soon after embraced the ecclesiastical profession, and so highly was he recommended to King Henry II, that he was made chancellor, 1158. As a courtier, Becket assumed all the gaiety of the times, and when he attended the king to Toulouse, he maintained in his train 1,200 horse, besides 700 knights or gentlemen. On the death of Theobald, the monarch rewarded his favorite with the vacant see, but, by resigning the seals of chancellor, he offended his benefactor; and his subsequent haughtiness and obstinacy, and the high tone in which he asserted the privileges of the church, further widened the breach, and disturbed the peace of the kingdom. As the guardian of his people, Henry wished for a community of laws, but Becket refused to repress the disorders of his clergy by suffering them to be tried in the same manner as the laity, and though for a time he assented to the famous constitutions of Clarendon, he retracted his acquiesence, and resigned his archiepiscopal office at the feet of the pope, who not only forgave the error of his judgment, by reinstating him, but espoused his cause and annulled the decrees. Supported by the papal power, the primate excommunicated those who favored the royal cause, and Henry, swollen with indignation, banished his relations and adherents, and sent them in disgrace and indigence to their exiled master. Becket continued to indulge his resentment. Not only the representations and entreaties of the clergy, but the interference of the pope by two cardinals, proved for a while abortive with the haughty prelate, who, when at last he condescended to see his sovereign, 1167, broke off the conference because Henry refused to give him the kiss of peace. In 1169, however, another meeting, with difficulty, took place on the confines of Normandy, and a reconciliation was affected, and the king, in proof of his sincerity, held the bridle of Becket's horse while he mounted and dismounted twice. The return of the primate to his country was not attended with the conduct which the friends of public peace expected; he refused to restore the excommunicated bishops; and so irritated was Henry on hearing this, that he exclaimed, "he was an unhappy prince, since none of his followers had either spirit or gratitude to revenge his wrongs on so insolent a priest." The words animated four of his courtiers, who sailed for England and dashed out the prelate's brains before the altar of his cathedral on the 29th of December, 1171. The murderers fled, and to expiate their crimes, they undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where they died. The news of Becket's death alarmed Henry, who not only exculpated himself before the pope, but performed penance at the shrine of the murdered priest, and not only passed the night on the cold pavement in penitence and prayer, but suffered himself to be scourged by the monks. To the violence of his death, and not his virtues, Becket was indebted for the honors paid to his memory. He not only became a saint by the indulgence of the church, but so numerous were the miracles wrought at his tomb that two large volumes could scarce contain the mention of them. The spot was visited by thousands with religious awe, and the shrine of the saint, like that of a god of Delphi in ancient times, was adorned with whatever was most costly, rich, and valuable in the kingdom.

The above is the representation of the Quebec House in Westerham, county of Kent, a market-town about twenty-two miles south-east from London. It was the birthplace of Gen. James Wolfe, so celebrated in American Colonial history, who was born here in January, 1726. He was the son of Lieut. Gen. Edward Wolfe, and though of a slight bodily form, early embraced the military profession. He distinguished himself during the war on the Continent, and at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, instead of resigning himself to indolence and pleasure, he devoted himself more assiduously to military labors, and when lieutenant-colonel of Kingsley's regiment, he introduced such order and discipline in the corps, that the gallant conduct of the soldiers in the plains of Minden is proverbial to this day. These great talents did not long remain in obscurity; when Mr. Pitt was placed at the head of affairs, the genius of Wolfe was called forth to execute his gigantic plans. Though the meditated attack on Rouchefort was abandoned, the fall of Louisburg displayed to the admiration of the nation, the abilities of their favorite general, who was immediately after selected, 1759, for the command of the expedition against Quebec. In this bold enterprise, the many difficulties from situations and from superior number, were quickly surmounted by perseverance and by military stratagem, and the English troops, permitted to face their enemy, triumphed over all opposition; but in the moment of victory the conqueror received a ball through his wrist; yet, disregarding the wound, he animated his men to the battle. A second ball, a few minutes after,

shot him through the body, and rendered it necessary to carry him off to the rear of the troops. In his last agonies his attention was roused by the cry of "they run!" and eagerly inquiring who ran, he no sooner heard the reply, "the defeated French," than he exclaimed, "then I thank God, and I die contented," and instantly expired,

13th September, 1759. His remains were brought to England, and buried with becoming pomp in Westminster Abbey, where a splendid monument was erected by the nation to his honor. His death forms the subject of a painting by West. To the great abilities of the general, to steadiness, strength, and activity of mind, Wolfe united the milder virtues of life, sincerity and candor, a quick sense of honor, of justice, and public liberty. While he bore the meed of superiority in constitutional courage, in penetration, in cool judgment, and in unshaken presence of mind, he was equally admired for beneficence and charity, and the estimation of the great was accompanied by the love of the soldiery and the gratitude of the poor.

