So the boy lengthened down his face and pulled in his cheeks and looked so ferociously sour that the children fairly shrieked with delight at the caricature, and Abram cried: "That's it; that's old Balthazar as sure as you live! That's just the way he looked at me last winter when I almost ran into him as I was sliding down the long coast at Fort hill. My! I was so scared that I ran as fast as my legs could carry me from way below the Kerk clear past the Van der Hayden palace."[AP]
But, in the midst of the laughter, a quick step sounded in the hall, and General Ten Broek came to the children-crowded staircase. "The Helderberg farmers are here, lad," he said to his nephew; and the young patroon, bidding his guests keep up the fun while he left them awhile, followed his uncle through the door-way and across the broad court-yard to where, just south of the manor-house, stood the rent-office. As the boy emerged from the mansion, the throng of tenants who had gathered there at his invitation gazed admiringly at the manly-looking little lad, resplendent in blue and yellow, and gold lace, and greeted him with a rousing birthday cheer—a loyal welcome to their boy patroon, their young Opperhoofdt, or chief.
"My friends," the lad said, acknowledging their greeting with a courtly bow, "I have asked you to come to the manor-house on this, my birthday, so that I might thank you for what you did for me before the Saratoga fight, when you sent so much of your stock and produce to the army simply on my order. But I wish also to give you something besides thanks. And so, that you may know how much I value your friendship and fealty, I have, with my guardian's approval, called you here to present to each one of you a free and clear title to all the lands you have, until now, held in fee from me as the patroon of Rensselaerswyck. General Ten Broek will give you the papers before you leave the office, and Pedrom has a goodly spread waiting for you in the lower hall. Take this from me, my friends, with many thanks for what you have already done for me."
Then, what a cheer went up! The loyal tenantry of the Helderberg farms had neither looked for nor expected any special return for their generous offerings to the army of the Congress, and this action of the boy patroon filled every farmer's heart with something more than gratitude; for now each one of them was a land-owner, as free and untrammelled as the boy patroon himself. And, as fair Portia says in the play,
that, when young Stephen Van Rensselaer went joyfully back to his children's party, and the Helderberg farmers to black Pedrom's "spread" in the lower hall, it would have been hard to say which felt the happier—the giver or the receivers of this generous and manly gift.
The years of battle continued, but Dominie Doll's boarding-school, smoked out of 'Sopus when the British troops laid Kingston in ashes, found shelter in Hurley; and here the boys repaired for instruction—for school must go on though war rages and fire burns. The signs of pillage and desolation were all around them; but, boy-like, they thought little of the danger, and laughed heartily at Dominie Doll's story of the poor 'Sopus Dutchman who, terribly frightened at the sight of the red-coats, fled wildly across a deserted hay-field, and stepped suddenly upon the end of a long hay-rake left behind by the "skedaddling" farmers. Up flew the long handle of the rake and struck the terrified Dutchman a sounding whack upon the back of his head. He gave himself up for lost. "Oh, mein Got, mein Got!" he cried, dropping upon his knees and lifting imploring hands to his supposed captors, "I kivs up, I kivs up, mynheer soldiermans. Hooray for King Shorge!"
Nearly two years were passed here upon the pleasant hill-slopes that stretch away to the Catskill ridges and the rugged wildness of the Stony Clove; and then, in the fall of 1779, when the boy patroon had reached his fifteenth birthday, it was determined to send him, for still higher education, to the College of New Jersey, at Princeton. Of that eventful journey of the lad and his half-dozen school-fellows, under military escort, from the hills of the Upper Hudson to the shot-scarred college on the New Jersey plains, a most interesting story could be told. I doubt whether many, if any, boys ever went to school under quite such delightfully exciting circumstances. For their route lay through a war-worried section; past the dismantled batteries of Stony Point, where "Mad Anthony Wayne" had gained so much glory and renown; past the Highland fortresses, and through the ranks of the Continental Army, visiting General Washington at his headquarters at West Point, and carrying away never-forgotten recollections of the great commander; cautiously past roving bands of cruel "cow-boys" and the enemy's outposts around captured New York, to the battered college buildings which had alternately been barracks and hospital for American and British troops. And an equally interesting story could be told of the exciting college days when, almost within range of the enemy's guns, the boom of the distinct cannon would come like a punctuation in recitations, and the fear of fusillades would help a boy through many a "tight squeeze" in neglected lessons. But this was education under difficulties. The risk became too great, and the young patroon was finally transferred to the quieter walls of Harvard College, from which celebrated institution he graduated with honor in 1782, soon after his eighteenth birthday.
