John 3^.7 ett Some few of the lessons towards the close ot eacn JbooK, go a iiuie oeyouu he requirements of their respective standards : their purpose is to serve as n introduction to the next higher Standard. These books are published at such prices that children may be able to pur- hase their own books, and so committees will be saved a considerable mount of expense. Preparatory Standard I. consists of 56 pages, inFcp. Oct., printed . \.^^A 4^^v.«. I NEW STANDAELS. The New Standard I. consists of 72 pages, Fcp. Oct., printed in clear bold type, paragraphs numbered, strongly bound in cloth, price 6d. It contains easy lessons, in one and two syllables, on Common Things, Natural History, and little tales and rhymes, such as will attract and retain the attention of the children. Carefully arranged columns of spellings at the head of each lesson. The Addition, Substraction, and Multiplication Tables, with exercises in Arithmetic as far as Multiplication expressed in words and figures. Recapitulatory Exercise for writing and spelling. Standard II. consists of 96 pages, in Fcp. Oct., yery strongly bound in cloth, price 6d. It contains simple and attractive Narratives, lessons in Natural History, and Common Objects, and a few short interesting poems. Spelling Lessons, Recapitulatory exercise for writing and spelling. Arithmetic. The Arithmetic is set in a variety of forms, in figures and in words. At the end of the book will be found the Arithmetical Exam- ination TestSj suitable for monthly examinations, and for preparing the children for the Annual Inspection. The Multiplication, Division, and Pence Tables. DuAwiNO. As Drawing now forms part of every school curriculum, it has been thought desirable to inseit a few First Grade Dmwing Copies, suitable for practice at home. Standard III. consists of 112 pages, Fcp. Oct., in strong cloth binding, price 7d. It contains instructive and amusing Stories for Children, interesting les- sons in Natural History and Common Things, with a variety of attractive poetry. Exercises for Transcription and Dictation. Reading Columns of difficult words other than those found in this book. This will enable a child with average ability, to read almost any book the Inspector may use. Exercise in Arithmetic. The questions being varied in form, both in figures, words, and problems. The Arithmetical Examination Tests have been placed at the end of the book as in Standard II. Drawing. A few copies of the First Grade slightly more difficult than those in Standard II. Standard IY. consists of 136 pages, Fcp. Oct., in strong cloth, price 8d. The prose lessons includes Fables, Stories of Animals, Lessons in Geogra- phy, Common Things, Biography. Exercises for Transcription and Dictation. The poetry is chiefly of the narrative kind, suitable for either Reading or Recitation, from the compositions of Charles Swain, Esq., Professor Kings- ley, Wordsworth, Southey, Campbell, Mrs. Howitt, Miss Eliza Cook, Mrs Hemans, &c. Also 200 lines of poetry have been added to meet the re- ^ .t:>. 1 NEW CODE, 1871. THE FIFTH 'STANDAED' EEADING HOME LESSONBOOK. CONTAIXIXG EEADINGS IN POETEY, HISTORY, AND NATURAL SCIENCE ; WITH LESSONS IN ENGLISH LITER- ATURE, THE METRIC SYSTEM, ARITHMETIC AND DRAWING. ADAPTED TO MEET THE BEQUIIIEMENTS OF THE NEW CODE rOH STAND ABD V. THOMAS SIMPSON BIEXBY, M.C.P., MAJ-TER or THE BRITANNIA SCHOOLS, BANBURY. [enteeed at stationers' hall] SECOND EDITION. LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO. HAMILTON & ADAMS ; KENT & CO. ; MARSHALL & LAUKIE. MANCHESTER : J. HEYWOOD ; A. HE YWOOD & SON ; & T. GREENWELL. LIVERPOOL : PHILIP, SON & NEPHEW. LEEDS : BEAN & SON. BRADFORD : J. LONG. OLDHAM : W. CLEGG. CARNARVON : R. NEWTON. BRISTOL : EDUCATIONAL TRADING COMPANY, 34, BRIDGE STREET. BANBURY: T. S. BIRKBY. BLACKBURN: L. HACKING. SWANSEA : E. & G. GRIEFITHS. WORCESTER : W. H, WALTERS. BIRMINGHAM ; EDUCATIONAL TRADING CO., NEW STREET. „ THE MIDLAND EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY. MILNER AND SOWERBY, LONDON AND HALIFAX. AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. ^(lVI r--criOlNi i'M^i PREFACE. Tns principal object aimed at in the present volume, is to furnish a general Heading Book for a First Section. The first part of the book consists of a choice selection of poetry from standard authors, carefully graduated ; while the latter part embraces a thorough course of readings in English History, for which the Editor is greatly indebted to Mr. Wallace, Teacher of the English Language at Utrecht (Holland,) who has written the greater portion expressly for this work, so as to be suitable for children in the I'itth Standard. The study of History, in many schools, forms no part of the curriculum, and this no doubt arises from the want of a cheap and at the same time an interesting book, from which the children may cull something more than the mere dry details of battles and dates. For a child to know that the battle of Hastings was fought in 1066, is very well in its place ; but the mere cramming of dates and facts does not teach History ; nor is such a study pleasant to the mind of a child. The History of England is the record of our progress in civiliza- tion, and it is from the past we take our guide for the future, and let us hope that the study of our national chronicles may tend to make our children better citizens, and more able to appreciate the government under which they live. [Note to the Edition of 1871.— Several alterations have been made in this book to suit the various requirements of the New Code. (1) Expla- natory Notes have been added to each piece of poetry, so that children in the higher standards will be enabled to make a fair paraphrase of the subject, (2) The requisite number of lines of poetry from a standard author have been inserted, suitable for recitation in the Fifth Standard. (3) A chapter on the Metric System, at the end of the book. (4) A number of Second Grade Free-hand Copies, suitable for practice at home.] The Editor tenders his warmest thanks to Matthew Arnold, Esq., Professor Kingsley, Charles Swain, Esq., Kev. J. G. Wood, Dr. Mann, Mrs. Ilowitt, Miss Eliza Cook ; as well as to Messrs. Blackwood & Sons, Longman & Co., and others, for their kindness in allowing the use of their copyright pieces. September, 1871. T. S. B. EEQUIEEMENTS. STANDARD V. Heading. — A short ordinary paragraph in a newspaper or other modern narrative. Writing. — Another short ordinary paragraph in a newspaper or other modern narrative, slowly dictated once by a few words at a time. Arithmetic,—- Practice, or Bills of Parcels. 543443 CONTENTS. — 0- PAGE The Sunshine 5 Song of the Strawberry Girl , . 7 Mercy 9 Hohenlindeu 10 The Three Fishers 12 The Burial of Sir John Moore 13 Ho ! Breakers on the Weather Bowl5 The Better Land 17 The Last Minstrel 18 English Literature TAGE The Minstrel Boy 20 The Soldier's Dream • 21 Gelert 23 The Wreck of the Hesperus .. 26 Ye Mariners of England 30 The Inchcape Bell 32 A Canadian Boat Song 34 The Bells 36 The Burial of Moses.. 40 44 ENGLISH HISTORY. NORMAN PERIOD. Early British History William 1 1086 to 1087 William II 1087 „ 1100 Henry 1 1100 „ 1135 Stephen 1135 ,,1154 PLANTAGENET PERIOD. Henry II 1154 to 1189 Richard 1 1189 ,,1199 John 1199 „ 1216 Henry III 1216 ,,1272 Edward 1 1272 Edward II 1307 Edward III 1327 Richard 1 1377 LANCASTERIAN PERIOD. Henry IV 1399 to 1413 Henry V 1413 „ 1422 102 Henry YI 1422 „ 1461 106 HOUSE OP YORK. Edward lY 1461 to 1483 113 Henry Y 1483 ,,1483 117 Richard III 1483 „ 1485 118 .1307 ,1327 ,1377 ,1399 TUDOR PERIOD. Henry YII 1485 to 1509 121 Henry YIII 1^09 „ 1547 126 Edward Yl 1547 „ 1553 131 Mary 1553 ,,1558 133 Elizabeth 1558 „ 1603 138 STUART PERIOD. James 1 1603 to 1625 145 Charles 1 1625 „ 1649 149 TheCommonwealthl649 ,,1660 156 Charles II 1660 „ 1685 163 James II 1685 ,,1688 167 William and Mary 1688 „ 1702 163 Anne 1702 ,,1714 171 HANOVER PERIOD. George I, 1714 to 1727 173 George II 1727 ,,1760 176 George III 1760 ,,1820 178 George lY 1820 „ 1830 181 William lY 1830 .,1837 183 Victoria 1837 .....'. 1S4 Lessons in Natural Science Dr, Mann. . 187 The Metric System of Arithmetic 199 Latin and Greek Roots 207 Drawing • 209 THE NEW FIFTH ^STANDARD' READIXG AND HOME LESSON BOOK. THE SUNSHINE. glen, a valley, a dale im-pi'is'-on, to confine glance, (v) to dart a sudden ray of light mirth, merriment^ laughter crys'-tal, like glass haunt, (n) a place much fre- quented cheq'-uer-ed, divided into smiares molt'-en, melted coun'-ten-ance, (n) t?ie form of the face gi-a'-cious, hind, good I love the sunshine everywhere — In wood, and field, and glen : I love it, in the busy haunts Of town-imprisoned men. I love it, when it stream eth in The humble cottage door, And casts the chequered casement shade Upon the red-brick floor, I love it, where the children lie Deep in the clovery grass, To watch among the twining roots, The gold-green beetle pass. THE PIFTH * standard' EEADI]S"a I love it, on the breezy sea, To glance on sail and oar. While the great waves, like molten glass. Come leaping to the shore. I love it, on the mountain-tops, Where lies the thawless snow ; And half a kingdom, bathed in light, Lies stretching out below. Oh ! yes, I love the sunshine ! Like kindness, or like mirth, Upon a human countenance, Is sunshine on the earth. Upon the earth — upon the sea — And through the crystal air — Or piled up clouds — the gracious sun — Is glorious everywhere. Mes. Howitt. Note. — The Sunshine is deHghtful everywhere — in the open air, in close towns, in the cottage, in the meadow, on the Sea. It lightens up the earth as kindness and joy lights up the expression of a person's face. Home Lessons, Monday. — I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. II, Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. III. Work the first two of the following sums:— d. 1. 8760,2940,4761 at J 2. 3070,7960,3400 at I 3. 3190,9980,4460 at | d. 4. 2946,8879,7195 at i 5. 7196,9989,8695 at « 6. 3695,2496,7896 at J AND nOME LESSON BOOK. SONG OF THE STRAWBERRY GIRL. per'-fume, (n) sweet odour grief, sorrow en'-vy, (v) to grudge balin'-y, fragrant^ soothing scent, odoiiry smell brill-iant, skining lux'-u-ry, delicious fare tran'-qiui, quiet, calm It is summer ! it is summer ! bow beautiful it looks; There is sunshine on the old grey hills, and sunshine on the brooks ; A singing bu'd on every bough, soft perfumes on the air, A happy smile on each young lip, and gladness every- where. Oh 1 is it not a pleasant thing to wander through the woods, To look upon the painted flowers, and watch the opening buds; Or seated in the deep cool shade, at some tall ash-tree's root, To fill my little basket with the sweet and scented fruit ? They tell me that my father's poor — that is no grief to me, When such a blue and brilliant sky my upturned eye can see ; They tell me, too, that richer girls can sport with toy and gem j It may be so — and yet, methinks, I do not envy them. When forth I go upon my way, a thousand toys are mine, The clusters of dark violets, the wreaths of the wild vine; 8 THE riFTH *STAKDAED' BEADING My jewels are the primrose pale, the bindweed and the rose; And show me any courtly gem more beautiful than those. And then the fruit ! the glowing fruit, how sweet the scent it breathes ! I love to see its crimson cheek rest on the bright green leaves ! Summer's own gift of luxury, in which the poor may share. The wild-wood fruit my eager eye is seeking everywhere. Oh I summer is a pleasant time, with all its sounds and sights ; Its dewy mornings, balmy eyes, and tranquil calm de- lights j I sigh when first I see the leaves fall yellow on the plain. And all the winter long I sing — " Sweet summer, come again !" Note. — The " Strawberry girF is dehghted with the season of summer. She expresses her delight at wandering in the woods and gathering strawberries. Her father's poverty does not distress her, nor do the playthings of rich girls make her envious, for she considers that the wild flowers (which she calls her toys and her jewels) are far more beautiful. The strawberry, however, sur- passes all with its colour and its delicious taste. She is grieved when the pleasures of summer are gone, and through the winter she is anxious for their return. Home Lessons, Tuesday, — Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. II, Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. III. "Work the first two of the following sums:— - 1. 7894 at 2d. 3d. 4d. 5d. 6d. 2. 6990at2d. 3d. 4d.6d. 9d. 3. 5471 at 7d. 8d. 9d. lOd. Ud. 4. 7869 at 4|d. 4fd. S^d. 6U. 5fd. 6. 8768 at 2id. 3|d. ^A. bU. G|d. 6. 8679 at 5fd. G^d. 7|d. S^d. 9|d. jlnd home lesson book. 11 But redder yet that liglib shall glow On Linden's hills of stained snow, And bloodier yet the torrent flow Of Iser, rolling rapidly. *Tis morn, but scarce yon level sun Can pierce the war-clouds, rolling dun, Where furious Frank, and fiery Hun, Shout in their sulphurous canopy. The combat deepens. On, ye brave, Who rush to glory, or the grave ! Wave, Munich ! all thy banners wave, And charge with all thy chivalry. Few, few shall part where many meet ! The snow shall be their winding sheet ; And every turf beneath their feet Shall be a soldier's sepulchre. Campbell, Note. — Kohenlinden means *' high lime trees." Munich is the capital of Bavaria. The Franks were people who conquered Gaul (France)* The Huns — a Tartar race who conquered Hungary. The names are used in the poem to designate Frenchmen and llimgarians. The evening before the battle, the snow was unspotted on the ground, and the river Iser hurried quickly on its course. In the night the armies' were called to battle, and were arrayed in their positions by torchlight. Then the very hills seemed to shake with the terrific reports of the cannon. The snow was dreadfully dis- coloured with blood, and even in the morning the combatants were almost hidden in the thick smoke. Very few escaped from the fierce battle, and the dead were buried on the scene of conflict. 12 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* BEADING THE THREE FISHERS. har'-bour, a port for ships squall, (n) a gust of wind rack, broken clouds bar, a hank at the entrance of a harbour corpse, a dead body Three fishers went sailing away to the west, Away to the west as the sun went down ; Each thought on the woman who loved him best, And the children stood watching them out of the town ; For men must work, and women must weep, And there's little to earn, and many to keep, Though the harbour bar be moaning. Three wives sat up in the lighthouse tower, And they trimm'd the lamps as the sun went down; They look'd at the squall, and they look'd at the shower. And the night-rack came rolling up ragged and brown; But men must work, and women must weep, Though storms be sudden, and waters deep, And the harbour bar be moaning. Three corpses lay out in the shining sands, In the morning gleam as the tide went down. And the women are weeping and wringing their hands For those who will never come home to the town; For men must work, and women must weep. And the sooner 'tis over, the sooner to sleep. And good-bye to the bar and its moaning. C. Kings LET* AKD itOME LESSON BOOK. 13 Note. — Three fishermen left their homes in the evening, thinking of their loving wives, and watched by their children. Work must be done, although wives grieve, and danger is imminent. Three wives lighted the lamps of the lighthouse at dusk, but they no- ticed the gusts of wind, the rain, and the threatening dark clouds. Work, however, must be done, notwithstanding unexpected storms, deep waters, and the mournful noise on the harbour bar. The dead bodies were stretched on the beach in the morning, over which the women were lamenting bitterly. Work however must be done, although wives have to grieve. The sooner death comes, the sooner rest is found. Ho7ne Lessons, Thursday.— I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. II. Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. 111. Work the first two of the following suras :— 1. 80399 at 7| guineas 4. 6980 at Is. Ud. 2s. \U. 4s. Si^d. ^ .„., --., _ -atls. 3|d. 4s.4|d.7s. 7|d. 2. 2981 at £10 10s. lO^d, 3. 900| at £7 ISs. VA, 6. 7699 at is. oau. ts. *5u. oet neg-lec'-ted, left alone pran'-cing, the act of hounding car'-ol, (v.) to sing tole, single^ only chiv -al-ry, valour^ knighthood op-press -ed, crushed hy hard- ship pal -frey, a small horse un-pre-med-i-tat-ed, without be" ing prepared before The way was long, the wind was cold, The Minstrel was infirm and old ; His withered cheek and tresses gray. Seemed to have known a better day; The harp, his sole remaining joy, Was carried by an orphan boy. I AND HOME LESSON BOOIT. ID The last of all the bards was he, Who sung of Border chivalry ; For, well-a-day 1 their. date was fled, His tuneful brethren all were dead; And he, neglected and oppressed. Wished to be with them, and at rest. No more on prancing palfrey borne, He carolled, light as lark at mom; No longer, courted and caressed. High placed in hall, a welcome guest, He poured, to lord and lady gay, The unpremeditated lay ; Old times were changed, old manners gone ; A stranger filled the Stuarts* throne ; The bigots of the iron time Had called his harmless art a crime. A wandering harper, scorned and poor. He begged his bread from door to door ; And tuned, to please a peasant's ear. The harp a king had loved to hear. Scott. Note. — The poet here describes the last of the old Scotch min- strels, weary with a longjoumey in the winter. He is accompa- nied by an orphan who carries his harp. Times had sadly changed, and he wished himself dead, for minstrels were no more exalted in the palaces of the great. The Puritans had condemned his art as a sin, and he is now a beggar. Home Lessons^ Tuesday, — I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry, II, "Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. IIJ, "Work the first two of the following sums : — 1. 65666 at £10 12s., £9 139. 2. 91875 at £31 158., £2189. 8. 07088 at £63 ISs., Is. 9^d. 20 THE FIFTH ' STANDARD* READING THE MINSTREL-BOY. min-strel, a singer, a player . I gird'-ed, hound rounds put on suF-ly, to spoil f to tarnish \ guard, to protect The Minstrel-boy to the war is gone, In the ranks of death you'll find him ; His father's sword he has girded on, And his wild harp slung behind him. <* Land of song !" said the warrior bard, " Though all the world betray thee. One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee !'* The Minstrel fell ! — ^but the foeman's chain Could not bring his proud soul under 3 The harp he loved ne'er spoke again. For he tore its chords asunder ; And said, " No chains shall su^ly thee, Thou soul of love and bravery ! Thy songs were made for the brave and free, They shall never sound in slavery !" Moore, Note. — A youth went to war with his father's sword and harp, declaring he would be faithful to his country. He wan killed ; but rather than his harp should be played by his conquerors, he destroyed its strings, saying its music was fit for free men only. ffome Lessons^ Wednesdai/. — I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry, ir. Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson, HI, "Work the first two of the following sums : — 1. 2416 at £3 19s. 2jd., 128. lO^d. 2. 4898 at £3 168. 2fd., 2s. O^d. 3. 9999at£2123. 5id., 9s. 9|.l. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 21 THE SOLDIER'S DREAM. bu'-gle, a hind of horn sen-ti-nel, a watch, a soldier on guard pal'-let, a small bed Au'-tumn, the third season of the year trav'-ers-ed, wandered over truce, a short quiet, peace re-pos -ing, sleeping ar-ray', (v) order des'-o-late, laid waste dawn'-ing, break of day Our bugles sang truce, for the night cloud had lowered, And the sentinel stars set their watch in the sky, And thousands had sunk on the ground overpowered, The weary to sleep, and the wounded to die. When reposing that night on my pallet of straw, Ey the wolf-scaring faggot that guarded the slain, At the dead of the night a sweet vision I saw, And thrice ere the morning I dreamt it again. Methought from thd battle-field's dreadful array, Far, far, I had roamed on a desolate track; 'Twas Autumn — and sunshine arose on the way To the home of my fathers, that welcomed me back. I flew to the pleasant fields traversed so oft In life's morning march, when my bosom was young ; I heard my own mountain-goats bleating aloft. And knew the sweet strain that the corn-reapers sung. Then pledged we the wine-cup, and fondly I swore From my home and my weeping friends never to part; My little ones kissed me a thousand times o'er, And my wife sobbed aloud in her fulness of heart. 22 THE FIFTH ' STAKDAED' READING " Stay, stay with us ! rest 1 thou art weary and worn I" And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay ; But sorrow returned with the dawning of morn, And the voice in my dreaming ear melted away, Campbell. Note. — ^The battle alluded to was Eatisbon and Ingoldstadt, fought between the French and Austrians, A soldier describes a dream he had, while lying on the ground, after night had stopped the fighting. He fancied that he travel- led to his home, walked in familiar fields, heard his goats bleating, and the reapers singing ; he drank, and vowed he would stay at home ; his children kissed him fondly, and his sobbing wife en- treated him to stay. Morning, however, again brought sorrow, and his wife's fancied voice died away as he awoke. Home LessoTis, Thursday,—!. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. II. AYrite out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. 111. Work the first two of the following sums : — 1. 76845 at £1 4s. 3d., Is. lOfd. 2. 19799 at £1 6s. 8d., Is. ll^d. 3. 78221 at £9 13s. 5d., 2s. Ifd. GELERT. brach, a female hound hoot' 'J, plunder a-ghast', terror-struck fang, a sharp tooth guise, ma7iner, appearance re '-cent, new^Jresh fran -tic, mad, furious sculp-ture, a carved work blast, the sound made by blow- ing a trumpet hie, to hasten gouts, thick lumps or spots of blood gore, clotted blood crouch, to lie closely down, to cringe be-sprent', sprinkled over sup'-pli-ant, one who asks hum' My yell, a dreadful cry The spearman heard the bugle sound, And cheerly smiled the morn ; And many a brach, and many a hound, Attend Llewellyn's horn : A.1SD HOME LESSON BOOK. 23 And still he blew a louder blast, And gave a louder cheer ; " Come Gelert ! why art thou the last Llewellyn's horn to hear 1 ** Oh, where does faithful Gelert roami The flower of all his race ! So true, so brave ; a lamb at home, A lion in the chase !" In sooth, he was a peerless hound, The gift of royal John ; But now no Gelert could be found, And all the chase rode on. That day Llewellyn little loved The chase of hart or hare : And scant and small the booty proved ; For Gelert was not there. TJnpleased Llewellyn homeward hied, When near the portal-seat. His truant Gelert he espied. Bounding his lord to greet. But when he gained the castle-door. Aghast the chieftain stood ; The hound was smeared with gouts of gore ! His lips and fangs ran blood I Llewellyn gazed with wild surprise. Unused such looks to meet ; His favourite checked his joyful guise, And crouched and licked his feet. 2i THE FIFTH ' STAITDAED' READING Onward in hasto Llewellyn passed — And on went Gelert too — And still, where'er his eyes were cast, Fresh blood-gouts shocked his view I O'erturned his infant's bed, he found The blood-stained covert rent ; And all around, the walls and ground With recent blood besprent. He called his child — no voice replied ; He searched with terror wild ; Blood ! blood ! he found on every side, But nowhere found his child 1 " Monster ! by thee my child's devoured !" The frantic father cried ; And, to the hilt, his vengeful sword He plunged in Gelert's Bide ! — His suppliant looks, as prone he fell, No pity could impart ; But still his Gelert's dying yell Passed heavy o'er his heart. Aroused by Gelert's dying yell, Some slumberer wakened nigh : What words the parent's joy can tell, To hear his infant cry ! Concealed beneath a mangled heap, His hurried search had missed. All glowing from his rosy sleep, His cherub boy he kissed 1 AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 25 Nor scratch had he, nor harm, nor dread — But, the same couch beneath. Lay a great wolf, all torn and dead — Tremendous still in death I Ah ! what was then Llewellyn's pain. For now the truth was clear : The gallant hound the wolf had slain. To save Llewellyn's heir. Vain, vain was all Llewellyn's woe ; " Best of thy kind, adieu ! The frantic deed which laid thee low This heart shall ever rue !" And now a gallant tomb they raise, With costly sculpture decked ; And marbles, storied with his praise, Poor Gelert's bones protect. Here never could the spearman pass, Or forester, unmoved ; Here oft the tear-besprinkled grass Llewellyn's sorrow proved. And here he hung his horn and spear ; And, oft as evening fell, In fancy's piercing sounds would hear Poor Gelert's dying yell 1 Spencee. Note, — Llewellyn sounded his horn to gather his men and hounds together for a hunt; his favourite hound Gelert, however, 26 THE riFTH 'STANDAED' EEADDfa did not answer the summons. Nor could he anywhere be found. Llewellyn passed a yery gloomy day in the hunt, returned out of temper, and met Gelert bounding towards him near his mansion, marked with blood, and still bleeding. Blood too, was seen everywhere they went, even where his infant had been lying. The child could not be seen, neither did it answer Llewellyn's call. He in anger stabbed the dog, thinking it had killed the child. Gelert's moan awoke the infant, who was lying safe by the carcase of a terrible wolf, which Gelert had killed. Llewellyn now under- stood the whole circumstance, and was filled with deep remorse. He buried Gelert with great honour, and ever after regretted his rashness. Home LessonSf Friday. — I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry, II. Write out the words and their meanings at the head oi the lesson,' III, Work the first two of the following sums : — 1. 669 at £6 13s. 2M., 2s. 9|d. 2. 222 at £6 12s. 7jd., 7s. T^d. 3. 788 at £2 9s. ll^d., 10|d. THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS. skip'-per, the captain of a mer^ chant ship shud'-der, to shiver with fear spar, a small beam of wood sleet, rain and snow together break'-ers, waves which break on the rocks or shore fleec -y, white like wool gore, to wound with horns schoon'-er, a ship with two masts a-main', with great force ca'-ble, a rope to hold a ship at anchor weath'-er, to endure reef, a ridge of rocks in the sea whoop '-ing, shouting card, to comb wool It was the schooner Hesperus That saird the wintry sea, And the skipper had taken his little daughter, To bear him company. Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax, Her cheeks like the dawn of day, And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds, That ope in the month of May. AITD HOME LESSON BOOK. 27 The skipper he stood beside the helm, His pipe -was in his mouth, And he watch' d how the veering flaw did blow The smoke now west, now south. Then up and spake an old sailor. Had sailed the Spanish Main : " I pray thee, put into yonder port. For I fear the hurricane. " Last night the moon had a golden ring. And to-night no moon we see !** The skipper he blew a whiff from his pipe, And a scornful lauo[h lau«:h'd he. Colder and colder blew the wind, A gale from the north-east ; The snow fell hissing in the brine, And the billows frothed like yeast. Down came the storm and smote amain The vessel in its strength ; She shuddered and paused like a frighted steed. Then leaped her cable's length. " Come hither ! come hither 1 my little daughter, And do not tremble so, For I can weather the roughest gale. That ever wind did blow." He wrapt her warm in his seaman's coat, Against the stinging blast ; He cut a rope from a broken spar, And bound her to the mast. 28 THE ririH *STAia)AED* READINa " father ! I hear the church bells ring, O say, what may it be ?" " 'Tis a fog-bell on a rock-bound coast 1" And he steer* d for the open sea. " father ! I hear the sound of guns, O say, what may it be ?" *' Some ship in distress that cannot live In such an angry sea !" " O father ! I see a gleaming light, O say, what may it be ?" But the father answer'd never a word — A frozen corpse was he. Lash'd to the helm, all stiff and stark, With his face turned to the skies, The lantern gleam'd through the gleaming snow On his fix'd and glassy eyes. Then the maiden clasp'd her hands and pray'd That saved she might be ; And she thought of Christ who stiird tlie waves On the Lake of Galilee, And fast through the midnight dark and drear. Through the whistling sleet and snow, Like a sheeted ghost the vessel swept Towards the reef of Norman's Woe. And ever the fitful gusts between A sound came from the land ; It was the sound of the trampling surf On the rocks and the hard sea sand. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 29 The breakers were right beneath her bows, She drifted a dreary wreck, And a whooping billow swept the crew Like icicles from her deck. She struck where the white and fleecy waves, Looked soft as carded wool. But the cruel rocks they gored her sides, Like the horns of an angry bull. Her rattling shrouds all sheathed in ice, With the masts went by the board ; Like a vessel of glass she stove and sank, Ho ! ho ! the breakers roar'd. At daybreak on the bleak sea-beach, A fisherman stood aghast. To see the form of a maiden fair Lash'd close to a drifting mast. The salt sea was frozen on her breast, The salt tears in her eyes ; And he saw her hair like the brown sea-weed, On the billows fall and rise. Such was the wreck of the Hesperus, In the midnight and the snow ; Heav'n save us all from a death like this, On the reef of Norman's Woe ! Longfellow. Note. — The captain of the " Hesperus" took his lovely little daughter to sea with him, on a winter voyage. One evening, an old sailor warned him of a coming storm, but he heeded it not. The storm, however, gradually came on, and the captain soothed 30 THE riFTH ^STAIO)ARD' EEADING his little frightened daughter, wrapped her in his coat, and at last tied her to the mast. The timid child questioned her father as to the meaning of the ringing bells, and the noise of cannon which she heard ; he answered these questions, but before he could an- swer her third question, lie was frozen to death. Then the child prayed, and thought of Christ stilling the tempest. Meanwhile, the fearful storm drove the vessel towards a dangerous reef; a tremendous wave washed the crew from her deck, and at mid- night she was dashed to pieces against the rocks. The next morn- ing, a fisherman was horrow-struck to see a lovely girl tied to a mast, floating on the bitter sea. May God preserve us all from such an awful death ! YE MARINERS OF ENGLAND. mar -i-ner, a seaman^ a sailor foe, an enemy glow, to §hine^ to hum quell, to crush^ to quiet cease, to stop^ to leave off bul'-wark, a fortification stand'-ard, a flag, an ensign of war tem-pest, a violent wind, a storm me-te-or, a luminous body floating in the air Ye mariners of England ! Who guard our native seas, Whose flag has braved a thousand years The battle and the breeze, Your glorious standard launch again, To match another foe, And sweep through the deep While the stormy tempests blow ; While the battle rages long and loud. And the stormy tempests blow. The spirits of your fathers Shall start from every wave 1 For the deck it was their field of fame, And Ocean was their grave ; Jlnd home lesson book. 31 Where Blake and mighty Nelson fell, Your manly hearts shall glow, As ye sweep through the deep, While the stormy tempests blow ; While the battle rages long and loud. And the stormy tempests blow, Britannia needs no bulwarks, No towers along the steep ; Her march is o'er the mountain waves, Her home is on the deep : With thunder from her native oak, She quells the floods below, As they roar on the shore. When the stormy tempests blow ; When the battle rages long and loud, And the stormy tempests blow. The meteor-flag of England Shall yet terrific burn. Till danger's troubled night depart. And the star of peace return. Then, then, ye ocean-warriors ! Our song and feast shall flow To the fame of your name. When the storm had ceased to blow ; When the fiery fight is heard no more. And the storm has ceased to blow. Campbell. Note. — This poem was written at the sea-port of Altona, in the winter of 1800, on a prospect of a war with Kussia. At this pe- riod, the South Eastern and Southern coasts of England were lor- 32 THE FITTH * STAITDAED' EEADINQ tified by Martello towers, for defence against invasion, but the poet shows that it is to our ships and our sailors that we must look for protection, hence he says, Britannia needs no bulwarks, no towers along the steep. Home Lessons, Monday. — Paraphrase the above piece of poetr}'. IT. Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. III. "Work the first two of the following sums : — 1. 8861 at £13 6s. ll^d., 5s. 7id. 2. 784| at £31 15s. 6d. 3. 9201 at £14 78. 7d. THE INCHCAPE BELL. keel, the bottom of a ship inar'-i-ners, sailors quoth, said de'-spair, loss of hope Aber-broth-ock, a town on the east coast of Scotland pi'-ous, godly, religious per -il-ous, dangerous float, (n) a body swimming on the water haze,/c»^, mist gale, a strong wind ab'-bot, the chief of an abbey No stir on the air, no swell on the sea, The ship was still as she might be : The sails from heaven received no motion ; The keel was steady in the ocean. With neither sign nor sound of shock. The waves flow'd o'er the Inchcape Rock ; So little they rose, so little they fell, They did not move the Inchcape Belh The pioiis abbot of Aberbrothock Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Eock ; On the waves of the storm it floated and swung ; And louder and louder its warning rung. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 33 When the Rock was hid by the tempest swell, The Mariners heard the warning bell. And then they knew the perilous Rock, And blessed the Abbot of Aberbrothock. The float of the Inch cape Bell was seen, A darker spot on the ocean green ; Sir Ralph the Rover walk'd the deck. And he fixed his eye on the darker speck. His eye was on the bell and float, — Quoth he, " My men, put down the boat. And row me to the Inchcape Rock, — ril plague the priest of Aberbrothock !" The boat is lowered, the boatmen row, And to the Inchcape Rock they go. Sir Ralph bent over from the boat, And cut the bell from the Inchcape float, Down sunk the bell with a gurgling sound ; The bubbles rose, and burst around. Quoth he, " Who next comes to the Rock Won't bless the priest of Aberbrothock !" Sir Ralph the Rover saiFd away ; He scour'd the sea for many a day ; And now, grown rich with plunder'd store, He steers his way for Scotland's shore. So thick a haze overspreads the sky, They cannot see the sun on high ; The wind hath blown a gale all day ; At evening it hath died away. 34 THE PIFTH ' standard' READING " Canst hear," said one, " the breakers roar ? For yonder, methinks, should be the shore. Now, where we are, I cannot tell, — I wish we heard the Inchcape Bell," They hear no sound — the swell is strong, Though the wind hath fallen they drift along ; Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock, — " Oh heavens I it is the Inchcape Rock 1" Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair, And cursed himself in his despair; And waves rush in on every side, The ship sinks fast beneath the tide. SOUTHET. Note. — The air was still, the sea smooth, the ship motionless, and the bell on the Inchcape rock was silent. This bell, when rung by the motion of the waves, warned sailors of their danger, and they felt thankful. A pirate, however, named Ealph, was rowed to the rock and he cut the bell from its support. After a long, prosperous voyage, the pirate returned towards Scotland, and near its coast was overtaken by a storm. While the sailors bemoaned the loss of the Inchcape bell, the vessel was dashed to pieces on the rock, and the rover was drowned. A CANADIAN BOAT SONG. chime, (n) sound of hells I dim, (a^) not clear surge, (n) a large loave \ un-furl', to loose^ to open Faintly as tolls the evening chime, Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time, Soon as the woods on shore look dim, We*ll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 35 Eow, brothers, row ! the stream runs fast, The rapids are near, and the daylight's past Why should we yet our sail unfurl l There is nob a breath the blue wave to curl ! But, when the wind blows off the shore. Oh ! sweetly we'll rest our weary oar — Elow, breezes, blow ! the stream runs fast, The rapids are near, and the daylight's past ! Utawa's tide ! this trembling moon Shall see us float over thy surges soon. Saint of this green isle ! hear our prayers, Oh ! grant us cool heavens and favouring airs, Blow, breezes, blow ! the stream runs fast, The rapids are near and the daylight's past. MOOBE. Note. — We sing and row as we hear the sound of distant bells ; let us hurry on, for danger is near, and evening is come. When the wind is favourable, we shall be relieved from the toil of row- ing ; let the breeze blow, for danger is near and evening is come. We shall gUde over the waves uf the river in the moonlight ; may the Guardian Spirit of the i>] ace heai' our requests, and fii- vour us. lIo7)ie Lessons, Tuesday. — Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. II, Write out the'words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. Ill, Work the first two of the following sums:— 1. 9899 at £6 7s. 3^d. 2. 9987 at £60 8s. 2|d. 3. 4897 at £6 15-. Ojd. 86 THE FIFTH ' STANDaED' READING THE BELLS. crys'-tal-line, clear ^ like glass gloat, to stare eagerly vo-lu'-mi-nous-ly, in many 'volumes mon'-o-dy, a sound made by one bell, sameness of sound mon'-o-tone, uniformity of sound pge'-an, a song ofirium2)h tin- tin-nab -u-la-tion, clear tin- kling sound har -mo-ny, a blending of sounds eu'-pho-ny, an agreeable sound tur'-bii-len-cy, disorder^ confu- sion ex-pos-tu-la -tion, reasoning, re- monstrance pal-pi-ta'-ting, moving quickly^ fluttering men'-ace, (n) a threat K,u'-nic, relating to the language of the old northern nations. Hear the sledges with the bells — Silver bells ! What a world of merriment their melody foretells ! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. In the icy air of night ! While the stars that over-sj)rinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight ; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme. To the tintinnabulation that so musically swells From the bells, bells, bells, bells. Bells, bells, bells — From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. Hear the mellow wedding-bells — • Golden bells ! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells ! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 37 From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune, "What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon ! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony, voluminously wells ! How it swells ! How it dwells On the Future ! how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells. Of the bells, bells, bells, bells. Bells, bells, bells, — To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells ! Hear the loud alarum-bells — Brazen bells ! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells ! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright 1 Too much horrified to speak. They can only shriek, shriek, Out of tune. In a clamorous appealiug to the mercy of the fire. In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire; Leaping higher, higher, higher, With a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavour Now, now to sit, or never, 38 THE rirxn * standard' beading By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells ! What a tale their terror telld Of despair ! How they clang, and clash, and roar I What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air ! Yet the ear it fully knows. By the twanging And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows ; Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells — Of the bells, . Of the bells, bells, bells, bells. Bells, bells, bells — In the clamour and the clangour of the bells I Hear the tolling of the bells — Iron bells ! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels I In the silence of the night How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone I For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 39 And the people— ah, the people — They that dwell up in the steeple, All alone, And who, tolling, tolling, tolling In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone, They are neither man nor woman — They are neither brute nor human — They are Ghouls I And their king it is who tolls ; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A poean from the bells ; And^his merry bosom swells With the paean of the bells ; And he dances^ and he yells ; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Eunic rhyme. To the throbbing of the bells — Of the bells, bells, bells— To the sobbing of the bells ; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells — Of the bells, bells, bells — To the tolling of the bells — Of the bells, bells, bells, bells — Bells, bells, bells — To the moaning and the groaning of the bells. PoB. 40 THE riFTH * STAKDAED* READING Note.— Listen to the silver toned bells of the sledges. What joy they bespeak ! The very stars seem to twinkle with pleasure, in tune to their musical tones. Listen to the sweet rich tones of the marriage bells. What in- tense pleasure they bespeak! Joy seems to float from them through the air, and their sweet sounds seem to point forward to a glorious future. Listen to the dreadful fire-bells. What woe they bespeak ! They seem to shriek in desperation to the fire, which spreads fear- fully, to be merciful. The very difierences in the horrid tones of the bells seem to indicate the increasing and decreasing of the rage of the fire. Listen to the sad tolling of the bells. What serious thoughts they force upon us ! In the still night we feel frightened at their sad tones, for every sound is like a groan. The Evil Spirits who live in the steeple, rejoice at human suffering, and we may fancy the chief of these evil spirits, supposing the tolling to be a song of triumph, as he dances to the dismal tones. Heme Lessons, Wednesday.— I. Paraphrase the above piece of poetry. IL Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. III. Work the first two of the following sums :— 1. 983^ atl7s.8id. 60 -^ 2. 7683^ at£817s.lO|d. 3. 999^ at £67448, THE BURIAL OF MOSES. sep-ul-chre, a grave, a tomh min-ster, a cathedral em-blaz-on-ed, adorned with figures tran-sept, a cross aisle bier, a frame for carrying the dead ver-dure, green colour, fresh- ness By Nebo's lonely mountain, On this side Jordan's wave, In a vale in the land of Moab There lies a lonely grave ; AND HOME LESSON BOOK, 41 And no man knows that sepulchre. And no man saw it e'er, For the angels of God upturned the sod, And laid the dead man there. That was the grandest funeral That ever passed on earth ; But no man heard the trampling, Or saw the train go forth — Noiselessly as the daylight Comes when the night is done. And the crimson streak on ocean's cheek Grows into the great sun ; Noiselessly as the spring-time Her crown of verdure weaves, And all the trees on all the hills Open their thousand leaves ; So, without sound of music, Or voice of them that wept, Silently down from the mountain's crown, The great procession swept. Perchance the bald old eagle On gray Beth-Peor's height, Out of his lonely eyrie. Looked on the wond'rous sight ; Perchance the lion stalking, Still shuns that hallowed spot ; For beasts and birds have seen and heard That which man knoweth not. 42 TR^ riFTU *STANX>Aiil>' KJEADIKa But wlieii tLu warrior dietli, Kis comrades in the Avar, AVith arms reversed and muffled drum, Follow liis funeral car ; They show the banners taken, They tell his battles won ; -And after him lead his masterless steed, While peals the minute-gun. Amid the noblest of the land, Men lay the sage to rest, And givx the bard an honoured place, With costly marble drest. In the great minster's transept, Where lights like glories fall ; And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings, Along the emblazoned wall. Tliis was the truest warrior That ever buckled sword ; This, the most gifted poet That ever breathed a word ; And never earth's philosopher Traced with his golden pen, On the deathless page truths half so sage As he wrote down for men. And had he not high honour 1 The hill-side for his pall, To lie in state, while angels wait With stars for tapers tall ; AND HOME LESSON BOOK, 43 And the dark rock-pines, like tossing plumes, O^er his bier to wave, And God's own hand in that lonely land To lay him in the grave. In thafc deep grave without a name. Whence his uncoffin'd clay Shall break again, O wond'rous thought 1 Before the Judgment Day ; And stand with glory wrapt around, On the hills he never trod, And speak of the strife that won our life, With th* incarnate Son of God. O lonely grave in Moab*s land 1 O dark Beth-Peor's hill ! Speak to these curious hearts of ours^ And teach them to be still ; God hath his mysteries of grace, Ways that we cannot tell ; He hides them deep like the hidden sleep Of him He loved so well. Mrs. Alexandeb, Home Lessons^ Thursday, — I. Paraphrase the aboye piece of poetry. II. Write out the words and their meanings at the head of the lesson. III. Work the first two of the following sums : — cwt. qrs. lbs. 1. 36 2 27 at 7s. 8d, per cwt. furs, pis 2. 7 39 at £90 lOs. per fur. acs. rds. pis »3. 