said, “I am satisfied; I have done my duty." And so he died. 9. News of Nelson's death came to England with news of the victory; and there was more mourning than rejoicing through the land. But the French fleet was destroyed, and there was nothing more to fear from Napoleon on the sea. 10. Trafalgar Square, in London, is named after this famous victory, and Nelson's column was set up there to his memory. 49. THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON (B. 1769; D. 1852) 1. Nelson's victory destroyed Napoleon's power on the sea; but his power on land was still unbroken. His armies overran all Europe. They conquered every nation. Napoleon overthrew governments and dethroned kings; seized kingdoms, and set up whom he would to reign over them. He made three of his brothers kings. But the Spaniards would not have a brother of Napoleon to rule over them, and they took up arms against him. 2. Then the English sent their armies to help them, under a general named Wellesley, who was afterwards made Duke of Wellington, to fight in what was called the Peninsular War. 3. The fighting went on for a long while; and all over Europe men talked and thought of nobody but this mighty Emperor Napoleon, and his armies that conquered everywhere. But suddenly his good fortune left him. He had marched his army to conquer Russia, and had reached Moscow. But winter came on. The snows were so heavy that they blocked up the roads, and the cold was so great that Napoleon's soldiers, though they were strong men who had borne many hardships, died by hundreds and thousands, and very few ever reached their homes again. 4. At the same time Wellington gained a great victory at Vittoria, in Spain, and drove the French quickly back into France. 5. The news of this victory, and of the destruction of Napoleon's army, spread over Europe, and his enemies took courage and advanced upon France. Napoleon managed to muster another army in a wonderfully short time, and he made a gallant resistance; but it was of no use. 6. The armies of Russia, Prussia, and Austria advanced to the gates of Paris. The citizens of Paris surrendered to them, and consented to abandon Napoleon, and to receive as their king the brother of the king they had killed. And Napoleon was sent to live in a little island called Elba, that lies in the Mediter ranean. 7. Every one thought the struggle was over; but soon news came that Napoleon had escaped from his island and was marching to Paris, and gathering an army as he went. And again the allied armies were called into the field. Lord Wellington gathered his forces together in Belgium, and the Prussian general also collected his army, and planned to join the English. So Napoleon marched into Belgium to conquer the English and Belgian soldiers collected by Wellington, before the Prussians had joined them. 8. The armies of Wellington and Napoleon met at a little village called Waterloo, and fought a deadly battle. The battle began at eleven o'clock in the morning, and at six o'clock in the evening it was still doubtful who would win. Wellington had expected the Prussian army to join him in the battle. So he fought very guardedly all day, waiting to make his most desperate attack till the Prussians were there to help him. But the day went on; the Prussians did not come, and Wellington grew very anxious. At last he saw the smoke of their guns at another part of the field, and knew that they were come. Then he charged boldly from his side, and the Prussians charged from their side, and all the French army broke up and fled. 9. So the war ended, and there was peace; and Napoleon was again taken prisoner, and kept by the English on an island called St. Helena till his death. 10. The Duke of Wellington fought no more battles, though he lived on for a great many years, and was very busy in Parliament. Many people who are still living can remember him quite well. He was rather tall, and he had broad shoulders, and brown hair, keen blue eyes, and a very large hooked nose; and when he grew old he stooped very much, and his hair turned quite white. 50. QUEEN VICTORIA (B. 1819.) 1. So at last the long war with France was over; and after George III., his two sons, George IV. and William IV., reigned one after the other. They had no children, and the heir to the crown was their little niece, the Princess Victoria, who lived with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, in the palace in Kensington Gardens. 2. One morning, very early, when the Princess Victoria was eighteen years old, two gentlemen came driving fast up the road to the palace. They were the Lord Chancellor and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and they came to tell her that her uncle King William was dead, and that she was Queen of England. Everybody was still asleep, the shutters were shut, and the doors fast locked. They knocked and knocked again, but for a long time nobody answered. At last the porter heard them and let them in. The princess was asleep, but got up quickly and came down. There were tears in her eyes when she met them, for she was fond of her uncle King William, and she was much more sorry to hear that he was dead than glad to be Queen of England. 3. Afterwards she went to Westminster Abbey to be crowned, and as she drove through the streets of London crowds of people gathered on the pavement and at the windows and doors of houses, to see her pass and "God save Queen Victoria ! " "Long live to cry, |