Little Arthur's history of England

by Lady Maria Callcott

The wise old king, Henry the Seventh, had been very careful to keep peace with the French and Scotch all his life, but the young king liked the thoughts of gaining a little glory by fighting; so very soon after he became king, he had a war with France, and another with Scotland.

The war with Scotland ended sadly for the Scotch. The English army was commanded by a very brave and clever nobleman, named the Earl of Surrey, and he had with him several brave lords and knights. The Scotch army was almost all made up of the boldest and best men in Scotland, with their own king, James the Fourth, to command them. The two armies met at a place called Flodden Field. They fought all day; sometimes one side got the better and sometimes the other; so when night came, nobody knew which had beaten the other. But in the morning the Scots found that they had lost their king, whom they all loved very much, and that with him the best and bravest of the Scottish nobles had been killed.

After this there was peace between Scotland and England.

As to King Henry’s war in France, it did not last very long. I told you Henry was young, and wished for the kind of glory that princes gain by fighting. But he forgot that, besides the glory, there must be a great deal of fatigue and suffering; so, after one battle, he was persuaded to make peace. That one battle was called the BATTLE OF THE SPURS, because the French made more use of their spurs, to make their horses run away, than of their swords to fight with.

Not long after this battle, the old French king died. The new king was called Francis the First. He was almost as young as Henry the Eighth. He was handsome, too, and very fond of gaiety, and dancing, and riding, and feasting, and playing at fighting, which is called jousting. So the two young kings agreed that they would meet together, and have some merry days. And so they did.

Henry VIII. embarking for France.

They met near a place called Ardres, in France. The richest noblemen, both of France and England, and their wives and daughters, were there. The tents they feasted in were made of silk, with gold flowers; their dresses were covered over with gold and jewels; even their very horses were dressed up with silk and golden fringes; and there was feasting, and dancing, and jousting, and music every day.

The two kings amused themselves with dancing, and all sorts of games, till at last they found it was time to go home, and mind the affairs of their own kingdoms.

This meeting was called THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD, because there was so much gold in the dresses and tents, and the ornaments used by the kings and their lords and ladies.