By the soft green light in the woody glade, On the banks of moss where thy childhood play'd; By the waving tree through which thine eye By every sound of thy native shade, By the gathering round the winter hearth, By the smiling eye and the loving tone, And bless'd that gift!-it hath gentle might, WILLIAM THE SECOND. HE E was the son of William the First, and as wicked as his father. Fierce, cruel, and proud, he was disliked by all. He was silly too, for he cared a great deal about his dress, not knowing that in the sight of God a meek and quiet spirit is of great price, and the righteousness of Christ the only dress in which we can ever hope to enter heaven. William liked to wear clothes that cost a great deal of money, and once, it is said, he sent away a pair of stockings, and would not wear them, because they only cost three shillings, which was a great deal in those days, as things were very cheap, and when the servant brought him a coarser pair, and said that he gave more money for them, this foolish king liked them very much. He was called Rufus, or Red, because his hair was red. It was in this reign that the crusade, or war, begun. You do not know what that means, but I will try to tell you. You have often heard of the city of Jerusalem, in the Bible: the Turks had taken it, and they lived there. Many weak foolish people used to go to Jerusalem to visit the sepulchre where our Lord Jesus Christ was buried, and to wor ship it; and amongst others a hermit named Peter, and he was angry when he saw that the Turks were living there: this was very foolish; but we do not wonder at his folly, since he was so ignorant as to pray to an empty grave, when it is said in the Bible, "thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them." But he went from country to country and asked all the kings and princes to go and fight against the Turks, and drive them His body was picked up two or three days after by some of the poor people, whom his father had turned out of their houses, carried away in a cart, and bu out of Jerusalem; and a great many William went on from one sin to another. A good man, named Anselm, used often to tell him, that God did not like his wicked ways, but William did not care, he only hated Anselm for it; and one day having drank too much wine, he went out to hunt in the New Forest, which his father had made in such a wicked manner. Sir Walter Tyrrel, one of his companions, aimed an arrow carelessly at a stag; it struck against a tree which turned its point, and it entered the king's heart, who fell from his horse, quite dead. Poor man, he was cut off in the midst of his sins. "The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, for in an instant he goes down into the grave." Sir Walter Tyrrel, seeing that the king was dead, mounted his horse and rode off the sea shore, got into a boat, and sailed for France; but he need not have run away, no one cared for William. WILLIAM THE SECOND. Character-Fierce, cruel, vain, proud, and deceitful; but the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. Right to the throne-Son of William the First; he was a usurper; his brother Robert should have reigned before him. Death-Shot whilst hunting in the Possessions-England and Normandy. Remarkable Events-The Crusade or holy war begun in this reign. It is said that this weak king sent away a pair of stockings one day because they only cost three shillings, and wore a coarser pair because the servant said that he had given more money for them. In the year 1091, there was such a tremendous storm from the south-west as to blow down, in London, above six hundred houses and several churches. Four beams, 26 feet long, were wrenched from the roof of one church, carried a great distance, and driv en end foremost into the unpaved ground 20 feet. Not being able to pull them up again, the people had to saw them even with the ground. A great part of London was burnt down in 1092, and a terrible sea overflowed the coast of Kent. In connexion with the foregoing account of William Rufus, we have met with the fol lowing beautiful lines, written on the supposed supernatural warning which the king is said to have received before his death. THE DEATH OF THE RED KING. WHO is it that rides through the forest so green? Why starts the proud courser ? what vision is there? But lo! a dark form o'er the pathway hath lean'd, His garments were black as the night-raven's plume, 'Thou liest, vile caitiff, 'tis false, by the rood, But say what art thou, strange, unsearchable thing, In darkness and storm o'er the ocean I sail, O pale grew the monarch, and smote on his breast, 10, Jesu-Maria! he tremblingly said, · Bona Virgo -he gazed-but the vision had fled. He thought of the contract, Thou'rt safe from the tomb, As he stood near the tree, lo! a swift-flying dart Hath struck the proud monarch, and pierc'd through his heart; In Malwood is silent the light-hearted glee, A weeping is heard in Saint Swithin's huge pile- FROM the dark and dismal cell, And dwell among the sons of pride; ENIGMA. And of all subjects, I alone |