The quiet life of an average American boy would not seem to furnish very much worth the telling. The boy patroon differed little, save in the way of birth and vast estate, from other boys and girls of the eventful age in which he lived; but many instances in his youthful career could safely be recorded. We might tell how he came home from college just as the great war was closing; how he made long trips, on horseback and afoot, over his great estate, acquainting himself with his tenantry and their needs; how, even before he was twenty years old, he followed the custom of his house and married fair Mistress Margery, the "brave girl" of the Schuyler mansion; and how, finally, on the first of November, 1785, all the tenantry of Rensselaerswyck thronged the grounds of the great manor-house, and, with speech and shout and generous barbecue, celebrated his coming of age—the twenty-first birthday of the boy patroon,—now no longer boy or patroon, but a free American citizen in the new Republic of the United States.
His after-life is part of the history of his State and of his country. At an early age he entered public life, and filled many offices of trust and responsibility. An assemblyman, a State Senator, a lieutenant-governor, a member of Congress, a major-general, and the conqueror of Queenstown in Canada in the War of 1812, one of the original projectors of the great Erie Canal, and, noblest of all, the founder and patron of a great school for boys,—the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy,—he was, through all, the simple-hearted citizen and the noble-minded man. But no act in all his long life-time of seventy-five years became him better than the spirit in which he accepted the great change that made the great lord patroon of half a million acres the plain, untitled citizen of a free republic.
"Though born to hereditary honors and aristocratic rank," says his biographer, "with the history of the past before him, in possession of an estate which connected him nearly with feudal times and a feudal ancestry, and which constituted him in his boyhood a baronial proprietor, he found himself, at twenty-one, through a forcible and bloody revolution, the mere fee-simple owner of acres, with just such political rights and privileges as belonged to his own freehold tenantry, and no other." And though the Revolution, in giving his country independence, had stripped him of power and personal advantages, he accepted the change without regret, and preferred his position as one in a whole nation of freemen, to that feudal rank which he had inherited from generations of ancestors, as the Boy Patroon, the last Lord of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck.
From the patrician emperor of old Rome to the patrician citizen of modern America these sketches of Historic Boys have extended. They represent but a few from that long list of remarkable boys, who, through the ages, have left their mark upon their times,—lads who, even had they died "in their teens," would still have been worthy of record as "historic boys." The lessons of their lives are manifold. They tell of pride and selfishness, of tyranny and wasted power, of self-reliance and courage, of ambition and self-conquest, of patience and manliness. History is but the record of opportunities for action availed of or neglected. And opportunities are never wanting. They exist to-day in the cities of the New World, even as they did ages ago with young David in the valley of Elah, with the boy Marcus in the forum of Rome, or with the valiant young Harry of Monmouth striving for victory on the bloody field of Shrewsbury.
Whenever or wherever a manly boy says his word for justice and for right, or does his simple duty in a simple, straightforward way, regardless of consequences or of the world's far too-ready sneer or frown, the stamp of the hero may be seen; and however humble his condition or contracted his sphere there is in him the mettle and the possibilities that may make him, even though he know it not, a worthy claimant for an honored place on the world's record of Historic Boys.
[AL] The Fuyck, or fish-net,—an old Dutch name for Albany.
[AM] Commissioners and sheriffs.
[AN] Mush and milk.
[AO] A kind of chopped meat.
