The Black Prince
VI. Singeing the King of Spain's Beard

LIST OF PICTURES

Caradoc betrayed to the Romans . . . . . . _Frontispiece_

The children carried off by the Bernician Raiders

Harold taking the Oath

The Death of Harold

Arthur in prison visited by King John

Warwick's messenger asking for aid to be sent to the Black Prince

The French King brought prisoner to the Black Prince after Poitiers

Drake making his request of the Queen

CHAPTER I

A HERO OF ANCIENT BRITAIN

There was a time, many years ago, when this England of ours was a
savage country.

The oldest stories that we read about our island happened so long ago,
that the English had not yet come to the land where we live. In those
days, the country was not called England but Britain; and the people
were the ancient Britons.

In the time of the Britons, the greater part of the country was covered
with moors and swamps, and with great forests, where dangerous wild
animals lived: wolves and bears and wild cats; where herds of deer
wandered, and droves of wild cattle.

The ancient Britons lived in huts built of branches of trees plastered
with mud, very low in the roof, and dark, having no windows; and there
were no chimneys to let out the smoke. Their villages were only
collections of huts surrounded by a fence or stockade, and a ditch to
keep out the wild animals, as well as other Britons who were enemies of
the tribe, for these wild people were always fighting among themselves.

The Britons had blue eyes, and yellow or reddish hair, which both men
and women wore long, and hanging over their shoulders. In summer they
went about with their chests and shoulders almost bare, and in winter
they clothed themselves in the skins of animals killed in the chase.

They were a wild people, but so brave that we like to hear stories
about them.

About two thousand years ago, when the Britons were living their savage
life, there lived in the country which is now Italy another people
called the Romans. These Romans were one of the greatest and wisest
nations that have ever lived.

It seems strange that they should have left their own beautiful country
to come to Britain, with its cold climate and savage inhabitants, but
they were a very ambitious people, who would not be content until they
had subdued every other nation of the earth.

The Romans had already conquered all the nations round about their own
country when the Emp