose In kingly rivalry: A Perkin Warbeck,t who professed The duke of York to be; * He married a princess of the house of York. t Said to be the son of a converted Jew. He was elegant in his manners, and strongly resembled the Plantagenets. James IV. of Scotland married him to Lady Catherine Douglas, one of the most accomplished women of Scotland. IN VERSE. 77 And Lambert Simnel,* who assumed The earl of Warwick's name. Some of the nobles urged the one, And some the other claim. Warbeck, surrounded by a force The Scottish king supplied, Met Henry's troops, but was subdued, And, for his treason, died. Yet still cabals were multiplied; Still insurrections rose; But Henry, at the last, obtained A triumph o'er his foes. Although his fault was avarice,t His reign with good was rife; He to a warlike people taught The useful arts of life: Commerce and industry sustained — Varied improvements planned; * The son of a baker. He was pardoned, and made a scullion in the king's kitchen. t Avarice prompted him to oppressive exactions. He is said to have left, at his death, a sum of money, which would be equal, at the present time, to ~10,000,000. Still he taught the people frugality, and, by precept and example, the equitable payment of debts. 7 * 78 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, And John Cabot* equipped, who then Discovered Newfoundland.t And he curtailed the nobles' claimHe raised the mass of menAnd feudalism, tottering long, Received its death-blow then.t * A merchant of Venice. Henry furnished him with a fleet of slhips. t He named it Prima vista (first seen). I Every town had been built in the neighbourhood of some great castle; partly that the soldiers, always kept there ready armed, might protect the inhabitants from the robbers who lurked in the woods by day, and haunted the open country by night; and partly because there dwelt the wealthiest of the land - the largest consumers of their produce. Henry restored law and order, and encouraged the people to build in situations which presented greater opportunities for commerce, to which he endeavoured to direct their attention. Hle lessened the strictness of entail; and this enabled the nobles to sell their estates, many of which were purchased by wealthy commoners. Others received rent for their lands and cottages, in place of military service, and thus from villains the people became tenants, - from being merely followers of their lords to battle, idle dependents upon them in time of peace, they became independent, industrious citizens, and useful subjects. The army was now paid by the government. Thus, by various means, were the privileges of the nobles restricted, the people elevated, and feudalism abolished. IN VERSE. 79 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A. U. A. D. A. D. Innocent VIII... 1484 Bajazet II...... 1481 John II........ 1481 Alexander VI... 1492 Emanuel. 1495 Pins II........ 1503 KINGS OF FRANCE. Julius II1....... 1503 Charles VIII.... 1483 KING OF DENMARK AND Louis XII...... 1498 SWEDEN. EMPERORS OF GERMANY. John......... 1481 KING AND QUEEN OF Frederick II... 1440 SPAIN. IMaximilian I... 1493 Ferdinand the Catholic and James III...... 1460 Isabella.... 1475 James IV.. 1489 HENRY VIII. 1509-1547. 38 YEARS. Henry unto his father's throne With fairest prospects came; The land at peace, the treasury full, And none to doubt his claim. But quickly he invaded France, And soon, on "_Flodden field," His general, earl of Surrey, forced The Scottish James to yield. He took part in the frequent wars Of Germany and France, 80 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, And wasted treasure in the show Of tournament and lance.* Capricious and tyrannical, His minister or wifet One moment high in favour was, The next, deprived of life. The pope opposing a divorce, He claimed himself to be Head of the Church, and set at naught The pope's supremacy. Defending now the ancient faith, Upholding now the new, IHe burned those who, on either side, Pronounced his faith untrue. *A celebrated meeting occurred between Henry VIII. and Francis I. of France near Calais, June, 1520. The nobility of both kingdoms displayed their magnificence with such emulation and profuse expense, as procured for the place of interview (an open plain) the name of "The Field of the Cloth of Gold." Twentyeight hundred tents were pitched, mostly covered with silk or cloth of gold. " Many of the nobility involved themselves in heavy debts, and were unable, by the penury of the rest of their lives, to repair the vain splendor of a few days." — Haydn. Upon this occasion, Francis addressed Henry as "Your Majesty," which was the first time the title was applied to an English sovereign. It originated among the Romans. James I. coupled it with "Sacred" and "Most Excellent." t This tyrant had six wives. He divorced two, caused two to be executed, one died, and the last survived him. IN VERSE. 81 The monasteries he dissolved Their revenues he seizedAnd he beheaded those who dared Deny his right to these. Because of this, Sir Thomas More, And Earl of Surrey died; Though, famed in letters, they had long Been England's joy and pride. Wolsey, the minister and priest, For arts and letters known, Opposing Henry's will, was from His lofty station thrown. Henry, unawed by parliament, Imposed a grievous tax; But the roused nation summoned him To answer for his acts. The art of painting, at this time, He into notice brought; Holbein he patronised, and called Titian unto his court. In this reign Hampton Court* was built; The spinning-wheel first used; * Hampton Court was built by Cardinal Wolsey, and presented by him, in 1526, to King Henry. 82 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, And the first map of England drawn; And hats first introduced.* Then was the first compulsory law,t The suffering poor to aid, And first in fifteen forty-six Was legal interest paid.4 And then, suspended from the waist, The looking-glass was seen;~ Then were pins introduced,!I and used By Catherine, the queen. * Hats were first manufactured in England by the Spaniards, in 1510; before that time, both men and women wore close, knit, woollen caps. - Stowe. i When the monasteries were dissolved, vast numbers of poor, who had been in the practice of receiving their daily food at the gates, were thrown abroad upon the world, unfed and uncared for, and this produced the immediate necessity for a tax for their maintenance. t It was fixed at 10 per cent. per annum. # These were at first very small, and either carried in the pockets of the ladies, or suspended from their girdles. 11 They were made of brass wire, and were brought from France in 1540. They were first used in England, it is said, by Catherine Howard, queen of Henry VIII. Before the invention of pins, both sexes used ribands, loop-holes, laces, with points and tags, clasps, hooks and eyes, and skewers of brass, silver, and gold. They were made in England in 1543.- Stowe. IN VERSE. 83 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. KINGS OF FRANCE. KINGS OF DENMARK. ~Julius I ~.... D0 A. D. (.alone.) Julius II........ 1503 Louis XII...... 1498 A.. Leo X....... 1513 Francis I... 1515 Frederick I. 1524 Adrian VI..... 1522 Christian III..... 1534 Clement VII.... 1523 KINGS AND QUEEN OF Paul III3........41 SPAIN. 1Philip 5 3 1.. 1504 KING OF SWEDEN. Paul III..... 1 534. Philip I....... 1504.Slse.) EMPERORS OF GERMANY. Joan........ 1506 (loe.) n I... 143 Carles 1516 Gustavus Vasa.. 1522 L'Maximilian I... 1493 Charles V...... 1516 KINGS OF PORTUGAL. KINGS AND QUEEN OF Emanuel..... 1495 SCOTLAND. EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. John III....... 1521 James IV..... 1489 Bajazet II. 1481 KINGS OF DENMARK AND James V.... 1514 Selim I....... 1512 SWEDEN. Mary.......... 1542 Solirnan II...... 1520 John......... 1481 Christian II..... 1513 EDWARD VI. 1547-1553. 6 YEARS. In the short reign of Edward Sixth The new religion gained Many adherents in the land, Though blood its garments stained. It was advanced by Somerset's, But most by Cranmer's aid; 84 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Cranmer prepared the creed from which The present creed is made.* The dwellings of that day had floors Composed of clay alone, But in the. mansions of the rich They were with rushes strown. And in those halls of luxury Were chimneys also found, While the more common people built Their fires upon the ground. Edward, despite his sister's claims, Had signed his crown away, Urged by Northumberland's bold duke, To Jane, the Lady Grey.t Jane, simple, truthful, learned, and wise, Sought not an earthly throne; Her higher aim had been to wear The Christian's crown alone. * He drew up forty-two articles, from which, with some alterations, the present Thirty-nine Articles which form the Liturgy of the Episcopal church were formed. They were approved and confirmed by parliament, 1547-8. f Grand-daughter to a sister of Henry VIII. She was versed in Latin, Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, French, and Italian. Fuller says, "She had the innocency of childhood, the beauty of youth, the solidity of middle, the gravity of old age, and all at eighteen!" IN VERSE. 85 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KING OF DENMARK. A.D. A.D. A.D. Paul III..... 1534 Soliman II...... 1520 Christian III... 1534 Julius III...... 1550 KING OF FRANCE. KING OF SWEDEN. EMPEROR OF GERMANY Henry II. 1547 Gustavus Vasa.. 1522 AND KING OF SPAIN. Charles V..... 1516 KING OF PORTUGAL. QUEEN OF SCOTLAND. John III.. 1521 Mary......... 1542 I ARY. 1553-1558. 