A Child's History of England.81

The young King, thinking the time ripe for the downfall of Mortimer, took counsel with [consult] Lord Montacute how he should proceed. A Parliament was going to be held at Nottingham, and that lord recommended that the favourite should be seized by night in Nottingham Castle, where he was sure to be. Now, this, like many other things, was more easily said than done; because, to guard against treachery, the great gates of the Castle were locked every night, and the great keys were carried up-stairs to the Queen, who laid them under her own pillow. But the Castle had a governor, and the governor being Lord Montacute's friend, confided [吐露] to him how he knew of a secret passage underground, hidden from observation by the weeds and brambles [荆棘] with which it was overgrown; and how, through that passage, the conspirators might enter in the dead [quietest part] of the night, and go straight to Mortimer's room. Accordingly, upon a certain dark night, at midnight, they made their way through this dismal [阴沉de] place: startling the rats, and frightening the owls and bats: and came safely to the bottom of the main tower of the Castle, where the King met them, and took them up a profoundly [completely]-dark staircase in a deep silence. They soon heard the voice of Mortimer in council [会议] with some friends; and bursting into the room with a sudden noise, took him prisoner. The Queen cried out from her bed-chamber, 'Oh, my sweet son, my dear son, spare my gentle Mortimer!' They carried him off, however; and, before the next Parliament, accused him of having made differences [争执] between the young King and his mother, and of having brought about the death of the Earl of Kent, and even of the late King; for, as you know by this time, when they wanted to get rid of a man in those old days, they were not very particular [讲究] of what they accused him. Mortimer was found guilty of all this, and was sentenced to be hanged at Tyburn. The King shut his mother up in genteel [from or relating to a good social class] confinement, where she passed the rest of her life; and now he became King in earnest.

The first effort he made was to conquer Scotland. The English lords who had lands in Scotland, finding that their rights were not respected under the late peace, made war on their own account [reason]: choosing for their general, Edward, the son of John Baliol, who made such a vigorous fight, that in less than two months he won the whole Scottish Kingdom. He was joined, when thus triumphant, by the King and Parliament; and he and the King in person besieged the Scottish forces in Berwick. The whole Scottish army coming to the assistance of their countrymen, such a furious battle ensued, that thirty thousand men are said to have been killed in it. Baliol was then crowned King of Scotland, doing homage to the King of England; but little came of his successes after all, for the Scottish men rose against him, within no very long time, and David Bruce came back within ten years and took his kingdom.

France was a far richer country than Scotland, and the King had a much greater mind to conquer it. So, he let Scotland alone, and pretended that he had a claim to the French throne in right of his mother. He had, in reality, no claim at all; but that mattered little in those times. He brought over to his cause many little princes and sovereigns, and even courted [设法赢得] the alliance of the people of Flanders - a busy, working community, who had very small respect for kings, and whose head man was a brewer [酿酒师]. With such forces as he raised by these means, Edward invaded France; but he did little by that, except run into debt in carrying on the war to the extent of three hundred thousand pounds. The next year he did better; gaining a great sea-fight in the harbour of Sluys. This success, however, was very shortlived, for the Flemings took fright [was extremely frightened] at the siege of Saint Omer and ran away, leaving their weapons and baggage behind them. Philip, the French King, coming up with his army, and Edward being very anxious to decide [settle] the war, proposed to settle the difference by single combat with him, or by a fight of one hundred knights on each side. The French King said, he thanked him; but being very well as he was, he would rather not. So, after some skirmishing [小规模冲突] and talking, a short peace was made.

六级/考研单词: ripe, counsel, parliament, pillow, confide, subway, weed, accordingly, midnight, startle, rat, fright, owl, bat, profound, staircase, shallow, burst, gradual, differentiate, guilt, confine, earnest, conquer, vigor, thereby, triumph, besiege, fury, ensue, throne, princess, sovereign, hectic, invade, harbor, siege, saint, luggage, combat, knight

佛兰德斯(荷兰语Vlaanderen 英语Flanders), 又译法兰德斯，是西欧的一个历史地名，包括今比利时的东弗兰德省和西弗兰德省、法国的加来海峡省和诺尔省、荷兰的泽兰省。

bring sb over: cause sb to come to a place from overseas.