269 2 24 at 9s. 2d. per cwt. a THE riFTH * standard' READINa EN-aiilSH lilTEieA-TTJUE. GOLDSMITH'S TRAVELLER. Oliver Goldsmith, (1728—1774) was the son of a poor Irish curate. He was in- tended for the medical profession, and by the kindness of friends was sent to Trinity College, Dublin, and afterwards to Edinburgh to be educated ; but his idle and irregular habits prevented his progress in the regular branches of study, and he quitted the Universities without distinction of any kind. When about twenty-five years of age he travelled for about two years throughout a great part of Europe mostly on foot, and often begging his way : on this journey his poem the ' Traveller' was first sketched. On his return he was for a time an usher in a school, then an assistant to a chemist, then he was rejected in his examination to be a surgeon, and was reduced to great distress. He finally, however, took to writing for the magazines of the day, when his beautiful style and poetical fancy soon made him exceedingly popular and prosperous. Gold- smith was a fickle, weak-headed, warm-hearted man, vain, extravagant, fool- ishly benevolent, but beloved by everybody who knew him. His chief works are. The Traveller, The Deserted Village, The Vicar of Wakefield, The Citizen of the World. She Stoops to Conqiier. The Good-Natured Man, and School histories of Ungland, France, &c. The Traveller, his chief work is one of the finest poems in the language ; its versi- fication is perfect and its descriptions have never been excelled. The poet ima- gines himself sitting amidst Alpine solitude, with the whole of Europe sketch- ed like a vast panorama beneath him. He begins to enquire of himself which is the place where the greatest happiness exists ; and after carefully balanc- ing the blessings with the evils in each countr;^, he comes to the conclusion that the search is a vain one, that happiness is centred in the mind of the individual, and therefore may exist under any external circumstances. Where can we find that happiest spot below, Who can direct, when all pretend to know ? The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone Boldly proclaims that happiest spot his own ; Extols the treasures of his stormy seas, And his long nights of revelry and ease : The naked negro, panting at the line. Boasts of his golden sands and palmy wine, Basks in the glare, or stems the tepid wave, 10 And thanks his gods for all the good they gave. Such is the patriot's boast, where'er we roam, His first, best country, ever is at home. And yet, perhaps, if countries we compare, And estimate the blessing which they share, Though patriots flatter, still shall wisdom find An equal portion dealt to all mankind ! As difierent good, by art or nature given. To difierent nations makes their blessings even. Al^D HOME LESSON BOOK. 45 N'ature, a mother kind alike to all, 20 Still grants her bliss at labour's earnest call ; With food as well the peasant is supjplied On Idi^a's (1) cliff as Arno's (2) shelvy side ; And though the rocky-crested summits frown. These rocks, by custom, turn to beds of down. From art more yarious are the blessings sent^ Wealth, commerce, honour, liberty, content. Yet these each other's power so strong contest, That either seems destructive of the rest. Where wealth and freedom reign, contentment fails, oO And honour sinks where commerce long prevails. Hence every state, to one loved blessing prone, Conftrms and models life to that alone. Each to the favourite happiness attends; And spurns the plan that aims at other ends; Till, carried to excess in each domain, This favourite good begets peculiar paia But let us try these truths with closer eyes, And trace them through the prospect as it lies : Here, for a while, my proper cares resigned, 40 Here let me sit in sorrow lor mankind ; Like yon neglected shrub, at random cast. That shades the steep, and sighs at every blast. Far to the light, where Apennine (3) ascenda, Bright as the summer, Italy extends : Its uplands sloping deck the mountain's side, Woods over woods in gay theatric pride ; AVhile oft some temple's mouldering tops between With venerable grandeur mark the scene. Could nature's bounty satisfy the breast, £0 The sons of Italy were surely blest. Whatever fruits in different climes were found. That proudly rise, or humbly court the ground; Whatever blooms in torrid tracts appear, Whose bright succession decks the varied year; Whatever sweets salute the northern sky With vernal lives, that blossom but to die ; These here disporting own the kindred soil. Nor ask luxuiiance from the planter's toil ; (1,) IdrUf or Hydra is a small island in the Grecian Archipelago. (2.) Arno, a beautiful tiyer of Tuscany in Italy : the Val d'Arno is frequently alluded to in poetry. (3.) The Apennines are a chain of mountains which form a continuation oi the Alps right down the western side of Italy, 46 THE FIFTH * STANDAED' KEADTXa While sea-born gales their gelid wings expand 60 To winnow fragrance round the smiling laud. But small the bliss that sense alone bestows, And sensual bliss is all the nation knows. In florid beauty groves and fields appear, Man seems the only growth that dwindles hero. Contrasted faults through all his manners reign : Though poor, luxurious : though submissive, vain ; Though grave, yet trifling ; zealous, yet untrue ; And even in penance planning sins anew. All evils here contaminate the mind, 70 That opulence departed leaves behind ; For wealth was theirs, not far removed the date. When commerce proudly flourished through the state; At her command the palace learned to rise, Again the long-fallen column sought the skies, The canvas glowed, beyond e'en nature warm. The pregnant quarry teemed with human form ; Till, more unsteady than the southern gale. Commerce (4) on other shores displayed her sail ; While nought remained of all that riches gave, 80 But towns immanned and lords without a slave ^ And late the nation foimd with fruitless skill Its former strength was but plethoric ill. My soul, turn from them, turn we to survey Where rougher climes a nobler race display, Where the bleak Swiss their stormy mansion tre^d, And force a churlish soil for scanty bread : No product here the barren hills afford But man and steel, the soldier and his sword ; No vernal blooms their torpid rocks array, 90 But winter lingering chills the lap ot j\Iay ; No zephyr fondly sues the mountain's breast, But meteors glare, and stormy glooms invest. Yet still, even here, content can spread a charm, Eedress the clime, and all its rage disarm. Though poor the peasant's hut, his feast though small, He sees his little lot the lot of all ; Sees no contiguous palace rear its head, To shame the meanness of his humble shed ; No costly lord the sumptuous banquet deal, 100 To make him loathe his vegetable meal ; (4.) The cities of Italy were the great centres of trade during the Middle Ages, until the discovery of the passage to India round the Cape of Good Hope by Vsesco di Qama, and of the Continent of America by Columbus, diverted it into the hands of tlie Spaniards, Portuguese, and Dutch. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 47 But calm, and bred in ignorance and toil, Each wish contracting, fits him to the soil. Cheerful at morn, he wakes from short repose, Breathes the keen air, and carols as he goes ; With patient angle trolls the finny deep ; Or drives his venturous ploughshare to the steep ; Or seeks the den where snow-tracks mark the way, And drags the struggling savage into day. At night returning, every labour sped, 110 He sits him down the monarch of a shed ; Smiles by his cheerful fire, and round surveys His children's looks, that brighten at the blaze ; While his loved partner, boastful of her hoard, Displays her cleanly platter on the board : And haply too some pilgrim, thither led, With many a tale repays the nightly bed. Thus every good his native wilds impart Imprints the patriot passion on his heart ; And e'en those hills, that round his mansion rise, 120 Enhance the bliss his scanty fund supplies. Dear is that shed to which his soul conforms, And dear that hill which lifts him to the storms; And as a child, when scaring sounds molest. Clings close and closer to the mother's breast, So the loud torrent, and the whirlwind's roar, But bind him to his native mountains more. To men of other minds my fancy flies. Embosomed in the deep where Holland lies. Methinks her patient sons before me stand, 130 Where the broad ocean leans against the land ; And, sedulous to stop the coming tide. Lift the taXl rampire's (5) artificial pride. Onwards, methinks, and diligently slow, The firm connected bulwark seems to grow, Spreads its long arms amidst the watery roar. Scoops out an empire, and usm-ps the shore — While the pent ocean, rising o'er the pile, Sees an amphibious world beneath him smile ; The slow canal, the yellow blossomed vale, 140 The willow-tufted bank, the gliding sail, The crowded mart, the cultivated plain — A new creation rescued from his reign. (5.) Eampire or ramparts, i. e., the sea walls or dykes, as they are called, which are built nearly all round the coast of Holland to keep the sea out, must of the country being below the level of the ocean. 48 THE riPTH ' STANDARD* BEADING Thus, while around the wave-subjected soil Impels the native to repeated toil, Industrious habits in each bosom reign, And industry begets a love of gain. Hence all the good from opulence that springs, With all those ills superfluous treasure brings Are here displayed. Their much-loved wealth imparts 150 Convenience, plenty, elegance, and arts ; But view them closer, craft and fraud appear, Even liberty itself is bartered here. At gold's superior charms all freedom flies ; The needy sell it, and the rich man buys : . A land of tyrants, and a den of slaves, Here wretches seek dishonourable graves. And, calmly bent, to servitude conform, Dull as their lakes that slumber in the storm. Heavens ! how unlike their Belgic sires (6) of old 160 Hough, poor, content, ungovernably bold. War in each breast, and freedom on each brow ; How much unlike the sons of Britain now ! Fired at the sound, my genius spreads her wing. And flies where Britain courts the westren spring ♦, AVhere lawns extend that scorn Arcadian (7) pride, And brighter streams than famed Hydaspes (8) glide. There, all around, the gentlest breezes stray ; There gentlest music melts on ev'ry spray ; Creation's mildest charms are there combined : 170 Extremes are only in the master's mind. Stern o'er each bosom Eeason holds her state, With daring aims irregularly great. Pride in their port, defiance in their eye, I see the lords of human kind pass by. Intent on high designs, a thoughtful band, By forms unfashioned, fresh from nature's hand, Fierce in their native hardiness of soul. True to imagined right, above control ; While even the peasant boasts these rights to scan, 180 And learns to venerate himself as man. Thine, freedom, thine the blessings pictured here, Thine are those charms that dazzle and endear ; (6.) Alluding to the heroic courage of the people of the Netherlands in their struggle for civil and religious liberty against the Spaniards in the 16th century. (7 J Arcadian relating to Arcadia, a district of ancient Greece, which was cc k - brated for its rural beauty. (8.) Hydaspes the ancient name of the Jelum, a river of the Paujaub in India, a tributary of the Indus. I AKD HOME LESSON BOOK. 49 Too blest, indeed, were such without alloy, But fostered e'en by freedom, ills annoy*; That independence Britons prize too high, Keeps man from man, and breaks the social tie : The sell-dependent lordlings stand alone, All claims that bind and sweeten life unknown. Here, by the bonds of nature feebly held, 190 Minds combat minds, repelling and repelled ; Ferment arise, imprisoned factions roar, Kepressed ambition struggle round her shore, Till, overwrought, the general system feels Its motions stopped, or frenzy fire the wheels. Nor this the worst. As nature's ties decay, As duty, love, and honour fail to sway. Fictitious bonds, the bonds of wealth and law, Still gather strength, and force unwilling awe. Hence all obedience bows to these alone, 200 And talent sinks, and merit weeps unknown ; Till time may come, when, stripped of all her charms, The land of scholars, and the nurse of arras, Where noble stems transmit the patriot flame, Where kings have toiled, and poets wrote for fame, One sink of level avarice shall lie. And scholars, soldiers, kings, unhonoured die. Vain, very vain, my weary search to find That bliss which only centres in the mind. Why have I strayed from pleasure and repoi^e, 210 To seek a good each government bestows H In every government, though terrors reign, Though tyrant kings or tyrant laws restrain. How small, of all that human hearts endure. That part which laws or kings can cause or cure ! Still to ourselves in every place consigned, Our own felicity we make or find. With secret course, which no loud storms annoy, Glides the smooth current of domestic joy; The lifted axe, the agonising wheel, 220 Luk^s iron crow7i (9) and Damie7is bed of steel (10) To men remote from power but rarely known. Leave reason, faith, and conscience, all our own. (9) Luke and George Domain 1513 headed a rising of thepeasantry of Hunjrary against the nobles. They were taken prisoners, and barbarously put to death ; a red hot iron crown was forced on the head of George : while Luke was compel- led to drink his brother's blood. (10.) Damiens attempted to assassinate Louis XV. in 1T57 and was executed with the most shocking cruelty. 50 THE FIFTH ' STANDAED' BEADING EARLY BRITISH HISTORY. 55 B.C., to 1066 A.D. More than two thousand years ago the land we live in was called Britain. It was inhabited by wild and savage people called Britons. They worshipped idols of wood and stone as well as the sun, moon, and stars. The priests were called Druids, and their places of worship were formed of immense stones standing in a circle. Here they often offered up the prisoners, taken in war, as sacrifices. The Britons wore skins of wild beasts, some went naked, and stained themselves blue. We do not know much of them at this remote period : but 55 years before Jesus Christ was born, a celebrated Roman general, Julius Caesar, invaded this country. His soldiers soon subdued the ancient inhabitants, and taught them how to build houses of stone or brick — ^how to cultivate the land instead of living on wild animals, and wild berries — how to dress differently ; and best of aU, the Britons learnt something of the true God, during the time the Romans remained here. 410 "^^ ^^^ early part of the fifth century the Romans abandoned Britain, and soon the Picts and Scots came to down on the Britons, and began to lay the country waste, 430 ^^^ ^^ ^^® people. Being now unable to defend them- selves, they asked help of a nation from Germany, called Saxons. (450,) These Saxons were glad to come, and after repelling the Picts and Scots, finding the Britons weak and feeble, unlilie the fighting people they once were, and seeing it was a fruitful country, they determined to settle in it. A great many more joined them and they became masters of the southern part of of our island. One name for these Saxons was Angles, hence this country was called Angle-land. Having driven the Britons into Cornwall and Wales, they parcelled out the country into several kingdoms. At one period there were seven kings reigning at the same time. — This is called the Saxon Heptarchy. —It lasted about three hundred years, during which time they I AiTD HOME LESSON BOOK. 61 were constantly quarrelling among themselves. At last Egbert put an end to this Heptarchy and became the ftrst king of England (827). During his reign the Danes, or people of Denmark, invaded England many times. Ethelwulf was the next king, then came Ethelbald, Ethel- bert, and Ethelred. No particular event took place in these reigns, excepting the constant warfare of the Danes. In one of these battles king Ethelred was slain, and then Alfred, the fourth son of Ethelwulf and brother to the three last kings, was crowned (871). He was called Alfred the Great, and he well deserved the title, for he was both clever and good. He had much trouble with the Danes, who drove him from his throne, and forced him for two longyears to go about in disguise. Yet in his deepest distress he is said to have shared his last loaf with a poor starving pilgrim. Sometimes he had to ask alms himself, and once the dame who gave him shelter set him to watch some cakes that were baking, and scolded him because he forgot and allowed them to bui-n ; for his thoughts were with his suffering people. At last he drove the Danes away, and then the good Alfred gave all his time and talents to his people, in trying to improve their ignorant condition. I cannot tell you half he did. He founded Oxford University, encouraged the arts, invited clever workmen over from foreign parts,' to improve the shipping, and tried to make all he knew love learning. In those days none but the priests could read and write, and not all of them. King Alfred used to keep a book, and when he learnt anything new would write it down, then try to teach others. No clocks or watches were known then, but Alfred invented a way of measuring time by burning candles. He died in the year 901. Edward his son reigned next, and after him Athelstan. This last king was something like Alfred, for he was wise, and tried to improve his subjects. Athelstan was followed by Edmund, Edred, and Edwy. Then came Edgar, in whose reign there was peace, for the Danes feared him. The next king, Edward the Martyr, was cruelly murdered while he was out hunting. Ethelred the Unready was driven from his throne by the Danes, and Sweyn, a Danish king, took part of the country. 52 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' BEADING There was little besides war in this king's reign and that of his son, Edmund Ironsides, for the Danes had partial rule in the country. His son, Harold Harefoot, succeeded him, and after him Hardicanute, who was a cruel, worthless prince. At his death the Saxon line was restored, in the person of Edward the Confessor. He was rather clever and learned, but did not care much about his people. At his death, Harold, the son of the great Earl Godwin, seized the crown, but did not keep it long. At the battle of Hastings (1066) he lost his life fighting against William of Normandy, thus ending the Saxon line. NOEMAN PERIOD. WILLIAM I. (The Conquercr) 1066 to 1087. In the autumn of 1066, William Duke of Normandy, in France, crossed oyer into this country with a large 106o ai-my. He landed near Hastings, and was met in battle by Harold, the English King. The battle began at day-break, and both armies fought very bravely till the even- ing, when an arrow struck Harold through the brain. His two brave brothers were also killed, and William became victor. He afterwards built a church on the spot, and called it *^ Battle Abbey." William's next step was to seize the castle of Dover, as a place of safety for his army, and as being near France. He then set out for London, but the people there would not give in to him, and shut the gates of the city in his face. When . he saw this, he burnt up all the towns and villages round London, so that no food could reach it ; and quietly waited outside the walls, till the people had eaten all the food within I the city. When they had done this, they were glad enough | AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 53 open the gates again and to submit to him. The nobles throughout the land, seeing it was useless to resist his power any longer, now offered to make him King of England, and he was crowned the same year at Westminster on Christmas- day, 1006. William promised to be very kind to the English people, and at first he was so. But afterwards, when he saw how they tried to rebel against him, he became very harsh. He turned them out of every office both in church and state, and forbade their carrying arms. He would not even allow them to come out of their own houses, or have fire or light burning in them after 8 o'clock at night ; and in order that they might know when it was time to put their fires and lights out, he caused a bell to be tolled in every parish. It is called the "Curfew" or cover-fire. You may still hear it in many a parish of 'merry England ;' and though we do not now pat out our fires when it tolls, we love to hear its old sound, and to call it by its old familiar name. It took William six or seven years to get the English people to obey him ; but it is said, that when at length he had sub- dued them, so quiet was England that a maiden with her bosom full of gold, might have walked all over it with safety. Yet this peaceful state of things was brought about by very cruel means. William, as a reward, divided all England among the soldiers who came over with him from France, and these Norman barons, as they are called, built strong castles all over the kingdom and treated the English everywhere like slaves. He also laid waste immense tracts of country, burn- ing to the ground whole towns and villages, with their churches inhabitants, and cattle. All the land from the Humber to the Tyne, lay like a wilderness for a hundred years : and not content with the royal forest to hunt in, he laid waste all the land between Winchester and the sea, to make a forest for deer, still known by the name of the New Forest. He was very fond of hunting, but would not let any of the English so much as shoot a deer, or a wild boar. If any one dared to do so, he was at once to be put to death, or to lose one of his eyes, or to have a hand chopped off. 54 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* BEADING William did all he could to put down the very name of English. He seized all copies of the Bible written in that tongue, would not let the clergy perform service in it, nor the schoolmasters teach or even speak it in the schools; he made them teach French instead, and he caused all the laws of the kingdom to be written in French instead of English. He also made Englishmen (who, till then, wore their hair long,) to have their beards shaved and their hair cropped, that they might be like Norman Frenchmen ; nor would he let them dress as they used to do, but made them cut off a piece of their long tunic, that it might be like the shorter one which Normans wore. But the Norman barons were even more cruel than William, and lived at ease while Englishmen had all the hard work to do. It is clear, from certain words in our language, who had the tending of the cattle, and who had the eating of them. The Englishman, who had to tend a certain animal, called it ox ; but the Norman, who had only to eat it, called it heef ; and in the same way what the one called calf ih.Q other called veal ; what the slave called sheep, the master called mutton ; - and what the herd called pig, the eater called porTc. Our language has ever since used two names for each of these animals ; we call it by the English name while it is alive, but by the Norman name when we are going to eat it. William and his barons adopted what is called the " feudal system ;" that is, William made a bargain with the barons when he divided the land among them, that each who received a part should supply him in time of war with a horse-soldier fully armed ; while the barons in tm^n divided their estates into smaller ones, which they let out in the same way ; and thus armies were raised fiee of expense. To protect the kingdom by sea, William fortified what he called the " Cinque Ports," (cinque being the French word for five,) namely, Dover, Hastings, Eomney, Hythe, and Sandwich. ' He also buiit the Tower of London for State prisoners, and was the first who used beheading as a mode of punishment in England, He was the founder of Westminster School, and caused a AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 65 ook to be written called, "Domesday Book, "whicli took six years to complete, and gives an account of every estate in England. Though stem and cruel as a king, William was by no means what in those days would have been called a bad man. He was said to have been religious, and one who wrote about him at that time says, ''he was a very wise and great man, mild to those good men who loved God, but severe to those who withstood his will.'* At any rate one good thing about him was, that he was fond of his children. He had four sons : Robert, Richard, William and Henry. Eichard was killed in the New Forest. Robert tried to take Normandy from his father, made war upon him, and at the siege of Gerberoi castle in 1079, veryl079 nearly killed him ; yet the father forgave his rebel son, and even left him the Norman dukedom at his death. On one occasion William and Henry threw a pitcher of water at Robert their brother. Robert got into a great rage and ran at them with his drawn sword ; but the good father rushed in amongst them as peace-maker, and parted them. But William's troubles were not confined to his own family. Some of the barons not content with the rewards he had given them, tried to plot against him : so that though king and conqueror, he was far from being a happy man, and did not know whom to trust. The king of France once joked him about being fat. William was veiy angry, and made war upon him and ordered the town of Mantes to be burnt. As William was riding among the ruins, his horse's foot trod on a piece of burning wood, which made the horse give a great plunge, and William received such a jerk against the pommel of his saddle, that he became quite ill and died six weeks after. This happened in the year 1087. He 1087 was buried at Caen ; and when the monks were about to lower the body, a man came forward and forbade them to do so. He said ''this land is mine and I forbid the spoiler to be placed here." It turned out that the land on which the church was built, had been seized by the king ; so they gave the man sixty shillings then, and promised to pay him for the whole of the land afterwards ; and the man allowed them to bury the king's body. 56 THE FIFTH * STANDARD' READING RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF HASTINGS , . . . ' 1066 SIEGE OF GERBEROI ..... 1079 SIEGE OF M.VNTES AND DEATH OF WILLIAM . . 1087 WILLIAM 11. (Rufas.) 1087 to 1100. You liave seen how the Conqueror acted towards Eobert his eldest son, and how he left him the dukedom of Normandy. But his favourite son was William. To him he left the crown of England, while to Henry the youngest he gave a sum of money. William was crowned about three weeks after his father's death. He was called rufus (red), 1087 because he had a red face and light flaxen hair. Like his father he was short, stout, and strong. He had an uncle whose name was Odo, and who was both a Norman bishop and an English baron. Now, this Odo found it very awkward to have to serve two princes ; namely, Robert as duke of Normandy, and Wilham as king of England. So he tried to get one of them made ruler of both places, and laid a plot to set Eobert on the throne. But the English people, though they did not know much about their new king, already both knew and hated Odo ; for, once, during their late king's absence, he had had charge of the kingdom and ruled it with a rod of iron When therefore Odo now appeared among them, they cried out "halter and gallows 1" and Odo, glad to escape with his life, set sail for Normandy; while William by means of fair promises which he never kept, secured the goodwill of his subjects. This plot to set Robert on the English throne, made Wil- liam think of plotting against him in turn, and trying to secure the Norman dukedom. William was so far success- ful, that in 1091 he crossed over into Normandy with 1091 an army ; but the king of France, before much mischief AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 57 was done, set the two brothers at peace. By his advice it was agreed that Eobert should hold certain parts in England, and William certain parts in Kormandy ; and that whichever of them should outlive the other, should succeed to both dominions. But Henry, the youngest brother, who was displeased with this agreement, offended both parties, and was obliged to take refuge in an abbey. Now, this abbey was built on the top of a high rock, where there was no water and Henry soon became very thirsty. After a long time, Eobert, afraid that Henry might die, sent some water in to him. When William heard of it, he was very angry ; but Eobert said, " what I shall we let our brother die of thirst ? where shall we get another brother if we lose him ?" but WilHam was still angry, and would let no more water go in ; so at last, Henry had to yield. During this siege of the Abbey, William was nearly killed. He made a rush at several knights at once, and they wounded his horse so that it died under him. He fell to the ground, and one of them was just about to kill him when he cried out " hold, rascal, I am the king of England I" The knight said he was sorry for treating the king so ; and William forgave him, called him a brave and good fellow, and took him into his service. After peace had been restored among the three brothers. William turned his attention to the inroads of Malcolm III, ; king of Scotland, who had taken offence because some English- men had gone to live at Carlisle, which was then a Scottish town. Malcolm had invaded England in 1C91 1091 and been subdued; but now again in 1093 he made another inroad, seized the town of Alnwick, and vras in the very act of receiving the keys of its castle 1093 Vvhen he met with his death. These were handed to him on the point of a lance by Mowbray Earl of Northumber- land, who, when the king stretched forth his hand to receive them, pierced him in the eye and killed him. That family has ever since borne the name of Percy, (pierce^ei/e.) William next tried to conquer the Welsh, but did not succeed. At this time began what are called the Crusades. These 58 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* READING were a series of eiglit wars, wliich lasted altogetlier nearly 200 years. They were so called by the French, 1095 because the soldiers wore a cross on their right shoulder. Their object was to rescue Palestine from the Turks who then possessed it, and who treated with scorn and cruelty the pilgrims who went there to visit the tomb of our Saviour. Pope Urban II. urged all Europe to engage in these wars, and Peter the hermit went about everywhere preaching pardon of sin to all who should do so, and declaring that if they died in battle they would go to heaven. Now Robert whose spirit such a thing just suited, wanted very much to go against the Turks ; and offered to give up Normandy to his brother William for five years, provided he would give him enough money to pay the expense of himself and army. William agreed to this, taxed his English subjects to raise the money, and took possession of Normandy. Finding that he could raise money so easily, William now continued to tax the people very heavily, and even robbed the church to supply himself. This money he spent chiefly in wicked pleasures, but partly on the object on which he professed to raise it, namely : in building a wall round the Tower of Lon- don, a bridge over the Thames, and Westminster Hall, the largest room in Europe. Among William's favourite amuse- mentswas the chase, and one day while hunting in the! 100 New Forest he was killed. Towards evening, some char- coal burners found the body with an arrow sticking in the breast. They put it in their cart and took it to Winchester. Some say that Sir Walter Tyrrel aiming at a stag, missed it and killed the king ; while others say that he was killed by his own brother Henry. Sir Walter went to join the wars in Palestine and on his return denied even knowing that the king was hunting on that day. Who shot the fatal arrow is therefore unknown. The body was buried in Winchester cathedral but the clergy refused to say prayers over it. AND HOME LESSON BOOK, 59 RECAPITULATION. LIAM INVADED NORMANDY ... * 1091 MxiLCOLM in. KILLED AT ALNWICK . . . 1093 FIRST CRUSADE , . . , . 1095 DEATH OF WILLIAM , . . . 1100 Home Lessons^ Friday.— 1. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Write out and explain seven of the most difficult words of the lesson. III. "Work Nos. 3 and 4 of the following sums : 1. 19000 pens at 178. 2d. per thousand. 2. 1600 boxes of herriugs at lis. 9d. per hundred boxes. 3. 2689^ pieces of calico at 4s. 6^d. per piece. 4. 2097 acres at 128. 6d. per acre. HENRY I. (Beau-elerc). 1100 to 1135, You remember how Ruf us and Robert agreed tbat wbichever of tbem lived longest, should succeed the other. On this account therefore, besides being the eldest son of the Conqueror, Robert ought now to have become king. But on his way back from Palestine, Robert stayed in Italy to marry a wife, and Henry, the Conqueror's youngest son, who was in the New Forest at the time of his brother's death, took advantage of these circumstances to secure the crown for himself. He at once rode off to Winchester, which was then the capital of England seized the royal treasures, and was crowned at West- 60 THE FIFTH * STANDAED* BEADING minster on the Sunday after. He was surnamed B^ATj-Ch^HK/fine scholar,) because he had translated ^sop's Fables, and because having been educated for the church, he was a 1100 better scholar than most kings in those days. As Henry had no right to the crown, he saw that he could only retain it by securing the goodwill of all classes ; and the barons saw that if they wanted to oppose Henry, they could only do so effectually by securing the willing help of the people, whom hitherto they had cruelly oppressed. The people, you will observe, were thus courted on both sides. If you would understand English History aright, it is important that you should mark this state of matters well ; since out of this sort of rivalry, arose the necessity for each party to give way in some measure to the other, for the common good ; and out of such concessions in turn, arose step by step that mode of government which we now enjoy, by means of Monarch, Lords, and Commons ; a constitution powerful, happy, and free, the glory of Britain and the envy of the world. Being thus to Henry's interest to secure the goodwill alike of clergy, barons, and people, he contrived to do so by grant- ing a charter, which among other things — 1. gave freedom to the church ; this pleased the clergy : — 2. did away with the marriage-tax, which the barons had hitherto paid to the king, when any of their female relatives was married ; this pleased the barons : — and 3. allowed the people to leave their homes whenever they chose, and to keep in their fires and lio'hts as long as they liked ; this pleased the people. Further he married Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III. king of Scotland ; and as she was descended from their own ancient line of kings, this also greatly pleased the people. When therefore, at length Duke Eobert arrived with an army iu England, he found Henry's cause so strong, that he was glad to give up his own claim to the crown for a yearly sum of money. Now Henry, finding his brother so easily bought over on this occasion, afterwards offered him a further sum to give up the dukedom ; but Eobert wouldnot do so. Henry therefore withdrew his first offer, made war 1106 upon him, and took him prisoner at the battle of Ten- And home lesson book. 61 chebrai in 1106. Eobert was brouglit over to England and confined in Cardiff castle ; wbere, as some say, bis eyes were cruelly put out, according to tbe barbarous custom of tbe age ; but where, at all events, he continued to linger near- ly thirty years till he died. But though Henry had thus gained possession of Norman- dy, the barons did not submit to him till many years after. In IIQO he crossed over to receive their homage 1120 taking with him his son William, a youth of eighteen. After staying there for some time, the royal party proposed returning to England in separate ships. That in which the young prince sailed, was called the '* White Ship.*' She was manned by fifty rowers, and had on board many of the young English nobles. Instead of setting sail with the rest of the fleet, they feasted and drank till the sun went down ; and then rowed hard to overtake the king. But, alas I when they got near Alderney where the channel abounds with rocks, the White Ship dashed on one of these and was broken to pieces. The prince might have been saved, for a boat was soon pro- vided for him ; but hearing the shrieks of his half-sister, he desired to be rowed to where she was, when such a crowd leapt on board that the boat went down, and all on board perished. One only of all who sailed in the White Ship, was left to tell the sad tale : he was a butcher of Eouen, who got hold of a masb and swam ashore. The news was conveyed to the king by a page, who knelt at his feet and burst into tears ; and it is said, that the bereaved father, though he lived for fifteen years after this, was never seen to smile again. There remained to him now, only his daughter Matilda or Maud. She had been married when very young to the Emperor of Germany, but became a widow after six months. Henry now brought her back to England, and forced her to marry Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou, a youth of sixteen ; and caused the clergy and barons to swear to secure to her the succession of the crown. A great improvement in the coinage took place in this reign. The Penny had formerly been so divided by marks, as 62 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' BEADING to be easily cut into half and fourth parts wlien necessary. Hence, the new coins now made to represent these values, received the names which we still retain, of half-penny and farth-ing ; and were made separately, round in shape, and of silver. As a standard of measure, the length of the king's arm was taken to represent an Ell. Manufactures, for which England is now so celebrated, were introduced in this reign by Flemish immigrants who settled on the Tweed, and at Worsted in Norfolk. Learning too, for which Henry himself was so renowned, flourished in his reign ; and the Crusades gave rise to the writing of tales of adventure, called Romances because they were composed chiefly in doggrel Latin. Connected with the Crusades, there arose in this reign an order of knighthood called the "Knights Templars." This order consisted of pious soldiers desirous to protect visitors to the Holy Land, and was so called because the rooms which they occupied at Jerusalem were situated close by the ancient Temple. The fashions of this reign were very absurd ; especially in gentle- men's shoes, which were shaped like skates, and were so enor- mously long, that they had to chain the toes to their knees to prevent their tripping : and that natural ornament of the female, her long hair, was cut close almost to the very roots. In 1135, Henry went to Normandy on a visit to his daugh- ter and infant grandson. He was very fond of a kind of small eel called lamprey, which is to be had there in perfection, but of which he had often been forbidden to partake. On this occasion however he indulged in it to excess, and died 1135 in consequence. The body was brought over to England, and buried in Beading Abbey. Am> SOME LESSON BOOR. 63 RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OP HENRY .... BATTLE OF TENCHEBRAI henry's only SON, WILLIAM, DROWNED AT SEA DEATH OF ROBERT AT CARDIFF 1100 1106 1120 1135 Home Lessons, Monduy,—!, Commit the above dates to memory. II, Write out and explain six of the most difficult words in the above lesson. Ill, Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 8 vds. 1 ft. 11 in. at 6s. 9|d. per foot. 2. 29 cwts. 3 qrs. 26 lbs. at £3 3s. 9|d. per ton. 3. 29 yds. 1 ft. 6 in. at £6 6s. 6d. per yard. STEPHEN. (ofBlois,) 1135 to 1154. Maud, Henry's daughter, ought now to have become queen. But as in those warhke days most nations were averse to having a female as their chief ruler, the barons and clergy were easily persuaded to lay aside her claims, and to prefer those of Stephen a grandson of William the Conqueror, by his daughter Adela, wife of the count of Blois. Stephen was strong, brave, active, handsome, and agreeable ; and would no doubt have made a good king, had not his reign been disturbed by perpetual contests between him and Maud. He was 1135 crowned in 1135, on the day after Christmas-day. The first to assert Maud's rights, was David I. king of Scotland. He invaded England three times and took several of the northern towns, but was at length defeated in the 64 THE FIFTH ' STAND AED' EEADIKQ "Battle of the Standard*' at Northallerton in 1138. In this celebrated battle the English fought beneath 1138 the banners of three of their ancient saints. These floated from a mast or standard, on the top of which was a cross, and a silver box containing the consecrated bread of the sacrament. Around this standard the soldiers first knelt in prayer, and then arose to battle. The conflict that ensued between the two brave aimies was terrible, till at length the Scottish king was compelled to yield, and left over eleven thousand of his men dead on the field. He fled to Carlisle intending to renew the attack, but fortunately, peace was soon after established. Stephen thought to strengthen his cause by courting the favour of the barons. He accordingly granted them many fresh privileges, such as allowing them to hunt in their ov;n forests, and to build castles on their own estates. But the building of these castles, instead of attaching the barons to the king, rendered them more independent of him and more cruel towards the people. Over eleven hundred castles are said to have been built in this reign ; and the barons who shut them- selves up within them, only sallied forth to rob and oppress the poor, or to attack the king himself. In the erection of these castles, the English people were compelled to toil like slaves ; and any of them who were suspected of having wealth were afterwards tortured to confess it, robbed of their little all, and confined within the dungeons which they themselves had been forced to prepare. The misery of the people under the barons in this reign, was even greater than their hardships under WiUiam the Conqueror. You might have walked over whole districts without meeting a human being, or finding a piece of tilled land. Nought was to be seen but the black ruin of villages which the barons had spoiled and bm-nt. These rob- bers even plundered the church and persecuted the clergy, till it began to be openly asserted that ''Christ and his saints slept.'* No sooner had peace been effected with the king of ^ Scotland, than Maud herself arrived in England, along 1139 with her half-brother Bobert earl of Gloucester. She AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 65 first went to Arundel castle and afterwards to Bristol, and for two years made war upon the king without any definite result. During the whole of this time the barons took no part in the war, but shut themselves up within* their own castles where they lived like independent kings. At length at the battle of Lincoln in 1141, Stephen who fought bravely 114:1 with sword and battle-axe, had these weapons shivered in his hands and was brought to the ground by a stone. Maud loaded him with chains, imprisoned him in Bristol castle and proceeding to London where she was received with joyful shouts by the fickle multitude, was crowned queen of England. But Maud was proud and haughty, and her whole manner so contrary to Stephen's, that the citizens, joined by the friends of Stephen, soon rose in rebellion against her, and forced her to flee first to Oxford and then to Winchester. At Winches- ter the earl Robert was taken prisoner. Maud in order to get him set free, had now to release Stephen. The war was then renewed. Maud retained the city of Oxford, and Stephen laid ^ siege to it; till in the winter of 1142, hunger forced I her to attempt an escape. One dark night when the 1142 ground was covered with snow, she dressed herself in white, and got three brave knights similarly clad to accompany her. They all passed through the enemy's posts over the snow unseen, and then crossed the Thames on the ice. About four years after this, earl Robert died ; and Maud now regarded her cause as hopeless, and escaped to Normandy. Stephen however did not remain long in undisturbed possession 1152 of his throne; for in 1152 Maud's son Henry, having grown up into manhood, invaded England to assert his mother's claims. But the whole nation was now so weary of this long strife, that the clergy and barons determined to put an end to it. It was therefore arranged that Stephen should retain the throne for the rest of his life, and that Henry should succeed him. Stephen did not long survive this treaty. He died at Dover in 1154, and was buried at i'aversham 1154 Abbey in Kent. 66 THE FITTH ' STANDAED' BEADING RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OP THE STAIJiTDAED .... 1138 BATTLE OF LINCOLN . . * . . 1141 TREATY OP WINCHESTER . . . . 1153 Eome Lessons^ Tuesday. -^1, Commit the above dates to memory. XL Write out and explain five of the most difficult words of the lesson. ' III. Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 198j at. 2s. O^d. 2. 6 cwts. 2 qrs. 26 lbs. at 19s. per cwt. 3. 91678 at £8 2s. 2id. PLANTAGENET PERIOD, HENRY n. (Plantagenet) 1154 to 1189. It was tlie custom in those days for warriors to wear on tlie top of their helmet, a plmne or bunch of feathers. But Geoffrey Martel, the count of Anjou (in France), (who you wiU remember, was Maud's husband,) used to wear a bunch of flowering broom, the French name for which is plante-de-genet. A twig of this plant was therefore adopted as the family crest ; and this is why Henry, Maud's son, who now became king of England, was called plantagenet, as well as that long line of kings which sprung from him. He was crowned at "Westminster in 1154, along with his wife Eleanor 1154 who had previously been divorced from the king of France. Henry had a tall and strongly built frame, a pleasant face, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 67 a beaming eye, graceful manners, a warm heart, a brave dis- position, a love of justice, a taste for literature, temperate habits, and a first-rate memory. It was his custom on return- ing from the chase, to snatch a hasty and light meal, and then busy himself till the hour of rest ; and it is said, that he retained whatever he either read or heard, and knew again at a single glance every person whom he had before seen. Descended -from kings who had reigned in England both before and after the Conquest, he had a better right to the English crown than any who had worn it for nearly a century. As soon, therefore, as he arrived in London, (which now became the capital of England,) the people received him with shouts of joy, and welcomed in him a return to their ancient line of kings. The first thing that Henry did when he became king, was to drive out of England the foreign soldiers who had been hired during the late civil troubles, and who were now swarming and rioting all over the country. He next ordered all the castles which had been built during the last reign to be destroyed, except a few which he reserved for the defence of the kingdom. These castles were no better than dens of thieves. After robbing and spoiling all around, the barons and their retainers used to run into these strongholds to escape being punished. The way of entrance was by a draw- bridge over a deep moat, then up a flight of stairs in the outer wall, and over another draw-bridge into what was called the 'keep.'