Little Arthur's history of EnglandCallcott, Maria, Lady
History
Little Arthur's history of England
Callcott, Maria, Lady
Great Britain -- History -- Juvenile literature
If you look at the map of the world in this place, my dear little
Arthur, you will wonder that two countries in Europe, so close
together as England and France, should think or sending their
soldiers and sailors so far off as India to fight their battles; but
you will wonder still more when you learn that, not content with
this, they sent other fleets and armies to North America, where
they fought till the English conquered the greatest part of all the
country that the French ever had in that part of the world. But the
greatest victory we gained there was the battle of Quebec, where our
brave and good General Wolfe was killed. Some day you will read his
life, and then you will wish that all English soldiers could be like
him.
We will now think about the civil war in King George the Second’s
reign. You remember that in his father’s time the Pretender, whom
the Scotch call James the Eighth, came from France to Scotland and
thought he could get the kingdom for himself, but he was soon obliged
to go back again.
After that he went and lived in Italy, and married a Princess of
Poland, and had two sons. The eldest of these was a fine brave
young man: the youngest became a clergyman, and the Pope made him a
Cardinal; his name was Henry. The eldest, Charles Edward, who was
called the Young Chevalier in Scotland and in England the Young
Pretender, thought he would try once more to get the kingdom of Great
Britain from the Protestant king; so, in spite of the good advice of
his true friends, he would go from Italy first to France, and then to
Scotland, to make war against King George.
The King of France lent him a ship and a few men and officers, and
gave him a little money, for this purpose; and the young prince
landed in Scotland, among the highlands, where the people were still
fond of his family. In a very short time the highland chiefs, who
had a great power over the poor people, gathered a great army, and
marched to Edinburgh, which you know is the capital of Scotland.
There he had his father proclaimed King of England, Scotland, and
Ireland, and gave titles of dukes and lords to the gentlemen who
came to fight for him, and pretended to be the real Prince of Wales.
And he lived in the old palace of the Scotch kings, called Holyrood
House, and there he gave balls and concerts to the Scotch ladies, and
they all fancied themselves sure that Charles Edward would be their
king instead of George.
At first he gained two or three victories, the chief of which was
at Preston Pans, near Edinburgh; and then he marched into England,
where but few English gentlemen joined him; and when he got as far
as Derby he found that he had better go back to Scotland, for the
English would have nothing to do with him. On his way, the English
army, commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, who was King George’s son,
caught and beat part of his army, and took many prisoners.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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