[AP] One of the old Dutch "show houses" of Albany 100 years ago.
"A better collection of juvenile books it has not been our privilege to examine. A robust and healthy tone pervades their pages; and while stirring adventures, deeds of daring, and self-sacrifice form an important factor in the stories, information, historical or otherwise, constitutes a primary feature."—Christmas Bookseller, 1885.
Blackie & Son's
Books for Young People.
The New Season's Books.
By G. A. HENTY.
The Young Carthaginian:
A Story of the times of Hannibal.
With Wolfe in Canada:
Or, The Winning of a Continent.
The Bravest of the Brave:
Or, With Peterborough in Spain.
A Final Reckoning:
A Tale of Bush Life in Australia.
By G. MANVILLE FENN.
Devon Boys: a Tale of the North Shore.
Yussuf the Guide:
Being the Strange Story of the Travels in Asia Minor of Burne the Lawyer, Preston the Professor, and Lawrence the Sick.
By HARRY COLLINGWOOD.
The Log of the "Flying Fish":
A Story of Aerial and Submarine Peril and Adventure.
By ALICE CORKRAN.
Down the Snow Stairs:
Or, From Good-night to Good-morning. With 60 illustrations by Gordon Browne.
By DOUGLAS FRAZAR.
Perseverance Island:
Or, The Robinson Crusoe of the 19th Century.
By J. PERCY GROVES.
Reefer and Rifleman: A Tale of the Two Services.
By JOHN C. HUTCHESON.
The White Squall: A Story of the Sargasso Sea.
Teddy: The Story of a "Little Pickle."
By E. S. BROOKS.
Historic Boys:
Their Endeavours, their Achievements, and their Times.
By EVELYN EVERETT GREEN.
The Eversley Secrets.
By R. STEAD.
The Lads of Little Clayton.
Stories of Village Boy Life.
By LAURA E. RICHARDS.
The Joyous Story of Toto.
TALES OF CAPTIVITY AND EXILE.
By CAROLINE AUSTIN.
Dorothy's Dilemma: A Tale of the Time of Charles I.
By ROSA MULHOLLAND.
The Late Miss Hollingford.
By AMY WALTON.
The Hawthornes.
Our Frank, and other Stories.
GORDON BROWNE'S SERIES OF OLD FAIRY TALES.
Hop o' my Thumb.
Beauty and the Beast.
Also, New Books in the Shilling, Ninepenny, and Sixpenny Series.
By F. Bayford Harrison, Mrs. Geo. Cupples, Mary C. Rowsell, Annie S. Fenn, Emma Leslie, and other favourite Authors.
DOWN THE SNOW STAIRS:
Or, From Good-night to Good-morning. By Alice Corkran. With 60 character Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Square crown 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt edges, 6s.
This is a remarkable story: full of vivid fancy and quaint originality. In its most fantastic imaginings it carries with it a sense of reality, and derives a singular attraction from that combination of simplicity, originality, and subtle humour which is so much appreciated by lively and thoughtful children. Children of a larger growth will also be deeply interested in Kitty's strange journey: and her wonderful experiences amidst the extraordinary people whom she meets. The work is profusely illustrated by an artist whose facile pencil has portrayed alike the graceful and the grotesque, the images of goblin and fairy land and the semblances of child life.
BY PROFESSOR CHURCH.
TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO:
Or, The Adventures of a Roman Boy. By Professor A. J. Church, Author of "Stories from the Classics." With 12 full-page Illustrations by Adrien Marie, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
Prof. Church has in this story sought to revivify that most interesting period, the last days of the Roman Republic. The hero of the story, Lucius Marius, is a young Roman who has a very chequered career, being now a captive in the hands of Spartacus, again an officer on board a vessel detailed for the suppression of the pirates, and anon a captive once more, on a pirate ship. He escapes to Tarsus, is taken prisoner in the war with Mithradates, and detained by the latter in Pontus for a number of years.
