Stories from English History

iam the Conqueror, having died without leaving a

his nephew Arthur, the son of his elder brother, had a better right than himself to the crown. As time went on he became more and more uneasy, for he found tha

n his own dukedom of Brittany. His father having died when Arthur was only a baby, the young prince had bee

aken the crown which should have been Arthur's, he invited the young duke to his court, made him

ver lived to marry t

, you know your rights, and that your uncle John is not t

g Philip with his lar

'I should greatly

nights, and you shall come with me and make war upon your uncle in Normandy, which is yours by

beautiful horse, and Arthur had a fine suit of armour made for himself; and then he was unable to rest or sleep for joy

ng to fight for his inheritance, they gathered together five hundred kn

and Normandy. Seeing him upon his fine horse, and wearing his rich suit of armour, the knights and soldiers were delighted w

did not bring a large army; he knew that King Philip of France was in another part of

umber of King John's soldiers stole into the camp, made prison

ly awakened by some armed men, who seized him by the wr

full of King John's soldiers, running to and fro with lighted torches, and some

thur saw before him his uncle John, a look of triumph upon his mean face and in his shifty

id King John, trying to l

and looked at his uncle wit

ou; you are my uncle, the

white with anger, and

my rightful inheritance, of which you have unjustly de

ngled with admiration for his courage; but the boy's fearles

oice, John's eyes were glitter

way; and in the dungeon there he will learn

had promised to make him King of England; and he saw nothing t

. The King of France is on my side and against you, base usurper; and he will send an

orse was waiting for him, and he was made to ride, strongly guarded, all the long

ls of the castle, the chief o

as lowered, the iron grating raised which guarded the entrance; and

s led along a passage and down a stone staircase to a great

e dungeon lighted only by a window high up in the wall, an

at farthest, the King of France was sure to come, and then Arthur would mount his gallant horse again, pu

ur was still in his dungeon. Weeks passed; and the King of France

anish. Balmy air stole in at the unglazed window and breathed softly upon the face of the prisoner; and Arthur would hear the song-birds and the voices of other boys at their games beneath the castle walls, and all the pleasant sounds of a world where every one save himse

were withdrawn a

was King Phi

the archway of the door, he sa

ison visited

o meet his nephew's eyes, 'will yo

when he does me right. Restore to me my kingdom of

oung face had become so much paler by confinement; t

ohn took counsel

said, 'who defies me and thinks th

one. 'Have him pois

eman who had not spoken before; 'the people wil

his eyes; those eyes which look with unseem

the idea the more attract

hat he would one day force his uncle to yield up the crown-it would be

de Burgh, whom he believed to be devoted to

hat he felt towards him almost as a father. He took the prince out of the dungeon, and gave him bright sunny rooms in

commanding that his prisoner's eyes should be burned out with hot irons.

ich such an order gave him; but he was una

orning with so sad a face that

es, prince?' said Hubert,

deed, Hubert, I am beginning to think that if only I were free and kept sheep I could be as merry as the day is long. Perhaps I should not trouble any longer about bei

yet the longer he waited the more impossible it seemed for him to begin. He moved uneasil

bert abruptly at last, feeling it impossi

tter; and then he

s this tru

uncle's orders!' said Hu

' said Arthur piteously. 'Wil

our uncle has sent two me

s all that Art

ert to himself, and he called the executio

tay quite still, Hubert, I will not move if you will do

the executioners; 'I will c

had pitied the boy, 'I am best pl

the eyes of his dear young prisoner; and it w

e prince, 'and I will not; I shall have to take the cons

each hoping that he woul

ert abruptly. 'What is more, I am not going to allo

ave, sir, we would both rather be excused from doing our duty if it's to be a young gentleman

think that Arthur, even without his eyes, was too dangerous a prisoner to keep on his hands;

ioner,' replied William de Bray; an

large sum of money, and sent him

sked Hubert de Burgh, as the fellow

rince Arthur,'

t thee,' said Hubert, 'a

r, separated Arthur from his kind gaoler, and had him imprisoned in the

boat by night and waited

r was unfastened, the gaoler threw down his torch and trod upon it to put it out, and Arthur was only ab

after that has never been told. Some say that John stunned his nephew with a large stone, and flung

deed aroused the greatest indignation throughout England and France. Through it the dukedom of Normandy was lost