thousand work-people and servants out of employment, and large subscriptions were made to prevent their starving, for they were not allowed to leave the city.

7. Large numbers of the poor, who had lost their employment, were engaged to bury the dead. Carts were driven through the streets at night to collect the dead bodies. As there were no lamps, the drivers carried torches in their hands; and as they passed along they rang bells and cried, "Bring out your dead."

8. The dead were not placed in coffins, no mourners followed them to the grave, and no funeral service was read over them. There were so many to be buried that graves could not be dug for them. Large pits were made, and in these the bodies were placed.

9. When the plague was at its height the streets were nearly deserted, and most of the shops were closed. It is said that there were some streets in which all the houses were empty. The people had either fled into the country or had died of the plague.

10. Amongst the few who still walked about the city were poor creatures who had lost their reason. By day and night they wandered about and added to the terror of the inhabitants by uttering wild cries and solemn warnings.

11. There was one man who cried continually as he passed, "Yet forty days, and London shall be destroyed!" Another walked about nearly naked, bearing on his head a dish of burning coal, and

H.R. III.

I

declaring that the Almighty would purge them with fire. A third used to come suddenly from side streets and alleys, and utter in a deep and fearful tone, "Oh! the great and dreadful God!"

12. When the cold weather returned the number of deaths became less, and the disease almost disappeared. Then those who had left the city went back to their homes, the shops were opened, and life went on as usual.

In the reign of Charles the Second a disease called "The Plague' appeared in London. So many people died of it that those who could do so left the city. When a person was known to have the plague, a large red cross was painted on his door, and over the cross the words, "The Lord have mercy upon us!" No one was allowed to leave the house. Carts went through the streets at night to collect the dead. The bodies were buried in great pits. When the weather got colder the disease almost disappeared.

XLVI. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON:

pud-ding

wood-en

1666.

sail-cloth

may-or

ma-chine'
ca-the-dral

re-built' au-thor-i-ty ware-house ex-ting-uish measures ef-forts

1. A few months after the plague had left London, another great trouble fell on the city. One night a fire broke out in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane, near London Bridge.

2. A high wind was blowing at the time, and

large burning flakes were carried to other roofs. In the neighbourhood were many wooden warehouses filled with pitch, tar, sail-cloth, oils, hemp, and other articles which would readily burn, and as the streets in that part were very narrow the flames spread quickly.

3. The lord-mayor, and other gentlemen of authority in the city, were early on the spot, and were urged to order the destruction of the buildings to which the fire was rapidly making its way. But the aldermen, whose houses would be the first to be blown up, would not give their consent, and they thus allowed the fire to extend without saving their own property.

4. When the fire was first discovered an attempt was made to extinguish it by water, but the pipes were found to be empty, and the machine which raised the water was soon burnt to ashes.

5. By eight o'clock next morning three hundred houses had been destroyed, and before long nearly the whole of the city, from the Tower to Temple Bar, was one mass of fire, which at night lit up the country for ten miles round.

6. For three days and nights the flames continued to spread in spite of the efforts of thousands of soldiers, sailors, and other workmen, who were at length employed to blow up houses with gunpowder, and thus make great gaps over which the flames could not pass.

7. Much more than half the city was destroyed by the fire. Eighty-nine churches and thirteen. thousand two hundred houses were burnt, besides

many great warehouses, shops, and public buildings. St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest in England, was one of the churches destroyed.

8. While the fire was raging all the roads leading from London were full of men, women, and children, hurrying away from their burning homes, and carrying with them the few articles which they had been able to save.

9. Thousands of the poor houseless people went to the fields around the city, and lived in tents or huts which had been quickly prepared for them.

10. Both the king and his brother, the Duke of York, took an active part in the measures which were adopted to put out the fire, and to relieve the distress which it caused. They placed guards to prevent thieving, distributed food to the starving inhabitants, and tried to find accommodation for the homeless in the neighbouring villages till their houses could be rebuilt.

11. In memory of the fire a monument, which is still standing, was built near the spot where the baker's shop once stood.

De-stroyed', put an end to; ruined.
Em-ployed', set to work; engaged.
Flakes, loose masses.
House-less, without a home.
Lon-don Bridge, one of the bridges
over the Thames.

The Great Fire of London, .

Mon-u-ment, something to keep us in memory of a person or event.

Tem-ple Bar, one of the old city gates. It was on the side of the city furthest from the Tower. A.D. 1666.

SUMMARY.

Soon after the plague had left London a great fire broke out near London Bridge. For three days and nights the flames continued to spread. Much more than half the city was destroyed. Old St. Paul's Cathedral was one of the churches burnt. Thousands of people went to live in huts and tents in the fields. A monument was after

wards built near the place where the fire began.

1. One of the sons of King Charles the Second was known as the Duke of Monmouth. Although he had no right to the crown, he tried to take it away from his uncle, James the Second.

2. Very soon after James became king the duke, who for some time had been living in Holland, embarked for England, and landed on the south coast. He was very much liked by many of the people, and numbers of them went to help him to fight against the soldiers of King James.

3. A few days after his landing he marched to Taunton, in Somersetshire, and was received with great joy. The people tried to show in many ways how pleased they were to have the duke with them. They strewed flowers in his path, and welcomed him with loud hurrahs, and the young ladies made colours for his soldiers.

4. From Taunton Monmouth marched to Bridgewater, where the mayor and aldermen in their robes of office received him with all honour, and provided food for his followers.

5. He next proceeded through the neighbouring towns, but after ten days he returned to Bridgewater. The king's forces were then close at hand, and from the steeple of Bridgewater Church the duke took a view of them in their encampments on Sedgemoor.