I am indeed persuaded that the well-grounded love of our own country is the best security for that enlightened philanthropy which is aimed at as the perfection of moral education.

This is the feeling that has guided me in writing “Little Arthur’s History of England.” If it should happily lay the foundation for patriotism in one single Englishman, my wishes will be answered, my best hopes fulfilled.

M. C.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.
The ancient Britons: their houses—clothes—and foodPage [1]
CHAPTER II.
Religion of the ancient Britons—the Druids—the misletoe—the Druids’ songs[3]
CHAPTER III.
How the Romans came and conquered the Britons, and made them work[5]
CHAPTER IV.
How the Romans taught the Britons many things, and how some of them became Christians[8]
CHAPTER V.
How the Romans made a market in London, and used money, and built a wall; and how they improved Bath, and many other towns[10]
CHAPTER VI.
How the Romans left Britain; and how the Angles and Saxons came and conquered the country, and behaved cruelly to the people[12]
CHAPTER VII.
How there were seven chief kingdoms in England; how Augustine and his friends came from Rome and made the people Christians; and how some of the young men went to Rome to be taught[15]
CHAPTER VIII.
How the Angles and Saxons loved freedom, but made laws to punish those who did wrong[21]
CHAPTER IX.
How Egbert became the first king over all England; how the Danes did great mischief to the people; how Alfred, after much trouble, drove them away; and how he built ships and did many other good things[23]
CHAPTER X.
King Edward—King Athelstane; how he beat the Danes in battle, and took some prisoners; how he invited his prisoners to supper, and afterwards let them go free[31]
CHAPTER XI.
How King Edmund was killed by a robber; how Bishop Dunstan ill-used King Edwy; how Archbishop Odo murdered the Queen; what Dunstan did to please the people; how King Edgar caused the wolves to be destroyed; and how his son, King Edward, was murdered by Queen Elfrida[34]
CHAPTER XII.
Why King Ethelred was called the Unready; how the Danes drove away the English princes, and made Canute king; how Canute rebuked his courtiers, and improved the people; and how the Danes and Saxons made slaves of their prisoners and of the poor[38]
CHAPTER XIII.
How King Edward the Confessor suffered his courtiers to rule him and the kingdom, and promised that the Duke of Normandy should be king; how some of his wise men made a book of laws; how Harold, the son of Earl Godwin, was made king; how he was killed in the battle of Hastings, and the Duke of Normandy became king[42]
CHAPTER XIV.
William I.—1066 to 1087.
How William the First made cruel and oppressive laws; how he took the land from the English, and gave it to the Norman barons; and how he caused Domesday Book to be written[48]
CHAPTER XV.
William II.—1087 to 1100.
How William the Second and Robert of Normandy besieged their brother Henry in his castle; how William was killed in the New Forest; and how London Bridge and Westminster Hall were built in his reign[51]
CHAPTER XVI.
Henry I.—1100 to 1135.
How Henry the First married the English Princess Maude; how his son William was drowned; and how he desired that his daughter Maude should be queen after his own death[54]
CHAPTER XVII.
Stephen.—1135 to 1154.
How Stephen was made king; and of the civil wars in his reign[56]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Henry II.—1154 to 1189.
How Henry the Second did many good things for England; how the gentry went hawking; how Strongbow conquered a great part of Ireland; and how the kings of Scotland became under-kings to the kings of England[58]
CHAPTER XIX.
How the Popes wanted to be masters in England; how that led to the murder of Becket; how Queen Eleanor made her sons rebel against their father; why Henry the Second was called Plantagenet[63]
CHAPTER XX.
Richard I.—1189 to 1199.
How Richard the first went to fight in foreign countries, and the evil things that happened in his absence; how the Jews were ill-treated; how King Richard was taken prisoner; how he was discovered and set at liberty; and how he was killed in battle[67]
CHAPTER XXI.
John.—1199 to 1216.
Why King John was called Lackland; how he killed his nephew Arthur; and how the barons rebelled against him, and made him sign the Great Charter[73]
CHAPTER XXII.
Henry III.—1216 to 1272.
Why taxes are paid; how Henry the Third robbed the people; how Simon de Montfort fought against King Henry, and made him agree not to tax the people without the consent of the Parliament[78]
CHAPTER XXIII.
Edward I.—1272 to 1307.
