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cesses to his personal merit; that to a vigorous body, he united a noble mind, and a courage not to be repressed by apparent danger. He died A.D. 1807, after a reign of twenty-one years.

By whom was he succeeded?-By his son William, surnamed Rufus. It was in this reign that the Crusades were projected by Peter the Hermit. He preached the Crusade over Europe, and men of all ranks flew to arms with alacrity, to rescue the Holy Land from the Infidels.

Who succeeded William Rufus ?—Henry the First, his brother, surnamed Beauclerk, A.D. 1100. He, by his marriage with Matilda, the niece of Edgar Atheling, united the last remnant of the Saxon with the Norman line. With the most criminal ambition, he invaded his brother's dominions of Normandy, and detained him for life a prisoner in England.

Whom did he appoint as his successor?-His daughter Matilda; but the popularity of his nephew, Stephen, defeated the intention; and after successive and alternate defeats and successes of these rivals, Stephen was allowed to reign for life, and the succession was ensured to Henry Plantagenet, the son of Matilda, who came to the throne A.D. 1154, as Henry the Second.

Describe the character of Henry the Second.-He was a prince, in every sense deserving of a throne. He began his reign with the reformation of all the abuses in the government. He gave charters to several towns, and these charters were the groundwork of English liberty. Thus was the Feudal Government at first impaired, and liberty more equally diffused throughout the nation.

What dignitary of the Church disturbed this reign?

-Thomas a Becket, who, from being a clerk in a sheriff's office, was advanced to the Archbishopric of Canterbury, and in that station he became the plague of Henry's life and the disturber of his government. It was in this reign that Ireland became an appendage to the English crown. He died A.D. 1189, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, and the thirty-fifth of his reign.

By whom was Henry succeeded?-By his son Richard the First, surnamed Cœur de Lion. He united with the King of France in an expedition to the Holy Land. Passing through Germany, on his re turn, he was detained a prisoner, till ransomed by the English. He met his death while attacking a castle in France. He was shot by an archer, in the tenth year of his reign, and the forty-second of his age.

Did not his brother John succeed him?-He did; but finding a competitor in his nephew Arthur, he was removed by poison or the sword. He made the Pope his enemy, by an attack upon the treasures of the church, and for which he was first excommuni cated, and afterwards compelled to hold his kingdom tributary to the Holy See. Thus incurring the universal contempt of his subjects, the barons of the kingdom compelled him, at Runymede, to sign the bulwark of English liberty,—the Magna Charta.

Did not his son, Henry the Third, succeed to the crown?-Yes, when but nine years of age. He was a prince of amiable disposition, but of weak understanding. His attachment to foreigners; his want of economy; and his oppressive exactions, deprived him of the affections of his people.-The imbecility of his government induced the people to wish to place his son, prince Edward, on the throne; but he,

after re-establishing his father more firmly, and restoring tranquillity, embarked for the Crusades, and signalized himself by many valorous exploits. The declining state of his father's health hastened his return. Henry the third died A.D. 1272, in the sixtyfourth year of his age, and the fifty-sixth of his reign and Edward succeeded to an undisputed throne.

What is the character of Edward the First ?-That he had added more to the solid interests of the kingdom than any other king that went before him.

What conquests did he effect?-He made a com plete conquest of Wales, and annexed it to the crown of England. He also took absolute possession of Scotland; but that nation still rejecting his claims, it was not till centuries after that Scotland was fully united with England. He died A.D. 1307, in the sixty-ninth year of his age, and the thirty-fifth of his reign,

Describe the character of Edward the Second.-He was a weak and an indolent prince, though of an amiable disposition; but, being governed by favour ites, he was deposed, and cruelly put to death at Berkeley Castle, A.D. 1327.

Who succeeded him?-His son, Edward the Third, a prince of great courage and abilities; who gained the memorable battle of Cressy, in which 30,000 French were slain; though the French army consisted of 120,000, and the English but of one-fourth of that number. His valiant son, the Black Prince (so called from the black colour of his armour), de feated the French at the battle of Poictiers. In this reign the order of the garter was instituted. He died 1877, aged sixty-five.

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By whom was he succeeded?-By his grandson, Richard the Second son of the Black Prince, who

inherited but few of the virtues of either his father or grandfather. He was deposed and put to death by his uncle, Henry Duke of Lancaster: and thus commenced the bloody contest between the houses of York and Lancaster. It was in this reign that Wickliffe put forth his English Bible, and thereby paved the way for the reformation of religion.

Did Henry, Duke of Lancaster, usurp the throne? -He did A.D. 1399, by the name of Henry the Fourth. Two rebellions were raised against him; the first by the Duke of Northumberland, who was joined by the Scotch and Welsh, and headed by young Percy (surnamed Hotspur), who was killed on the field. The second by the Archbishop of York, both of which Henry successfully put down. He died 1413, at the age of forty-six.

Did not his son Henry succeed him? He did, as Henry the Fifth-one of the most heroic princes that ever swayed the sceptre of England. Though wild and disorderly in his youth, yet after coming to the throne he exhibited all the virtues that can adorn and dignify a prince. He gained the famous battle of Agincourt, in Picardy, where, with a handful of resolute and hardy troops, he defeated the French army of 60,000, and in which 10,000 of the enemy were slain and 14,000 made prisoners. It was in this reign that St. John Oldcastle, baron of Cobham, was burnt alive for embracing the doctrines of Wickliffe. Henry, seized with a disorder, died in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the tenth of his reign; leaving his infant son heir to the throne, as Henry the Sixth.

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What was the character of Henry the Sixth? He was a prince of no capacity, and for twenty years

the nation was embroiled in civil wars. He was at last deposed by Edward, Duke of York, descended from the third son of Edward the Third.

Did not Edward ascend the throne as Edward the Fourth?-He did, A.D. 1478, assisted by the Earl of Warwick, called the king-maker; but Edward abandoned himself without reserve to the indulgence of a vicious and tyrannical nature, and established himself by many acts of cruelty and oppression.

Who succeeded him?-His son, Edward the Fifth, in the thirteenth year of his age. But he was smothered, with his brother the Duke of York, by order of their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who usurped the throne in 1483, by the title of Richard the Third.

What was Richard's character?-He was a usurper and murderer; and so sanguinary and cruel was his nature that a conspiracy was formed in favour of the young Earl of Richmond, the only remaining branch of the Lancastrian family. Richmond gave battle to Richard in Bosworth Field, and defeated him; the usurper being slain while fighting with the most desperate courage, A.D. 1485. This battle put an end to the civil wars of York and Lancaster, or, as the parties were then called, of the white rose and the red rose; and Richmond ascended the throne by the title of Henry the Seventh; and united the rights of both families by his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Edward the Fourth.

What was Henry the Seventh's character?-Though his temper was despotic, his government was wise and politic. Industry, good order, and subordination, were the fruit of the excellent laws passed in his reign.

Did not his son, Henry the Eighth, succeed him?