5 YEARS. Lady Jane Grey, by wily men Forced to ascend the throne, Filled it ten days, when Mary came And claimed it as her own. Jane and her youthful husband died By Mary's stern command, Who, maddened with a bigot zeal, Ruled tyrant in the land. She brought the English church again Within the papal see; More than three hundred protestants She burned for heresy. 8 86 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Cranmer and Latimer were burned, Ridley and Rogers, too; But the spirit of the rising faith No power could e'er subdue.* Forced by her husband, king of Spain, Into a foreign war, She lost Calais, held by the crown Two hundred years and more. Then drinking-cups of glass were made; Then needlest brought from Spain; But little did the arts advance In Mary's troubled reign. *It has been estimated that, in addition to those who suffered from imprisonment, fines, and confiscation, two hundred and seventyseven persons were burned to death. Among these, were forty-five women and four children. t They were considered of more value than silver. "The first that were made in England were fabricated in, Cheapside, London, in the time of Mary, by a negro from Spain; but, as he would not impart the secret, it was lost at his death, and not recovered again till 1566, in the reign of Elizabeth, when Elias Growse, a German, taught the art to the English, who have since brought it to the highest degree of perfection." - Stowe. IN VERSE. 87 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. KING OF FRANCE. KING OF DENMARK. A. D. A. D. A. D. Julius III....... 1550 Henry II..... 1547 Frederick II.... 1549 Marcellus III.... 1555 Paul IV... 1555 KING OF SPAIN. KING OF SWEDEN. EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Philip II. 1555 Gustavus Vasa.. 1522 Charles V..... 1519 EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KING OF PORTUGAL. QUEEN OF SCOTLAND. Soliman II..... 1520 John III.... 1521 Mary.......... 1542 ELIZABETH. 1558-1603. 45 YEARS. "Our good Queen Bess," the English say, Hers was a glorious age! In England's annals never yet Had been so bright a page. There Shakspeare, the great dramatist, Spenser, the poet, shine; And Bacon, the philosopher, And Hooker, the divine; There Hawkins,* Drake,* and Frobisher,* There Walsinghamt and Burleigh,t * Distinguished navigators. t Distinguished statesmen. 88 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Ben Jonson,* Fletcher,* and Beaumont,* Sidneyt and Walter Raleigh.1 Then agriculture, commerce, arts, And legislation, gained Greater importance in the land Than they had yet attained. Then first in India were formed Establishments for trade; Of the East India Company These the foundation laid. At this time England's exports were Confined to wool alone; Then knives were made;~ brick buildings then Replaced the wood and stone.ll Then clocks and watches first were seen;** Post-offices first used; First paper-mill and first coach built;tt Potatoes introduced. * Poets and dramatists. t An accomplished officer and author. $ A man illustrious in arms and literature. He was called " the soldier, the sailor, the scholar, the philosopher, the poet, the orator, the historian, the courtier." ] 1560. 11 1598. Elizabeth decreed that the city should not go beyond three miles of the city gates, and that there should be no more than one family in a house. ** Introduced from Germany. tt They were first called Whirlicotes. A bill was introduced into parliament to prevent men from riding in coaches, because it was considered too effeminate. IN VERSE. 89 Then choc'late, and tobacco, too, Fans and false hair, were bought; The coin reduced to standard weight, And spoons of silver wrought. Elizabeth the villains* freed In all the western land, Speeding the day when no white slave On England's soil should stand. But at this very time their trade In negro slaves began; From Africa they stole and sold Their helpless fellow man.t The Protestant religion was Established in this reign; The " Church of England" took the form That it doth still retain.1 The "Invincible Armada," though It caused alarm at first, * Slaves. t Captain, afterwards Sir John Hawkins, has the unenviable fame of being the first Englishman, after the discovery of America, who made a traffic of the human species. - Haydn. t 1562. There were forty-two articles in the creed prepared in the reign of Edward VI.; they were now reduced to the present thirty-nine. A further revision took place in 1571, but no important alterations were made. 8* 90 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, By England's admirals was met, And conquered and dispersed.* It was the largest armament That Europe yet had seen;'Twas sent by Spain to crush the church, And to subdue the queen. Elizabeth has fixed a stain Eternal on her name: Jealous of Mary, queen of Scots, Her beauty and her fame, And fearful that unto the throne Her rival might succeed, For years she kept her prisoner, And then her death decreed. The Irish conquest, which commenced Four hundred years before, By Mountjoy was completed, when This reign was nearly o'er. The peace of England was preserved, With all around at war, And, as a nation, it became Respected near and far. * A storm, which drove many of the Spanish ships on the coast of Zealand, completed the discomfiture. IN VERSE. 91 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES.. D. UNION OF SPAIN AND A.. Selim II........ 1566 PORTUGAL. Paul IV....... 1555 Amurath II.... 1574 A. D. Pius IV....1559 Mahomet I.... 1595 Philip I.. 1580 Pius V........ 1565 Philip III......1597 Gregory XIII.... 1572 KINGS OF FRANCE. Sextus VII.... 15985 Henry II.. 1547 Christian IV.... 1558 Urban VII...... 1590 Francis II..... 1559 Frederick I. 1559 Gregory XIV.... 1590 Charles IX....1560 Innocent IX.... 1591 Henry IIINGS OF SWEDEN. Clement VIII... 1592 Henry IV..... 1589 Eric X....... 1556 EMPERORS OF GERMANY. K. John III........ 1569 Ferdinand I.... 1558 KING OF SPAIN. Sigismund..... 1592 Maximilian II... 1564 Philip II.......1555 Rodolphus II.... 1576 QUEEN AND KING OF KINGS OF PORTUGAL. SCOTLAND. EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. Sebastian. 1557 Mary......... 1542 Soliman II...... 1520 Henry.......... 1579 James VI....... 1567 STUART FAMILY.-6 KINGS. JAMIES I. 1603-1625. 22 YEARS. James Sixth of Scotland, Mary's son, Elizabeth had named To fill the throne of England, too, And he was king proclaimed. 92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Raleigh, suspected of a plan Upon the hrone to place Young Arabella Stuart,* who Was of the royal race, Was long imprisoned, then reprieved, And after years passed by, On insufficient evidence, He was condemned to die. James and his parliament were found Supporting the new faith, And the " Gunpowder Plot" was formed For putting them to death. For then'twas hoped the church of Rome Again might bear the rule; Catesby and Percy formed the plot, And Guy Fawkes was their tool. In Mary's reign the Puritans First into notice grew; In the old world oppressed, they sought A refuge in the new. Their wrongs, the controversies, too, In which they bore a part, Sowed the rich seeds of liberty Deep in the nation's heart. * Great-grand-daughter of Henry VII., and, after Mary, queen of Scots, the nearest heir to the throne. IN VERSE. 93 The people had awakened now, And questioned if there be A Right Divine* in kings to claim Undoubted sovereignty. The king sought funds from parliament, His favourites to please; For every sum bestowed, it claimed Redress of grievances. As wars were few, taxes were few, Soldiers were idle men, And farmers richer than the earls Of Henry Seventh's reign. The Bible was translated then, As'tis at present used; Then first the Roman characters In printing introduced. Newspapers were established first In sixteen sixty-two;t * The divine right of kings to rule, and the passive obedience of subjects, was a favourite and warmly-contested doctrine of the Stuarts. t Mr. Watts, of the British Museum, (1850,) says that the first English paper was the " Weekley Newes," published by Nathaniel Butler in 1662. A paper was circulated in the reign of Elizabeth; but it was merely to convey the intelligence of the defeat of the Spanish 94 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, A school to teach anatomy From Hunt's exertions grew. The circulation of the blood Was then by Harvey shown; The power of electricity By Gilbert was made known. The art of dyeing woollen cloth From Holland introduced; Thermometers* and compasst made, And table-fork first used. James greater good for Ireland wrought, In the short time he reigned, Than England had accomplished, since The country was obtained. Armada. The full title was, - "No. 50. The English Mercurie, published by authoritie, for the prevention of false reports, imprinted by Christopher Barker, her Highness' printer, No. 50. A journall of what passed since the 21st of this month between her Majestie's fleet and that of Spayne, transmitted by the Lord Highe Admirale to the Lordes of Council." — World's Progress. * Invented, 1608, by William Barlowe. t Invented, 1620, by Drebel. IN VERSE. 95 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. KINGS OP SPAIN AND A. D. A. D. PORTUGAL. Clement VIII... 1592 Achmet I.......1603 A. D. Leo XI......... 1605 Mustapha I 1617 Philip III...... 1597 Paul V... 1605 Osman........ Philip IV....... 162 Gregory XV... 1621 Mustapha I. res. 1622 KING OF DENMARK. Urban VIII..... 1623 Amurath IV.... 1623 Christian IV.... 1588 EMPERORS OF GERM.ANY. KINGS OF SWEDEN. Rodolphus IT..... 1576 KINGS OF FRANCE. Sigismund..... 