The Story of the English
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Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original copyright 1898 by H. A. Guerber 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 PREFACE To enrich young minds and to emphasize the need of patient endeavour, courage, faithfulness, gentleness, truthfulness, and all other desirable qualities, all that is good Down to the colonial period, if not to the has been heartily commended, and all that is base or Revolutionary War, English history concerns American dishonourable has been made to appear in an unfavourable children just as much as it does their brothers and sisters who light. Nevertheless, it has also been the writer's aim to speak the same language on the other side of the broad cultivate a spirit of fairness and charity towards all men. Atlantic. It is therefore very important that our boys and girls should as soon as possible become familiar with its salient Much reading and research stand back of this little events. book, and the author is indebted to historians, biographers, novelists, poets, and artists for the material of which it is To interest them in their own race, introduce them to composed. It is with the hope that the road to literature and their mother country, and make the past as vivid as possible, history will seem easier and more attractive, after the way has characters, customs, and places have in this book been been made somewhat smoother by these little paving stones, depicted principally through anecdotes, many of which have that this book is placed before the public. become classical, although not all are admitted into works intended for more mature minds. The pronunciation of difficult proper names has been indicated in the text, in order to make easier the reading of the The gradual evolution of English law, the growth of book, and to prevent the formation of incorrect habits of liberty, and the various changes in religion are as unintelligible pronunciation. The symbols used for this purpose are self- as uninteresting to the average child; so they have been explanatory in most cases; the diacritical marks are explained touched upon very briefly, and in the most simple way. on p. 343. Besides this, the pronunciation of all proper names The principal object has been to make pupils so is more fully indicated by diacritical marks in the index. familiar with the prominent characters of English history that these shall henceforth seem like old acquaintances, and, in addition, to use every device to make history so attractive to youthful minds as to rouse their enthusiasm and stimulate them to further study. Although all the main facts have been given, least space has been allotted to modern times. That is not only because many of the events which have occurred within the past two centuries are more difficult of comprehension, but because any intelligent child is sure to have them brought to his or her notice in other books. For that reason, also, the wars in America are merely mentioned, and pupils are referred to United States histories for detailed accounts of them. Original copyright 1898 by H. A. Guerber 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS EARLY TIMES ............................................................... 6 THE STORY OF FAIR ROSAMOND .............................. 42 THE DRUIDS ................................................................. 7 THOMAS A BECKET .................................................... 43 THE BRITONS ............................................................... 8 THE MURDER OF THOMAS A BECKET ....................... 44 CAESAR IN BRITAIN ................................................... 10 RICHARD'S ADVENTURES .......................................... 46 QUEEN BOADICEA ...................................................... 11 RICHARD AND THE SARACENS ................................... 47 THE GREAT WALLS ................................................... 12 THE FAITHFUL MINSTREL ......................................... 48 THE GREAT IRISH SAINT ........................................... 13 DEATH OF RICHARD ................................................... 49 THE ANGLO-SAXONS ................................................. 14 THE MURDER OF ARTHUR ......................................... 50 BRAVE KING ARTHUR ................................................ 16 THE GREAT CHARTER ............................................... 51 THE LAWS OF THE SAXONS ........................................ 16 THE WEAK RULE OF HENRY III ................................ 53 THE STORY OF ST. AUGUSTINE ................................. 17 A RACE ....................................................................... 54 THREE GREAT MEN ................................................... 18 PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS ...................................... 55 THE DANISH PIRATES ................................................ 19 THE CONQUEST OF WALES ........................................ 56 KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES ................................. 21 A QUARREL WITH FRANCE ........................................ 57 ALFRED CONQUERS THE DANES ................................ 22 THE INSOLENT FAVOURITE ....................................... 60 A KING'S NARROW ESCAPE ....................................... 24 BRUCE AND THE SPIDER ............................................. 62 THE KING AND THE OUTLAW .................................... 24 DEATH OF EDWARD II................................................ 64 THE MONASTERIES .................................................... 25 THE MURDERERS PUNISHED ..................................... 65 AN UNLUCKY COUPLE ............................................... 26 THE BATTLE OF CRECY ............................................. 66 ST. DUNSTAN .............................................................. 27 THE SIEGE OF CALAIS................................................ 67 KING CANUTE AND THE WAVES ................................ 28 THE AGE OF CHIVALRY ............................................. 68 A SAXON NOBLEMAN ................................................. 30 THE BATTLE OF POITIERS ......................................... 70 LADY GODIVA'S RIDE ................................................ 31 THE PEASANTS' REVOLT ........................................... 71 THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS ........................................ 32 RICHARD'S PRESENCE OF MIND ................................ 72 THE CONQUEST .......................................................... 33 A TINY QUEEN ........................................................... 74 DEATH OF WILLIAM .................................................. 36 HENRY'S TROUBLES ................................................... 75 THE BROTHERS' QUARRELS ...................................... 37 MADCAP HARRY ........................................................ 76 ARMS AND ARMOUR ................................................... 39 A GLORIOUS REIGN ................................................... 77 MATILDA'S NARROW ESCAPES .................................. 41 THE MAID OF ORLEANS ............................................. 79 Original copyright 1898 by H. A. Guerber 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OF THE ROSES ........... 80 THE RESTORATION .................................................. 119 THE QUEEN AND THE BRIGAND ................................. 82 PLAGUE AND FIRE .................................................... 120 THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER ..................................... 85 THE MERRY MONARCH ........................................... 121 RICHARD'S PUNISHMENT ........................................... 86 JAMES DRIVEN