While boys will follow with the deepest interest the career of Lucius, they will gain a clear insight into the history and life of the ancient Roman world.
"Adventures well worth the telling. The book is extremely entertaining as well as useful, and there is a wonderful freshness in the Roman scenes and characters."—The Times.
"Entertaining in the highest degree from beginning to end, and full of adventure which is all the livelier for its close connection with history."—Spectator.
"We know of no book which will do more to make the Romans of that day live again for the English reader."—Guardian.
BY PROFESSOR POUCHET.
THE UNIVERSE:
Or the Infinitely Great and the Infinitely Little. A Sketch of Contrasts in Creation, and Marvels revealed and explained by Natural Science. By F. A. Pouchet, m.d. Illustrated by 273 Engravings on wood. 9th Edition, medium 8vo, cloth elegant, gilt edges, 7s. 6d.; morocco antique, 16s.
The object of this Work is to inspire and extend a taste for natural science. It is not a learned treatise, but a simple study. The title adopted indicates that the author has gathered from creation at large, often contrasting the smallest of its productions with the mightiest.
"We can honestly commend this work, which is admirably, as it is copiously illustrated."—Times.
"As interesting as the most exciting romance, and a great deal more likely to be remembered to good purpose."—Standard.
"Scarcely any book in French or in English is so likely to stimulate in the young an interest in the physical phenomena."—Fortnightly Review.
"The volume, and it is a splendid one, will serve as a good pioneer to more exact studies."—Saturday Review.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Surely Mr. Henty should understand boys' tastes better than any man living."—The Times.
THE YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN:
A Story of the Times of Hannibal. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by C. J. Staniland, R.I. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
When boys at school read of the history of the Punic Wars their appreciation of the merits of the struggle between the Romans and Carthaginians is usually slight. That it was at first a struggle for empire, and afterwards one for existence on the part of Carthage, that Hannibal was a great and skilful general, that he defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannæ, and all but took Rome, and that the Romans behaved with bad faith and great cruelty at the capture of Carthage, represents pretty nearly the sum total of their knowledge.
To let them know more about this momentous struggle for the empire of the world Mr. Henty has written this story, which not only gives in graphic style a brilliant description of a most interesting period of history, but is a tale of exciting adventure sure to secure the interest of the reader.
THE LION OF THE NORTH.
A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and the Wars of Religion. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by John Schönberg, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
In this story Mr. Henty gives the history of the first part of the Thirty Years' War, a struggle unprecedented in length, in the fury with which it was carried on, and in the terrible destruction and ruin which it caused. The issue had its importance, which has extended to the present day, as it established religious freedom in Germany. The army of the chivalrous King of Sweden, the prop and maintenance of the Protestant cause, was largely composed of Scotchmen, and among these was the hero of the story. The chief interest of the tale turns on the great struggle between Gustavus and his chief opponents Wallenstein, Tilly, and Pappenheim.
"As we might expect from Mr. Henty the tale is a clever and instructive piece of history, and as boys may be trusted to read it conscientiously, they can hardly fail to be profited as well as pleased."—The Times.
"A praiseworthy attempt to interest British youth in the great deeds of the Scotch Brigade in the ware of Gustavus Adolphus. Mackay, Hepburn, and Munro live again in Mr. Henty's pages, as those deserve to live whose disciplined bands formed really the germ of the modern British army."—Athenæum.
"A stirring story of stirring times. This book should hold a place among the classics of youthful fiction."—United Service Gazette.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty as a boy's story-teller stands in the very foremost rank."—Glasgow Herald.
WITH WOLFE IN CANADA:
Or, The Winning of a Continent. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
In the present volume Mr. Henty has endeavoured to give the details of the principal events in the struggle between Britain and France for supremacy on the North American continent. The importance of this struggle can scarcely be overrated, as on the issue of it depended not only the destinies of North America, but to a large extent those of the mother countries themselves. The fall of Quebec decided that the Anglo-Saxon race should predominate in the New World, that Britain, and not France, should take the lead among the nations, and that English commerce, the English language, and English literature, should spread right round the globe. While thus of the greatest significance, this episode from the world's history lends itself pre-eminently to the romantic style of treatment of which Mr. Henty is master.