1592 Matthias I...... 1612 Henry IV....... 1589 Charles IX..... 1600 Ferdinand II... 1619 Louis XIII.... 1610 Gustavus II..... 1611 CHARLES I. 1625-1649. 24 YEARS. The troubled reign of Charles the First Was but a ceaseless strife'Twixt royalty and parliament, Each struggling for its life. The parliament refused supplies For wars that Charles had made, And he dissolved it, threatening To act without its aid. A tax, "tonnage and poundage" called, And "ship-money," he raised, And then the fire of discontent Throughout the country blazed. 96 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Hampden, refusing the demand, In prison was confined, But the more fully did his wrongs Arouse the public mind. The church of England, verging now Unto a faith more pure, By Laud* was loaded with such forms As it could ill endure. And on the Scottish church he forced The English Liturgy; But everywhere the people rose, Determined to be free. A "solemn league and covenant"t Was signed by high and low; To arms they rushed, and Charles implored Aid to repel the blow. But parliament confined itself Unto its wrongs alone; At first it would but limit him, Now would upset the throne. Cromwell and Hampden, Pym and Vane, Were foremost in the strife; * Archbishop of Canterbury. t Those who signed it were called Covenanters; they were of both sexes, and of all ages. IN VERSE. 97 Laud and Earl Strafford were impeached, And both deprived of life.* In sixteen hundred forty-two Commenced a civil war, And in five years the royalists Succumbed on Marston Moor. A parliament, which Cromwell " purged,"t Then sentenced Charles to die, And through the nation's heart there ran A thrill of sympathy. The Quakers then arose amid The turmoil and the strife, Calling the people from the world Unto a holy life. For the unfaltering maintenance Of their religious faith, They suffered contumely and stripes, Imprisonment and death.t * The supporters of the king were called Cavaliers; those of the parliament, Roundheads —a name given in derision by their opponents, from the fact that the hair of many of their prominent members was closely cropped, in contradistinction to the fashion of the day. A bowl was put on the head, and the hair cut along the brim of it. t He expelled the Presbyterians, and called this "Purging the parliament." After this, it was called the " Rump parliament.".. It is calculated that forty thousand of this sect died during their 9 98 - HISTORY OF ENGLAND, Fox was the founder of the sect, And preached its simple creed - A teacher, fearless in the truth, And pure in thought and deed. In this reign, Donne* and Drayton* lived; Quarles,* Fuller,- Barrow,t Taylor,t SeldonS and Coke,~ and Walton, too, The philosophic angler. Then was the first post-mail; 1 it took Letters one day in seven; Then the Star-Chamber courts (lissolved, Which great offence had given. imprisonment, in consequence of the filth and malaria of the jails, added to cruel treatment. -Lord's Modern History. X Poets. t Theologians. $ Antiquarian, historian, jurist. - Distinguished jurist. I[ Established by Charles the First. It ran between London and Edinburgh. ~ The "' Court of the Star-Chamber and High Commission" was instituted for trials by a committee of the privy council, during the reign of Henry VII., in the year 1487. -In the reign of Charles I., its arbitrary exactions rendered it odious to the people, and it was abolished by Cromwell's parliament. Coke says, "It probably received its name from its roof being garnished with stars." Goldsmith tells us, "It was so called from the starra, or Jewish covenants, deposited there by order of Richard I. No star was admitted as valid, unless found in this depository, and here they remained until the banishment of the Jews by Edward I." IN VERSE. 99 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. KING OF SPAIN AND A. D. A. D. PORTUGAL. Urban VIII..... 1623 Amurath IV.... 1623 A. D. Innocent X..... 1644 Ibrahim.... 1649 Philip IV...... 1621 Mahomet IV.... 1649 EMPERORS OF GERMANY. OF PORTUGAL. KINGS OF FRANCE. (lone.) Ferdinand III.... 1619 Louis XlTI...... 1610 John IV.... 1640 Ferdinand II... 1637 Louis XV. 1643 Louis XtV...... 1643 THE COMMONWEALTH. 1649-1660. 11 YEARS. The Presbyterians had fought, Determined to be free, But now the Independents claimed The right of sovereignty. The power which the parliament Had wrested from the throne, At length, by Cromwell's management, The army held alone. The Scottish Presbyterians Proclaimed Charles Second then, And rallied round his standard, with Full fourteen thousand men. 100 HIISTORY OF ENGLAND, But Cromwell marched his army there, Subdued them at Dunbar, At Worcester fully conquered them, And the prince fled afar. The famous "Navigation Act" A war with Holland brought; And England conquered,-Penn and Blake Against De Ruyter fought. When the "Long Parliament"* designed The army to reduce, Cromwell dissolved it, deeming it As of no further use. And then the reins of government He seized, and held alone; Wisely he ruled, but regally, As though upon a throne. He called a parliament, though not Elected, as of yore, And "Praise-God Barebones' Parliament,"-t Was the strange name it bore. It was dissolved, and Cromwell next " Protector" claimed to be; No monarch was in Europe found More powerful than he. * It was in session twelve years -hence its name. t Named froln one of its chief actors. IN VERSE. 101 At Tunis, Algiers, everywhere, He did the victory gain; Jamaica island, and the town Of Dunkirk, took from Spain. But foes were upon every side, E'en in that triumph hour; Republican and royalist Rebelled against his power. Richard, his son, succeeded himWas inefficient found; And next came anarchy, and next Was Charles the Second crowned. In sixteen hundred fifty-five Engines by steam were moved; By Worcester's marquis they were made, By Watt they were improved. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. KING OF FRANCE. KING OF DENMARK. A. D. A. D. A. D. Innocent X.... 1644 Louis XIV...... 1643 Frederick III.... 1648 Alexander VII... 1655 EMPERORS OF GERMANY. KING OF SPAIN. KING AND QUEEN OF Ferdinand 1II... 1637 Philip IV..... 1621 SWEDEN. Christina...... 1633 Leopold........ 1658 KINGS OF PORTUGAL. Charles X...... 1633 EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. John IV........ 1640 Mahomet IV.... 1649 Alphonso IV.... 1656 9* 102 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, RESTORATION OF THE STUARTS. CHARLES II. 1660-1685. 25 YEARS. Charles, irreligious, profligate, And prodigal and vain, The monarch's character impressed Itself upon his reign. Weary of puritanic gloom, Weary of martial rule, " High church" or " Tory* principles" Was the prevailing school. Episcopacy was restored Throughout the English land, And uniformity in faith A statute did command. Charles sold Dunkirk,t and squandered all The money thus obtained; Warred long and fiercely with the Dutch, But no advantage gained. * The epithets, Whig and Tory, originated in this reign; the Tories favoured the claims of the crown, the Whigs, those of the people. t He received for it four hundred thousand pounds. IN VERSE. 103 Dissolved two parliaments, where Whigs Had gained the upper hand: Plots, intrigues, and conspiracies, Were rife throughout the land. The people, fearing Catholic Would be the ruling faith, For a pretended "Popish Plot," Stafford was put to death. And of the "Rye-House Plot," a feigned Reform conspiracy, Sidney and Russell were accused, And were condemned to die. In sixty-five, a plague* and fire-t A frightful havoc made: Of London city, full three-fourths In utter ruin laid. But Wren,j the famous architect, Rebuilt the town again; * 68,596 persons died of this pestilence. t Within the space of four days, eighty-nine churches, (including St. Paul's,) the city gates, the Royal Exchange, the Custom House, Guildhall, Sion College, and many other public buildings, were destroyed, besides 13,200 houses, laying waste 400 streets. - Hume, Ropin, Carte. J Sir Christopher Wren. 104 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, St. Paul's Cathedral,* too, he built In this and the next reign. The famous Habeas Corpus act Was at this time produced; Turnpikes were first established then, And tea was introduced. Then Waller,t Cowley,t Bunyanj lived, And Baxter~ wrote his " Call," And Milton his great work composed, Of the first sin and fall. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A. D. A. D. A. D. Alexander VII.. 1655 Mahomet IV.... 1649 Alphonso IV.... 1656 Clement IX. 1667 Pedro II........ 1688 Clement X..... 1670 KINGS OF SPAIN. Innocent XI..... 1676 Philip IV.... 1621 KINGS OF DENMARK. Frederick III... 1648 Charles II..... 1665Frederick III 1648 EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Christian V..... 1670 Leopold...... 1658 KING OF FRNCE.ING OF SWEDEN. Louis XIV...... 1643 Charles XI.... 1660 * This cathedral was commenced in 1675, and concluded in thirtyfive years; the year that it was finished the architect died, aged ninety-one. James's adherents were called Jacobites. t Poets. $ Author of " Pilgrims' Progress." # Theologian. IN VERSE. 105 JAMES II. 1685-1689. 