right to claim the sympathy of both, in regard
to this new movement, by which, without
the slightest interference with the rights of
labour, or with the liberty of a single
individual, women are led back to their own
homes, and the good old-fashioned seat by
their own firesides. After sympathy, or with
it, comes help. Those who think well of what
has been done, should, and will, go and do
the same thing. There should, and will, be
more evening schools for women employed in
manufactures.

A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH.

KING Edward the Second, the first Prince
of Wales, was twenty-three years old when
his father died. There was a certain favorite
of his, a young man from Gascony, named
PIERS GAVESTON, of whom his father had so
much disapproved that he had ordered him
out of England, and had made his son swear
by the side of his sick-bed, never to bring
him back. But, the Prince no sooner found
himself King, than he broke his oath, as so
many other Princes and Kings did (they
were far too ready to take oaths), and sent
for his dear friend immediately.

Now, this same Gaveston was handsome
enough, but was a reckless, insolent,
audacious fellow. He was detested by the proud
English Lords: not only because he had such
power over the King, and made the Court
such a dissipated place, but, also, because he
could ride better than they at tournaments,
and was used, in his impudence, to cut very
bad jokes on them; calling one, the old hog;
another, the stage-player; another, the Jew;
another, the black dog of Ardenne. This
was as poor wit as need be, but it made those
Lords very wroth; and the surly Earl of
Warwick, who was the black dog, swore that
the time should come when Piers Gaveston
should feel the black dog's teeth.

It was not come yet, however, nor did it
seem to be coming. The King made him
Earl of Cornwall, and gave him vast riches;
and, when the King went over to France to
marry the French Princess ISABELLA, daughter
of PHILIP LE BEL: who was said to be the
most beautiful woman in the world: he made
Gaveston, Regent of the Kingdom. His
splendid marriage-ceremony in the Church
of Our Lady at Boulogne, where there were
four Kings and three Queens present (quite
a pack of Court Cards, for I dare say the
Knaves were not wanting), being over, he
seemed to care little or nothing for his
beautiful wife; but was wild with impatience to
meet Gaveston again.

When he landed at home, he paid no
attention to anybody else, but ran into the
favorite's arms before a great concourse of
people, and hugged him, and kissed him, and
called him his brother.  At the coronation
which soon followed, Gaveston was the richest
and brightest of all the glittering company
there, and had the honour of carrying the
crown. This made the proud Lords fiercer
than ever; the people, too, despised the
favorite, and would never call him Earl of
Cornwall, however much he complained to
the King and asked him to punish them for
not doing so, but persisted in styling him
plain Piers Gaveston.

The Barons were so unceremonious with
the King in giving him to understand that
they would not bear this favorite, that the
King was obliged to send him out of the
country. The favorite himself was made to
take an oath (more oaths!) that he would
never come back, and the Barons supposed
him to be banished in disgrace, until they
heard that he was appointed Governor of
Ireland. Even this was not enough for the
besotted King, who brought him home again in
a year's time, and not only disgusted the
Court and the people by his doting folly, but
offended his beautiful wife too, who never
liked him afterwards.

He had now the old Royal want—of money
—and the Barons had the new power of
positively refusing to let him raise any. He
summoned a Parliament at York; the Barons
declined to make one, while the favorite was
near him. He summoned another Parliament
at Westminster, and sent Gaveston away.
Then, the Barons came, completely armed,
and appointed a committee of themselves, to
correct abuses in the state and in the King's
household. He got some money on these
conditions, and directly set off with Gaveston
to the Border-country, where they spent it
in idling away the time, and feasting, while
Bruce made ready to drive the English out
of Scotland. For, though the old King had
even made this poor weak son of his swear
(as some say) that he would not bury his
bones, but would have them boiled clean in
a caldron, and carried before the English
army until Scotland was entirely subdued, the
second Edward was so unlike the first that
Bruce gained strength and power every day.

The committee of Nobles, after some
months of deliberation, ordained that the
King should henceforth call a Parliament
together, once every year, and even twice if
necessary, instead of summoning it only when
he chose. Further, that Gaveston should once
more be banished, and, this time, on pain of
death if he ever came back. The King's
tears were of no avail; he was obliged to
send his favorite to Flanders.  As soon as
he had done so, however, he dissolved the
Parliament, with the low cunning of a mere
fool, and set off to the North of England,
thinking to get an army about him to oppose
the Nobles. And once again he brought
Gaveston home, and heaped upon him all
the riches and titles of which the Barons
had deprived him.

The Lords saw, now, that there was nothing
for it but to put the favorite to death.