WITH CLIVE IN INDIA:
Or the Beginnings of an Empire. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
The period between the landing of Clive as a young writer in India and the close of his career was critical and eventful in the extreme. At its commencement the English were traders existing on sufferance of the native princes. At its close they were masters of Bengal and of the greater part of Southern India. The author has given a full and accurate account of the events of that stirring time, and battles and sieges follow each other in rapid succession, while he combines with his narrative a tale of daring and adventure, which gives a life-like interest to the volume.
"In this book Mr. Henty has contrived to exceed himself in stirring adventures and thrilling situations. The pictures add greatly to the interest of the book."—Saturday Review.
"Among writers of stories of adventure for boys Mr. Henty stands in the very first rank, and Mr. Gordon Browne occupies a similar place with his pencil.... Those who know something about India will be the most ready to thank Mr. Henty for giving them this instructive volume to place in the hands of their children."—Academy.
"He has taken a period of Indian History of the most vital importance, and he has embroidered on the historical facts a story which of itself is deeply interesting. Young people assuredly will be delighted with the volume."—Scotsman.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"The brightest of all the living writers whose office it is to enchant the boys."—Christian Leader.
THROUGH THE FRAY:
A Story of the Luddite Riots. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
The author in this story has followed the lines which he worked out so successfully in Facing Death. As in that story he shows that there are victories to be won in peaceful fields, and that steadfastness and tenacity are virtues which tell in the long run. The story is laid in Yorkshire at the commencement of the present century, when the high price of food induced by the war and the introduction of machinery drove the working-classes to desperation, and caused them to band themselves in that widespread organization known as the Luddite Society. There is an abundance of adventure in the tale, but its chief interest lies in the character of the hero, and the manner in which by a combination of circumstances he is put on trial for his life, but at last comes victorious "through the fray."
"Mr. Henty inspires a love and admiration for straightforwardness, truth, and courage. This is one of the best of the many good books Mr. Henty has produced, and deserves to be classed with his Facing Death."—Standard.
"The interest of the story never flags. Were we to propose a competition for the best list of novel writers for boys we have little doubt that Mr. Henty's name would stand first."—Journal of Education.
TRUE TO THE OLD FLAG:
A Tale of the American War of Independence. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
In this story the author has gone to the accounts of English officers who took part in the conflict, and lads will find that in no war in which British soldiers have been engaged did they behave with greater courage and good conduct. The historical portion of the book being accompanied with numerous thrilling adventures with the redskins on the shores of Lake Huron, a story of exciting interest is interwoven with the general narrative and carried through the book.
"Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British soldiers during the unfortunate struggle against American emancipation. The son of an American loyalist, who remains true to our flag, falls among the hostile redskins in that very Huron country which has been endeared to us by the exploits of Hawkeye and Chingachgook."—The Times.
"Mr. G. A. Henty's extensive personal experience of adventures and moving incidents by flood and field, combined with a gift of picturesque narrative, make his books always welcome visitors in the home circle."—Daily News.
"Very superior in every way. The book is almost unique in its class in having illustrative maps."—Saturday Review.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty's books never fail to interest boy readers."—Academy.
IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE:
A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By G. A. Henty. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
In this story the author relates the stirring tale of the Scottish War of Independence. The extraordinary valour and personal prowess of Wallace and Bruce rival the deeds of the mythical heroes of chivalry, and indeed at one time Wallace was ranked with these legendary personages. The researches of modern historians have shown, however, that he was a living, breathing man—and a valiant champion. The hero of the tale fought under both Wallace and Bruce, and while the strictest historical accuracy has been maintained with respect to public events, the work is full of "hairbreadth 'scapes" and wild adventure.
"Mr. Henty has broken new ground as an historical novelist. His tale is full of stirring action, and will commend itself to boys."—Athenæum.
