heart, soon after terminated his life and his miseries. He died at the castle of Chinon, near Saumur, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, and the thirty-fifth of his reign, in the course of which he displayed all the abilities of a politician, all the sagacity of a legislator, and all the magnanimity of a hero; sullied, however, by many instances of cruelty and perfidy, which were too commonly the characteristics of al the Plantaganets. Questions for Examination. 2 By what means did Eleanor endeavour to escape? 3 In what way were Henry's prospects of future happiness clouded? 4 What was the penance performed by Henry? 5 At what time did the affairs of Henry wear a better aspect? 6 Who endeavoured to assist the insurgents? 7. Did another of Henry's sons enter into a conspiracy? and what was the consequence? 8. What were the misfortunes which led Henry to curse the day of his birth, and to bestow a malediction on his children? 10. What caused the death of Henry? What was his character? Theobald, Becket, Richard, and Baldwin, archbishops of Canterbury Strongbow, earl of Pembroke; William Longsword, earl of Salisbury; Geoffrey, archbishop of York; and Morgan, bishop of Durham; natural sons of the king, the two former by Fair Rosamond, the latter by a daughter of Sir Ralph Blewett. Hugh Lacy, and Ralph de Glanville, justiciaries of Ireland and England. Bertrand de Boru.‡ * Pope Adrian was an Englishman, by name Nicholas Breakspear: he was choked by a fly in the fifth year of his popedom.-Med. Hist. August. + The regular succession and history of Denmark do not properly com mence till the accession of Waldemar I. (called the Great,) who considerably enlarged and civilized the country. Though not properly a subject of the English crown, this extraordinary man exercised no little influence on the fortunes of Henry. He was lord of a small territory lying between the continental possessions of Henry and France: he saw that his only hope of retaining independence rested on the continued hostility of these great powers, and used all his efforts to keep them CHAPTER IX. RICHARD I. Born 11. Died April 6th, 1199. Began to reign August 13 1189. Reigned 93 years. Against whose fury and unmatched force The aweless lion could not wage the fight Nor keep his princely heart from Richard's hand.-Shakspeare. 1. (A. D. 1190.) RICHARD, surnamed Cœur de Lion, upon his ascending the throne, was still inflamed with the desire of going upon the crusade: and at length the king, having got a sufficient supply for his undertaking, having even sold his superiority over the kingdom of Scotland, which had been acquired in the last reign, for a moderate sum, he set out for the Holy Land, whither he was impelled by repeated messages from king Philip II of France, who was ready to embark in the same enterprise. 2. The first place of rendezvous for the two armies of England and France, was the plain of Vevelay, on the borders of Burgundy, where, when Richard and Philip arrived, they found their armies amounting to a hundred thousand fighting men. Here the French prince and the English entered into the most solemn engagements of mu tual support, and determined to conduct the armies to the Holy Land by sea: they were obliged, however, by stress of weather, to take shelter at Messina*, the capital of Sicily, where they were detained during the whole winter. Richard took up his quarters in the suburbs, and possessed himself of a small fort, which commanded the harbour. Philip quartered his troops in the town, and lived upon good terms with the Sicilian king 3. constantly at war. Being both a politician and a poet, he exaggerated the causes of quarrel which constantly arise between adjoining states, and in bitter satires alternately reproached each government with cowardly submission to its rival. It was he that stimulated the sons of Henry to make war against their father, and young Henry especially was chiefly urged into the field by the satirical verses of Boru. After the death of the young prince, Henry besieged Bertrand's castle, and made him prisoner. When brought into the monarch's presence, the king sarcastically said to his captive, "I think, Bertrand, thy wit has failed thee." "Yes, iny lord," replied Bertrand, "it failed me on the day that the valiant young king, your son expired: on that day I lost sense, wit, and knowledge." Struck at the unexpected mention of his son's name, the king fainted, and on his recovery granted Bertrand a full pardon.-History of the Troubadours. *This place suffered much by an earthquake in 1783. It is famous for ts wines, and is the finest harbour in the Mediterranean. Many were the mistrusts and the mutual conciliations Detween these two monarchs, which were very probably nflamed by the Sicilian king's endeavours. At length, however, having settled all controversies, they set sail for the Holy Land, where the French arrived long before the English. 4. Upon the arrival of the English army in Palestine, however, fortune was seen to declare more openly in favour of the common cause. The French and English princes seemed to forget their secret jealousies, and to act in concert. But shortly after, Philip, from the bad state of his health, returned to France, leaving Richard ten thousand of his troops, under the command of the duke of Burgundy. 5 Richard, now left conductor of the war, went on from victory to victory. The Christian adventurers, under his command, determined to besiege the renowned city of Ascalon, in order to prepare the way for attacking Jerusalem with greater advantage. Saladin, the most heroic of the Saracen monarchs, was resolved to dispute their march, and placed himself upon the road with an army of three hundred thousand men. This was a day equal to Richard's wishes; this an enemy worthy his highest ambition. 6. The English crusaders were victorious. Richard, when the wings of his army were defeated, led on the main body in person, and restored the battle. The Saracens fled in the utmost confusion, and no less than forty thousand of their number perished in the field of battle.