4 YEARS. The reign of James the Second passed In weak attempts, and vain, To crush the English -church, and bring The popish faith again: And when these inroads on their faith Had made his object known, Was Mary importuned to come And fill her father's throne. At her approach, James fled to France; The people flocked around, And William, prince of Orange, and Mary, were sovereigns crowned. The duke of Monmouth, Charles's son, Aspiring to the throne, Was killed, with all who aided him, Wherever they were known. The Pennsylvania Colony Was first established then; It was composed of Quakers, led By the good William Penn. 106 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The poet Dryden, who ne'er told Unwelcome truths in rhyme, And Boyle, the chemist and the sage, Were authors of this time. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPE. KING OF FRANCE. KING OF DENMARK. A. D. A.D. A. D. Innocent XI.... 1676 Louis XIV..... 1643 Christian V..... 1670 EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Leopold....... 658 SPAIN. G OF SWEDEN. Charles II..... 1665 EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. Charles XI..... 1660 Mahornet IV.... 1649 KING OF PORTUGAL. Solyman III..... 1687 Pedro II..... 1668 WILLIAM III. AND MARY, 1689-1702. 13 YEARS. "The Revolution," this is called, " Of sixteen eighty-eight;" The Protestant succession it Secured unto the state; The rights of parliament secured, Religious freedomrn, too; IN VERSE. 107 The king's prerogative confined Within the limits due. Ireland still adhered to James, But France his claim maintained, Till William, at the river Boyne, A victory o'er them gained. And Scotland did her ancient crown At William's footstool lay; The Highlanders alone rebelled, Then yielded to his sway. But from the vale of fair Glencoe Rang out a fearful cry, For slight default, Argyle had doomed The whole to butchery. The " allied army"* fought with France - He took the chief command; At length the " Peace of Ryswick" brought Repose unto the land. Thirty-six million sterling for This single wart was paid, And of the nation's heavy debt This the foundation laid. * England, Germany, Holland, and Spain, were leagued together. t This is called "King William's War," or the "Glorious Revoluti(,n of Sixteen Eighty-eight." Its cost to England was ~36,000,000. 108 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, A Bank* in England first was known In sixteen ninety-four, The goldsmiths had retained the gold Of monied men before. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A. D. A. D. A. D. Alexander VII. 1655 Mahomet IV... 1649 Alphonso IV.... 1656 Clement IX.... 1667 Pedro II....... 166S Clement X...... 1670 KING OF FRANCE. Innocent XI.... 1676 Louis XIV.. 1643 KINGS OF DENMARK. Frederick II....1648 EMPEROR OF GERMANY. KINGS OF SPAIN. Christian V. 1670 Leopold....... 1658 Philip IV....... 1621 KING OF SWEDEN. Charles II...... 1665 Charles XI...... 1660 ANNE I. 1702-1714. 12 YEARS. Again we note, conspicuous by The triumphs of the mind, The truly great ones of the earth,Newton and Locke we find. * The name is derived from Banco, a bench which was erected in the market-places for the exchange of money. The mint, in the Tower of London, was anciently the depository for the merchants' cash, until Charles the First seized the money, and destroyed the IN VERSE. 109 And in such royalty doth lie A nation's pride and hope; In this reign, too, lived Addison,* Rowe,t Steel,t and Swift~ and Pope.iI De Foe, Guy, Prior, Arbuthnot, Charmers of child and sage; By some historians, this has been Called the "Augustan Age." The women from embroidery turned, And learned to study more, Translating Latin, Spanish, French, And Greek and Hebrew lore.j credit of the mint, 1640. The tradesmen were then driven to some other place of security for their gold, which, when kept at home, their apprentices frequently absconded with to the army. In 1645, they consented to lodge it with the goldsmiths, who were provided with strong iron chests for their own valuable wares, and this was the origin of banking in England. - Haydn. * Essayist — author of the Spectator, the first literary periodical published in England. t Poet and dramatist. t Essayist and dramatist. Q Satirist. I Poet. ~ So Harrison, a writer of that day, assures us, giving many names of ladies thus distinguished. The queen was a proficient in all these languages. After describing the various ways in which the ladies employ themselves for recreation from study, "some in exercising their fingers with the needle, divers in spinning of silk, the youngest with their lutes, citterns, pricksong, and all kinds of music, the eldest with skill in surgery and distillation of waters," he adds, " but there are none of them, but, when they be at home, can help to supply the 10 10 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, A Constitutional Union now England and Scotland bound, And from this time its monarchs were Kings of Great Britain crowned. Great Britain joined with Germany And Holland in a war Against the king of France, who strove To spread his conquests far. Marlboroughled the British force,The German, Prince Eugene; At length the peace of " Utrecht" came In seventeen thirteen. France was subdued; and England gained Gibraltar, Hudson's Bay, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, -and She holds them at this day. Near three and sixty million pounds This war had cost the land; Oh, for its suffering poor, how much Might such a sum command! The strife of Whig and Tory ran Higher than e'er was known; Doctor Sacheverell then preached Obedience to the throne. ordinary wants of the kitchen with a number of delicate dishes of their own devising." IN VERSE. 111 The Whigs had ruled the parliament, And filled the ministry; The Tories, e'er the reign had closed, Gained the ascendency. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPE. KING OF FRANCE. KING OF DENMARK. AD. A. D. A. D. Clement XI..... 1700 Louis XIV...... 1643 Frederick IV.... 1699 EMPERORS OF GERMANY. Leopold....... 1658 KING OF SPAIN. KING OF SWEDEN. Joseph I........ 1705 Philip V........ 1700 Charles XII..... 1697 Charles VI...... 1711 EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. KING OF PRUSSIA. Mustapha II.... 1695 Pedro II...... 1683 Frederick I.. 1701 Achmet III..... 1703 John V..... 1707 HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK. GEORGE I. 1714-1727. 13 YEARS. Without apparent discontent, King George the First was crowned, But soon, in James the Second's son, Was a "Pretender" found. 112 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The English Tories and the Scotch Boldly maintained his right; Some were imprisoned, some were killed, But he escaped by flight. In past reigns war had drained the land, And funds had been obtained From companies of merchants, who But small per centage gained. Blount, of the " South Sea Company," Imposed a golden dream, Then bought the debts, and thousands fell By this the "South Sea Scheme." The streets of London being still Without sufficient lights, Each house was ordered to hang out A lamp on moonless nights. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. EMPEROR OF THE TURKS. EMPRESS OF RUSSIA.. A. D. A. D. A. D, Clement XI..... 1700 Achmet III. 1703 Catherine.....1725 Innocent XIII... 1721 Benedict XIII... 1724 KINGS OF FRANCE. EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. Louis XIV...... 1643 EMPEROR OF GERMANY. Peter the Great, Louis XV...... 1715 Charles VI...... 1711 first emperor. 1702 KING OF SPAIN. I Philip V........ 1700 IN VERSE. 113 GEORGE II. 1727-1760. 33 YEARS. For ten years after George was crowned Did peace triumphant reign, When, with scarce shadow for excuse, A war was broached with Spain. Then, to support the Austrian queen, Another war* was waged, And in this contest greater part Of Europe was engaged. The treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle Settled Theresa's claim; But while King George made war abroad, The young "Pretender" came: And, aided by the king of France, Twice did he gain the field, But at Culloden, in the fight, He was compelled to yield. He fled, and wandered through the land, Unsheltered and alone; The Stuarts made no more attempts To gain the English throne. * This war was called the " War of the Austrian Succession;" it cost England ~54,000,000. 10 * 114 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, In North America did France On Britain's soil intrude, And, seventeen hundred fifty-five, A war* with her ensued. At first the French were conquerors, But at its close did they Surrender all of Canada Unto the British sway. In India the British had Extended wide their trade, And their " East India Company" Frequent encroachments made. The natives rose resistingly, But vain their efforts all; They lost Bahar, Orissa, and The kingdom of Bengal. In seventeen hundred fifty-two New style was introduced; In England first in twenty-one Inoculation used.t * This war closed with the "Peace of Paris," Feb. 10th, 1763, the third year of the reign of George III. t Introduced from Turkey in 1721 by Lady Mary Wortley Montague. She had her own son inoculated, and was afterwards allowed to have it tried upon seven condemned criminals. IN VERSE. 115 In twenty-nine, the Methodists* First into notice came,Wesley and Whitfield preached their faith, Warmed by a holy flame. Watts,t Thompson,t Young,t Goldsmith,t and Gray,T In this reign lived and wrote; Hume,~ Collins,ll Akenside,ll and Sterne, With many more of note. First Horace Walpole exercised The ministerial sway, And Pitt, the earl of Chatham, last Great statesman of his day. Then Rysback,~[ Reynolds,** Wilson,tt lived, Doddridgetj and Dodsley,4j: too, Halley,~~ Hogarth,jllJ Howard,~T and The Lady Montague.