* This was a tower of five stories high, with walls ten feet thick. It had no windows, but only chinks or long narrow holes, to admit the Hght ; and the floors were covered with rushes, and very dirty. There were no chairs, but only benches or settles, which stood round a large rough table in the middle of the room. At this table, the inmates ate plentifully of coarsely cooked food three times a day. The baron and his family occupied the two upper stories ; hia retainers huddled together in the middle one, and slept on straw ; the part beneath this was used as a store room ; and underneath the whole, were the dungeons in which prisoners 68 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' READING were confined ; dark, damp, and crawling with adders, snakes, and toads. Having begun Ms reign by reforming abuses, Henry con- tinued to do so ; and now turned bis attention to tbe cburcb. There were then two classes of clergymen, regular and secular. Monks were called " regular" clergy because they lived accord- ing to rule, the Latin for which is regula ; and parish priests were called "secular" clergy because their work was with the every-day world, the Latin for which is seculum. The monks lived m ^'monasteries," so called from the Greek word monos which means alone, because each had a separate cell ; but they used to meet at meal-time, and for prayers. I^ionasteries were called ''abbeys" or priories,'* according as each was gov- erned by an abbot or by d, prior ; the abbot being next in rank to bishops, and the priors being scarcely inferior. ^Yithin the monasteries were cultivated many of the useful arts. It was a rare thing in those days to find outside of them, any one who could read or write ; and as printing had not yet been invented, one of the chief emplo3anents of monks consisted in writing out whole books. To them, indeed, we are indebted for all the ancient literature which we possess ; including that Book which our present good queen has so truly called " The Secret of England's Greatness." We are also indebted to them for some of the finest bells found in our old churches, the working of metals being among their favourite arts. Gardening used also to form part of their occupation ; and so much did they excel in the cultivation of the vine .and fruits, that the wine of England which the monks used to make, was thought equal to that of the Continent. Near the ruins of monasteries you may still see traces of gardens, and of fish-ponds which the monks tended with great care. In the monasteries were schools for youth ; food and medicine were given to the poor ; the persecuted were protected ; and the way-worn traveller received an open welcome, rested, and was refreshed. But though these institutions were useful on the whole, and suited for the times, there were also evils connected with them ; and bad men whose religion cloaked their vice, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 69 aetimes found slielter there as well as tlie persecuted. this way, guilty laymen sometimes evaded the civil courts ; and when a priest was wicked, there was no proper means of punishing him for his crimes: for, though the abbot orpriorhad power to confine unruly monks and to beat them severely, ho often merely made them do some trifling penance. Now, Henry thought that this was not right ; and ordered that priests when they turned out bad men, should be tried before the civil courts and punished the same as other people. But as Thomas a Becket, ofwhomyouhave already heard,* opposed Henry in this matter, a council of clergy was called to settle the dispute. It met at Clarendon (in Wilts,) and passed sixteen new 1164: laws called the ** Constitutions of Clarendon." To •^hese reforms Becket at first assented ; but afterwards, wear- ing his episcopal robes, and carrying a cross, he went into the king's presence and protested against them. Becket then escaped to France, where he remained for some years. On his return, he came armed with authority from the pope to ex- communicate those bishops who had sided with the king; but when Henry who was then in Normandy heard of it, he cried out in a great rage, "What a set of lazy cowards I have in my court, that none of you will rid me of this low-born priest V* Four knights who heard this, set out at once for Canterbury ; and finding Becket engaged in the services of the altar, mur- dered him on the spot. As soon as Henry heard of the murder he was greatly shocked ; declared that his hasty words were never intended to bring about such an issue ; caused a shrine to be erected to Becket's memory ; and kneeling before it for a day and a night, permitted the monks to flog his naked body by way of penance. On the same day that Henry, knelt before the shrine, William the Lion, king of Scotland, hap- pened to lose his way in a mist near Alnwick ; and 1174 being taken prisoner, the capture soon came to be regarded as a direct result of Henry's penance. Besides trying to reform the abuses already mentioned, Henry amended the constitution of the civil courts. He did * See Slanaard lY. 70 THE FIFTH 'STANDAED' BEADING away witli tlie absurd custom of trial by ordeal, by which persons accused of crime — after laying hold of red-hot iron, or plunging the naked arm into boiling water, and so forth • — were declared guilty or innocent, acccording as they suffered much or little, from the experiment ; and he divided the kingdom into sis circuits, appointing three judges for each, and establishing a system, out of which gradually arose trial by jury. Henry also did what he could to improve the condition of the people. Before this reign, no burgess could dispose of his daughter in marriage, without paying money to his lord or baron for leave to do so ; nor could he dispose of his property after death to any except the baron himself. But Henry granted a charter by which, among other privileges, a citizen could give his daughter to any one he chose, and could dispose of his property as he liked. One result of this new freedom was, that trade rapidly increased. The manufacture of cloth became permanently established in England, and foreign merchants settled in the country, importing goods of various kinds. Architecture was also advanced, and churches arose of great magnificence. The new privileges, however, were strictly confined to townsmen ; for the country people still suffered great hardships, and continued long after this to be little better than slaves. But perhaps the chief event ofthis reign was the conquest -^ of Ireland, completed in 11 7^, and which, till then, hadll/^ been ruled by five separate kings; namely, those of Ullster, Munster, Leinster, Connaught, and Meath. The king of Leinster having quarrelled with the king of Meath, asked Henry to help him; and Henrysentover the earl of Pembroke, surnumed STEONGBOW ; who not only gained his cause, but married the king of Leinster's daughter ; and became, himself, first of all, heir to the throne, and afterwards, king of Leinster Strongbow again made war on the king of Meath, conquered him, and added Meath to his own kingdom. At this, Henry was much displeased ; and commanding Strongbow to resign to him all his conquests, went over in person to take possession of them J whereupon the other Lish kings also resigned their I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 71 dominions to Henry. This is the way in which Ireland first became attached to the English crown, and it has remained so ever since. This reign is also remarkable for the nnmber of its eminent men ; among whom were several historians and poets, of more or less note. With the name of Thomas a Becket you are now familiar, but did you ever hear of Nicholas Breakspear ? Perhaps not ; for he had another name, by which he is better known in history. He was bom in Hertfordshire, and rose from the humblest to the highest rank — a rank, higher in in those days than that of Henry himself — for Nicholas, under the name of Adrian IV., became Pope of Rome. He lived in the early part of this reign, and is the only Englishman who . was ever honoured with that office. After filling it with ability and prudence for not quite five years, he was choked by a fly and died. While Henry II. was eminently successful as a king, his domestic afiairs were far from being a comfort to him. His wife was a bad woman, and encouraged his sons to rebel against ► him. Besides William who died, there were Henry, Geoffrey (sumamed the CHILD OF PERDITION), Richard and John. Urged by her they took up arms against him and tried to de- throne him. Richard collected an army for the professed purpose of joining the crusades, but really to attack his father. ^ The king quite unprepared for this, had to make a treaty with his son. Among the conditions of the treaty was this, that all barons who had joined against him, should be freely par ' doned. On reading over a list of their names, Henry found that of his favourite son John ; and such was the effect on his mind, that he feU suddenly ill of a fever and died. 1189 ' Henry, his eldest son, also died of fever, and Geoffrey was killed in a tournament at Paris. Tournaments, and also jousts, were favourite sports of that age. In a tournament, several knights met in combat, often inflicting very severe wounds ; but in a joust the whole affair was a sham, for the speais had no heads, and the combatants merely aimed at unhorsing one another. These sports were attended by all classes, and ladies took particular delight in 72 THE FIFTH ' STANDAED' READING witnessing them ; dressing in tlie most fashionable style, and sitting around in galleries erected specially for their accommo- dation. RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF IIENKY II. .... 1154 ** CONSTITUTIONS OF CLAIIENDON" DRAWN UP . 1164 CONQUEST OF IRELAND .... 1172 DEATH OF KING HENRY . . . . 1189 Home Lessons^ Wednesday,— I. Commit the above dates to memory, II. Name the parts of speech of all the words in the first line of the above lesson. III. "Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 80399 at 7| guineas. 2. 2981 at £16 10s. lO^d. 3. 9001 at £7 18s. 3|d. BIOHAED. I. (Cceur de Lion.) 1189 to 1199, In olden times the church used to teach, that it was sinful for a Christian to lend money on interest ; and Jews taking advantage of this circumstance, established themselves every- where as bankers. On this account they were much disliked, and often greatly persecuted. Vast numbers of them had been driven out of Franx3e, and at the time when Richard, the eldest surviving son of the late king was crowned, 1189 were trying to find shelter and a home in England. 1189 To shew their goodwill, some of them approached the new king at his coronation in Westminster Abbey with AND HOME LESSON BOOK. lendid offerings. But certain courtiers drove tHem forth le dogs ; and the mob outside, supposing them to have been r treated by the king's orders, fell upon them with stones '''and bats ; and running from street to street, burnt their houses, and murdered every Jew they could find. This sad spirit of persecution reached other towns of England ; especially York, where over five hundred Jews perished amidst the most horrid cruelties. Eichard was strongly made ; had blue eyes, and curling chestnut hair ; was fond of music and poetry, and especially of adventure and war. His disposition, on the whole was generous ; and because of his gi'eat bravery he was sumamed OCEUB DE LION, which is the French for Lion-hearted. He was a good knight, but a bad king ; for of his ten years' reign he spent only a few months in England, and his absence gave rise to all sorts of lawlessness. Bands of robbers swept the . country, so that no man's life or property was safe. Perhaps the least hurtful, but certainly the most romantic of these bands, was one which had its head quarters in Sherwood Forest (in Nottinghamshire.) Its captain was the famous Bobin Hood, a brave and generous fellow, who is said to have been able to hit with his arrow a mark at a mile off ; and the second in command, because he was an enormously big man, received the quaint title of Little John. This band consisted of a hundred well-trained archers, who dressed in cloth of Lincoln green, so that they could hardly be discerned amid the surrounding foliage. They never robbed any except rich people ; and whenever a poor man passed through the ^forest they gave him food and money, and helped him on his way. This made them such favourites with the common people of the smTOunding towns and villages, that nobody cared to try and break up the band ; and as the people hated the game laws, they all the more Hked "Eobin Hood, and his merry, merry men," who lived on the king's game which they foimd in the forest. One day, Robin was taken very ill, and sent for a woman who professed to cure people. But as she did not understand her art, she opened a vein which she could not close again j and poor Robin bled to death. Everybody 74 THE FIFTH *BTANDAED' EEADINGfr wlio heard of Eobin's death was sorry ; and it was agreed to keep the day on which he died (the 1st of May,) as a holiday ever after. This is the origin of the sports still common amongst us, on what is called the May-day. Among the other disorders of this reign was a London riot, led on by William Fitz-Osbert who was surnamed Long -heard. He was the first demagogue who arose in England ; and the riot is worthy of mention, as being the first instance of the rising of an English mob against the constitution. It was put an end to, by the execution of Long-beard at Tyburn. As soon as Eichard was crowned, he set out for Palestine to join the third crusade. It took him nearly a year to get there. Saladin the sultan of Egypt, had already defeated the Christian army at Jerusalem. Acre now was the centre of the war, and the Christians had for nearly two years been trying to take that fortress. Eichard*s arrival inspired them with fresh courage, and so fiUed the enemy with despair that in a few days they opened the gates. He also took the town of Asca- 1191 Ion and performed such feats of courage as to astonish Saladin. But when he was within sight of Jerusalem, the prize for which he longed ; he was compelled by the thinness of his army and the jealousy of his allies, to turn homewards, contented with the victories he had already gained. On his way back he was wrecked in the Gulf of Venice, and had to cross the dominions of the duke of Austria, whom he had offended at the siege of Acre. Eichard now disguised him- self, and travelled under the name of Hugh the Merchant. But a page whom he sent into a town to buy provisions, was observed to wear gloves — then a mark of rank ; and in this way Eichard was discovered by the duke, and impri- soned. In 1194, his English subjects paid a ransom 1194 for him of 100,000 merks. On his return, Eichard found that his brother John had been trying to usurp the throne. He forgave him : but remark- ed — "I wish I could as easily forget your offence, as you are likely to forget my pardon." The rest of Eichard's 1199 reign was occupied with wars in France. At Chains (in Normandy f) he was wounded by an arrow, the head of AND HOMB LESSON BOOK. whicli being extracted by an unskilful surgeon caused his death in 1199. RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF RICHARD . , . - 1189 SIEGE OF ACRE . , . . • • 1191 DEATH OF RICHARD . . . . • 1199 Home Lessons, Thursday, — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Write out and explain six of the most difficult words in the above lesson. III. Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 90 yds. 1 ft. 6 in. at £99 9s. 9|d. per yard. 2. 98 Eng ells. 3 qrs. 3 nls. at 18s. 9d. per ell. 3. 28989 at £7 9s. 3Jd. JOHN (Lackland,) 1199 to 1216. When Henry II. divided his property among his family, he intended Ireland for his favourite son John. But as this intention was frustrated, John found himself in the peculiar position of a nobleman without an estate. This is why he was called lack-land. His brother Eichard however, left him the English crown, which by right ought to have been given to Arthur, son of his elder brother " The Child of Perdition." The clergy and barons supported John's claim, on condition that he was to respect their rights ; 1199 and he was crowned on Ascension-da^, 1J99. The 76 THE FIFTH * STANDAED* BEADING youtMul Arthur, aided by friends in France, asserted his own claim. But John cast him into the dungeons of Eouen, (in Normandy ;) after which all trace of him is lost : although as some say, John, distrusting the keepers of the prison, after- wards put him to death with his own hand. Be this as it may, the French king made John's treatment of Arthur, a pretext for war; invaded Normandy, and 1204-5 after two years^ severed it from the English crown. In person John was tall and stout. In character he was a coward, a tyrant, a liar, and a villain. A quarrel which he had with the pope, exhibits his character in these respects. The pope appointed a most excellent man, Stephen Langton, an Englishman, to be archbishop of Canterbury ; but John swore he would not allow him to become archbishop ; and giving way to passion, ordered all the monks out of Can- terbury, and drove them beyond the sea. The pope then threatened what is called an "interdict;" that is, the with- drawal from the kingdom of all religious privileges, except to the dying and to infants. John boasted in return, that if the bishop of Eome or any other bishop, dared to lay his kingdom under interdict, he would send all the clergy to Italy, with their eyes plucked out and their noses slit. At length in 3208, the interdict was published. In 1209, the 1208 king was excommunicated. In 1211, his people received , permission from the pope to rebel against him. In 1212, the pope declared him to be no longer king ; and ordered 1213 the king of France to take possession of his throne. In 1213, the French king raised an army to dethrone him. And now John became so greatly alarmed, that he at once made over his kingdom to the pope, and agreed to pay a yearly rent for it of a thousand merks. But when the pope told the English people they must now obey John, the barons refused to do so ; unless the king, as a pledge of better government, would confirm the charter of Henry I. Under the able direction of the good Stephen Langton, the barons at length met the king in a field at Eunnymead near Windsor, where they asked him to sign a new 1215 charter, containing all that was in the old one, and AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 77 SO much beside, tliat it got the name of magna ohaeta, that is '^-th.e great charter, John refused to sign it, saying : — *'as well may you ask my crown !" But the barons being armed, compelled him to sign it. Magna Charta contains sixty -three clauses, writ- ten on two pieces of parchment, and is still preserved in the British Museum. Among its provisions are these : 1st. — That the Church of England shall continue free. 2ndly. — That no man shall be kept in prison without trial. 3rdly. — Th at trial shall be by j ury . 4thly . — That any man may leave the kingdom, and return to it when he pleases. 5thly. — That no rich man shall use a poor man's cart and horse without his leave. 6thly. — That a poor man may bring an action against a rich man : &c. Thus, once more, (as you remember, was the case in the time of Henry I.) the rival interests of king, clergy, barons, and people, helped to work out the problem of the general good, and to lay anew the foundation of England's present, free, and happy constitution. And Magna Charta, as one of our greatest historians has said "is still the keystone of English liberty."* John cursed and raved, as soon as the barons left Eunnymead ; and set about collecting an army of foreigners, to revenge himself upon them. First he took Rochester Cas- tle, then advancing to St. Albans, ordered his generals to destroy Essex, Middlesex, and the adjoining counties ; while he himself proceeded to Nottingham, and burnt all the estates and castles of the barons that lay in his route. Taken una- wares, the barons were obliged to seek the aid of the French king ; whose son Louis landed in England in 1216, and would have been made king; but that John, crossing the 1216 Wash, (in Norfolk,) was overtaken by the tide, and lost all his treasures, including the crown itself ; and further that John laying this mishap to heart died a few days after it. The name of Archbishop Langton repeatedly mentioned in this reign, is worthy of remembrance not only on account of what has already been told, but because he nobly asserted the * Hallam. 78 THE FIFTH 'standard' EEADINa ancient independence of the Oliurcli of England ; by refusing to obey the pope, when he ordered him to excommunicate certain English bishops and barons, who sought to restrain the tyranny of the king. RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF JOHN . . . . , 1199 JOHN RESIGNS HIS KINGDOM TO THE POPE . ,1213 MAGNA CHART A SIGNED . . . . 1215 DEATH OF JOHN . . . . . .1216 Ho./ne LessonSy Friday, — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Name the parts of speech of all the words in the first line of the above lesson. III. "Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums ; 1. 20996 at £11 9s. 6fd. 2. 23689 at £8 17s. 9fd. 3. 900 wks. 6 days, at 17s. 6^d. per wk. HENEY m. (of Winchester.) 1216 to 1272. Had it not been for one wise and brave man, (William MarsHall,) England would now have become a mere province of France, Already had the French prince Louis, who was in London when John died, been acknowledged by the citizens as king. William Marshall was earl of Pembroke, and had married one of John's daughters. By his influence Henry, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 79 Jolin's eldest son, a boy of ten, was made king at Gloucester ; where, as the crown was lost, a circlet of 1216 gold was placed on his brow. The earl was appointed regent, and died in three years. But he lived long enough to save England I For, by his wisdom, he won over to Henry many of the rebellious barons, who would otherwise have sup- ported the French king ; and by his bravery, he defeat- ed the rest of them in 1*217, in a battle which bears 1217 the odd name of "the Fair of Lincoln." In this same year the French king, who had tried hard to possess himself of England, sent over a fleet which Hubert de Bm-gh defeated off Dover ; by throwing up 1217 into the air a quantity of quick-lime, which got into the eyes of the French, and put them into such disorder that their ships soon became an easy prey. In appearance, Henry was of middle size ; and his face had an odd expression caused by a droop in the left eye-lid. In character, he was weak, worthless, and contemptible. After the earl of Pembroke's death he invited over into his kingdom hosts of foreign favourites, on whom he bestowed the various offices of state, and even money to such an extent that he himself was always poor. He would then tax his people for more money, and waste it on favourites, or spend it on extrava- gance. This foolish conduct so roused the indignation of the barons, that at length they insisted upon his calling a council of nobles to redress his subjects' wrongs. A council of this kind — called the magnatum conventus, that is, the assembly of nobles — had existed in England from the time of the Conqueror. It was composed of prelates and barons who sat along with the king, for the purpose of redressing the wrongs of the kingdom ; and is in fact, the origin of our present House of Lords, After the days of Eufus, Westminster Hall was the place where this parlia- ment met. Any person who had suffered public wrong, no matter what his rank, could appear before it to make com- plaint or hand in a petition ; and officers called " receivers," were stationed in different parts of the hall to take charge of the various complaints and petitions, so as to bring them sys- 80 THE FIFTH * STANDARD' BEADING tematically before the king.* This assembly did not meet regularly, but only at such times as the king had a mind to summon it, or as the grievances of the people compelled him. Some days beforehand, he used to send out an officer into one of the leading thoroughfares of London, who stood up, and with solemn face and loud voice read from a roll of parch- ment, that on such-and-such a day, our sovereign lord, king, So-and-so, would hold a Magnatum Oonventus; and that ^'all of you," who have been in any way wronged by any of the king's officers, by unlawful taxation, imprisonment, or otherwise, *' are to deliver your petitions to the receivers, whom for that purpose our lord the king hath appointed ; and who will sit openly from day to day, ready to listen to you, ready to attend to you, in the great hall of the king's palace of Westminster, at the foot of the staircase on the left hand side, just as ye enter the same." Many of the mob would then toss up their caps in the air, amid shouts from all classes of " long life to his majesty." This was the council, which the barons insisted Henry should now call together. When it met, they made him take a solemn oath to adhere strictly to the terms of Magna* Charta. Barons were present in full armour — with helmet, spear, and battle-axe ; and bishops in full costume — ^with crosses, crosiers, and, lighted tapers. After administering the oath to Henry, the bishops threw their tapers on the floor, and left them to flicker, and smoke, and fume, until they went quite out. Then, when their vile stench had spread throughout the hall, each bishop in turn said " thus may he be extinguished, who incurs this sentence :" to which Henry laying his hand on his heart replied, " I shall keep the Charter inviolate ; as I am a Christian, as I am a knight, as I am a crowned and anointed king." But the worthless monarch soon forgot his oath, and when in want of money taxed both Jews and citizens, and threatened * The division of our modem law courts into Exchequer, Chancery, &c., is but the development of this ancient arrangement for conducting legal business before the king in person, in Westminster Hall. ^ I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. ^51 the former witli hanging unless they paid him speedily. Things now became worse and worse until the king, forced by the barons, once more summoned Parliament. It met as usual in Westminster Hall, but soon after adjourned to Oxford ; whither the barons, clad in steel, were accompanied each by his staff of soldiers : for they were now determined to adopt measures which would limit the power of the king, and remove the grievances of the people. With Simon de Montfort (earl of Leicester,) at their head, they passed certain resolutions known as '^ the Oxford Statutes," among which are these : 1st. — Twenty-four persons, of whom twelve were chosen by the king, and twelve by the barons, were appointed to see that the laws of the Mngdom were faithfully executed : 2ndly. — These » persons were to be responsible to parliament, which should meet three times a year : and 3rdly. — Four knights, chosen by the freeholders of the different counties, should be sent to parliament to repoii) how the laws were observed within the districts which they represented. These measures seem to us to be very moderate, wise, and just; yet so foolish did they seem to many in those days of tyranny, that this assembly got the name of *• The Mad Parliament." Itmetin 1258 ; 1258 and is usually regarded for two reasons, as being the FmsT PAELiAMENT that evcr met in England. The first of these reasons is — because the national council now, f orthe first time, took the name o^ parliament : and the second reason you would do well to mark, namely — because now, for the first time, it recognized the principle of "representative government." Formerly it had within itseK the element of our House of Lords only : now, by allowing knights and burgesses to sit in council with bishops and barons, it united to itself the germ ' which at length developed into our House of Commons. As the king did not willingly submit to these reforms, civil war broke out; and in 1264 he was taken pri- 1264 soner at the battle of Lewes (in Sussex,) and remained in confinement for some lime. In the following year, Simon d^ Montfort, who had acted as leader in these affairs, was slain at t*he battle of Evesham (in WorccsUc^lure) 1265 and much lamented by the people. 82 THE FIFTH * STANDABD* EYADl^a Tlie refoiTQS of this reign were not confined to politics. Candles took the place of wooden torches, and the people of Newcastle now first began to 'dig for coal. Roger Bacon, an Oxford monk, now known as the '- Father of Philosophy," was in those days looked upon as a magician, and cast into prison on account of his inventions. Among these were magnifying glasses, the magic lantern, gunpowder, and maps. The king died at Westminster 1272, and his reign is the longest in English history except that of George 1272 III. RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF HENRY .... 1216 MAD PARLIAMENT ...... 1258 JB'ome Lessons, Monday. — I. Commit the above facts to memory. II. Write out and explain six of the most difficult words of the above lesson. III. Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. A farmer had a farm which contained 127 acres 3 roods 17 perches ; he bought another fai*m which was 29 times as large ; what was tlie extent of the new farm ? 2. What is the weight 69 hogsheads of sugar, if one weigh 13 cwts 2 qrs. 17lbs.? 3. What is the weight of 26 sacks of potatoes, each sack weighing 1 cwt. 2 qrs. 17 lbs. 13 oz. EDWAED I. (Long-ShanJcs,) 1272 to 1307. A few days after Henry's death, his eldest son Edward who had gone to join the eighth crusade, was pro- 1272 claimed king; but it was not until 1274 that he and his wife, Eleanor of Castile (in Spain), were crowned ]_274 at Westminister. He had been stabbed in Palestine with a poisoned dagger, but Eleanor sucked the poison from the wound and saved his life. He wp,^ very tall, and his legs AND HOME LE3B0N BOOfe. 83 ire so long in proportion to liis body tliat lie got tlie name LONG-SHANKS. He had a bold countenance, a broad brow, ,d light hair. He was a brave soldier, and though cruel in nquest, made a wise use of it afterwards. He was a good ,tesman, and co-operated with his parliament in framing ef ul laws for the protection of property and the advancement f trade. But he cruelly drove the Jev^^s out of England ; whose place, as bankers, was afterwards filled by goldsmiths from Lombardy (in Italy), who settled down in London, in what has on this account been called Lombard Street; and which to this day remains the great resort of dealers in money. . Coal now became known as a fuel, but Edward forbade its use on account of the smoke. For, though chimneys had been invented, they had not yet come into general use ; and the smoke had to escape either through an open door or window, or as best it could. Flemish merchants now bought from ^■|ie English, wool, tin and lead ; and those who settled in Bjjpombard Street, soon began to add to their ordinary business, '"'** the sale of spices, wines, silks, and other foreign produce which they imported. Paper and windmills were now first introduced by the crusaders, who had learned of these things' . in the East ; and spectacles, clocks, and the mariner's com- pass, were among the other inventions of the age. Its chief sports were the tournament and the joust, (which have been already explained,) the quintain, tilting, and riding at the ring. The quintain was a long cross-bar which turned round on the top of a high pole. From one end of this cross-bar hung a board; and from the other a sack of flour, or bag of sand. The player, being mounted on horseback, ran violently against the board with a blunted spear ; whereupon, unless he contrived to get quickly out of the way, the other end would be sure to swing . round and knock him down. Tilting was a sham battle, fought in the tilt-yard adjoining the castle ; and the art of riding at the ring consisted in being able, while riding at full speed, to thrust a spear through a ring which hung from a post. The great object of Edward's ambition, was to unite the whole nation of Britain into one kingdom. But this union was not f uUy accomplished till a later age, when it was happily 84 THE FIFTH 'STANDAED' READING brought about — not by conquest, — ^but by tbe willing and wise cboice of two bitberto independent nations. Meantime, Edward began bis enterprise by seeking to conquer Wales. The Welsh held out bravely against him for eight years, but on losing their prince were obliged to yield; and by an act of parliament passed in 1284, 1284 Wales became incorporated with England. In trying to make the people submit to him, Edward is said to have cruelly caused the murder, at Conway (in Caernarvonshire) , of those patriotic bards who mourned in song over their country's loss of liberty. At length by stratagem, Edward succeeded in gaining the submission of the Welsh. He told them that their next ruler should be a native-bom prince. He then brought his queen to Caernarvon castle, where a son was born. This son, whom he created ''Prince ofWales,'' he then presented to the assembled chiefs, who acknowledged him as their future ruler ; and the eldest son of the English monarch has ever since borne this title. In order to carry out the rest of his scheme, Edward next tried to effect a union with Scotland, by means of a marriage between the young queen of that country and his own son. But as she died before the marriage could take place, he was obliged to change his plan. A dispute about the suc- cession to her crown, soon gave him a plea for interfering, which he founded on the fact that William the Lion in order to procure his Hberty, had, a century before, while imprisoned at Alnwick, been forced to declare himself a vassal of tho English crown. This plea was a poor one. For a ransom having soon after been paid for him, the claim of vassalage ceased. Edward, however, now insisted on its renewal ; and offered to decide the dispute in favour of such of the claimants as would acknowledge it. Two of these, Baliol and Brace, pre- tended to do so ; and Edward decided in favour of Baliol. This Baliol was a somewhat timid man ; but the indignation of the Scottish nobility roused even him, to assert by a revolt the independence of his kingdom. Edward dethroned him, and began at once to ravage Scotland. But the great Scottish hero, Sir William Wallace, now came to the rescue and for AKD HOME LESSON BOOK. . 85 eight years nobly defended liis country's cause. At the battle of Stirling, in 1297, lie gained a complete 1^17 victory over tbe English army; and within a few months, recovered every fortress in Scotland. But in the fc lowing year Edward marched into Scotland at the head 0. .100,000 men, and entirely overthrew the Scottish •forces in the battle of Falkirk. Wallace was at last 1298 (in 1305,) betrayed into the hands of Edward, and taken to London where he was hanged, embowelled, and quar- tered. " In this transaction, Edward seems to have laid I aside his natural magnanimity ; for the hero deserved a orthier fate, and was not justly amenable to English law, nee he had never sworn allegiance to the king." But no ►oner was one Scottish hero laid low than another arose, obert, a grandson of the Bruce already named, was ci owned (in 1306,) at Scone (in Perthshire) ; and continued to assert the independence of his country. In 1307 Edward advanced to meet him, but died on reaching Burgh-on- ±307 the-Sands, (near Carlisle); and his body was conveyed to Westminster where it was buried. The kings of Scotland had for generations, been crowned at the palace of Scone ; sitting on a stone, on which, the Scots believed Jacob had laid his head at Bethel. This stone was seized by Edward, and is now in Westminster Abbey. On it, the kings of England have ever since sat at their coronation : and to this day, it is used in connexion with the coronation of our sovereigns of the United Kingdom. RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF EDWARD I. . . ... 1272 WALES ANNEXED TO ENGLAND . . . .1284 BATTLE OF STIELING . . . . . 1297 DATTLE OF F.U.KIRK . . . . . -1298 Home Lessons, Tuesday. —I. Commit the aljove dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, employing the first six words at the head of tlie 1st. piece of poetry on pa^e 5. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following sums : THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* liSADINa 1. 6978C5 at £6 7s. 9^d. 2. 997777 at £20 12s. 3|d. S. 7 lbs. 9 oz. 19 dwts. 20 grs. at £6 9s. per lb. EDWAED II. (Caernarvon.) 1307 to 1327. Edward, tlie prince who was born at Caernarvon, now became king. He bad hisfatber's face and jSgure, but \(j[)f lacked the warrior's spirit and was foolish, mean, lazy, and deceitful. In boyhood he had been led into bad habits by a companion of the name of Gaveston, whom Edward I. ])anished on this account. As soon as Edward II. became king, he sent for his old favourite, and loaded him with wealth and honour. He then made him regent, and went to France to marry Isabella the daughter of the French king. This Gaveston was a fop and a fool. Amongst his bad habits was one which is rarely practised by any except cowards. When you hear a boy call nicknames, you may be pretty sure that he is of a mean and sneaking disposition. Much more is this the case, when a full-grown man (unworthy of the name,) prac- tises so silly a habit. All such are sure to become despised, and in the long run to get into trouble for it. So it was with Gaveston. He had nicknames for all the barons. He used to call one ^' Joseph the Jevr ;" another, *'the dog in the wood ;" and a third, '' the old hog ;" and so on. Twice did the barons compel the king to banish him, and twice did the weak king receive him back into favour; but at last a party of the outraged barons, headed by the earl of Lancaster, seized him and ordered his execution, which took place at Blacklow Hill, (near Warwick). At a later period of his reign the foolish AND HOME LESSON BO'^K. 87 Edward chose a now favourite named Spenser, to whom with his father he gave honours and estates ; but at last the barons seized the Spensers, and hanged them on gibbets 50 feet high. Owing to the disorders of the court and kingdom, a parlia- ment met in 1310, sword in hand, to appoint a com- ^ mittee — known in history as The Ordainers — to draw 1310 up ordinances, or rules, for the better management of the king's household, and for the reform of abuses in the kingdom. Among the ordinances were the following : 1st. — That evil counsellors should be removed from the court: 2ndly. — That Magna Charta and all laws not contrary to it, should be strictly observed : 3rdly. — That the king should not go out of the realm, or undertake war, without consent of Parliament, By these *' ordainers*' taking the duty off wool, cloth, anc> wine, and also by the invention of crockery-ware at this time trade became improved. Bills of Exchange were now also fir? introduced ; but the interest on money being 45 per cent tended much to limit the bounds of commerce. Nor did tt prosperity which followed the taking off of these duties, cq-' tinue long ; for a famine broke out soon after, so severe, t^ even for the king's table, bread could scarcely be had. M- . were glad to feed on cats, dogs, and horses ; while the poor . roots and herbage. Want of food induced disease, and . land became ravaged by plague. The barons unable to su]; , their numerous retainers, set them free ; and these, findin other means of subsistence, murdered and robbed on all & , This state of matters stands in curious contrast to that of ano part of this same reign, when the people so gorged themsc •■ with food, that Edward in' order to prevent injury to hea , •passed a law f orbiddingthe use of more than two courses at c ner. The usual dinner hour in those days, was 11 o'clock in , forenoon ; and on one occasion, we read of as many as 30,( separate dishes being served up at a single meal. Their or food in winter, consisted of a vast variety of game and fis for as they had no notion of fatting cattle in winter, tl used in autumn to salt down the whole of their wint, supply. THE FIFTH ^STANDARD' BEADING In 1314, Edward marched an arrny of 100,000 men into Scotland, where he was met on the field of Bannock- burn (in Stirlingshire), by king Eobert Bruce at the 1314 head of only 80,000 troops. By a device of the Scottish king, pits in which were erected sharp stakes, were prepared in front of his line, and covered with turf resting on hurdles. In advancing over these, the English cavalry were thrown into such disorder that at last they fled from the field in dismay, and were pursued for many miles. Thirty thousand of them perished many of whom were drowned in trying to cross the Forth. *^ This brilliant victory completed the in- dependence of Scotland." In revenge for these repeated attempts to deprive Scotland of her independence, king Eobert now sought to deprive the English of Ireland ; and actually succeeded in placing his own brother Edward on the Irish throne, which he occupied for two years ; but in 1318 Edward was slain by the 1318 English in the battle of Tagher (near Dundalh), About this time, there arose certain religious persons known "i " The Lollards." They got this name on account of their ndness for singing h3mins. The word is German, and means "iing often. In an after age the term became applied, by 7 of reproach, to those who sought reform in the church, n 1322, those barons who had jDeen so long dissatisfied 1 Edward's conduct, formed an alliance with the OS ; but Edward defeated them at Boroughbridge 1322 Yorkshire), and their leader the earl of Lancaster, i taken prisoner and executed. Many of the Lancastrian :ty were banished ; and taking up their abode on the con- ent, were afterwards joined by queen Isabella herself, who d quarrelled with her husband. They raised a foreign army, d landed in Suffolk towards the close of 1326. The king d into Wales, and was taken at Neath Abbey, (in Olamorgan- re). In the following January, the parliament ought a series of charges against him ; he was forced 1327 resign the crown ; and Edward his son, a youth of was made king. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 89 After being removed from one prison to another, and endur- ing mucL. harsh treatment for eight months, Edward II. was murdered in a most cruel manner at Berkeley castle, (m Glou- cestershire.) RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF EDWARD II. . . . . 1307 BATTLE OF BANNOCKBUEN . . . •1314 DEATH OF EDWARD II. . . . . 1327 Home Lessons Wednesday. — I, Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make five sentences, each to contain a word used at the head of the 2nd piece of poetry on page 7. III. Work the 1st and 2nd of the following sums : 1. 84 tons. 3 cwts. 2 qrs. at 29s. per cwt. 2. 79 tons. 3 cwts. qrs. 18 lbs. at 60s. per cwt. 3. 2987698 cwts. 3 qrs. at £4 10s. 9d. per cwt. EDWARD III. (of Windsor.) 1327 to 1377. Edward III. as you have seen, was made king in 1327, when only 14 years old. But the actual gov- 1327 emment of the country was in the hands of the queen his mother, a most faithless woman ; and of Lord Mortimer, her worthless favourite. The guilty couple chose Nottingham castle as their residence, thinking it safer than most places. But the governor of that castle did not like Mortimer. So when parliament met in 1330, in that town, he told the king's friends of a secret entrance to the castle, (now locally known 6s " Mortimer's Hole") ; and Mortimer was seized, taken to London, tried for usurping the royal authority, and executed at Tybuin. 90 * THE FIFTH ' STANDARD* READINGS Edward being now 1 8, toolr tlie government into liis own Lands, and proved himself to be a wise, brave, and good king. In tbe same year lie married a most excellent and heroic princess — Philippa of Hainault, (in Belgium), The splendour of their court, and the virtue and affection of their domestic life, commanded the esteem of all. Edward was surnamed op WINDSOR, because that was the name of his birth-place ; and to commemorate it as such, he afterwards built a castle there, which still continues to be the chief residence of Eoyalty in England. He also built the chapel of St. Stephen's at Westminster, that the Commons might have a chamber to meet in, separate from that of the Lords ; and as this new arrangement required a chairman to be set over the Commons, such an officer was now first appointed, and got the name of '* The Speaker," because he puts the questions to the house, and reads the bills. Other constitutional changes took place in this reign. Hitherto all legal business in England had been conducted not in the English but in the French language. This must have been very awkward : for unless the prisoner and jury happened to understand French, they could not possibly know what was going on at the trial. Now just as Edward commemorated the place of his birth, by the erection there of a castle, so he also commemorated his 50th birthday, by altering on that day the language of our law courts from French to English. Two entirely new courts were also estab- lished in this reign ; namely, 1st. — the admiralty-court, for administering the laws relating to ships and sailors ; and 2ndly. — the EXCHEQUER-OHAMBER-couRT, for con'ecting such errors as might arise in the other courts * King Eobert of Scotland was now dead, and his young son was king. But a son of the late Baliol aiming at the throne, induced Edward to help him, by offering to become Edward's * The EXCHEQUER-CHAMBER-COURT Hiust not be confounded with the EXCHEQUER-CO UKT. The hitter ah'oady existed to receive the crown revenues, and try all causes relating to the same. The name * 'Exchequer" arose from the chequered tables, or chess-hoard-pattejm desks, anciently used to facilitate calculation. ^ The chakcery-court also already existed, for relaxing the application of the law in cases where it seemed to press too hard. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 91 vassal. This led to tlie battle of Halidon-liill, (in Nortlmrn- heniandj) where the Scots were defeated in 1333. Baliol was then made king ; but when he began to acknow- 1333 ledge the superiority of Edward, by handing over to him some of the southern counties, this so roused the indig- nation of the Scotch, that his rival soon regained the crown. Petty warfare continued between the two nations for some years after this, but with no important result — Scotland still retain hig her ancient independence. A new and wider sphere for the exercise of Edward's military talent now presented itself. The French king had died without a son, and Edward who was that king's nephew, now claimed to be his heir, in opposition to another claimant who was only that king's cousin. Yet Edward was rejected. and the latter chosen king. By what is called the " Salic law," females were excluded from the throne of France. Edward s mother therefore, (Isabella,) could not possibly give to another what she did not possess — a claim to the French throne. But Edward pretended otherwise, and war was the consequence. His two first expeditions proved fruitless ; but in 1340, he gained a great naval victory off Sluys, (in Belgium). In 1346, accompanied by his son Edward, 1340 Prince of Wales, now 15 years of age, (who from the colour of his armour, and that of the horse on which he rode, was called the black prince,) Edward III. led an army of 30,000, into France, took several towns in Normandy, and was advancing towards Paris, when an army of 100,000, headed by the French king, collected behind him. Determined to fight his way through them, Edward made for the village of Oressy, (on the Somme), where a memorable battle was fought, and the French totaUy defeated— over 36,000 1346 of them being left dead on the field. This battle was I the first at which the English used gunpowder. But the confusion which it is said to have caused to the French, mu )t have arisen from the noise and smoke ; for the danger w.'