flight of the cavalry, the drivers of the carts which carried the powder took fright, and whipped their horses into a jolting gallop. This left the brave infantry in the unfortunate position of having guns, but no 'ammunition to make the guns useful. They cried eagerly for "ammunition;" but, getting none, they were forced to turn their muskets into clubs, and to beat at the enemy with the heavy butts. 9. During these events the cannon of the King's army were crossing the moor with great difficulty. They could scarcely have been pulled across the wet half-mile at all, had not a bishop, living near, lent his coach-horses and harness for this purpose. Long as the cannon were in coming, and badly as they were managed when they came, their fire did what no attack had yet been able to do. It broke the line of Monmouth's musketeers and pikemen, and put an end to the Battle of Sedgemoor. 10. A few days later, some soldiers, searching a thicket, between two fields, found a pale and frightened man lying in a ditch. He wore a shepherd's dress, and the stubble of his gray unshaven beard gave his face a wretched look. He shook 'violently, and could not speak. This was Monmouth. He had a few green peas in his pocket; because, although he had a watch and money, he was so afraid of capture that he dared not go to buy food, and was forced to eat what he could gather near his hiding-place. He was executed shortly afterwards on Tower Hill. am-mu-ni-tion, powder and shot. ap-proach', going near. in-dis-tinct', dim. poaching, killing game unlawfully. un-for-tu-nate, unlucky. vi-o-lent-ly, very much. 21.-JAMES II. (PART II.) 1688 1. The spirit of the English was now 'roused against James beyond all hope of peace. The chief of the nobles and clergy wrote to · A.D. William, Prince of Orange, asking him to come and take the crown. William had married James's daughter Mary, and was also grandson of Charles the First and nephew of James. He agreed to come, and he landed at Torbay1 in Devonshire with 15,000 men. 2. 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 now was to get himself safely out of the country, and also 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. 3. He was no sooner on board, however, than he was seized, and taken back to London but a second attempt succeeded; and he was warmly welcomed by the French King, who gave him a home in the Palace of St. Germains.2 There he spent the remaining twelve years of his life, and there he died in 1701. 4. James the Second was a 'reckless and selfwilled King. Like James the First and Charles the First, he believed that he held his crown direct from God, and that he could treat his people as he pleased. By his first wife, Anne Hyde, he had two daughters, Mary and Anne, both of whom sat on the throne; and by his second wife, Mary, he left a son, James, afterwards called the Pretender. 1689 A.D. 5. After the flight of James, the Parliament declared that he had forfeited the crown, and thanked William for his timely help. The crown was then settled on William and Mary. The Declaration of Right, afterwards included in the Bill of Rights, was 'drawn up, stating the extent of the King's power and of the liberties of the People. These events are called the Revolution. drawn up, written out, and agreed to. | settled on, given to. for-feit-ed, lost a right to. 1 Torbay.-A crescent-shaped bay in Devonshire, on which Torquay stands. spir-it, temper. time-ly help, help at the time when it was needed. 2 St. Germains.-On the Seine; 10 miles west of Paris. 22.-WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. -13 years. WILLIAM, 1689 to 1702 A.D. MARY, 1689 to 1694 A.D.-5 years. 1. William had not long been seated on the throne when the banished James made an effort to get back 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. When he entered Dublin thousands flocked to his standard, and he was soon at the head of a large army. 1690 A. D. 2. After failing in the siege of Londonderry,1 and being defeated at the Boyne,2 James fled back to France, leaving his generals to carry on the war as best they could; but William soon overcame them, and returned in triumph to England. WILLIAM III. 1692 A. D. 4. The French King, on the other hand, wished to replace James on the throne of England, and prepared a great fleet to invade its shores. He was defeated, however, off Cape la Hogue, and his plans fell to the ground. Many battles were fought on the Continent by William, but at length peace was made. 1697 A.D. 1701 A.D. 5. To prevent quarrels for the crown, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement. It provided that none but Protestants should in future sit on the throne of England; and that, if William had no children, Anne should succeed him; and that if Anne also died childless, the Prin cess Sophia of Hanover should be heir to the throne. 1702 A.D. 6. In the spring of the next year, while William was residing at Hampton Court, he fell from his horse and broke his collar-bone. His health being delicate, he did not get over the accident. He died at Kensington.5 Mary had died eight years before him. 7. William was an able ruler, but he was not a favourite with the English people. This was due partly to his being a foreigner, and partly to his severe and silent manners. He left no children. 8. Important Events.-In this reign Peter the Great of Russia worked as a ship-carpenter at Deptford. The massacre in their own homes of the Macdonalds of Glencoe, who had been somewhat slow to take the oath of allegiance, throws a shade on William's 'fair fame. del-i-cate, weak. due, owing. 7 [try. fair fame, good name. 1 Londonderry.-On the river Foyle, in the north of Ireland. It was formerly called Derry, but in 1619 a grant of it with some thousands of acres of land was made to various London companies, and it has since been called Londonderry. In the siege, the inhabitants were led by the Rev. George Walker. They were almost starving when the siege was raised by ships entering the Foyle. 2 The Boyne.-A river flowing into the Irish Sea, on the east coast of Ireland. 8 fu-ture, the time to come. throws a shade, causes some blame. side of the peninsula of Cotentin, in the north-west of France. It is 80 miles south of the Isle of Wight. 5 Kensington. Then a western suburb of London, now included in it. In the palace there, Queen Victoria was born in 1819. 6 Deptford (Det'ford), a naval port on the Thames, immediately above Greenwich. 7 Glencoe. In the north-east of Argyleshire, south of Loch Levin. The massacre was brought about by Macdonald's enemies, Sir John Dalrymple and the Earl of Breadalbane. Thirtyeight persons were slaughtered, and many more perished in their flight. 8 Oath of Allegiance.-Swearing 4 Cape la Hogue.-On the eastern to own the King as their King. 3 National Debt.-Money borrowed by the Government to pay the expense of wars. In 1872 it amounted to nearly 800 million pounds. |