*** * The name was suggested by the Latin appellation Methodistae, given to a college of physicians in ancient Rome, in consequence of the strict regimen under which they placed their patients. t Poets and miscellaneous writers. $ Poet. ~ Historian. II Popular poets. (John Michael) sculptor. ** (Sir Joshua) painter. Died 1792. ft (Richard) landscape painter. Died 1782. $$ Poets. ~] Astronomer. 11ll (William) painter. Died 1764. ~~ (John) celebrated philanthropist. Died 1790. *am (Mary Wortley) distinguished writer. 116 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES. A. D. KINGS OF PORTUGAL. A.D. John.......... 1740 A. D, Benedict XIII... 1724 Elizabeth. 1741 John V.... 1707 Clement XII.... 1738 Joseph.... 1750 Benedict XIV.. 1740 KING OF FRANCE. Clement XIII... 1758 Louis XV..... 1715 KINGS OF DENMARK. Frederick IV.... 1699 EMPERORS OF GERMANY. KINGS OF SPAIN. Christian VI 1730 Frederick V.... 1746 Charles VI.... 1711 Philip V. (res.).. 1724 Charles VII..... 1740 Ferdinand VI... 1745 KINGS OF SWEDEN. Francis Stephen 1745 Frederick...... 1720 EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. Adolphus...... 1750 EMPERORS AND Achmet III..... 1703 EMPRESSES OF RUSSIA. Mahomet V..... 1730 KINGS OF PRUSSIA. Peter II........ 1727 Osman II....... 1754 Frederick II.... 1713 Anne......... 1730 Mustapha III... 1757 Frederick III.... 1740 GEORGE III. 1760-1820. 60 YEARS. The ministry of George the Third A policy pursued, Unto America unjust, And thence a war ensued. Her Independence she declared, Resolved to do and dare, — The shackles of a foreign king No longer would she wear. IN VERSE. 117 No longer be controlled by laws She had not helped to frame; No longer taxed by parliament, Where she had not a name. In seventy-five, a war commenced, And, seventeen eighty-three, She was victorious, and the king Yielded his sovereignty. Her victory thrilled the heart of France, And its crushed masses rose In war upon the church and state, Their unrelenting foes. From slumber long and deep, the kings Of Europe roused to know That from the people, scorned so long, Might spring the deadliest foe. They hastened to the field, and stood An army close "allied," And goaded France to desperate deeds, Till blood flowed far and wide. Then, like a tempest, Bonaparte Rushing through Europe came, Ambitious, as a conqueror, To build himself a name: 118 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, He crushed the crowns beneath his feet, And rocked the empires round, Till listening Europe recognised But war's terrific sound. England against Republic France Had constant battle made, And now against Imperial France Her forces were arrayed. She joined the nations, or she fought The desperate fight alone, Resolved nor blood nor gold to spare,'Till victory was won. Her Nelson conquered on the seas, With France and Spain at warFirst, in the "Battle of the Nile," And last at Trafalgar. Talavera, Salamanca, Vittoria, Waterloo, Were battles where Lord Wellington Made her triumphant, too. On Waterloo the contest closed, Which had for twenty years Made Europe one great battle-field, And drenched her soil with tears. IN VERSE. 119 For war, since sixteen eighty-eight,* Has England paid,'tis found, Two billion, twenty million, and Five hundred thousand pound. In India, Great Britain fought, Extending wide her sway, O'er Hyder Ally conquering, But carnage marked her way. Against her power had Ireland, In ninety-two, rebelled; France aided, but Cornwallis soon The insurrection quelled. A union at length was formed In eighteen hundred one, And England, Scotland, Ireland, were Then as "Great Britain" known. America, in eighteen twelve, War upon England made; England her seamen had impressed, And had disturbed her trade. * The period of the revolution which seated William and Mary upon the throne. 120 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, For this, the horrors of three years Of warfare she endured; She partly conquered on the seas, And then was peace procured. The Algerines, as pirates, were Notorious near and far, And their inhuman law made slaves Of prisoners of war. An English fleet assailed their coast, And only granted peace Upon the terms that slavery should In their dominion cease. And she abolished, in the year Of eighteen hundred seven, Her foreign slave-trade,*- piracy, None baser under Heaven! Though poets wrote to gain this end, And politicians, too, To Clarkson, Sharpe, and Wilberforce, Is the great merit due. * It was shown by authentic documents, produced by government, that from 1792 to 1807, a period of fifteen years, upwards of three millions, five hundred thousand Africans had been taken from their country, and had either miserably perished on the passage, or been sold in the West Indies.- Butler. IN VERSE. 121 This reign was marked by vigorous thoughtBy rapid progress made In navigation, letters, arts, In wealth, in power and trade. There we find Gibbon,* Robertson,* Fox,t Sheridan,t and Tooke,t Johnson,~ Burke,t Blackstone,ll Adam Smith,[ Cowper,** Bruce,tt Burns,** and Cook.14 Priestley,~~ Horne, llll Paley,sl[ Reynolds,*** Reid,tt Stewart, 14t Brown, ~~~ More, 11111I and Blair,~T~ Herschell,**** Bell,tttt Davy,$$$1 Byron,** White,** Shelley,** and Keats,** were there. * Historian. t Statesman and orator. 1 (Horne) philosopher. ~ Lexicographer.!I Eminent lawyer. ~[ Political economist. ** Poet. tt Traveller. jt Navigator. ~ Philosopher and writer. I111 Theologian. ~t Metaphysician. *** Painter. ttt Metaphysician, poet, essayist, and moralist..t:t Philosopher. ffl Philosophical writer. IIIII1 (Hannah) essayist and moralist. T~T Theologian and rhetorician. *X** Astronomer. tttt Surgeon, anatomist, and physiologist. t:~J Chemist. 11 122 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, The Spinning Jenny* first was used In seventeen sixty-nine; In eighty-five, the stages first Carried the written line. In seventeen hundred ninety-eight Was vaccination used;t In eighteen hundred and fourteen Was gas first introduced. A locomotive-engine first In eighteen four was seen; The first steamboat, in England, built In eighteen and fifteen. In sixteen, Davy's Safety Lamp The venturous miner saved; In eighteen, pictures upon steel By Perkins were engraved. * The first spinning jenny was made by Hargreaves, of Lancashire, 1767; it was improved by Sir Richard Arkwright, and a patent taken out, in 1769. Cotton was formerly spun by the hand. t Discovered by Dr. Jenner. IN VERSE. 123 CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPES, EMPERORS OF THE TURKS. SOVEREIGNS OF FRANCE. A. D. A. D. A. D. Clement XIV... 1769 Mustapha III.... 1757 Louis XVI...... 1774 Pius VI....... 1775 Achrnet IV..... 1774 Republic....... 1793 Pius VII.... 1800 Selim III....... 1789 Napoleon, Consul 1799 Mahmoud VI. 1808 " Emperor 1804 EMPERORS OF GERMAXNY. |... Louis XVIII.... 1814 Joseph II...... 1765 EMPERORS AND Leopold Il...... 1790 EMPRESSES OF RUSSIA. Francis II..... 1792 Peter III....... 1762 IINGS OF SPAIN. Assumed the title Catherine II... 1763 Charles III.... 1759 of Emperor of Paul I......... 1797 Charles IV..... 1788 Austria. Alexander. 1801 Ferdinand VII.. 1808 GEORGE IV. 1820 —1830. 10 YEARS. George Fourth arraigned his queen for crimes, But proof he could not find, And to deprive her of her rights, The House of Lords declined. Hostilities had ceased, but wars' Encumbrances remained, And various speculative schemes Unwonted credence gained. 1-24 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, In twenty-five, the " bubbles"* burst, And vanished into air,Four hundred thousand sterling pounds Were represented there. England refused her aid to France To tyrannize in Spain, But she assisted Greece, who strove Her freedom to regain. With Russia and with France allied, She fought the Turkish fleet,In Navarino harbour gained A victory complete. For years had Greece been suffering Beneath the Turkish yoke, But now she rose exultinglyHer galling fetters broke. In Africa and India Were insurrections quelled, For still against their conquerors The colonists rebelled. A Bill, providing that the laws No longer should remain To Roman Catholics opposed, Distinguished this reign. * This has been styled "the year of the disastrous speculation in btulbles." IN VERSE. 125 Macadamizing London streets In twenty-four began, And carriages, propelled by steam, In twenty-nine first ran. Then Coleridge,* Crabbe,* and Southey,t lived, Hemans,t Hogg,~ Hall,ll and Scott,jf Lander** and Lamb,tt with more whose names Will long be unforgot. CONTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS. POPE. KING OF PRUSSIA. QUEEN OF PORTUGAL. AD. A.D. A. D. Leo XII....... 1823 Frederick III... 1797 Donna Maria da Gloria....... 1831 EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA. KING OF HANOVER. EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. Francis........ 1804OF RUSSIA. George IV. king of Nicholas I..... 1825 KING OF BAVARIA. Great Britain. 1820 KING OF S.RDINIA. Louis Charles Charles Felix... 1821 Angustus.... 1825 KINGS OF NAPLES AND Charles Felix... 1821 SICILVY. KING OF SAXONY. KING OF THE Ferdinand IV. Anthony Clement 1827 NETHERLANDS. (restored).... 1824 William I..... 1813 Francis Janvier KING OF SWEDEN AND KING AND ELECTORATE Joseph......1825 Charles XIVNORWAY.... 1818 OF BOHEMIA. Francis II...... 1792 KING OF SPAIN. GRAND $EIGNIOR OF TURKEY. Ferdinand VII.. 1808 KING OF DENMARK. Mahmoud VI... 1808 Frederick VI... 1808 KING OF POLAND. KING OF WIRTEMBERG. KING OF FRANCE. Nicholas I., see Frederick WilCharles X...... 1824 Russia... 1825 liam........ 1816 * Poets. t Poet, historian, and biographer. $ Poetess. (Ettrick Shepherd) poet. I1 Eminent divine. I Novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. *- Affican traveller. -t Essayist. 