* Ascalon soon surrendered after this victory; other cities of less note followed the example; Richard was at last able to advance within sight of Jerusalem, the object of his long and ardent expectations. 7. But just at this glorious juncture his ambition was to suffer a total overthrow: upon reviewing his forces, and considering his abilities to prosecute the siege, he found that his army was so wasted with famine, fatigue, and even victory, that they were neither able nor willing to second the * So celebrated was the courage of the English king, even in the enercy' army, and so dreaded was his name, that the Saracens would say to their restive horses, "What do you start at? do you think you see king Richard?" Nor was his zealous industry less remarkable than his courage. To encou rage the soldiers in repairing the ruined walls of Acre, Cœur de Lion not unly laboured in person, but appointed hours for other leaders to work at the head of their men. All cheerfully obeyed, except the duke of Austria, who sent word that his father having been neither bricklayer nor mason, he had not learned either business. The English king, hearing this insolent speech repeated to his face by the haughty duke, kicked him out of his tent, and ordered his banner to be disgraced. Brompton. views of their commander. 8. It appeared, therefore, absolutely necessary to come to an accommodation with Saladin and a truce for three years was accordingly concluded; in which it was agreed, that the sea-port towns of Palestine should remain in the hands of the Christians; and that all of that religion should be permitted to make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem in perfect security.* 9. Richard having thus concluded his expedition with more glory than advantage, began to think of returning home but being obliged to return through Germany, in the habit of a pilgrim, he was arrested by Leopold, duke of Austria, who commanded him to be imprisoned, and loaded with shackles, to the disgrace of honour and humanity. The emperor soon after required the prisoner to be delivered up to him, and stipulated a large sum of money to the duke as a reward for his services. 10. Thus, the king of England, who had long filled the world with his fame, was basely thrown into a dungeon, and loaded with irons, by those who expected to reap a sordid advantage from his misfortunes. It was a long time before his subjects in England knew what was become of their beloved monarch. 11. So little intercourse was there between different nations at that time, that this discovery is said by some to have been made by a poor French minstrel, who, playing upon his harp, near the fortress in which Richard was confined, a tune which he knew that unhappy monarch was fond of, he was answered by the king from within, who, with his harp, played the same tune, and thus discovered the place of his confine ment. 12. However, the English at length prevailed upon this barbarous monarch, who now saw that he could no longer detain his prisoner, to listen to terms of accommodation. A ransom was agreed upon, which amounted to a hundred and fifty thousand marks, or one hundred thousand pounds of our money, upon the payment of which, Richard was once more restored to his expecting subjects. 13. Nothing could exceed the joy of the English upon seeing their monarch return, after all his achievements and sufferings. There was a magnanimity and generosity in Saladin rarely seen. It is recorded, that once during this campaign, Richard was dangerously sick, and his disorder requiring fresh fruit, and snow to render it cool, the generous Saracen sent both in profusion, and thus saved the life of the only foe he dreaded Vita Saladina.) He made his entry into London in triumph: and such was the profusion of wealth shown by the citizens, that the German lords who attended him were heard to say, that if the emperor had known of their affluence, he would not 50 easily have parted with their king. He soon after ordered himself to be crowned anew at Winchester. He convoked a general council at Nottingham, at which he confiscated all his brother John's possessions, who had basely endeavoured to prolong his captivity, and gone over to the king of France with that intent. However, he pardoned him soon after, with this generous remark: I wish I could as easily forget my brother's offence as he will my pardon." 66 14. Richard's death was occasioned by a singular accident. A vassal of the crown had taken possession of a treasure, which was found by one of the peasants in digging a field in France; and to secure the remainder, he sent part of it to the king. Richard, as superior lord, sensible that he had a right to the whole, insisted on its being sent to him; and, upon refusal, attacked the castle of Chalus, where he understood this treasure had been deposited. 15. On the fourth day of the siege, as he was riding round the place to observe where the assault might be given with the fairest probability of success, he was aimed at by Bertrand de Gourdon, an archer, from the castle, and pierced in the shoulder with an arrow. The wound was not in itself dangerous; but an unskilful surgeon, endeavouring to disengage the arrow from the flesh, so rankled the wound, that it mortified, and brought on fatal symptoms. 16. Richard, when he found his end approaching, made a will, in which he bequeathed the kingdom, with all his treasure, to his brother John, except a fourth part, which he distributed among his servants. He ordered also that the archer who had shot him should be brought into his presence, and demanded what injury he had done him, that he should take away his life? The prisoner answered with deliberate intre pidity: 17. "You killed, with your own hand, my father and my two brothers, and you intended to have hanged me. I am now in your power, and my torments may give you revenge; but I will endure them with pleasure, since it is my consolation that I have rid the world of a tyrant." Rich ard, struck with this answer, ordered the soldier to be presented with one hundred shillings, and set at liberty; but Marcade, the general under him, like a true ruffian, ordered him to be flayed alive, and then hanged. Richard died in |