"It is written in the author's best style. Full of the wildest and most remarkable achievements, it is a tale of great interest, which a boy, once he has begun it, will not willingly put on one side."—The Schoolmaster.
"Scarcely anywhere have we seen in prose a more lucid and spirit-stirring description of Bannockburn than the one with which the author fittingly closes his volume."—Dumfries Standard.
UNDER DRAKE'S FLAG:
A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. Henty. Illustrated by 12 full-page Pictures by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the supremacy of the sea, and England carried off the palm. The heroes sail as lads with Drake in the expedition in which the Pacific Ocean was first seen by an Englishman from a tree-top on the Isthmus of Panama, and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. The historical portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, but this, although very useful to lads, will perhaps be less attractive than the great variety of exciting adventure through which the young adventurers pass in the course of their voyages.
"A stirring book of Drake's time, and just such a book as the youth of this maritime country are likely to prize highly."—Daily Telegraph.
"Ned in the coils of the boa-constrictor is a wonderful picture. A boy must be hard to please if he wishes for anything more exciting."—Pall Mall Gazette.
"A book of adventure, where the hero meets with experience enough one would think to turn his hair gray."—Harper's Monthly Magazine.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty is the prince of story-tellers for boys."—Sheffield Independent.
THE BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE:
Or, With Peterborough in Spain. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by H. M. Paget. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so completely fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peterborough. This is largely due to the fact that they were overshadowed by the glory and successes of Marlborough. His career as General extended over little more than a year, and yet, in that time, he showed a genius for warfare which has never been surpassed, and performed feats of daring worthy of the leaders of chivalry.
Round the fortunes of Jack Stilwell, the hero, and of Peterborough, Mr. Henty has woven an interesting and instructive narrative descriptive of this portion of the War of the Spanish Succession (1705-6).
THE DRAGON AND THE RAVEN:
Or, The Days of King Alfred. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by C. J. Staniland, R.I., in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
In this story the author gives an account of the desperate struggle between Saxon and Dane for supremacy in England, and presents a vivid picture of the misery and ruin to which the country was reduced by the ravages of the sea-wolves. The hero of the story, a young Saxon thane, takes part in all the battles fought by King Alfred, and the incidents in his career are unusually varied and exciting. He is driven from his home, takes to the sea and resists the Danes on their own element, and being pursued by them up the Seine, is present at the long and desperate siege of Paris.
"Perhaps the best story of the early days of England which has yet been told."—Court Journal.
"A well-built superstructure of fiction on an interesting substratum of fact. Treated in a manner most attractive to the boyish reader."—Athenæum.
"A story that may justly be styled remarkable. Boys, in reading it, will be surprised to find how Alfred persevered, through years of bloodshed and times of peace, to rescue his people from the thraldom of the Danes. We hope the book will soon be widely known in all our schools."—Schoolmaster.
"We know of no popular book in which the stirring incidents of the reign of the heroic Saxon king are made accessible to young readers as they are here. Mr. Henty has made a book which will afford much delight to boys, and is of genuine historic value."—Scotsman.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty is one of the best of story-tellers for young people."—Spectator.
A FINAL RECKONING:
A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. By G. A. Henty, With 8 full-page Illustrations by W. B. Wollen. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
In this book Mr. Henty has again left the battlefields of history and has written a story of adventure in Australia in the early days of its settlement, when the bush-rangers and the natives constituted a real and formidable danger.
The hero, a young English lad, after rather a stormy boyhood, emigrates to Australia, where he gets employment as an officer in the mounted police.
A few years of active work on the frontier, where he has many a brush with both natives and bush-rangers, gain him promotion to a captaincy. In that post he greatly distinguishes himself, and finally leaves the service and settles down to the peaceful life of a squatter.
