A CHILD’S HISTORY OF ENGLAND
By CHARLES DICKENS
With Illustrations by F. H. Townsend and others
LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, ld.
NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1905
Contents
| [CHAPTER I ANCIENT ENGLAND AND THE ROMANS] |
| [CHAPTER II ANCIENT ENGLAND UNDER THE EARLY SAXONS] |
| [CHAPTER III ENGLAND UNDER THE GOOD SAXON, ALFRED] |
| [CHAPTER IV ENGLAND UNDER ATHELSTAN AND THE SIX BOY-KINGS] |
| [CHAPTER V ENGLAND UNDER CANUTE THE DANE] |
| [CHAPTER VI ENGLAND UNDER HAROLD HAREFOOT, HARDICANUTE, AND EDWARD THE CONFESSOR] |
| [CHAPTER VII ENGLAND UNDER HAROLD THE SECOND, AND CONQUERED BY THE NORMANS] |
| [CHAPTER VIII ENGLAND UNDER WILLIAM THE FIRST, THE NORMAN CONQUEROR] |
| [CHAPTER IX ENGLAND UNDER WILLIAM THE SECOND, CALLED RUFUS] |
| [CHAPTER X ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FIRST, CALLED FINE-SCHOLAR] |
| [CHAPTER XI ENGLAND UNDER MATILDA AND STEPHEN] |
| [CHAPTER XII ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE SECOND] |
| [CHAPTER XIII ENGLAND UNDER RICHARD THE FIRST, CALLED THE LION-HEART] |
| [CHAPTER XIV ENGLAND UNDER KING JOHN, CALLED LACKLAND] |
| [CHAPTER XV ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE THIRD, CALLED, OF WINCHESTER] |
| [CHAPTER XVI ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE FIRST, CALLED LONGSHANKS] |
| [CHAPTER XVII ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE SECOND] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE THIRD] |
| [CHAPTER XIX ENGLAND UNDER RICHARD THE SECOND] |
| [CHAPTER XX ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FOURTH, CALLED BOLINGBROKE] |
| [CHAPTER XXI ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FIFTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXII ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE SIXTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE FOURTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXIV ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE FIFTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXV ENGLAND UNDER RICHARD THE THIRD] |
| [CHAPTER XXVI ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE SEVENTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXVII ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE EIGHTH, CALLED BLUFF KING HAL AND BURLY KING HARRY] |
| [CHAPTER XXVIII ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE EIGHTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXIX ENGLAND UNDER EDWARD THE SIXTH] |
| [CHAPTER XXX ENGLAND UNDER MARY] |
| [CHAPTER XXXI ENGLAND UNDER ELIZABETH] |
| [CHAPTER XXXII ENGLAND UNDER JAMES THE FIRST] |
| [CHAPTER XXXIII ENGLAND UNDER CHARLES THE FIRST] |
| [CHAPTER XXXIV ENGLAND UNDER OLIVER CROMWELL] |
| [CHAPTER XXXV ENGLAND UNDER CHARLES THE SECOND, CALLED THE MERRY MONARCH] |
| [CHAPTER XXXVI ENGLAND UNDER JAMES THE SECOND] |
| [CHAPTER XXXVII] |
CHAPTER I
ANCIENT ENGLAND AND THE ROMANS
If you look at a Map of the World, you will see, in the left-hand upper corner of the Eastern Hemisphere, two Islands lying in the sea. They are England and Scotland, and Ireland. England and Scotland form the greater part of these Islands. Ireland is the next in size. The little neighbouring islands, which are so small upon the Map as to be mere dots, are chiefly little bits of Scotland,—broken off, I dare say, in the course of a great length of time, by the power of the restless water.
In the old days, a long, long while ago, before Our Saviour was born on earth and lay asleep in a manger, these Islands were in the same place, and the stormy sea roared round them, just as it roars now. But the sea was not alive, then, with great ships and brave sailors, sailing to and from all parts of the world. It was very lonely. The Islands lay solitary, in the great expanse of water. The foaming waves dashed against their cliffs, and the bleak winds blew over their forests; but the winds and waves brought no adventurers to land upon the Islands, and the savage Islanders knew nothing of the rest of the world, and the rest of the world knew nothing of them.