fall into the hands of the enraged victor, put an end to her own life by poison. It is necessary to observe, that as this period was previous to the introduction of christianity into our island, the Saxon religion did not teach its followers to suffer and submit.

BERTHA.

DURING the heptarchy, Ethelbert king of Kent, married Bertha, the only daughter of Caribert king of Paris, one of the descendants of Clovis, conqueror of Gaul; but before he was admitted to this alliance, he was obliged to stipulate that the princess should enjoy the free exercise of her religion, which was that of christianity.— Bertha brought over a French bishop to the court of Canterbury, and being zealous for the propagation of her religion, she had been very assiduous in her devotional exercises, had supported the credit of her faith by an irreproachable conduct, and had employed every art of insinuation and address to reconcile her husband to her religious principles. Her popularity and influence over Ethelbert paved the way for the reception of the christian doctrine; in a short time it was embraced by the king and his court, and the whole nation by degrees followed his example. Every woman, therefore, who enjoys with gratitude the inestimable comforts of the gospel, must feel a noble pride on reflecting that Bertha, by her good sense, mildness and propriety of conduct, was the leading instrument of converting our ancestors to christianity.

PHILLIPPA OF HAINAULT,

(QUEEN CONSORT OF EDWARD THE THIRD.)

IN 1343, Edward the third undertook the siege of Calais, which was defended by a valiant knight, John de Vienne. While Edward was employed in this siege, which lasted near twelve months, David, king of Scotland, taking advantage of the king's absence, entered Northumberland at the head of fifty thousand men, and carried his ravages and devastations to the gates of Durham. But the queen assembled a body of a little more than twelve thousand men, which she entrusted to the command of lord Percy, ventured to approach him at Neville's Cross, near that city: and riding through the ranks of the army, exhorted every man to do his duty, and to take revenge on those barbarous savages; nor could she be persuaded to leave the field, till the armies were on the point of engaging. The troops. animated by her spirit, broke the ranks of the enemy, drove them off the field, killed between fifteen and twenty thousand, and took the king prisoner. Phillippa having secured her royal captive in the tower, crossed the sea at Dover, and was received in the English camp, before Calais, with all the triumph which was due to her rank, merit and success. John de Vienne, governor of Calais, finding he could no longer resist the attack of the enemy, was obliged to accept the hard terms exacted by the conqueror; that six of the most considerable citizens should repair to Edward's camp bare-headed and barefooted, with ropes about their necks, carrying the keys of the city in their hands; and on these considerations, the king promised to spare the lives

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of the remaining inhabitants. In compliance with these coinmands, six principal burghers, whom history has immortalized, voluntarily offered themselves, habited like malefactors; they laid the keys of the city at Edward's feet, and were ordered to immediate execution.

At this instant a sound of triumph was heard throughout the camp. The queen had just arrived with a powerful reinforcement of her gallant soldiers.

Sir Walter Mauny flew to receive her majesty, and briefly informed her of the particulars respecting the six victims.

As soon as she had been welcomed by Edward and his court, she desired a private audience. "My lord," said she, the question I am to enter upon is not touching the lives of a few mechanics; it respects a matter more estimable than the lives of all the natives of France, it respects the honour of the English nation, it respects the glory of my Edward, my husband, my king.

"You think you have sentenced six of your enemies to death. No, my lord, they have sentenced themselves, and their execution would be the execution of their own orders, not the orders of Edward.

They have behaved themselves worthily; they have behaved themselves greatly; I cannot but respect, while I envy them, for leaving us no share in the honour of this action, save that of granting a poor, an indispensable pardon.

"I admit they have deserved every thing that is evil at your hands. They have proved the most inveterate of your enemies. They alone withstood the rapid course of your conquests, and have withheld from you the crown to which you were born. Is it therefore that you would in

dulge their ambition, and enwreath them with everlasting glory?

"But, if such a death would exalt mechanics over the fame of the most illustrious heroes, how would the name of my Edward, with all his triumphs be tarnished! Would it not be said that magnanimity and virtue are grown odious in the eyes of the monarch of England, and that the objects, whom he destines to the punishment of felons, are the very men who deserve the esteem of mankind? The stage on which they should suffer would be to them the stage of honour, but a stage of shame to England, and indelible disgrace to its name.

"No, my lord. Let us rather disappoint these burghers, who wish to invest themselves with glory at our expense. We cannot, indeed, wholly deprive them of the merit of a sacrifice so nobly intended, but we may cut them short of their desires; in the place of that death by which their glory would be consummate, let us bury them under gifts; we shall thereby defeat them of that popular opinion, which never fails to attend those who suffer in the cause of virtue.”

"I am convinced: you have prevailed; be it so," cried Edward; "prevent the executions; have them instantly before us!"

They came; when the queen, with an aspect and accent diffusing sweetness, thus bespoke them: Natives of France, and inhabitants of Calais, ye have put us to a vast expense of blood and treasure in the recovery of our just and natural inheritance; but you acted up to the best of an erroneous judgment, and we admire in you that valour, by which we are so long kept out of our rightful possessions.

"You, noble burghers! you, excellent citizens,

though you were ten-fold our enemies, we can feel nothing on our part, save respect and affection for you. You have been sufficiently tried. We loose your chains; we snatch you from the scaffold; and we thank you for that lesson of humiliation which you teach us, when you shew us that excellence is not of blood, of title, or of station; that virtue gives a dignity superior to that of kings; and that those, whom the Almighty informs with sentiments like yours, are raised above all distinctions.

"You are free to depart to your kinsfolk, your countrymen, to all those whose lives and liberties you have so nobly redeemed, provided you refuse not to carry with you the due token of our esteem.

"Yet we would rather bind you to ourselves, by every endearing obligation; and for this purpose, we offer to you the choice of our gifts and honours, that Edward has to bestow. Rivals for fame, but always friends to virtue, we wish that England were entitled to call you sons."

"Ah my country," exclaimed Saint Pierre (the mayor of Calais and one of those distinguished citizens) it is now that I tremble for you! Edward could only win your cities, but Phillippa conquers hearts."