A Child's History of England.230

Encouraged by this homage [尊荣], he proclaimed himself King, and went on to Bridgewater. But, here the Government troops, under the Earl of Feversham, were close at hand [near]; and he was so dispirited at finding that he made but [only] few powerful friends after all, that it was a question whether he should disband his army and endeavour to escape. It was resolved, at the instance of that unlucky Lord Grey, to make a night attack on the King's army, as it lay encamped on the edge of a morass [沼泽] called Sedgemoor. The horsemen were commanded by the same unlucky lord, who was not a brave man. He gave up the battle almost at the first obstacle - which was a deep drain; and although the poor countrymen, who had turned out for Monmouth, fought bravely with scythes [长柄大镰刀], poles [竿], pitchforks [草叉], and such poor weapons as they had, they were soon dispersed by the trained soldiers, and fled in all directions. When the Duke of Monmouth himself fled, was not known in the confusion; but the unlucky Lord Grey was taken early next day, and then another of the party [群组团队] was taken, who confessed that he had parted from the Duke only four hours before. Strict search being made, he was found disguised as a peasant, hidden in a ditch under fern [蕨] and nettles [荨麻], with a few peas in his pocket which he had gathered in the fields to eat. The only other articles [物品] he had upon him were a few papers and little books: one of the latter being a strange jumble [混杂], in his own writing, of charms [咒语], songs, recipes, and prayers. He was completely broken. He wrote a miserable letter to the King, beseeching [恳] and entreating [求] to be allowed to see him. When he was taken to London, and conveyed bound into the King's presence, he crawled to him on his knees, and made a most degrading exhibition. As James never forgave or relented [手软] towards anybody, he was not likely to soften towards the issuer of the Lyme [when he landed at Lyme] proclamation, so he told the suppliant [恳求的人] to prepare for death.

On the fifteenth of July, one thousand six hundred and eighty-five, this unfortunate favourite of the people was brought out to die on Tower Hill. The crowd was immense, and the tops of all the houses were covered with gazers. He had seen his wife, the daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch, in the Tower, and had talked much of a lady whom he loved far better - the Lady Harriet Wentworth - who was one of the last persons he remembered in this life. Before laying down his head upon the block he felt the edge of the axe, and told the executioner that he feared it was not sharp enough, and that the axe was not heavy enough. On the executioner replying that it was of the proper kind, the Duke said, 'I pray [恳求] you have a care, and do not use [treat] me so awkwardly as you used my Lord Russell.' The executioner, made nervous by this, and trembling, struck once and merely gashed [割出长口子] him in the neck. Upon this, the Duke of Monmouth raised his head and looked the man reproachfully [criticizing] in the face. Then he struck twice, and then thrice [three times], and then threw down the axe, and cried out in a voice of horror that he could not finish that work. The sheriffs, however, threatening him with what should be done to himself if he did not, he took it up again and struck a fourth time and a fifth time. Then the wretched head at last fell off, and James, Duke of Monmouth, was dead, in the thirty-sixth year of his age. He was a showy [very noticeable], graceful man, with many popular qualities, and had found much favour in the open hearts of the English.

Sir James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, (1649 – 1685), was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter.

James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685 until he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He was the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland.

六级/考研单词: proclaim, potent, endeavor, resolve, gray, obstacle, shallow, plug, disperse, flee, confuse, confess, strict, disguise, peasant, ditch, pea, latter, charm, recipe, wretched, convey, bind, crawl, degrade, exhibit, immense, ax, pray, tremble, mere, reproach, grace, noble, elder, mistress, revolve, catholic, sovereign

 Anna, Duchess of Buccleuch and her two surviving sons; Baroness Wentworth

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