11 * 126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, WILLIAM IV. 1830-1837. 7 YEARS. When William, brother to the king, Succeeded to the throne, The people had resolved to make Their heavy grievance known. War had increased the nation's debt Beyond its power to pay, And'neath the taxes, quadrupled, The groaning people lay. They urged upon the parliament That members should be sent More from the counties and the towns, Their rights to represent. The duke of Wellington resigned, Grey fought the battle through, And the "Reform Bill" passed at length In eighteen thirty-two. Reform was gained for Ireland, too, Where great distress prevailed; She sought to be relieved from tithes,BEut here her efforts failed. IN VERSE. 127 To use the surplus of this fund To aid the public good The Commons moved, but in the House Of Lords it was withstood. O'Connell preached throughout the land The Union repeal, And urged it as the only means The nation's wounds to heal. But the great fact in William's reign On which the Christian smiles, Is that eight hundred thousand slaves, In the West India isles, Were loosed in eighteen thirty-four By parliament's decree, And twenty millions sterling paid To set the bondman free. In England's annals, this is found To be the only reign In which no foreign war was waged, No man for treason slain. 128 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, ALEXANDRINA VICTORIA. BEGAN TO REIGN JUNE 20TH, 1837. Shouts rent the air, and far and near Were joyful faces seen, When to the English throne advanced A fair and youthful queen. Ere long, disturbances arose In Canada, and war Has since been waged with Syria, With China and Lahore. In the wide question of " Repeal," All Ireland has engaged; Frightfully famine and disease, And civil war, have raged. The reformation long required In Corn laws has been made, And England has adopted now The system of Free trade.* * It is thought correct to say she has adopted the system of free trade. She has no "protective tax"-no tax to protect her own manufactures; but an "income tax" and a tax on goods imported, (such as she does not grow,) to produce a revenue. This tax averages 10 per cent., excepting on tobacco, which pays 300 per cent. IN VERSE. 129 The working classes have combined, Their wrongs have been revealed, Five millions of the " Chartists"* have To parliament appealed. The tax on window-panes has been Abolished in this reign; The "Penny Postage system" doth Throughout the realm obtain.t Vessels propelled by steam have first An ocean passage made, And the Electric TelegraphS The message has conveyed. England has mourned the great and good, Passed from the earth away,* So called from the Charter which they presented to parliament. Their chief demands are, Universal suffrage, Vote by ballot, No property qualification for voting, Annual parliaments, Payment of memnbers, and Equal Electoral districts. t Established in 1840. t England and France are now connected by electric telegraph wires cased in gutta percha, which were sunk in the channel, from Dover to Cape Geisnez, Aug. 28th, 1850. The sea here is from 30 to 180 feet deep. The number of miles of telegraphic lines in Great Britain in 1849, all on railway tracks, was 2000. The cost, $750 per mile. 130 IIISTORY OF ENGLAND, Philanthropists, philosophers, Poets, and statesmen, they.* But those yet live, whose minds and hearts Would honour any age,Whose names, in days that are to come, Will brighten history's page. Efforts are making to diffuse Learning amongst the poor, And to repeal the olden "Law Of Primogeniture."t * Among the distinguished individuals who have died since the commencement of this reign, are:Letitia McClean (L. E. Lan- Cooke Taylor, Historian... 1849 don), Poet............. 1838 Horace Smith, Literateur.. 1849 Costley Paxton Cooper, M. D., Lord Eldon......... 1849 Medical Writer......... 1840 W. L. Bowles, Poet.......1849 Robert Soutliey, Poet, Histo- Sir William Allen, Painter. 1849 rian, and Biographer.... 1843 W. Prout, Chermist........ 1849 Thomas Campbell, Poet... 1844 Jane Porter, Novelist...... 1849 Thomas Henderson, Astro- W. Kirby, Entomologist.... 1849 nomer................ 1844 William Wordsworth, Poet 1850 Thomas Hood, Poet....... 1845 R. Westall, Painter....... 1850 Elizabeth Fry, Philanthro- R. J. Wyatt, Sculptor... 1850 pist................ 1845 Sir M. A. Shee, Painter.... 1850 R. B. Haydon, Painter..... 1846 P. F. Tyler, Historian..... 1850 Thomas Chalmers, D. D., Joavina Baillie, Poet and NoTheologian and Political velist. 1851 Economist............. 1846 Ebenezer Elliot, Author of Daniel O'Connell. 1847 " Corn Law Rhllymes"'... 1851 D'Israeli, Literateur....... 1848 Sir Robert Peel, Prime MiThomas Dick, Astronomer. 1849 nister of England, July, 1851. Maria Edgeworth, Novelist 1849 Thomas Moore, Poet...... 1852 t This law was introduced by Will nm the Conqueror. IN VERSE. 131 The right of Franchise to extend,The Jews to free from all The legal disabilities Which hold them now in thrall. And for the delver in the mine, The toiler at the loom, The convict in the prison-cell, Light breaketh through the gloom. Great Britain challenges the world, And worketh what she will; In commerce, all unrivalled she, And in industrial skill. In science, literature, and arts, She has a glorious fame; Unto the sea's wide sovereignty, Europe accords her claim. For bridges, roads, canals, no land Can with her own compare; In unsurpassed magnificence Arise her buildings fair. On every sea her sail is spread, In every port'tis furled,The "Land of Tin" has now become The wonder of the world! CHRONOLOGICAL CHART, TABLES, &c. (132) REIGNING SOVEREIGNS OF EUROPE. DATE OF DATE OF I ~ NAME. TITLE. STATE. BIRT. ACCESSION. RELIGION. BIRTH. AccEss.oN. __ Oscar I........... King....... Sweden and Norway. July 4, 1799 Mar. 8, 1844 45 Lutheran. Nicholas I... Emperor... Russia.... July 6, 1796 Dec. 1, 1825 29 Gr'kChurch. Frederick VII...... King....... Denmark........... Oct. 6, 1808 Jan. 20, 1848 39 Lutheran. m 2 Victoria.Queen..... Great Britain. May 24, 1819 June 20, 1837 18 Prot. Episc. ~ William III....... King....... Holland or Netherl'ds Feb. 19, 1817 Mar. 17, 1849 32 Reformed. C Leopold........ "....... Belgium............ Dec. 16; 1790 July 21, 1831 40 Lutheran.* [ Frederick Wmi. IV... Prussia............. Oct. 15, 1795 June 7, 1840 45 Evangelical. Frederick Augustus.......Saxony May 18, 1797 June 6, 1836 39 Catlholic.* Ernest Augustus.... "r........ Hanover............ May 27, 1819 1851 33 Evangelical. q Frederick Francis.. Grand Duke Mecklenburg-Schwer. Feb. 28, 1823 Mar. 7, 1842 19 Lutheran. Z George...........,, " Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Aug. 12, 1799 Nov. 6, 1816 37 " Augustus......... cc " Oldenburg.......... July, 13, 1783 May 21, 1829 46 IC William.. D....... Duke. Brunswick.......... Apr. 25, 1806 Apr. 25, 1831 25 " Adolphus......... cc...... Nassau............. July 24, 1817 Aug. 20, 1839 22 Evangelical. Charles Frederick.. Grand Duke Saxe-Weimar-Eisen.. Feb. 2, 1783 June 14, 1828 45 Lutheran. Ernest II.......... Duke Saxe-Coburg-Gotha... June 21, 1818 Jan. 29, 1844 26 " - Bernard................ Saxe-Meiningen Dec. 17, 1800 Dec. 24, 1803 3 1 REIGNING SOVEREIGNS OF EUROPE.-Continued. v DI)TE OF DATE'OF E~ NAME. TITIE. STATE. BIT RELIGION. BIRTI. AccEssIoN. Joseph........... Duke...... Saxe-Altenburg...... Aug. 27, 1789 Sept. 29, 1834 45 Lutheran. Leopold......... Anhalt-Dessau....... Oct. 1, 1794 Aug. 9, 1817 22 Evangelical. s Alexander........ " Anhalt-Bernberg.... Mar. 2, 1805 Mar. 24, 1834 29 " Augusta.......... Duchess Anhalt-Cdthen....... Aug. 3, 1794 Nov. 23, 1847 53 Reformed. H Gunther.......... Prince.... Sclhwarzburg-Rudolst. Nov. 6, 1793 Apr. 28, 1807 13 Lutheran. Gunther.......... "..... Sclhwarzburg-Sonder'n Sept. 24, 1801 Sept. 3, 1835 34 " Henry XX......... "..... Reuss, (Elder Line).. June 29, 1794 Oct. 31, 1836 42 c" mc Henry LXII....... ".....L Reuss, (Younger Line) May 31, 1785 Apr. 17, 1818 33 " O Leopold........... Lippe-Detmold...... Nov. 6, 1796 Apr. 4,1802 5 Reformed. - George........... "..... Lippe-Schaumhburg Dec. 20, 1784 Feb. 13, 1787 2' George Victor W...... aldeck.J.......... an. 14, 1831 May 15, 1845 14 Evangelical. t Ferdinand........ Landgrave.. Hesse-Homburg. Apr. 26, 1783 Sept. 7, 1848 65 Reformed. M Leopold.......... Grand Duke Baden. Aug. 29, 1790 Mar. 30, 1830 40 Evangelical. " Frederick William. Elector..... Hesse-Cassel........ Aug. 20, 1802 Nov. 20, 1847 45 Reformed. Louis III.......... Grand Duke Hesse-Darmstadt. June 9, 1806 June 16, 1848 42 Lutheran. 2 Charles Antony.... Prince..... Hohenzol'n-Sigmar'n. Sept. 7, 1811 Aug. 1848 37 Catholic. Frederick.............. Hohenzol'n-Hechn'n Feb. 16, 1801 Sept. 13, 1838 37 cc Aloys.............. Iichtenstein........ May 26, 1796 Apr. 20, 1836 40 cc William........... King....... Wurtemberg........ Sept. 27, 1781 Oct. 30, 1816 35 Lutheran. Maximilian II. Bavaria.. Nov. 28, 1811 Mar. 21, 1848 37 Catholic. Francis Joseph I... Emperor... Austria...Aug. 18, 1830 Dec. 2, 1848 18 C" REIGNING SOVEREIGNS OF EUPROPE.-Continued. DATE OF DATE OF NAME. TITLE. STATE. B A RELIGION. BIRTH. AccEssION. Charles Louis N. Bonaparte... President..... France.............. Apr. 20, 1808 Dec. 20, 1848 40 Catholic. Isabella II........ Queen..... Spain............. Oct. 10, 1830 Sept. 29, 1833 3 c Maria II.......... ".....I Portugal.. Apr. 4, 1819 May 2, 1826 7 " Victor Emanuel.... King....... Sardinia...... Mar. 14, 1820 Mar. 25, 1849 29 C Leopold II......... Grand Duke Tuscany............ Oct. 3, 1797 June 18, 1824 26 c Ferdinand Charles. Duke...... Parma............. Jan. 14, 1823 April, 18491 26 " Francis V............... Modena and Massa.. June 1, 1819 Jan. 21, 1846 26 CC 0 Pius IX Pope....... Pope States of the Church. May 13, 1792 June 21, 1846 54 cc Ferdinand II..... ng....... Two Sicilies. Jan. 12, 1810 Nov. 8, 1830 20 i: Otho........ " Greece..............June 1, 1815May 7, 1832 17 Catholic,* Abdul Medjed..... Sultan. TurkeyMay 6, 1822 July 1, 1839 17 Mahometan. Florestan......... Prince. Monaco............Oct. 10, 1785 Oct. 2, 1841 56 Catholic. John............. Regent..... German Federation.. Jan. 20, 1782 June 29, 1848 66 " The king of Belgium is a Protestant, though his subjects are mostly Catholics; the king of Saxony is a Catholic, though the greater part of his subjects are Protestants; and the king of Greece is a Catholic, though most of his subjects are of the Greek Church. Cn SOVEREIGNS OF ENGLAND. oz SAXON FAMILY. —17 KINGS. o BEGAN KINGS. TO QUEENS. ISSUE. " REIGN. M 800 EGBERT. 827 Redburga............. Ethelbert, ET1ELWOLF. he asterisk signifies [-. I- ETHELWOLF....... 838 1.. ETIiELBALD, ETHELBERT. that there was;' - [ETEWI3.... 2. Judith of France.... ETHELRED I., ALoRED. moe importe t I 8 i LEJudit, t........ mor iseot ||LETHELBALD 857 Judith, mother-in-law. No issue. in history. | -- LETAELBERT 860 Not known.............dhelm,.thelward. " | L-ETHELRED I. 866 — TALFRED the Great. 872 Aswinta............. EDARD, Elfleda, Ethelwald.* 900 ILEDWARD the Elder. 900 1. Elfleda. 2. Edgiva.. ATHELSTAN, Beatrix, EDMUNDn I., Edred, Egitha.* I LATHELSTAN....... 925.................... No issue. 5 f-r-EDMUND I........ 941 Elgiva.EDWY, EDGAR. -EDRED............ 948 Not known........... Alfrid, Bedfrid. | L-EDWY....... * 955 Elgiva.No issue. L —-EDGA........... 959 1. Ethelfleda. 2. Elfrida EDWARD, ETHELRED II.* )! [ LEDWARD the Martyr 975 Not married. ETHELRED II....... 978 1. Elgiva. 2. Ernma of [.IETHELRED Normandy.......... EDMUND II., EDWARD. 1000 I r-SWEYN (Dane).... 1013 1. Gunilda. 2. Sigrita..I CANUTE, Esthritha. l —EDMuND II., Ironside 1016 dlgitha.Edmund, Edward the Outlaw, I M argaret. DANISH KINGS.-3. KINGS. REIGN. QUEENS. ISSUE. O>0 I CANUE, the Great 1017 1..lfwen. 2. Emma... Sweyn, HAROLD I., CANUTE II. Oa 3* 1iHAROLD I...........1036 Not married. O LCANUTE II 1039 Not married. _______ |SAXON LINE RESTORED. -EWARD, the Con- 1041 Editha, daughter of Earl af essor.......... Godwin..... No issue. HAROLD Il...... 1066 1.. 2. Algetha. Edmund, Godwin. NORMAN FAMILY.-3 KINGS. William I., the 7th duke of Normandy, illegitimate son of Robert, and descended from Rollo, the first duke. t mWILLIAM I., the Robert, Wm II., Herlry I., Addela, marConqueror. 1066 Matilda of Flanders... tied Earl of Blois; issue Stephen, t 1~i 1087 Nt marrd ~~~~Family of Blois. | WILLIA.I II., Rufus 1087 Not married. 1100 r — HENRY I., Beauclerc 1100 Matilda of Scotland... William, Matilda, or l11aud,* mother d of HENRY II. HOUSE OF BLOIS.- 1 KING. -_STEPr EN (grandson)[ 1135 1 Matilda of Boulogne... Eustace, William.* FAMILY OF PLANTAGENET OR ANJOU.-14 KINGS. Matilda, or Maud, daughter of Henry L, first married Henry V., Emperor of Germany; afterwards, Geoffrey Plantagenet, Earl of Anjou; issue, Henry II. 0 IG. qBEGAN KINGS. REIGN. QUEENS. ISSUE. L1 H ENRY II.V........ 1154 Eleanor of Guienne.... Henry, RICHARD I., Geoffrey, JOHaN,M IT (grandson.) Matilda.* (From Matilda, the present House of Brunswick is dede-lion........... i189 Berenguela of Navarre. No issue. O 1200 -John, Lackland..... 1199 1. Alice. *2. Avisa.... HENRY III., Jane, Isabel, Eleanor, r j, l ~3. Isabel............. RIc.ARD.* M X LHENRR III....... 1216 Eleanor of Provence... EDWARD I., Margaret, Beatrix, Ed- z mund.*) -EDWARD I., Losg- 1. Eleanor of Castile... EDWARD II., Thomas, Edmund, Mar- r I shanks..........1272 2. Mary of France..... garet.* 1300 EDWARD II........ 1307 Isabella of France.... EDWARD III., Jane, Eleanor. z 1300 EDWARD III....... 1327 Philippa of Hainault Edward, the Black Prince, father of..... x3I l I I I RICHARD II., William, Lionel, (York); John of Gaunt, father of HENRY IV., ti i l l Edmund. RICHARD I. o 1377 1. Anne of Bohemia lo issue.' |I s(grandson.) 2. Isabella of France.. BRANCH OF LANCASTER.-3 KINGS. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III.; issue, Henry IV. um 0 I I I I KINGS. BEGAN QUEENS. ISSUE. 1400 j I-.HENRY IV....... 1399 1. Mary Bohun........ HENRY V., Thomas, John, Hum- M (grandson.) 2. Jane of Navarre.... phrey.* I VLHENRY V........1413 Catherine of France... HENRY VI. I LHENRY VI........ 1422 Margaret of Anjou Edward, murdered. BRANCH OF YORK.-3 KINGS. I Lionel, Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III.; issue, Philippa (married Mortimer,!z Earl of Marche); issue, Roger; issue, Anne (married Richard, Duke of York, son of Edmund, the ffth son of Edward III.); issue, Richard; issue, Edward IV. and i ichard III. I L —EDWARD IV........ 1461 Elizabeth Woodville, or EDWARD V., Richard, Elizabeth, (6th gen.) Grey..............Catherine.* EDWARD V........ 1483 Not married. L —— RICHARD III....... 1483 Ann Neville.Edward. (6th gen.) HOUSE OF TUDOR.-5 SOVEREIGNS. John of Gaunt; issue (second son), John; issue, John; issue, Margaret (married Edmund Tudor); issue, Henry VII. BEGAN 02 KINGS. R IGN. QUEENS. ISSUE. -ENRY VII........ 1485 Elizabeth of York Arthur (died 1502), HENRY VIII., MarF-F (5th. gen.) garet, Mary,* grandmother of Jane 1500 +=HENRY VIII..... 1509 1. Catharine of Arragon MARY. [[ —r 2. Anne Boleyn....... ELIZABETH. 3. Jane Seymour......EDWARD VI. Z 4. Ann of Cleves. U2 I I l I 5. Catharine Howard. 6. Catharine Parr. LEDWARD VI....... 1547 Not married. I MARY........... 1553 Philip II., of Spain.... No issue. M L —ELIZABETH. 1558 Not married. FAMILY OF STUART.-6 SOVEREIGNS. MAargaret, daughter of Henry VII., married James IV. (Stuart) of Scotland; issue, James V.; issue, Mary; issue, James VI. of Scotland, same as James I., England.? 1600 — JAMXS I.... 1603 Anne of Denmark..... Henry (died 1612), CHARLES I., ElizaF r (gr. gr. grandson.) beth. CHARLES I..... 1625 Henrietta of France... CHARLES II., JAMIES II., Henry, Mary,* I FF married the Prince of Orange. ! Oliver Cromwell....1 1653..................... (Protector of the Commonwealth.) ILCHARLES II........1660 Catharine of Portugal.. No lawful issue. % r JAMES II1. 1685 1. Ann Hyde. 2. Mary MARY, ANNE, James,* (Pretender, father of Este of Charles Edward, second Pretender.) IL-WILLIAM III. aTnd 1689 MARY, (daughter of James (WILLIAM III., Prince of Orange, was MARY.......... II., died 1694)..... grandson of Charles I., and husband 2O IroO ANNE.~...~-... ~J 170 of MARaY.) 1700 KL —AN r E.. 1702 George, Pr. of Denmark 17 children —all died young. M HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, HANOVER, oR GUELPH. —6 SOVEREIGNS. M [ Elizabeth, daughter of James I, married Frederick V., Elector Palatine; issue, Sophia Q (married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover); issue, George I. t - GEORGE I........ 1714 Sophia of Zelle....... GEORGE II., Sophia. (gr. grandson.) -G.. 0 G EORGE II......... 1727 Caroline of Anspach... Frederick, (father of George III., died Y 1751,) William, Anne, Louisa. GEORGE III....... 1760 Charlotte of Mecklen- GEORGE IV., Frederick, WILLIAM, Ed- t rr (grandson.) burg-Strelitz......... ward, Ernest Augustus, Adolphus.-* 1800 I | LGEORGE IV........ 1820 Caroline of Brunswick. Charlotte Augusta, died 1817. — WILLIAM IV...... 1830 Adelaide of Saxe-MeiI —AL~xa N~nIsa V~c- (JUNE 10 ningen. L-ALEXANDRINA VIC- JUNE 10 Married, Feb. 10, 1840, Victoria, Albert, Alice, Alfred, Helena, t a Ton~.TORIA.... 18.37 to Prince Albert Au- Louisa, Arthur. C~t..gustus Charles Ernanuel, of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, born Aug. 26, 1819.,. STATISTICS, DESCRIPTIVE OF THE PRESENT CONDITION OF GREAT BRITAIN. Total area of the Uliited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrJeland. SQ. MILES. POP. IN 185]. England.............. 8,648........ 16,965,684 Scotland.... 31,268........ 2,870,784 Wales.. 7,263........ 1,100,000 Ireland... 28,095........ 6,515,794 Great Britain and Ireland.......125,274. 27,452,262 London........... about.2,000,000 Liverpool...................... 300,000 Edinburgh and Leith ".................... 200,000 Glasgow........ ".................... 300,000 Manchester........ "................... 320,000 The possessions of Great Britain in Europe are: Heligoland, Gibraltar, and the Ionian Isles. Izn Africa. Senegambia and Upper Guinea, Cape Colony, St. Helena, Mauritius, &C. Izt Asia. Hindostan, part of Farther India, Ceylon, Singapore, Hongkong, &c. In Australasia. Australia, Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island. In America. British North America, Guiana, many of the West India Islands, Bahamas, and Balize. Total area of these possessions, 4,686,000 miles. Total population in 1844, 131,000,000. (142) STATISTICS. 143 National Debt.........................800,000,000 Revenue for the year ending Jan. 5, 1850....... 52,951,74S Expenditure................................. 50,853,622 Exports of Great Britain and Ireland, 1849, ~58,848,042, being an increase of ~9,902,717 over those of 1848. Of the exports, there were: To British Colonies............................16,594,037 United States of America...................... 9,564,909 Brazil................................... 2,067,299 China..................................... 