HISTORY OF ENGLAND. PART I. FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD TO THE WARS OF THE ROSES. EDITED BY THOS. J. LIVESEY, AUTHOR OF THE "PRIMER OF ENGLISH HISTORY," THE "HOW TO TEACH ETC. ETC. SERIES, CONTENTS. [The Poetical pieces are distinguished by a star *.] 29. *THE BURIAL OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR 30. THE RED KING. THE CRUSADES I.—THE EARLY BRITONS. Two thousand years ago, England was called Britain. The island which we now call Great Britain-that is to say, England, Scotland, and Wales-is washed on every side by the sea. It has many large navigable rivers, the chief of which are the Thames, the Severn, and the Humber; and many fine harbours, which, together with its rivers and its insular form, show at once its fitness for becoming a great trading and maritime country. Inland, Britain has always been famous for its fertility. It has very few mountains, and except in the east, very little marsh or bog land. In general, it is composed of gently sloping hills and fine corn or pasture land, watered by innumerable brooks and streams, and richly wooded with forests of oak, elm, and beech trees. The oak and the elm are the most valuable of the British trees, and the oak especially grows to a gigantic size. A |