to be pleasing to those in authority, and to
strengthen the powers and prestige of the reigning families.

* * * * *

The neighboring countries with which the kings of England were most
frequently at war in those days were Scotland, Wales, and France.
These wars arose, not from any causes connected with the substantial
interests of the people of England, but from the grasping ambition of
the kings, who wished to increase the extent of their territories, and
thus add to their revenues and to their power. Sometimes their wars
arose from private and personal quarrels, and in these cases thousands
of lives were often sacrificed, and great sums of money expended to
revenge slights or personal injuries of comparatively little
consequence.

For instance, one of the wars with Wales broke out in this manner.
Leolin, who was then the reigning Prince of Wales, sent to France, and
requested the King of France that he might have in marriage a certain
lady named Lady Eleanor, who was then residing in the French king's
court. The motive of Leolin in making this proposal was not that he
bore any love for the Lady Eleanor, for very likely he had never seen
her; but she was the daughter of an English earl named Montfort, Earl
of Leicester, who was an enemy of the King of England, and, having
been banished from the country, had taken refuge in France. Leolin
thought that by proposing and carrying into effect this marriage, he
would at once gratify the King of France and spite the King of
England.

The King of France at once assented to the proposed marriage, but the
King of England was extremely angry, and he determined to prevent the
marriage if he could. He accordingly gave the necessary orders, and
the little fleet which was sent from France to convey Eleanor to Wales
was intercepted off the Scilly Islands on the way, and the whole
bridal party were taken prisoners and sent to London.

As soon as Leolin heard this, he, of course, was greatly enraged, and
he immediately set off with an armed troop, and made a foray upon the
English frontiers, killing all the people that lived near the border,
plundering their property, and burning up all the towns and villages
that came in his way. There followed a long war. The English were, on
the whole, the victors in the war, and at the end of it a treaty was
made by which Leolin's wife, it is true, was restored to him, but his
kingdom was brought almost complete