John Cassell's illustrated history of England. The text, to the reign of Edward i by J.F. Smith; and from that period by W. Howitt, Volume 1

Front Cover

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 345 - Douglas was known to be in the neighbourhood, they conceived themselves obliged to keep a very strict guard. An Englishwoman, the wife of one of the officers, was sitting on the battlements with her child in her arms ; and looking out on the fields below, she saw some black objects, like a herd of cattle, straggling near the foot of the wall, and approaching the ditch or moat of the castle. She pointed them out to the sentinel, and asked him what they were. —
Page 464 - Ah ! Freedom is a noble thing ! Freedom makes man to have liking ! Freedom all solace to man gives : He lives at ease that freely lives...
Page 284 - So help me God I will keep all these articles inviolate, as I am a man, as I am a Christian, as I am a knight, and as I am a king crowned and anointed.
Page 345 - Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye, Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye, The Black Douglas shall not get ye.
Page 465 - In elevation and elegance, in harmony and perspicuity of versification, he surpasses his predecessors in an infinite proportion : his genius was universal, and adapted to themes of unbounded variety : his merit was not less in painting familiar manners with humour and propriety, than in moving the passions, and in representing the beautiful and the grand objects of nature with grace and sublimity.
Page 420 - For it is not much above one hundred years ago, since Scripture hath not been accustomed to be read in the vulgar tongue within this realm : and many hundred years before that, it was translated and read in the Saxons...
Page 136 - The clergy, contented with a very slight degree of learning, could scarcely stammer out the words of the sacraments, and a person who understood grammar was an object of wonder and astonishment.
Page 404 - Court by the prebend of Aust, in the Collegiate Church of Westbury, in the diocese of Worcester ; and soon afterwards by the rectory of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire.
Page 284 - It is true," replied the king, "I have been somewhat faulty in this particular: I obtruded you, my Lord of Canterbury, upon your see: I was obliged to employ both entreaties and menaces, my Lord of Winchester, to have you elected: my proceedings, I confess, were very irregular, my Lords of Salisbury and Carlisle, when I raised you from the lowest stations to your present dignities: I am determined henceforth to correct these abuses; and it will also become you, in order to make a thorough reformation,...
Page 104 - ... general survey of all the lands in the kingdom, their extent in each district, their proprietors, tenures, value: the quantity of meadow, pasture, wood, and arable land, which they contained; and in some counties the number of tenants, cottagers, and slaves of all denominations, who lived upon them. He appointed commissioners for this purpose, who entered every particular in their register by the verdict of juries ; and after a labour of six years...

Bibliographic information