HASTINGS.

HASTINGS is an important parliamentary and municipal borough, in the county of Sussex, sixty-four miles south-cast of London, and thirty-six from Tunbridge, containing about 12,000 inhabitants. It occupies the center of a valley, or cleft, between two lofty hills, as well as a considerable space along the sea-shore. It has a beach well adapted for bathing, and commands a fine view of the English channel. The annexed view was taken from above the Railway station, showing the old castle, the sea, &c.

This town is celebrated in English history for being the place where William the Conqueror first landed in this country, and also for the battle of Hastings, in the vicinity, fought shortly after, by which the Norman duke gained the throne of England.

On a lofty cliff, to the westward of the town, are the remains of a castle, the area enclosed by whose walls appears to have been about an acre and a quarter, but they are now in so imperfect a state as to render it almost impossible to determine their shape. The date of its erection is uncertain; but there is a reason for believing it to have been a Roman fortress, built for the protection of the coast against pirates; and probably repaired by the Danish rover, Hastings, from whom the town is said to have derived its present appellation. After this victory, William the Conqueror placed a garrison in this castle; and here, in 1090, his son Rufus received the homage of the British nobles previous to his departure for Normandy. Within its walls was an ecclesiastical establishment, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and supporting a dean and several canons, which subsisted until the time of Henry VIII, by whom its property was granted to Sir Anthony Browne. The

View of Hastings, from above the Railway Station.

castle, with the rape of Hastings, was bestowed by the Conqueror on Robert, earl of Eu; and after passing to various noble proprietors, among whom was William lord Hasting, the victim to his devoted attachment to the children of his benefactor, Edward IV, became, in the reign of James I, the property of the Pelham family. Some small remains of a priory of Black Canons, founded in the reign of Richard I, are still to be seen in the buildings attached to a farm-house, in the west side of the castle cliff.

The town hall, beneath which is the market-place, is a plain building, erected in 1700, and presents no remarkable object, except a shield charged with the arms of France, taken from the gates of Quebec, and presented to the corporation by the late general Murray, who resided in the neighborhood, and was one of the jurats of the town.

ENGLAND.

BATTLE OF HASTINGS.

The battle of Hastings, fought October 14th, 1066, between William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, king of England, is one of the most important military events in the history of England. William, surnamed the Conqueror, was the natural son of Robert duke of Normandy, by Arlotta, daughter of a furrier of Talais, where he was born in 1024. The illegitimacy of his birth did not prevent his being acknowledged by the Normans as their Duke. Being a kinsman of Edward the Confessor, king of England, he Harold, the last was by that monarch designated as his successor. of the Saxon kings, about this period ascended the throne with but little opposition, had perhaps equal claims to the kingdom..

William, with the flower of the French nobility, and an army of sixty thousand men, landed without opposition at Pevensy, near Hastings. Harold was at this time in York, where he had just gained a victory over the Danes, who had invaded his kingdom in the north. The following account is principally from M. Thierry, a celebrated French historian:

"After the fleet had anchored in the port of Pevensey, the Duke gave orders that the archers should be the first to disembark, and they accordingly landed; each,' says Wace, having his bow in his hand, with his quiver and arrows at his side; all of them clothed in short close garments, and having their hair cropt and their beards shaven; all reached the shore in safety, and found no armed men to dispute their passage.' Immediately after the landing of the archers came the knights in full armor, with their shields at their neck and their helmets braced. They were mounted on their war horses, and they at once leapt upon the sand, where, with their swords girt round them and their lances raised, they took possession of the plain. The barons had gonfanons, the knights, their pennons, and with these they drew themselves up next the archers. After this came the carpenters, the smiths, and the other workmen attached to the army, who brought along with them and discharged from the boats the whole materials of three wooden forts, or little castles, of which the different beams and planks had been prepared in Normandy. The Duke himself came last, and in leaping, all armed as he was, from the boat, his foot sunk and slipped on the wet sand, A cry arose among the soldiers that it and he fell his whole length upon the beach. was a bad omen. Nay, by the splendor of God,' cried William, employing his usual Upon oath, and springing on his feet, it is not so: see you not that I have taken possession of the land without challenge-it will all be mine, as you shall soon see.' this one of the soldiers ran to a little hamlet hard by, from the soil round which he took two handfuls of earth, and, coming to the Duke, he knelt down and said, 'my lord, I here give you seisin of this kingdom-it is yours.' To which William replied, I accept it, and may God keep it to me.' Orders were then given to construct a fortified camp, and to put together the wooden castles, which were defended by palisades and ditches, within which the army could protect itself in the event of any sudden attack.

