19. The country was now in a state of alarm. The army seemed to have all power, and every one feared a military despotism; but General Monk marched from Scotland with 7000 troops, entered London, and proposed a free Parliament. This new Parliament met on the 25th of April 1660, and sent over to Charles an invitation to return to his country and wear the crown. This invitation he gladly accepted, and entered London on the 29th of May, his birth-day.

c. The Quakers, a sect of Puritans, arose about this time; their leader was George Fox. Jamaica taken from Spain (1655), and Dunkirk from the French (1658).

CHARLES II.

A.D. 1660 to A.D. 1685.-25 years.

20. Great was the joy throughout England when young Charles entered London. The road was strewn with flowers, and the bells rang merrily. The people, weary of the severe morality of the Puritans, were very glad to have the throne filled by a King who cared for little else than worldly pleasure; and the gloomy religion of the time was exchanged for a licentious spirit, which too soon spread over the whole nation.

21. In 1665 London was visited by a terrible Plague, which in one summer carried off 100,000 souls. The rich fled in terror from the city, trade and commerce stood still, grass grew in the streets; silence reigned everywhere, broken only by the rumbling of the dead-cart and the sad wail of the plague-stricken inhabitants, strangely mingled with horrid blasphemies proceeding from scenes of rioting and drunkenness, which abounded even in the midst of the fearful pestilence. On many of the dwellings where the plague had entered was written, "Lord, have mercy on us." Great pits were dug in the neighbourhood of London, a quantity of lime thrown in, and into these gaping graves the bodies of the sufferers were thrown, heaps upon heaps, from the cart.

22. In the following year (1666) the Great Fire of London broke out in the night of Sunday, September 2nd. The wind was high, and the flames spread rapidly amongst the wooden houses, burning fiercely for four days, and laying waste all the city from the Tower to the Temple, and from Smithfield to the Thames. Four hundred streets, thirteen thousand houses, and eighty-nine churches, including St. Paul's, were destroyed. The

flames made the night as light as day for ten miles round London, and their red glare could be seen from the Cheviot Hills. This awful fire, however, did great good, by destroying those parts most infected with the plague, which soon quite disappeared.

23. A great persecution of Presbyterians and Dissenters commenced with the reign of Charles, who, though he had promised not to interfere with their religion, was determined to allow no form of worship but that of the Church of England. Accordingly an Act of Uniformity was passed; and two thousand ministers, who had obtained livings under Cromwell, were turned out, and forbidden to preach. Many Dissenters were confined in prison; one of whom was John Bunyan, who lay twelve years in Bedford jail, and wrote the Pilgrim's Progress during his confinement. Heavy fines were laid on all who refused to attend the worship of the Church of England-any who met elsewhere were hunted down by bands of soldiers, imprisoned, and tortured. Numbers of the Covenanters of Scotland, in spite of these cruelties, assembled for prayer and preaching amongst the mountains, and in caves, armed with pistols and swords; but were often put to flight, or cut in pieces, by the fierce dragoons of Claverhouse.

24. A war had been carried on against the Dutch by sea since 1665, in which the English had been victorious; but in 1667 the Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames, burned many of our ships, destroyed Sheerness, and retired. Never before, nor since, were an enemy's guns heard by the people of London.

25. In 1678 a disgraced clergyman, named Titus Oates, spread a report that a plot was laid by the Papists to assassinate the King, destroy London, and massacre all the Protestants. This caused so much alarm that many Catholics were put to death, two thousand cast into prison, and thirty thousand driven out of London, and forbidden to come within twenty miles of the city. Titus Oates being rewarded with £1200 a-year, other wretches, hoping for gain, came forward with similar tales, causing the death or imprisonment of many persons of all classes.

26. In 1679 was passed that famous Act known as Habeas Corpus-an Act which prevents any one from being kept in prison without trial.

27. The last great event of the reign was the Rye House Plot, laid with a view of murdering the King and giving the crown to the young Duke of Monmouth, a natural son of Charles. The plan was, to stop the royal coach and shoot the King on his return from Newmarket races. For this purpose

a cart was to be overturned in the middle of the road, near the Rye House. But the whole was discovered, and the conspirators beheaded or hanged (1683).

Charles II. died in 1685. Before his death he declared himself to be a Roman Catholic, though he had all his life professed to be a Protestant.

d. Test Act passed, 1673. The names "Whigs" and "Tories" took the place of" Roundheads" and " Cavaliers." A rebellion in Scotland (1679), in which Archbishop Sharp, Charles's chief servant in the oppression of the Covenanters, was put to death. Greenwich Observatory built (1676). Guineas coined (1663); so called from Guinea in Africa, where the gold was obtained. St. Paul's rebuilt by Wren (1671 to 1708).

JAMES II.

A.D. 1685 to A.D. 1688.-3 years.