ST. GEORGE FOR ENGLAND:
A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
No portion of English history is more crowded with great events than that of the reign of Edward III. Cressy and Poitiers laid France prostrate at the feet of England; the Spanish fleet was dispersed and destroyed by a naval battle as remarkable in its incidents as was that which broke up the Armada in the time of Elizabeth. Europe was ravaged by the dreadful plague known as the Black Death, and France was the scene of the terrible peasant rising called the Jacquerie. All these stirring events are treated by the author in St. George for England. The hero of the story, although of good family, begins life as a London apprentice, but after countless adventures and perils, becomes by valour and good conduct the squire, and at last the trusted friend of the Black Prince.
"A story of very great interest for boys. In his own forcible style the author has endeavoured to show that determination and enthusiasm can accomplish marvellous results; that courage is generally accompanied by magnanimity and gentleness, and that it is the parent of nearly all the other virtues, since but few of them can be practised without it."—Pall Mall Gazette.
"Mr. Henty has developed for himself a type of historical novel for boys which bids fair to supplement, on their behalf, the historical labours of Sir Walter Scott in the land of fiction."—Standard.
"Mr. Henty as a boy's story-teller stands in the very foremost rank. With plenty of scope to work upon he has produced a strong story at once instructive and entertaining."—Glasgow Herald.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Among writers of stories of adventure for boys Mr. Henty stands in the very first rank."—Academy.
FOR NAME AND FAME:
Or, Through Afghan Passes. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
This is an interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, after being wrecked and going through many stirring adventures among the Malays, finds his way to Calcutta, and enlists in a regiment proceeding to join the army at the Afghan passes. He accompanies the force under General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, is wounded, taken prisoner, and carried to Cabul, whence he is transferred to Candahar, and takes part in the final defeat of the army of Ayoub Khan.
"Mr. Henty's pen is never more effectively employed than when he is describing incidents of warfare. The best feature of the book—apart from the interest of its scenes of adventure—is its honest effort to do justice to the patriotism of the Afghan people."—Daily News.
"Here we have not only a rousing story, replete with all the varied forms of excitement of a campaign, but an instructive history of a recent war, and, what is still more useful, an account of a territory and its inhabitants which must for a long time possess a supreme interest for Englishmen, as being the key to our Indian Empire."—Glasgow Herald.
BY SHEER PLUCK:
A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, 5s.
The Ashanti Campaign seems but an event of yesterday, but it happened when the generation now rising up were too young to have made themselves acquainted with its incidents. The author has woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the details of the campaign, of which he was himself a witness. His hero, after many exciting adventures in the interior, finds himself at Coomassie just before the outbreak of the war, is detained a prisoner by the king, is sent down with the army which invaded the British Protectorate, escapes, and accompanies the English expedition on their march to Coomassie.
"Mr. Henty keeps up his reputation as a writer of boys' stories. 'By Sheer Pluck' will be eagerly read."—Athenæum.
"The book is one which will not only sustain, but add to Mr. Henty's reputation."—The Standard.
"Written with a simple directness, force, and purity of style worthy of Defoe. Morally, the book is everything that could be desired, setting before the boys a bright and bracing ideal of the English gentleman."—Christian Leader.
BY G. A. HENTY.
"Mr. Henty's books are always welcome visitors in the home circle."—Daily News.
FACING DEATH:
Or the Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of the Coal Mines. By G. A. Henty. With 8 full-page Illustrations by Gordon Browne, in black and tint. Crown 8vo, cloth, elegant, 5s.
"Facing Death" is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that a lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that he will rise in life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicule and hardship to carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the story is a typical British boy, dogged, earnest, generous, and though "shamefaced" to a degree, is ready to face death in the discharge of duty. His is a character for imitation by boys in every station.
"The tale is well written and well illustrated, and there is much reality in the characters."—Athenæum.
"If any father, godfather, clergyman, or schoolmaster is on the look-out for a good book to give as a present to a boy who is worth his salt, this is the book we would recommend."—Standard.
YARNS ON THE BEACH.
By G. A. Henty. With 2 full-page Illustrations. Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 1s. 6d.