^s about equal on both sides, the ' cannon' consisting merely of bars of iron tied together with thongs of leather. In the 92 THE FIFTH * STANDAED' EEADING course of tlie battle, tlie young prince seeing tlie confusion of the French, pressed forward with a few chosen troops to engage the enemy hand to hand. He was soon surrounded by superior numbers, and one of the nobles sent to the king for help. "What!" said the English king (who was watching the conflict from a windmill,) " is my son dead or hurt ? " No sire!" was the reply; ''but he is sorely pressed, and hath need of your aid." " Go back," said the king, "and tell him who sent you, to let the boy win his spurs ; for I can see the glory of the day shall yet be his." At this moment, one of the bravest of the French generals fell, and the French lost all chance of victory. Amongst the spoils of the battle was a plume of ostrich feathers, which had been worn by the king of Bohemia. This was at once placed on the helmet of the Black Prince as a memorial of his victory ; and has ever since been the badge of the princes of Wales, with its motto " Ich dien," / serve. A month later Edward III. laid siege to the town of Calais, which after 11 months' heroic resistance, fell 134:6 into the hands of the English, and remained in their possession for more than two centuries. During its siege, to save the provisions of the town, the governor on one occasion turned out all the poor and infirm : and when Edward saw these miserable creatures, he gave them a good dinner and some money, and then sent them away. But when at last the governor yielded, Edward demanded that six of the great- est men in the town should be given up to be hanged ; and that they should come forth with bare heads and feet, with the keys of the town in their hands, and ropes round their necks. The noble queen however, interceded for them, and they were set free. In the same memorable year king David of Scotland, as the ally of the French king, invaded England. But the - ^ . -^ heroic Philippa met him in battle at Neville's Cross, 1346 (in Durham,) defeated his army, and took him prisoner. But war was now interrupted by a demon still more terrible. The "Black Plague," as it was called, reached England in 1349. It had spread from India and China, over "Western AND SOME LESSOR BOOK. Asia, into Europe ; and was so severe, that from one-third to one-half of the entire population of the globe, is said to have perished by it. At all events, in London alone, 50,000 persons died. The superstitious feeling of that age attributed it to the curled beards, and the long toe-points, which the men wore ; and a sect called " the Flagellants" arose in Hungary, who sought to stay it by flogging themselves till the blood ran down their backs. Modern science may not yet have taught us the origin of such epidemics ; but it has clearly shown that their ravages may be greatly stayed by a reasonable attention to cleanliness. Another king now arose in France, but the Black Prince being determined not to let his father's claim die out, opposed him ,in 1356 at the battle of Poictiers ; where though met by an army seven times the size of his own, he bravely 1356 overcame the French, and took their new king and his son prisoners. Thus had Edward III. the remarkable honour of holding as his prisoners, two kings at once. But the Scottish king was at length ransomed ; and Edward entered into a treaty by which he renounced his claim to France, on condition of receiving three millions of golden crowns for the ransom of its king, besides retaining the town of Calais and his ancestral possessions in that country. On the faith of this treaty, the French king was set free ; but as he was afterwards unable to fulQl its terms, he honourably returned into captivity and died in the following year at Savoy Palace in the Strand. The ancient title of duke was revived in this reign, and the Black Prince was created '*Duke of Cornwall," a title borne ever since by the Princes of "Wales. A new military order, the highest in the land, was also established ; namely the ORDER OF THE GARTER, Hmited to 26 kniglits of whom the king himself is chief. On the left leg they wear a garter of blue ribbons, adorned with pearls, and inscribed with the motto in French — ^' Evil be to him who evil thinks." (Honi soit qui mal y pense.) It was also in this eventful reign that Wy cliff e, the earliest of the English reformers, began to pro- test against the peculiar doctrines of the Eoman Church. 94 THE riTTn * standard' eeadinq Tlie Black Prince died in 1376, of consumption, in the 46tli year of his age ; and his father survived only about a year. The latter died at Shene, (now called Eich- 1377 mond, in Surrey) and was buried at Westminster. RECxVPITULATlON. BATTLE OF HALIDON-HILL . . . . 1333 ,, SLUYS ...... 1340 „ CRESSY ..... 1346 „ NEVILLE'S CROSS . . . -1346 „ POICTIERS ..... 1356 Home Lessons^ Thursday,— 1» Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, using in each, a word at the head of the 3rd piece of pt^e- ti-y on page 9. III. "Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 27 lbs. 3 ozs. 21 dwts. at £7 16s, per lb. 2. 68 lbs. 2 ozs. 13 dwts. at £7 18s. 9|d. per lb. 3. 300 wks. 6 dys. at 10s. ll^d. per week. mOHAED II. {Bordeaux.) 1377 to 1399. Bichard II. was the son of the Black Prince. He began his reign when only 11 years old. He was surnamed boedeaqx, ' and likewise the fop ; receiving the former name from the place of his bii'th and the latter because of his silly and extrava- gant manners. He was of a handsome but effeminate appear- ance, spoke in short sentences with an impediment in his kmy HOME LESSON BOOK. 05 speecli, and seems to have thouglit tliat gaiety and display were the chief objects worthy of a king. He had no less than 10,000 domestics, of whom '2000 were cooks ; and the daily consumption in his household, of food and luxuries, was almost fabulous. Plis style of dress was equally extravagant, as well as highly absurd. His coat, which was covered with needle-work hke a piece of tapestry, was stiff with gold and gems, and cost nearly £100,000. His example gave rise to a most ridiculous fashion in male costume. The dandies of that day did not think it right to have both sleeves of the same colour, nor even their two stockings ; and they wore a shoe on one foot, and a boot on the other. Soon after Richard's accession, a fleet had to be fitted out, to keep the French olf the English coast ; and the expense of this, with other causes, rendered necessary an increase of the taxes. Several taxations then took place ; and lastly, a poll- tax of three groats was levied on every male and female over fifteen years of age. One of the collectors of this tax so grossly insulted a young giii, the daughter of a tiler, at Dartford (in Kent), that her father with the blow of a hammer, struck him dead on the spot. His neighbours applauded the deed; and henceforth this Wat the Tiler, became leader of the men of Kent in resisting the tax. Similar resistance had broken out before this in Essex, under the leadership of an unruly priest, who called himself "Jack Straw." Having other grievances besides this tax, these people now determined to march in open riot to London. They met at Blackheath (in Kent), where they were addressed by an excommunicated priest, who took for his text — ''When Adam delved, and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman ?" Proceeding to London, they broke open the prisons, pulled down the palace of the Savoy, and beheaded many of the wealthy citizens. They then demanded to see the king, but the archbishop of Canterbury unwisely said, that the king should not be seen by such shoeless rebels : so they took the proud prelate and slew him. But the king himself said, that 96 THE riFTH 'STANDAED' iiEADING if they would go quietly to Mile End, lie would meet tliein there and grant tlieir demands. These were reasonable enough : namely, 1. — That he would abolish villanage ; 2. — That land should be let at fourpence an acre ;* 3. — That they should be allowed to buy and sell at all fairs and mar- kets ; and 4. — That the present riot should be forgiven. The king consented to these demands, and gave orders to prepare a charter for their confirmation. This pleased most of those present, and they began to disperse. But Wat the Tiler with some others, who wanted all the lawyers to be hanged, remained behind and committed further ravages. Eichard met him next day at Smithfield ; and while conversing with him, Wat began to play suspiciously with his dagger, and seemed as if he would seize the king's bridle : whereupon the lord mayor, who was present, stabbed him in the throat, and another attendant despatched him as he lay on the ground. The mob was ready to avenge their leader's death, but the king with great boldness galloped towards them, crying *' what are ye doing my lieges ? The Tiler was a traitor. I am your king. I will be your leader. Follow me." Over- awed by his firmness, they followed the king to some fields in Islington ; where, meanwhile, the mayor had posted a strong force of soldiers. Seeing these, they asked the king for pardon ; which he not only freely granted, but renewed to them the promise of a charter. But the Parliament which then met, revoked the charter ; and over 1500 of the rioters were executed. Such was the famous rebeUion 10 81 of 1381. For a youth not quite sixteen years of age, Eichard on that occasion shewed such presence of mind, that high expectations began to be formed of his futm^e govern- ment ; but these were by no means fulfilled, Scotland and France now formed an alliance against England * Besides the fact that land was not so vakiable in those days, the value of money itself was much greater then than now. For instance, 1 d. was a coin so valuable in those days, that it would buy a gallon X)f the very best ale ; or pay a labourer for his day's work, without food ; 2^d. would buy a goose ; Is. 2d., a sheep ; 3s. 3d. a quarter of wheat ; and 16s., one of the best of fat oxen. t Am> HOME LESSON BOOK. without success; for in 1385, Eichard marched to Scotland as far as Aberdeen ; and burned down 1385 Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Perth, and Dundee. In 1388, was fought the battle of Otterburn (i7i Nortliumherland), celebrated in song as " The Chevy Chase ;" in which the English were defeated ; Douglas who led the Scots, 1388 was slain ; and Percy (surnamed '^ Hotspur,") who led the English ; was taken prisoner. Some years after this, Eichard banished his uncle the duke of Gloucester — for interfering with him too much — to Calais, ( in France ;) where he died soon after, and would seem to have been murdered. This severity towards his uncle caused some of the nobles to feel unsafe ; and the duke of Norfolk declared that he, for one, could no longer trust the king. This was said in the hearing of one Henry Bolingbroke, (a cousin of the king ; mark the name.) Eichard was told of it, and summoned both before him. Norfolk denied having said so, and Henry Bolingbroke offered to fight him. They after- wards met in full armour, but the king would not let the duel go on. He ordered instead, that Henry Bolingbroke should be banished for ten years, and the duke of Norfolk for life. During Henry Bolingbroke 's absence, his father (the duke of Lancaster,) died ; and the king seized his possessions. Thus Henry Bolingbroke, himself being now duke of Lancaster, and angry at losing his estates, returned to England to reclaim them. Attended by only twenty followers, he landed at Eavenspur, (m Yorkshire); but found the dissatisfaction of the people with Richard's conduct so great, that on his way to London, he raised without difficulty an army of 60,000. Owing to bad weather, Eichard, who was in Ireland, did not hear of the invasion for a fortnight ; and arrived in England too late to save his crown. In 1399, both Houses of Parliament met in Westminster Hall, and after receiving thirty- three distinct charges against Richard II. of tyranny and bad government, they solemnly deposed him from being king ; and appointed his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, duke of Lancaster, to succeed to the vacant throne. Thus ended the long- 1399 est line of the English kings. OS THI3 FIFTH ' STANDARD* BISADING In this reigjQ, were instituted several titles and offices of distinction. The title of Marquis was now first used, being given to the governors of border tov/ns. Peers were now first created by means of letters patent ; and the mihtary Order of the Bath, consisting of 46 knights, was instituted. This order is so called, because those admitted to it, are first required to bathe themselves, to denote the purity and loyalty of their motives. Among the offices created, was that of Lord High Admiral, whose duty it is to direct the royal navy, and to attend to the general maritime concerns of the nation. Another office was that of Champion of England, whose duty it is to challenge to fight any one who at the sovereign's corona- tion would deny that sovereign's lawful claim to the crown. He rides in Westminster Hall on a white horse, proclaiming the monarch's titles, and then tosses his iron glove on the floor, for any one to pick up who wants to fight with him. This chivalrous ceremony is still retained. In commerce. Drafts for money were now first introduced ; and the only other invention worth naming was that of playing-cards, first thought of to amuse the French king, who was of feeble intellect. It was in this reign that Chaucer lived, the "Father of English Poetry ;" whose *' Canterbury Tales," apart from their pith and humour, are weU worthy of study, as a speci- men of quaint old English. On his deposition, Eichard was sent to Pomfret castle (in Yorkshire) ; whence he afterwards escaped. What next , became of him, is not known. But a legend of Scotland, jj claims that for twenty years after this, he shared the hospital- ity of the Scottish court, and then died at Stirling. RECAPITULATION. WAT TYLEE'S rebellion . . . . 1381 BATTLE OF OTTERBURN . . . . .1388 RICHARD DETHRONED , . j . 1899 Home Lessons ^ Friday. ~1, Commit the above dates to memory. 11, Make four sentences using in each, a word at the head of the 4th piece of poe- try on page 10. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 99 1. 89 tons. 19 cwt. qrs. 13^ lbs. at 60s. per cwt. 2. 7 lbs. 6 oz. 13 cwts. 19 grs. at £1 2s. Id. per lb. 3. 74 tons. 3 cwt. 24 lbs. at £3 7s. 6d. per cwt THE THEEE LANCASTEIAN KINGS. HENEY IV. (Bolingbroke,) 1399 to 1413. You have already seen how Henry Bolingbroke, (first of all Earl of Derby, afterwards Duke of Hereford, then 1399 Duke of Lancaster,) at last became King of England. He was sm*nanied bolingbroke, because that was the name of the village (m Lincolnshire,) where he was born. He was of middle size, thoughtful, active, brave, and temperate ; but his reign was so full of plots, that his kingly qualities had to be exercised more in defending himself, than in seeking the good of his subjects. One of the first things which Henry attempted was to possess himself of Scotland. He made an invasion into that country, and took Edinburgh ; but as the Scots would neither submit nor attack, shortness of food at length 1400 forced him to return. In 1402 Henry invaded Wales, in order to put down an insurrection which had broken out under Owen Glendower, a Welsh gentlemen whose 1402 estates had been wrongfully seized, and who had in vain applied to the king for redress. Henry did not however succeed, for Glendower maintained his independence through- out his entire reign. In this same year the enmity that had long existed between those great Border-lords, the Douglases and the Peroies, broke 100 THE i^ITTH 'STANDARD* EEADlKO out afresh, and led to tlie battle of Homildon Hill (in Northumberland), in wliicli Douglas was defeated and 1402 taken prisoner. Now it was customary in tlie case of sucli noble captives, on a ransom being paid, to set them free ; but Henry gave orders that Douglas should not be ransomed. This ungallant conduct on the part of the king so disgusted the Percies (namely the Earl of Northumberland, his brother the Earl of Worcester, and his son Henry — already mentioned, surnamed Hotspur, formerly his best supporters), that they at once entered into a conspiracy against him, along with Douglas himself, Owen Glendower, and the Archbishop of York. But while on their way to join Glendower in Wales, in 1403 the king overcame them in a desperate and bloody 1403 battle at Shrewsbury (in Shropshire). Hotspur was killed, and Worcester and Douglas were captured. Douglas as a foreigner was courteously treated, but Worcester wa^ executed on the field ; while Northumberland, the head of the conspiracy, having from sickness been unable to join the battle, was pardoned on promising to submit to the king. But he soon forgot the pardon and promise, and began a fresh plot; the object of which was to set upon the throne Edmund Mortimer (Earl of March), whose claim to be made king was in fact superior to Henry's. But this plot failed, the Arch- bishop of York was executed, and Northumberland fled into Scotland. In 1408 he made another attempt to over- turn the government, but was slain in battle at Bram- 140o ham Moor, near Tadcaster (in Yorkshire). At this time, Henry had a dispute with the French king about the disposal of queen Isabella's* private property. France was now divided into two parties, both hostile to England; but Henry took part first with one, and then with the other ; till at length the dispute ended in his regaining some of those French provinces formerly held by English kings. About this time also, prince James of Scotland, while on his way to France for his education, was captured by Henry and * This Isabella was the second wife of Richard II. and daughter of the French king. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. imprisoned at Pevensey Cm Sussex). Henry afterwards tried to make up for this gross injustice towards the prince, by having him educated in the very best manner possible ; and James afterwards distinguished himself by the legal reforms which he effected in his own country. In this reign began the foolish practice of putting people to death for their religious opinions ; thereby confirming the proverb that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.*' The followers of Wy cliff e now greatly increased, and got the name of Lollards. The use of coal now became general, and gave rise to a new branch of trade. One of the first to engage in it was a London merchant named Whit- tington ; who by means of his ship called ' The Cat,' soon made a fortune and became Lord Mayor of London. In this way arose the story of ** DickWhittington and his Oat ;*' and the appearance of his colliers, gave rise to " the black princes of Morocco." Henry IV. was subject to fits, and towards the close of his reign was disfigured by an eruption on the face. This disease, according to the superstitious feeling of the age, was Heaven's vengeance for the execution of the Archbishop of York, on the field of Shrewsbury. In 1413, while engaged in devotion at St. Edmund's chapel, Westminster, the 1413 king was taken in one of his fits. He died a few days after, and was buried at Oanterbury. RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF HOMILDON ..... 1402 BATTLE OF SHBEWSBURY ..... 1403 DEATH OF HENRY .... 1413 Home Lessons^ Monday.— 1. Commit the above dates to memory. IT. Make six sentences, using in each a word at the head of the 5th piece of poe' try on page 12. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following sums : 102 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* READINa 1. 4 lbs. 10 oz. 8 dwts. at 16s. 9Jd. per oz» 2. 19 yds. 2 ft. 6 in. at 4s. 7|d. per foot. 3. 6 qrs. 3 bush. 1 pk. at 6s. 8|d. per bush, 4. 4 cwts. 2 qrs. 17 lbs. at 5s. Q^d. per qr. HENEY V. (Of Monmouth), 1413 to 1422. Prince Henry, the eldest son of the late king, was born at Monmoutk (in Wales). While a youth he was so frolicsome and hare-brained, that people used to call him *' Prince Hal the Mad- cap." When, on one occasion, a companion of his was brought before Chief-Justice Gascoigne charged with robbery, this riotous prince struck the judge on the very bench; and Gascoigne, who was noted for his impartial administration of justice, instantly committed him to prison. Henry submit- ted with good grace to the punishment ; and when the king, his father, heard of it he exclaimed " Happy monarch that I am, to have a judge so fearless in the discharge of his duty, and a son so willing to submit to the laws I" On his ascension to the throne as Henry V., in 1413 he summoned to his presence this very Gascoigne, and others who had 1413 censured his youthful follies ; commended them for their faithfulness, and asked them for their counsel. He likewise sent for his gay companions, told them that he meant to lead a new life, and that the continuance of his friendship depended on their doing the same. Henry had a tall and slim figure, was noble, generous, brave, and just, — a great warrior and a good statesman. The Lollards, who were now very numerous, began to bo severely persecuted by the heads of the church j and in the AND HOME XiESSON BOOE. 103 early part of this reign, many of them were cruelly put to death. Amongst the sufferers was Sir John Oldcastle (otherwise called Lord Oobham), whom some have regarded as the original of Shakspere's Falstaff. But by reviving the claim of Edward III. to the throne of France, Henry soon withdrew the mind of his subjects from these painful scenes. In 1415, he sent demanding the French crown ; and received for answer a present of tennis-baUs. This was as much as to say — "You are a lively youth, but more fit for play than war." Roused by such a reply he speedily prepared himself for battle, pawned his jewels, raised loans, called the barons to arms, landed with 30,000 troops at Harfleur (on the Seine), and took that fortress after a siege of five weeks. The loss of the English army here was very great. 1415 Many were killed at the siege, and many more died of disease — caused by the dampness of the place, and the putrid remains of cattle slaughtered for the troops. Though his army was thus reduced to less than half its original size, Henry boldly sought to reach Calais — then in the possession of the English. But the French tried to prevent his crossing the river Somme, by breaking down all the bridges, and lining the fords with sharp stakes. Proceeding upwards along the bank of the river, Henry at length found an unguarded place, led over his army, and was moving towards Calais, when he suddenly found himself in the presence of a French army, on the plains of Agincourt, seven times the size of his own. Undaunted by the overwhelming number of the foe, Henry determined to force his way through it, to conquer, or to perish. With a cheer the English archers began 1415 the attack, and soon caused great confusion among the crowded ranks of the French. Then slinging their bows behind them, these gallant yeomen rushed forward with sword and battle axe, nor ceased to ply their weapons till 10,000 sons of France, in whose veins had flowed her gentlest blood, lay dead upon the field. The loss of the English was only about 1600. The battle of Agincourt was one of the most signal battles that ever was fought. Henry himself engaged in the thickest of the fight, and escaped without a wound. 104 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' READING Marching to Calais, lie thence embarked for Dover. Already had the English people heard the news of this brilliant victory, and so maddened were they with joy that they rushed into the sea to meet their gallant king, and bore him ashore in triumph. Shouts rent the air and banners rustled in the breeze, all the way from Dover to London, where fresh ovations awaited him ; and parliament, unasked, made him large grants of money, and gave him the proceeds for life of a tax on wool and leather. In order to extend his conquests, Henry crossed over into Normandy about two years after this, and laid siege to Caen ; when the whole of the neighbouring towns dreaded his approach and sent to him their keys. But other Norman towns continued to hold out against him ; and it was not until 1419, that the fall of Eouen, after a six months siege, made 14:19 him complete master of Normandy. By the treaty of Troyes — otherwise called the '' Perpetual Peace" — Henry, in the following year became master of the 1420 whole of France. The chief terms of the treaty were these : 1st. — That Henry should receive in marriage the French princess Catherine. 2nd. — That he should administer the French government, but that the present king should retain his title for life. 3rd. — That on the death of its present king, the crown and kingdom of France should belong to the English monarch and his heirs for ever. The marriage of Henry to the beautiful Catherine was accordingly celebrated at Troyes with great pomp and splendour. After entering Paris in triumph, he brought his bride over to England ; where the news soon after reached him that a large body of Scots had joined the French, and had already defeated and slain his brother Clarence. Thinking that the Scots would not fight against their own king (who was now a captive in England), Henry, promising to set him free, took King James with him to France as one of his commanders. But though his expectation in this respect proved false, his usual success attended him, and France was once more at his feet. The ladies of this reign began to wear an extraordinary style of head-dress, modified forms of which continued in AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 105 fashion throngliout several successive reigns. This style began by an extension of the head-gear sidewise ; which gradually increased, till wires were required to support it like a chain- bridge. Then it grew in height without lessening in width, till it looked like a loaded waggon of lawn. Gradually, after- wards, the height was increased and the breadth diminished, till it assumed the appearance of a church steeple, a form of which the Norman peasants became so fond, that even to this day you may see them at church and Market decked in their taU " steeple-caps." Lastly, instead of one steeple there came two towers, which gradually diminished till they assumed the form of a pair of horns, and finally disappeared. The dress was adorned with jewels and fur, — the skirt long, and the waist short ; and the sleeves had pockets at the end, called " sleeve-pouches." The gentlemen, too, had no less curious fashion, for their feet, which were adorned with shoes projecting eight or nine inches beyond the toes. The coat and breeches were usually of light-coloured silk, and fitted tight to the skin ; except the sleeves of the mantle, which were loose and flowed to the ground. It was also the fashion to wear the moustache, shave off the beard, crop the hair of the head close in front, and to leave it long behind and at the sides. In the growth of the English constitution, an important point was now gained by the Commons ; namely that no law could be passed without their consent. Another important point was this — that Henry having caused a ship to be built for national use, now ]aid the foundation for the English navy ; for hitherto all fleets had consisted of private ships, hired or enforced into the service. In 1422, a few months after he had put down the rebellion in France, Henry died of a disease under which he had been suffering for some time. The body was brought 1422 to England, and buried in Westminster Abbey. Catherine, his widow, afterwards married a Welsh gentleman named Owen Tudor ; and from this alliance sprung a royal line, as you will see hereafter. 106 THE FIFTH 'BTANDABD' READING RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF AGINCOTJET ..... 1415 TREATY OF TKOYES ..... 1420 DEATH OF HENRY V. • . • . . 1422 Home Lessons^ Tuesday. —1, Commit the aboye dates to memory. II. Make four sentences, using in each a word at the head of the 6th piece of poe- try on page 13. III. Make out an inyoice for the following goods : Seller, Mr. Watson. Buyer, Mr. Bartlett. 4 boxes of raisins at 2s. 9d. per box. 36 lbs. of butter at Is. 5 Jd. per lb. 2 Bides of bacon 12 stones each at 6s. 2d. per stone. 6 cheeses, each 1 qr. 16 lbs. at 9|d. per lb. HENEY VI. (The Meek). 1422 to 1461. Nine montlis before tlie deatli of tlie late king, there was bom to him at Windsor a son named Henry, whose reign now began. The long minority of Henry VI. formed in him the habit of trusting too much to others ; so 1422 that when he reached the age of manhood he felt himself altogether unfit for his high position, preferred retire- ment and the quiet joys of rural life to the trappings of royalty, was gentle, affectionate, pious, and fond of reading — in short, amiable, but spiritless. Along with two dukes, brothers of the late king, noble and talented like himself, a council of twenty now took charge of the kingdom. One of these dukes, John of Bedford, was created regent of France; and the other, ''good duke Humphrey*' of Gloucester, was made protector of England. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 107 The former of these appomtments was made, because (as you remember,) by the Perpetual Peace it was agreed that Henry V. and his heirs should succeed to the crown of France. But a few weeks after Henry's death, the French king also died, . and his son Charles seized the crown. This seizure led to a long war with France : and at the battles of Orevant (1423) and Vernuil (1424), England's warlike fame was nobly main- tained by Bedford, whose skill and courage were quite equal to those of his late royal brother. But his policy at this time was greatly thwarted by acts of imprudence on the part of Gloucester, who married a Bavarian countess, her former husband being still alive. This led to a quarrel about her property, and estranged several of the French nobles who had hitherto supported the English cause. Gloucester also quar- relled with his uncle the bishop of Winchester, who he declared, meant to have killed the late king, and was therefore " unfit to be trusted, as he now was, with the young king's education. The disputes abroad weakened the hands of Bedford, and as he had now to be recalled in order to settle those at home, the cause of Charles prospered — all the provinces north of the Loire owning his sway. A few years after this however the affairs of Charles declined ; and Bedford by advice of the council already mentioned determined to cross that river and make war upon him. Orleans was accordingly besieged : and the English troops who lay about the walls, were from time to time supplied with provisions by an escort. On one occasion while this escort, numbering 1500 men, was conveying food, among which was a large quantity of salted herrings, it was met by a French force of over 4000. A desperate encounter took place, but the escort was victorious and gained the ^'Battle, of Herrings." When at length, in 1429, the English had carried on the siege with untiring energy for eight months, the French began to look on Orleans as lost, and Charles resolved to flee into Scotland. But at this very moment, by one of the strangest incidents ever recorded, the tide of events turned against the English, and the city was saved. 108 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* HEADING At tlie inn of a small Frencli village, there lived a servant girl who could neither read nor write, but was both industrious and pious. Her name was Joan of Arc. She used to work in the fields by day, and spin and sew at night. Brooding religiously over the distress of France, she came to regard herself as commissioned by God to rescue her country from its foreign foe. Dressed in male attire she rode to Charles, and ^old him that she was sent by heaven to deliver Orleans, and that he should yet be crowned in the city of Eheims. Per- suaded of her sincerity by the heads of the church, he decked her in a complete suit of knight's armour, placed a staff of officers at her command, and gave her a white standard with a figure of our Lord upon it. Thus arrayed, and riding on a grey steed, she entered Orleans and told the despairing inhabitants of her mission. When the English beheld her on the walls, they believed her to be a sorceress, were seized with panic, and eight days afterwards abaadoned the siege. Two months after this, Charles was crowned at Eheims, and the mission of the "Maid of Orleans" was ended. 1429 Afterwards however, she fell into the hands of the French allies of the English, was tried by a French bishop, condemned for witchcraft and heresy, and to the eternal disgrace of all concerned, this brave and pious heroine who was only twenty years of age, was burnt alive in the Market-place at Rouen. Henry was now crowned at Westminster and Paris ; but his coronation at the latter city, not being graced by the presence of the chief French nobles, was an empty form. In 1435 Bedford died, and the loss of Paris soon followed. City after city opened its gates to Charles; till in the year 145], the English had not a single town left in France except Calais. When Henry was over 23 years of age, he married Margaret of Anjou (in France) ; a woman of great beauty and brave spirit, but lacking in judgment. The duke of Suffolk, one of the leaders at the siege of Orleans, having concluded a truce with France, had also been the means of effecting this marriage ; and Margaret yielded too much to his influence. Gloucester who on public grounds had been opposed both to the marriage and the peace with France, saw this and inter- AKD HOMB iilSSSON BOOK. 109 fered. But Suffolk charged him with high treason, and had him brought before a Parliament which met, in 1447, at Bury St. Edmunds, (in Suffolk). He was found dead in bed a few days after. Some say that he was murdered, but of this there is no evidence. He had long been ailing, and appears to have died a natural death. He was the last of a most illustrious band, who shed great glory on England ; for perhaps there never lived three brothers more noble, brave, wise, and good, than were Henry V. (king of England), John (Duke of Bedford), and '^ Good Duke Humphrey" (of Gloucester). • Suffolk now began to be very unpopular : for besides his interfering with the queen, people believed that he was the cause of the losses in France ; and at a parliament which met in 1450, the commons charged him with high treason. But the king, wishing to save his life, ordered him to be banished for five years. He accordingly set out for Calais : but the men of Kent did not want him to get off so easily : so they sent a fleet to intercept him. The ship which seized him, was named "Nicholas of the Tower;" and its captain receiving him on board said, "Welcome, traitor — as men say!" In this ship he remained two days, and underwent a mock trial by the sailors. A small boat was then brought alongside, into which he descended ; and a seaman struck off his head with a rusty sword. Elated with the success of their fleet, the men of Kent now broke out into open rebellion, under the leadership of Jack Cade. They insisted that those who had wronged the "Good Duke Humphrey," and had lost France, should be brought to justice. Jack defeated the royal forces at Seven-oaks (in Kent), slew their leader, and arraying him- self in that knight's armour marched into London, cut the ropes of the drawbridge after him, and striking London Stone with his sword, said "now am I master of London!" The mob held the city for two days, and put some of the more obnoxious of the ministry to death ; but on a promise of pardon, made by the Archbishop of Canterbury to all who should return to their own homes at once, Jack was left with scarcely a follower. He fled to Lewes (in Sussex), where he was found hiding in a garden A gentleman of the neigh- 110 THE FIFTH ^ STANDABD' BBADINO bourMood slew him, and received 1000 marks for his head. Several of the other rioters were executed. A few years after this, the king was seized with temporary insanity, and Eichard duke of York was made protector. Now the dukes of York — as you will do well to mark — ^were descendants of the third son of Edward III. while the kings of this line were descendants of his fourth son. Eichard there- fore thought, that he had a better title to the throne than even Henry himself ; a title which the nation had been willing to ignore amid the brilliant events of the last reign ; but which now, with these glorious victories all undone, an imbe- cile monarch on the throne, the affairs of the kingdom in a most critical condition, and Eichard himself occupying the room of royalty, it was easy for him to revive — and easy also to secure supporters. Again, there were those who, cherishing the memory of the late reign, were prepared to support the present line. In this way arose two rival parties ; namely the YORKISTS, who supported the claims of Eichard and his family; and the lanoastbians, who supported those of Henry VI. and his son Edward, who was born at this time. The former adopted as their badge a white rose, and the latter a red one. This is why that terrible war, by which England was long deluged in blood, and nearly all its ancient 1455 nobility slain, is called " The War of the Eoses" it began in 1455. Eecovering from his insanity, Henry did away with the office of protector, and strove earnestly to reconcile both parties. But in the year just named, Eichard raised an army, and a battle was fought at St. Albans, (in Herts,) in which the king was taken prisoner. He was courteously treated, and soon released ; and being of a forgiving spirit, matters were patched up for a little longer. No nobleman at this time had more power than Eichard Neville, earl of Warwick ; for he could make to be king which ever party he chose to support, and was therefore called " the king-maker." At first he sided with the Yorkists. The opposite party made an attempt to assassinate him, and this led to the battle of Bloreheath, (in , Staffordshire^) in 1459, when his father (the Earl of Shrews- AND HOMB LESSON BOOK. Ill bury,) defeated the Lancastrian troops. It also led to that of Northampton in 1460, when Henry was a second time taken prisoner, and when for the first time, Eichard duke of York openly asserted his title to the crown. His claim was brought before parHament, who decided that Henry should continue to wear the crown till his death, after which it should pass to York and his heirs. Queen Margaret, roused to anger that her son should be thus disinherited, collected a powerful army ; and in the same year (1460) attacked the Yorkists at Wakefield, (in Yorhshire,) and totally defeated them in less than half an hour. Eichard himseK with one of his sons, was slain ; and according to the barbarous custom of the times, his head was decked in a paper crown and stuck upon the walls of York. The new duke of York, Eichard*s eldest surviving son, was a handsome and brave youth of 19, named Edward. He at once collected a force and marched towards London, which he hoped to gain over to his cause before the queen could arrive there. While on his way, he was attacked by a party of Lancastrians at Mortimer's Cross, (in Herts,) whom he routed after a sharp contest (1461). A few days later, the queen on her way back from the north, defeated Warwick's army at the second battle of St. Albans, (in Herts); and so released the king from Warwick's hands (14G1). While Margaret's troops were plundering about St. Albans, Edward entered London and was received by the citizens with shouts of joy. He laid his claim to the crown before a great council of peers, prelates, and citizens. They favoured his preten- sions ; and on the 4th of March, 1461, he was proclaimed king. It was in Henry YI.'s reign that money was first borrowed on security of Parliament, thus giving rise to the National Debt ; and that the title of Viscount, ranking next to that of Earl, was first conferred. The art of printing was now invented, though it was not introduced into England for some years after. The manufacture of glass, and the raising of water by means of 113 THE nPTH * STANDARD* READIKQ pumps, were now introduced. A workman in those days waa not allowed to choose whether he would work or not. If he refused to do so, he was committed to prison : and in this reign an act was passed, fixing the highest wages that he could receive. Thus, with meat and drink, a carter could not have more than 24s. a year ; a master mason or carpenter, 4d. a day ; a common labourer, 2d. a day in summer, and 1^ a day in winter : and all who deserved less were to take less. In some of our older towns, you may still see specimens of the kind of houses that were built at this period ; the upper stories projecting over the under ones, till they almost met those on the opposite side of the street. A great rambling sort of mansion in the construction of which timber was chiefly used, now formed the favourite residence of the nobles. The principal apartment was called the Hall ; at one end of which was a platform occupied by the family, the gentlemen sitting on benches, and the ladies on stools. The attendants occupied the main body of the Hall. The walls were covered with tapestry, and the floor with rushes. During meals, the company were entertained by minstrels and dancers ; while crowds of poor waited at the door to be fed on the fragments. At night hawks perched in the hall, and dogs lay among the rushes. Straw pallets were used as beds by the family, and those who cared for a bolster had a log of wood. It was not the custom to undress at night, and the men sometimes slept in armour. In the history of the next reign, Henry VI. will again be mentioned. Meantime, it may be stated, that though he sat again for a short time on his uneasy throne, his actual reign may be said to have ended on the day that i4ul Edward was proclaimed king. Whether his death was the result of natm^al causes - . p-- or of violence is uncertain. He was. found dead in the 14: /i Tower, in 1471 ; and was buried at Chertsey Abbey, fin Surrey), whence the body was afterwards removed to St. George's, Winclior. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 113 RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF HERRINGS ..... 1429 BIEGE OF ORLEANS ...... 1429 THE WARS OF THE ROSES — Ist BATTLE AT ST. ALBANS 1455 BATTLE OF BLOREHEATH ..... 1459 „ NORTHAMPTON .... 1469 „. WAKEFIELD ..... 1460 ,, MORTIMER'S CROSS .... 1461 Home Lessons^ Wednesday.— ^1. Ccmmit the above dates to memory. II. Make four sentences, using in each, a word at the head of the 7th piece of poe- try on page 15. III. "Work Nos. 2 and 3 of the following sums : 1. 2689 lbs. of tea at 3s. 9d. per lb. 2. 78967 articles at 4^d. each. 3. 57689 lbs. of soap at 4^d. per lb. IHhi( THE THREE KINGS OF THE HOUSE OF YORK. EDWAED IV. (Earl of March. J 1461 to 1483. le terrible War of tlie Eoses liad given rise to great disor- der in England. Murder was now so common, that men ceased to regard it as a crime : commerce was almost at an end : and vast multitudes died of hunger. Nor was the character of the new king by any means favorable to 1461 reform. For though clever and accomplished, he was also revengeful and cruel; and gave way to lust to such an extent that though handsome while young, he afterwards became TT iii "^^E riFXn 'STANDAED* EBADINQ bloated and ugly. His body became quite unwieldy, and tbe dandies of that day thinking it fasbionable to be like bim in sbape, padded their garments with bran and sawdust. Edward IV. (Like Henry II.,) was possessed of an extraordinary memory. " Such was the fidelity of his memory," says an eminent historian,* **that it was difficult to mention any individual of any consequence, even in the most distant counties, with whose character, history, and influence he was not accurately acquainted. Hence every project of opposition to his government, was suppressed almost as soon as it was formed." On Edward's accession to the throne, the Lancastrians became bent on his overthrow. They were however repeatedly defeated : first of all, in 1461, at Towton, (in Yorkshire), where a terrific battle was fought amid falling snow; and again, in 1464, at Hedgley Moor near Wooler, and at Hexham, (both in Northumberland), Henry fled from Hexham into Lancashire, where he remained hid for more than a year ; but was at last betrayed and sent to the Tower. So great were these defeats that the Lancastrians would probably have troubled Edward no further, had it not been for his marriage which had taken place secretly with Elizabeth Gray, the youthful widow of one of their party. This, as soon as it became known, and the promotion of her relatives to posts of honour in the state, gave great offence to Warwick, who resolved to make good his title of King-maker by restor- ing Henry to the throne. He and the duke of Clarence one of the king's brothers, countenanced though they did not personally join, an insurrection which at this time broke ou' at York. There the rebels suffered defeat but were not dis- couraged, for they marched southward as far as Edgecote near Banbury, (in Oxfordshire,) where they gained an easy victory over the king's forces (1469). In the following year a similar insurrection broke out in Lincolnshire, and the rebels moving to Erpingham (in Butlandshire), were defeated by the king (1470). Clarence and Warwick fled to France. Here they * Lingard. % AND nOME LESSON BOOK* 115 joined tlie heroic Margaret, Henry's queen ; entered into a convention known as the '* Treaty of Amboise/' the object of which was to restore the House of Lancaster to the throne of England ; and as a pledge of sincerity, as well as forming part of the treaty, Warwick gave his daughter in marriage to Margaret's son. So great was the influence of the King- maker, and such the fickleness of the multitude, that on his return to England, after only a few months' absence, he caused Henry VI. to be proclaimed king ; and thousands at his bidding, who had before worn the white rose, now wore the red, and shouted, "God bless King Harry!" Edward fled to Flanders ; Henry was hberated from the Tower ; and Parlia- ment confirmed the Treaty of Amboise. In the following year Edward landed at Eavenspur (in Yorkshire), declaring, like Henry IV., that to reclaim the crown was not his object, but to recover his personal property. On his way south large numbers joined him, and he was soon welcomed once more within the capital. Meanwhile Warwick reached Barnet (in Herts), where a battle was fought on Easter Sunday, 1471. Here Warwick was slain, and Edward triumphed. On that same day Margaret and her son landed in England, to support the cause of Henry. But a few weeks after, her army was defeated at Tewkesbury (in Gloucester^ shire) ; her son barbarously murdered in presence of the king ; herself committed to the Tower ; and the dead body of Henry VI. exhibited at St. Paul's. Eollowing the example of his predecessors, Edward IV. laid claim to the crown of France ; and in 1475 invaded that country with an army. But the French king, unwilling to risk a battle, agreed to certain terms of peace known as the " Treaty of Pecquigny.*' Amongst these were : — 1. — That 75,000 crowns should at once be paid to 1475 Edward, and 50,000 more every year as long as he lived : 2. — That a seven years' truce should exist between the two countries : 3. — That the French king's son should marry Edward's eldest daughter: and 4. — That Margaret should be liberated on payment of 50,000 crowns. A bridge 116 THE n^TB 'STANDAED* EEADINCJ having been thrown across the Somme, the two kings met in the middle, and ratified the treaty by shaking hands through a wooden grating. Margaret, who was accordingly set free, outlived her disasters eleven years. In preparing for this invasion of France, Edward cleverly contrived to evade the law which forbade him to tax his sub- jects. Not content with the money granted him by parlia- ment for this purpose, he demanded presents of money from the rich, which of course they dared not refuse. Sums raised in this way got the name of "benevolences." Petitions, which hitherto it had been the custom of parliament to present to the king, assumed in this reign the name and form of "Acts of Parliament." Posts were now established, by means of horsemen placed along the road from London to Scotland at intervals of 20 miles, so as to pass despatches at the rate of 100 miles a day. It was in this reign that printing was first practised in England. In 1477, William Caxton, a London merchant, who had learned this noble art in Holland, set up a press at the Almonry, near Westminster Abbey, and issued "The Game and Playe of Ghesse *' as the first book ever printed in England. In those days astrology and " the black art " were believed and practised ; and two persons in this reign were executed for calculating the nativi- ties of the king and prince. Clarence asserted their innocence. Edward, who had long had a grudge against his brother, summoned him before the House of Lords for high treason (1478), conducted the prosecution himself, and Clarence was condemned to death. It is said that Edward allowed Lim to choose in what manner he should die ; that Clarence bemg fond of Malmsey wine expressed a wish to be drowned in it ; 4 and that he actually underwent this singular mode of execu- * tion, ten days after, within the Tower. In 1480 war broke out with Scotland without any im- portant result. In 1483, Edward IV., whose consti- tution was worn out by debauchery, was seized with 1483 a slight ailment and died. He was buried at Windsor. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 117 RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF EDGECOTB . . . , * 1469 BATTLE OF BARNET , . • . . 1471 TREATY OF PECQUIGNY .... 1475 nrVENTION OF PRINTING ..... 1477 Home Lessons^ Thursday.— 1, Commit the above dates to memory. II. Parse the words in the first line of this reign. III. Work the 1st and 2nd of the following sums : 1. 2 qrs. 17 lbs. 17 ozs. at 2s. 6d. per oz. 2. 7 yds. 2 ft. 5 in. 1\ foot run. 3. 2876 lbs. of sugar at 4id. per lb. EDWARD V. 1483. The shortest reign in English history is that of Edward Y., the late king's eldest son, a boy 12 years of age, who reigned only 11 weeks. His uncle Eichard (dulce q/*l4o3 Gloucester,) was made Protector ; and took advantage of that office to pave his own way to the throne. Under pre- tence of securing the safety of the king and his brother the duke of York, he had these children conveyed to the Tower. His next step was to get rid of such of their relatives and friends, as might be likely to interfere with his own interests ; amongst whom were lords Hastings and Rivers, and Sir John Grey. These he caused to be put to death on the most frivolous pretences. He asked lord Hastings, for instance, what should be done to a certain woman for bewitching him. Hastings began to reply " If she has done so — " but was at once stopped by Richard, who shouted out '* 'if !' dost thou answer me with *ifs' ? Off with his head !" and Hastings was at once put to death. 118 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* READINO A rumour was now got up, tliat the sons of Edward TV., were illegitimate ; and Eicliard directed one of the preachers to make this known to the people in a sermon at St. Paul's Cross ; while the duke of Buckingham addressed the citizens in the Guildhall to the same effect, and declared Richard to be the proper heir to the throne. The lord mayor and some of the citizens then united with several of the nobles in offering him the crown ; which, with a pretended show of modesty, and reluctance, he accepted. Tradition asserts that both Edward V., and his bro- ther were mm'dered within the Tower by Eichard*s 1483 orders ; that Sir James Tyrrel was employed for this purpose ; that he hired two assassins, who having smothered the sleeping children with the bed-clothes, shewed him their dead bodies, and buried them under a staircase where they were found 200 years after. RIOHAED III. (CrooUach) 1483 to 1485. In this same year Eichard was twice crowned : first at Westminster with his wife Anne, (daughter of the 1483 king-maker, and widow of Henry VFs. son,) aud after- wards at York. He was of puny appearance, and had a lame arm and deformed shoulder. The means by which he is said to have attained the crown, have led to his being described as a monster in vice and cruelty ; but the wise use which he made of power when gained, shows that he was not completely des- titute of good qualities. He did avv^ay with " benevolences." Be caused the law to be faithfully administered. He lessened the number of the nobles' retainers, whose party-feuds disturbed the country. He sought especially to encourage commerce, and appointed to each port where English merchants traded, a resident officer called the " consul" — to protect them, and see that they received justice at the hand of foreigners. Consuls, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. HO of different nations, are now to be found in every important town througlioiit the world. But it was impossible that England should attain any high degree of prosperity, so long as, on each occasion of succession to the throne, it was liable to be torn asunder by the feuds of Lancastrian and Yorkist. A plan now presented itself, how- ever, by which this long rivalry might be brought to a close. Henry V.'s widow, you remember, married a Welsh gentleman named Owen Tudor. Now, there lived at this^ time as the representative of the house of Lancaster — Henry Tudor (earl of Richmond,) her grandson ; and as the representative of the house of York — the princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward TV. If, therefore, the former could be placed upon the throne, and united in marriage to the latter, the rival claims of WJiite and Red would cease, the War of the Roses become a tale of the past, and a new era be made to dawn on England. To certain minds, therefore, this wise and happy thought occuiyed — ^' We will unite the white rose and the red : *' Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction. " England has long been mad and scarr'd herself ; ** The brother blindly shed the brother's blood, *' The father rashly slaughtered his own son, *' The son, compelled, been butcher to the Sire ; ** All this divided York and Lancaster. ** 0, now, let Richmond and Elizabeth, " The trae succeeders of each royal house, " By God's fair ordinance conjoin together. " And let their heirs enrich the time to come " With peace, with smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days."* But this scheme could not be carried out so long as Eichard was king. Plots were therefore formed for his overthrow. The duke of Buckingham, the very man who had been the chief means of setting him on the throne, became warmly attached to the new cause, roused the feeling of the Welsh in favour of Eichmond, and collecting a large army, marched from Brecon (in Wales) to the Severn. Here, however, he * Shakspeare. 120. THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' READING was prevented from crossing, by a flood. His army became discouraged, and abandoned bim. He fled to tbe bouse of one of bis retainers, but was betrayed into tbe bands of tbe king, taken to SaHsbury, {in Wilts,) and tbere bebeaded in tbe market-place witbout trial. Eicbard sougbt to defeat tbe plan of bis opponents, by try- ing to effect a marriage between tbe princess Elizabetb and bis own son, but tbe latter died before any arrangement could be made. His queen bappening to die soon after, it was cur- rently reported tbat be bad poisoned ber in order to marry Elizabetb bimself — ^tbougb sbe was bis own niece, but tbat bis friends persuaded bim against it. Meantime, Ricbmond, wbo bad been received witb favour by tbe Frencb king, attempted to land an army in Devonsbire, but was driven back by a storm. In tbe autumn of 1485, bowever, be effected a landing at Milford Haven (in Pembroke" shire) witb a large body of troops ; and marcbing into Wales, increased tbe number to about 5,000. Not knowing tbe^irec- tion of bis rival's approacb, Ricbard selected Nottingbam as bis quarters, on account of its central position. Tbe two armies met near Boswortb, (in Leicestershire,) and 1485 fougbt one of tbe great decisive battles of Englisb bistory — tbe last in tbe War of tbe Roses. Eicbard's army, already weakened by desertions, was still furtber reduced by tbe imexpected witbdrawal at tbe very outset of tbe battle, of two of bis generals witb tbeir troops. Tbe earl of Nortbum- berland refused to join eitber party ; and Lord Stanley — ^by a secret understanding, as is usually supposed — joined Eicbmond, wbo was bis stepson. Eoused at being tbus betrayed, Ricbard fougbt witb desperation, slew tbe standard bearer of bis oppo- nents, and wbile cutting bis way towards Ricbmond tbrougb tbe tbickest of tbe battle, was overpowered, unborsed, and slain. So perisbed tbe last of tbe Plantagenets, and tbe first monarcb wbo died on tbe Englisb battle-field since tbe days of Harold. His body was conveyed on a borse to Leicester, and buried in tbe monastery of tbe Greyfriars. His crown, battered witb blows, was found in a bawtborn busb, on tbe AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 121 field of battle. Lord Stanley placed it at once on the head of Eichmond, and said, "Long live King Henry the Seventh I " RECAPITULATION. ACCESSION OF EICHARD ... . 1483 BATTLE OF BOSWORTH ..... 1485 Home Lessons, Friday.— 1, Commit the above dates to memory. II. Parse the words in the first line of this reign. III. Work the 3rd of the fol- lowing sums: 1. 2 ac. 3 r. 12 pis. at 17s. 6d. per rood. 2. 17 ac. 2 r. 17 pis. at 15s. 9^d. per rood. 3. 9 yds. 3 qrs, 2 nls. 1 in. at 2s. 6d. per qr. THE FIVE TUDORS. IIENEY VII. (Of Eichnond.) 1485 to 1509 So great were the changes which now began to be effected for the better in England, that some regard this reign as the true commencement of our national history. Already, however, in these pages, you have been invited to mark some of the most important features of our constitution. Henry's more formal coronation was delayed about two months, owing to the outbreak of a plague known as 1485 '* The sweating sickness." Next year, to the great joy of the people, he married the princess Elizabeth, and she was crowned queen. Henry was a man of business ; diligent, shrewd, and fond of money: but selfish, and unamiable. 122 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' READING Disliking to be dependent on the Commons for supplies of money, he sought to amass hoards of his own ; and jealous of the power and wealth of the Lords, he devised a pla.n by which these might be reduced. Hitherto, the property of a noble had descended entire to his eldest son ; and this restric- tion, known as " entail,*' is still enforced by what is called the "law of primogeniture." One effect of this law is, that the other members of the family, being simply commoners, a constant connexion is kept up between the common people and tiie aristocracy. Now Henry managed to abolish this law for a time, and the result was that many of the nobles divided and sold their estates ; by which means their power became lessened, while others of inferior rank took their places as owners of the soil, without succeeding them in influence. In order to obtain money, Henry did not scruple to use even the most unworthy means. An instance of this occurred in connexion with the Earl of Oxford, one of his favourite generals. In his attempts to reduce the power of the nobles, Henry had procured the passing of a law which did away with " maintenance ;*' that is, the keeping of retainers or servants with badges and liveries. Now the Earl of Oxford, after entertaining Henry on one occa- sion, ordered a large body of men to draw up as a guard of i honour for the king at his departure. "My lord,*' said the king, "these handsome gentlemen whom I see on both sides of me are no doubt your servants." The earl replied that these were persons assembled not to serve himself, but to do honour to their king. " By my faith," said Henry, " I thank you for your good cheer ; but this matter you must settle with my attorney." And so this loyal earl had to pay £10,000 for his hospitality. For the greater security of his throne, Henry procured from the parliament an act, and from the pope a bull, acknowledg- ing him as king and his heirs as successors to the crown. The only persons likely to trouble him with rival claims were the Earl of Lincoln, whom Eichard III. had made his heir ; and the Earl of Warwick, a youth of 15, son of that duke of Clarence who is said to have been drowned in wine. Lincoln ^ AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 123 did homage to tHe new king, and was allowed to go free ; but Henry thought it safest to shut up Warwick within the Tower. Now, there was a baker's boy whose name was Lambert Simnel, whom a clever priest of Oxford had taught to personate young AYarwick, and sent to Ireland where the people were much attached to the family of York. Believing him to be the earl, the whole Irish people, except those of Waterford, declared in his favour, and he was crowned king at Dublin. In order to undeceive his subjects, Henry caused the real earl to be paraded through the streets of London. Simnel, now joined by Lincoln, landed in England, and succeeded in gaining over to his cause some of the nobles and a large body of the people. At length a battle was fought at Stoke, {in Notts). Lincoln was killed, and Simnel and his tutor were 1487 captured. The priest was sent to prison, and the baker's boy to the king's kitchen : Simnel was afterwards' pro- moted to the post of falconer. Some years after this there appeared a person who gave himself forth as being that Duke of York whom everybody supposed to have been murdered along with his brother Edward V. in the Tower. The king's party said that his real name was Perkin Warbeck : the Duchess of Burgundy declared that he was indeed her nephew, Richard of York ; and gave him a suitable equipage : the French king received him at his court, regarding him as the heir to the English crown : and James IV. of Scotland gave him his niece in marriage, and coined his plate in order to raise an army to prosecute his claims. In the autumn of ]496 this army invaded England, hoping to find many there who would join 1496 them. But the English, now heartily tired of disputing the succession to the throne, refused to do so ; and James w^as obliged to retire, content with pillaging as he passed the northern counties without mercy. He afterwards made a second invasion, and besieged the castle of Norham, but with- out success. Warbeck also attempted to effect a landing in Kent, but 169 of his followers were captured and executed. At length Henry's fondness of money — his demanding 124 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' BEADING " benevolences/' wliicH were now illegal, and levying heavy taxes, led to , an insurrection in Cornwall ; and Warbeck took advantage of tbis to unite the discontented to bis own cause. Raising an army amongst tbem, be marcbed against Exeter, (in Devonsliii^e), Here, tbe people were sbort of artillery ; but tbey kindled a large fire in tbe gateway of tbeir city, and cleverly kept bim at bay. He fben retired to Taunton (in Somersetshire) ; wbence, despairing of success, be secretly with- drew to tbe sanctuary of Beaulieu, (in Hants), Throwing bimself on tbe king's mercy, be was tben led in mock triumph to London, and shut up with Warwick in the Tower. Both prisoners were afterwards tried and executed for planning an escape. The latter had spent nearly the whole of bis life in prison, merely because he was the last male heir of the Plan- tagenets. The former read in public a formal confession of imposture, declaring himself to be the son of respectable parents at Toumay, (in France) ; but to this day it remains a matter of historical doubt who he was. Shortly before Warwick's death, strange to say, a youth named Wilford, the son of a shoemaker in Kent, also attempted to personate this earl ; but was tried and executed before any serious results arose from the imposture. Henry's business-tact led him to devise important marriages for his children. Fixing his keen eye on Spain, as a country of growing wealth as well as power, be selected Catherine of Arragon as a desirable bride for Arthur his eldest son. They were married accordingly, and tbe princess brought with her a handsome dowry, but Arthur died about six months after. Now, mark what follows, as it bears not only on the next reign, but on the whole of the future history. To secure this dowry, Henry VII. made his next son, the prince Henry, a boy only 11 years of age, enter into a contract with Catherine, that when old enough he would mairy her. Now this pro- ceeding would have been null and void, had it not been sanctioned by a Bull from the Pope ; for the contemplated marriage was contrary to the ordinary laws of the church. The prince himself, too, when 14 years old, that he might be free to I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 125 choose his own bride, protested against this contract; but the sequel belongs to the next reign. Another importaut marriage which Henry planned, was that which took place between his eldest daughter Margaret, and James lY. of Scotland. Mark it well: for it was the same source of union afterwards of the crowns. Some of his counsellors foreseeing the issue, ex- pressed their fear lest England might thus come to belong to Scotland ; but Henry wisely replied that the larger would rather attack the lesser ; and that, in any case, such a union for England would be far safer than one with France. Happily a more complete union than even that of the two crowns, has since been secured for England and Scotland without a forced surrender by either. Henry tried hard to avoid foreign war ; but on one occasion a misunderstanding with France led him to cross the i y| qq channel and lay siege to Boulogne. The French king, i. it/i parliament. As head of the church, he now set about -LOO^ dissolving the monasteries and applying their wealth to other purposes. To help him in this work he employed Wolsey, an Ipswich butcher's son, Vv^ho had risen to be a a:td home lesson book. 129 Eoman cardinal and Lord Chancellor of England.* Amongst other important changes afterwards effected was, the chaining to the desk of every parish church, of a Bible in English, in order that all who chose might read it. By Cranmer's help also, the Book of Common Prayer was drawn up, and Articles of Eeligion compiled. These changes led to several insurrections ; the most formidable of which, under the name . of '* the Pilgrimage of Grace,'* broke out in Yorkshire, and 1536 was headed by Eobert Aske, a barrister. The insur- gents numbered 40,000, and bore banners inscribed with the crucifixion, the chalice, and the host. A promise of pardon, and" the heavy storms of winter, induced them to separate ; but Aske and some others were executed. Henry now began to exercise great tyranny, alike towards friends and foes ; acting as if he were infallible, and allowing none to differ from him even in the most unimportant opinion. For trifles of this kind he imprisoned Latimer and Shaxton, two of the bishops ; and beheaded another named John Fisher, a most learned and venerable man ; and Sir Thomas More, a most kind, gentle, honest, learned, and pious man, who had succeeded Wolsey as chancellor, and whose book called ' Utopia ' is well known. Cromwell and others of distinction also fell victims to his wrath ; besides many of no eminence. Amongst the latter was a poor half-witted girl, named Eliza- beth Barton, who thought herself inspired, and whom the monks called *' the holy maid of Kent.'* But perhaps the greatest victims of his tyranny were his own wives. Of these he had no less than six. Catherine died about 3 years after the divorce, leaving a daughter named Mary. When he had been married about three years to Anne Boleyn, he became offended at her lively disposition and beheaded her : she left a daughter named Elizabeth. Already he had fixed his eyes on Jane Seymour, one of her maids of honour, whom he niarried on the very day after Anne Boleyn's ^ See Standard lY., Page 7o, 130 THE FIFTH ' STAND AED' EBADINO execution. This queen gave birtb. to a son named Edward, and died in a few days after. Having next married Anne of Cleves, (in Qermany,) of wliom he had previously seen only a portrait, Henry was disgusted with her plainness, called her **a great Flanders mare," and divorced her immediately. His fifth wife was Catherine Howard, niece to the Duke of Norfolk. After they had been married a year and a half, he beheaded her. His sixth wife was Catherine Parr, Lord Latimer's widow, who, though her head was once in great danger for contradicting Henry, outlived him and married again. Catherine Howard is said to have been the first, in this country, who used pins as a fastening for the dress. Before she introduced them from France, English ladies either tied their clothes on with ribbons, or fastened them together as well as they could with wooden skewers. Pins were at first regarded as a luxury only for the great, and continued long after to be so dear that genLlemen had to allow their wives and daughters special sums to buy them. Hence the origin of the term '^ pin-money." As Henry was stout, the gentle- men of this reign wore their clothes stuffed out and baggy ; but their sleeves fitted so closely, that they had to get them cut open every night before they went to bed, and sewed on again the next day; and their shoes were a foot broad at the |; toes. Erasmus — a learned Dutchman, of whom the monks 1 used to say " he laid the Qgg that Luther hatched," and who was professor of Greek at Cambridge during this reign — describes the floors of the houses "as being commonly of clay strewed with rushes, under which lies unmolested an ancient collection of beer, grease, fragments, bones, spittle, and every- thing that is nasty." The pound was first called a soyeretgn in this reign; and the title of "Your Grace," or ''Your Highness" formerly given to English kings, was changed for that of YOUE MOST GEAOious MAJESTY. The last remnants of the Feudal System were now abolished, and the real union of Wales was effected by its sending 24 members to parliament. During the last part of hia life, Henry became bo stout and AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 131 unwieldy, that he had to be moved from one room to another by mechanical means. He died in 1547, and 1547 was buried at Westminster. RECAPITULATION. &TLE OF THE SPURS ..... 1513 ,, OF FLODDEN FIELD . . . . 1513 THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE , . . 1536 DEATH OF HENRY VIII. . . . . 1547 Home Lessons, Ticesday.—l. Commit the above dates to memory. II. 'Make a list of Adjectives and Adverbs. III. Write out the following forms of ileccipt: rOIll\tS OF RECEIPT. Liverpool, Jan. 4th, 1871. Received of Mr. James Thompson, the sum of two hundred and forty-seven pounds, seventeen shillings, and sixpence, for work done as per bill. £247 17s. 6d. William Caupenter. Received, February 21st, 1871, of Mr. Charles Taylor, the sum of twelve pounds, ten shillings, cud sixpence, the amount of one quarter's rent, due at Christmas last. £12 10.-. ^ 6a. ITt:n:iy Bricxnell. EDWAED VI. 1547 to 1553 Edward VI., Henry VIII. 's only son, now ascended the throne ; but as he was only in his tenth year, a 1547 council was appointed, who chose as protector Jane Se3rmour's brother, the Earl of Hertford, who now received the title of Duke of Somerset. Edward was so much under the control of others, that it is hard to say what his own real disposition was. So far, how- ever, as we can judge, he seems to have been gentle, studious, pious, and most anxious to do good. The numerous schools which ho founded throughout the country ioi- the education 132 THE FIFTH * STANDARD' EIJADING of the poor, are well known to this day ; and Christ's Hospital, in London, still remains as a monument of his munificence. He was in the habit of keeping a diary, but probably received some aid in this from his tutors. It gives an account of his reign, and now forms one of the curiosities of our British Museum. His father had intended that he should marry young Mary of Scotland ; and Somerset no sooner entered upon office, than he tried to make arrangements with the Scots, for the ultimate fulfilment of this design. It was favoured by many of their nobles ; but the Eegent, the Earl of Arran, opposed it. Angry at being thus thwarted in the very outset of his career, Somerset invaded Scotland with a large force, and defeated Arran at the battle of Pinkie, (in Mid-Lothian) : whereupon the Scots — remarking 1547 that they' disliked not the match, but that they hated the mode of wooing' — at once affianced their infant queen to the dauphin of France, and conveyed her to that country. During Somerset's absence in Scotland, his brother Lord Seymour, who had married Catherine Parr, the late king's widow, formed a plot against him ; and was no sooner execut- ed for it than several of the nobles, headed by the earl of Warwick, entered into a fresh plot. Somerset fled with the king to Windsor Castle, and called upon all loyal subjects to aid him; but the council sided with Warwick, who now took possession of the Tower, and arrested Somerset on the vague charge of having assumed kingly authority. After suffering imprisonment for some time, Somerset was freed on payment of a heavy fine, sat again at the council, and was even friendly with Warwick, who had now become duke of N'orthumberland. The duke, however, afterwards charged him with felony, and he was executed. Northumberland — who was a man of great ambition, and now held the chief power in the state — caused his own son to marry lady Jane Grey, the king's cousin ; and then persuaded Edward to appoint that lady as his heir to the crown. The suppression of the monasteries in the last reign, without any provision having been made for their inmates, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 133 now caused many thousands of sick, aged, and poor persons, to wander about the country begging food and shelter. The share of plunder also, which had fallen to some of the nobles, caused such a spirit of avarice among them, that they began to enclose commons throughout the country, and led to serious riots. Exeter was attacked by 10,000 rebels. Lord Russell dispersed them; but executed the leaders and caused the vicar of St. Thomas' in that city, who had encouraged them, to be hanged on the top of his church-tower, dressed in his holy vestments, with his beads dangling at his girdle. A rich tanner of Wymondham (in Norfolk), named Ket, headed a rebellion in that district ; and administered law under a tree which he was pleased to call the "oak of reformation." Nine -of the leaders were hanged on this tree and he himself at the castle of Norwich. In this reign the Church of England, under the guidance of Archbishop Cranmer, assumed the form which it has since retained. Edward VI., died of pulmonary disease at the age of 16, and was buried at Westminster. 1553 MARY 1. 1553 to 1558 Lady Jane Grey was now proclaimed queen. She was young and beautiful, gentle and good ; and fonder of study and retirement, than of power and pageantry. But her nominal reign lasted only a fortnight ; for Mary, the proper heir to the crown, soon found means to assert her title, and was readily acknowledged by the whole nation. Northum- 1553 berfand, who had caused lady Jane to be proclaimed, was tried for treason and executed. Mary, the first queen-regnant of England, was Henry VIII's eldest daughter. She was a staunch Roman CathoHc ; and 184 THE FIFTH * STANDARD* BEADING on account of tlie cruel persecutions wliicli the reformers at this time endured, her name has come down to us as '* Bloody Mary.'* The foolish system of persecuting people for their religious opinions, began in England, as already mentioned, in the time of Henry IV. ; and had continued to be practised, as occasion offered, ever since. In Henry YIIL's reign it was freely exercised towards all who dared to differ from himself j and for many reigns after this, we find it the common weapon of the dominant party in the church — whether Eoman, Anglican, or Presbyterian. In Mary's brief reign, the number of its victims was greater than before or since ; chiefly because the number of those who happened to differ from her was also greater. If there is any other reason, it is to be found in the character of those who now held the chief power in the church ; especially the bishop of London, Bonner, who has been described as being of so execrable a disposition, that had there been no such thing as persecution in this reign, he must have sought other means of gratifying his cruelty. Personally, Mary was by no means lacking in good qualities. She was virtuous, and kind to the poor ; and on one occasion, when a plan was suggested to her by which she might become independent of parliament, she indignantly cast the letter in the fire. A foul blot however, must ever remain attached to her name ; for had she been amiable, as she was evidently sincere, her great power would have stayed the fierceness of these barbarities. Soon after Mary's accession, she resolved on a marriage with Philip of Spain. But lest England might by this means come at length to belong to Spain, several of the nobles determined to oppose the union, and the feeling of the whole nation was against it. Sir Thomas Wyat raised a large force, and marched against London, but was * overcome at Temple Bar. Amongst those who took part in this 1554 rising, was the father of Lady Jane Grey; and for this reason, both she and all her relatives were executed. The queen herself addressed the excited citizens at Guildhall. ** On my word as a queen," said she, " I promise you that if AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 135 this marriage dotii not seem to the parliament to be for the singular benefit of the whole realm, I will abstain from it.'* Philip and Mary were married accordingly : but he left the country a year after, tired of his wife, who was much older than himself, and angry because the parliament refused to make him King of England. The Pope now sent a legate to England, to try to bring back the kingdom to his control. Cardinal Pole, a grandson of that duke of Clarence who is said to have been drowned in wine, was the person appointed for this purpose. But he was far too gentle, and amiable a man for those times, and his general plans were overruled by Bonner, and by Gardiner, the bishop of Winchester, a prelate who had been sent to the Tower in the last reign for opposing the Reformation, but whom Mary had again restored to his see. The Cardinal confined his measures chiefly to parliament, whom he persuaded to acknowledge the Pope again. Gardiner commenced investi- gations for heresy, but at length left this work almost entirely in the hands of Bonner, whose taste it just suited. Then began that series of persecutions, which have rendered the mention of this reign odious. Besides those who suf- 1555 f ered by fine, imprisonment, and exile, 288 persons were burnt to death ; among whom were five prelates, namely, Oranmer, (archbishop of Canterbury), Ridley, (bishop of London), Latimer, (bishop of Worcester), Hooper, (bishop o.f Gloucester), and Ferrar, (bishop of St. Davids). Cranmer at first recanted his faith, and then bitterly repented having done so. When they were putting fire to the stake, he thrust into it the hand by which he had signed the recantation; and holding it there till it became a cinder, he cried aloud — "This hand hath offended 1" Latimer was a plain, blunt, honest man. When they were tying him to the stake, he turned round to Ridley, and said — ** Be of good cheer. Master Ridky, and play the man ; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as shall never be put out." Cardinal Pole now succeeded Oranmer as archbishop of Canterbury, and 136 THE FIFTH 'STANBARD* EEADINa the wliole Cliurcli of England, once more became unwillingly subject to the pope. An account given about this time of the Duke of Northum- berland's house, affords an insight into some of the customs of the period. Though glass was introduced in Henry VI. 's time, it was only now beginning to be used, and was still dearer than silver. While silver cups therefore, gave way to drinking-glasses among the rich, the poor continued to use their wooden beakers. Looking-glasses were not yet used in houses, but worn by ladies in their girdles : and they also wore a petticoat called a farthingale, introduced in this reign from Spain. When the duke removed from his castle at Alnwick (in Northumberland,) to his house in London, he caused all the glass windows to be taken out of their frames ; and either brought them away with him, or had them packed up till he came back again. The whole furniture of his state apartment, consisted of a few rough benches and a long table ; and he had no carpets, and only nine table-cloths — one of which was for the use of his servants. So limited were the luxuries even of noblemen at this time, that each had but one set of such mean furniture, for both his town and country house. It was removed from the one to the other by a guard of retainers. Those forming the rear, were called the " black guard ;" because they carried the saucepans, and other utensils of the kitchen, and were of the lowest rank. It was in this way that the term hlacJcguard came at length to signify — a low, mean fellow. The dress of gentlemen at this time was very like that still worn by the boys of Christ's Hospital in London, or by the "Beef -eaters,"* as they are called. The poorer class wore leathern doublets : and even ploughmen carried a sword and buckler, or a bow and quiver : which, wh«n at work, they left in a corner of the field. The people in general were merry and frolicsome, drunken, gluttonous, ill- mannered, and riotous. Cruelty seems to have been a special * A corruption of " buffetiers " from the French ** buffet '' a sideboard ( because those formerly so called waited at table. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 137 feature of tlie age, entering into its very sports ; among whicli bull-baiting, bear-baiting and the whipping of blinded bears, were special favourites. Children too, were treated with great severity at school, where the " law of love" was then unknown ; and even by their own parents, in whose presence they never dared to sit down, much less to speak except when spoken to. Girls, if very tired, might go to the further end of the room and kneel. In 1557, Philip of Spain, anxious to secure the help of the English in a war against France, visited Mary his wife ; but left again in a few days, and she never saw him after. His visit would most probably have been unsuccessful, but for a trifling incident which occurred at this time. The castle of Scarborough, (in Yorkshire^) was suddenly attacked by a small - body of men, headed by a person who claimed to be descended from the dukes of Buckingham. It was said that the French king had urged him to this revolt, and England accordingly joined with Spain in a war against France. Siege, was laid to St. Quentin ; and a large force coming to its relief, led to a famous battle there, in which many of the French 1557 nobles were slain. But the English were made to pay dearly for this victory. Hardly had the next new year dawned, when Calais — 'the key of France,' a town which had belonged to the English ever since the time of Edward III., (more than two centuries,) and the walls of which were now in a decayed state, was most unexpectedly attacked and 1558 lost in eight days. So keenly did Mary, whose health had for some time been failing, feel this loss, that she said they would find the word Calais written on her heart when she was dead ; and she died that same year. She was buried at Westminster. Mary had no issue. RECAPITULATION. WYATT'S REBELLION . , . . . 1554 PERSECUTION OF THE BISHOPS . . . 1555 SIEGE OP CALAIS • » . , ^ 1558 138 THE FIFTH * STANDARD ' READING Hoyne Lessons, Wednesday. -^l. Commit the above dates to memory. II, Make six sentences, each to contain a word used of the 8th piece of poetry on page 17. III. Work the following sum : "Liverpool, May 1st, 1S71. Mr. J. Johnson. 6 lbs. tea 6 „ coffee 9 „ sugar 4 „ „ 17 „ rice 6 „ mustard at >> « Bought of Messrs. Thompson and Co. s. d. . 3 8 per lb. .18 „ ■ • J 1 ■• ■ > ELIZABETH. 1558 to 1603. Elizabeth, Mary's sister, now became queen. In appearance, sbe was tall and of light complexion, with 1558 lofty brow and aquiline nose ; in manner, graceful and queenly ; and in character, active, shrewd, self-willed, self- controlled, and vain. " Few sovereigns of England succeeded to the throne in more difficult circumstances ; and none ever conducted the government with such uniform success and- felicity."* So peaceful and yet glorious was her sway, that ' Englishmen love to look back on it as that of *'good Queen Bess" ; and so great a personal interest did she take in the adventures of her seamen who sailed round the world, and in ■ the exploits of her navy, that she is also known as the *' Queen of the Seas." Her first care was for the Church of England. The reforms which had been therein effected up to the time of Edward VI. had all been overturned in the late reign; but Elizabeth, to the great joy of the people, again restored them. As she knew no more, however, about toleration than her predecessors, some 200 persons were put to death during her reign for their religious convictions and many others were fined, imprisoned, or exiled. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 139 A former parliament had declared Elizabeth to be illegiti- mate, but the act was of course abolished on her coming to the throne. Had she really been so, the crown ought as a matter of right to have devolved upon her cousin, Mar}^ Stuart, the Scottish queen, who accordingly laid claim to it, styling herself '' Queen of Scotland and England." As Mary was a Eoman Catholic, her claim was encouraged by all the Eomish princes in Europe ; but troubles in her own country prevented her from enforcing it by war. There, she was no favourite ; first of all, because she was a Catholic; and again, because she was suspected of having something to do with the death of her husband, (Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley) ; whom, as he was unwell, she had persuaded to retire to a country residence, where he was murdered. This suspicion was all the stronger, because two months afterwards she married the very man who is supposed to have been the murderer. These things roused the indignation of her subjects, and they rose in arms against her. Mary fled to England for refuge ; but Elizabeth said she would not allow her cousin to enter her presence, till she had cleared herself of such grave charges. A commission of English and Scottish nobles therefore met to inquire into their truth, but failed to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion, Now, however, that Mary was within her power, Elizabeth thought it safest to detain as prisoner, one who had already laid claim to her crown. Those among the English nobles, and others who sympathised with Mary's religion, now began to form plots for her escape, and for setting her on the English throne. The most formidable of these was the Babington conspiracy, headed by a gentleman of that name in Derbyshire, who sought to assassinate Elizabeth. 15 UU Fourteen persons were discovered as engaged in this plot, and executed. Mary herself was accused of having been also concerned in it, and was tried before a commission of English nobles and judges at Fotheringay Castle {in North' amptonshire). She at first protested against the trial, on the ground that she was an independent sovereign ; but after- wards, lest this refusal might be taken to imply guilt, she 14:0 THK FIFTH 'sTANDABD' BBADINQ consented to plead. Certain letters supposed to have passed between lier and Babington were produced ; but her two secretaries (in whose handwriting the letters attributed to her, were said to be) had been forbidden to attend, and gave in their constrained evidence in writing. She demanded the presence of these witnesses, but it was refused ; yet on their evidence chiefly she was condemned to die. EHzabeth, after much hesitation, signed the warrant for her death ; and then sought to withdraw it, but was too late^ for the 'Queen of Scots/ her famous beauty now dimmed by an imprisonment of nearly 19 years, and her hair "quite gray with cares and sorrows," was already in the hands of the executioner. While one of these rudely tried to aid her in uncovering her neck for the block, *^she gently checked him, and said, with a smile, that she had not been accustomed to undress before so many spectators, nor to be served by such valets. With calm but undaunted fortitude she laid her neck on the block; and while one executioner held her hands, the other, at the second stroke, cut off her head/ * The treatment of 1587 her kinswoman forms a sad blot on Elizabeth's illustrious memory. These plots in England, were but part of a grand European conspiracy to overthrow the Eef ormation. Philip II. of Spain (the husband of the late Queen of England) was at the head of it ; and besides being the Pope*s tool in the matter, he had certain reasons of his own for wishing to direct his chief energies against England. First of all, he was angry with the English, because parliament had refused to allow him to become king of England. Then, it is said, he once asked Elizabeth to marry him, but she refused : further, the English sailors, according to the piratical custom of those times, had taken from him several ships laden with treasures. For all these reasons, but chiefly because the Pope urged him, Philip determined to invade England. He prepared for this purpose a large fleet, and felt so sure of success that he called it the *' Invincible Armada." It consisted of 130 large ships, * Robertson, I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 141 manned by 8,000 sailors, and carrying 2^,000 soldiers and 2,630 brass cannons. He had also 50,000 troops stationed near Dunkirk (in France), with flat-bottomed boats, ready to land and assist the invaders. The whole English army then consisted of only 70,000 soldiers, and the navy of only 36 small ships. The principal part of the former was stationed at Tilbury Fort {in Essex), where Elizabeth greatly encouraged them by her brave words, as she rode through their ranks with a corselet and plume on her head, and a general's staff in her hand. To make up for the smallness of the navy, merchants freely gave their ships, and the nobles their money. The admiral was Lord Howard of Effingham {in Surrey) ; and he was supported by three of the most daring commanders that ever lived — Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher. From Plymouth {in Devonshire), he caught the first sight of the Armada, and at once set out to meet it. It presented the form of a crescent, and was seven miles broad. So close did he venture to it, that the shot from the great Spanish ships went clean over the little English ones ; which in turn kept up such vigorous firing, as caused the Armada to move further and further along the Channel, till at length it reached Calais {in France), Here, thinking that they would soon be helped by those at Dunkirk, the Spaniards cast anchor ; but the EngHsh sent 8 small fire-ships amongst them, which created such a panic that the Armada cut cable and fled. Now, the wind was not favourable for returning to Spain along the Channel ; and the only other way the Armada could return, (as you may see by the map,) was round the north of Scot-' land. Thither, therefore it took its flight : but of aU this proud fleet, only 49 broken hulks ever reached Spain again. Of the rest, some were taken by the English, and the others were wrecked on the coasts of Norwa}'-, Scotland, and Ireland. Elizabeth caused a medal to be struck, on 1588 one side of which was a fleet wrecked by a tempest ; and on the other were the words, *' He blew with his winds, and they were scattered." The news of this great event was also made known to the nation, by means of a smaU printed sheet called the 'English Mercurie,* In the British Museum H2 THE PIFTH 'STANDAED" READING is a copy, of this the first newspaper ever published in England; but we hear no more of newspapers till fifty years after. Literary works of much greater merit however characterize this reign. The world-renowned, and immortal Shakspeare, now wrote his plays ; introducing a far higher standard of public amusement than cock-fighting, bull-baiting, and bear- whipping, the favourite sports of the people. Spenser too, wrote his " Faerie Queen" ; and Lord Bacon laid the founda- tion of modern science. Several others might be named : but Sir Philip Sydney, were it only for the touching scene at the close of his life, deserves special mention. He wrote a famous prose -poem called " Arcadia" ; and was at once a scholar, a statesman, a soldier, and a christian. He died on the battle-field of Zutphen (in Holland), While lying wounded on the ground, perishing of thirst and fever, wine was placed to his lips ; but seeing the sufterings of a common soldier who lay close by, he handed to him the beverage, saying, '' Poor fellow thou hast greater need of it than even me ! ' ' and died. To describe the adventures of Drake, Ealeigh, Hawkins, and other naval heroes of this reign, would require as many pages as there are in this history. From Santa Fe (m North America), Drake first brought potatoes to England ; and Ealeigh introduced them into L-eland soon after. Tobacco is so called because Raleigh first brought it from Tobago, one of the Carribee Islands, (in the West Indies.) To Hawkins, though a brave, and in many respects a good man, belongs the dishonour of having introduced the slave trade. Most of the vegetables nbw in common use, were first brought to England about this time. A writer* who lived some fifty years after, refers to those then living in Sur- rey, as remembering " the first gardener who came there to plant cabbages and cauliflowers, and to sow turnips, carrots, and parsnip, to sow early-ripe peas, all of which at that time were great wonders, we having few or none in England but what came from Holland." Peaches were also now introduced from Persia, and the horse-chesnut tree from the Levant (in Turkey 'in- Asia) » But hops, apples, pears, plums, goose- AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 143 berries, and cherries, though formerly imported, now grew in such quantities as to render importation mmecessary ; while the grape had grown in England from the time of the Romans. Luxuries of other kinds were now also introduced, such as coaches from Holland. Till now, a lady when travelling used to ride on a pillion behind the servant, whom she held by the belt. Houses began to be furnished with some degree of taste ; and wainscotting, gilding, and elaborate carving came into use. Beefsteaks and ale were the common food for breakfast in those days ; and all sat with their hats on during meals, ex- cept at grace. They breakfasted at eight o'clock, dined at eleven, and supped at six. Elizabeth and her courtiers were very extravagant in dress. The gentlemen's shirts cost nearly £ J 00 a-piece, and Elizabeth had a wardrobe of no less than 3000 dresses. One of these had a serpent made of gems, curiously worked on the arm, to denote wisdom ; and the lining was covered with eyes and ears, to denote watchfulness. It is said that she encoui-aged the Dutch painters merely for the gratification of having portraits taken of herself. You have perhaps seen one of these ; do you remember the enor- mous ruff round her neck ? Before starch was invented, such ruffs were held out by means of sticks; but now that yellow starch was used, they became broader than ever ; and in order that people might be able to pass one another in the streets, persons were employed to cut down every ruff which projected more than three feet from the neck of its wearer. A lady who committed murder in the next reign was hung up by her ruff. Stockings till now were made with open sides, and had to be laced or buttoned Hke a buskin ; but the invention of the stocking-frame in this reign, by a clergyman of Notting- ham, introduced the form which they still retain. Many persons from France and Holland, persecuted on account of their Protestantism, now took refuge in England. By the former was introduced silk-weaving, and by the latter dyeing and cloth-dressing. Many also of those whom persecution had driven from England in the last reign, now returned ; and, having imbibed continental notions of church-reform, began 144 THE PITTH ' STAND ABD* BEADINa to demand that tlie Church of England shonld be " purified." From this circumstance arose the term Puritan. Though Elizabeth never married, she seemed fond of keep- ing up a flirting courtship all through life ; and showed great attachment to several of her statesmen, her warriors, and her sailors, — men whose fame had spread throughout Europe. Among these, her chief favourites were, first of all, William Cecil (Lord Burleigh), her treasurer, a man possessing great coolness of judgment : then. Sir Francis Walsingham, her secretary, a man noted for his skill and integrity : and next, Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester), an ambitious and bad man, whose attachment to her, and its consequences, form the sub- ject of Scott's famous tale of ^ Kenilworth ' — the name also of that earl's castle (m Warwickshire). Another of her f avouritei was Sir Walter Raleigh, of whom you have already heard ;" who colonized America, and g^iUantly called the new settle' ment ,' Virginia," in honour of his unmarried queen. Theni there was the Earl of Essex, to whom from his boyhood she showed a deep attachment ; and who continued to be the favourite of her old age. She once gave him a ring, and said! that if ever he needed help, he had only to send that ring to her. Yet they often quarrelled ; and on one occasion she gave him such a smart box on the ear, that he laid his hand on his sword, and declared that had his sovereign not been a woman, he would have resented the treatment. He was at last executed for trying to raise a revolt against her. About two years after this, the Countess of Nottingham, while on her death-bed, sent for Elizabeth, and said she wanted to disclose a secret. It was — that Essex, when condemned to die, had entrusted to her the ring ; but that she had been dissuaded by her husband from taking it to the queen. As soon as Elizabeth heard this, she became transported with rage ; and crying out " God may forgive you, but I never can," she shook the dying countess in her bed. For ten days and nights Eliz- abeth did nothing but weep, and lay on cushions on the *See Standard IV., page 117. )f . ] i AKD HOME LESSOK BOOK. 145 floor, refusing both food and medicine. Exhaustion then induced sleep, from which the last of the Tudot^ awoke _ ^ ^ no more. She was in her 70th year, and was buried 1603 in Henry yil.'s chapel at Westminster. UECAPITULATION. 