of trumpets from afar, with the sharper and shriller blasts of clarions, resounded in their ears. They beheld the galleys rowing in order nearer to the land, adorned with all manner of arms, countless pennons floating in the wind, ensigns at the ends of the lances, and glittering shields suspended to the prows. The sea appeared to boil with the multitude of the rowers, and the clangour of their trumpets was deafening."

At last, the allied forces landed in Palestine, and during a stay of sixteen months in the Holy Land, Richard signalized his prowess in many an encounter with the Saracens ; especially at the siege of Acre,5 the battle of Ascalon, and the fight of Jaffa.

But his ardent desire to recover Jerusalem was never accomplished. Jealousy among the Christian leaders weakened their arms. Hence, when Richard quitted the country, in October, 1192, he left little proof behind him of his sojourn, beyond the memory of his name, which remained for centuries a terror to the wayward children of the desert."

1 Rich'-ard I. reigned from 1189 to 1199. He was buried near his father, at Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon.

2 This was the third Crusade or Holy War.

each.

Merks, or marks, worth 13s. 4d.

Veze'-lay, in Burgundy.

5 A'-cre, As'-ca-lon, Jaf'-fa,

towns of Palestine on the coast of the Mediterranean.

6 They called him "Malek Rik," great king. For centuries afterwards the Arab would chide his starting horse with, "Dost think that yonder is the Malek Rik?" and the mother would still her crying child by threats that Malek Rik should take it.

RICHARD CŒUR DE LION.

PART II.

THE ship in which Richard sailed from Palestine was wrecked in the Gulf of Venice; and as the king could not pass through France, on account of Philip's enmity, he put on the disguise of a pilgrim, intending to travel secretly through Germany. But he had a bitter enemy in that country also-Leopold, Duke of Austria, who had been greatly offended at some haughty speech Coeur de Lion had made to him at the siege of Acre.

Richard, accompanied by two attendants, had arrived safely at a town near Vienna, when his disguise was detected, and by the orders of Duke Leopold he was arrested and thrown into prison, from which he was not released until he agreed to pay a ransom of 100,000 marks.

This was a very large sum of money for those days, and there was no little difficulty in procuring it. Taxes were levied, and when these proved insufficient, the nobles and bishops contributed a fourth part of their incomes. The people, too, gave what they could; while the churches and the monasteries melted down their plate as a contribution to the common fund; and so at last the sum was raised, and Richard returned to England in 1194, after an absence of four years, fifteen months of which had been spent in an Austrian prison.

During the king's absence the country had fallen into sad confusion, and Richard found his English crown and his French coronets equally in danger.

His brother, who had driven the Regent into exile, aimed at the one, and Philip of France desired the others.

John was at once deprived of his estates, and expelled the kingdom; but at his mother's earnest entreaty he was pardoned.

Then, having restored the kingdom to something like order, Richard crossed over to the Continent, and spent the brief remainder of his reign in war with the king of France. No great battles were fought, but skirmishes and sieges followed in rapid succession; until Richard was fatally wounded by a bolt from a cross-bow at the Castle of Chaluz.

Out of a reign of ten years, Richard had spent scarcely eight months in England. Yet the people loved him; for of all the kings that had ruled since the battle of Hastings, he was the only one who seemed to like his English subjects, and they forgave all his faults, because he honoured their bravery, and treated them with kindness.

There was still a great distinction between the men of English and Norman race, and they had not yet learned to like one another. The Normans thought themselves much better men than their English neighbours, and the English hated the Norman pride.

But the time was coming when all wise men would join together to defend themselves from the tyranny of John; and from that time the two races. of men in England began to look upon one another as brothers, and the sons of Norman fathers became proud of the name of Englishmen.

RICHARD THE CRUSADER.

UNDER the burning rays of the summer sun, a large army was encamped on the sacrc soil of Palestine. Men of many climes and countries were there, all banded together in one common cause. The Italian had left his sunny plains, the Frenchman his vineyards, the German his home on the banks of the beautiful Rhine, and the Englishman his fertile fields and smiling valleys, to join together, to fight together, and to die together, if need be, for one great object-the deliverance of Jerusalem from the hands of the Saracens.

Conspicuous amidst this great host was a roya tent which bore the crimson banner of England. At its entrance reclined the leader of this gallant army, his eye wandering with an expression of pride and pleasure on the martial scene before him. He was a man of stately mien, and of a tall, commanding figure. His hair was light, his eyes were blue, and his countenance animated and engaging.

He seemed, indeed, born to command, and was well fitted to be the leader of that crusading host.1 All the soldiers feared him; but amongst the English this fear was joined to love and ardent attachment to his person. For this gallant warrior and Crusader was their own brave king, Richard the Lion-hearted.

As he sat and gazed, the impressive watchword was heard throughout the camp, "Remember the Holy City!" and while each Crusader thought of the cause which had led them so far from their