nobles were induced to recognize,
with great pomp, Prince Henry as the successor to the king; and a
marriage was contracted for the prince.

"In honor of these events, there were gala-days and festivals, and at
every scene of rejoicing the prince was the glittering star.

"The heart of the king swelled with pride. He had reason to hope that
all his plottings, and pilferings of crowns and dominions, were about
to end happily. The future seemed almost without a cloud.

"One bright day in autumn, after these events, the prince and a gay
party prepared to embark for England.

"There came to the king a man by the name of Fitz-Stephen, who said
that he was the son of the sea-captain who conveyed the Conqueror to
England on the ship with many-colored sails. He said, also, that he
had a beautiful ship, all white, and manned by fifty sea-browned
sailors, and that he would deem it a great honor to take the royal
party to England.

"'I have ordered my ship,' said the king, after a little deliberation;
'but yours shall have the honor of conveying the prince and young
nobles to England.'

"So the prince, and one hundred and twenty-two nobles, and eighteen
ladies of rank, all young, and full of merry life, went on board of
the White Ship.

"The king sailed away while it was yet day, leaving the prince and his
company still in the harbor.

"'Now,' said the prince, 'the king has gone, we will have a
merry-making. The time is ours, and we can spend it right jovially on
the deck of our beautiful ship.'

"He then ordered Fitz-Stephen to provide three casks of wine for the
fifty sailors. The harbor grew dusky, and the hunter's moon rose,
shimmering the wide waters. The wine flowed freely, the nobles danced,
and the beautiful ladies joined heartily in the revelries.

"The great sea sobbed before and around them, but merry music filled
their ears.

"At length, they shot out of the moonlit harbor. The sailors were
excited and half-drunk. The royal party urged them to row with speed,
in order to overtake the vessels of the king. Fitz-Stephen was in the
same condition as his crew, and steered recklessly.

"Soon there came a terrific crash. The White Ship reeled and reeled,
but went no farther. She had struck upon rocks, and the mirth was
turned to wailing and woe.

"As the ship was sinking, the prince leaped on board a boat. As he was
rowed away, he heard his sister calling for help from the deck of the
staggering vessel. Putt