'lAlu BABBINGTON CONSPIRACY . . . . 1586 MAKY QUEEN OF SCOTS BEHEADED . . . 1587 DEFEAT OF THE ARMADA . . . » 158o Home Lessons, Thursday.— 1. Commit the above dates to memory. II. IMake six sentences, uaing in each, a word fit the head of the 9th piece of poe- try on page 18. III. Work the 1st and 2ud of the following sums : 1. What would a road of 3 mis. 4 fur. 180 yds. cost paving, at £42 17s. lOd. ppr mile ? 2. What is the rent of a house for 6 years 8 months, at 19s. lOd. per week ? 3. Find the cost of 15 cwt. 3 qrs. 16 lbs., at £19 lOs. 6d. per cwt ? JAMES I. 1603 to 1625. Now, for the first and only time, the English crown devolved on one who was already a monarch, — 1603 James I. of England and VI. of Scotland, son of the unfortunate Mary Stuart. This union of crowns (though the kingdoms continued distinct for a century after) put an end to those wars which had so often proved disastrous to both nations. And now, to the island as a whole, was given the name of Great Britain. James was a man of contrasts — a theologian and a cock- fighter, a scholar but a pedant, proud yet slovenly, weak in ihb knees and awkward in his movements — ^yet a famous hunter. He has been foolishly called the "British Solomon." Though his accession was hailed with delight by the great body of the 148 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD' READING people, yet his reign is remarkable for plots, let. There was formed soon after his accession, a plot called the " Bye," or the ''surprising treason.** Its object was to seize the king, in order to effect changes in the government ; but it was soon discovered, and its leaders were executed. Sndly. In the same year was formed another plot called the ''Main Its real object seems to have been, not to overturn, but to sti'engthen James's position, by the overthrow of his private enemies. In order to accomplish this, however, its leaders unwisely leagued with Spain. The gallant Kaleigh was at the head of it, and was cast into the Tower, where he remained for twelve years and wrote his 'History of the World.* He was then set free, in hope of finding a gold mine in America. But when he landed there, he had first to fight the Spaniards,' who had taken possession of the place where the mine was supposed to be. He did not find it : and as James was now on intimctte terms with Spain, he shamefully caused Ealeigh, on returning to England, to be executed on the old charge of the "Main.*' 3rdly. There was a Roman Catholic gentleman h of the name of Oatesby, who in his zeal to restore the^ authority of the Pope, did not hesitate to plan one of the most diabolical plots ever heard of. On the 5th of November, 1605, the day fixed for the opening of parliament, he intended that king, lords, and commons should all be 1605 blown up by gunpowder. But, some days before this, one of the conspirators, anxious to save Lord Mounteagle, sent him an anonymous letter, in which were these words — " though there be no appearance of a stir, yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurts them.*' Mounteagle gave this letter to Cecil (Lord Burleigh), who showed it to the king ; and they soon guessed what was meant. Though none of the conspirators were immediately arrested, a strict watch was kept ; and on the morning of the day mentioned, a Spanish officer, named Guy Fawkes, was seen suspiciously entering a cellar-door near the House of Lords. He was seized and examined, and touchwood and match os were found on him. AND HOME LESSON BOOK, be cellar was searclied, and in one corner was found a dark- lantern ; wliile tlirougli a wall three yards thick, had been mined a passage to an apartment, directly under the House of Lords ; and in this apartment were found, among rubbish and faggots, 36 barrels of gunpowder. The rest of the conspira- tors had fled into the country, where most of them were after- wards killed in resisting capture : but Catesby and some of the others were taken, and executed along with Fawkes. This famous conspiracy, known as " Gunpowder Plot," led to the enactment of very severe laws against Eoman Catholics, On James's accession to the throne, the Puritans, who expected great things from him because he had been educated in a Presbyterian country, presented, what from the large number of names attached to it, was called the '* Millenary Petition." This led to a conference at Hampton Court, when the king told them that ' Presbyterianism was no religion for a gentleman,' and that he supposed the real meaning of 'no bishop' was 'no king.' One good result of this con- ference, was the translation of the Bible into the English 1607 tongue. To this work, James appointed 4 7 of the very best scholars among the clergy, and laid down rules to n n-iri guide them. They were occupied at it three years, ID ill and the result was our present ''authorised version." James was partial to favourites. A worthless fellow named Carr, having been sent on one occasion to present a Scottish nobleman's shield to the king, fell from his horse and broke his leg. James took an interest in him, and afterwards made him Earl of Somerset ; but Carr, along with others, (among whom was the woman refeiTcd to in the last reign as having been hung by her ruffs,) was concerned in a murder, and James was at last obliged to banish him from court. Another favourite was George Villieis, whom he made Duke of Buck- ingham. James wanted his son Charles to marry the Princess of Spain ; and Buckingham persuaded the king to pay a visit to that country, but behaved so badly himself while there that the Spanish court became disgusted and broke off the match. This led to war with Spain. 148 THE riFTH ^STAKDAHB' HEADI]N'G In tliis reign, a new style of arcliitecture, knosvn as tlie Palladian, was introduced by Inigo Jones ; logarithms were invented by Baron Napier ; and the circulation of the blood was discovered by Dr. Harvey. James greatly improved the condition of Ulster (in Ireland), by inducing capitalists to settle there. Two entirely new towns, Ooleraine and London- derry, arose as the result of this scheme. To meet the expense of raising an army for the defence of these places, there was created a new title, that of ''baronet," which was conferred on a limited number of candidates on payment of £1095 each ; but somehow, the army was never raised. The whole race of Stuarts (as yoii will see) had notions of kingly power quite inconsistent with English freedom. Each of them sought to act as if he were absolute ; whereas the English constitution, as already explained, is that of a limited monarchy. These notions, on James's part, led to unseemly contests between him and the parliament. That body remon- strated with him, for instance, about the intended marriage of his son : he set the whole of them at defiance, and com- mitted certain members to prison : — they entered in their minutes, that no member, except by order of the house itself, can be lawfully imprisoned for his conduct in the house : he sent for the book, tore out the record, and dissolved the par- liament. This was but the beginning of a series of contests between the parliament and the Stuarts. After a fortnight's illness of ague and gout, James died, in iO^O 1625 ; and was buried in Westminster Abbey. RECAPITULATION. . 1605 TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE COMMENCED . . 1607 DEATH OF JAMES I. ..... lO^O ' GUNPOWDER PLOT Home Lessons^ Friday,— 1» Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make a list of the chief rivers of Europe. III. ■\V'ork the 2nd and 3rd of the following sums : AND HOME LESSON BOOK, 149 1. 2716 walking sticks, at 9.Jd. each P 2. A man had £1 17s. 6d. a day ; what was his yearly income ? 3. Make out a bill for the following articles : — 27 yds. 2 qrs. 1 nl. at 5s. 6d. per yard ; 72 yds. 1 qr. 3 nls., at Is. 72d, per yard ; 196 yds. 3 qrs. 2 nls., at 27s. 6d. per yard. CHARLES I. 1625 to 1649. Charles I. was the only son of the preceding king. He was "of middle stature, his complexion brown, 1625 ■ * inclined to paleness,' his forehead not wide, his brows large, his eyes grey, quick and penetrating, . . , and his nose somewhat large and round at the tip."* His chesnut hair fell in curls over his shoulders, and he wore a moustache and pointed beard. In the latter years of his life, his coun- tenance showed such mingled marks of greatness and sadness, that an eminent sculptor remarked, that 'the man who was so strongly charactered, and whose dejection was so visible, was doomed to be unfortunate.' Charles had a strong ten- dency to stammer while speaking ; but by adopting a measured style, and being sparing of words, he greatly overcame it, and was able at the closing scene of his life, to utter his words without a falter. He was an intense lover of art, and his private virtues were great and many ; but so thoroughly had he imbibed his father's high notions of kingly power, that he refused to make those reasonable concessions to parliament which the altered circumstances of the times required ; while the Commons, in turn, refused to supply enough of money to meet the expenses of the government. Becoming angry on this account, Charles dissolved his first parliament, after a sitting of only three weeks. Next year (1626), he called another; but as they sought to impeach * D'lsraeli. 150 THE FIFTH ' STAITDABD' READING Buckingliam, his favourite, tlie king dissolved their sitting before they had passed a single act. Buckingham had been' the cause, not only of the Spanish war begun in the last reign, but of an unsuccessful French one in this : he was hated by the people, and was at last murdered in Portsmouth (m Hants). In 1628, Charles summoned a third parliament, who drew up what is called " The Petition of Eights," and would give the king no money till he had assented to its demands. It required him, among other things, 1st. To levy no taxes without their consent ; Sndly. To biUet no soldiers in private houses ; and 3rdly. To detain no one in prison without a trial. This famous document 1628 forms a sort of second Magna Oharta. The king gave his assent to it; and the Commons, in their joy, voted him a very large sum of about £400,000. Being now in a manner independent of them, the king began to act very arbitrarily : the Commons grumbled : the king came to talk to them : thej locked him out : when he had fetched a locksmith to force the door, he found that they had adjourned for a week : he said, he would go down and see the '' vipers " when they re- assembled : he did so, and dissolved parliament. Nine of the members he committed to the Tower j one of whom — Sir John Eliot — died there. Finding matters becoming so serious, Charles now made peace abroad, and began to rule in the most arbitrary manner, lie fined citizens for breaking obsolete laws, noblemen on pretence that they encroached on his forests, and clergymen for such trifles as preaching against the crucifix. To aid him in these things, besides the Star-chamber already named, he now took advantage of two other similar courts. In Eliza- beth's reign, commissioners had been appointed at irregular intervals to try certain offences ; and the system had at length become permanently established under the name of "The Court of High Commission" — for the trial of religious opinions, heretical books, slanders, and immorality. This court consisted of 44 commissioners, and had power to fine, imprison, and excommunicate. Then there was " The Council AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 151 of York/' a tribunal estabKshed in that province* of similar constitution to the last. Over it presided Sir Thomas Went- worth (Strafford), a member of the third parliament, who at first opposed the king, but afterwards aided him by devising a scheme called "Thorough;" which had it been fuUy fol- lowed, would no doubt have rendered Charles absolute. He was rewarded with a peerage, and made president of the northern province, and afterwards Viceroy of Ireland ; where for seven years he applied his scheme of ' Thorough ' so effec- tually, that the whole Iiish people crouched in terror at his feet. Then came a fearful reaction, in which the Eoman Catholics of that island, encouraged by Spanish priests and Spanish gold, murdered about 50,000 of the Protestant popu- lation, under circumstances of the most horrid barbarity — such as burning, drowning, and burying alive. Trying to do without a parliament, Charles sought to meet the national expenses by taxes of his own levying. The most obnoxious of these was Ship-money, which had been anciently collected in maritime towns, for the defence of the coast. But now, he levied it on inland places as well ; and applied it, not to defend the coast, but to support a standing army. Knowing this to be quite illegal, a gentleman of Buckingham- shire, named John Hampden, refused to pay ; but such was the corruption of the judges (who could be dismissed at the royal pleasure), that they decided against him. Hanapden after- wards became a member of parliament, Charles tried to force the Kirk of Scotland to become episcopal : but on the first Sunday that the prayers were attempted to be read at St. Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh, a woman named Janet Geddes threw her stool at the dean's head, saying, "Out, thou false thief! dost thou say mass at my lug?" The Scottish people then signed a "Covenant," binding themselves to resist all attempts to interfere wij)h their religion ; and a General Assembly of the Kirk met and excommunicated all the bishops. * Ecclesiastically, England is divided into two provinces — Canterbury and York. 152 TEE FIFTH < STAKDAHD' EEADIIS^G For eleven years no parliament had met in England, a case unparallelled in its liistory. In 1640, however, Oliarles found himself so short of money, that he was compelled to summon his fourth parliament. It met, but refused to grant a^ny money till the grievances of the nation had been inquired into and redressed. Charles therefore dissolved it, after a sitting of three weeks. He next tried to re\dve the Magnatum Oonventus ;* but though a council of peers assembled at his bidding, they nobly and wisely resolved to do nothing apart from the Commons. They also urged him to make peace with the Scots, who had by this time collected an army, crossed the border, and seized Newcastle (in Northuiriberland). A conference was therefore held at Eipon {in Yorkshire)^ between 1 6 of these peers and 8 of the leading Covenanters, when the Scots agreed to abstain from war, on condition of receiving £5,600 weekly, till the differences between them and the king should be settled. This arrange- 1640 ment is caUed ''The Treaty of Ripon." In this same year Charles summoned his fifth and last par- liament. To prevent a dissolution, this parliament passed a measure that it should not be dissolved witliout its own consent. It sat for more than 19 years, and is there- 1640 fore called " The Long Parliament.'' Cne of its first acts was to cause the execution of Wentworth (Earl of Straf- ford), on the charge of " treason against the liberty of the people." tt also imprisoned Archbishop Laud for four years ; and then — on the professed charge of high treason, but really for his opposition to the Puritans — caused him to be beheaded in the 72nd year of his age. The nation now divided into two parties ; one siding with the king, and the other with the parliament — a twofold political division which has continued in England ever since, though the names of the parties have from time to time been changed, and their political views greatly modified. Thus, at the present day, we have Conser- vative and Liberal ; and a few years ago we had Torij and * See page 143-4. AND HOME LES30N BOOK, 153 Whig, The royalists, then, in the reign of Charles I., were called Cavaliers ; while the parliamentarians got the name of Houndheads. The former were so called on account of their gallant bearing and skill in horsemanship ; and the latter received this strange name because, having read in the Bible *if a man have long hair it is a shame,' they cut theirs short. On the 4th of January, lGi2, the king entered the House of Commons attended by a large guard, and demanded that six of the members, whom he accused of high treason, should be given up to him. The Commons at once called out " Privi- lege I Privilege I " for the king, by acting in this manner, was violating Magna Charta : for, if these members had done wrong in parHament, they were responsible to the House itself ; and if they had done wrong elsewhere, they should have been summoned before a civil court. This act, there- fore, forms the commencement of The Eevolution. Messages now began to pass between the king and 1642 parliament, and the Commons demanded that he should give up to them the command of the army. This was quite as great a broach of the constitution as any that the king had made, for the command of the army is one of the most ancient rights of the English crown. Civil war was now the consequence. The queen went to Holland to try and procure foreign aid, and to pawn the crown jewels in order to buy gunpowder. A large stock of arms was kept at Hull (in Yorkshire), but when the king we*it to get possession of them, the governor of that town shut its gates in his face. Charles then went to Nottingham, and there erected his royal stan- dard. Several battles now followed. The king himself com- manded the Cavaliers, his nephew the Prince Rupert leading the cavalry ; while the Earl of Essex led .the Roundheads. The first battle was at Edgehill {in Warwickshire), when both parties claimed the victory ; though the 1642 Cavaliers, upon the whole, had the advantage. In 1643, they first took Bristol (in Gloucestershire), and -jnyirr then laid siege to Gloucester; but the Eoundheads IUtiO came to its relief, and defeated them at the first battle 154 THE FIFTH < STANDAED' EEADINa of Newbury (in BerJcs), In 1644, tlie Covenanters joined the Eoundheads at Marston Moor (in Yorhkire), where they gained an important victory, which resulted in the capture of York and Newcastle. In a second battle at Newbury, the Cavaliers were also defeated. In 1645, the last and decisive battle of the Civil War was fought at the village of Naseby (in Northamptonshire); where the Cavaliers were utterly routed, and Charles's cabinet taken, containing his private correspondence. His enemies being thus made acquainted with his plans, all his hopes were now cut off. He first fled to Wales ; but hearing that the Scots were advancing, he then shut himself up in Oxford. The parties composing the parliament were now divided into two religious factions, Independents and Presbyterians ; the one desiring the entire overthrow of the kingly office, and the other seeking only to limit its power. To this latter class the whole Scottish nation belonged. Their army had now reached Newark (in Nottinghamshire) ; and thither Charles fied, throwing himself on their protection. They offered to support him, if he would sign the Covenant. He refused. Parliament then made him certain offers ; and the Scots, at his own request, allowed him to go to London, that he might negotiate in person. They also offered to the parliament to withdraw from England, on payment for their services, and parliament voted them a sum of £400,000. Their withdrawal necessitated their giving up Charles, but they first stipulated with the parliament for his safety ; whereupon the parliament expressed their indignation at being suspected of any evil design. The Scots therefore cannot be blamed for what followed. Charles was then con- fined at Hampton Court ; and, after passing from castle to castle, at last escaped to the Isle of Wight, where he hoped the governor would help him to cross to the continent ; but he shut him up in Carisbrook Castle, Here the parliament tried to negotiate with him ; but they were divided among them- selves, until Colonel Pride '* purified " the House, by driving out of it all who were favourable to the king. This proceed- ing is known as "Pride's Purge," and tho?o who remained got AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 155 the name of the " Rump Parliament.*' Charles was at length brought to London, and lodged as a prisoner of state in St. James's Palace. A self -created ''High Court of Justice'* then met to try him. It consisted of 66 commissioners ; with Bradshaw, a serjeant-at-law, as president. Charles refused to acknowledge this tribunal. But they condemned him as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer, and an enemy to the good people of the nation ;*' and sentenced him to be executed. On the 30th of January, 1649, Charles Stuart was conducted to the block, in front of the Banqueting Hall of Whitehall Palace. "Sirs," — he said, on that memorable occasion, and he spoke it without a falter — " it is for the liberties of the people that I am come here. If I would have assented to arbitrary sway, to have all things changed according to the power of the sword, I needed not to have come hither ; and therefore I tell you (and I pray God it be not laid to your charge) that I am a martyr of the people." He calmly knelt before the block ; and the executioner having severed his head at a single stroke, held it up to the 1649 assembled people, saying — " This is the head of a traitor." Their only answer was a deep and dismal groan. RECAPITULATION. THE PETITION OF RTGPITS . . . , .1628 TaM LONG TARLLiMEXT BEGAN TO SIT . . 1640 THE REVOLUTION COMMENCES .... 1642 BATTLE OF EDGEHILL ..... 1642 „ NEWBURY ..... 1643 ,, MARSTOX MOOR .... 1644 ^NA^EBY 1645 Home Lessons, Monday. — I. Commit the above dates to memorr, II. Parse the words iu the first line of this reign. III. AYork the three follow- ing sums : — 1. How many yards naust be added to 12yds. 2rirs. Inl. to make 21 yds? 2. What is the fifth part of 2 cwt. 2 qrs. 17 lbs. 2 oz. ? 3. What is the difference between the weight of 2 bells, the one weighs 40 cwi:. 2 qrs. 14 lbs. 11 oz. and the other 8 cwt. 3 qrs. 27 lbs. 14 oz. V 156 THE EirxH 'standaeb' eeading THE COMMONWEALTH. 1649 to 1660. "Pray, Mr. Hampden," said one of the Puritan peers at tlie opening of the Long Parliament, "pray, Mr. Hampden, who is that man — that sloven who spoke just now — for I see he is on our side, by his speaking so warmly?" The answer was, ^' That sloven whom you see before you hath no ornament in his speech — that sloven, I say, if we should ever come to a breach with the king, which God forbid I in such a case, I say, that sloven will be the greatest man in England." The person referred to was a coarse-looking, heavy-built man of middle size, and at that time about 40 years of age ; with a big head, a very large red nose, thick lips, brown hair, shaggy eyebrows, keen grey eyes, a forbidding look, careless dress, and clownish manners. His name was Oliver Cromwell. On his father's side, he was the descendant of a good Welsh family ; and on his mother*s, of a branch of the Stuarts. At an early period he imbibed Puritan principles, and remained attached to them without any change to the end of life. With the exception of a single year spent at Cambridge, he had scarcely ever been out of his native shire of Huntingdon till he was about 30 years of age. He was then sent to Charles's third parliament to represent the county-interest, and he afterwards became a member of the Long Parliament. When the Civil War began, his keen eye marked that it was the associated spirit of the Cavaliers, much more than their indi- vidual valour, that bore them on, and made them superior to misfortunes ; and he at once determined to form a similar corps among his own party, making Pmitanism the basis of the bond. Utterly ignorant of military affairs up to this time, he now set about learning the art of war ; and was joined by a number of decent peasants, labourers, and trades- men, whom he imbued with his own grave and energetic \ spirit, subjecting them at the same time to the most rigid discipline. The result was, that for daring, hardihood. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 157 bravery, and success, no regiment before or since has ever equalled Cromwell's "Ironsides.*' It was chiefly tbrougb them that the famous victories abeady named, of Marston Moor and of Naseby, were gained. The death of the king was at first no part of Cromwell's plan : indeed he severely censured some of the Ironsides for entertaining the thought of it ; but afterwards adopted the opinion of the majority of the troops, that the king ought to be brought to trial : and at last acted as a leader in that sad transaction. With the fall of the king, however, the Eevolu- tion was by no means ended. The Long Parliament — or rather, the 'Rump' end of it — still continued to sit ; and the Commons, who now assumed the lead, voted that the House of Lords was dangerous, the office of king unnecessary, and that the Church of England ought to be abolished : while a party calling themselves " Levellers," and " Eoot-and -Branch Men," having tasted noble blood, now thirsted for more. Thus, the domination of the mass, the sovereignty of the mob, threatened to overwhelm the entire nation. But Crom- well knew well how to subdue these excesses, and to reduce all under his own iron will. England now became a Common- wealth, or Republic ; the government of which was vested in a Council of 4 1 persons appointed by the parliament. Bradshaw was made president ; John Milton (the poet), lo4:9 secretary; Cromwell and Fairfax, controllers of the army ; and Sir Harry Vane, controller of the navy. The Scottish nation, indignant at the death of Charles, and having no sympathy with these revolutionary proceedings, at once proclaimed the son of the beheaded monarch as their king, under the name of Charles II. He reached Edinburgh in 1650. A powerful army was then raised for his service; but Cromwell, desirous to strike the first blow, crossed the border with his Ironsides, and totally routed the Scots at the Battle of Dunbar {in Haddington). He then 1650 proceeded to Edinburgh, and soon became master of the whole of the Lowlands. To cut off aid from the High- lands, he next took possession of the city of Perth ; but while 158 THE nPTH 'STANDAED' READING there, was surprised by tlie tidings that the Scots, with Charles at their head, had set out for the invasion of England. Hastening in pursuit, Cromwell overtook them at Worcester ; where he gained so glorious a victory that 1651 he called it his 'crowning mercy.' Cne of the first acts of the Commonwealth was to appoint Cromwell, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; which, ever since the fearful massacre of the Protestants, had been in a state of great confusion. Cromwell at once determined to stop it. He did so : but by very cruel means. There were 1 40 Irish soldiers, for instance, who fled to a tower and would not sub- mit to him. When he had taken the tower, he killed all the officers and a tenth of the men, and shipped the rest as con- victs. So great were the slaughter and flight of the people, that several of the towns were wholly depopulated. It was from no love of cruelty, however, that Cromwell so .acted. *' He acted as men do in a great conflagration, where the adjoining houses are pulled down to save the more remote; or as in an hospital, where the diseased limb is cut off to preserve the others."* Or, to use his own words, he did it *^to prevent the effusion of blood for the future." Cromwell then ap- pointed his son Henry as Deputy-Lieutenant. New settlers changed the appeal ance of the country, and Ireland enjoyed such peace and prosperity as it had not known for many a day. In 1651, was passed the Navigation Act. It forbade the importing of goods into England except in English ships, ov, ships belonging to the country from which the goods camel This measure remained in force till only a few years ago, when* the famous free-trade movement swept it away. It was enacted with a view to injure the carrying trade of the Dutch, whose ships were then the chief merchant-men of Europe. Holland, like England, was then a Bepublic. An alliance had been attempted to be formed between the two, but they quarrelled about the terms, and the Navigation Act was the result. It had the effect intended, of greatly injuiing the * D*Aiibign^. AICD HOME LESSON BOOK. 159 Dutcli trade. It also led to a naval war. Van Tromp and De Euyter were the Dutcli admirals ; of tlie latter of whom it has been said — ''he was the only admiral ]_052 that ever attained a renown equal to that of the greatest general."* The English admiral was the celebrated Blake. The war began in the summer of iub4: 1652, and was continued with varied success till the spring of 1654, when a peace favourable to England was concluded. Such a peace might have been effected imme- diately after the first battle, had it not been for the parlia- ment, who, fearing the growing power of CromweU and his Ironsides, thought to keep them in check by encouraging the navy. CromweU, on the other hand, jealous of not receiving that attention which he expected, urged his ofiScers to petition for pay. This step roused the anger of the parliament, and they set about preparing a bill declaring such petitions treasonable. He at once ordered a body of musketeers to attend him to the House, left these in the lobby, and took his seat among the members. After listening a while to the debate, he rose and charged them with seeking to advance their own interests more than the public good, and said that there ought to be a new parliament which would better represent the nation, and support popular liberty. On one of the members attempting to reply, CromweU sprang up, and stamping on the floor, said, " Come, come, I *U put an end to your prating r* At this signal, the musketeers entered. ''Take away that bauble!" said he, pointing to the mace which lay on the table. Sir Harry Vane remonstrated that such conduct was not honest : but CromweU merely said, ** Sir Harry Vane ; oh, Sir Harry Vane ; the Lord deliver me from Sir Harry Vane 1 '* He then ordered them aU out of the House : "get you gone," said he, **and make room for honester men I " The house was instantly cleared : Crom- weU locked the doors, and put the keys in his pocket. 1653 Such was the overthrow of the "Eump Parliament." * flume. 160 THE riFXH 'STANDAED' EEADIKa Cromwell tlien formed a new Council, consisting of himself, 8 officers of rank, and 4 civilians ; and these summoned a new parliament, which as it had only about 140 members, was called the "Little Parliament," One of its members was a leather-seller, whose name was Praise-God (that was his christian name) Barebones ; and from this circumstance, this assembly also got the name of the /'Barebones Parlia- ment.'* It met the same year, and drew up an "Instrument of Government," vesting the power of the state in a single person and a parhament, and conferring on 1653 Cromwell the chief magistracy of the kingdom, under the title of "Lord Protector of the Commonwealth." By this Instrument a new parliament (1654) was called, consisting of 460 members : but as they spent their time chiefly in amend- ing the Instrument, and as the majority, being Presbyterians, showed great intolerance in matters of religion, Cromwell dis- solved their sitting at the end of ^ve months (1655). Next year he summoned another assembly, excluding about 100 of the Presbyterians. This parliament urged him to assume the title of king ; and he would have done so, but his officers dis- suaded him from it. He was already, however, a sovereign in all but the name ; for he exercised a power in England far more absolute than that of the monarch whose death he had sanctioned ; and *' his greatness at home was but a shadow of the glory he had abroad. It was hard to discover which feared him most — France, Spain, or the Low Countries — where his friendship was current at the value he put upon it. As they did all sacrifice their honour and their interest to his pleasure, so there is nothing that he conld have demanded that either of them would have denied."* Under his protec- tion the Protestants of Languedoc (in France)^ and of the valleys of Piedmont {in Italy), lived in peace and safety. This same parliament (1656-8) presented to CromweU a " Humble Petition and Advice," empowering him to name his successor, and to create an upper chamber of parliament to be ^ Earl of Clarendon. AND BOM£] LESSON BOOS. 161 called "The Other House." A second session of this same parliament, but now with two houses, was accordingly held in the beginning of 1658 ; but the Commons so wasted their time in discussing questions about The Other House, that Cromwell dissolved parliament a fortnight after. This upper legislative assembly, ' in which lucky draymen and shoe- makers were seated,' was the least happy part of Cromwell's scheme. It was despised by the hereditary nobles, and laughed at by the people. In the course of CromwelFs career several plots were formed against his life ; but they were found out, and the conspira- tors punished. Latterly he wore a shirt of mail under his clothes, always carried pistols, and seldom slept two nights together in the same chamber. Cromwell used to regard the 3rd of September as his brightest day in the year. It was on that day that he gained the battles of Dunbar and Worcester, It was on that day too, in the year 1658, that he died. He was worn out by care and toil, though the imme- loOO diate cause of his death was an attack of gout and ague. The night before he died, is rendered memorable by a terrific storm which occurred : — "Nature herself took notice of his death, *'And, sighing, swelled the sea with such a breath *'That to remotest shores the billows rolled, *'Th' approacliing fate of thek great ruler told."* Cromwell's son Eichard, whom he had named as his suc- cessor, now entered upon the Protectorate. But as he was altogether too gentle and modest a man for such an office, the army began to assume the lead in affairs of state ; and after a few months Richard withdrew to his farms, and settled down into the quiet life of a country gentleman. By the influence of the soldiers of the capital, the Eump Parliament was once more called together ; and once more too it was expelled from the House by military force. At this crisis * Waller. 162 THE FIFTH ' STAND AE^d' BEADING General Monk (Albemarle) — the Scottish commander under the Commonwealth, and a man of great caution and firmness — ^reached London with 7,000 troops, and ordered the Long Parliament {i.e. the Eump along with those previously ex- pelled by Pride's purge) to re-assemble. This famous body therefore met once more, and after coming to a resolution that it would be expedient to summon an entirely new parlia- ment, dissolved its own sitting (1660). Monk now commu- nicated with Charles, the son of the beheaded king. The new parliament met soon after, consisting chiefly of Cavaliers and Presbyterians ; along with whom, in their separate House, assembled the Lords. There was laid before the two Houses a letter from Charles, containing a document known as ''The Declaration from Breda," (in Molland,) promising 1660 pardon to all who should within 40 days openly declare their loyalty ; guaranteeing liberty of conscience in matters of religion ; promising to confirm all sales of property that had taken place since the beginning of the Civil War ; and to pay the arrears of the army. The two Houses at once des- patched a hearty invitation to Charles, and he returned to his native land. KECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF DUNBAR ..... 1650 „ WORCESTER . . . . 1651 DEATH OF CROMWELL . . . . .1658 THE RESTORATION OF CHARLES U. . . . 1660 Ilome Lessons^ Tuesday : — Commit the above dates to memory. II Write out the principal mountains of Em-ope. HI. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the foUowing sums : — 1. Four men carry between them, a weight of 6cwt. 3qrs. 14:lb3. 12 oz. What share of the burden should each take? 2. What is the weight of 56 bars of iron, each weighing 2cwt. 3qrs. 14 lbs. V 3. How many times will a wheel of 4 feet circumference turn round in going 5 miles ? AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 163 I THE RESTORATION. OHABLES n. 1660 to 1685, After tlie battle of Worcester, Charles wandered about in iguise. A reward of £1000 was offered for his head, and every movement he made rendered him liable to detection. He once took shelter in an oak tree, and saw the soldiers pass under in search of him. At length he reached Shoreham (in Sussex), and escaped in a coal-boat to France. Twelve years afterwards he was proclaimed king at Westminster, and entered London on his bii'th-day. May 29th, 1660. He was welcomed with frantic expressions of joy by all classes ; except Cromwell's Ironsides, who though drawn up to do him honour, looked sad and angry. They soon afterwards disbanded, and quietly settled down to their former occupations. The return of Charles is called The Eestobation. Several 1660 of the regicides were now executed ; and the bodies of Cromwell, Ireton (his son-in-law), and Bradshaw, were taken from their graves and hanged on gibbets. Charles's misfortunes did not teach him wisdom : he was gay and dissolute, and has been called **The Merry Monarch:." The Earl of Clarendon, and other gallant men who had perilled their lives for his sake, he neglected ; and welcomed to his court those who ministered to his licentious pleasures. Under the stern Puritan rule, amusements even of an innocent kind had been banished from the land. A re-action now took place, rendering this reign the most immoral and disgraceful in British history. In 1662 was passed '' The Act of Uniformity.*' By it Presbyterian and Independent ministers, who during 1662 the Commonwealth had preached in the Church of England without entering into fellowship with that body, were now offered the choice of conforming to its discipline, or of giving up their position. A large number of them honoui-ably preferred the latter course. Ever since the pass- ing of the Navigation Act, great jealousy had existed between 164 THE FII'TH *STANDAED* EEADIlSrO the English and Dutch ; and another naval war now broke out between them, which lasted with varied success from 1665 to 1667. In the latter year, De Euyter 1665 appeared at the Nore, and dividing his fleet into two parts, sent one of them up the Thames to Gravesend, -i nnr? and the other up the Medway, burning several ships iut)/ at Chatham : and destroying Sheerness Fort. An arrangement known as "The Treaty of Breda" (in Holland), was then entered into between England, Holland, and France. In London, in 1665, a terrible disease known as **The Great Plague " broke out, by which more than 100,000 perished in a few months. It began in the filthy 1665 suburb of St. Giles, and was confined chiefly to the poor; for the rich fled in terror to their country houses. When a house became infected, it was shut up ; and on the door was marked a red cross with the words over it, ' Lord have mercy upon us 1 ' Grass grew in the streets ; whose silence was broken only at night by the rumbling wheels and tinkling bell of the pest cart, as it went its lonely round with link -lights, to collect for burial the bodies of the dead. In the very next year, another terrible disaster occurred in London, namely "The Great Fire." It began at a 1666 bake-house in Pudding-Lane. A furious east wind was blowing, and as the streets were very narrow, and most of the houses constructed of wood, with roofs covered with pitch, and floors strewed with rushes, in a few days the whole of ' London from the Tower to the Temple, was reduced to ashes. The king and his brother James acted with great energy on this occasion, by causing several houses to be blown up with gunpowder, so as to prevent the spread of the fire. About ] 3,000 houses and 89 churches were destroyed. The strong party-feeling of the times attributed this sad calamity to the malice of Eoman Catholics ; and to proclaim this to posterity London Monument was erected near the spot where the fire broke out. But as the fire was purely accidental, the inscrip- tion has since been erased. Ill 1668, in consequence of the French khig trying to extend AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 165 his dominions in Europe, a treaty known as '' The Triple Alliance *' was entered into between England, 1668 Holland, and Sweden, to preserve the balance of power; that is, to prevent any European state from acquiring such power as might be dangerous to the other nations. Charles professed to enter warmly into this arrangement, but all the while played into the hands of the French king, who gave him a pension of £200,000 a year for doing so. The Earl of Clarendon (Hyde), a warm friend of Charles, tried to dissuade him from this baseness ; but was shamefully dismissed and driven into exile. Charles's principal advisers were now Clif- ford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale : and from this circumstance a new word, namely Cabal, was added to our language to denote any base scheme, or party of schemers. This word is composed of the initial letters of the names of these five ministers. This cabinet, known as the "Cabal Ministry," lasted four years ; and with its overthrow, a parliament was dissolved which had sat for 17 years, and a new one was summoned. This new parliament passed a "Bill of Exclusion," by which the king's brother James (Duke of York) was excluded from being successor to the throne, because he was a Eoman Catholic, Those who were anxious to ex- clude James sent petitions to the king. But as the king did not like the petitions, those who were in favour of James then sent addresses to Charles, in which they expressed abhorrence of the petitions. Hence arose two poHtical parties, who got the names of petitioners and abhorbers — terms which soon after became changed into whig and tori/ ; the former being a Scotch word meaning sour whey, and the latter an Irish term applied to wild or savage men who infested the woods and bogs. Some Eoman Catholics then formed a plot to secure James's accession. It was revealed by Titus Gates, who received a pension of £1,200 a year for the discovery. It is known as "The Popish Plot." The success of Gates, now led a person of the name of Dangerfield to pretend that he had also discovered a plot ; but this villain's scheme was found in the bottom of a meal-tub, and ended in receiving the name of 166 TEE FiriR 'STANDARD' EBADINO the " Meal-tub Plot.'* Another and far more important con- spiracy was the " Eye House Plot." On the way from London to Newmarket is a roadside farm called the 1682 Rye House. At this spot it was intended to overturn a cart as if by accident, at the time the king and his brother James were expected to return from Newmarket races, and then to murder them in the confusion ; but the plot was discovered, and Lord William Russell, Algernon Sidney, and others were executed. Its object was to set upon the throne an illegitimate son of the king, the Duke of Monmouth, who professed warm attachment to the Church of England, and in 1679 had routed the Covenanters at the battle 1679 of Bothwell Bridge (in Lanarkshire). In this reign was passed the famous " Habeas Corpus Act" (1679), second in importance only to Magna Charta itself. It provides that no one shall be kept in prison before trial, beyond a reasonable time ; and thus prevents the recurrence of such cases sis those of Mary Queen of Scots, and Sir Walter Raleigh, who spent years in prison before they were tried. In 1685 the king was seized with apoplexy, and died in a few days. He refused the sacrament at the hand 16 OO of the bishops ; and received instead, extreme unction from a Romish priest whom his brother James secretly intro- duced. Charles II. was buried at Westminster, RECAPITULATION. THE GREAT PLAGUE . . . . .1665 THE GREAT FIRE . . . . 1666 THE TRIPLE ALLLA.NCE . . . . . 1668 THE RYE HOUSE PLOT . . . . 1682 BATTLE OF BOTHWELL BRIDGE .... 1679 HABEAS CORPUS ACT PASSED . . . . 1679 Home Lessons y Wednesday, — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Work the 1st and 2iid of the following sums :— 1. How many miles will a wheel whose circumference is 12 feet travel in 6,000 evolutions? 