EASTERN AND MIDLAND DIVISION. (II.)

1. East England and the Midland Counties form that part of England which lies between the Thames and the Humber.

2. Middlesex is the metropolitan county; but though it contains London, the capital of the British Empire, it is one of the smallest of the counties of England. Its name tells us that in ancient times it was peopled by Saxons. It was the home of the Middle Saxons, as Essex was the home of the East Saxons, and Sussex the home of the South Saxons.

3. North and east of Middlesex there are seven other counties, all of which are usually called "The Eastern Counties." They form the eastern part of Middle England. The three largest of these counties lie on the North Sea-namely, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The other four are inland counties-namely, Hertford, Bedford, Huntingdon, and Cambridge.

4. This district was well known to the Romans. The town of Colchester is built on the site of an old Roman camp and stronghold; and the coast of Norfolk was the scene of the famous battle between Boadicea and the Romans.

5. After the Romans left Britain, the coast of this part of England was the first landing-place of Saxons and Angles, though the great body of the Angles landed and settled farther north, between the Humber and the Forth.

north

6. The names Norfolk and Suffolk mean folk" and "south folk." They carry us back to a time when this part of the country was peopled by Saxons and Angles who called themselves—as in many parts of the country people do still-north country folk and south country folk, according to the part of the district in which they live.

7. It is remarkable how many names in the eastern division of England end in the word “ford.” We have Brentford, Hertford, Oxford, Bedford, Thetford, Stamford, and many others, all telling us of a region of rivers at one time without bridges. Ford is an old Saxon word, meaning "a shallow passage across." At a later period bridges were built, and then such names as Uxbridge and Cambridge came into use.

An-cient, old; past ages.
Bo-a-dic-e-a, a British queen.
Camp, place where army stayed.
Folk, people.

In-land, away from the sea.

Land-ing-place, port.

[tal.

Met-ro-pol-i-tan, belonging to capi
Re-gion, part of country.
Shal-low, low.

Strong-hold, fort; fortified place.

WESTERN DIVISION AND WALES. (III.)

1. This division embraces that part of the country which lies between the Mersey and Bristol Channel. It includes seven English counties and the whole of Wales. The names Chester, Worcester, and Gloucester carry us back to Roman times; for they tell us that these towns were built on the sites of old Roman camps.

2. Chester, on the Dee, is one of the most ancient and interesting cities in the kingdom. It is still surrounded by its old Roman walls, which form a promenade for the citizens. The form of the city is that of a Roman camp with four gates. Some of the old houses have a footway called the "Rows" under the first story.

3. This part of the country contains one of the chief coal and iron districts. Stafford and Worcester are on the great midland coal-field of which Birmingham in Warwickshire is the centre.

4. Staffordshire also contains the group of towns known as the "Potteries," where most of the earthenware of England is produced. Earthenware is one of the chief manufactures of the country, and ranks next to coal, iron, cotton, and wool.

5. North Wales is chiefly a pastoral region. There are great numbers of sheep on the hills. Wool and woollen stuffs are the chief productions. South

Wales is also a pastoral district; but it is a mining

THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND. (IV. and V.)

1. The Eastern portion of the South of England is one of the most interesting parts of our country. It saw the landing of the Romans-the first landing in England of men of the English race--and the landing of the Normans.

2. The Romans landed on the coast of Kent 55 B.C., and beacon-fires on the cliffs of Dover guided their galleys on their way to the Thames for centuries afterwards.

3. The first men of English race who came to England were the Jutes. They landed on the Isle of Thanet, which was at one time separated from

the mainland by a broad sea-channel, through which ships could pass to and from the Thames.

4. The Normans, led by William the Conqueror, landed in 1066 A.D. near Beachy Head, on the coast of Sussex. After defeating Harold, the English king, William became king of England.

5. The Christian religion was first introduced into this part of England by Augustine and his companions, who landed on the Isle of Thanet, and from it went by invitation to meet King Æthelbert and his Queen Bertha, who with their people embraced Christianity. Soon after this there arose an humble wooden church near where now stands the great Cathedral of Canterbury.

6. The Western half of the South of England embraces that part of the country which lies between the English Channel and the Bristol Channel.

7. The rugged coast of Cornwall, to this day a great mining region for copper, tin, and lead, is said to be the place where in early times ships came for supplies of tin. The name Cornwall, or Corn-wales, means "the Welsh of the horn." This district was one of those occupied by the Ancient Britons after they had been driven to the western parts of the country.

Æth-el-bert Chris-ti-an con-quer-or in-vi-ta-tion por-tion Can-ter-bur-y Chris-ti-an-i-ty de-feat-ing mining re-lig-ion ca-the-dral com-pan-ions in-tro-duced' oc-cu-pied Than-et