appointed to the vacant see. He now completely changed his mode of life, becoming as ascetic as he had been before dissolute and extravagant. He wore sackcloth, lived on the coarsest food, frequently scourged himself, dismissed his large retinue, and threw open his banquet-hall to the poor only.

4. At this time a violent struggle was going on between the clergy and the king, in consequence of the efforts of the latter to make priests amenable to the ordinary laws of England. Henry expected that Becket would assist him in this project, but the primate was strongly opposed to it, and, in defiance of the king, forbade that a clergyman who had been proved guilty of murder should be tried in any secular court. From this time he gradually lost the king's favour.

That Henry's proposed reform was needed may be seen from the fact, that, in the early part of his reign, there were living upwards of a hundred priests who had committed murder, and were yet at liberty. These priests were generally Normans and of the most abandoned character.

5. In 1164 a council of the nobles and clergy was held at Clarendon in Wilts, and it was then decided that any clergyman accused of crime should be tried in the civil courts. Becket yielded at first, but afterwards set the decision at nought.

The enactments drawn up at this council, sixteen in number, are known as the Constitutions of Clarendon. By them it was also declared to be unlawful for prelates to leave the country or excommunicate any one without royal permission, and for the sons of villeins to be ordained without the permission of the lord on whose land they were born.

6. Henry then summoned another council at Northampton, and Becket was accused before it of having misappropriated money when he was chancellor. Finding that the king was bent upon his downfall, he fled to France, where he remained until 1170. Through the mediation of the French king, a reconciliation was effected, and Becket was allowed to return to England.

His arrogance, however, was unabated, and, immediately after his return, he excommunicated those

bishops who had sided with the king. Henry, on hearing of this step, is said to have exclaimed "What! shall a man who has eaten my bread, who came to court on a lame horse, lift his foot against me? shall he insult the king, the royal family, and all the nation, and not one of the lazy knights whom I maintain do me right for such an affront." Four of his knights, thinking from these remarks that Henry was really desirous of Becket's death, immediately set out for Canterbury, and murdered the primate at the foot of the altar of St. Benedict's church.

When they approached him, he asked "What is your object?" The answer was, "Your death." He replied, "I am prepared to die." He was then struck down and slain, one of the murderers exclaiming, as he kicked the body, "Thus dies the traitor, who troubled the kingdom, and excited the English to revolt."

After his death Becket was regarded as a saint, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visited his shrine at Canterbury, which became eventually one of the richest in the world.

7. Henry bitterly repented his hasty expression, and by way of penance, caused himself to be scourged before the shrine which he had erected to Becket's memory.

The most important event of this period was the so-called conquest of Ireland. Dermot king of Leinster, having quarrelled with O'Ruarc king of Leitrim, was obliged by the latter to flee from Ireland. He took refuge in England, and obtained permission from Henry to assemble soldiers for the re-conquest of his kingdom. Some hundreds of Norman knights joined his banner, and through their assistance he recovered his throne, A.D. 1169. Henry crossed over to Ireland the year following, and received the homage of most of the Irish princes.

This invasion can scarcely be called a conquest, inasmuch as no opposition was made to Henry, neither was the English law put in force, except in the district about Dublin. Ireland retained her native princes until the time of Elizabeth.

Prince John, then a lad of twelve years, was made lord of this new acquisition, but his insulting treatment of the Irish chieftains soon led to rebellion. It is said that when they

came to him to pay homage, he and his train amused themselves by plucking their beards.

8. The latter years of Henry's reign were much embittered by the unnatural conduct of his sons. Urged on by Eleanor, their mother, and supported by Louis of France and William the Lion of Scotland, they frequently rebelled against him. In 1174 the Scotch took advantage of these divisions and invaded England; but their king was taken prisoner at the siege of Alnwick, and was not liberated until he had acknowledged himself Henry's vassal.

It was on this ground that Edward I. founded his claim to the supremacy over Scotland, though, as will be shown hereafter, that claim had been forfeited.

9. Henry died at Chinon in France, broken down by state cares and the unfilial conduct of his children.

On his deathbed he was informed that John had shared in his brother's rebellion, and was so affected by the intelligence, that he exclaimed " Is it true, indeed, that John, my heart, my favourite son, has abandoned me? Well then, let all things go as they will; I care no longer for myself or for the world."