2. A man divided his farm of 146 acres 3 roods 12 perches among liis family of 9 sons. What was each son's share ? AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 167 JAMES n. 1685 to 1688. As the House of Lords refused to pass tlie Exclusion Bill, and as Charles II. left no legitimate issue, his brother James, a Koman Catholic, now became king. Mon- 1685 mouth, who had fled to the continent, at once returned to lay claim to the crown ; and Argyle, who supported that claim in Scotland, was soon after captured and executed. At the battle of Sedgemoor {in Dorsetshire)^ — the last battle EVER fought in ENGLAND — Monmouth's army was defeated ; and he himself fled into the fields, where he 16 o5 was captured two days after. In his pocket were found raw peas, which he had gathered to assuage his hunger. When brought before the king, his manhood seemed to forsake him : he wept like a child, and begged piteously for life. He was executed on Tower-hill. In this reign the Church of England, and Protestant Dis- senters, were left to the mercy of the Court of High Commis- sion, presided over by Chief-Justice Jeffreys, the greatest villain that ever disgraced the legal profession in England. The laws against Roman Catholics were suspended, and James issued an illegal "Declaration of Indulgence," which he ordered the clergy to read in the churches. But the bishops, nobly asserting the ancient independence of the Church of England, forbade this being done ; and seven of them were committed to the Tower. Their trial lasted a whole day, and the jury was locked up at night. Next morning -^^^ (June 30th) when the verdict of * not guilty' was given, 1688 the joy of the people was unbounded. In every window in London that night were placed seven candles, with a tall one in the middle to represent the archbishop. On that same day too, the Bishop of London with six of the leading nobles, disgusted at these arbitrary proceedings, sent for James's Bon-in-law William — who was Prince of Orange (m France) and of Nassau (m Qermany) ; a native of the Hague (in HoU land)] And a staunch Protestant — to come over and help them. 168 THE riETH * STANDARD* EEADINa He arrived in England on tlie 5tli of November, and soon won tlie heart of the nation to his cause. On 1688 the 11th of December the king took flight, and when crossing the Thames threw the Great Seal into the water. He was arrested by some boatmen who mistook him ^^-^ for a Jesuit. This attempt to flee is called his 1688 ABDICATION. On the 22nd of December, he made a second attempt : and succeeded in escaping to France ; where, till 1701, when he died, (with the exception of a brief sojourn in Ireland) he remained as a pensioner on the bounty of the French king, James II. was buried at Paris. WILLIAM IIL AND MAEY IL 1689 to 1702. William, the Prince of Orange, had married James II. 's daughter Mary, and was at once his nephew and his son-in- law. Now the claim of James's daughter to the vacant throne was justly greater than that of his nephew ; but William said, that rather than take a position inferior to his wife, he would go back to Holland again. So a document was drawn up, callad *' The Declaration of Hights," appointing hoth to the vacant monarchy; and on the 11th of April, 1689, William and Mary were crowned at Westminster. 1689 The accession of this prince completed The Eevolu- TioN. The interval between the abdication and this accession is called The Inter-begnum (Dec. llth, 1688, to April 11th, 1689). By the Declaration of Eights, James (afterwards known as the Pretender ; a reputed son of James II., but about whose sonsliip great doubts existed) was cut off from succeeding to the crown : which was settled, first of all, upon the children of Mary ; then, upon those of her sister Anno (another daughter of James II.) ; and finally, should these all fail, upon William's children by any other wife. I AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 169 James IT.'s last effort for his crown was made in Ireland, where in 1690 was fought the battle of the 1690 Bo3me ; in which being totally defeated, he fled to France again. In Scotland, the parliament was of one mind with the English people, that James II. had justly forfeited ' the crown ; and William and Mary were accordingly proclaimed in the capital of the north. But some of the Highland clans, desirous to uphold the name of Stuart, took up arms for James. William then thought to buy them over, and sent a sum of money to the Earl of Breadalbane, ordering all High- land Chiefs to take an oath of allegiance before the last day of 1G91. Now Macdonald of Glencoe (m Argyleshire), who was the enemy of Breadalbane, not liking to be indebted to him in the matter, at first refused to take the oath. Towards the close of December, however, he repented of his obstinacy, end asked the governor of Fort William to receive his oath ; but the governcr said he had no authority. Macdonald then went to the sheriff of the county. The legal time had now expired, but the sheriff administered the oath ; and Macdonald returned to his home, as he thought, in safety. Soon after, however, he and his wife, and nearly the whole of his clan, were murdered in the dead of the night by another clan ; whom they had entertained as guests, but who had in reality been sent to extirpate the Macdonalds for disloyalty. The Massacre of Glencoe is one of the blackest deeds 1692 in British history ; but the Scottish officials, rather than William himself, deserve the blame. William was of a weak and delicate constitution, but pos- sessed great corn-age and military talent. His relation to continental powers led to a series of battles, campaigns, and sieges, which he conducted in person. The victory most worthy of note is that which he gained, (in ] 69'2,) 1692 over the French fleettoff Cape La Hogue {in France) ; but these hostilities were only terminated by the " Treaty of Hj^^iok'' {i7i Holland), in 1697. The Commons of England found it prudent to encourage his continental 1692 exploits by liberal grants of money ; as by this means 170 THE riETH 'STANDARD* READINGS they themselves acqnired fresh power. As instances of this acquisition of power may be named — I. Their passing of " The Triennial Bill," limiting the sitting of parliament to a period not exceeding three years : 11. The arrangement of the " Civil List," by which a limited sum is allowed to the king ; while the Commons themselves pay the expenses of government, and of the army and navy : III. " The Act of Settlement/' which ]st, — limits the inheritance of the crown to the Princess Sophia (Electress of Hanover), and her heirs, being Protestants ; 2ndly, — prohibits the sovereigns of Great Britain from leaving the kingdom without consent of parliament; and 3rdly, — ^provides that the judges shall hold office for life at fixed salaries, their conduct being good. In this reign was founded the Bank of England, by a Scotchman named Paterson ; and the funded system was instituted, by which money is borrowed for government expenses, and taxes levied to pay the interest. The term " Jacobite " (from the Latin word for James) was now first applied to the favourers of the Stuarts. 1 /50/I In 1694, Mary died of small-pox. In 1702, William 1094 fell from his horse, fractured his collar bone, and died a fortnight after. They were buried at Westminster. 1702 RECAPITULATION. THE GLORIOUS BEVOLUTION . . . . . 1688 j BATTLE OE THE BOYNE . . . . . 1690] MASSACKE OF GLENCOE ..... 1692* TREATY OF RYSWICK . . . , . 1697 DEATH OF MARY . . . . , » 1694 „ WILLIAM . . ... 1702 IIoTne Lessons, Thursday. — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, eacli to contain a word at the head of the 10th piece of poetry on page 20. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following suras :— 1. From afield of 3 acres 2 roods ; 3 roods and 16 poles are cut off for a kitchen garden. How much remains ? I AND HOME LESSON BOOK, 171 2. Find the difference between 8 qrs. and 6 lbs. and one hundred- weight and a half? 3. What is the difference in length betr^'een two roads of 68 miles 3 feet and of 27 miles 20 poles 16 yards ? ANNE, 1702 to 1714. Anne, tlie favourite daughter of James II., now became queen. Her husband (the Prince of Denmark) 1702 was made Duke of Cumberland, and sat in the House of Lords. ' She had nineteen children, ail of whom died young. She had little talent and less learning, but was so amiable and charitable that she got the name of '*Good Queen Anne.'* Her life was embittered by the Whigs and Tories, who in this reign became exceedingly hostile, and carried on intrigues with the queen through her two favourites, Sarah Jennings (Duchess of Marlborough), who was a Whig, and Abigail • Hill (Mrs. Masham), the queen's bed-chamber woman, who was a Tory. In the time of the Commonwealth, the strange fashion had been introduced among ladies of tying up their heads with bandages as if they had the toothache, and of patching their faces with court-plaister as if they were covered with sores ; and bo strong was party-feeling in this reign, that the Tory and Whig ladies wore their patches — the one on the right side of the face, and the other on the left Hence also, arose two distinct styles of pronunciation in our language of such words as either, knowledge, Satan, sacra-- ment, &c. Anne adopted the policy of her predecessor, by seeking to preserve the 'balance of power' in Europe; and England entered into a "Grand Alliance" with Holland and Germany against France and Spain. An important war then broke out, in which Admiral Sir George Booke and Sir Gloudesley Shovel captured the town and foi tress of Gibraltar {in Spain), It stands on a huge rock, inaccessible on all sides but 1704 one ; and ia of great importance for protecting trade, 172 THE ririH ^stai^^dakd' beading 1 and for the preparation and equipment of armies, Four other famous victories were also gained : namely, (in Germany) that of Blenheim (1704); and {in the Netherlands) those of Rami- lies (1706), Oudenarde (1708), and Malplaquet (1709). The great hero of these battles was the Duke of Marlborough ; on whom and his heirs the government settled a large pension, and gave him the estate of Woodstock (in Oxon), under the new name of " Blenheim Park." These hostilities were at length stayed by the "Treaty of Utrecht" (iji Holland), in 1713 ; when it was agreed, 1st. That the French 1713 king should recognise the title of Queen Anne, and the Protestant succession : 2ndly. That the Pretender should be removed from France : Srdly. That the batteries of Dun- . kirk should be dismantled : and 4thly. That England should retain Gibraltar, Minorca, Nova Scotia, Hudson's Bay, and Newfoundland. But by far the most important event of this reign was the union into one kingdom of the two hitherto independent nations of England and Scotland. The crowns had been united for more than a century, but it was not 1/07 till 1707 that the kingdoms became one. It seems but natural that '* these two nations, living at different ends of the same island, and separated by large and stormy seas from all other parts of the world, should live as one people under the same government The English are very fond of their fine country : they call it 'Old England' and 'Merry England,* and think it the finest land that the sun shines upon. And the Scots are also very proud of their country, with its great lakes and mountains ; and in the old language of the country they call it the 'Land of the Lakes and Mountains,' and of the * Brave Men ' ; and often also, the 'Land of Cakes,' because the people live a good deal upon cakes made of oatmeal, instead of wheaten bread. But both England and Scotland are now parts of the same kingdom, and there is no use in asking which is the best country, or has the bravest men."* This happy blending of the two ^ Sir Walter Scctt. AND HOMS LESSON BOOK. 175 kingdoms into one lias been tlie source of mutual prosperity ever since. Anne died of apoplexy in 1 714, and was buried at 1 71 4 Westminster. x / J-t: RECAPITULATION. SIEGE OF GIBRALTAli ..... 1704 BATTLE OF BLENHEIM ..... 1704 „ RAMILIES ..... 1706 UNION OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND . . . 1707 r.ATTLE OF OUDENARDE ..... 1708 ,, MALPLAQUET . . , . 1709 TREATY OF UTRECHT . . . . .1713 Home Lessons, Friday.--!. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six senteuces, each to contain a word at the head of the 11th piece of poe- try on page 21. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following sums : — 1. Find the value of 92 bags, each bag 1 cwt. 3 qrs. 14 lbs., at4^d. per lb, ? 2. At 7^ guineas per acre, what will be the rent of 6 acres 2 roods 27 perches ? 3. Required the cost of 287 tons of coal, at 22s. 6d. per ton ? 4. What is the worth of 26 lbs. 6 oz. 11 dwts., at £3 178. 6d. per lb, ? THE GUELPH LINE; OR, HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK-HANOVER. GEOEQE I. 1714 to 1727. The Electress Sophia mentioned in the Act of Settlement was grand-daughter of James I. She was now dead. Upon her son George therefore (Duke of Brunswick, and Elector of Hanover : in Germany) now devolved the crown of the United 1?4 THE ISIETK 'STANDAED* BEADING Kingdom. He possessed considerable business talent, and great punctuality; but being a foreigner, and 54 years of age when lie became king, tie remained almost a stranger to tlie last among tbe people wbom be came to govern, and could neither speak nor write their language. In politics he was a Whig ; and as his prime minister. Sir Eobert Walpole, could not speak German, they used to converse together in Latin. Suspecting his wife of unfaithfulness, he imprisoned her in Hanover ; where she lingered for 32 years, and died only a few months before himself. Party-feeling ran higher in this reign than even in the last. The masses of the people were Tories. Several of the leading Tory statesmen being suspected of secret correspondence with the Pretender, were impeached for high treason. Some were committed to the Tower : others fled to the continent. Riots ensued. The "Eiot Act" was then passed (1715); by which any assemblage of not less than twelve persons 1715 refusing to separate within one hour after lawful warn- ing, may be scattered by military force. Jacobite plots were formed ; and for taking part in these. Bishop Atterbury (Rochester), who had boldly denounced the king as a usurper, was banished for life. This same year the Earl of Mar (known as Bobhing John) raised a force in the Highlands to aid the Pretender ; but was defeated by the Duke of Argyle, at the battle of Sheriffmuir {in Perthshire) : and on the very same day, at Preston {in Lancashire'), the Earl of 1715 Derwentwater and others, who had raised an army in the same cause, were also defeated. Derwentwater was executed : and hundreds of Jacobites of the lower orders were either put to death or banished. The Pretender himself landed at Peterhead {in Aberdeenshire), attended by only six persons, but soon re-embarked for France. In 1716 was passed the ''Septennial Act"; by which the 1716 sitting of parliament is limited to a period not exceed- ing seven years. In 1718 was formed the ''Quadruple Alliance"; in which England joined with Holland, Germany, and France, against Spain. This led to the destruction of the AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 175 Spanish fleet off Cape Pa&saro (in Sicily), by Admiral Byng. The Spaniards then tried to invade Scotland ; 1/18 but as in the case of the Armada, the fleet was broken up by storms. Commerce was much injured in this reign, by means of a scheme known as " The South Sea Bubble." It was devised by a fraudulent lawyer of the name of 1/20 Sir John Blunt. In 1720, he founded "The South Sea Company"; the shareholders of which were to buy up the national debt, and to receive in return the sole privilege of trading in the South Seas; where golden islands were to be discovered, and whence untold treasures were to be derived. Thousands of all classes bought shares, and in a few months were reduced to beggary, by what turned out to be a mere swindling scheme. The king visited his continental dominions in 1727; and while travelling there, was seized with apoplexy 1/27 and died. He was buried at Hanover. RECAPITULATION. KIOT ACT PASSED . . . . . . 1715 'BATTLES OF SHEKIFFMUIR AND tUESTON . . 1715 SEPTENNIAL ACT PASSED ..... 1716 THE SOUTH SEA SCHEME . . . , 1720 Home Lessons, Monday.— 1, CommU the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentence, each to contain a word used at the head of the 12th piece of poetry on page 22. III. "Work the following sum :— London, June 21, 1871. Mr. Jones, To SAMUEL fiUMPHKIES, Dr. £ s. d. 47 yards of cloth, at 14s. 7d. per yard 11^ „ diaper, at Is. 6d. „ 32 „ calico, at Os. 7id. „ 4 hats, at 13s. 6d. each ... 176 THE ririH ' standaed' hbadino GEORGE II. 1727 to 1760, George II., son of the late king, now succeeded him at 44. years of age. He had a light complexion, and 1727 a small and neat figure, was of a brave disposition, spoke the English language imperfectly, despised the fine arts, and was no patron of literature. In politics he was a Whig. In 1739, a war broke out, caused by the Spaniards attempt- ing to search British ships in Spanish America. Portobello {on the Isthmus of Darien) was taken ; but an attack on Carthagena.(m South America), under Admiral Vernon 1739 and Lord Went worth, failed. Lord George Anson was then sent to their aid ; but failing in his object, he sailed round the world, and captured on his return (in 1744) a Spanish treasure-ship. The English people were rather angry, when they heard that all he had done in four years, was to capture a solitary ship ; but their anger was turned into joy, when they found that for this one ship, he got money enough to load more than 30 waggons. In 1743, the king gained a signal victory at Dettingen (in Germany), 1743 over the united forces of the French and Bavarians. This is the last instance in which an English monarch hai been allowed to expose himself in battle. Soon afterwards, Charles Edward Stuart — called the Young Pretender, to dis- tinguish him from his father — arrived in Scotland ; where being joined by many of the Highlanders, he defeated the royal troops at the battle of Preston-pans (in 1745 Haddington), in 1745, He then marched as far south as Derby ; but his followers not finding that support which they expected from the Jacobite party in England, quarrelled among themselves; and Charles Edward was obliged to retreat northwards, just as success seemed within his reach. In the following year, the king's second son (the Duke of Cumberland) attacked the Young 1746 Pretender and his followers, and utterly routed them i AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 177 at Culloden (in InvernesS'shire), Cliarles fled from the field ; and although a large reward was offered for his capture, he wandered for five months among the mountains, and at last escaped to France. Four of the leaders in this rebellion, who were executed, were the last persons who in this country- suffered the punishment of beheading. In 1756 began "The Seven Years' War," a colonial war between x75 6 England and France, caused by disputes about the boundary of their Indian and American colonies. In the East Indies, English influence was extended by the victories of Colonel Olive (1757) ; and in America, Quebec was captured from the French by the gallant General Wolfe, who died in the arms of victory (1759). In this reign arose the Methodists, a religious society founded by John Wesley, a clergyman of the Church of England. In parliament, the eloquence of William Pitt (afterwards Earl of Chatham), noted for his able statesmanship and honesty, now commanded attention. An important change was now effected in the mode of reckoning time, by adopting what is called " New Style "; and the year was made to begin on the 1st of January, instead of the 24th of March as formerly. George 11. died of heart-disease, at Kensington, 1 7fin in 1760. ^'^^ RECAPITULATION. - 1743 1745 . 1746 1757 . 1759 Rome Lessons, Tuesday. — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. I Make six sentences, each to contain a word used at the head of the 13th piece of ^ poetry on page 26. III. Work the 2nd and 3rd of the following sums :— BATTLE OF DETTINGEN „ PRESTON PANS „ CULLODEN „ PLA8SY QUEBEC TAKEN 1. 8764 articles at 2/6, 3/, 3/4 2. 8006 „ 3/8, 4/, 4/8 3. 8764 „ 5/, 6/6, 5/9 4. S746 „ 6/, 6/6, 6/8 6. 6006 articles at 7/, 7/6, 8/ 6. 4716 „ d,lQ, 9/, 9/6 7. 8007 „ 10/, 10/6, 11/ 8. 4689 i(y, 10 6, 12/, 13/6, 14/ 178 THE PIPTH 'STANDAED* EEADIi^G GEORGE III. 1760 to 1820. When 44 years old, George II.'s eldest son was killed by tlie stroke of a cricket-ball. He left nine children, of whom George III. was the eldest. "Born and bred in England, ' said this king, "I glory in the name of Briton." This was more than could be said by any of his predecessors for several generations. He was 2*2 years old when he became king (1760 ; was pious, simple, affable, deeply attached 1760 to his family, and so fond of agriculture that he got the name of * Farmer George.' His reign is the longest in English history, and the principal events are as follow. In 1763, the Seven Years' War was brought to a close by means of the "Treaty of Hubertsburg" (m 1763 Silesia), and a treaty was also signed the same year at Paris, To meet accumulating war expenses, Grenville, the prime minister, procured the passing of a measure (in 1765) called the "Stamp Act," by which newspapers 1765 circulating in the American colonies were to be ' staraped ' like those in England : but the colonists said that as they sent no members to the British parhament, and were allowed no share whatever in the government, they would buy no stamped papef^s^The government then taxed their tea ; but some of the Americans dressed and painted themselves like wild Indians, and boarding the three ships laden with tea in the harbour of Boston, (m Massacliusets, North America) threw the whole of it into the sea. The British premier (Lord North) then declared war against America. It opened (in 1756) with a skirmish at Lexington (in Massachusets) ; but the first real battle was fought at Bunkers Hill, an emi- nence overlooking the harbour of Boston. Nearly the whole of Europe was opposed to England in this war. Hol- land, Spain, and France, sided with America ; while 1775 Eussia, Denmark, and Sweden, formed an "Armed Neutrality ;" by which though not immediately inter- -i rroQ fering, they were ready to join against Britain on a 1/ Ou suitable opportunity. This war which lasted ^till AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 179 1783), eiglit years, ended in tlie severance of the American colonies from Britain, and their erection in the Eepublio of the Thirteen United States of America. Howe, Burgoyne, and Cornwallis, were the principal British Generals ; and George Washington (afterwards first President of the United States) was the American commander. In 1788 began the trial of Warren Hastings, who as - Governor-General of India was accused of great cruelty and oppression. It lasted 7 years, and he was acquitted. Burke, Fox, and Sheridan, three of the greatest orators of the age, took part in his impeachment. In 1801, the parliament of Great Britain and that of Ireland became united ; and the kingdom thus formed, was styled The United ±801 ' Kingdom of Great Beitatn and Ieeland. In 1799 the French Revolution was put an end to, by Napoleon Buona- parte (the commander of the French army) entering their parhament and driving out the members at the point of the bayonet. In one hour he overturned the work and mischief of many years. But when afterwards he made himself Emperor of France (1804), the nations of Europe — jealous that one whose victories had been unequalled by any except Alexander the Great, should occupy a position so fraught with danger to themselves — combined to restore the ancient line of kings in France. Louis XVIII. was therefore set upon the throne (1814), and the fallen Emperor retired to the island of Elba [in the Mediterranean). A few months later, however, he returned : Louis fled : and Napoleon again became Emperor. Prussia then placed its forces under Blucher, and co-operated with England, Germany, and Holland, whose united armies were placed under the command of the Duke of Wel- lington; and on Sunday, June 15th, 1815, Napoleon lolO was utterly defeated at the battle of Waterloo (in Belgium), He was then banished to the island of St. Helena (m the South Atlantic), where he died six years after. The heroes of this reign were many, Wellington, just named, had distinguished himself in several famous battles in Indiar, and in the Peninsular Wars, at Badajoz, Salamanca, 180 THE riPTH 'standaed' BEADnra Vittoria, and Sebastian {all in Spain), Then, there were — • Lord Nelson, who (in 1798) won the battle of the Nile (in Tlgypt) ; and (in ] 805) that of Trafalgar (m Spain), where he - was shot : Sir Ealph Abercrombie, who (in 1801) defeated the French at Alexandria [in Egypt), where he was killed : Sir John Moore, who (in 1809) defeated the French at the battle of Oorunna {in Spain), and was buried on its rampart : Lord Eodney, and Sir John Jervis, who (in 1797) unitedly defeated the Spaniards off Cape St. Vincent {in Spain) : Admiral Duncan, who (in 1797) defeated a Dutch fleet off Camperdown (in Holland) : and several other British heroes. In this reign some of the penal statutes against Eoman Catholics were repealed. Lord George Gordon, attended by a mob, went to the House of Commons to petition against the repeal (1780), His petition was rejected, and a riot ensued. The mob continued to hold London for more than a week, and was then put down by the military; but not before several chapels and jails were destroyed, and over 500 persons killed and wounded. In the early part of this reign, a series of political letters bearing the name of 'Junius/ and very ably written, commanded much attention ; and the real name of their author was kept a profound secret. In 18 10 a mental malady, and blindness, bef el the king ; and his son George, the Prince of Wales, was made Eegent early in the next year. The Eegent had an only daughter, the Princess Charlotte; whose death, in 1817, was deeply felt by the whole nation. In the following year Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III., died : and in 1820 the king himself ±820 closed his long reign at the age of 82. RECAPITULATION. TREATY OF HUBERTSBUKG ENDS THE SEVE^- YEARS' WAR 1763 STAMP ACT PASSED ..... 1765 BATTLE OF BUNKER's HILL ..... 1775 A2IERICAN IXDEPENPEI^CE . ' . . . 1783 PARUAJVIENT OF GREAT BRITAlK AND IRELAND UNITED . 1801 , AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 181 BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR . . • , . 1805 „ CORUNNA . . » . . 1809 „ WATERLOO ..... 1815 Home Lessons, Wednesday, — .1 Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, each to contain a word used at the head of the 14th piece ^of poetry on page 30. III. Work the 5th and 6th of the following sums :— 1. 2. 3. 4. s. 8164 articles at 14 8674 „ 17 4768 „ 18 5674 „ 16 d. s. d. 7, 15 9 6, 19 3 C, 19 lOi 4^, 12 ll| 5. 6. 7. 8. 2006 articles at 7164 „ £2 10, 8716 „ £2 15, 4716 „ £10 15 £ s. 1 1 1 5 3 15 8 17 d 10 GEOEGE IV. 1820 to 1830. Under the title of George IV., tlie Prince Eegent now became king. He had a fine figure, and displayed 1820 Buch taste in dress, that his flatterers called him " the first gentleman in Europe :" but his life was notoriously im- moral, and his treatment of Queen Caroline, his wife, disgrace- ful and cruel. She had long been separated from him, and lived on the continent ; but on his being made king, came to England to demand the honours due to her. He then charged ' her at law with unfaithfulness. Lord Brougham and others ably defended her, and at length the charge was aban- doned. Next year she went to her husband's corona- 1821 tion at Westminster Abbey, but was refused admittance and died 1 \) days after. A plot known as the Oato-Street Conspiracy, by which it was intended to murder the ministers at a cabinet dinner, was discoTered a few days after the king's accession, and Thistle- wood its leader was executed. The principal ministers of this reign were the Earl of Liverpool, Mr. Canning, Lord Goderich, and the Duke of Wellington, who successfully held the office of Premier ; Lord Oastlereagh (Londonderry), who was foreign Secretary, and committed suicide ; and Sir Robert Peel, who 182 THE FIFTH * STANDAED* BEADING was Home Secretary, In this reign tlie Greeks rose against tlie Turks, wlio had oppressed them for over 300 years ; and Britain, France, and Eussia, entered into a treaty to aid Greece. Admiral Codrington, who had charge of the allied fleet, then sailed into the harbour of Nayarino (in tlie 1827 Moved), and in a few hours destroyed the whole Turkish navy (1827). War in India (1824-6), under Sir Archibald Campbell, led to the enlargement of our possessions there. But the most important event of this reign, was the passing of the Catholic Emancipation Bill, in 1829 ; 1829 an event mainly brought about by the eloquence, and untiring energy of Daniel O'Connell, an Irish barrister. By it, the penal laws against Eoman Catholics, were swept from the statute book, and they were put on the same footing as the other subjects of these realms. On the 26th of June, 1830, George IV., who had long been ailing, died at Windsor from the rupture of 1830 a blood-vessel in the stomach. He was 68 years of age. He left no heir. RECAPITULATION. BATTLE OF NAVARINO . . . . .1827 CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION BILL PASSED , . 1829 Home Lessons, Thursday. — I. Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, each to contain a word at the head of the 15th piece of poetry on page 32. III. AVork the following sum : — Liverpool, May 7th, 1871. Mr. Simpson, To JONES, LLOYB, & Co., Dr. £ s. d. 18 lbs. of moist su,:;ar, at 4|d. per lb. 14 „ lump do 6^d, „ 9 „ currants, 6d. „ AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 183 WILLIAM IV. 1830 to 1837. The late king's brotlier William (Duke of Clarence), who had been brought up in the navy, now succeeded to the crown. England was very proud of her " Sailor 1830 King," with his sinaple manners, frank disposition, and great good sense. His reign is remarkable, as being the only one in English History, entirely free from plots, attempt on the monarch's life, or war. A second French Eevolution, it is true, gave rise to a spirit of restlessness among the people of this, as well as other kingdoms, and riots occurred in several of our larger towns ; but the wise, happy, and timely passing of the "EeformBill" in 1832, saved England from any consequences more serious. By this famous 1832 measure, 60 small boroughs — called 'pocket' or 'rotten* boroughs — in which there were few voters, were disfranchised ; and 47 others, formerly sending each two members to parlia- ment, were allowed to send but one ; while to large towns hitherto unrepresented — such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, (fee, — were assigned the vacant seats. Earl Eussell introduced this measure idn the House of Commons, and it was supported in the House of Lords, by the whole weight of the Earl Grey ministry. Next year a bill introduced by William Wilberforce was passed, to set free all slaves 1833 in the British Colonies ; and a sum of £20,000,000 was granted to the slave-owners as compensation. Under Lord Melbourne's ministry in the following year, was passed the New Poor Law : and in this reign also, were passed the Muni- cipal Act for the reform of Town Councils ; and the New Marriage Act, by which marriages may be effected in any licensed place, or before a guardian. In 1830, was opened the first railway for public traffic, namely between Liverpool and Manchester. In 1831, the Cholera first made its appearance in this country at Sunderland (jk Durham). 184 THE FIFTH 'STANDAllD* READING WiUiam IV. died at Windsor, June 20tli, 1837, in tlie 78rd year of his age. 1837 RECAPITULATION. THE FIRST RAILWAY 01?EKED . . . . . 1830 TUE REFORM BILL PASSED . . . ., . 1832 SLAVERY ABOLISHED IS THE COLONIES . . . 1833 ffo'/ne Lessons, Friday.— 1, Commit the above dates to memory. II. Make six sentences, each to contain a word at the head of the 16th piece of poetry on page 34. III. Work the following sum : — Manchester, June 1st, 1871. Mr. Picton, To JOHN HALL, Dr. £ 8. d. 26 yards superfine broadcloth, at 27s. 6d. per yard, ... 47 silk handkerchiefs, at 4s. 2d. each 37 yards scarlet cloth, at 80s. 6d. per yard. 46 yards black kerseymere, at 17s. 6d. per yard. VICTOEIA. Began to Reign A.D. 1837. No monarcli wearing the English crown, has ever been held in such high esteem as is Queen Victoria, daughter of Edward, (Duke of Kent,) the fourth son of George III. She began her reign in 1837, being then 18 years of age; but was not crowned till the 28th of June in the following 1837 year. In 1840 she married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha (in Oermany)\ who after a life of rare virtue and usefulness, died on the I4th of December, 1861, deeply lamented by the queen and nation. Of the royal family, the Princess Frederic William of Prussia is the eldest ; and Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, is the heir-apparent to the British throne. So rapid has been the progress of events in this reign, that many pages would, be required for their detail ; but as they are all so recent and well known, the mention of some of the most important will be sufficient. By the Salic law,* Hanover * See Page 155. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 185 pow became separated from tlie United Kingdom. Early in ' this reign arose the Chartists, so called from the "People's Charter," in which they demanded more sweeping changes in the constitution, than those which had been effected by the Reform Bill. Eiots took place in different towns, and some of the leaders were sentenced to death for treason, but after- wards transported. This agitation gradually died out, giving place to one of more interest to the nation at large. Richard Cobden and others, seeing that much of the dissatisfaction of the labouring classes arose from the deamess of food, formed in 184] the " Anti Corn-Law League ;" and in 1846, under the premiership of Sir Robert Peel, the duty on 1846 foreign wheat, formerly very high, was reduced to Is. a quarter. This important result was in some measure hastened by a blight in the potato crop in the previous year ; when the poor, especially in Ireland, endured great privations. That country too, had been agitated for some years previously, by attempts to repeal the Union. O'Connell, and others, were tried and sentenced to imprisonment ; but were soon released, as the agitation died out. At the present moment, a similiar excitement prevails in connexion with the Fenian movement ; but the government have organized such means as seem likely to meet any emergency. In 1851, at the suggestion of Prince Albert, a monster Exhibition of the Industry of AU Nations, was held in London; and 1851 similiar Exhibitions have taken place at Dublin and Paris, — and again in London in 1862. The first of these was happily timed, for the World had enjoyed a longer interval of peace, than perhaps had ever happened in its history. No great battle had been fought ' since Waterloo, and the old feehngs of hatred between different nations had greatly sub- sided. The only wars in which England had been engaged hitherto in this reign were, Ist.—The Afghan War, from 1839 to 1842 : 2ndly.— The Syrian War, in which, in 1840, Acre, which had so long and so often held out, was captured: 3rdly. —The Chinese War, from 1840 to 1842 : and 4thly.— The Sinde and Sikh Wars, continued at intervals from 1839 to 186 THE FIFTH < BTANDAED ' EEADING 1 1849. Tlien in the Exhibition year itself, began the Oaffre War, wbicb lasted till 1 853, and in 1859 tbere was a Burmese War. But by far tbe most important War in which Britain has engaged during this reign, is that with Russia. ^^ -inrA m began in 1854, and lasted till 1856. Its events form -LoOt:» a history in themselves, and are fully and interestingly ^q " detailed in several well-known works treating specially t ncn on the subject. Then came the Indian Mutiny J-OOO in which, in 1857, so many British residents were barbarously murdered ; and in connection with the 1857 putting down of which the names of Baron Clyde, (Campbell), and the gallant Havelock are so well known. ~ The sudden extension of railways throughout the entir kingdom ; the great emigration to Australia, in consequenc< of the discovery of gold ; and the establishment of telegraphii communication throughoufc the world — are among the othei important events of this reign ; while the progress of science,] and of the wealth of the nation, are also features of vas importance. In the parliament (the 7th of Victoria) which assembles this year, several important constitutional changes are expected to be brought forward under the premiership 1866- of Earl Eussell. RECAPITULATION. CORN LAWS REPEALED ..... 1846 GREAT EXHIBITION 1851 BATTLE OF THE ALMA ..... 1854 ,, INKERMANN .... 1854 INDIAN MUTINY BROKE OUT .... 1857 Home Lessons, Monday, — I. Commit the above dates to memery. ^ II. Make six sentences, each to contain a word used at the head of the 17th piece of poetry on page 36. III. "Work the 3rd of the following sums : — lbs. oz.dwts. £ s. d. tons. cwt.qrs. lbs. s. 1. 17 5 14 at 2 18 6 per lb. | 4. 3 12 1 27 at 18 per ton. 2. 48 6 11 „ 8 17 2i „ | 6. 7 U 2 17 „ 16 3. 46 11 19 „ 5 17 2i „ 6. 7 14 2 17 16 llj „ I 6. 11 17 1 27 AJH) HOME LESSON BOOK, 187 ^ acr. rds.pls. £ s. d. yds. qrs nls. 8. d. 7. 72 2 17 at 106 17 6r .acre 10. 4 2 1 at 3 7 per yard 8. 87 1 27 „ 116 18 10 )) 11. 6 3 2n 8 6 )) 9. 97 3 15 „ 175 16 2 »» 12. 8 3 3„ 9 7 >» * LESSONS IN NATUEAL SCIENCE. Lesson I.— THE AIE. POSSGS- Material. — Substance sinff weight. Gurgle, — To flow with noise. Trace, — Mark left in passing Reflect, — To turn back. Hurricane. — A violent storm. Char, — To blacken by burning. Substance, — The material of which any thing is made. Particle,— K small part. Construct,— Tlo build up. Atmosphere. — A sphere or globe of vapour. ^tr.— That which is breathed. Vapour. — An invisible transpar- ent substance, like air. Houses are built of the earth's substance. Portions of it are dug up, made into square shapes, and baked hard by fire. These square pieces are then piled upon each other, to form the walls ; other flat pieces of baked earth are laid over the top, to make the roofs. Somewhat in the same way the bodies of plants and animals also are built of substance taken from the earth ; but the separate pieces, that are piled on each other to form plants and animals, are very much smaller than bricks and tiles. They are indeed so exceed- ingly small that they cannot be seen unless several are joined to- gether: they are cdlx^d particles. Particles are the little parts, or bricks, of which living bodies are built. Bricks are made as they are wanted for the construction of houses ; but a very large supply of the particles of which plants and ani- mals are framed, is always at hand, and ready for use. A vast pile of them is constantly heaped up all round the earth, to the height of more than fifty miles. They are over our heads, and round about us everj^where. We cannot open our mouths without thousands of them falling in ; we cannot move without pushing millions of them out of our way. We do not see them, because they are, separate- ly, too small to be visible, and because they lie too far asunder for any two to appear joined together as one. They are not packed to- gether closely, like the particles of wood or stone. The spaces that separate- them from each other are at least a hundred times wider than they are themselves ; they therefore float about freely, and roll hither and thither under the slighest push. This pile of small loose, ly-floating particles, that surrounds the earth, is called the atmos. phere or air. The atmosphere is simply a portion of the earth's sub- * By the kind permission of Dr. Mann, from his excellent book on * General Knowledge.' 188 THE riTTH 'STAIO)AIlD* BEADINa stance loosened out and scattered into a Y&ry light and thin vapour^ like layer or bed, in order that it may be ready to be used in the construction of the bodies of living things. But the atmosphere is no less substantial matter than the earth. We can strike upon, although we are not able to see it. It makes its material presence evident in various ways. When the hand is swept through the air, its reality is felt; when water is poured into a bottle that looks as if it were empty, air gurgles out as the liquid flows in. The water, indeed, cannot get into the bottles until it has driven the air out, to make room for itself. If a piece of light pa- per is dropped from the hand, it is stopped in its fall towards the earth by the air that lies in its way, and is forced by it to float from side to side. Birds fly because it resists their wings when these beat upon it. Air has weight, too, like all other kinds of bodies. A glass bottle is heavier when full of air, than when it is quite emp- ty. It is the weight of the atmosphere, pressing upon the surface of the water in a well, that squeezes the liquid out of the spout of the pump, so soon as the same pressure is removed from the top of the water within the pipe, by pumping. So great, indeed, is the weight of the atmosphere, on account of its being more than fifty miles high, that men, near the sea-shore, walk about with no less than fifteen tons of its little particles rest- ing upon their bodies. Although this wonderful air is invisible when we look straight forward through it, it is not quite so when we look up over head, where it is piled miles upon miles. We then Bee faint traces of it, by means of the pale blue rays of light, that the earth reflects up from its own sunshine. What is called blue sky is '' really blue air. The invisible, but yet substantial, air is a very gentle substance, so long as it is quiet and at rest. We do not even know that it is pressing upon us then, although we supj^ort tons of it. So soon as it begins to move, however, it is very rough and strong. It is wind, or moving air, that turns the great mill-sails round by the mere i force of its motion, and that drif es heavily-laden ships across the sea. In the West Indies and other hot parts of the earth, the wind sometimes becomes violent and fearful in its fury, as well as strong, — rushing along at the rate of 100 miles in an hour, and overturn- ing almost everything that lies in its way. Such furious winds are called hurricanes. When they are about to occur, the atmosphere becomes oppressive and close ; then the sky puts on a dusky red look, and the sea begins to heave and fall. Next, dense black clouds drift up with a moaning noise, rain falls in torrents, the lightning darts its fiery streams at rapid intervals across the gloom, thunder rolls through the heavens, and the earth seems to tremble to its very centre. Salt spray from the sea is blown miles over the land. Houses are scattered in ruins, and the largest trees torn up W%y AND HOMB LBSSOK BOOK. 189 ►y their roots. It often happens that thousands of bare trunks are left in the hurricane's path, completely stripped of their branches and leaves, and charred and blackened as though they had been Bcorched by fire. In the year 1780 a hurricane swept over the Island of Barbadoes, and tore the roof off the Governor's house like so much paper, al- though it had been firmly fastened to walls three feet thick. The Governor was so much frightened that he and his family ran to the fortress which was near, and took shelter beneath the great guns. This was of little use, however, for the guns themselves were moved by the power of the wind. A great storm of 'a.similar nature to this, visited England on the 27th of November, in the year 1703. By this 800 houses and 400 wind-mills were blown down. A quarter of a million forest trees were torn away from the ground. Eight thou- sand people, besides 15,000 sheep and numbers of cattle, were kill- ed. Three hundred ships were destroyed on the sea coast, and three times as many barges in the rivers. Thick lead was roUed up on the roofs of churches like so much parchment. The Bishop of Bath , was crushed to death beneath the ruins of his palace, and Admiral Beaumont shij^wrecked on the Goodwin Sands. Lesson II.— LIGHTNING AND THUNDER. Subtile, — Delicately fine, j Reservoir, — Place for storing. Contact, — Touching. Chasm, — A cleft or rent Intervene, — To come between. Percussion. —Striking. Results, — Consequences. Commotion, — Disturbance. Explosion, — Bursting forth with noise. Magazine,— k storehouse. Evident, — Plain. Effects. — Result produced. Attributed, — Said to be present in. ^^en^.— That which acts. Electricity, — Greek, electon am- ber. (Electricity was first displayed when amber was rubbed.) Manifest, — To show. All bodies contain amidst their particles a certain subtile sub- Btance, which can neither be seen nor felt, and which has no weight, but which nevertheless makes its presence evident by effects that it produces. Some people think that this singular substance is a very light and thin fluid ; others believe that it is no substance at all, and that the effects attributed to it are only changes produced in the condition oi the bodies showing the effects. The simple truth is, that no one knows anything about the exact nature of the agent. Men, however, often give names to things they know nothing about, and so they have called this unknown cause of certain effects which they can see by the learned name of electricity. The electric' ty spoken of as a substance residing in bodies, gives ] 190 THE FIETH 'STAJBTBAEB* EEADINa no sign whatever of its presence, so long as it is allowed to remain in them in a natural and quiet state. It is only when this natural and quiet state gets disturbed that the electricity manifests itself. Thus, for instance, glass has electricity in it, but the agent can nei- ther be seen nor felt until the glass is briskly rubbed with a piece of drj'- silk ; then the electricity becomes torn asunder (so to speak) into two halves one half being caught by the silk and the other re- maining on the glass. Light pieces of pith and paper will now stick to the glass, if placed upon it, because the disturbed and se- parated electricity attracts their electricity. The electrified glass becomes attractive, which it was not before. The principle impri- soned on the glass remains there, because electricity can neither run along glass, nor pass through a great thickness of air. It neverthe- less struggles very hard to get back to the half from which it has been separated. The instant electricity is divided into separate " halves, these always strive to get reunited. It is, indeed, in conse- quence of this struggle and only in consequence of it, that electri- city shows itself as a perceptible agent. If a metallic way, in the form of a piece of brass or copper wire, is laid down quite from the glass to the silk (or to the earth, which acts as a great electrical re- servoir for all bodies upon its surface), the separated principles im- mediately rush together, and the glass ceases to be able to attract light bodies. Its electricity becomes natural and quiet again. Thus the disturbed principles of electricity, can pass along metals readi- ly, although they cannot pass along glass, or through great inter- vals of air. The divided principles of electricity can, however, pass back to each other through narrow spaces of air, although they cannot through wide ones ; and their passage is then made visible by a small bright flash, or spark, as it is called. The distance through which the electric flash can pass in air, depends entirely on the^ strength with which the separated principles are striving to get back into union. A hair's breadth of distance may be enough to prevent the union, or an inch not too much according to the cir- cumstances of the case. The passage of the spark through air is al- ways accompanied by a sharp sound, something like a snap. This snap is caused by particles of air rushing back into contact after they have been for an instant driven asunder by the electrical dis- charge. When the electricity passes along metallic bodies instead of through air its passage is effected quietly. Then no spark is seen, and no snap is heard. Air itself contains electricity as well as glass, silk, and other bodies ; and this electricity can be separated into its two halves or principles when the air is rubbed, just as is the case with the elec- tricity of the glass. Indeed, whenever currents of wind blow against each other from; AJSD HOME IiESSON BOO:^:. 