all, jumped into the vault, with drawn
daggers; but the king was a very powerful and active man, and he at
once threw them both down, and was trying to get a dagger from them,
when Graham himself leaped down. Then James, finding that defence was
useless, asked him for mercy, and for a little time to confess his
sins. But Graham replied, "Thou never hadst mercy on any one,
therefore thou shall receive no mercy; and thy confessor shall be only
this good sword." Whereupon he ran the king through the body. Then,
possibly overcome with remorse, or fearing the consequences of the
deed, he was for leaving the king to the chances of life and death; but
the others fiercely called out that if he did not kill the king, he
himself should die. At this, he and the two Halls dispatched the poor
monarch with their daggers. After his death, sixteen wounds were found
upon his breast alone.

And this was the end of the great and good James I. of Scotland, who,
king though he was, died a martyr for the rights of the people.

The Journal from England to Ireland.

THE FISHERMAN'S RETURN.

On a bright morning, early in August, I left London, with my dear
friends, Mr. and Mrs. B., for a visit to Ireland, by the way of Wales
and Holyhead. The first remarkable place we came to was the town of
Chester, which stands just outside the Principality of Wales, and is so
very ancient that antiquarians, who are often rather quarrelsome old
gentlemen, have had many a hot dispute about its founder. Some say it
was Leon Gaur, "a mighty strong giant," who first built caves and
dungeons here, in which he confined all the poor stragglers he could
catch, and fatted them for his table. Others affirm that it was old
King Lear, whom you will sometime read about in Shakspeare, as being
afflicted with a very testy temper and two wicked daughters, who were
quite too sharp for him.

When the Romans had possession of Great Britain, they made Chester an
important military station, under the name of Dova. There are many
Roman remains shown here, to this day. Afterwards some of the Saxon
kings held their court here. It is related that the proud Edgar once
took a grand pleasure trip on the Dee, when his boat was rowed by eight
tributary kings.

Under the Normans, the town grew fast in strength and importance, and,
at last, took the name of Chester. Lupus, the first Earl of Chester,
built a castle, rebuilt the walls, and made it the head-quarters o