How Edward the First learnt many good things abroad, and did many more to make the people happy; how he caused the burgesses to come to parliament; how he made good laws; why he was called Longshanks[81]
CHAPTER XXIV.
Edward I.—continued.
How King Edward went to war with the Welsh; how Prince Llewellyn and his brother David were put to death for defending their country; how he made war upon Scotland, and put Sir William Wallace to death; and how ambition was the cause of his cruelty[84]
CHAPTER XXV.
Edward II.—1307 to 1327.
Why Edward the Second was called Prince of Wales; how his idleness and evil companions caused a civil war; how he was beaten by Robert Bruce at Bannockburn; how the Queen fought against the King and took him prisoner; and how her favourite Mortimer, had King Edward murdered[89]
CHAPTER XXVI.
Edward III.—1327 to 1377.
How Queen Isabella was put in prison, and her favourite hanged; how Queen Philippa did much good for the people; and how Edward the Third went to war to conquer France[92]
CHAPTER XXVII.
Edward III.—continued.
How the English gained a sea-fight; how King Edward and his son, the Black Prince, won the battle of Crecy; how Calais was taken, and how Queen Philippa saved the lives of six of the citizens; how the Black Prince won the battle of Poitiers, and took the King of France prisoner, and brought him to London[95]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Richard II.—1377 to 1399.
How Richard the Second sent men round the country to gather the taxes; how Wat Tyler killed one of them, and collected an army; how he met the King in Smithfield, and was killed by the Mayor; how King Richard behaved cruelly to his uncles; how he was forced to give up the crown to his cousin Henry of Hereford, and died at Pomfret[101]
CHAPTER XXIX.
Henry IV.—1399 to 1413.
How Henry the Fourth had a dispute with Earl Percy and his son Hotspur about their Scotch prisoners; how the Percys went to war with the King, and were joined by Owen Glendower; how Hotspur was killed in the battle of Shrewsbury; why some men are made nobles, and how they are useful to their country; how King Henry punished people on account of their religion[108]
CHAPTER XXX.
Henry V.—1413 to 1422.
How Henry the Fifth was very gay and thoughtless when he was Prince of Wales, but became a great and wise king; how he went to war with France, and gained the battle of Agincourt; and how the people lamented at his death[112]
CHAPTER XXXI.
Henry VI.—1422 to 1461.
How Henry the Sixth became king while he was an infant; how the Duke of Bedford governed in France; how Joan of Arc persuaded the Dauphin and the French soldiers to take courage; how they nearly drove the English out of France; how Joan was taken prisoner, and put to death[116]
CHAPTER XXXII.
Henry VI.—continued.
How Queen Margaret and Cardinal Beaufort are said to have caused Duke Humphrey to be murdered; how the wars of the White and the Red Roses were brought about; how Edward of York was chosen king by the Londoners[119]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Edward IV. of York.
1461 to 1483.
How the Yorkists beat Queen Margaret at Hexham; how the Queen and Prince escaped to Flanders; why the Earl of Warwick was called the King-maker; how Prince Edward was murdered by King Edward’s brothers; how King Henry and the Duke of Clarence were put to death[122]
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Edward V.
Only ten weeks of 1483.
How Richard Duke of Gloucester was guardian to the young King Edward the Fifth; how he put Lord Hastings to death, and made himself King; and how the little King Edward and his brother were murdered in the Tower[127]
CHAPTER XXXV.
Richard III.—1483 to 1485.
How Richard the Third tried to make the people his friends; how the Duke of Buckingham rebelled and was put to death; how Richard was killed at Bosworth, fighting against the Earl of Richmond, who was made King[130]
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Henry VII.—1485 to 1509.
How Henry the Seventh united the Parties of the White and the Red Roses; how Lambert Simnel, and afterwards Perkin Warbeck, rebelled against him, but were subdued; how the people began to improve themselves in learning; how America was discovered; how King Henry did many useful things, but was not beloved by the people[133]
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Henry VIII.—1509 to 1547.
How Henry the Eighth made war upon Scotland and France, and gained the battle of Flodden and the battle of the Spurs; how he met the King of France in the Field of the Cloth of Gold; how Cardinal Wolsey fell into disgrace and died[138]
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Henry VIII.—continued.
