For three days he

But in time he came

room and refused to see any one. would neither eat nor drink. home to England, and walked barefoot to Canterbury, and knelt upon the spot where the archbishop was killed, weeping and confessing his sins; and afterwards it became the custom for people to make pilgrimages from all parts of England to the spot where Thomas Becket of Canterbury was murdered.

16. THE GREAT KING HENRY II. (R. 1154-1189).

1. Henry II. grew to be a very great king. Never before had a king of the English reigned over so vast an empire as his, and his dominions were far greater even than Canute's, who ruled over England, Denmark, and Norway. He was the first King of England who was obeyed throughout the British Isles, for he conquered the Kings of Wales and Ireland and Scotland. And he was lord of half France besides.

2. Men wanted to make him King of Jerusalem also, that he might defend the Christians of Palestine, and the places where Jesus Christ was born and where he died. But he was a prudent king. He gathered his councillors together, and asked them whether it was not wiser to remain at home, and govern carefully the great empire which God had already committed to his charge; and they counselled him to stay. So Henry thought no more of the kingdom of Jerusalem.

3. However, this great king was a very unhappy man, for his wife Eleanor was a bad woman who did not love him, and his sons grew up to be reckless and lawless men, who fought with their father and amongst each other, and were brutal and tyrannical to those under them; so that, while all the world envied him as a great and victorious prince, he never was a happy man all his days.

4. Henry had always been very fond of his sons, and very proud of them, for they were splendid and strong, and dashing young soldiers, renowned for their bravery and skill. And Henry tried hard to leave them powerful and glorious when he should die.

5. But while Henry was planning how he might leave a kingdom for each of his sons, Eleanor stirred them up to wait no longer, but to demand that each should have his portion at once; and when the king refused, Eleanor and the princes fled from his court, and joined with the king's greatest enemies, the sovereigns of France and Scotland and Flanders, and with all the traitors in the kingdom, in a plot to dethrone him, and to distribute his dominions amongst themselves.

6. Henry grew very sad and distressed; but John, his youngest son, had not deserted him with the rest, and for that the king loved John more than ever. Then there came a terrible war. On every side the king's enemies came on against him. But Henry was a very brave and skilful general. He gathered his armies, and dashed from place to place so quickly wherever the danger was greatest, that his

enemies marvelled and said, "The King of England is like a bird in swiftness." Often the struggle seemed hopeless, for he had to fight with all his enemies

at once, and with his own sons, and with all the rebels in his kingdoms; but the English people fought well for their king, and at length he prevailed over them all. He forgave his sons, and he even gave to each of them two castles and great revenues, so

that they might live as princes. But he took Queen Eleanor and cast her into prison, and kept her there as long as he lived.

7. Then King Henry gave all his thoughts to improve the government and the laws of England, so that every man might have justice, and might live in peace, fearing no foe either at home or abroad. But before long his sons began to fight amongst themselves; and when Henry had compelled them to desist, they turned against him, and tried again and again to kill him, and even John rebelled. Henry was an old man now. He could scarcely fight, and he was alone, without wife or children. When he knew that John had turned traitor, his heart was broken, and he died.

8. So the great King Henry's troubles ended. His dominion soon broke up. But the good laws he had made for England continued, and it was many years before the English knew again such peace and quietness and security as Henry had given them.

17. RICHARD OF THE LION-HEART (R. 1189–1199).

1. The rebel Prince Richard became king when Henry died; but when he saw his father lying dead he was filled with remorse, and he knelt down by the dead body, weeping bitterly and praying for forgiveness.

2. Richard cared too much about fighting to be a good king, but he was a brave soldier, and his great

wish was to go and fight in the Holy Land, and win back the city where Jesus Christ had preached and died. For the Holy Land had fallen into the hands of a people called the Saracens, who were not Christians, and were often cruel to the people who came to Jerusalem to worship there. Fierce wars had been going on between the Christians and the Saracens for a hundred years. The wars were called Crusades, and all the soldiers who fought in them Crusaders, because they wore a cross upon their cloaks. So Richard got as much money out of the English people as he could, and with this money he fitted out a fleet and an army, and sailed for the Holy Land.

3. But Richard was so reckless and headstrong that he came to blows upon the way with many folks who were just as great enemies of the Saracens as he was; and much time and many men's lives were wasted. First he fell out with the King of Sicily, and captured his city, and forced him to give up to him all the gold in his treasury; then he overcame the Emperor of Cyprus, and took his kingdom from him, and bound him in chains of silver and cast him into prison; so that it was almost a year before he got to the Holy Land. The King of France and the Emperor of Germany had arrived already. But the Sultan, or king, of the Saracens, Saladin, was a great general, and his soldiers were very brave; and the Germans and the French had been fighting hard, yet could not get the better of them. When King Richard arrived they rejoiced exceedingly; for his courage was so great that men said he must have the heart of a lion