CHAPTER XVII.

HENRY THE FOURTH-FROM 1399 TO 1413.

HENRY BOLINGBROKE soon made the discovery that peace is not to be enjoyed with power unjustly obtained.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,"

under any circumstances; but doubly uneasy must it be when a reproving conscience lines the golden circlet with thorns. Although no opposition was made to his claim, and the tender years of the little Mortimer might have softened the usurper's heart, he kept the poor boy a perpetual prisoner at Windsor. His temper was so haughty, jealous, and suspicious, that he very soon turned against him even those who had helped to place him on the throne, and innumerable plots were made to deprive him of it, or of his life. One might have said to him, as Jezebel did to Jehu, "Had Zimri peace who slew his master ?" His whole reign was disturbed by rebellions, and his conscience must have told him he was undeserving of peace.

OWEN GLENDOWER.

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One of his most formidable foes was Owen Glendower, a Welsh chieftain of great courage, who called himself prince of Wales, and kept up a constant warfare among his native mountains. Afterwards a Scottish army, headed by earl Douglas, invaded Northumberland, and a battle was fought at Homildon Hill, in which Douglas was defeated and taken prisoner by the earl of Northumberland and Harry Hotspur. The king forbade them to ransom their prisoner, which so enraged them, that they set Douglas free on condition of his joining them in a conspiracy against Henry; they also enlisted Owen Glendower in their cause, and marched with a formidable army towards the borders of Wales, headed by Harry Hotspur. But the king, and the prince of Wales, met them at Shrewsbury, and after an obstinate struggle of several hours, the rebels were defeated. Douglas was once more taken prisoner, and Hotspur slain. Northumberland, although pardoned on this occasion, made two more attempts to dethrone Henry, but unsuccessfully, and he was at length slain at the battle of Bramham Moor, in Yorkshire.

The king was now delivered from all his enemies, for he had been so uniformly successful against them, that no one dared to resist any further. Even Owen

Glendower was deserted by his followers; and driven from his mountain fastnesses, was obliged to wander about in disguise till his death in 1415.

In 1405, the young prince James of Scotland fell into Henry's power. He was the son of Robert the third, king of Scotland, an amiable but feeble character, who had not the strength or courage to resist the bold ambitious designs of his unprincipled brother, the duke of Albany. He had had two sons, but Albany had imprisoned and cruelly starved to death the elder. In the hope, therefore, of saving the life of the other, the bereaved father committed him to the care of the earl of Orkney, that he might take him to France for his education. But the vessel in which they set sail was taken by an English privateer, and Henry ungenerously kept the young prince a captive in England, and the poor infirm old king Robert died broken-hearted three days after hearing the sad news. Prince James remained a prisoner till he was twenty-eight; but as some amends for his injustice, Henry gave him the very best education that could then be afforded, and the youth profited so well by it, that when restored to his native country, as king James the first, he proved to be one of the wisest and best sovereigns that ever sat upon the Scottish

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS.

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throne. Thus does a merciful God and Father overrule the trials and sorrows of His children to their

real good,

"E'en crosses from His sovereign hand

Are blessings in disguise."

This prince James, while improving himself in the more solid acquirements necessary for one who was to rule over a great people, indulged himself by way of recreation in the cultivation of a talent for poetry. Some of his ballads are still popular in Scotland, and one of his poems, called "The King's Quair," is said to be very beautiful. How much more rational this cheerful conformity with God's will, than if this young man had passed his long captivity in murmurings and discontent.

"Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for a hermitage."

We must now return to our English king, whose mind was by no means in so tranquil a state as that of his young prisoner. In his reign the dreadful practice of burning people on account of their religious opinions commenced. It is thought that

Henry enacted this cruel law to enlist the clergy in support of his weak title to the crown. And they were not slow to avail themselves of it. Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, was especially severe against the followers of Wickliffe, who were called Lollards, from a Dutch word, signifying to chant or sing, from their custom of singing psalms or hymns. Wickliffe was born in Yorkshire in 1324, and educated at the university of Oxford. He afterwards became master of Baliol College, and rector of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. His attention was early attracted to the corruptions into which the church had fallen, and he preached and wrote against some of the principal abuses, which afterwards became the cause of the Reformation, especially the indulgences or pardons granted by the popes, for you know that the English were at that time Roman catholics, or papists; so-called because they acknowledged the Pope to be head of the church. These pardons for sin, called indulgences, were a fruitful source of gain to the clergy; for once people really believed that the power of forgiving sin was held by the Pope; we may be sure they would be glad enough to pay any money for such a privilege. It is scarcely necessary for me to point out to a child who is