1,445,959 Cuba......................................... 733,169 Mexico and Central South America......... 3,757,463 ANNUAL PRODUCE. VALUE. Cotton...................................... ~35,000,000 Woollen................................. 22,000,000 Iron and Wood ware......................... 17,000,000 Watches, Jewelry, &c.......................... 3,000,000 Leather..................................... 1.3,500,000 Linen...................................... 8,000,000 Silk......................................... 10,000,000 Glass and Earthen ware....................... 4,250,000 Paper....................................... 1,500,000 Hats....................................... 2,400,000 Total............~116,650,000 ( McCulloch.) Value of the Agrlicultural Produce, exclusive of Wood. England and Wales... ~132,500,000 Scotland......................... 20,455,000 Ireland.........................4........... 4,500,000 Total............~197,455,000 These estimates must be regarded as mere approximations, though we are disposed to think they come pretty near the mark.-lMcCulloch. There must, necessarily, be a great deal of looseness in such computations, though we do not believe that the result involves any very material error. There are no means of forming any tolerable correct estimate of the extent of land under different crops in Ireland. - lb. 144 STATISTICS. It is supposed that, of the 8,500,000 people in Ireland, 50,000 are mainly supported by the potatoe; and that, of the remainder, 2,500,000 depend principally upon oats. - lb. Spirits, 1840. In England, Ireland, and Scotland, duty was paid in 1840 on the following quantities of spirits, viz: GALLONS. Rum......................................... 2,830,263 Brandy....................................... 1,167,756 Geneva.................................... 18,640 On other foreign spirits......................... 8,758 01n British, Irish, and Scotch spirits............... 25,190,843 Making, in the whole, nearly 30,000,000 gallons, upon which the duty amounted to about eight millions of pounds sterling.-Parl. Ret. A CRES. Waste land in Great Britain and Ireland.......... 15,301,994 Bog land in Ireland............................. 3,000 Square miles of Coal formation in Great Britain..... 11,859 Tons of Coal produced in 1845.................. 31,500,000 Estimated value at the place of production........ ~9;450,000 (World's Progress.) MILES. Canals in England.................................. 2,800 In Ireland......................................... 300 Railways in Great Britain in 1850..................... 6,075 Receipts per mile per week, ~44.-American Almanac for 1850. 5,308 nliles have been opened since 1844. The receipts per mile have decreased ~20. Electric Telegraph lines in England in 1849...... 2,000 miles. Vessels in Commerce and Fisheries................ 23,898 Tonnage......................................3,007,581 STATISTICS. 145 Navy, in 1845............. 680 vessels. Army............................. 122,000 men. Stationed in India.30,000 " (Ungewitter.) Poor Tax in England in 1845.................. ~5,418,845 In Ireland there is no compulsory poor tax. UNIVERSITIES 3. —London, Oxford, and Cambridge. Oxford has twenty colleges and twenty-five halls; Cambridge, thirteen colleges and four halls. Instruction to the people in England................ 1 in 20 "' " " Scotland. 1 in 11 "C cc "C Ireland.................. 1 in 35 Public Schools for the Poor, exclusive of Sunday Schools. SCHOOLS. SCHOLARS. England...................... 13,642... 998,431 Scotland...................... 4,836.... 181,467 Wales....................... 841... 38,164 Ireland..................... 13,327.... 774,000 32,646 1,992,062 Public Libraries in Great Britain................... 53 Volumes... 1,780,000 None are taken into account which contain less than ten thousand volumes. - Parl. Rep. Brit. Mus. New books annually printed, exclusive of pamphlets and reprints, fifteen thousand. Newspapers published in Great Britain in 1849. London....................................... 160 Scotland........................................ 232 Ireland............................. 117 English Provinces........................... 94 603 13 146 STATISTICS. Advertisements in the London Newspapers in 1849, ~886,108; paying a gross duty of ~66,453. The annual revenue from the Penny Post, after paying all expenses, is about ~84,000. There are about three million five hundred houses in England. — Peter. As nearly as can be estimated, the rental of England, Scotland, and Wales, will amount to about ~34,000,000 Ireland........... 12,715,478 War absorbs ninety-nine cents of every dollar. - Sumner. Fifteen million pounds annually appropriated for Army and Navy. - lb. Forty million pounds annual tax to pay for former wars, and to prepare for new.-Ib. Four million pounds annual appropriation for all civil purposes of government. - lb. Congregations. Roman Catholics.................................... 416 Presbyterians...................................... 197 Independents.................................... 1840 Baptists........................................ 1201 Calvinistic Methodists........................... 427 Wesleyan............................... 2818 Other............................... 396 THE END. LINDSAY & BLAKISTON PUBLISH MY LITTLE GEOGRAPHY, F OR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND FOR BEGINNERS. WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. EDITED BY MRS. L. C. TUTHILL. RECOMMENDATIONS. From Mrs. E. W. Phelps, Principal of the Female Seminary, Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, Va. Messrs. Lindsay 4. Blakiston: —" My Little Geography" is the favourite volume of my younger pu pils, who have been charmed with the chapters they have studied, and delighted at finding they could commit the sprightly little verses to memory. Such an elementary treatise was quite a desideratum, and I am pleased that the idea suggested itself to a person capable of carrying it out, in a style so peculiarly adapted to instruct and interest the young. Very respectfully yours, E. W. PHELPS. From J. E. Lovell, Principal of the Lancasterian School, New Haven, Conn. I have examined a little work, by Mrs. L. C. Tuthill, entitled "My Little Geography." It is by no means an easy task to write well for young children, but this performance is, I think, highly successful. Its language is simple and chaste; its sentences concise, and its topics so treated that the youngest pupil will easily understand them. Several books for beginners in Geography-excellent in most respects —have been published within a few years; but they are, without an exception, so far as my knowledge extends, too comprehensive, and above the capacities of those for whose particular use they were intended. Mrs. Tuthill's little work may be used as introductory to either of them, with great advantage; it will do its own part well, and open the way for the better accomplishment of that which belongs to its successors. I hope it may have an extensive circulation. J. E. LOVELL. OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. This is the title of a captivating little book for children, by which they are led, almost insensibly, into a knowledge of geographical terms. —Comnercial Advertiser. Than this unpretending little work we have never seen a more useful or appropriate school-book, or one more admirably calculated for beginners in geography; we can recommend it, without fear of responsibility, to our seminaries, as well deserving a trial.-Southern Patr.ot. We welcome, with particular pleasure, this little work; the author has succeeded admirably in producing a book which must prove a valuable auxiliary to parents and teachers, as well as a delighttal and instructive companion for children.-Saturday Courier.'lThis is an attractive, we must add, entertaining book; as a first Geography for children, it is admnirably suited to their capacities, and its embellishments cannot fail to interest them. - Christian Observer. This is a most admirable work for young becinners in Geography; it should be introduced into families and schools.-lnttelligencf. nd Jourrai LINDSAY & BLAKISTON PUBLI S I AUNT MARY'S TALES, BY MRS. HUGHS, &U THOR OF "IBUDS AND BLOSSOMS," P(IVY WREATH," ETC. ETOI A SERIES OF JUVENILE BOOKS, FOR ritut Yaugh Rely littlt Cirlg. EACH VOLUME ILLUSTRATED BY A COLOURED FRONTISPIECE, Ten Volumes, square 16mo., CONTAINING AS FOLLOWS: THE YOUNG ARTIST, OR SELF-CONQUEST. THE YOUNG SAIL6R, OR PERSEVERANCE REWARDED. HOLIDAYS IN THE COUNTRY, OR VANITY DISAPPOINTED. GENEROSITY, OR THE STORY OF SYBELLA AND FLORENCE. THE MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY, OR THE BROKEN VASE. LISSIE LINDEN, OR HER MOCKING-BIRD. THE GIPSEY FORTUNE-TELLER, OR THE TROUBADOUR. FRANK WORTHY; OR THE ORPHAN AND HIS BENEFACTOR. MAY MORNING, OR A VISIT TO THE COUNTRY. THE PROUD GIRL HUMBLED, OR THE TWO SCHOOLMATES. NOTICES OF TlHE PRESS, We are glad to see a lady of Mrs. Hughs' abilities so usefully employed. Her stories are written in an engaging style, which will insure their eager perusal, while they convey sound instruction in regard to the improvement of the temper, and the proper cultivation of the domestic and social affections.-Saturday Courier. A series of highly attractive little books for juvenile readers from the pen of IMr s. Iuglls, which are happily narrated in a style and manner calculated to awaken an interest in the minds of the young, and blend instruction with amusement, in forms adapted to'promote their improvement.Christian Observer.