is not known.

Tamerlane's dominions now embraced a large part of Asia. He retired
to his palace at Samarcand and for several weeks indulged in
festivities.

He could not, however, long be content away from the field of battle.
So he made up his mind to invade the Empire of China. At the head of
a great army of two hundred thousand soldiers he marched from the
city of Samarcand towards China. He had gone about three hundred
miles on the way when, in February, 1405, he was taken sick and
died. His army was disbanded and all thought of invading China
was given up.

Thus passed away one of the greatest conquerors of the Middle Ages.
He was a soldier of genius but he cannot be called a truly great
man. His vast empire speedily fell to pieces after his death. Since
his day there has been no leader like him in that part of Asia.

HENRY V

KING FROM 1413-1422

I

Of all the kings that England ever had Henry V was perhaps the
greatest favorite among the people. They liked him because he was
handsome and brave and, above all, because he conquered France.

In his youth, Prince Hal, as the people called him, had a number
of merry companions who sometimes got themselves into trouble by
their pranks. Once one of them was arrested and brought before
the chief justice of the kingdom.

Prince Hal was not pleased because sentence was given against his
companion and he drew his sword, threatening the judge. Upon this
the judge bravely ordered the prince to be arrested and put into
prison.

Prince Hal submitted to his punishment with good grace and his
father is reported to have said, "Happy is the monarch who has so
just a judge, and a son so willing to obey the law."

One of Prince Hal's companions was a fat old knight named Sir John
Falstaff. Once Falstaff was boasting that he and three men had
beaten and almost killed two men in buckram suits who had attacked
and tried to rob them. The prince led him on and gave him a chance
to brag as much as he wanted to, until finally Falstaff swore that
there were at least a hundred robbers and that he himself fought
with fifty. Then Prince Hal told their companions that only two
men had attacked Falstaff and his friends, and that he and another
man who was present were those two. And he said that Falstaff,
instead of fighting, had run as fast as his legs could carry him.

There was real goodness as well as merriment in Prince Hal. And
so the people found; for when he beca