CHATHAM, CLIVE, AND WOLFE.

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3. But there was a great man called William Pitt, who was at the head of the Government, and was made Earl of Chatham for his services to the nation. He was a splendid orator, and aroused the nation to feel how dangerous the position of England was, and persuaded them to make great sacrifices, and to pay heavy taxes, as nations must do when they are in danger; so the war with France was carried on in every part of the world where English and French met, and especially in India and America, where by this time both nations had dominions.

4. The leader of the English in India was named Robert Clive. He was a clerk at Madras; but the French began to stir up the Indian princes to attack the English merchants, and at length seized Madras.

5. Clive dressed himself up like an Indian and escaped, and thenceforth became a soldier. He captured city after city. Wherever he went he conquered, and at length the French gave up the struggle, and from that time left India to the English.

6. About the same time Pitt sent out a soldier called James Wolfe to fight with the French in America. Their chief city was called Quebec, in Canada; and this city Pitt told Wolfe that he must conquer. It was on the top of a high precipice, and was defended by strong walls, and by soldiers and canBut in the middle of the night Wolfe brought his soldiers to the foot of the precipice in boats. They climbed up in silence by the help of the trees which grew amongst the rocks, and by dawn they were all at the top.

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7. The French general Montcalm was as brave a man as Wolfe himself, and led on his troops to attack the English and drive them back. Wolfe waited till there was but forty yards between them; then he bade his soldiers fire, and at once led them forward at a charge.

8. Wolfe was struck by bullet after bullet, but nothing stopped him, until a third bullet wounded him mortally in the chest. He could stand no longer by himself, and cried to an officer, "Hold me up. Do not let my brave fellows see me drop."

9. So they bore him away out of the battle, and gave him water. Suddenly the officer cried, "They

run! they run!"

10. "Who run?" asked the dying man; and when he knew it was the French, he exclaimed, "Then I die happy."

11. Thus England became supreme in North America as well as in India; but when King George III. succeeded his father, he no longer followed the counsels of Pitt, but chose unwise counsellors, who ruled badly over the English colonists in America; so the colonists declared they would obey the King of England no more. They revolted under a great man named George Washington, and called themselves the United States of America.

12. Lord Chatham protested again and again against the measures which thus drove the English in America to rebellion; but he was no longer listened to, and he died in Parliament after making a great speech to show how the king should rule American subjects more justly. But his son William inherited his

father's genius, and by his wise counsels the English gained the victory in a still greater war with France which soon followed.

48. HORATIO NELSON (B. 1758; D. 1805).

1. King George III. reigned over England sixty years, and just half-way through his reign this great war with France broke out.

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2. The French people had been growing more and more unhappy and discontented under their kings. At length there came the French Revolution. people revolted, and cut off the heads of the king and queen, and of all who favoured them. For a time no man's life was safe, and the whole country was given up to murder and robbery.

3. Then there rose up a Corsican soldier called Napoleon Bonaparte, and he became the leader of the French armies, and was at last crowned Emperor of the French. And he grew more and more proud with his victories, and at last resolved to conquer England and every nation around.

4. The English were determined that this should not be, and they joined with the other nations of Europe to overthrow Bonaparte. So he gathered a vast army with which he meant to invade England, and conquer it for himself.

5. But there was a dauntless English sailor called Horatio Nelson, who pursued the French ships wherever

they went, and upset many of Bonaparte's plans. Since he was fourteen his life had been spent in fighting the battles of his country, and he had lost one eye and one arm in battle.

6. He was a very clever sailor and a brave fighter; and he was such a kind officer that all the men who served under him loved him as if he had been their father. When little boys who had not been to sea before came on board his ship, and were afraid to climb the rigging as sailors must, he used to go up before them, and show them just where to set their feet, and how to catch hold of the cords. He never laughed at them for being afraid, or spoke roughly to them. Then in battle he always shared the dangers of his men ; and in hard times, when there was dearth of food, he refused to fare better than they did, but chose to suffer whatever they suffered.

7. At last Nelson overtook the whole fleet of France at Cape Trafalgar and resolved to attack it, and destroy the French navy utterly. When all the ships were ready, Nelson cried, "England expects every man to do his duty;" and these words were signalled to all the ships, and the men knew that they were to begin to fight. They gave three cheers, and the battle began.

8. It lasted between five and six hours, and before it was half over a bullet struck Nelson, and he fell on his face mortally wounded. Three sailors carried him below, and there he lay in great agony while the battle went on. But when he heard that his men were fighting splendidly, and that twenty French ships had been taken, his face brightened up with joy, and he