How King Henry married six times; and how he got rid of his wives when he was tired of them[142]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Henry VIII.—continued.
How the Pope and the friars imposed upon the people; how disputes arose in England about religion; how King Henry seized the convents and turned out the monks and nuns; how he called himself Supreme Head of the Church, and put many people to death who did not agree with him in all things[147]
CHAPTER XL.
How Sir Thomas More studied law and became an orator; the wise and good men who visited him; how he was for some time in the King’s favor, but was afterwards imprisoned and put to death, because he would not do everything the King wished[153]
CHAPTER XLI.
Edward VI.—1547 to 1553.
How Edward the Sixth was taught to be a Protestant; how the Protector Somerset went to war in Scotland; how he caused his brother to be beheaded, and was afterwards beheaded himself; how the Duke of Northumberland persuaded the King to leave the kingdom to Lady Jane Grey,[157]
CHAPTER XLII.
The Story of Lady Jane Grey.
How Lady Jane Grey was called Queen for ten days, and was afterwards imprisoned; how she was fond of learning; how she was persuaded to become Queen against her will; and how she and her husband were put to death by Queen Mary[163]
CHAPTER XLIII.
Mary.—1553 to 1558.
How Sir Thomas Wyat rebelled against Queen Mary, but was overcome, and he and many others were put to death; how she offended the people by marrying the King or Spain; and how a great many people were burnt for being Protestants[167]
CHAPTER XLIV.
Elizabeth.—1558 to 1603.
How Queen Elizabeth allowed the people to be Protestants; how they learned many useful things from foreigners who had been persecuted in their own country; how Mary Queen of Scots was driven from her kingdom, and was imprisoned, and at last beheaded, by Elizabeth[171]
CHAPTER XLV.
Elizabeth.—continued.
How Queen Elizabeth refused to marry; how the ships and the sailors were improved in her reign; how some great admirals made many voyages and discoveries; how the King of Spain sent a great fleet and army to conquer England, but could not succeed; and how the English did much harm to Spain[177]
CHAPTER XLVI.
Elizabeth.—continued.
How Ireland was in an evil condition from the conquest; how Elizabeth tried to improve it by sending it wise governors; how the Earl of Desmond’s and the Earl of Tyrone’s rebellions were subdued; how the Earl of Essex behaved ill, and was put to death; and how Sir Philip Sidney was killed in battle[185]
CHAPTER XLVII.
James I.—1603 to 1625.
How the King of Scotland became King of England also; how he and the Queen behaved very unwisely; how he ill-treated the Papists and the Puritans; how the Papists intended to destroy the King and the Parliament, but were prevented; how Prince Charles and the Duke of Buckingham visited France and Spain; how King James did many foolish things, and left his subjects discontented[189]
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Charles I.—1625 to 1649.
How Charles the First was governed by ill advisers; how he made the people pay taxes without the consent of Parliament; how the Earl of Strafford behaved very cruelly, and was beheaded; and how the King’s evil government caused a Civil War[196]
CHAPTER XLIX.
Charles I.—continued.
How, after many battles had been fought, King Charles went to Scotland; how the Scots sold him to the English Parliament; how the army got the King into their power, and appointed judges to try him, who condemned him to death; how, after a sad parting from two of his children, he was beheaded[202]
CHAPTER L.
The Commonwealth.
1649 to 1660.
How the Scotch chose Prince Charles to be their King; how Oliver Cromwell quieted Ireland; how the Scotch put the Marquis of Montrose to death; how Prince Charles’s army was beaten by Cromwell at Worcester; how the Prince escaped to France after many dangers; how the English went to war with the Dutch, and beat them; how Cromwell turned out the Parliament, and was made Protector: and how be governed wisely till his death[208]
CHAPTER LI.
Charles II.—1660 to 1685.
How Richard Cromwell was Protector for a short time; how the people chose to have a king again; how General Monk brought home Charles the Second; how there was again a war with the Dutch; how the great Plague was stopped by the great Fire; how the King chose evil counsellors; how the Scotch and Irish were treated with great cruelty; how the King caused Lord Russell and many more to be put to death[214]
CHAPTER LII.
James II.—1685 to 1688.
How the Duke of Monmouth rebelled against James the Second, and was beheaded; how Colonel Kirke and Judge Jeffries committed great cruelties; how the people wished to get rid of James on account of his tyranny; how the Prince of Orange came over to England, and was made King; and how James escaped to France[223]
CHAPTER LIII.
