8. Henry the Sixth on the contrary, was soft, meek, and peaceable, without spirit enough to fight for the crown which his father left him. The heirs of Richard the Second therefore thought this a proper time to get back their lawful inheritance. The duke of York was the nearest heir.

9. He began a war in 1455. If there had been nobody but Henry the Sixth to resist him, he might have got the crown at once. But Henry's wife, whose name was Margaret, and many of the nobility, took up arms for the king. Other noblemen lent assistance to the duke of York.

10. All the Yorkists, or partisans of the duke of York, wore white roses, either in their hats or at their breasts. The Lancastrians, or those of the king's party, wore a red rose in the same manner. Whenever two persons happened to meet one wearing a red rose and the other a white, they drew their swords and fought.

11. Thus the people of England were divided into two great parties, who were ready to cut each other's throats, merely for the difference between a red and white rose.

QUESTIONS.-1. What of England under Richard? Who dethroned him? His fate? Who was Henry IV.? When did he begin to reign? 2. What rebellions were there against this king? 3. What of Henry V.? When did he invade France? 4. Who fought the battle of Agincourt? When did Henry V. die? 5. Describe the coronation of Henry VI. 6. What of him? His queen? 7. What of the duke of Lancaster? His son Henry V.? 8. What did the heirs of Richard II. do? 9. When did the duke of York begin the war? Who took up arms for Henry? 10. What did the followers of the duke of York wear? Those of the king? What often happened?

CHAP. CLI.-EUROPE continued.

WARS OF THE ROSES.

The

1. THE wars of the roses lasted thirty years. Sometimes the white rose was uppermost, and sometimes the red. most celebrated general in these wars was the earl of Warwick. It was chiefly by his means that the soldiers of the white rose gained a decisive victory at Towton, in which thirty-six thousand of the red rose men were killed. The young duke of York was then proclaimed king, under the name of Edward the Fourth.

2. This was in 1461. But, not long afterwards, the earl of Warwick quarrelled with King Edward, and quitted the party of Yorkists. He took King Henry the Sixth out of prison, and placed him on the throne again, and Edward was compelled to flee over to France.

3. As the earl of Warwick showed himself so powerful in pulling down kings and setting them up again, he gained the name of the king-maker. But he was finally killed in battle, while fighting bravely for the Lancastrians; and then the white rose flourished again.

4. Henry the Sixth and his son were murdered in 1464, and Edward the Fourth became the undisputed king of England. He had fought bravely for the crown, but now that he had got firm possession of it, he became idle and voluptuous.

5. He was a cruel tyrant too. Having resolved to put one of his brothers to death, he gave him the choice of dying in whatever manner he pleased. His brother who was a great lover of good liquor, chose to be drowned in a hogshead of wine.

6. Edward the Fourth died in 1483. He left two young children, the eldest of whom now became King Edward the Fifth. But these poor children had a wicked uncle for a guardian. He was called Richard Crookback, duke of Gloucester. Most historians say that he was a horrible figure to look at, having a humpback, a withered arm, and a very ugly face. This frightful personage was determined to make himself king.

7. He took care that the little King Edward and his brother should lodge in the Tower of London. One night, while the two children were sound asleep in each other's arms, some villains came and smothered them with the bolsters of the bed. They were buried at the foot of a staircase. So Richard Crookback, the murderer, became king of England. He committed a thousand crimes for the sake of getting the crown but he did not keep it long. Some say that more evil deeds are laid to the charge of Richard than he really committed.

8. Henry Tudor, the young earl of Richmond, was now the only remaining heir of King Henry the Sixth. The French supplied him with the means of making war against

Richard Crookback. He landed in England, and gained a victory at Bosworth.

9. When the soldiers of Richmond examined the dead bodies that lay in heaps on the battle-field, they found the humpbacked Richard among them, with the golden crown upon his head. They put it on the head of Richmond, and hailed him King Henry the Seventh.

10. The new king married a daughter of Edward the Fourth; and at their wedding, they each wore a red rose entertwined with a white one; for the wars of the roses were now over at last.

What of the

What did
When did

QUESTIONS.-1. How long did the wars of the roses last? earl of Warwick? 2. When was Edward IV. made king? Warwick do? 3. What was he called? How was he killed? the party of the white roses flourish again? 4. What of Edward IV.? 5. How did he treat his brother? 6. When did he die? What children did he leave? Describe Richard Crookback. 7. What cruelty did he commit? Did he become king? 8. Who gained the battle of Bosworth? 9. Where was Richard found? 10. Whom did Henry VII. marry? Why were the wars of the roses now at an end?

CHAP. CLII.-EUROPE continued.

REIGNS OF THE TUDOR PRINCES.

1. HENRY the Seventh (the former earl of Richmond) began his reign in 1485. He was a crafty king, and cared much more for his own power and wealth, than for the happiness

of his subjects. But, for his own sake, he desired to reign peaceably, without foreign wars or civil commotions.

2. During his reign, two impostors appeared in England, each of whom pretended that he had a better right to the crown than Henry the Seventh had. One was Lambert

Simnel, the son of a baker; but he called himself a nephew of Edward the Fourth. The other was Perkin Warbeck, the son of a Flemish butcher. He pretended to be one of the little princes whom Richard Crookback had smothered in the Tower.

3. Many knights and noblemen of England were led into rebellion by each of these impostors. But finally they were both taken prisoners. Perkin Warbeck was hanged, and Lambert Simnel was set to washing dishes in the king's kitchen.

4. Henry the Seventh died in 1509. He had been a great lover of money, and put all that he could lay his hands on into his own purse. A sum, equal to ten millions of pounds sterling, was found in his palace after his death.

5. His son, Henry the Eighth, began to reign at the age of eighteen. He was a haughty, stern, hard-hearted, and tyrannical king. Whenever he got angry, and that was not seldom, the heads of some of his subjects were sure to be cut off. This royal villain had six wives. One died a natural death; he was divorced from two, cut off the heads of two others, and one outlived him.

6. The reign of Henry the Eighth was chiefly remarkable