King Harold lay at York wounded, and reposing himself after his victory, when word was brought him by a messenger who had been witness to the disembarkation, that the Duke of Normandy had landed his army and entrenched himself near Hastings. He received the news, as was to be expected, with an exclamation of deep regret that he had not been on the spot. Better to have surrendered,' said he, 'all that Tostig But such was the will demanded, than not have been at the port when William came to anchor; I would have engaged my life that they should have been driven into the sea.

of God,' he added, 'and it was impossible for me to be every where at once.' Wounded as he was, however, he resolved, with the characteristic promptitude and courage which distinguished him, instantly to march against the invader and give him battle.

"He began his march toward the south," says M. Thierry, "with his victorious army, giving orders as he advanced to all the chiefs of the provinces to arm their levies, and conduct them to London. The soldiers of the west came without delay, those of the north were retarded by the distance; yet still there was good ground to believe that the king of England would soon find himself surrounded by the forces of the whole country. One of those Normans who had escaped the operation of that act of exile which had been passed against them, and who now acted the part of a spy or secret agent of the invader, sent word to the Duke to be on his guard, adding, that in four days the son of Godwin would be at the head of 100,000 men; but Harold was too rapid in his movements to await the four days; nor could he overcome his desire instantly to attack the foreigners, especially when he learnt the indiscriminate ravage and havoc which they had committed round their encampment. The hope of sparing to his subjects the evils of a protracted war, and not unlikely the idea of repeating, by a bold and unexpected assault, the same manœuvre which had already procured him victory, determined him to march to Hastings, although with an army four times smaller than that of the Duke of Normandy. But the camp of William was carefully guarded against a surprise, and its outposts extended to a great distance; troops of cavalry, who fell back upon the entrenchments, brought instant and early notice of the approach of the Saxon king, who came on with the fierceness and celerity of a madman; so that, thwarted in his purpose of carrying the camp by a surprise, he was compelled to moderate his speed, and to halt within seven miles of the Norman position. Here he immediately changed his line of operations from the offensive to the defensive, and entrenched himself, apparently with the design of awaiting the attack of the enemy behind his fosse and palisades.

At this time the Duke of Normandy dispatched an eloquent monk named Hugh de Margot, to demand an interview with Harold, and to propose certain terms by which a general battle might still be avoided; but every proposition was treated with scorn. I will neither demit my royal dignity in favor of William,' said the Saxon monarch, nor submit to the arbitration of the Pope, nor meet the Duke in single combat.' A second message conveyed to him the offer of the whole of his kingdom beyond the Humber, and to his brother Gurth the immense possessions of Earl Godwin; but it was treated with equal derision and indignity. Then hear, Harold,' exclaimed Hugh de Margot, in a loud and solemn voice, my master's last message. He bids me tell thee that thou art a perjured and lying man; that thou and all that support thy quarrel are excommunicated by the Pope, and that he is himself in possession of the bull.'

If we may believe the Norman historians, the Saxon leaders and their men at arms who stood around them, trembled, and looked troubled at the mention of this dreaded word of excommunication; and it required all the arguments of Gurth, the younger brother of Harold, to re-establish their confidence. Nor was this all that the king owed to this brave youth, who afterwards fell in the battle. Gurth earnestly entreated him to fall back upon London and collect new reinforcements, while he and his brother Leofwin sustained the attack of the Normans; but Harold replied that it would ill become him to remain at a distance, while others hazarded their lives, and, full of his usual courage and confidence of victory, proceeded to make his dispositions for the battle.

Upon that ground, known by a name borrowed from the battle, the Anglo-Saxon lines occupied a chain of little hills, fortified on all sides by a rampart of strong wooden piles. On the night of the 13th of October, William announced to his army, that on the day following he had determined to fight. Upon this the priests and monks, who, with the hopes of plunder, had changed their cassocks for steel coats, and followed the army in great numbers, resumed their religious duties, and while the knights and soldiers were preparing their arms and their horses, offered up prayers and sang litanies for the safety of the host. The little portion of time which remained was employed by the soldiers in the confession of their sins, and receiving Sacrament. In the other army the night passed in a very different manner, the Saxons abandoning themselves to great revelry, shouting and singing their ancient national ballads, crowding round their camp fires, and quaffing their horns full of beer and

wine.

When morning broke in the Norman camp, the Bishop Bayeux, clothed in a steel hauberk which he wore beneath his rocquet, celebrated mass, and blessed the troops: he then threw himself upon a superb white horse, and with his lance in his hand drew up his squadron of cavalry. The Norman army was divided into three columns or