28. The Duke of York, brother of the late King, now came to the throne as James II. Being a strict Papist, he was no favourite with the people; but as he promised to uphold the Protestant religion, none opposed his being King. He, however, went openly to Mass, and soon showed that he could not endure any religion but Popery. He even expressed his intention of making it once more the religion of England. A conspiracy was therefore set on foot for taking away his crown and giving it to the Duke of Monmouth, his nephew. Argyle, one of the chief conspirators, was to make a descent on Scotland, whilst Monmouth was to land on the south coast of England. Argyle, however, failed in his attempt, and was taken prisoner and beheaded in Edinburgh before Monmouth landed.

29. When Monmouth arrived at Lyme, in Dorset, he had but about 100 followers; but as the common people were in his favour, he was soon at the head of 6000 men. He was met, however, by the King's forces at Sedgemoor, in Somersetshire, and totally defeated. He fled on horseback as far as his horse could carry him; then changing his clothes for those of a peasant, he wandered about for two days; after which, by means of bloodhounds, he was found hiding in a ditch, half-famished, with a few peas in his pockets. When taken before the King he begged for life; but James knew no mercy, and had him put to death on Tower Hill. His followers who were taken prisoners in the battle were cruelly treated. Many were murdered in

cold blood after the battle by Colonel Kirke, who hanged them by scores on the sign-post of an inn at Taunton. Numbers more were condemned to most cruel deaths by the brutal Judge Jeffreys-a ready tool in James's hands-who, for his zeal in this foul butchery, was made Lord Chancellor.

30. James, feeling now safe upon the throne, began to unfold his great design-which was to make England once more a Roman Catholic country. He made laws removing all penalties from Papists and Dissenters. This in itself was a right act; but it was known to be for the sake of the former only, and that very soon they alone would be free. He then forced upon the Universities Roman Catholics to fill the highest places; and drew up a Declaration of Indulgence, which gave liberty of conscience to all his subjects. This he ordered to be read in all the churches. Six Bishops, with an Archbishop at their head, wrote a petition against it. James, in anger, sent them all to the Tower, where they remained for a week before they were brought to trial. But when he heard the shouts of joy that rang through the streets of London at the news that the jury had pronounced the Bishops "Not guilty," his anger knew no bounds; and he resolved by force of arms to bring his people to obedience. For this purpose he sent over to Ireland for soldiers, who, being Papists, would more zealously do his bidding, and assist him in governing the nation.

31. But the spirit of the English was now roused against him never more to be reconciled. An invitation was sent by the chief of the nobles and clergy to William Prince of Orange, who had married James's daughter Mary, and was also grandson of Charles I. and nephew of James, to come and take the crown. William accepted the invitation, and on November 5th, 1688, landed at Torbay, in Devonshire, with 15,000 men. Very soon all England declared in his favour. All James's friends forsook him. Even his younger daughter Anne, and her husband George, Prince of Denmark, were on the side of William. James's first care was now to provide for his own safety and that of his wife and son. These he sent to France, and himself fled by night to Sheerness, where a vessel was waiting to take him to them. He was no sooner on board, however, than he was seized, and was then brought back to London; but a second attempt succeeded; and he was warmly welcomed by the French King, who found him a home at the Palace of St. Germains, where he spent the remaining twelve years of his life, and died in 1701. By his first wife, Ann Hyde, he had Mary and Anne, who both

held the throne; and by his second, Mary, he left a son, James, afterwards called the Pretender.

32. In the beginning of 1689 a vote was passed by Parliament declaring that James had forfeited the crown, and thanking William for his timely help. The crown was then settled upon William and Mary; and a Bill of Rights was drawn up and signed by William, stating the extent of his power and the liberties of the people. These events are styled the Revolution.

WILLIAM III. AND MARY II.

WILLIAM, A. D. 1688 to A.D. 1702-14 years.

MARY, A.D. 1688 to A. D. 1694-6 years.

33. William had not long been seated on the throne before the banished James resolved on making an effort to regain the crown. With the help of the French King, he landed in Ireland with a small force. The Irish, being Roman Catholics, were in his favour; and when he entered Dublin thousands flocked to his standard, and he was soon at the head of a large army. 34. He first laid siege to Londonderry, in Ulster-a part of Ireland where the Protestant religion prevailed; and for some months the inhabitants suffered greatly for want of food: but at length an English ship forced its way up the river Foyle, and brought provisions to the starving people; and during the next night the siege was given up.

35. William then sent over Marshal Schomberg with 16,000 men: he himself followed shortly, and raised the force to 40,000, with which he marched to meet the army of James. A great battle was fought on the banks of the Boyne, and James's army totally defeated (1690). James fled back to France, leaving his generals to carry on the war as best they could; but William soon brought these to submission, and returned in triumph to England.

36. Soon after this occurred the Massacre of Glencoe, which throws a dark shade over the fame of William. He had proclaimed pardon to all the rebellious Highland clans who should submit and sign the oath by the last day of 1691; and threatened that any who would not comply should be put to death. One chief, named Macdonald of Glencoe, refused. Before the end of the year, however, he repented, and set out on the last day to take the oath at Inverary; but a toilsome journey over snowy hills threw him a day or two late. He was nevertheless allowed to take the oath and return home. William was in