William III.—Mary II.
1688 to 1702.
How there were troubles in Scotland and in Ireland; how William the Third won the battle of the Boyne; how he fought against the French, till they were glad to make peace; how Queen Mary was regretted at her death; how the East India Company was established; and how King William did many good things for England[226]
CHAPTER LIV.
Queen Anne.—1702 to 1714.
How Princess Anne became Queen because she was a Protestant; how the union of Scotland with England was brought about; how the Duke of Marlborough gained the battle of Blenheim; how Admiral Rooke took Gibraltar; how the Queen was governed by her ladies[232]
CHAPTER LV.
George I.—1714 to 1727.
How the Elector of Hanover became George the First of England; how the Pretender tried to make himself King, but was defeated; how Lady Nithisdale saved her husband’s life; and how the Spaniards were beaten at sea[237]
CHAPTER LVI.
George II.—1727 to 1760.
How George the Second went to war with Spain, and with the French and Bavarians; how the French were beaten by Lord Clive in India, and by General Wolfe in America; how the young Pretender landed in Scotland, and proclaimed his father King; how he was beaten, and after many dangers escaped to Italy[240]
CHAPTER LVII.
George III.—1760 to 1820.
How George the Third, after making a general peace, went to war with the Americans; how General Washington beat the English armies, and procured peace; why the King went to war with France; how Napoleon Buonaparte conquered many countries; how our admirals and generals won many battles; and how there were many useful things found out in George the Third’s reign,[246]
CHAPTER LVIII.
George IV.—1820 to 1830.
How it was this King ruled the kingdom before his father died; how some bad men planned to kill the King’s ministers; how the Princess Charlotte died; how the Turkish fleet was destroyed at Navarino; how the Roman Catholics were admitted into Parliament; and what useful things were done in this reign,[252]
CHAPTER LIX.
William IV.—1830 to 1837.
How the Reform Bill was passed; how slavery in our colonies was abolished; how there were revolutions in France and Belgium; how the cholera broke out; how railways were established; and how the Houses of Parliament were burned down[255]
CHAPTER LX.
Queen Victoria.—1837.
How Hanover was separated from England; how the Queen married her cousin, Prince Albert; how a fresh revolution broke out in Paris, and how Louis Philippe escaped to England; how the Chartists held meetings; how we went to war with Russia; how the Sepoys mutinied in India; how the young men in Great Britain became volunteers; how Parliament was reformed the second time, and means taken to educate the people; how there were a great many discoveries and improvements made[259]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Tower of London[Frontispiece.]
Gregory and AnglesPage [17]
King Ethelbert declares himself a Christian[19]
Alfred learning to read[25]
Alfred in Neatherd’s Cottage[27]
King Alfred building his Navy[30]
King Edward stabbed by Order of Elfrida[37]
William rallies the Normans at Hastings[46]
Battle of Hastings[47]
Dermot, King of Leinster, doing Homage to Henry II.[61]
King Richard I. made Prisoner by the Duke of Austria[71]
Prince Arthur and Hubert[74]
King John granting Magna Charta[77]
Death of Llewellyn, last of the Welsh Princes[86]
Edward the Black Prince waiting on John, King of France[100]
Death of Wat Tyler[103]
Henry of Hereford claiming the Crown of England[106]
Escape of Queen Margaret[123]
Death of the Little Princes in the Tower[129]
Marriage of Henry VII. and Elizabeth of York[134]
Henry VIII. embarking for France[140]
Wolsey entering Leicester Abbey[143]
The Protector Somerset accusing his Brother before King Edward VI.[160]
Lady Jane Grey refusing the Crown[165]
The Spanish Armada[182]
Queen Elizabeth reviewing her Army at Tilbury[183]
King James I. with Steenie and Baby Charles[193]
Strafford going to Execution[200]
Parting of King Charles and his Children[206]
King Charles I. on the Scaffold[207]
Cromwell turns out the Parliament[213]
King Charles II. enters London at his Restoration[217]
Marlborough at Blenheim[235]
The Pretender at Holyrood House[244]
Farmhouse of Hougoumont on the Field of Waterloo[250]
The Marriage of Queen Victoria[261]

LITTLE ARTHUR’S