sessed it, and who treated with scorn and cruelty the pilgrims who went there to visit the tomb of our Saviour, Pope Urban II. urged all Europe to engage in these wars, and Peter the hermit went about everywhere preaching pardon of sin to all who should do so, and declaring that if they died in battle they would go to heaven. Now Robert, whose spirit such a thing just suited, wanted very much to go against the Turks: and offered to give up Normandy to his brother William for five years, provided he would give him enough money to pay the expense of himself and army. William agreed to this, taxed his English subjects to raise the money, and took possession of Normandy.

Finding that he could raise money so easily, William now continued to tax the people very heavily, and even robbed the church to supply himself. This money he spent chiefly in wicked pleasures, but partly on the object on which he professed to raise it, namely: in building a wall round the Tower of London, a bridge over the Thames, and Westminster Hall, the largest room in Europe. Among William's favourite amusements was the chase, and one day while hunting in the 1100 New Forest he was killed. Towards evening, some charcoal burners found the body with an arrow sticking in the breast. They put it in their cart and took it to Winchester. Some say that Sir Walter Tyrrel aiming at a stag, missed it and killed the king; while others say he was killed by his own brother Henry. Sir Walter went to join the wars in Palestine, and on his return denied even knowing that the king was hunting on that day. Who shot the fatal arrow is therefore unknown. The body was buried in Winchester cathedral but the clergy refused to say prayers over it. William died in the 40th year of his age and

the 13th of his reign.

HENRY I. (Beau-clerc.)

1100 to 1135.

You remember how Rufus and Robert agreed that whichever of them lived longest, should succeed the other. On this account, therefore, besides being the eldest son of the Conqueror, Robert ought now to have been king. But on his way back from Palestine, Robert stayed in Italy to marry a wife, and Henry, the Conqueror's son, who was in the New Forest at the time of his brother's death, took advantage of these circumstances to secure the crown for himself. He at once rode off to Winchester, which was then the capital of England, seized the royal treasures, and was crowned at Westminster on the Sunday after. He was surnamed BEAU-CLERC, (fine scholar,) because he had translated Æsop's Fables, and because having been edu- 1100 cated for the church, he was a better scholar than most kings in those days.

As Henry had no right to the crown, he saw that he could only retain it by securing the goodwill of all classes; and the barons saw that if they wanted to oppose Henry, they could only do so effectually by securing the willing help of the people, whom hitherto they had cruelly oppressed. The people, you will observe, were thus courted on both sides. If you would

understand English History aright, it is important that you should mark this state of matters well; since out of this sort of rivalry, arose the necessity for each party to give way in some measure to the other, for the common good; and out of such concessions in turn, arose step by step that mode of government which we now enjoy, by means of Monarch, Lords, and Commons; a Constitution powerful, happy, and free, the glory of Britain and the envy of the world.

Being thus to Henry's interest to secure the goodwill alike of clergy, barons, and people, he contrived to do so by granting a charter, which among other things-1. gave freedom to the church; this pleased the clergy:-2. did away with the marriage-tax, which the barons had hitherto paid to the king, when any of their female relatives were married; this pleased the barons:-and 3. allowed the people to leave their homes whenever they chose, and to keep in their fires and lights as long as they liked; this pleased the people. Further, he married Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III. king of Scotland; and as she was descended from their own ancient line of kings, this also greatly pleased the people.

When therefore, at length the Duke Robert arrived with an army in England, he found Henry's cause so strong, that he was glad to give up his own claim to the crown for a yearly sum of money. Now Henry, finding his brother so easily bought over on this occasion, afterwards offered him a further sum to give up the dukedom; but Robert would not do so. Henry therefore withdrew his first offer, made war upon 1106 him, and took him prisoner at the battle of Tenchebrai in 1106. Robert was brought over to England and confined in Cardiff castle; where, as some say, his eyes were cruelly put out according to the barbarous custom of the age; but where, at all events, he continued to linger nearly thirty years till he died.

But though Henry had thus gained possession of Normandy, the barons did not submit to him till many years after. In 1120 he crossed over to receive their homage, taking 1120 with him his son William, a youth of eighteen. After staying there for some time, the royal party proposed returning to England in separate ships. That in which the young prince sailed, was called the "White Ship." She was manned by fifty rowers, and had on board many of the young English nobles. Instead of setting sail with the rest of the fleet, they feasted and drank until the sun went down ; and then rowed hard to overtake the king. But, alas! when they got near Alderney where the channel abounds with rocks, the White Ship dashed on one

of these and was broken to pieces. The prince might have been saved, for a boat was soon provided for him; but hearing the shrieks of his half-sister, he desired to be rowed to where she was, when such a crowd leaped on board that the boat went down, and all on board perished. One only of all that sailed in the White Ship, was left to tell the sad tale: he was a butcher of Rouen, who got hold of a mast and swam ashore. The news was conveyed to the king by a page, who knelt at his feet and burst into tears; and it is said, that the bereaved father, though he lived for fifteen years after this, was never seen to smile again.

There remained to him now, only his daughter Matilda or Maud. She had been married when very young to the Emperor of Germany, but became a widow after six mouths. Henry now brought her back to England, and forced her to marry Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou, a youth of sixteen; and caused the clergy and barons to swear to secure to her the succession of the

crown.

A great improvement in the coinage took place in this reign. The penny had formerly been divided by marks, as to be easily cut into half and fourth parts when necessary. Hence, the new coins now made to represent these values, received the names we still retain, of half-penny and farth-ing; and were made separately, round in shape, and of silver. As a standard of measure, the length of the king's arm was taken to represent an Ell. Manufactures, for which England is now so celebrated, were introduced in this reign by Flemish immigrants who settled on the Tweed, and at Worsted in Norfolk. Learning too, for which Henry himself was so renowned, flourished in his reign; and the Crusades gave rise to the writing of tales of adventure, called Romances, because they were chiefly written in doggrel Latin. Connected with the Crusades, there arose in this reign an order of knighthood called the "Knights Templars." This order consisted of pious soldiers desirous to protect visitors to the Holy Land, and was so called because the rooms which they occupied at Jerusalem were situated close by the ancient Temple. fashions of this reign were very absurd; especially in gentlemen's shoes, which were shaped like skates, and were so enormously long, that they had to chain the toes to the knees to prevent their tripping; and that natural ornament of the female, her long hair, was cut close almost to the very roots.

The

In 1135, Henry went to Normandy on a visit to his daughter and infant grandson. He was very fond of a kind of small eel called lamprey, which is to be had there in perfection, but of

which he had often been forbidden to partake.

On this

occasion however he indulged in it to excess, and died in 1135 consequence in the 67th year of his age and 35th of his reign. The body was brought over to England, and buried in Reading Abbey.

ACCESSION OF HENRY

RECAPITULATION.

1100

BATTLE OF TENCHEBRAI

HENRY'S ONLY SON, WILLIAM, DROWNED AT SEA

· DEATH OF HENRY IN NORMANDY

· 1106

· 1120 1135

Maud, Henry's daughter, ought now to have become queen. But as in those warlike days most nations were averse to having a female as their chief ruler, the barous and clergy were easily persuaded to lay aside her claims, and to prefer those of Stephen, a grandson of William the Conqueror, by his daughter Adela, wife of the count of Blois. Stephen was strong, brave, active,