they said that they could not trust any one else not to sail away if danger came. He was therefore obliged to leave the search for the mine to one of his sons and to his friend Captain Keymis. When Keymis had nearly reached the place where the mine was, he found a Spanish village on the bank where he had not expected to find it. He landed his men, and after a sharp fight they forced their way into the village, though they were obliged to set fire to it before the Spaniards could be driven out. Young Raleigh was shot down in the midst of the fight. His comrades never reached the place where the mine was. The Spaniards, who had taken refuge in the woods, fired at the English from behind the trees whenever they attempted to move, and at last Keymis was obliged to re-embark his men in the boats and to make his way sadly down the stream of the mighty river. Raleigh learned from his old friend that all his prospect of success and his hope of life itself was at an end. He lost his temper, and threw all the blame on poor Keymis, who had done his best. It is for you,' he said, 'to satisfy the king since you have chosen to take your own way. I cannot do it.' The old sailor could not bear this unmerited reproach. He went back to his cabin, and thrust a knife into his heart. A boy, who opened the door half an hour afterwards, found him dead.

4. Raleigh's Return and Execution.-Raleigh's first thought after this failure was to try to persuade the captains of his fleet to join him in attacking some Spanish ships in order to get gold or silver to

take home to the king. The captains thought that this would be piracy, and said that they did not want to be hanged. Raleigh had to come home. He was seized and thrown into prison. So hateful were the Spaniards in England that James did not venture to allow him to be heard in public in his own defence. Almost every man in England was ready to applaud a bold sailor who had hurt nobody but the Spaniards. Raleigh was now the most popular man in the country. He ascended the scaffold with a jest on his tongue. The crowd was thick, and he saw one of his friends trying with difficulty to push his way through it. 'I know not," Raleigh called out, what shift you will make, but I am sure to have a place.' When he knelt down to lay his head on the block some one told him that he ought to have laid his face towards the east. 'What matter,' he answered, how the head lie, so that the heart be right.' The axe descended, and his voice was silenced for ever.

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5. James I. and the Thirty Years War.-A war broke out in Germany, called the Thirty Years War, in which the German Catholic princes were on one side and many of the German Protestant princes on the other. The principal of these latter was Frederick, who ruled over the Palatinate, a country of which the chief town was Heidelberg. Frederick had married James's daughter Elizabeth. He was defeated, and part of his dominions were seized by a Spanish army which had come to help his enemies. Englishmen were very anxious that the Spaniards should not remain in possession of Frederick's land,

lest he and his Protestant subjects should be com pelled to change their religion. James agreed with his people, because he did not want his daughter and her children to be driven out of their home. He sent ambassadors to a great many kings and princes to beg them to stop fighting, but they paid no attention to him. He therefore summoned another Parliament, and asked for money thet he might be able to pay an army to defend the Palatinate, if he went to war. As, however, he had made up his mind to send some more ambassadors before going to war, the Parliament only gave him a little money, and waited to see what he would do if the ambassadors did not succeed in persuading the Catholics to leave the Palatinate alone.

6. The Monopolies and Lord Chancellor Bacon.— The House of Commons complained bitterly of many things at home. James had granted a great many monopolies as Elizabeth had done. He had done it partly to reward his friends, but much more to encourage the introduction into England of new manufactures. Those, however, who had got these monopolies behaved very harshly and violently to men who tried, without the king's leave, to make the things which they thought that no one but themselves ought to make. The House of Commons complained, and James was obliged to put an end to these monopolies. The House of Commons then found fault with other matters. Great officials, in those days, were not paid as they are now with a regular salary, but received presents from people who wanted their help. It was very difficult to prevent people

who brought presents to the officials to reward them for doing their duty, from bringing presents to persuade them to do what they ought not to do. At this time Lord Bacon was Lord Chancellor. He was a very wise man, and a great philosopher, but when people brought him presents he was foolish enough to take them without asking himself whether they wanted to bribe him or not. In many cases these people hoped that he would decide in their favour in some matter which he had to settle as a

judge. He used to take their money, though afterwards he decided against them if they were in the wrong. Some of these people were very angry, and complained to the House of Commons. The House of Commons impeached the Lord Chancellor, that is to say, accused him before the House of Lords. Bacon was condemned to lose his office, and was punished in other ways besides.

7. The Loss of the Palatinate.-At last James found out that his ambassadors could not save the Palatinate merely by talking. He therefore asked Parliament to give him more money in order that he might be able to pay an army to defend that country. The Commons were quite ready to give him money, if he would promise to declare war against Spain. They knew that the Spaniards had sent the first army to attack the Palatinate, and they thought that if Spain were attacked and beaten at sea, as it had been in the days of Sir Francis Drake, the king of Spain would not be able to get any more gold or silver from his mines in America, and would therefore not be able

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to help to pay the armies of the German Catholics. They therefore wanted a war with Spain, and they were much displeased that James was again asking the king of Spain, who was now Philip IV., to give his sister, the Infanta, to the Prince of Wales. Englishmen did not at all wish to have a Roman Catholic queen in England when Charles came to be king. James, on the other hand, wanted to remain at peace with Spain and only to make war on the German Catholics. He became very angry with the House of Commons, and dissolved this Parliament. As Parliament had not given him any money, he was unable to pay an army, and before the year 1622 was over the Palatinate was conquered by the Spaniards and their friends.

8. Prince Charles's Visit to Madrid. By this time Buckingham was even on better terms with Charles than he had been with his father, and he now persuaded Charles to visit Madrid to make love to the Infanta. In those days Princes scarcely ever visited foreign countries, because they were afraid of being seized and kept in prison to make them give up something or another which belonged to them. Buckingham persuaded Charles that the king of Spain would take a visit from him as so great a compliment that he would give him back the Palatinate to show how pleased he was. The two young men put on false beards to conceal themselves, called themselves Tom Smith and Dick Smith, and set out for Spain. When they reached Madrid the king pretended to be very pleased to see them. In reality he was very sorry that they had