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threatened a hundred years ago to form an impassable barrier between them grow every day less. Against this silent and inevitable drift of things the spirit of narrow isolation on either side of the Atlantic struggles in vain. It is possible that the two branches of the English people will remain forever separate political existences. It is like enough that the older of them may again break in twain, and that the English people in the Pacific may assert as distinct a national life as the two English peoples on either side of the Atlantic. But the spirit, the influence, of all these branches will remain one. And in thus remaining one, before half a century is over, it will change the face of the world. 2,000,000 of Englishmen fill the Valley of the Mississippi, as 50,000,000 of Englishmen assert their lordship over Australasia, this vast power will tell through Britain on the old world of Europe, whose nations will have sunk into insignificance before it. What the issues of such a world-wide change may be, not even the wildest dreamer would dare to dream. But one issue is inevitable. In the centuries that lie before us, the primacy of the world will lie with the English people. English institutions, English speech, English thought, will become the main features of the political, the social, and the intellectual life of mankind.-History of the English People, § 1520.

THE FINALE OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

Meanwhile every hour was telling against Napoleon. To win the battle he must crush the English army before Blücher joined it; and the English army was still uncrushed. Terrible as was his loss-and many of his regiments were reduced to a mere handful of men-Wellington stubbornly held his ground while the Prussians, advancing from Wavre, through deep and miry forest roads, were slowly gathering to his support, disregarding the attack on his rear by which Grouchy strove to hold them back from the field. At half-past four their advance guard deployed at last from the woods, but the main body was far behind, and Napoleon was still able to hold his ground against them till their increasing masses forced him to stake all upon a desperate effort

against the English front. The Imperial Guard-his only reserve, and which had as yet taken no part in the battle-was drawn up at seven in two huge columns of attack. The first, with Ney himself at its head, swept all before it as it mounted the rise beside La Haye Sainte, on which the thin English line still held its ground, and all but touched the English front, when its mass, torn by the terrible fire of musketry with which it was received, gave way before a charge. The second, 3,000 strong, advanced with the same courage over the slope near Hougomont, only to be repulsed and shattered in its turn. At the moment when these masses fell slowly and doggedly back down the fatal rise, the Prussians pushed forward on Napoleon's right; their guns swept the road to Charleroi, and Wellington seized the moment for a general advance. From that hour all was lost. Only the Guard stood firm in the wreck of the French army; and though darkness and exhaustion checked the English in their pursuit of the broken troops as they hurried from the field, the Prussian horse continued the chase through the night. Only some 40,000 Frenchmen, with some 30 guns, recrossed the Sambre, while Napoleon himself fled hurriedly to Paris.

second abdication was followed by a triumphant entry of the English and Prussian armies into the French capital; and the long war ended with his exile to St. Helena, and the return of Louis XVIII. to the throne of the Bourbons. History of the English People, § 1619.

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GREEN, MARY ANNE EVERETT (WOOD), an English biographer, born at Sheffield, in 1818. In 1841 she removed to London with her parents, and undertook the compilation of Lives of the Princesses of England from the Norman Conquest (1849–55). She edited the Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies of Great Britain in 1846, The Diary of John Rous in 1856, and The Letters of Queen Henrietta Maria in 1857. The Master of the Rolls having commissioned her to calendar the State papers in the Record office, she engaged in the work. The papers of the reign of James I. were published in 1857-59; those of Charles II. in 1860-68. She then completed the calendar of the State Papers of Queen Elizabeth, begun by Mr. Lemon, with additional papers from Edward VI. to James I. The Life of W. Whittingham, Dean of Durham, was printed by the Camden Society in 1871. Mrs. Green, in 1875, undertook the calendar of papers of the Interregnum, the general historical portion of which, complete in thirteen volumes, appeared in 1886.

LAST INTERVIEW OF CHARLES I. WITH HIS CHILDREN.

The king's behavior during his trial was composed and cheerful; his heart failed him only when he thought of those who loved him. He inquired of one who had been with his children, how his "young princess did;" the reply was, that she was very melancholy; "and

well she may be so," he replied, "when she hears what death her old father is coming unto.

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The time appointed for the farewell to his children was January 29th, the day previous to his execution. The anguish which rent Elizabeth's bosom was so intense that she was reported to be dead, but on learning that her father wished to see her once again, she mustered all her fortitude to go through the interview which she ardently desired and yet dreaded. When they arrived at St. James's Palace, and were introduced into the apartment of the King, they were struck to find him so much changed in appearance since they had parted fifteen months before. His hair had become almost gray; he had neglected to dress either it or his beard from the time that his servants had been taken from him, and his dress, instead of wearing its usual aspect of dignified simplicity, was neglected and forlorn. In spite of all Elizabeth's attempts at self-control, the moment she beheld her father, she burst into a wild and almost convulsive passion of tears he took her in his arms, seated her on his knee, soothed her by his caresses, and desired her to calm herself and listen to his instructions, as he had things to confide to her ear that he could tell to no one else, and it was important that she should hear and remember them. The conversation that ensued was recorded by herself, as follows:

"What the king said to me, January 29, 1648-49, being the last time I had the happiness to see him. He told me he was glad I was come, and although he had not time to say much, yet somewhat he had to say to me, which he could not to another, or leave in writing, because he feared their cruelty was such, as that they would not have permitted him to write to me. He wished me not to grieve and torment myself for him, for that would be a glorious death that he should dieit being for the laws and liberties of this land, and for maintaining the true Protestant religion. He bid me read Bishop Andrews's Sermons, Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, and Bishop Laud's book against Fisher, which would ground me against Popery. He told me he had forgiven all his enemies, and hoped God would forgive them also; and commanded us, and all the rest of my

brothers and sisters to forgive them. He bid me tell my mother that his thoughts never strayed from her, and that his love should be the same to the last. Withal, he commanded me and my brother to be obedient to her, and bid me send his blessing to the rest of my brothers and sisters, with commendation to all his friends. So, after he had given me his blessing, I took my leave. Farther, he commanded us all to forgive those people, but never to trust them; for they had been most false to him and to those that gave them power, and he feared also to their own souls; and he desired me not to grieve for him, for he should die a martyr, and that he doubted not but the Lord would settle his throne upon his son, and that we should be all happier than we could have expected to have been if he had lived; with many other things which at present I cannot remember."

When he had concluded his exhortations, Charles said to his daughter, "Sweetheart, you'll forget this." "No," replied the weeping girl, "I shall never forget this whilst I live," and she promised to write down the particulars at once. To the exactness of her recollection we are indebted for many particulars not recorded by Herbert, who was a witness of the interview.

The little Harry, now just nine years of age, was the next to receive his father's notice. "Then the king, taking the Duke of Gloucester upon his knee, said, 'Sweetheart, now they will cut off thy father's head,' upon which words, the child looked very steadfastly on him. Mark, child, what I say, they will cut off my head, and perhaps make thee a king; but mark what I say, you must not be a king so long as your brothers Charles and James do live; for they will cut off your brothers' heads (when they can catch them), and cut off thy head too at last; and, therefore, I charge you do not be made a king by them.' At which the child sighing, said, 'I will be torn in pieces first;' which falling so unexpectedly from one so young, it made the king rejoice exceedingly."

Parting embraces were exchanged, and anxious to shorten a scene which he had purposely made as brief as possible, Charles was leaving the room to retire to his bedchamber, when the bitter wail of anguish which

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