Henry was ambitious, proud, cruel and passionate, but an able ruler and legislator, and a true patron of learning. In person he was of short stature, but comely and majestic.

During this reign, trial by jury almost completely superseded the old trial by ordeals and single combat. The country was divided into six circuits, and three judges were appointed to each, who travelled through the country, at stated periods, for the purpose of dispensing justice.

London was now made the capital, Winchester, the former one, having been almost entirely destroyed in the last reign.

10. Contemporary Sovereigns, and Great Men.-Scotland, Malcolm IV., William I.; France, Louis VII., Philip II.; Richard Strongbow earl of Pembroke, who headed the English in the invasion of Ireland; Giraldus Cambrensis, a famous historian; Nicholas Breakspear, who, from being a menial in the abbey of St. Albans, became pope of Rome.

He was the only Englishman who ever attained to that dignity. From him Henry received the bull which sanctioned

his annexation of Ireland.

RICHARD I., SURNAMED COEUR DE LION.

Born A.D. 1157; Reigned 10 Years (1189-1199).

1. Family.-Richard was, at his accession, the eldest surviving son of Henry II. He married Berengaria, daughter of the king of Navarre, but had no issue.

2. Chronicle.-Richard was in France at the time of his father's death; and did not return to England until some months after that event. He was then crowned with great pomp at Westminster.

On this occasion some Jews strove to enter the banquet-hall, and, on being ejected, a cry spread that the king had commanded a general massacre of them. They were immediately assailed by the mob, and vast numbers of them murdered. The news of this event soon spread, and similar massacres took place all over England. At York 500 Jews took refuge in the castle, and, rather than allow either themselves or their riches to fall into the hands of their enemies, they first committed their treasures to the flames, and then massacred each other.

The national hatred of the Jews was at this time greatly fostered by the belief that they assisted the Saracens.

3. The third Crusade was now going on, and Richard determined to join it. To obtain money for this purpose, he sold the high offices of state and royal domains, laid heavy fines on his subjects, and released the king of Scotland from his vassalage for 10,000 marks.

Many of the inhabitants of towns belonging to the king took this opportunity of combining to purchase them, and Richard is reported to have said, that he would have sold London if he could only have found a purchaser.

4. With the money thus raised he equipped a large army, and set out for Palestine. On his voyage he stopped at Messina, to join the army of Philip Augustus of France, and there married Berengaria.

He then proceeded to Cyprus, and having conquered it, cast Isaac its king into prison, loaded with silver chains. On account of these delays, the English did not reach Palestine until nearly a year after their departure from England. Philip's army had separated from them on the way, and, on Richard's arrival, was besieging Acre. The two armies then united, and in a few days took the city. Richard stayed in Palestine about sixteen months, and during this period obtained several victories over the Saracens. His allies, however, gradually deserted him, and in 1192, he concluded a truce with the Saracen emperor Saladin, which gave permission to all Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy City unmolested.

5. Richard now determined to return. On his way home he was attacked by pirates, taken prisoner, and landed by them at the head of the Adriatic Sea. In passing through Vienna, his concealed rank was discovered, and Leopold duke of Austria, his old enemy, caused him to be arrested and thrown into prison.

This enmity originated in Leopold's offended vanity.' After the capture of Tyre, he had placed his banner on the walls by the side of the English one, at which Richard was so annoyed that he caused the Austrian flag to be taken down, torn, and thrown into the city sewer.

6. Henry VI. emperor of Germany purchased the royal prisoner, and removed him to a fortress on the Rhine, probably hoping to obtain a large ransom for his release. Here he remained two years, while his officers in England collected his ransom, a sum fixed at 100,000 crowns.

Great delays were made in completing the sum, which Richard bitterly complained of. In the following verses, composed when in prison, Richard alludes to this neglect:

"I have many friends, but they give meagerly; shame to them, that for want of ransom I have been prisoner two years. "Let my men and my barons know, that no companion of mine, were he ever so poor, would I leave in prison for the sake of gold. I say not this in reproach, but I am still a prisoner."