191 pposite directions, rubbing of this sort happens, and the two prin- ciples of their electricity get torn asunder. Some of the one prin- ciple then gets down to the earth, and some of the other principle gets up to the clouds, and there the two remain for a time, striving to get back to each other, but prevented from doing so by the wide chasm of air that intervenes. Very often the quantity of the divid- ed principles becomes so great, that at last they get force enough to be able to leap to each other across the air-chasm. When they do so, they are seen in the act as a brilliant flash, which is called lightning ; and a sound is produced by the percussion of the air through which the lightning darts, the sound being named thunder. Lightning is only an electric spark on a large scale, passing be- tween a cloud and the earth, in order to restore the natural state of a certain amount of electricity that has been separated into its two principles. The roll of thunder is simply the first crash, sent back from sounding bodies that chance to be scattered around. Lightning and Thunder occur in the midst of storms, hurricanes, and tempests. This is because all these several results are produc- ed by the meeting of hot and cold blasts of wind, and by other sorts of commotion in the air. Whatever disturbs the quiet condition of the atmosphere, disturbs also the natural state of its electricity, and gives rise to the formation of lightning. When a thunder-storm is forming, the air gets loaded with heavy black clouds, piled to- gether in gloomy heaps, and drifting along through the sky in dif- ferent directions. Then comes a long, still calm, in which no breath of air seems stirring. Next, a vivid flash darts through the sky, a few large drops of rain fall, crash follows crash in quick succession, and the water streams to the earth. After a while the lightning and thunder grow less fi'equent, the dark clouds unroll themselves and float away into the distance, and the sky once more becomes clear and calm. When electricity passes through bodies ttiat attempt to oppose its progress, it rends them to pieces, or slmtters them into frag- ments. But it moves along the surfaces of bodies that afford ready passage, without producing in them the slightest harm. Thus lightning crashes through the air, breaks glass into fragments, and rends trees into splinters, when it moves through any of those bodies on its way to the earth. But it flows along metallic bodies gently and quietly, and would not even ruflle a feather that was resting upon them. It also prefers to move by easy paths rather than by difficult ones. It will select for itself a metallic way, when such offers, rather than take even a nearer road that is harder to travel. On this account buildings are preserved from the injurious effects of the passage of lightning, by the erection of long metallic rods against their sides. The lightning then leaps down the metal- lic rod, instead of running through the building. It is dangerous to 192 THE riTTH *STANDABB' EEADINa stand under a tall tree during a thunder-storm, for if the lightning came down the tree, it would leave it and flash into the body of the person taking shelter, because the human body affords it a readier path than the trunks of trees. Lightning-conductors should be made of copper wire, at least three quarters'of an inch thick, and this wire should be carried into the air higher than the top of the building, and into the earth lower than its foundations. It should also be pointed at the top. The tower of St. Mark's at Venice, was rent in thirty-seven places by lightning in the year 1745. It was struck nine times between the years 1388 and 1762. But in 1766 a metallic conductor was fixed along one of its walls, and since that time no injury whatever has chanced to the structure. In the year 1767 a church at Brescia, which had 200,000 pounds of gunpowder in its vaults, was struck, A sixth part of the city was laid in ruins by the explosion of the powder, and 3,000 people were killed. Fif- teen years afterwards a powder magazine in the town of Glogau in Silesia, was also visited by lightning. But this magazine had a me- tallic conductor fixed to it. The flash was seen to fall upon the rod, and the sentinel standing beneath was stunned for a few minutes by the crashing sound of the thunder. Yet the building and its ex- plosive contents remained unharmed. Lightning has been known to flash through air, the extreme length of three miles. But it goes so quickly that the eye cannot really follow its movement. It makes a journey of many thousand miles in an instant. But sound travels very slowly. It only gets through eleven hundred feet in a second. When the sound of thunder is heard one second after the flash of lightning has been seen, the electrical discharge has taken place eleven hundred feet away. When five seconds can be count- ed between the instant when the lightning is seen, and the thun- der heard, the discharge is rather more than a mile away. Lesson III.— CLOUDS AND RAIN. Extend, — Reach. Dissolve, — To melt, Genia L — Pleasant. Vegetation, — Plants. Foster, — To nurse. Equator,— "ih-Q circle of the earth's surface, that is, mid- way between the two oppo- site poles. Liquid, — Melted. (7(?nc?^^^on.— State Ordinary, — Common. Transparent, — What can be seen through. Conceal, — To hide. Convert, — To turn into. Exist, — To have being. Arrange,'^^Qt in order. Obliquely, —^iBiiim^Ay, Water is liquid. It can be poured out from a jug. The little particles of which it is composed are so loosely and slightly con- nected together, that they can rim about freely amongst each other. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 193 Ice cannot be poured out of a jug. It is solid, and its little parti- cles are bound firmly into one hard mass ; they all stick together, and either keep in the jug or tumble out of it in a body. This is the reason why solids are so hard and difficult to break into pieces, while liquids flow readilj'- into streams, or separate into drops. In the one case the particles hold together very strongly, in the other case they hold together so slightly, that any little push or pull is sufficient to tear them apart. But the little particles of water get much further asunder when it is made very hot. They are then spread out so thinly that the water becomes invisible, like air. In this invisible state it is called vapour or steam. When a kettle is caused to boil upon the fire, ]:)ortions of water are constantly poured out from its spout and from its lid, in the light and thin condition of steam ; and if the boiling is continued long enough, all the water is at last driven out of the kettle and lost. Water does not, however, need to be very hot, inorder thatit may keep sending oiF portions of itself as steam. Great heat only makes the change into steam go on faster. Some vapour escapes con- stantly, even from the coldest water. Ponds, rivers, seas, and all sorts of moist bodies pour off steam that cannot be seen, in large quantities, although they have no more warmth in them than that of an ordinary winter's day. Wet clothes dry in the air on this ac- count ; the water which they contain, and which makes them wet, escapes gradually up into the air as vapour. Hence, air always contains watery vapour. When it looks perfectly clear and trans- parent^ there is, nevertheless water in it. A quarter of a pound, out of the fifteen pounds weight which one square inch of the sea sand supports on a fine day of Autumn, is really the weight of the water that floats amidst the air above. Men of common size walk about in clear spring weather, with a quarter of a ton of water resting up- on their skins. Take a glass of water, fresh from the pump, and therefore very cold, into a hot room, and the outside ofthe glass be- comes almost directly dripping with water. This water does not come from the inside of the glass ; the liquid cannot manage to get over the rim in that way. The water is really gathered by the cold glass out ofthe warm air of the room, where it was before lurking in a concealed state. Cold always has this effect. Heat changes water into steam and vapour : but cold converts steam and vapour back again into water. The quantity of water that can float in air as invisible vapour de- pends on the heat of the air. But even the hottest air cannot hold more than a certain amount. If the air were everywhere as hot as boiling water, it could support its own weight of invisible vapour ; and, in such a state of things, men, if they could bear the heat, would have to carry a load of fifteen tons of vapour in addition to 194 THB riFTH ^STAKDAED' B^ADINa their fifteen tons of air. This, however, could never be. Men can live in very hot air, but they cannot exist in air as hot as boiling water. In the hottest air men are ever exposed to, they carry nearly three quarters af a ton of watery vapour in addition to their load of air. Whenever warm air, that has as much vapour in it as it can hold, is made colder, the vapour becomes visible all at once. As soon as moist warm air drifts against cold hills or along the surface of cold plains, mist appears in it ; or when cold winds blow into warm still regions of the atmosphere, clouds are formed in them. Mist and clouds are simply vapour in the act of changing into visible water. The particles of collecting water stick to the particles of the cold air, just as the particles of collecting water stick to cold glass when they come in contact with it, and then float with it so long as thero \ is not mo»e water than the air can hold up. When there is more water, it falls to the ground as drops of rain. In dry warm weather, clouds only form high up in the air. The Buns heats that part of the air which rests on the ground, and, this becoming lighter, is forced up like a balloon. But being tolerably dry as well as warm, it gets four or five miles high, at least, before the cold can turn the little invisible vapour which it contains into cloud. When this high cloud does at last appear, it is arranged in the form of feathery streaks or light wool-flocks. Sometimes it looks like small white bars placed obliquely across each other. These delicate high clouds are called " featlier clouds." Whenever they present themselves in the sky, they foretell calm settled wea- ther, because the air in which they are formed must be dry. When the air is very moist, clouds appear a great deal lower down, and get piled into vast heaps, that look like ragged mountains and rocks, and that are floated along rapidly in the current of the wind. These heavy clouds are called '' heap clouds f and if they sink more and more, and grow larger and larger, they show that rain is soon coming. Clouds, that first show themselves very near the p;round, are stretched out in long and broad bands. These are termed *' stretched clouds." They form when the surface of the earth is very chill and cold, and are therefore the commonest of all night clouds. When rainy weather is about to set in, heaped clouds ex- tend downwards into stretched clouds, and the two get mingled to- gether and swell out, until at length the lowest portion begins to fall in drops. Clouds from which rain is really falling are "known from all other sorts of clouds by being very dark and heavy, and having their borders dissolved away in mist, instead of being mark-* ed by bold clear outlines. Such are called *' rain clouds" for dis- tinction's sake. It is the genial rain which makes the earth fertile, and which enables it to clothe itself with that garment of tender green herbs on which hungry animals feed. It is for this purpose that WRrm air is caused to drink up water, and then to pour it out AND HOME LESSOR BOOU. 195 ^■kgain in refreshing showers when it gets chilled. God sends warm and cold winds to blow backwards and forwards over the face of the earth, and to mix themselves together, now here and now there, and the consequence is that rain comes and soaks the soil, keep- ing it soft and rich for the nourishment of the roots of vegetation^ and that then sunshine comes and warms din.^ fosters the stems and leaves that stretch into the air. There are spots of the earth, near its equator in wliich no rain falls at all during great lengths of time. In these spots animals often have to endure great suffering. Plants, even to the hardy thistles, get parched and die. The brooks dry up, and the whole country for miles looks like a large dusty road. Birds, wild beasts, and cattle perish by thousands. Once, in a long parching season of this kind, a large herd of elephants attacked the African town of Benguela to get possessions of the wells, and were only driven away by the inhabitants after a hard fight. Dr. Mal- colmson relates a tale of a poor hare that once ran into the soldier's tents at Ellore in India, under like circumstances, and quietly drank off a vessel of water which was offered to it by one of the men. Very different quantities of rain fall in different places, on the earth. Where most water is raised into the air as vapour, there generally most rain falls during the year ; that, of course, is in warm climates, particularly if there are large seas near. If all the rain that falls on one part of the coast of India, during the year, remained where it fell, it would form a pond ten feet deep. More rain however falls on high ground, than upon low ones close by, because the air gets chilled when it blows against them, and is so made to throw ^ down its moisture. If all the rain that falls at Geneva in Switzer- land in a year, stopped where it fell, it would form a pond two feet and a half deep ; but the rain that falls on the Great St. Bernard, a mountain in Switzerland, would form in a year a pond five feet deep. The great rivers of South America, known as the Orinoco and the Amazon, are formed by the rain that falls from the air as it sweeps over the high range of mountains called the Andes, which stand along its Pacific shore. /^ ^ N 2 196 THE FIFTH ' STAKDAUD' EEADIJS'G Lesson IV.— DEW, FROST AISD SNOW. Dew. — Moisture that settles on the ground. Old Saxon. Calculate,— liQ reckon. (Small stones were once used in reckoning.) ' ^a?7.— Frozen drops of water. Old Saxon. Previous, — Going before. Glisten.— IlO shine. Old Saxon. Flake. — A small loose mass. Central, — In the middle of. Definite, — Limited, Progress.— Cou rse . Beneficial. — Doing good. Incle7nent, — Unkind, severe. Burrow, — A hole dug out. Old §axon. Degree, — A proportional mea- sure. Tropical. — Near the tropics. (The sun turns back in the sky after getting directly over these regions.) At night, after the sun has set, the surface of the earth sends back into the air a great deal of the heat it has received during the day, and consequently then becomes much colder than the an*. As soon as it is cold enough, it gathers to itself some of the invisible va- pour out of the warmer ah*, just as a cold glass does when carried suddenly into a hot room. The water drops thus gathered on the , ground in clear nights are called by the name of d^w. Dew serves to keep some moisture in the soil in seasons of dryness, when nei- ther clouds nor rain can be formed. It is deposited more abundant- ly on clear nights than on cloudy ones, because the earth then fiends off its heat more freely towards the sky. It has been calcu- lated that enough dew settles on the ground in England during the course of one year to cover its entu^e sui-face live inches deep with water, if none of it was again removed from the place on which it fell. When the earth's surface is very cold indeed during winter, the night-dew gets frozen into ice as fast as it settles upon the ground, or upon the trees and leaves of plants. This frozen dew looks like a lot of white stiff hairs projecting all over the surface of the bodies to which it clings, and it is called hoar or hairy frost. Water is changed into ice by great cold, in this way ; — its little particles get closer and closer together, until at last they are so near that they can cling firmly together. They then cease to be able to move free- ly about amongst each other, and the liquid water becomes a solid body for the time. Heat melts ice and changes it into water again, by forcing the little particles asunder until they are far enough apart to be able once more to roll about freely amongst each other. If drops of rain fall through regions of the air which are very much colder than the cloud from which they come, those drops get frozen into lumps of solid ice during the descent, and fall upon the earth like so many small stones. They are, in fact, tlien called hail- AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 197 stones. Hail is simply frozen rain. But hail-stones are sometimes very large, and do a great deal of mischief when they fall. Mr. Dar- win saw one daj', in South America, twenty deer and fifteen os- triches that had been killed during the previous night by a fall of hail-stones as big as apples. ^N'umbers of ducks, hawks, and other birds were lying scattered about dead, some with their backs broken, as if they had been struck with heavy paving stones. When the clouds, in which the water about to fall is collected, are themselves very cold, the water freezes at once before it begins its descent, and then falls in beautiful light ^^zs^e?iin^^ate,whicU are known by the name of snow-Hakes. Snow-flakes are formed of clusters of little spikes of ice grouped round a central point, like " the raj's of a star or the spokes of a wheel. These star-like bodies may be seen clustering together whenever snow-flakes that have been slowly formed are examined by magnifying glasses. The lit- tle particles of which the icy stars are formed, arrange themselves in these definite and beautiful forms on the instant when they get fixed by ihQ process of freezing. It is extremely probable that the *' feather-cloud" which makes its appearance so high up in the sky, is entirely composed of small icy spikes, of very similar nature to those which form the wheels and stars of the snow-flake, for it is known that the air must be always cold enough to freeze water in regions so far removed above the ground. As soon as rain reaches the earth it collects into little rills and runs down the nearest hill it can find, hollowing out a channel for itself as it goes. Numerous rills join themselves together to form rivers, and the rivers flow until thej^ mix with the sea. But snow cannot do this. It is made of solid substance, and therefore cannot rim and flow. Where, it falls, there must it lie, until the hot sun comes and melts it into water. In very cold weather a long time occasionally passes before any sun-shine appears hot enough to melt ice. If much snow falls'during this period, more and more necessarily gets heaped up on the ground until the entire bed is se- veral inches, or even several feet thick. But, strange to say, when this happens, the deep covering of the cold white substance does not make the ground very cold. It serves, on the other hand, as a sort of great coat to keep it warm. It prevents the heat which is in the earth from escaping out from it into the chill air. Plants ly- ing in the earth beneath this deep covering of snow, are as surely kept from the bad effects of the frost as they would be if buried un- der cart-loads of warm straw. Dry frosts do a great deal of harm to ve- ^ getation ; but snow is always beneficial and friendly to it. Farmers rejoice to see the white covering spread out over their fields dur- ing the inclement winter season. In the far North, where the cold is so great that snow lies on the ground nearljr the entire year, the inhabitants build themselves huts of snow, instead of houses of ^' 198 THE FIFTH 'STANDAED' READING bricks, and lie in them. During Captain Penny's Voyage in these regions, in the year 1850, Doctor Sutherland had been shut up in burrows of snow, and found that the heat increased twenty-five de- grees in them in an hour and a quarter. In 1799 a poor woman was caught in a snow-storm in Cambridgeshire, and buried com- pletely for eight days. Yet she was dug out alive at the end of this time. She stated that she had distinctly heard the church-bells ringing on two successive Sundays that chanced to be within the period of her imprisonment. , ^ In the lands of the far North snow begins to fall in August and lies on the ground till the following July. But it is scarcely ever seen in the South of Europe or in the tropical countries of Asia, Africa, and America. In the month of February, 1836, it made the streets of Canton white for a few hours and completely astonished the Chinese who had never witnessed any appearance of the kind before. In the year 1620 snow fell in Scotland for thirteen dreary days and nights without ceasing, and caused the deaths ol great numbers of cattle and sheep. Twenty thousand sheep are said to have been destroyed by it on the Eskdale Moor alone. It often falls during the winter in England ; in the year 1830 it collected upon the ground in some parts of Wiltshire until it was fifteen feet thick ; the top of Moimt Vesuvius in Italy was white with it for ten days -at the same time. Snow has been seen in the counties of Sussex an4 Kent during the month of Juno. AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 199 THE METRIC SYSTEM OF AEITHMETIC. The French have adopted the metric system of Arithmetic, which is based upon the following principle: that in all their Tables of Money, Weights and Measures, every coin, weight and measure is 10 times greater than the coin, weight and measure next below it in value. This is the decimal system ; and we ourselves proceed in the same way in measuring abstract numbers. For instance, in the number 888, we know that the 8 in the second place represents ten times more than the 8 in the first place (the units), and the 8 in the third jjlace is worth ten times more than the 8 in the second -place. Similarly, when we go bel6w unity as in the expression .888, the second 8 from the point represents ten times more than the third 8 from the point, and the first 8 is worth ten times more than the second 8. Now it is proposed that we should take the Pound Sterling for our unit, and divide it into 10 florins. Next, divide each florin into 10 cents and each cent into 10 mils. Our Table of Money would then be the following : 10 mils (m) = 1 cent (c) 10 cents = 1 florin (fl) 10 florins = 1£ Note.— £6.375 is read £Q 3 florins 7 cents 6 mils ; and can be multiplied and divided as readily as the number 6375. A mil =-= not quite a farthing : a cent «= not quite 2id. : and a florin = 2s. Examples of Working : 1. Eeduce £1Q 7fl. 9c. 3m. to mils. We multiply by 10 at sight. £16 7fl. = 167fl. or £16.7 167fl. 9c. = 1679c. or .£16.79 1679c. 3m. = 16793m. or £16.793 2. Reduce 3fl. Oc. 7m. to mils. 3fl. = 30c. or £.3 30c. 7m. = 307m. or £.307 Exercise I. 1. How many florins, cents and mils are there in each of thefollow- irg : £6 9fl. ; £7 7fl. 3c. ; £15 Ifl. 3c. 5m. ; £11 Ic. £13 6m. ; 8fl. 3c. 7m. ; 9fl. 9m. ; 7c. 8m. 2. Express the following in £ fl. c. m., thus : £16.487 — £16 4fl. 8c. 7m. £29.176 ; £8.907 ; £6.16 ; £7.08 ; £11.007 ; £.957 ; £.073 ; £.001 3. £6 3fl. 7c. 2m. + £8 3c. 6m. + £9.678 + £7.69 + £.076. 200 THE FIFTH 'STANDARD* READINa 4. Take £3 7fl. 2c. 6m. from £4 Ifl. 8c. 9m. 5; Multiply £4 9fl. 7c. 6m. by 12 and 27 6, Divide £58 8fl. Oc. 3m. among 17 persons. Our present monej' may be reduced into decimal coinage in the following manner : Keduce £4 17s. 7id. to £ fl. c. m. The Pounds remain unaltered. We bring the shillings to florins by dividing by 2, as 2s. == Ifl. : then 17s. - 2 = S^fl. = 8fl. 5c. Next, by Practice, we reduce the remaining 7^d. to cents and mils, taking Ifl. as the standard, d 6 1 i i oflfl. I of 6d. 1 i of Id. Ifl Oc Om. 2 5 4.166. . 1.041. , Add £4 3 0.207.. 8fl.5c £4 8fl. 8c. 0.2. . m Reduce £14 8fl. 6c. 6m. to £ s. d. The Pounds of course remain unaltered. We bring the florins into shillings by multiplying by 2, then 8fl. = 16s. Next, we re- duce the remaining 6c. 5m. into pence and farthings by Practice, taking Ifl. as the standard as before, cents 5 1 mils 5 i of Ifl. s. d. 2 ^0 1 of 5c. i of Ic. 1 2 1 1.6 0.8 Add 1 3 £1416 2.4 £14 17s. 3d. 2.4q Exercise II. 1. Express the following in £ fl. c. m. £16 16s. 8id. ; £11 lis. Q^d. ; £8 19s. 4|.d. ; £1 Is. 2|d. ; 18/10} ; 3/3}; £3 0s. ll}d.; 7|d. : and the following in £. s. d., 2. £8 7fl. 3c. 6m. ; £12 9il. 2c. 5m. j £1 Ifl. 4c. 3m. ; £7 9c. 2m. ; 7fl. 6c. 8m. ; 3ll. Ic. 4m. ; 7c. 7m. ; £11.009, AND HOME LESSON BOOK. 201 - Metbic Tablb of Long Measure. The table of Long Measure has the metre for its unit. The metre = 39.3708 English inches, and is the ten-millionth part of the dis- tance from the equator to the pole. It ismultiplied by 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000, to obtain the longer measures of length, and to express these multipliers, syllables derived from the Greek language are prefixed to the word metre, viz. De/ca meaning 10, Recto 100, Kilo 1000 and Myria 10,000. Hence Dekametre means 10 metres, Ilecto- metre 100 metres, Kilometre 1000 metres and Myriametre 10,000 metres. The metre is divided by 10, 100, and 1000, to obtain the shorter measures of length, and to express these divisors, syllables taken from the Latin language are prefixed to the word metre, viz. Deci meaning 10, Centi 100 and Milli 1000. Hence, the word decimetre is used to express one-tenth of a metre, centimetre means one- hundredth part of a metre, and millimetre^ one-thousandth part of a metre. In all the Metric Tables of Measurement the above sylla- bles are used to show that their respective units are either multi- plied or divided, i, e., deka, hecto, kilo and mjTia placed before the unit of any table signify that the \miX.is> multiplied by 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000 respectively : and deci, centi and milli put before the unit mean that the unit is divided by 10, 100 and 1000 respectively. The following Table of Length is now easily understood ; the unit of length is the metre which = 39.3708 English inches. 10 Millimetres = 1 centimetre (centim.) (millim) 10 Centimetres = 1 decimetre (decim.) 10 Decimetres = 1 Metre 10 Metres = 1 dekametre (dekam.) 10 Dekametres = 1 hectometre (hectom.) 10 Hectometres = 1 kilometre (kilom.) 10 Kilometres = 1 myriametre (mjTiam.) Note. — The kilometre is most frequently quoted in France for long distances ; it is nearly 5 English furlongs. The myriametre is not quite = 6^ miles English. Examples of Woretng. — 1. How many metres in 716kilometres? This is simply a case in Descending Reduction, having 10 for a multiplier in each step of the process. 716 kilom = 7,160 hectom = 71,600 dekam = 716,000 metres. 2. In 81,964 centimetres, how many dekametres ? This is a case in Ascending Reduction, haviug 10 for a divisor at every step. 81,964 centim. = 8196 decim. 4 centim. ■= 819 metres 6 decim. 4 centim. == 81 dekam. 9 metres 6 decim. 4 centim. 202 THE riFTH < STANDARD* EEADIKQ 3. Add together 6 kilom. 7 hectom. 4 dekam. 9 metres, 3 kiloin. 9 hectom. 5 dekam. 6 metres, and 8 hectom. 3 dekam; 8 metres. Place the numbers so that those of the same denomination may- be in the same cohimn, remembering in every case that the figure carried will be one or more tens. kilom. hectom. dekam. metres 6 7 4 9 3 9 5 6 8 3 8 11 5 4 3 4. Divide 9 metres 4 decim. 6 centim 3 millim. by 7, metres decim, centim. millim, 7) 9 4 6 3 13 5 1.8. Exercise III. 1. How many centim. in 7 kilom. ? How many metres in 6 myriam. ? In 9 dekam. how many millim. ? 2. Bring 9,161 centim. to dekam, ; 16,734 metres to myriam. ; and 78,270 decim. to hectom. 3. Express in terms of a millim. each of the following : 7 metres ; 19 dekam. 4 metres ; 719 centim. ; 16 metres 9 decim. ; 9 myriam. ; 617 decim. 4. Express each of the following in terms of a metre: 6,173 mil- lim. ; 6,173 kilom. ; 6,173 hectom. ; 6,173 centim. 6. How many dekam. are there in seventeen thousand decim. ? How many myriam. ? 6. In a quarter of a million of metres, how many kilom. ? how many centim. ? 7. Eeduce to centim : 9 dekam. 9 decim. ; 6 metres 1 centim. ; 8 dekam. 8 metres ; 5 kilom. 3 dekam. 7 decim. ; 1 myriam. 1 centim. 8. Add together 5 kilom. 3 hectom, 7 dekam., 3 kilom. 8 dekam. 9 metres, 9 hectom. 1 dekam. 4 metres, 8 kilom. 8 dekam., 2 hectom. 7 metres. 9. Take 3 kilom. 8 hectom. 7 dekam. 6 metres from 5 kilom. 3 hectom. 4 dekam. 2 metres. 10. Multiply 7 metres 5 decim. 8 centim. 9 millim., by 8 and 27, 11. Divide 9 dekam. 3 metres 7 centim. 5 millim. by 8 and 47. Metric Table of Surface. The unit of surface is the are which is formed by describing a square on the dekametre. As the dekametre =« 10 metres, the XSJ) HOME LESSON BOOK. 203 square dekametre or ahe of course = 100 square metres or 119.6033 square j^ards English. 100 Centiares = 1 aee (centiar.) 100 Ares = 1 hectare (hectar.) Note — The hectare is generally used to calculate large surfaces ; it is a little less than 2^ acres English. Examples of Working: 1. Reduce 7 hectar. 37 ares 16 centiar. to centiar. 7 hectar. 37 ares = 700 ares + 37 ares = 737 ares. 737 ares 16 centiar. = 73700 centiar. + 16 centiar. = 73,710 cen- tiar. 2. How many hectar. in 91,647 centiar. Centiar 916^X 9\^ 47 centiar. 9 hectar. 16 ares 47 centiar. 3. From 16 hectar. 37 ares 48 centiar., take 9 hectar. 49 ares 04 centiar. hectar. ares centiar. 16 37 48 9 49 64 6 87 84 Exercise IV. 1. How many centiar. are there in 9 hectar.; in 47 ares; in 6 hectar. 96 ares ; in 17 hectar. 39 centiar. ; 76 ares 65 centiar. ? 2. Eeduce 161,726 centiar. and 47,689 ares to hectar. 3. Find the sum of 17 hectar. 3 ares 16 centiar., 47 ares 91 centiar., 96 hectar. 4 centiar., 4 hectar. 9 ares 47 centiar. and 89 ares. 4. By how much does the size of a field containing 49 hectar. 67 centiar., exceed that of two others, whose respective areas are 26 hectar. 61 ares and 17 hectar. 18 centiar ? 5. Multiply 71 hectar. 99 centiar. by 25 and 63. 6. Subtract the sum of 17 ares 65 centiar. and 96 ares 38 centiar. from 30 hectar. 7. An estate of 96 hectar. 26 ares 8 centiar. is divided into 17 equal allotments : what is the area of each ? Metric Table of Solidity. The unit of solidity is the Sterb, which is obtained by forming 204 THE riFTH * STAND UZD* KElBINa a cube having the metre for each of its edges. The stere «-= 35.317 English cubic feet. 10 Decisteres = 1 Stebe (st.) (decist.) 10 Steres «= 1 Dekastere (dekast.) Example of Working: How many dekast. are there in 5767 decist.? decist. 676X iq 57^ 7 decist. 57 dekast. 6 st. 7 decist. Exercise V. 1. Express in dekast. : 26,176 decist. ; 719 st. ; 817 st. 9 decist. t 36 dekast. 613 decist.? 2. Reduce 58 dekast. ; 2 dekast. 7 st. to steres. 3. Bring the following expressions to decist. ; 7 st. 7 decist. ; 19 dekast. 6 st. 9 decist. ; 1 dekast. 1 decist. 4. Add together 7 dekast. 8 st. 3 decist., 13 dekast. 7 decist., 6 dekast. 3 st., 5 st. 8 decist., 9 dekast. 9 decist. 5. What is the quantity of wood of which 17 st. 4 decist. is the sixteenth ? 6. A merchant sells 5 dekast. 1 st. of wood on Monday, twice as much on Tuesday, half as much on Wednesday, half as much again on Thursday, on Friday the same as Tuesday ; at the end of the week his total sales amount to 46 dekast. 7 st. 6 decist. What did he sell on Saturday ? Metric Table op Capacity. The unit of capacity is the Litre which is the cube of the deci- metre. The litre = 1.76077 English pints. 10 Centilitres = 1 decilitre (decil.) (centil.) 10 Decilitres = 1 Litre (lit.) 10 Litres «= 1 dekalitre (dekal.) 10 Dekalitres = 1 hectolitre (hectol.) 10 Hectolitres = 1 kilolitre (kilol.) Note.— The French use this measure for both liquids and " dry goods." The kilolitre == about 220 English gallons. Exercise VI. 1. How many litres are there in 19,167 centil.; in 7,643 decil. I also how many hectol. in 4,765 lit. j in 821 dekal. AKD HOME LESSON BOOK, 205 2. Reduce the following expressions to litres: 9 kilol. ; 6 kilol. 7 liectol. ; 8 hectol. 7 dekal. 2 lit. ; and the following to centil. : 7 dekal. 2 lit. ; 9 lit. 7 decil. ; 8 lit. 9 centil. 3. Multiply 3 kilol. 7 hectol. 3 dekal. 6 lit. by 19 and 37. 4. From 7 dekal. 6 lit. 7 centil., take 29 lit 3 decil. 5. What is the sum of 7 hectol. 9 lit., 7 kilol. 9 decil., 3 hectol. 8 dekal. 5 lit., 6 kilol. 9 hectol. 9 dekal. 9 decil. and 8 dekal. 1 decil. 6. Divide 9 dekal. 7 lit. 3 decil. by 68 and 97. Metric Table of Weight. The unit of weight is the Gram which is the weight of distilled water contained in a cubic centimetre. The gram = ,56438 Eng- lish drams. 10 Milligrams = 1 centigram (centig.) (millig) 10 Centigi'ams «= 1 decigram (decig.) 10 Decigrams »= 1 Gram (gr.) 10 Grams = 1 dekagram (dekag.) 10 Dekagrams = 1 hectogram (hectog.) 10 Hectograms = 1 kilogram (kilog.) 10 Kilograms = 1 myriagram (myriag.) 10 Myriagram = 1 quintal. 10 Quintals = 1 millier. Note. — The smaller weights are used for weighing the precious metals, medicine, &c. The weight most frequently quoted is the kilogram, whicl;^ is nearly 2\ English lbs. Avoirdupois. The Quintal = 2 English cwt. nearly. The Millier = 1 English ton nearly. Exercise VIL 1. Reduce 17 grams ; 8 declg. 6 centig. to millig : and 8 dekag. 6 grams ; 1 gr. 5 decig. to centig. 2. Reduce to grams : 3 milliers 5 quintals ; 8 kilog. 3 hectog. 7 dekag. ; 19 hectog. 7 gr. ; 7 myriag. 3 kilog. ; 27 quintals 9 kilog. j 6 milliers 6 myriag. 6 kilog. 3. How many kilog. in 17,163 grams ; in 16,783 hectog. ; in 85,671 decig. ; in 5,634 dekag. 4. In the following expressions how many milliers : 96,171 kilog. ; 7,856 quintals ; 0,761 myriag. 9 kilog. 5. Multiply 8 kilog. 3 hectog. 4 dekag. 3 gr. by 17 and 76, 6. Subtract 9 quintals 7 kilog. from the sum of 1 millier 1 quintal and 5 myriag. 2 kilog. Exercise VIII. Miscellaneous Examples, 1. Reduce to £fl. c. m. the following expressions: £7 Is. 5M. ; 16s. 4id.; J5 16s.7^d. ; X'96 0s. OJd.; 19s. Oid.: and the following to £ s. d., £16 611. 9c. 5m, ; £d 7tl. 9m. ; 111. 9c. Im. ; 17fl. 9c. 206 THE riFTH < STANDARD* IlEADING 2. From the sum of 6 hectom. 7 metres and 3 dekam. 1 decim. take the difference between 4 hectom. 6 decim. and 9 dekam. 6 centim. 3. A farm of 73 hectar. 80 ares has one-fourth covered with wheat, one-fifth with barley, one-ninth with potatoes, and the rest is j^as- ture. What is the extent of the pasture land ? 4. How much timber will 93 trees produce if the average content of each tree is 4 st. 7 decist ? 6. Find the value of 276 kilol. 6 hectol. of wheat at 8fl. 4c. per hectol. J and of 3 kilol. 7 lit. of wine at 2^^. per lit. 6. How many canisters holding 4 kilog. 5 hectog. can be filled from a chest of tea weighing 8 myriag. 1 kilog. \ 7. Eeduce the following expressions to the lowest denomination' named in the respective tables : 8 kilog. 8 dekag. ; 17fl. 17m. ; 7 kilol. 8 lit. ; 489 dekast. ; 37 hectar. 37 ares; 9 m3Tiam.9 dekam. 8. How many bundles each containing 3J decist. can be obtainei from 21 stores of firewood. 9. What is the rent of a farm of 167 hectar. 50 ares, at £6 7fl. pe] hectar ? 10. Add together £7 7fl. 3m., 18fl. 5c., .£41.676, 37fl. 9c. 2m., 617m. £.617, 476c. 8m. 11. In traversing 20 kilom. how many times will a coach wheel turn whose circumference is 2^ metres ? 12. Find the value of 6 hogsheads of sugar, each weighing 3 quin- tals 7 myriag. at 3c. 4m. per kilog. 13. A tobacconist retails tobacco at 3 mils per dekag. which cost him £26.7 per quintal. What does he gain on a quintal ? 14. A cask of wine containing half a kilol. is drawn off into litre bottles ; if 25 decil. are lost in the process, how many bottles will be filled P 15. What quantity of coffee at 2fl. 4c. per kilog. is equal in value to 8 myriag. of tea at 3fl. per kilog. 16. if a man walks at the rate of 75 metres per minute, how long will he be in walking a myriametre ? 17. A earns £1 5fl. per week, B half as mnch again as A, C 5fl, 7c. per day, and D as much as B and C together. What will they earn together in 7 weeks ? 18. If it takes 2 metres 1 decim. of cloth to make a coat, 7 decim. to make a waistcoat, and 1 metre 6 decim. a pair gf trousers ; how much cloth will a tailor use in making 8 coats, 11 waistcoats and 16 pairs of trousers ? 19. Wine is sold at 15c. per litre. What is the profit on the sale of 8 hectol. of wine if it is bought at the rate of £200 per kilol ? 20. The Brighton Eailway Company carries volunteers from Lon- don to Brighton (82| kilom.) and back for 75m. : if the working- expenses of the train are Ifl. 8m. per mile, what profit does the Company make on 600 men ? S i I K ROOT. Agcr, Ago, Amo, Amplua, Annus, Ars, artis, Audio, Bellum, C^pio, LATIN ROOTS. 207 MEANING. a building ; afield; Ido; I love ; large ; a year ; skill, art; I hear ; war ; I take ; Centum, 13, t/te /toitt* , a hundred; Certus, sure ; Civis, a citizen ; Commodus, convenievt ; Curro, I run ; Densus, thick; Dbmus, a house ; Dorsum, the hack; Duo, two ; Experior, I try; Facio, I do, or make Fido, I trust ; Flecto, I bend ; Fran go J I break ; Gratus, thankful; Habito, I dwell; Homo, a man ; Imago, art image ; Impero, I command ; Juiigo, ^ I join ; Jus, jm'is. law, right; Labor, work ; Levo, J lift; Lex, legis, a laio ; Liber, jree; Liber, a hook ; Locus, a place ; Magnus, great; lad; Malus, Merx, mercis , merchandise ; Moneo, I warn ; Multus, many ; Musa, a song ; NStus, horn ; Nox, uoctis, night ; Origo, the beginning / Paro, I get ready t DERIVATIVES. edifice edify. agrarian, agriculture, peregrination. act, actual, agent, agitate, amiable,, amorous, amity, ample, amplify, amplitude, annual, biennial, anniversary, art, artist, artifice, artificial, audience, audible, audit, auditor, rebel, rebellion, belligerent, captive, capacity, accept, capital, capitol, captain, chapter, century, cent, centurion, certain, certify, certificate, civil, civilize, civility, city, commodious, commodity, incommode, cm-rent, curricle, course, cursory, dense, condense, density, dome, domestic, domicile, dorsal, endorse, endorser, duel, dual, duet, dubious, experience, expert, experiment, fact, factious, benefactor, malefactor, fidelity, infidel, confide, flexible, deflect, inflect, reflect, fragile, frail, fraction, fragment, grateful, gratitude, ingratitude, habitation, inhabit, cohabit, homicide, humane, humanity, imagine, imagery, imagination, imperative, emperor, empire, junction, conj miction, junctureadjuiict jury, justice. labor, elaborate, laboratory, elevate, levity, relieve, legal, legitimate, licence, liberty liberate, deliver, liberal library, librarian, libel, local, locate, dislocate, magnitude, magnificent,magnanim ou3 malady, maltreat, malcontent, commerce, merchant, mercer, market, monitor, monument, admonish, multitude, multiply, multiform, music, musical, museum, amuse, native, nation, natal, innate.^ nocturnal^ equinox, equinoctial, origin, original, aboriginal, origiiiate prepare, preparation, impaii', repair. 208 Pater, PeUo, Pes, pedis. Pleo, Populus, Qiiaero, Kus, Ruri3, Sanguis, Semi, Servo, Tendo, Verus, Video, Vita, LATIN BOOTS (continued). MEiJJflKG. DEEIVATIVES. a father ; paternal, patrimony, patron. / drive ; expel, expulsion, repeal, pulse. thejoot ; pedal, expedite, impede, quadruped. I Jill ; complete,replete,supply,complemeut. the people ,* popular, populous, public, people. I ask; queiy, question, inquire, exquisite. the country , rustic, rural. blood; sanguinary, sanguine. half; semicircle, semi- diameter, semibrevc. I keep ; conserve, observe, observation, 1 stretchy I lend; tend, tense, tendon, tent, true ; very, verify, veracity. I see; vision, visible, visual, life; vital, vitality. GREEK ROOTS. BOOT. Angelos, Arclio, Arctos, Aritbmos, Astron, Biblion, Crino, Gaster, Ge Gramma, Homos, Lusis, lilartur, Mechang, Metron, Oicos, Orao, Petra, MEAl^ING. messenger ; I co^nmand; bear J north; number ; star ; book / I decide ; stomach ; earth ; grammatoSy writing ; same; loosening ; witness ; machine ; measure; house; I see ; rocky stone; Plir6n,phreno3 brain, mind Phusis, nature ; Polemos, war ; Polls, citi/ ; Polites, citizen; Sphaira, ball; Theos, God; Thennos, warm ; ZOun, animal $ DERIVATIVES angel, angelic, ai cliangel, evangeli.t monarch, oligarch, tetrarch. arctic, antarctic. arithmetic, logarithm. astronomy, astrology, asterisk. bible, bibliography. crisis, critic. gastronomy, gastric. geology, geography, geometry, anagram, epigram, diagram. homogeneoui-, homoeopathic. pai-alysis, analysis martyr, martyrdom. mechanics, mechanism. barometer, symmetry. economy, diocese. diorama, cosmorama , panorama. petiify, petrifaction, saltpetre, Pc..j phrenology. physics, metaphysics, physiologj', polemic. metropolis, Constantinople. Naples. cosmopolite, politics, pohty. sphere, atmosphere, hemispliere. theology, pantheon, atheist. thermometer, isothermal, zoology, zoophyte. xn^B hom:b lesson book:. 209 SECOND GRADE— FREE HAND. TO Jiii E2fLAEGEi) Oil DlMINISIiLi). 210 THE FIFTH ' STANDAEd' EBADl^^^Q SECOND GRADE^FREE HANdT TO BE EiS^LAKGED OE DIMIXISIIED. ha^ rf^/li AKD HOME LESSOJT BOO". 211 SECOND GRADE-FREE HAND. TO BE ENIiARGED OE DIMINISHEK. 212 THE FIFTH EEADINQ & HOME LESSON BOOTT. SECOND GRADE— FREE EANd! TO BE ENLIHGED OR DIMIls'ISHEB. requirements of SclieJule IT., but irrespective of this, the reading of the poetry will be a capital preparation for the examination in reading. Exercises in Arithemetic, in Weights and Measures, the sums being varied in form, and expressed both in figures an d words. Drawing. Second Grade. Slightly in advance of Standard III. The Fifth Standard Reading Book consists of 208 pages. Fcp, Oct., in strong cloth, price Is. Od. It contains a choice selection of poetry and tales, and a complete course of readings in History and Natural Science. The Arithmetic includes Practice, the Metrical System, and Bills of Par- cels, the sums being carefully graduated. Drawing. Second Grade. Slightly in advance of Standard lY, The Sixth Standard is in Preparation. The Girls' Fipth and Sixth Standard Reading Book, 280 pages, price Is. 3d. This book contains Readings in Poetry, History, Natural Science, and Domestic Economy. The following is a list of subjects especi- ally designed for Girls :— Brave Women, Carefulness, Insects, (by Mrs. Jackson), late of Stockwell College, How To Take Care of the Sick. Lessons on Cleaning, processes of Cooking, Washing, &c. FOR infant schools. 1. The Infant School First Standard Reading Sheets, the lessons on these sheets are reprinted from The Infant School First Standard Reading Book, in very large type. Price 2s. 6d. per set. 2. The Infant School First Standard Reading Book, 32 pages, large type. Price 2d. 3. The Preparatory First Standard Reading and Home Les- son Book, 56 pages. Price 4d. IN ONE VOL., KEYS TO NEW STANDARDS L, II., IIL, IV., & V. Foolscap 8vo.— Cloth— Sixpence. SCHOOL PHIZES. In consequence of the Committee of Council on Education hav- ing raised the number of attendances of the children at school, from 200 to 250, teachers will have to try every means in their power to secure regular attendance and success at the Inspector's Examina- tion. To meet the great demand for Books suitable for prizes, Messbs, Mllner and Sowerby beg to submit to teachers a list of a few of their Popular and Cheap Publications. M. & S. also supply suitable labels to insert in the Books. Books suitable for School Prizes, Presents, &c., Published by MILNER & SOWERBY, Paternos- ter Row, London, and sold by all Booksellers. . ROYAL 32ino.— COTTAGE LIBRARY.— ONE SHILLING EACH, Paul &Yirginia, Elizabeth, &Ilasselas Pleasing Instructor Poems and Tales, by Mrs. Hemaus Pope*s Poetical Works Pope's Homer's Illiad Pope's Homer's Odyssey Pope, Blair, Gray, Doda, &c Power of Prayer (The) Rays of Gold, by Rev. W. Walters Richmond's Annals of the Poor, &c. Robinson Crusoe Sabbath Musings, by Rev. R. Bond Sacred Garland, 1st Series Do 2nd Series Sacred Harp of American Poetry Sandford and Merton Scottish Chiefs, by Miss Porter Scott's (Sir W.) Lady of the Lake Scott's (Sir. W.) Lord of the Isles Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel Scott's (Sir. W.) Marmion Scott's (Sir. W.) Rokeby Scripture Truths Illustrated Shady Side, by a Pastor's Wife Simpson's Plea for Religion Simpson's Key to the Prophecies Smith (Life of the Rev. J.) Smith's Book that you Want Smith's Bread from Heaven Smith's Early and Latter Rain Smith's Good Seed for the Lord's field Smith's Light for Dark Days Smith's Sunny Subjects for all Seasons Smith's A Book you will Like Smith's Pearls from the Ocean Smith's Fruit from the Tree of Life Smith's Good News for All Smith's Rills from the Rocks of Ages Smith's Gleams of Grace Smith's Glad Tidings of Good Things Smith's Food for Hungry Souls Smith's The Book that will Suit You Smith's A Messenger of Mercy Smith's Manna in the Wilderness Smith's Believer's Daily Remember- ancer ; or, Pastor's Morning Visit Do. do. Evening Smith's Love of Christ, &c. Smith's Way of Salvation, &c. Smith's Sacred Poetry Smith's Voice of Mercj, I Smith's the Church as it ought to Be, ^ Smith's Sabbath Reading Stephen's Travels in Egypt, &c. Sturm's Reflections Sunday School Reciter Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands Susan Gray and Lucy Clare Swiss Family Robinson Tales about Animals, Birds, & Fishes Tales for Rich and Poor Tales of Battles by Sea and Land Tales and Stories of Ireland Tales of Married Life Temperance Tales. Temperance Reciters and Melodies The May Flower The Evergreen, in Poetry and Prose The Garland of Hops & 200 Tales The Lion changed to a Lamb The New Heart The New Shilling. Imperial 32mo Thomson's Poetical Works Tiler's Natural History Todd's Student's Manual Todd's Angel of the Iceberg, &c. The SevenChampionsof Chrifltendoni . Todd's Lectures, &c., complete Todd's Sunday School Teacher, &c. Tregortha's Bank of Faith Two Years before the Mast [Wings True Riches ; or. Wealth without Twice-Told Tales by Hawthorne Uncle Tom's Cabin Wallsend Miner, by James Everette Wars of England (The) Watts' Improvement of the Mind Watts' World to Come Watts' Scripture History Watts' Logic Wide, Wide World. By E.WethercU Wilson's Wonderful Characters Wonders of Nature and Art Wordsworth's Excursion, &c Wordsworth's Select Poems Young's Man's Own Book Young's Poetical Works Young Man's Book of Amusement Young Man's Best Companion Young Woman's Best Companion YA 04421' ANDAED BOOK: •ory, Natural is especially This book will contain a brief History of the English Language. Gems of English Literature, (with a special Chapter devoted to Schedule lY.) Public Speeches, and Lessons in Chemistry, Geology, Accoustics, Light and Heat, Physiology, &c., kc.