xty years; Henry III., who reigned fifty-six
years; and Edward III., who reigned fifty years. It was an odd
coincidence that each should be the third of his name. Queen Victoria's
reign was marked not only by its length, but by its happiness and
prosperity. When she had been on the throne fifty years, she celebrated
what is called a Jubilee, and then many foreign princes and sovereigns
came over to England and joined in a procession, and went with her to
give thanks in St. Paul's Cathedral. Ten years later, when she had
completed her sixtieth year on the throne, it was felt that she ought to
have another Jubilee, called a Diamond Jubilee, for having equalled the
period of the longest reign in English history, and the Diamond Jubilee
was hardly less splendid than the first one. After this Queen Victoria
lived to the beginning of 1901, thus having reigned very nearly
sixty-three years and a half. It is very rare for any sovereign to do
this. To begin with, the sovereign must be quite young when he ascends
the throne, and that is not always the case, and then he must live to a
great age. Queen Victoria was only eighteen when she became Queen, and
she was eighty-one when she died. At the two Jubilees the carriages of
the Queen, with all the gorgeous attendants and outriders, formed a
group outside the great west door of St. Paul's, and waited while the
service was held; and all the stands and seats were thronged with
people, and everyone cheered the Queen, who will in future times be
known as Victoria the Good. The whole of the route to St. Paul's was
magnificently decorated, and every window and balcony, and even the
roofs, were crowded with spectators.

Some very famous men are buried in St. Paul's, though not so many as
there are in Westminster Abbey. Those who are here are chiefly military
men, and the greatest soldier England has ever had is included among
them, namely, the Duke of Wellington.

If you have read history you will all know how the Duke of Wellington
conquered Napoleon, who had so terrified the countries of Europe that
none dare face him; and if England had not sent her soldiers under the
great Duke to fight Napoleon, the whole course of European history would
now be different. Napoleon had gone on from one success to another,
until he began to think he was not to be conquered at all; but he met
his fate at the Battle of Waterloo, and his career was ended. The King
of England at that time was George III.,