Conventicle Act, 1664.-That fines be levied wherever five persons met for religious service in a private house.

Five-mile Act, 1665.

1. Dissenting ministers not to preach within five miles of a town.

2. Keeping school by Dissenting ministers prohibited. 3. Not to preach in any village where another Dissenting minister had preached.

Test Act, 1673.-All persons holding office under the Crown to declare against Transubstantiation.

Habeas Corpus Act.

1. That prisoners should be produced for trial within twenty days on a writ of Habeas Corpus.

2. That keepers of prisons not making proper returns of prisoners in their custody shall be fined.

3. That no person be again punished for the same crime. 4. That no Englishman be imprisoned beyond the sea.

Exercise.

1. What was the Restoration ?

2. What Acts were passed during the reign of Charles II? 3. What was the Cabal?

4. What battles were fought in the reign?

5. Who were the chief men of the time?

Irritability of Henry VIII.

Henry's favourite subject of conversation was Scripture; his wife, Catharine Parr, ventured to raise objections against his arguments. Henry was highly provoked, and complained to Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, the Chancellor, of her obstilacy, who increased his anger by calling the queen a dangerous neretic. The King gave instructions to have his wfie tried, which he signed. Fortunately the paper fell into the hands of some of Catharine's friends, who immediately carried it to the Queen. She found means to appease his wrath, as an escort was about to seize the Queen and carry her to the Tower, and thus her life was spared.

Battle of Solway, 1543.

Henry VIII. tried to make James V. of Scotland his friend, in order to pave the way or the union of the two thrones of England and Scotland. The Scotch king refused his advances. The Duke of Norfolk was appointed to the command of the English, and Loras Hume and Huntley were generals of the Scotch. The English troops started from Newcastle, the Scotch from Jedburgh. The former advanced as far as Berwickon-Tweed, when, meeting the latter in superior numbers (the

English being 20,000 and the Scotch 30,000), the English retired into Northumberland. A mutiny took place amongst the Scottish leaders. James V. sent 10,000 of his best troops against the enemy; these met the English at Solway, where they were defeated. A few days after this engagement James V. died from vexation.

1649.-Execution of Charles I.

After the king's defeat at Naseby, Charles went over to the Scottish camp, thinking they would protect him; but the Parliamentarians offering a large sum of money, he was surrendered prisoner to Fairfax and Cromwell. He was placed in Holmby Castle, thence removed by Colonel Joyce to Cambridge. Charles was taken afterwards to Carisbrooke Castle, in the Isle of Wight. For attempting his escape he was conveyed to Hurst Castle, in Hampshire. Colonel Harrison, the son of a butcher, again removed him to Windsor, and thence to London. From the 6th to the 20th of January preparations were made for his trial. Only seventy persons were chosen as a Court of Justice. The Court sat in Westminster Hall. Bradshaw was chosen president, and Coke solicitor for the people of England. The king was then charged with all the bloodshed since the commencement of the war. He ably defended himself, asserting that as he was king the Commons had no power to try him. He was sentenced to death; three days were allowed him to prepare. On the morning of the execution he received the sacrament from the hands of Bishop Juxon, of London. He mounted the scaffold with a firm step. As he was about to place his head on the block, Juxon said"There is, sire, but one stage more, which, though turbulent and troublesome, is yet a very short one; it will soon carry you a great way. It will carry you from earth to heaven, and there you shall find, to your great joy, the prize to which you hasten, a crown of glory." "I go," replied the King, "from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no disturbance can have place." "You exchange," answered the Bishop, a temporal for an eternal crown, a good exchange." then beheaded.

He was

Escape of Charles II. after the Battle of Worcester.

He left the field of battle accompanied by the Duke of Buckingham, the Earls of Derby and Lauderdale, and fifty horse, and rode without halting to Whitefriars, 25 miles from Worcester, which he reached at five o'clock in the morning. He separated from his companions, and went to a lone house in Staffordshire, called Boscobel, kept by a farmer named Penderell. Although a great reward was offered, Penderell and his four brothers remained faithful. He was then dressed as a

farmer, led into a neighbouring wood, and employed in cutting wood with a billhook. Seeing some soldiers, he hastily climbed a tree, where he remained twenty-four hours. (This tree was afterwards called the Royal Oak.) He passed from one cottage to another, suffering hunger and thirst, until he reached the house of Mr. Lane, a gentleman of fortune in Staffordshire. This Mr. Lane took him to a relation, who secretly conveyed the king to Bristol, where he intended to embark; but finding that no ship would sail for a month, he went to Lyme, in Dorsetshire. where he was nearly arrested. Charles passed through many adventures, and finally reached Brighthelmstone (now called Brighton), near which his majesty embarked, and safely arrived at Feschamp, in Normandy, Oct. 22, 1649.

Battles.

1485. Bosworth, Leicestershire. Pop. 1500.
1486. Stoke, Nottinghamshire.

1512. Brest, France. Pop. 38,000.

1513. Guinegate, Normandy.

Flodden, Northumberland.

