ROBERT OF NORMANDY

William I. Born 1024. — Died 1087. — Eeigned 20 years.

There was a king who lived a great while ago, — many hundred years, — whose name was William.

He is someiimes called William the First, because no king had been called William before him; and someiimes he is called William the Conqueror, because he came lo England with a great army, and won a great baille over anolher king, whose narae was Harold, and who being killed in Ihe baille, William the Conqueror became king in his slcad. Now Ihis king William had three sons, called Robert, William, and Henry. Robert was a brave and generous boy, but he was bold, passionate, and unruly.

William had few of Robert's good qualities, and most of the bad ; but he was very cunning, and therefore did not dare to offend his father, as Robert used often to do.

But Henry was a good boy very obedient to his father, obliging to al! his friends, and so very attentive to his learning, Ihat he was cal-

led, by ail who knew him, Beau Clerc — whicli is French for Good Scholar.

IVow î shall tell you how Robert's bad temper got him into a great scrape. and was very iiear making him commit a dreadfui crime.

It happened Ihat the Ihree young princes, Robert, William, and Henry, were one day amusing themselves in the courtyard of the cnstle which belonged lo their father, and amongst other fooh'sh romping plays (which are always bad, because they make boys angry with one another). William and Henry threw a great can of water over Uoberl's head, which qiiite drenched him, and spoiled ail his fine elothes; upon which this passionate Robert, who ought to hâve been wiser, because he was by this time grown to be quite a raan, and was the eldesl of ail, snatched up a sword, and was going lo strike his brolhers in his fury.

But their father, hearing the noise, came to put an end to the quarrel; and seeing that Robert was so rauch in fault, he scolded him very severely.

But Robert, instead of asking pardon , and being sorry for his oiïence, only grew more angry; and prelending that his father had been partial to his iwo younger brolhers, he ran away in the night in a fit of passion, and, young bas he was, had the wickedness to endeavour to make his father's subjects rebel againsl him ; and he wandered about the country wilh some other wild young men like himself, trying lo make riots and confusion.

And it was while he was playing Ihese wicked pranks that he had like to bave commitled the most dreadfui crime that anybody can ever be guilty of ; which is killing his own father. This is so horrible a crime, Ihat Robert, violent as he was, could never hâve Ihought of doing it on purpose ; but his conduct was so foolish, that he was near doing it by mistake.

In those days ail princes and gentlemen wore armour; Ihat is, plates of brass or iron over their elothes, and iron or brass caps or lielmels over their heads and faces ; and thèse things they wore to guard themselves from being wounded by arrows which their enemies might shoot at them.

When men were covered up in this armour, and their faces hidden

by llieir helmels, yoii could nol know one man from another; and il happened Ihat, as ihe king was riding in armour through llie part of ihe coiintry wliere Robert was, Robert came and allacked him.

He did nol know il was the king, because of bis armour; and as Roberl was in armour aiso, Ihe king did nol know him, and so they foughl for a great -whiJe, till al lasl Robert, who was young and strong, knocked down bis poor old father; and Iben, jusl as he was going 10 slab him wilh bis sword, the old king's helmet fell off, and Robert saw his fatber's face.

You may judge bow shocked and surprised he was ; for bad as his conducl bad been, there never could be a son so wicked as to wish lo kill.his father : so Robert fell on his knees, and Ihanked God thaï he had been saved from this crime ; and he begged bis fatber's pardon, and mounted him upon his own horse, for the king's had been kilied in the figbl.

This shows how dangerous il is to give way to bad lemper; for Robert, by doing so, was very near being led into a horrible, horrible crime, of which he had no intention : if he had kilied his father, neilber God nor man would ever hâve forgiven him, and he would bave been misérable for ever and ever.

As il was, he suffered very severely for his faults; for though he was the eldest son, king William at his death lefl his kingdom to his younger sons, who were both kings of England in their turn; and Roberl, though he tried every means to become king, never could succeed; so he remained only duke of Normandy, whence he is called Robert of Normandy.

At lasl this poor Robert, who, but for his violent temper, would bave been a good prince, and much beloved, was confined in prison for the last twenly-eigbt years of his life, because if be had been let loose, he would bave quarrelled with his brothers, and done ail kinds of violence and mischief.

So you see how wicked and how foolish il is to be cross and pas- ^sionate and ill-tempered.