44

THE GREAT CHARTER.

having no one to help him, was forced to grant everything the barons asked. In this way the tyranny of a bad king led to the liberty and security of his land.

4. The Great Charter, as it is called, was an agreement between the king and the people, in which the king promised that he would govern in a certain manner, and under certain rules. It has been observed for more than six hundred years, and is one of the chief causes why England is more prosperous and happy than other countries.

5. The king was at Windsor; the barons were encamped in a large meadow on the banks of the Thames between Windsor and Staines. The king was at the mercy of the barons, so that the charter was discussed, agreed to, and signed on a single day, June 15, 1215. In it he promised that he would take no money from his subjects without their consent, except in certain cases carefully defined. He also promised that he would put no man into prison at his pleasure, as he had been accustomed to do. No freeman shall be seized, or dispossessed, or outlawed, or in any way brought to ruin; we will not go against any man, nor send against him save by legal judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.'

6. These two provisions give security to the person and property of Englishmen.

SIMON DE MONTFORT.

from the rule of a weak or

Henry III., the eldest son

1. ALTHOUGH the Great Charter was a step towards liberty, England was not safe bad king. Such a king was of John, who succeeded his father. He was more a Frenchman than an Englishman. He spent a great deal of money, and filled the country with foreigners. Also he would not keep the promises he had made.

2. The barons, whose fathers had won the Great Charter from John, found a leader in Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. He was a Frenchman, and had married the king's sister, but he had a strong feeling for the rights of Englishmen. It had been settled by the charter that no one was to be taxed without the consent of the people, who came together in one place to give or withhold their consent when fresh taxes were proposed. Thus there grew up what we call the Parliament.

3. Henry behaved so badly, that a parliament held at Oxford was forced to take the rule of the country from him, and give it to a council. Henry resisted, and Earl Simon had no course open to him but to compel the king to agree to his demands. The king was at Lewes, the Earl occupied the heights about the town. The Prince of Wales attacked the men of London and drove them along the high road, while on the other side the Earl's soldiers carried everything before them. Henry took refuge in a mill, and came out covered with flour. When the Prince of Wales returned from his chase of the Londoners, he found his father a prisoner, and was himself captured. The next year Earl Simon summoned

46

SIMON DE MONTFORT.

a parliament to meet at Westminster. This consisted not only of lords and bishops, but of commoners as well. 4. For a year Simon de Montfort was master of the kingdom, while Prince Edward was confined in the castle at Hereford. One day the prince persuaded his keeper to ride races with him in the meadow below. When their horses were tired, Edward mounted a fresh one and rode away. He joined the barons, who had turned against Earl Simon, and were preparing to attack him. 5. King Henry and Earl Simon were in the abbey of Evesham when they saw the army of the barons approaching. The earl thought it was his own son, until he perceived Edward's banner. Knowing then that he was overpowered, he said, 'Let us commend our souls to God, for our bodies are theirs.' He allowed any of his men who pleased to go away. Those who remained gathered themselves together and fought as stoutly as they could. The son of Earl Simon was killed before his father's eyes. The king himself would have been slain had he not called out, I am Henry of Winchester, your king.' The earl, seizing his sword with both hands, cut down all who were against him, but was stabbed from behind. He died with the words, 'It is God's grace,' upon his lips.

6. The English reverenced Earl Simon as a saint after his death. They flocked to his tomb as they had flocked to that of Thomas Becket, and believed that miracles were wrought there.

WILLIAM WALLACE.

1. EDWARD, when he became king, first subdued Wales, and then tried to make himself master of Scotland. The

crown of Scotland was in dispute between various claimants, chief of whom were John Baliol and Robert Bruce. Edward gave it to Baliol on the condition that he should acknowledge him as his liege lord. Baliol kept this promise for some time, but when he found that Scotchmen were obliged to come to England for justice, he determined to be his own master. Edward marched against him, conquered the country, and deposed him; he also carried off from Scone the stone on which the Scottish kings were always crowned; this now lies under the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey.

2. Edward ruled Scotland well, but the people yearned for their liberty, and there arose as their leader William Wallace, the younger son of a Scotch knight. He had become an outlaw through a quarrel with some of the English; he was therefore obliged to hide himself among the hills, where he was joined by others like himself. His followers at last became so many, that they drove the English Chief Justice out of Scotland. They were savage and cruel, but they fought for the freedom of their country.

3. The Earl of Surrey, the English governor, attacked Wallace with a large army near Stirling. Wallace was posted behind a river which could only be crossed by a bridge or a ford. Surrey despised his enemy, and attempted to cross the bridge, which was very narrow. When some of the English had passed over, Wallace fell

48

WILLIAM WALLACE.

upon them, and slew them.

The rest ran away.

The

whole country fell into the hands of Wallace, who even crossed the border into England.

4. Edward hurried home from France to attack the Scots. He met them at Falkirk. Wallace drew up his foot soldiers very close together in four hollow rings, with their pikes pointing outwards. He cried tauntingly to Edward, I have brought you to the ring; hop if you can.' The English cavalry dared not attack this formation of the foot soldiers until the archers, called up by Edward, had sent flights of arrows at the men. These had such an effect, that when the horsemen charged, they broke the ranks easily. Wallace, knowing everything was lost, fled, and took refuge in France.

5. Five years later he returned to Scotland, surprised the English general near Roslyn Abbey, but was betrayed and captured when Edward again marched northwards with large forces. On this occasion the English king met with little resistance. The brave Scotch leader was taken to London, tried, and sentenced to death as a traitor. His head was exposed to view on London Bridge. Though he was executed by Edward as a rebel, his countrymen have always regarded him as a national hero, who sacrificed everything for freedom, and taught them how they ought to resist the rule of foreigners.