1525. Pavia, Italy.

1547. Pinkie, Scotland.

1536. Zutphen, Netherlands.

1568. Carberry Hill, Langside, Scotland.

1625. Cadiz, Spain. Pop. 80,000.

1627. Rochelle, France. Pop. 15,000.

1638. Newburn, Scotland.

1642. Edge Hill, Warwickshire.

1643. Roundaway Down, near Devizes.

Chalgrove Field, Oxford. Newbury, Berks. Pop. 6600. 1644. Marston Moor, Yorkshire.

Nantwich, Cheshire. Pop. 6673. 1649. Rathmines, Ireland.

Birth and Reign.-Brother to Charles II.; born 1633, ascended the throne 1685, abdicated 1689, and died 1701, aged 68 years.

Wars.-Invasion of England by the Duke of Monmouth, who landed in Dorsetshire. He advanced as far as Taunton, where nearly 6000 men joined him. He entered Bridgewater, Wells, and Frome, but was met by the Earls of Faversham and Churchill at Sedgemoor, near Bridgewater. Here Monmouth resolved to fight for the crown of England. The cowardice of Lord Grey and the negligence of Monmouth caused the defeat of the rebels. He fled from the field of battle, and disguised himself, but was captured and beheaded (1685). Landing of William, Prince of Orange, the husband of Mary, eldest daughter of James II., near Torbay, 1688, and the flight of James and safe arrival in France.

Chief Events.-James caused himself to be disliked, for the following reasons:

1. His attempt to re-establish the Roman Catholic religion. 2. Imprisonment and trial of the seven bishops, for not reading the petition in favour of Roman Catholicism-Lloyd, Bishop of St. Asaph; Ken, of Bath and Wells; Turner, of Ely; Lake, of Chichester; White, of Peterborough; Trelawney, of Bristol; and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sancroft.

3. Dismissal of Protestant masters and professors from the Universities (Cambridge and Oxford), and appointment of Roman Catholics.

4. Re-establishment of the Court of High Commission.

5. Placing all offices in the Militia in the hands of Catholics. After the defeat of Monmouth the prisoners were tried by Judge Jeffries, a man whose temper was naturally brutal, and who was accustomed to drink; 251 are computed to have been sentenced to death by this monster, of whom no less than 80 were executed at Dorchester.

Eminent Persons.-The Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles II, greatly beloved by the people of England. Colonel Kirke, presided over the military executions, after their sentences had been pronounced by Jeffries. He was guilty of the most shocking cruelties.

An old lady named Alice Lisle, after the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth's soldiers at Sedgemoor, was very kind. Two of the rebels fled at night to her house for food and shelter. She hid them under her roof, where they were found by the king's soldiers. For this act of mercy she was condemned to be burnt alive; the next morning James altered the sentence from burning to beheading.

John Locke, a philosopher, expelled by James from his studentship at Oxford, on account of his attachment to public liberty.

Exercise.

1 Sketch the history of the reign of James II.?

2. On what rock did his fortunes split?

3. What issue had he?

4. Trace his descent.

5. What great men lived in his time?

WILLIAM III. and MARY II.

Births and Reign.-William III., born 1650, succeeded to the throne 1689, died 1702, at the age of 52 years. Mary II., born 1662, reigned jointly with her husband, and died 1694, aged 32 years.

Wars. With James II, who wished to recover the crown, 1689. Blockade of Londonderry, and defeat of James. 1690, battle of the Boyne; defeat and flight of James. With France. The causes were-The French had occupied part of Hudson's Bay territory, North America, had encroached on the Newfoundland fisheries, and assisted the Irish under James at Boyne. 1690, English and Dutch defeated off Fleurus; English defeated off Beachy Head. 1692, French defeated off La Hogue; William defeated at Steinkirk. 1693, William defeated at Landen. The result of this war was that neither party gained any advantage.

Chief Events.-Our National Debt was first formed in this reign. Greenwich Hospital, for old and disabled sailors, opened. Massacre of Glencoe. The Macdonalds of Glencoe, who lived in the Highlands, had incurred the hatred of the chiefs of the Campbells, Argyle, and Breadalbane; these latter banded together to destroy the former. Sir John Dalrymple persuaded William that this unfortunate clan were thieves, and not enquiring into the falsehood of this report, gave orders for their destruction. The soldiers slew old and young without mercy, and few escaped, as the snow lay deep, and the weather was very tempestuous. Three years passed, when this great wickedness was inquired into; but to the dishonour of William, the authors of this dreadful crime escaped unpunished.

Chief Men.-Sir Isaac Newton, a native of Lincolnshire. Duke of Schomberg, descended from a German family; his mother was daughter of Lord Dudley. He served as a general in Holland, France, and Portugal; he gained the victory of Boyne, but was unfortunately killed as he was crossing the river.

Exercise.

1. Sketch the history of William III. and Mary.

2. Who was Schomberg?

3. What do you know of Dalrymple?

4. Give the battles, with dates, of the reign of William III. 5. What was the Massacre of Glencoe ?