and foliage, that were wrought into its oaken back; and
the lion's head at the summit seemed almost to move its jaws and shake its
mane.

"Does little Alice speak for all of you?" asked Grandfather. "Do you wish
me to go on with the adventures of the chair?"

"Oh, yes, yes, Grandfather!" cried Clara. "The dear old chair! How strange
that we should have forgotten it so long!"

"Oh, pray begin, Grandfather," said Laurence; "for I think, when we talk
about old times, it should be in the early evening before the candles are
lighted. The shapes of the famous persons, who once sat in the chair, will
be more apt to come back, and be seen among us, in this glimmer and
pleasant gloom, than they would in the vulgar daylight. And, besides, we
can make pictures of all that you tell us, among the glowing embers and
white ashes."

Our friend Charley, too, thought the evening the best time to hear
Grandfather's stories, because he could not then be playing out of doors.
So, finding his young auditors unanimous in their petition, the good old
gentleman took up the narrative of the historic chair, at the point where
he had dropt it.

Chapter II

"You recollect, my dear children," said Grandfather, "that we took leave
of the chair in 1692, while it was occupied by Sir William Phips. This
fortunate treasure-seeker, you will remember, had come over from England,
with King William's commission to be Governor of Massachusetts. Within the
limits of this province were now included the old colony of Plymouth, and
the territories of Maine and Nova Scotia. Sir William Phips had likewise
brought a new charter from the king, which served instead of a
constitution, and set forth the method in which the province was to be
governed."

"Did the new charter allow the people all their former liberties?"
inquired Laurence.

"No," replied Grandfather. "Under the first charter, the people had been
the source of all power. Winthrop, Endicott, Bradstreet, and the rest of
them, had been governors by the choice of the people, without any
interference of the king. But henceforth the governor was to hold his
station solely by the king's appointment, and during his pleasure; and the
same was the case with the lieutenant-governor, and some other high
officers. The people, however, were still allowed to choose
representatives; and the governor's council was chosen by the general
court."

"Would the inhabitants have elected Sir William Phips," ask