taken up and preached by other pious and learned men; and the Reformers were soon joined by great numbers of English as well as Germans.

12. Even Henry began to show them some favour; and having already defied the Pope, and called himself Head of the Church, he proceeded to destroy the monasteries throughout England, turn the monks out into the world, and seize upon their incomes. Then followed a long and terrible persecution. Henry made a law that every one on pain of death must believe what the Head of the Church believed. By this law Roman Catholics were burned to death for not acknowledging him Head of the Church; and Protestants, for not believing his Popish errors. Such numbers suffered death through it that it was ever after known as the Bloody Statute.

13. Henry, having now become tired of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and fallen in love with the beautiful Jane Seymour, accused Anne of being unfaithful, and had her beheaded. The very next day he married Jane Seymour; but only lived with her a year; for she died after giving birth to a son (afterwards Edward VI.). He then married a fourth wife, Anne of Cleves; but not liking her, he put her away, with a pension of £3000 a year. The same year he married a fifth wife, Catherine Howard; but before another year was gone he had her beheaded, because she was accused of misconduct before marriage. Shortly afterwards he married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr, who outlived him.

14. During the latter part of his life Henry became very fat and heavy, and was much troubled with ulcers in his legs, which prevented him from walking; and not having patience to bear his infirmities, he is said to have been more like a chained lion than a human being. He spared no man's life who opposed his wishes, and gained the character of a bloodthirsty tyrant. It is said that seventy-two thousand persons suffered death for various offences during his reign. He left three childrenMary by Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth by Anne Boleyn, and Edward by Jane Seymour-each of whom afterwards sat upon the throne.

b. In this reign the Bible began to find its way to the houses of the people, made cheaper by means of printing, which had just been invented. The Church Prayer Book was compiled by Cranmer, Henry's adviser after Wolsey's death. Henry gained from the Pope the title of Defender of the Faith, for writing a book against Luther. All English sovereigns since that time have used this title. It may be seen in the letters F.D. (for Fidei Defensor) on our coins. A great meeting took place in France be

tween Henry and the French King; and so great was the splendour displayed, that the place of meeting was called The Field of the Cloth of Gold. P'ins were introduced from France by Catherine Howard. Cotton thread was invented. Beef and mutton sold at a halfpenny per pound; veal and pork at three farthings. Workmen's wages threepence and fourpence per day.

EDWARD VI.

A.D. 1547 to A.D. 1553.-6 years.

He

15. Edward VI. was the son of the late King and Lady Jane Seymour. Being yet only ten years of age, his uncle, the Duke of Somerset, a wise and good man, was made Protector. was a firm Protestant, and with Archbishop Cranmer's help did much towards the great Reformation. Ridley also, and Latimer, two holy and learned bishops, helped greatly to establish the newly-taught truths; and in the churches the English Prayer Book took the place of the Latin mass-book. The Bible now began to be much read, and the Protestant religion became firmly rooted in the kingdom.

16. The late King had expressed a wish that when Edward came to the throne he should marry Mary, the young Queen of Scotland. This match was accordingly proposed, but the Scotch would not consent. Somerset therefore led an army into Scotland, and gained the Battle of Pinkie. But Mary fled to France, and married the Dauphin—that is, the eldest son of the French King.

17. Soon after this, Somerset, by taking too much power to himself, lost the favour of the people; and the Earl of Northumberland, who envied him, sought his ruin. Many charges being brought against him, he was arrested for high treason and beheaded; and Northumberland took his place as Protector.

18. The King's health now began to give way, and Northumberland, thirsting for still greater power, persuaded him to make a will, leaving the crown to Lady Jane Grey, the Earl's daughter-in-law. Edward grew worse; and Northumberland, ever by his bedside, placed him under the care of an old woman, who engaged to cure him. The young King, however, died; and it is even suspected by some that his end was hastened by poison. He was amiable and learned, and much lamented by the nation.

MARY I.

A.D. 1553 to A.D. 1558.-5 years.

19. On Edward's death, Lady Jane was proclaimed Queen by order of her father-in-law, the Protector, very much against her own wish, as she knew that she had no right to the crown. But Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. and Catherine of Aragon, and half-sister of the late King, immediately put forth her claim; and the people being in her favour, Lady Jane gladly gave up the crown to her. Mary ordered Northumberland, Lady Jane, and her husband Lord Dudley, to be arrested. Northumberland was at once put to death. The others, with

sixty more persons, were soon after beheaded.

20. Mary had promised to retain the religious laws of Edward VI., but being a bigoted Romanist she immediately began to undo the work of the Reformation, and to restore Popery. Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, and others were cast into prison; and soon afterwards they, and hundreds besides, were burned at the stake. Smithfield, a part of London, was the chief scene of these horrid cruelties. There the stake and the fagot were in almost constant use, and the dwellings around were lighted up by the red glare of those fires which were adding so many to the "noble army of martyrs." In the last three years of Mary's reign two hundred and eighty-eight men, women, and children were burned to death for no other crime than being Protestants; and thousands of the clergy had to leave their pulpits, their places being filled by Romish priests.

