burning of St. Paul's Cathedral, the stones of which cracked like bomb-shells. A scaffolding around this ancient building aided the flames to creep up the sides of the spire, until they had wrapped the whole in a red mantle of destruction. Here the pouring down of lead was perhaps more terrible and more destructive than anywhere else. 12. The falling roof of St. Paul's broke into St. Faith's, where a great number of books had been stored by the stationers; and these, taking fire, burned for a week. All the metal-work of the great building, including iron as well as lead, melted almost at once in the fierce heat; and the bells were also destroyed. 13. The smoke of the burned dead filled the city with its nauseous smell; and this, coupled with the fact that men, walking a good way off from the fire, had their hair singed and the soles of their feet burned, prevented persons from going out to look on from mere 'curiosity. And when to all these causes of fear and trouble there was added a rumour to the effect that the French and the Dutch had landed and were in the city, we shall have some idea of the state in which London was during that terrible week. a-bat-ed, went down. a-void-ing, shunning; escaping. see. de-struc-tive, mischievous; ruinous. de-vour-ing, swallowing; eating up. fos-tered, nourished. fur-nace, great fire. stu-pe-fied, made senseless. 17. THE REBUILDING OF LONDON. 1. Methinks already from this chymic flame1 2. Already, labouring with a mighty fate, She shakes the rubbish from her mounting brow, And seems to have 'renewed her charter's date, Which Heaven will to the death of Time allow. 3. More great than human now, and more August,3 4. Before, she like some shepherdess did show 5. Now like a maiden queen she will behold From her high turrets, hourly, suitors come; The East with incense and the West with gold Will stand like 'suppliants to receive her 'doom. 6. The silver Thames, her own 'domestic flood, beau-teous, lovely. DRYDEN. la-bour-ing, working. re-newed', made new. suppli-ants, petitioners. 1 Chym'ic flame.-Flame that has the power of changing or transforming. The reference is to the Great Fire tha+ destroyed London. 2 The town which gives the Indies name.-Mexico. 3 August'.-Augusta is the old name of London. 18.-CHARLES II. (PART II.) 1. A great persecution of Presbyterians and Dissenters commenced in the reign of Charles, who, though he had promised not to interfere with religion, set his heart on allowing no form of worship but that of the Church of England. Accordingly, with the help of the Earl of Clarendon, an Act of Uniformity was passed; and two thousand ministers, who had got their 'livings under Cromwell, were turned out, and forbidden to preach. 2. Many Dissenters were thrown into prison. One of these was John Bunyan, who 'lay twelve years in Bedford jail, and wrote The Pilgrim's Progress during his prison life. Heavy fines were laid on all who refused to worship in the Church of England. Any who met in other churches were hunted down by bands of soldiers, and were imprisoned. 1667 A. D. 3. A war, in which the English had the best of it, had been carried on against the Dutch for several years by sea; but once the Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames, burned many ships, destroyed Sheerness, and retired. Never before had an enemy's guns 'been heard by the people of London; and they have never been heard since. 4. A few years later, a disgraced clergyman, named Titus Oates, spread a report that a plot was 1678 A.D. laid by the Catholics to kill the King, destroy London, and massacre all the Protestants. This caused so much alarm that many Catholics were put to death, two thousand were cast into prison, and thirty thousand were driven out of London and forbidden to come within twenty miles of the city. 5. As Titus Oates was rewarded with £1,200 a-year, other wretches, hoping for 'gain, came forward with similar tales, causing the death or imprisonment of many persons of all classes. 6. In 1679 was passed the famous Act known as Habeas Corpus2-an Act which prevents any one from being kept in prison without trial. 1679 A.D. 1683 A.D. 7. 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 way back from Newmarket3 races. For this purpose a cart was to be overturned in the middle of the road, near the Rye House. But the whole was found out, and the plotters were put to death. Monmouth fled to Holland. 8. Charles the Second died in 1685. Before his death he declared himself to have been a Roman Catholic, though he had said all his life that he was a Protestant. Charles's love of pleasure gained for him the title of "The Merry Monarch." 1685 A.D. 4 9. The Test Act, requiring all officers of the Crown to declare themselves members of the Church of England, was passed in 1673. The names Whig" and "Tory" took the place of "Roundhead" and "Cavalier." 66 been heard by, been fired so near to. | liv-ings, churches. gain, reward. lay, was confined. 1 Sheerness.-A sea-port on the island of Sheppey; 40 miles from London. 2 Hab'eas Cor'pus. -A writ addressed to the keeper of a prisoner, requiring him to produce him for trial at a certain time. It is so called from its opening words, addressed to the set his heart, made up his mind. sim-i-lar, like. |