How did he treat them?

Can you relate the anecdote of the Lord Chief Justice, Sir William Gascoyne?

And do you remember how the king behaved to this upright

judge?

What was the established religion in England at the time we are speaking of?

Was there any disposition, at that time, shewn to get rid of the Roman Catholic religion?

What nobleman endeavoured to bring about a reformation ? How was he treated?

Were those who opposed the Roman Catholic religion generally ill-treated?

By what means did the king hope to put a stop to these religious persecutions?

Of what country did he declare that he was the rightful king? Did he carry on a war against the French, in their own country? Was he successful, at first?

What great battle did he fight?

Who conquered?

What agreement was entered into, on peace being made be

tween England and France ?

Where did king Henry keep his court, after this agreement

was made?

To what age did he live?

In what year did he die?

What was the king's chief pursuit, and what was his general character ?

Who was Wickliff, and what is he sometimes called?

LETTER XVI.

MY DEAR BOY,

In my last letter, I told you something about king Henry the Fifth, and his great wars in France; and I must now bring you to the reign of Henry the Sixth, who was the next king; but, at the time of his father's death, he was only a year old. The duke of Bedford was, therefore, appointed Protector of the kingdom, till the little king should be old enough to govern for himself. The duke of Bedford continued to carry on the war in France; but the affairs of that country took so strange a turn, that the English power in France, in a very few years, was brought entirely to an end. This was accomplished in a way so extraordinary, that it seems almost beyond be

lief.

There lived, in a village in France, a country girl, called Joan of Arc, who had been servant at

an inn; and, this girl had got a notion that she was fated to deliver her country from its enemies. She gave it out that she had particular messages from heaven on this business: and this notion so inflamed the minds of the people, and so raised their spirits, that they were excited to wonderful deeds of courage; and this girl, clad in armour, sword in hand, led the soldiers against the English army, which was then besieging the town of Orleans, and completely drove them away; and with her help, the French continued to gain great advantages against the English. This poor girl was, however, some time afterwards, taken in battle by the English, and was burned alive as a witch. I don't know which to wonder at most, the ignorance of the people in those days, who believed in witches, or the cruelty of burning a poor young woman alive. French, however, continued their successes, till the English had scarcely a place left in France.

The

Things were going on grievously ill, too, all this time, in England. The king had not abilities enough to govern such a nation, and there was dissatisfaction, and a disposition to rebellion, all over the kingdom. I think I have already told

you, that Henry the Fourth (grandfather of this king) had no just title to the throne, but that he got it by force. He was the son of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, the third son of Edward the Third; but the crown, of right, belonged to the family of the second son (on the failure of the first.) Now the duke of York was descended from this elder branch, and, therefore, was the right person to be king. The people, therefore, having so much reason to be dissatisfied with their present king, began to turn their thoughts to the House of York.

In this state of things, a fellow named John Cade, pretended that he belonged to the York family, and that he was the proper king; and he persuaded many people to believe him, and to follow him. He had as many as twenty thousand followers, he got as near to London as Blackheath, and there he encamped his mob of an army, and then marched to London. He was soon, however, driven back as far as Rochester; and, there, many of his friends forsook him. A reward was offered to any one who would put him to death, and bring his head, as a proof that he had done the deed. Cade was then soon seized, and

put to death, and his head was set upon London Bridge.

The duke of York rejoiced in all these disturbances, as they gave him a better chance of having his real claim listened to, and of possess ing himself of the crown. He soon began to shew his intention. The king about this time was seized with an illness, and the duke of York was appointed to govern in his place. Having once acted as king, he did not choose to give up his power, even when the king was restored to health. Now, perhaps, the king's gentle disposition would have led him to give way to the claims of the duke of York; but Margaret, his queen, was a person of a very different disposition, and she proceeded to open war against the duke and his friends. Now this was the beginning of the war between the Houses of York and Lancaster, which you have often heard of, which raged for so many years, and was the cause of so many dreadful battles, and such bloodshed, and savage contentions. War, at all times, is a dreadful scourge to a nation, but a civil war, where those of the same country, and many relations perhaps, and neighbours, are fighting one against