that the people would ask to have himself punished next. ( Oh,' he cried out to some persons who came to ask him to have the Admiral tried; indeed, he shall be tried immediately-he shall be hanged. directly.' Byng was tried, and shot. A witty Frenchman said that it was the custom in England to shoot an admiral to encourage the others. Before Byng was condemned Newcastle resigned his office. He loved it dearly, but he was too frightened to keep it any longer.

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5. Pitt in Office. There was a man in the House of Commons who had more confidence in himself. William Pitt had kept himself pure when every one around him had been giving or taking bribes. He had confidence in his countrymen as well. He knew how brave they were, and he thought that if they had good leaders they would be sure to beat the French. I know,' he once said, 'that I can save this country and that nobody else can.' He became immediately the most popular minister who had ever held office. He was known as the Great Commoner. But the corrupt members of Parliament, who wanted a minister who would buy their votes, did not like him at all, and they voted against him. He was obliged to resign. Then many weeks passed during which there was no ministry at all. Newcastle could not bear to let Pitt be minister, and he was too much afraid of the people to try to manage the war himself. At last it was arranged that Newcastle and Pitt should be ministers together. Pitt was to manage the war, and Newcastle was to manage the bribery.

6. Wolfe's Expedition to Canada.-Pitt succeeded in managing the war, because he appointed men who had done well in command of small forces

to command great ones, because he made every one understand that the surest way to his favour was to succeed, and because he never favoured any one only because he was rich, or related to some

great man. He sent money to Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, who was at war with France and many other countries besides. He sent out regiments to attack places in France, and fleets and armies to attack the French settlements in America. At last he sent General Wolfe to take Quebec, the French capital of Canada. Wolfe sailed up the St. Lawrence, and found that Quebec was not at all an easy place to take. It lies between two rivers, the St. Lawrence and the St. Charles, and a great part of it is on a high ridge of hill looking down on the rivers with steep cliffs on either side. Outside the city is a lofty place known as the Heights of Abraham, and for some miles the cliffs at its edges are as steep as they are at the city. The French commander Montcalm was a brave and skilful man. He would not fight a battle, but he took care to place his men where Wolfe could not attack them, or pass by them so as to get near Quebec. Wolfe wrote home in despair. He did not think that there was any chance that he would be able to do thing.

any

7. The Capture of Quebec and the Death of Wolfe. -Five days after this letter was written, he resolved to make one desperate attempt. Placing his soldiers in boats in the dark night, he floated noiselessly down the river. He repeated to his officers some beautiful lines of a poem which had been published by Gray some years before. One of these lines was,

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave.' 'Now, gentlemen,' he said, 'I would rather be the

author of that poem than take Quebec!' At last the boats reached the point at the foot of the cliffs for which they had been steering. The men leapt on shore. Above them was a narrow zig-zag path winding up in the darkness amongst the precipitous rocks, so narrow that in some places two men could not stand on it side by side. The soldiers clambered up. When they reached the top, the Frenchmen were so astonished to see them coming up the cliff that they ran off. Before more had time to arrive, the British army was drawn up on the plain. Montcalm came out of the city with the French army. In the battle both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed. As Wolfe lay dying, he heard an officer cry' See how they run!' Wolfe roused himself to ask, 'Who run?' When he heard it was the enemy he was satisfied. God be praised,' he said; 'I shall die happy.' These were his last words. Quebec gave itself up, and before long all Canada was conquered. French and English are happily good friends now, and a monument has been erected on the Heights of Abraham which bears the names of both the commanders who died there, each fighting for his own country.

8. Victory at Quiberon Bay.-Englishmen in Pitt's days fought as well by sea as they fought by land. Admiral Hawke sailed to attack a French fleet in Quiberon Bay. The French ships had been placed for safety amidst rocks and shoals. The wind was blowing hard. Hawke's pilot told him it was not safe to venture into such a dangerous place. 'Lay me alongside the French Admiral,' answered

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Four of the French fleet were sunk, two surrendered, and the rest fled up a river.

9. Struggle between the English and French.There were victories in India as well as in America. At the end of the reign of Elizabeth, the East India

Hawke.

You have done your duty, but now obey my orders. Hawke dashed in amongst the rocks,