swearing on the Gospels and relics faithfully to support each other in that voyage and in their return. A very stringent rule was made with regard to gambling among the sailors: it was decreed that if any one was caught gaming, he should be flogged once a day for three days, or thrown three times from the mainmast head into the sea. "God," say the historians of the time, "blessed the holy pilgrimage of these wise and pious kings."

The valour, rather than either the piety or wisdom of the king was soon called into active service. Cyprus was seized by King Richard, who immediately afterwards appeared before Acre, and, with his French ally, so battered the walls with "petreroes, mangonels, and trebuckets "-engines of war not so powerful as Armstrong guns that the Saracens were compelled to capitulate. Jealousy of the military genius of Richard led to a misunderstanding between the kings, who, notwithstanding they had sworn amity on the Gospels, parted very ill friends, Philip returning to France, and Richard determining to carry on the crusade alone. And soon his name became a terror throughout the east. He fought like a lion, and well earned his soubriquet of Lion-heart; and we have to judge him, not by the civilization of the nineteenth century, but by the crude, social condition of his own. He was fighting for something more than personal aggrandizement, for territorial power; he had gone to war for an "idea;" that idea was the liberation of a country specially blessed of heaven from the domination of Pagans-for the safety of those pilgrims who thought they did God service by visiting at any cost the scene of the Saviour's sufferings-he was fighting for the cause of the religion which he held dear. But bad news from home warned him that he must return. His brother John, his delegated Regent, had misused his power, and Philip, his sworn ally, was planning an invasion. So Richard resolved to return, and concluded a truce with the Saracens for three years, three months, and three days.

Setting sail in a vessel for the west, he arrived off the coast of Sicily before it occurred to him that he might be

treacherously seized by his enemies if he attempted to land at any of the ports of Southern Gaul. Instead of crossing the Mediterranean, he accordingly entered the Adriatic, where his vessel was attacked by pirates. With these men he formed a friendship, and quitting his own ship for one of theirs, proceeded to Zara, on the coast of Sclavonia. There he went ashore with two or three companions and a few servants, seeking safe conduct from the lord of the province. Now it happened that the lord of that province was brother to one of Richard's bitterest enemies; and the ruby ring which Richard sent as a present was recognized as belonging to the King of England.

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Who are they who have sent thee to require a safe conduct?" asked the ruler of the messenger.

"Pilgrims returning from Jerusalem."

"Tell me their names ? "

"One is called Baldwin de Béthune, and the other Hugh the Merchant.”

"Thou liest! Hugh the Merchant is Richard King of England. Take back the ring, and tell him, since he honours me with his gifts without knowing who I am, I will not detain him-he is free to depart."

So Richard left immediately, and no one sought to prevent him.

No one sought to prevent him by taking him by the collar, for example, and trailing him to jail; but spies were set upon his track, and he was ultimately seized at Vienna, after passing through many strange and romantic adventures. He was seized as an enemy to the German empire, and accused of conniving at the murder of the Marquis of Montferrat which was totally untrue and of tearing and throwing into a ditch Duke Leopold's flagwhich was true. That little incident happened in Palestine. Lion-heart found the trumpery flag of Duke Leopold stuck up ostentatiously close to his own; he pulled it down, tore it into ribbons, and threw it into the ditch. He was a prompt, impulsive man-not sweet-temperedand conceiving that this setting up of the ensign was intended as an insult, resented it as such.

But now the lion was caged, and all the thistle-eaters brayed and struck out their hinder hoofs in triumph. He was transferred from Vienna to Worms, and there imprisoned in one of the imperial fortresses. Philip of France wrote him a defiant letter, and was excessively boastful, which, seeing that his enemy was behind iron bars, can scarcely be called chivalrous. Richard was at last summoned before the Germanic Diet to answer for his crimes," and it was intimated to him that the sum of 100,000 pounds of silver would ensure a verdict of not guilty. To this he assented, and the German Emperor, Bishops and Barons, swore by their souls that he should be set at liber y for that "consideration."

For two years King Richard remained in prison, chafing at the iron bars of his cage, and sending message after message to his friends in England and on the Continent, urging them to liberate him by paying his ransom. Very bitterly he complained-and not without reason—that his friends neglected him. They certainly did; it is likely enough that those who had money to spare, did not want King Richard back, and that those who wanted the king back had not the money for his release. So he composed a song in the Roman dialect of the south, in which he deplored his sad fate. Here is a prose translation: "I have many friends, but they give poorly; their's is the shame, if for the want of ransom I have been two winters a prisoner. Be it known to my men and my barons, English, Norman, Poitevin and Gascon, that I have not so despised a companion whom I would leave in prison for the sake of money. I say it not reproachfully, but I am still a prisoner."

But the money was collected at last, and paid over to the German Exchequer. The Diet was then assembled to decide the prisoner's fate, and his liberty was fixed for the third week after Christmas. Certain conditions were imposed,to which King Richard assented; and the German Emperor was so charmed with his easy compliance, that he granted to him by authentic charter, several provinces, over which he himself had no more jurisdiction than he had over Central Africa or undiscovered America!

When the king of France, and John, King Richard's brother, heard that Lion Heart was to be set at liberty, they sent off hasty messages imploring the Emperor to keep him in safe custody, and offering to pay a thousand pounds of silver for each month of his prolonged captivity. But the Emperor, however willing he might have been to accept the proposal, dared not do so, and Richard was accordingly liberated. Efforts were made by his crafty enemies to retake him, but without success; and so taking passage in a Norman galliot, he landed safely at the port of Sandwich. The English people had paid dearly for his freedom, but he seemed to have become more endeared to them on that account. Enthusiastically they crowded about him with uproarious welcome, and accompanied him on his way to London with shouts of rejoicing. So magnificent was the reception given to him by the citizens of London-such stores of plate, and jewels, and cloth of gold, were displayed to do honour to the occurrence, that one of the German barons who accompanied him, expressed his astonishment at the sight, declaring that if the Emperor, his master, had known the wealth of the country, he would not have let his prisoner off so easily. At the moment when Richard entered London, bells were ringing at the churches, and tapers were lit, and at every altar in the city sentence of excommunication was being pronounced against Prince John and his rebellious adherents. John himself had received notice of his brother's release in a letter which reached him from Philip, containing the significant words: "Take heed to yourself, the devil is broke loose." And the prince immediately sought safety in flight.

The only place where formidable resistance was offered to Richard was Nottingham. The place was, however, taken by storm, and several or its defenders hanged on a gibbet. Shortly after this, Richard was re-crowned as King of England.

After his coronation, King Richard in disguise made a journey of pleasure into the forests of Sherwood. "He had never in his life," says a contemporary historian, seen these forests, and they pleased him extremely."

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KING RICHARD IN SHERWOOD FOREST.

Here, in the merry green wood, dwelt that famous outlaw, Robin Hood, of whom the old rhymesters tell us:

From wealthy abbots' chests and church abundant store,
What oftentimes he took, he shared amongst the poor.

Who has not heard of Robin Hood, and Little John, his lieutenant and brother in arms, and Maid Marian and