ything. But our kings and queens never do that
now. King Henry turned out the fourteen poor women who lived there, but
some people say he gave them money to make up for taking their home from
them, and we hope he did. Then he built St. James's Palace. When
Cromwell had beheaded King Charles I., there were some exciting times at
St. James's Palace. King Charles's children, the Duke of York and the
Duke of Gloucester and the Princess Elizabeth, were kept in prison
here, and at last the Duke of York borrowed some clothes from a woman,
and got out of the palace and into the park. Then he managed to get to
the river, and took a boat, and so went down the river and escaped
abroad, and was safe from his enemies. Afterwards, when England found
out what a mistake she had made, and how wicked she had been to kill her
King, she called back her King's son Charles to be Charles II. The Duke
of York was his younger brother, so when Charles II. died without
leaving any children, the Duke of York, who had escaped from the palace
dressed like a woman, became king as James II. The night before he was
crowned he slept at St. James's Palace, and he must have thought of the
difference between his position then and when he had had to run away in
terror at night, a poor frightened boy.

St. James's Park, where Buckingham Palace, Marlborough House, and St.
James's Palace stand, is very pretty. There is a great piece of water in
it, and on this live many ducks and some other kinds of rare birds.
During the war the water was partly drained off, though one end was left
for the birds, on the other part were put up wooden offices for the
clerks in government employ. Not far off you can see the permanent
Government offices, where the men who have been appointed to do all the
business of the country work. In the middle is the Horse Guards, where
two magnificent soldiers on black horses are on guard. They have shining
armour and helmets and waving white plumes, and look very splendid; but
it must be rather dull for them sitting there on their horses for so
many hours without moving until they are relieved by their comrades, who
take it in their turn.

In one of these great buildings, called the Treasury, all the work about
the money which England has to spend on her soldiers and sailors is
done; and in another, called the Admiralty, all the rules for the life
of the sailors are arranged, and there are many others.

A very long time ago, before anyon