XXIX. THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON:

1666.

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. As there were many wooden buildings near, and the streets in that part were very narrow, the flames spread quickly. By eight o'clock next morning three hundred houses had been destroyed.

3. Very soon 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. For three days and nights the flames continued to spread.

4. To stop the fire from going further, thousands of soldiers, sailors, and other workmen were employed to blow up houses with gunpowder, and thus make great gaps over which the flames could not pass.

5. 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 was one of the churches destroyed.

6. 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

THE LAST BATTLE IN ENGLAND.

71

carrying with them the few articles which they had been able to save.

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

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

us in memory of a person or

event.

De-stroy'ed, put an end to, ruined. | Mon'u-ment, something to keep
Em-ploy'ed, 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,

Tem'ple Bar, one of the old city gates. It was on the side of the city furthest from the Tower.

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 afterwards built near the place where the fire began.

XXX.-THE LAST BATTLE IN ENGLAND.

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. But Monmouth could not stay at Taunton. He had to fight with the king's army on Sedgemoor He thought he would attack the enemy at night, when they would not be expecting him.

5. His soldiers marched as quickly as they could, therefore, across the moor, but when they had nearly reached the king's army they came to a wide ditch which they could not pass.

6. While they were waiting, a pistol went off by accident. The noise aroused the king's guards close by. "Who goes there?" they asked. King Monmouth," was the reply. Upon hearing that the guards fired a volley, and the battle was at once begun. Monmouth's men were neither trained nor well armed, and although they fought very bravely, they were soon defeated.

7. When the duke saw that he would not win the battle, he rode away as quickly as he could, and tried to hide himself until he could find a ship that would carry him back to Holland.

8. But the king had offered a reward of five thousand pounds for the duke's capture, and the soldiers tried hard, therefore, not to let him escape. Two days after the battle they found him in a ditch covered with ferns.

9. At first they hardly knew him. He had on

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73

the dress of a shepherd, with whom he had changed clothes, and he looked very thin and ill.

10. He was taken to London as a prisoner, and was led into the king's presence with his arms tied with a silken cord. Although he begged very hard for his life, his uncle would not forgive him, but ordered him to be put to death.

11. Great numbers of those who had helped the Duke of Monmouth were tried and severely punished. Many were hung, others were sold as slaves, and some were whipped or put in prison. 12. The battle of Sedgemoor was the last battle fought in England.

At-tack' the en'e-my, rush on
those who were on the other
side in war.

Col'ours, flags, banners.
De-feat'ed, beaten in battle.

Ex-pect'ing, looking out for. Fired a vol-ley, fired together. Sedge-moor', a waste and marshy tract of ground in Somersetshire.

Em-bark'ed, set sail, went on Strew'ed, scattered, spread.

board ship.

The Duke of Monmouth, son of Charles the Second, tried to take the crown from James the Second, although he had no right to it. The duke came from Holland to the south of England. Many people joined him. A battle was fought at Sedgemoor, and Monmouth was defeated. The duke fled, but was found hidden in a ditch. He was taken to London, and put to death. Many of those who helped him were punished.

XXXI.-THE SIEGE OF LONDONDERRY.

1. James the Second was so much disliked by the English that at last they asked William, Prince of Orange, who had married one of James's daugh

ters, to be their king. William consented, and James fled to France.

2. By the help of the French King James was soon able to land in Ireland, where most of the people were glad to see him.

3. Many of William's friends, who were chiefly Englishmen, went for safety to the town of Londonderry, which had walls round it to protect it. James hoped to take the town easily, but a minister named Walker persuaded the townsmen to fight bravely for King William, and James was disappointed.

4. He meant to have Londonderry, however, if he could, and ordered his troops to make the attempt. They soon set the town on fire at different places, and knocked down many of the houses with their cannon-balls, but whenever they tried to get into the town they were driven back.

5. At last they resolved to wait until want of food should compel the English to surrender. They made a boom of chains and logs of wood across the river on which Londonderry is built, to prevent ships from carrying provisions into the town. King William sent soldiers from England, but they could not break through the Irish army.

6. Very soon the brave townsmen had very little left to eat. When they had finished their proper food they lived on horse-flesh, tallow, dogs'-flesh, and rats, but even these things were nearly done, and they were beginning to think that, after all, they would have to allow James to enter their town.

7. One day, however, they saw three ships sailing