s under age (he was now only
ten years old), and another council of twelve to help them. The most
powerful of the first council was the EARL OF HERTFORD, the young King's
uncle, who lost no time in bringing his nephew with great state up to
Enfield, and thence to the Tower. It was considered at the time a
striking proof of virtue in the young King that he was sorry for his
father's death; but, as common subjects have that virtue too, sometimes,
we will say no more about it.

There was a curious part of the late King's will, requiring his executors
to fulfil whatever promises he had made. Some of the court wondering
what these might be, the Earl of Hertford and the other noblemen
interested, said that they were promises to advance and enrich _them_.
So, the Earl of Hertford made himself DUKE OF SOMERSET, and made his
brother EDWARD SEYMOUR a baron; and there were various similar
promotions, all very agreeable to the parties concerned, and very
dutiful, no doubt, to the late King's memory. To be more dutiful still,
they made themselves rich out of the Church lands, and were very
comfortable. The new Duke of Somerset caused himself to be declared
PROTECTOR of the kingdom, and was, indeed, the King.

As young Edward the Sixth had been brought up in the principles of the
Protestant religion, everybody knew that they would be maintained. But
Cranmer, to whom they were chiefly entrusted, advanced them steadily and
temperately. Many superstitious and ridiculous practices were stopped;
but practices which were harmless were not interfered with.

The Duke of Somerset, the Protector, was anxious to have the young King
engaged in marriage to the young Queen of Scotland, in order to prevent
that princess from making an alliance with any foreign power; but, as a
large party in Scotland were unfavourable to this plan, he invaded that
country. His excuse for doing so was, that the Border men--that is, the
Scotch who lived in that part of the country where England and Scotland
joined--troubled the English very much. But there were two sides to this
question; for the English Border men troubled the Scotch too; and,
through many long years, there were perpetual border quarrels which gave
rise to numbers of old tales and songs. However, the Protector invaded
Scotland; and ARRAN, the Scottish Regent, with an army twice as large as
his, advanced to meet him. They encountered on the banks of the river
Esk, within a few miles of E