greatest country on earth; not that he really cared for the welfare of his subjects, but because he wished to exalt himself above all other kings.

14. Louis succeeded his father in 1643, when he was but five years old, and reigned no less than seventy-two years. He was continually at war, and in the early part of his reign, his armies achieved many splendid victories. But, in his old age, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene destroyed his troops, and reduced his kingdom to such distress, that the French people grew weary of their grand monarch; and well they might be weary of him, for he had ruined his subjects, in order that he might have the means of going to war, for he cared more that he should have glory, than that they should have bread. He was a most bigoted papist, and cruelly persecuted his protestant subjects, who, flying to England and other countries, carried the most valuable manufactures of the country with them, and caused his name to be detested.

15. At last, in 1715, the old king died. As he had been so grand in his life-time, his courtiers deemed it proper that he should carry as much grandeur with him to the tomb as possible. They, therefore, prepared a magnificent funeral; but wherever the procession passed, the people heaped curses on the royal corpse. Thus ended the glorious reign of Louis le Grand,

16. All the sons and grandsons of Louis le Grand had died before him; he was therefore succeeded by his great-grandson, a child of five years old, who now became Louis the Fifteenth. Until the little king should become of age to take the sceptre into his own hands, the Duke of Orleans was declared regent of France. He was a profligate man, and instead of teaching the young king how to make his subjects prosperous and happy, set him an example of all sorts of wickedness.

17. Louis the Fifteenth reigned fifty-nine years, and died in 1774, as little regretted as Louis le Grand. He

was succeeded by his grandson, Louis the Sixteenth, who was then a young man of twenty.

QUESTIONS. 1. What of the French people? The English? The French king ?-2. What of Charles the Victorious? 3. What of Louis the Eleventh ?-4. When did Francis the First ascend the throne ? What of him ?-5. Describe the interview at Calais.6. When did Charles the Ninth come to the throne? Describe the massacre of St. Bartholomew.- -8. When did Charles the Ninth die ?-9. When did Henry the Fourth come to the throne? What of him?-11. How did he lose his life ?12. Who succeeded Henry the Fourth? What of Cardinal Richelieu? -13. Who was the next king? What can you say of Louis le Grand ?- -14. What of his wars? What of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene ? What of the French people ?15. When did Louis le Grand die? Describe his funeral.16. Who succeeded Louis the Fourteenth ? What of the Duke of Orleans ?-17. When did Louis the Fifteenth die?

CHAPTER CXII. EUROPE continued.-The French Revolution.

1. LOUIS the Sixteenth was a man of good heart, kind disposition, and upright intentions; but he was little qualified for his situation. He married Marie Antoinette, the sister of the emperor of Austria, a woman of great beauty and accomplishments, but she was never a favourite of the French people.

2. Not long after they were crowned, the American revolution broke out, and the British colonies declared themselves an independent republic. The people of France took a great interest in the affairs of America; partly from enmity to England, and partly because the conduct of their rulers led them to think that a republic was a better kind of government than a monarchy.

3. The French are a people whose minds are easily excited, and whenever anything remarkable is going on among them, an Englishman would think that the whol

X

nation was almost mad. So it happened in this case. They now began to rave against the king, queen, and nobles, the priests, the gentlemen, and all others whom they had formerly respected; they even blasphemed against Heaven itself.

4. In 1789, the people of Paris captured and destroyed the Bastile, an old castle, wherein the kings of France had been accustomed to confine such of their subjects as offended them. Many a poor wretch had been thrown into the dungeons of the Bastile, and never again beheld the light of day. The destruction of the Bastile was a good thing; and so likewise were many other of the first movements of the French revolution; but when the people had once begun to change their ancient government, they knew not where to stop.

5. It was not long before blood began to flow, and no man or woman in the kingdom was now safe, unless they wore a red cap upon their heads, which was called the cap of liberty. At this period it was no uncommon thing to see a mob of men and women in the streets of Paris, carrying a bloody head upon a pole; and those who looked at the features would perhaps recognise the countenance of one whose power and wealth they had envied.

6. In a little while longer there were so many heads to be cut off, that the work could not be done fast enough in the ordinary way. It was therefore necessary to do it by machinery, and a horrible instrument, called the guillotine, was invented for the purpose. This was set to work upon the proud nobles, and the priesthood, and the beautiful ladies of France. Hundreds of their heads fell upon the pavement of Paris, and their blood ran like a river through

the streets.

7. When many of the loftiest heads in the kingdom had been cut off, the people fixed their eyes on the head that "Off with the king's head too!" cried they. So they dragged the poor harmless king before the

wore a crown.

National Convention, and he was forthwith sentenced to the guillotine.

8. As the king mounted the steps of the scaffold, he gazed round at the fierce and cruel multitude. It seemed like a dream, that they, his subjects, should be waiting there to see him die. Then he looked at the guillotine, and beheld it stained with the blood of the thousand victims who had been dragged thither before him. There stood a faithful priest beside him on the scaffold. Other priests, in those dreadful times, had abjured their God, but here was one who held fast his faith; other subjects had betrayed their king, but here was one who revered him most upon the scaffold.

9. He whispered consolation to the unhappy king, and pointed heavenward; the victim mustered his fainting courage, and laid his head upon the block: "Son of Saint Louis," said the priest, "ascend to heaven!" Down came the axe of the guillotine, and the head that had worn a crown was severed from the body! The blood of a kingly race gushed out upon the scaffold. Thus the crimes and misused power of many kings had brought vengeance on their innocent descendant.

QUESTIONS. 1. What of Louis the Sixteenth ?-2. What of Marie Antoinette? When did the American revolution begin? What of the French people ?- 3. How do the French appear when anything remarkable is going on?4. What was done in 1789? What of the Bastile? What of its destruction ?- -5. What were people obliged to wear upon their heads? What was common in Paris at this time? -6. Why was the guillotine invented? What use was made of it ?- -7. What of the king ?—8. Describe his execution.

1. THE day of the king's execution was the 21st of January, 1793; and not many months afterwards, the queen was likewise beheaded, and their son soon died in prison: the survivors of the royal family sought refuge in foreign countries. France was now ruled by a succession of bloody monsters, who, one day, were sending crowds to the guillotine, and the next day were sent thither themselves.

2. In the mean time, war was breaking out on all sides. England, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Holland, and Spain, sent armies against France. The French raised a million of men, and bade defiance to all Europe.

3. In the French army there was a young lieutenant of artillery, named Napoleon Buonaparte. When the war began, he was an unknown and friendless youth; but he distinguished himself in every battle and every siege,