les once before in this book, if you remember, when he
walked across Spring Gardens on his way to be murdered. He was born in
Scotland, and he had an elder brother, Prince Henry, so that it was
thought at first that Charles would not be King. But Prince Henry died
when Charles was only twelve, and so Charles became Prince of Wales and
heir to the throne.

By this time the Kings of England lived, when in London, not in
Westminster Palace, but in another palace called Whitehall. When Henry
VIII. was King, the old palace of Westminster, of which you have heard
so much in the story of Edward V., had fallen into ruins, so Henry
looked about for another. Quite close to Westminster Palace there was a
great house called York House, which belonged to the Archbishops of
York, and which they used when they came to London. Henry arranged that
he should have this for a new palace, so he moved there. It was not just
one great building as we picture palaces in these days, but a number of
smaller ones--courts and long ranges of houses--and in it lived all the
people connected with the Court, as they had done at Westminster Palace.
It was a little town in itself. There were no trains then, and when the
King went from one of his palaces to another everything had to be taken
in carts. We are told that three hundred carts went from Whitehall to
Greenwich Palace at one time laden with linen cloths for the tables,
wine, and gold and silver plate, and dresses and kitchen things, pots
and pans, and other things. In that time people had tapestry hanging on
the walls instead of our paper and paint. They had rough trestle-tables,
which were only boards, and were put up and taken down again when they
were not wanted. The floors were strewn with green leaves and scented
plants, which had to be put there freshly every day. It was all so
different from our own time that we can hardly imagine it.

James I. was the father of Charles, and he gave many splendid
entertainments at this palace, in which, no doubt, Prince Charles took
part. There were dinners and dances, and other things not so harmless;
for instance, it was supposed to be great sport to see two poor cocks
fight until they tore each other almost to pieces, and people used to
bet on one cock or the other. There were also fights between bears and
greyhounds; and a wretched bull was tied to a stake and a number of
savage dogs let loose on him, and the more the bull threw his head this
way and