Charter--few Kings had, through many, many years--but he
had high qualities. The first bold object which he conceived when he
came home, was, to unite under one Sovereign England, Scotland, and
Wales; the two last of which countries had each a little king of its own,
about whom the people were always quarrelling and fighting, and making a
prodigious disturbance--a great deal more than he was worth. In the
course of King Edward's reign he was engaged, besides, in a war with
France. To make these quarrels clearer, we will separate their histories
and take them thus. Wales, first. France, second. Scotland, third.

* * * * *

LLEWELLYN was the Prince of Wales. He had been on the side of the Barons
in the reign of the stupid old King, but had afterwards sworn allegiance
to him. When King Edward came to the throne, Llewellyn was required to
swear allegiance to him also; which he refused to do. The King, being
crowned and in his own dominions, three times more required Llewellyn to
come and do homage; and three times more Llewellyn said he would rather
not. He was going to be married to ELEANOR DE MONTFORT, a young lady of
the family mentioned in the last reign; and it chanced that this young
lady, coming from France with her youngest brother, EMERIC, was taken by
an English ship, and was ordered by the English King to be detained. Upon
this, the quarrel came to a head. The King went, with his fleet, to the
coast of Wales, where, so encompassing Llewellyn, that he could only take
refuge in the bleak mountain region of Snowdon in which no provisions
could reach him, he was soon starved into an apology, and into a treaty
of peace, and into paying the expenses of the war. The King, however,
forgave him some of the hardest conditions of the treaty, and consented
to his marriage. And he now thought he had reduced Wales to obedience.

But the Welsh, although they were naturally a gentle, quiet, pleasant
people, who liked to receive strangers in their cottages among the
mountains, and to set before them with free hospitality whatever they had
to eat and drink, and to play to them on their harps, and sing their
native ballads to them, were a people of great spirit when their blood
was up. Englishmen, after this affair, began to be insolent in Wales,
and to assume the air of masters; and the Welsh pride could not bear it.
Moreover, they believed in that unlucky old Merlin, some of whose unlucky
old prophecies somebody