DEATH OF THE RED KING.

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VIII. DEATH OF THE RED KING.

1. When the Conqueror died, his son William became king. He was called Rufus or the Red, from the colour of his hair.

2. He was very fond of hunting, and in the month of August, in the year 1100, he had arranged to go with a number of lords and gentlemen to hunt in the New Forest which his father had made in Hampshire.

3. When the morning came, however, he had no desire to go. He thought that some dreams (which he and a monk had seen during the night) foretold his death.

4. As the party could not go hunting they had a feast. When the king had taken several cups of wine he began to laugh at his fears, and made up his mind to go after all.

5. On reaching the Forest they went off in different directions after the stags, and only one gentleman, Sir Walter Tyrrel, was left with William.

6. By and bye the king wounded a stag, and as the animal stood still for a moment, not knowing which way to run, he called aloud to his companion, "Shoot, Tyrrel, shoot!"

7. As quick as lightning an arrow went from Tyrrel's bow, but instead of going straight to the mark it struck first a tree and then the king. It pierced his breast, and without a word he fell from his horse and died.

8. Tyrrel was so alarmed at what he had done, that he went as quickly as he could to France. He thought he would be safer there than in England.

9. In the evening the dead body was found by a charcoal burner, who put it into his cart and took it to Winchester, where it was buried. William had been a bad king, and, therefore, the people were not sorry at his death.

A monk, a man who lives in a house called a

religious
monastery.
Ar-rang'ed, planned, settled.
Char'coal, coal made by burn-

Death of the Conqueror,
Death of the Red King,

ing wood covered over with
turf.

Di-rec'tions, ways, roads.
Win'ches-ter, a cathedral city of
Hampshire.

SUMMARY.

A.D. 1087.
1100.

When William the Conqueror died, his son William became king. He was called Rufus or the Red, from the colour of his hair. One day, while hunting in the New Forest, he was shot by Sir Walter Tyrrel. Tyrrel fled to France. William's body was found by a charcoal burner, and buried at Winchester. He was not a good king.

IX.-WRECK OF "THE WHITE SHIP."

1. In the year 1125, Henry the First, King of England, was in France. When he was ready to return, a sailor named Fitzstephen went to him and said, "My father steered the ship which carried your father the Conqueror to England, when he went to fight against Harold, and I should like to have the honour of taking you."

2. Henry replied, "I have chosen my ships, and they are all ready for sea, but my son, Prince William, shall go with you."

3. The king set sail soon after, and reached

WRECK OF "THE WHITE SHIP."

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England in safety. Not so did Prince William. He and his friends went on board Fitzstephen's vessel, which was called The White Ship, but he was in no hurry to sail.

4. He stayed to give the sailors wine, and to feast and dance with the ladies and gentlemen who were with him. It was night before they started, but Fitzstephen said that they would soon overtake the king.

5. All the sails were spread. Fitzstephen stood at the helm, and fifty strong sailors pulled at the oars. The ship flew through the water.

6. As the captain and his men had taken too much wine they never thought of danger, or looked where they were going. Presently there was a dreadful crash. The ship had struck on a rock.

7. Prince William and some of the nobles let down a boat and got into it. They had rowed a short distance when the prince heard his half sister calling for help. "Pull back," he said, "I cannot leave her to perish." As soon as they approached the ship again so many leaped into the boat that it sank with their weight, and all were drowned.

8. Of the three hundred persons who were on board The White Ship only one man, a butcher, lived to tell the story of its loss. Fitzstephen clung for a long time to a mast, but when he heard that the prince had perished he let go his hold, and fell into the sea.

9. The sad news reached England on the morrow, but no one dared to inform the king. After waiting for three days a little boy was sent to tell him.

10. The king grieved so much at the loss of his son that it is said he was never afterwards seen to

Henry the First spent some time in France. When he was ready to return, a sailor named Fitzstephen wished to take him to England. Henry could not go with him, but he said that his son Prince William might do so. The king reached England safely. Prince William was late in starting, and the ship which he was in struck on a rock. He got into a boat, and might have been saved, but he went back for his half sister, and then so many leaped into the boat that it sank. The king was never seen to smile after the death of his son.

X.-MURDER OF AN ARCHBISHOP.

1. In the reign of Henry the Second there lived a very clever man in England named Thomas à Becket. He was a clergyman, and was made Archbishop of Canterbury by the king.

2. Before he was raised to that high office he had been a great favourite with Henry, but as soon as he became Archbishop he began to oppose the king.

3. His conduct made Henry very angry of course, and once when the king was in France he heard such complaints about Becket that he exclaimed in great wrath, "Is there no one who will deliver me from this troublesome priest?"

4. Four knights heard these angry words, and, thinking to please the king, they set off at once for England, determined to kill the Archbishop.

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5. As soon as they arrived in England they went with some friends to Canterbury. In the evening they found that Becket had gone to the service in the cathedral, and, therefore, they followed him there.

6. When the armed men reached the church, all who were there fled, except Becket and his crossbearer.

7. As the building was almost dark, one of the knights called out, "Where is the traitor?" There was no answer. Then he called out again, “Where is the Archbishop?"

8. "Here am I, but no traitor," replied Becket, "ready to suffer in my Saviour's name." "Thou art a prisoner," said the knight, taking hold of him, but he shook himself free.

9. At last another of the knights struck at the Archbishop with his sword, and with a few blows he was killed.

10. The people looked upon Becket as a saint, and thousands of pilgrims used to go every year to his tomb. Henry was very sorry when he heard of the murder. As a punishment for his hasty words, he walked barefoot into Canterbury, and allowed the bishops and monks to whip him.