with him hand to hand. But at last he was cut down and killed. Then the soldiers placed Richard's crown on the Earl of Richmond's head, and shouted "Long live King Henry the Seventh!" 9. King Henry the Seventh married a princess of the House of York. Her name was Elizabeth; she was the daughter of Edward the Fourth, and the sister of the little princes who were murdered in the Tower of London. And so the Roses were united and the wars ceased. 30. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (B. 1445; D. 1506). 1. In these old times the people of Europe knew very little about the rest of the world. They believed the earth was round, but were not sure; and they thought the great Atlantic Ocean stretched right away from the western coasts of Europe to the eastern coasts of Asia. 2. There was an Italian sailor, called Christopher Columbus, who determined that he would sail straight across this ocean and get to the Indies that way. But he had no money to fit out a ship, so he went to all the kings in Europe and begged them in turn to give him a ship for the voyage. But they all thought him mad, and would do nothing, until at last the Queen of Spain was persuaded to believe in him. So she made him an admiral, and gave him three ships, and he set off across the unknown ocean with ninety sailors and food for a whole year. 3. But when they had sailed over the wide sea for many weeks, the sailors lost courage and prayed him to turn home. But Columbus would not stop, and the ships sailed on and on. At last, one day Columbus was standing on the poop of his vessel, and looking out, as he had looked out so often before, when all at once he saw a light. He called a man to him, and the man saw it also; then he called a second man, and the second man saw it; and then Columbus was sure that he had at last got round the world to Asia, for this light could not be burning out in the sea, but must be some fire kindled upon firm ground. 4. And now all the sailors were glad, and forgot their weariness and their longing to return home. They pushed on the ships, and soon came truly enough to firm land, and they cast anchor and went ashore; and Columbus knelt down and kissed the ground, and gave thanks to God. 5. Everything in this new country was strange and wonderful. The people wore no clothes, and their skins were of dark yellow, and many of them were painted all over with gay colours and curious designs. At first they were in fear of Columbus and his men and fled from them; but after a little, when they grew accustomed to their look, they came near, making friendly signs to them. Speech was of no use, for neither understood the language of the other. But they made signs, and smiled and bowed, and showed plainly that they wished to be friends. Then Columbus gave them toys and trinkets that he had brought with him, glass beads, which they hung on their necks and arms, and little coloured caps, which they stuck on their heads. And they were so pleased with these that afterwards they came swimming to the ships, bringing with them parrots and fruits, and some of the darts and spears that they used in battle; and they offered these things to the sailors in exchange for more beads and caps. 6. Then, after three months, Columbus sailed away again, and got back to Spain, and went straight to court to tell Queen Isabella all that he had seen and done, and how he had reached the East Indies. He knelt down and kissed her hand, and she bade him rise up and sit beside her. And then he told her all the story of his voyage, and made her presents of strange birds and beasts that he had brought home with him. And throughout all Spain he was treated with great honour. 7. But Columbus had not come to the East Indies at all. The land he had visited was one of the group of islands now called the West Indies, which lie in the Mexican Gulf, between North and South America. Next year he went back again, and discovered more land; and from that time navigators were continually going to and fro and exploring further and further, till at last they knew that it was not India, but a new world which they had discovered, and found that there was another ocean, the Pacific, still beyond, between America and India. 31. HENRY VIII. (R. 1509-1517). 1. Henry the Eighth was the second son of Henry the Seventh, who won the battle of Bosworth, and married Elizabeth of York. So he was welcomed as king both by the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. When his father died he was nineteen years old. He was extremely handsome and strong; he was fond of pleasure and of lively company. He talked and laughed pleasantly, and had, moreover, plenty of sense and cleverness. He was a good scholar too, and liked the company of learned men, and learned men liked him; for whilst his elder brother Arthur was alive he had been brought up to be a priest. But Arthur died, and Henry became king in his place, and married his widow, Katharine of Arragon. 2. Katharine was the daughter of Isabella, the Queen of Spain, who sent forth Columbus on his voyage. It was not usual for a man to marry his brother's widow, but Henry had got special permission from the Pope to do it; and in those days it was always considered right to do what the Pope allowed. 3. Queen Katharine was very pretty and gracefui, and her manners were exceedingly gentle and modest; and she loved the king with all her heart. But as years went on King Henry ceased to love Queen Katharine. He grew more and more wilful and passionate and violent. He wanted to have a son, to be king when he was dead; but of all Katharine's children only one lived, and that was a girl called Mary. |