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William, second son of William the Conqueror, was twenty-seven years old when he became king. Like his father, he had great bodily strength and activity, and he resembled him also in the sternness of his countenance. His complexion was ruddy, and his hair red, on which account he obtained the surname of Rufus. He was brave and active in war, like his father, and like him was ambitious and rapacious; but had not any of his great or good qualities: for he was irreligious, a lover of low company, and of excessive drinking. He was very passionate, and had no principles of either honor or honesty.

His father was scarcely dead, when he set off for England to secure the inheritance which was left him, and to seize upon the royal treasures. It is but justice to say, that with part of them he paid his father's legacy to his brother Henry. His fierce and imperious temper being well known

What was the character of William II.?

Was William an acceptable king to the Anglo-Saxons?

to the Anglo-Norman barons, they were sorry to have him for their king, and made a rebellion to place his elder brother Robert, who was a much greater favorite with them, on the throne.

William Rufus now found it convenient to make friends with the Anglo-Saxons, who composed the great mass of the people; and he promised to restore many of their rights and privileges. By their help he speedily subdued the rebellion of the barons. The fair promises which he had made to the Anglo-Saxons he very soon forgot; but he never forgot his resentment against Robert, on whom he retaliated by attacking his possessions in Normandy; and this kept the two brothers in a continual state of enmity.

The only occasion on which they ever agreed was when they joined to oppress their brother Henry. Henry's inheritance had been left him in money. Robert, who was always extravagant and thriftless, had been glad to sell to him a part of Normandy, called Cotentin, and now, in concert with William, sought to deprive him of it. Henry, being both brave and determined, would not tamely give it up, and with a small number of men fortified himself in Mont St. Michel; but, after enduring a very rigorous siege, he was at last obliged to surrender for want of provisions. Having thus lost every thing, he, with a few faithful fol lowers, who would not forsake him in his distress, wandered about, often in want of necessaries, and always in want of a home.

Some time after this, Robert went on the crusade to the Holy Land; and to procure money for this expedition, he lent or mortgaged his duchy for five years to his brother William, for ten thousand marks. William extorted the money from his English subjects; and then, took possession of Normandy. He did not find it a very peaceable posses. sion, for it involved him in continual quarrels and wars with the king of France, in which sometimes the French, and sometimes the Normans had the advantage.

In one of these encounters, Heli de la Fleche, a very brave baron, was taken prisoner by William. After some

What was William's treatment to his subjects, and of his brother Robert?

Did Robert and William love their brother Henry?
How did William II. obtain possession of Normandy?

time he regained his liberty, and then, coming to William, made him an offer of his services. The king rejected them; on which Heli went out, saying he would be revenged for the indignity. William called after him, in a very rude and haughty manner, "to be gone, and do his worst." As soon as Heli arrived in France, he attacked William's territories there, and obtained possession of the town of Mans.

The news of this event was brought to William while he was hunting in the New Forest. He instantly left the chase, and galloped off to the sea coast, and embarked for Normandy. It blew so furious a storm, that the sailors at first refused to put to sea. The king's impatience, however, was so great, that he would not listen to them. He insisted on their setting sail, and, contrary to all expecta tion, landed safely at Barfleur the next morning,

Heli de la Fleche was soon driven out of Mans, and William returned to England to complete the preparations in which he had been engaged for taking possession of Guienne, which the duke of Guienne had mortgaged to him, as Robert had mortgaged Normandy. But a sudden end was put to all his ambitious projects: for going to hunt in the New Forest, during the time in which he was awaiting a fair wind to take his army over to France, he was shot by an arrow from the bow of sir Walter Tyrrel, who was hunting with him.

William was killed in the fortieth year of A. D. 1100. his age, and the thirteenth of his reign. He was never married. William built Westminster Hall and the Tower of London.

The remarkable circumstance of this reign, was, that Magnus, king of Norway, made a descent on Anglesea in 1098. This was the last attempt on England by any of the northern nations. Those restless people learned about this time the art of tillage, which provided them with food,

What baron rebelled against William?

Did William attack de la Fleche?

What prevented William from taking possession of Guienne?
When was William killed?

When did the Northmen make their last descent upon England?

and gave them occupation at home, and thus freed the rest of Europe from their predatory invasions.

To explain Robert of Normandy's expedition, it is necessary the reader should know what is signified by Crusades. The crusades were religious wars. After his death, the Romans were masters of Jerusalem, and of the whole country which had been the scene of the life and labors of Jesus. Near the middle of the fourth century, the Roman Empire became partially Christian, and Helena, the mother of Constantine, took upon herself to identify the very spot at Jerusalem "where the Lord lay," and also to erect churches and other monuments on the places consecrated by his living actions.

After the erection of these edifices, and the establishment of convents in the Holy Land, as Palestine began to be called, religious persons from different and distant countries of Europe thought it a duty to make journeys thither, in order to visit the shrines or sacred buildings, which had been raised in honor of Christ. These pious travellers were called pilgrims, and their journey was a pilgrimage.

The pilgrims chiefly begged their way through the countries over which they travelled, and were regarded with universal respect by allChristians. They usually dressed in a plain garb, carried a scrip, or bag for their food, and sustained themselves upon a staff surmounted by a cross, and had fastened to the front of their hats a scollop-shell. When they returned from the Holy Land they frequently brought with them a branch of palm, a tree of that country, whence they were called palmers.

One of these pilgrims, named Peter the Hermit, though only a poor priest, has made himself more distinguished in history than the most potent monarch of his time. On his return from the Holy Land, inflamed by zeal for religion,

What were Crusades ?

What were pilgrimages?

What were the habits of the pilgrims?
Who was Peter the Hermit?

and by resentment against the Mahommedans, he went about from country to country, exhorting the princes and nobles of Europe to go to fight against the pagans, and drive them from Jerusalem. The pope entered warmly into the cause, and published a crusade.

Vast armies were fitted out by different princes, and from A. D. 1097 to A. D. 1248, about one hundred and fifty years, four different Crusades were undertaken. More than two millions of men from England and southern Europe, are supposed to have marched into Asia upon these expeditions, and the greater number lost their lives. These wars were called Crusades, from the circumstance that a figure of the cross was a badge of these warriors-it was painted upon their banners, engraved on their shields, and embroidered in their garments.

Having endured hardships of every kind, and contended against numerous hosts of enemies, the crusaders, under the command of Godfrey of Bouillon, possessed themselves of Jerusalem after a bloody siege. They elected Godfrey king; and the city remained for about a hundred years in the possession of the Christians, when it was re-conquered by Saladin, the sultan of Egypt.

It was considered a religious duty, to go to the Crusades, and it was thought that those who died in the Holy Land were sure to be received into heaven, let their lives have been ever so bad.

Perhaps other motives were mixed with those of religion. Those who returned gained the advantage of being much honored in their lives; and at their deaths had the privilege of having their figures represented on their tombs, to show to all succeeding generations that they had served in the holy wars.

Out of so much that was bad, in these enterprises, God has permitted some good to arise. The Saracens were very superior to the Europeans in their knowledge of the sciences, and in many of the arts and elegancies of life. Much of this knowledge was brought home by the crusaders.

How many Crusades were undertaken?
Did the Crusaders make any conquests?
What induced men to go to the Crusades?
Did any good arise from the Crusades?

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