11. Dermot, that was the name of the Irish prince, agreed to these terms, and several English knights and noblemen undertook the enterprise. After a great many interesting adventures, which are told in the history of Ireland, Dermot was replaced on his throne; but other quarrels arising among the chiefs, the English continued the war, and, after some time, the Irish chiefs acknowledged the king of England as a lord and master of Ireland, which has been under the authority of the English government ever since.
12. Henry the Second died in 1189, and was succeeded by his son Richard, who was called Cœur-de-lion, because he was very brave, so that everybody said he had the heart of a lion.
13. Now it is a very good thing for men to be brave, for I do not know what we should do without brave men for soldiers and sailors, to fight for us; but it is not the most useful quality a king can possess; and I think you will agree with me, when I tell you that Richard the First, instead of staying at home to make good laws, and take care of his subjects, went away to fight, or gain glory, as fighting was then called, in the Holy Land, while all things were going wrong in England, for the want of somebody to keep order.
14. But there was some excuse for him, as everybody in those days thought that the most praiseworthy act princes and nobles could do, was to fight for their religion against all persons who believed differently from themselves; so Richard was very much admired by his people, although he did nothing for their real benefit; but, on the contrary, caused them very much misery, and great distress.
15. Another evil was that the Barons, who went with him to the Crusades, took all their own money as well as all they could get from their tenants, to support themselves and their fighting men abroad, so that the generality of the people were left very poor.
16. A great number, indeed, obtained their freedom, by giving up all they had to their lords; but then they were left without money or employment, and many turned robbers, to save themselves from starving; therefore, you see, it was not always a good thing, at first, for the bondmen to be set at liberty; but it was good in the end, for their children were born free, and, as times got better, the free middle classes began to be of some consequence, and have gone on gradually increasing in wealth and importance, till they have now become the best safeguard and support of the country.
17. While Richard was gone to the wars, his brother John, who was a very bad man, wanted to make himself king in England, and there were some of the nobles who encouraged him, while others defended the rights of the absent monarch; so that there was great confusion, and the laws were sadly disregarded.
18. At last, Richard heard of all these bad doings, and left the Holy Land, intending to come home as fast as he could; but, unfortunately, he was made prisoner, on his way, by the Duke of Austria, and confined in a castle in Germany for some time before the English people knew what had become of him.
19. Richard knew this duke was his enemy, because he had affronted him when in the Holy Land, so he had taken the precaution of disguising himself in passing through his dominions, and took with him only a single page; but, one day, being tired and hungry, he stopped to rest at a village near Vienna, and sent his page into that city to buy some provisions.
20. The youth, foolishly, hung a pair of handsome gloves in his belt, and as gloves were, in those days, only worn by persons of the highest rank, this circumstance excited suspicion, and he was arrested, and obliged to confess the truth.