21. Mary married Philip II. of Spain, a bigoted Catholic: but his conduct towards her was cold and careless; and this, together with the hatred of her subjects and the loss of Calais, which the English had possessed for two hundred years, preyed so much on her mind as to bring on a slow fever, of which she died, after a horrid reign of five years, by which she gained the name of Bloody Mary.

c. During this reign coaches came into use. Before this time ladies rode in litters, or on horseback behind their squires.

ELIZABETH.

A.D. 1558 to A.D. 1603.-45 years.

22. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. When she came to the throne the nation was filled

with rejoicing. The Protestant religion was restored, the Church of England took its present form, and the Thirty-nine Articles of belief which Cranmer had written were placed in the Prayer Book.

23. Mary, Queen of Scotland, who had married the Dauphin of France, now laid claim to the crown of England; but her husband died, and she left France a widow of only nineteen years old, with none to press her claim. She was disliked by her Scottish subjects, as she was a Roman Catholic, and after seven years of trouble she was dethroned. She fled to England, and threw herself on the mercy of Elizabeth; but instead of being treated as a Queen she was cruelly thrown into prison, and confined for nineteen years. During this time several plots were laid by her Catholic friends to release her; and at last one was discovered, by which it was intended to murder Elizabeth and set Mary on the throne. Fourteen of the conspirators were put to death, and Mary was brought to trial and found to have consented to the plot. She was therefore doomed to die, and was beheaded in the year 1587 at Fotheringay Castle, where she had been imprisoned. This is a great stain on the character of Elizabeth.

24. Soon after this, Philip of Spain, who had married Mary I., and after her death offered his hand to Elizabeth, fitted out a great fleet of ships for the invasion of England, partly in revenge for Elizabeth's refusal, and partly with the hope of restoring the Roman Catholic religion. So sure did he feel of success, that he called his fleet the Invincible Armada. It consisted of 130 large ships, and a number of smaller ones. There were 20,000 soldiers on board, and an army of 40,000 on the coast of Flanders ready to be conveyed to England at the shortest notice.

25. The Navy of England contained only thirty small vessels, but a great effort was made by the whole nation, and about 140 ships were sent out in our defence. Lord Howard was the commander, and under him the famous navigators Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher. The Queen, on horseback, bravely addressed the troops at Tilbury, a fort on the Thames below London.

26. The Armada came full sail up the English Channel, stretching for seven miles across the blue waters. The English fleet sailed out of Plymouth Harbour to meet them. The battle commenced, and much damage was done to the ships of the enemy, who, however, sailed along as far as Calais, our little ships chasing them. Off Calais they anchored, and Lord Howard sent eight fire-ships right amongst them, which greatly terrified

them, and threw them into disorder. Our fleet then attacked them with great bravery, destroyed twelve large Spanish ships, and put all the rest to flight. So great was their fear, that they durst not return by the English Channel, but sailed north and went round by the Orkney Islands, where many of their vessels were wrecked. Others were lost on the coast of Ireland, and only a very small portion of the great Armada reached Spain again.

27. Elizabeth, though never married, had great favourites at Court. Towards the close of her life her chief favourite was the Earl of Essex. This young nobleman was brave and generous, but rash and headstrong. He was in the army, and being sent over to quell a rebellion in Ireland, displeased Elizabeth by making peace with the rebels and returning home without leave. For this he was dismissed from service, and sent to prison; but the Queen forgave him. He, however, afterwards raised a rebellion against her; but was taken prisoner, and condemned to die. Now the Queen had once given him a ring, telling him that if ever he should get into trouble, and would send this ring to her, she would protect him. Essex, lying in prison, thought of the ring, and sent it to Elizabeth by the Countess of Nottingham; but her husband was no friend to Essex, and would not allow her to give it up. Elizabeth, no doubt, also thought of the ring, and quite expected it to be sent; but it never came, and Essex was beheaded in the Tower. Two years afterwards the Countess lay on her deathbed, and sent for the Queen, to confess her crime. As soon as Elizabeth heard her confession, she was so enraged that she shook the dying Countess violently, and said, "God may forgive you, but I never will." The Queen never recovered from her grief, but gave herself up to despair. She lay ten days and nights on the floor, refusing to take food or medicine, and died, most likely of a broken heart, in her seventieth year, and the forty-fifth of her reign. With her ended the House of Tudor.

d. In this reign two famous Acts were passed-the Act of Supremacy, by which all servants of the State had to take an oath declaring Elizabeth to be Head of the Church, and that no foreign prince or bishop had any authority in this country; and the Act of Conformity, by which all persons were forbidden to worship except according to the forms of the Established Church. By these two Acts much persecution was caused. Many Roman Catholics were put to death; and the Puritans, who wished for a more complete reformation from Popery, were fined and imprisoned.

Tea

e. First voyage round the world made by Sir Francis Drake. brought from China by the Dutch; potatoes and tobacco from America by