heir – наследник
proclaim – провозглашать
Harold – Гарольд
vigorous – сильный, энергичный
Hastings – Гастингс
Westminster Abbey – Вестминстерское Аббатство
William the Conqueror – Вильгельм Завоеватель
rebellion – восстание, бунт
peasant – крестьянин
mutual – взаимный
cattle – скот
the Domesday Book – «Книга Страшного Суда» – Земельная опись
taxes – налоги
2. The ruling of the Plantagenet’s [plæn`tæd3inits] Dynasty
William I left three sons. Robert, the elder son, became the Duke of Normandy after his father’s death.
The middle one, also called William, became the King of England William II (1087–1100) and was known as ‘Rufus’ [`ru:fзs] (that means ‘the Red’) from the redness of his face. Politically and military successful, Rufus was unpopular with the Church because of his treatment of it, though he had a very high reputation in knightly circles. He was killed by an arrow in 1100, while hunting. It was probably a hunting accident.
Rufus was succeeded in England by his younger brother Henry I (1100–1135). In 1101 Robert, the Duke of Normandy, invaded England. The two brothers met in battle in 1106. Robert was beaten and became his brother’s prisoner until his death in 1134. Henry was the master of both England and Normandy. He was a powerful ruler.
Henry had one son, William, who was drowned [draund] in 1120, and a daughter, Matilda [mo`tildз]. She was the most prominent woman in early 11th-century England. She had married Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor [`empзrз], on his death she married Geoffrey [`d3efri] Plantagenet [plæn`tæd3init], count of Anjou [a:ŋ`3u:].
In 1135 when Henry I died, Matilda was pushed aside by Stephen [`sti:vn], son of Adela [`ædilз], the daughter of William the Conqueror. Stephen was King from 1135–1154, but throughout that time he was opposed [з`pouzd] by Matilda, who wanted the throne first herself and then her son Henry. There was Civil War until 1153, when it was agreed that Stephen should rule until his death. In the death of Stephen it was agreed that Henry should become King.
Henry II came to the throne in 1154. He was master of a great empire. He was Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou, Tourain [tu:`ren] and Maine [mein]. In 1152 he married Eleanor [`elinз] of Aquitaine [`ækwi,tein], who brought him large parts of the south of France. She was famed for her beauty, brilliant mind, and courage.
Henry II was highly intelligent, active and hot-tempered. His aim was to restore [ri`sto:] England to what it had been under Henry I. He retook lost territories, and destroyed castles, built without his permission. He improved the economy [i:`konзmi] and legal system, creating the King’s Court, which travelled around his country so that freemen could seek justice there. He began the use of Westminster as a centre of government.
Henry II is best remembered by his quarrel with Thomas [`tomзs] Becket [`bekit], Archbishop [`a:t∫i`bi∫зp] of Canterbury [`kæntзbзri]. Becket was initially Henry’s friend. But he resisted [ri`zistid] Henry’s attempts to reduce [ri`dju:s] the Church’s power. In 1170, Henry in a rage, begged for someone to get rid of Becket. At once four knights rode away and murdered Becket in his cathedral. Becket was later made a saint [seint].
When Henry died in 1189 he was succeeded as King by his son Richard, called Richard the Lion-Hearted. One of the historians [his`to:riзnz] says: He played a small part in the affairs of England and a large part in the affairs of Europe. Richard spent only two short spells in the country, one of three months and one of two months. Richard was famous for his good education and courage. He was a man of excellent manners, kind to his friends and cruel to his enemies. He spent most of his time taking part in crusades [kru`seidz] in Palestine [`pælistain]. Richard the Lion-Hearted was killed in one of the battles in France in 1199, and the English throne passed to his brother John.
Vocabulary
Rufus – Рыжий
arrow – стрела
succeed – наследовать
to be drowned – утонуть
Matilda – Матильда
prominent – выдающийся
the Holy Roman Emperor– император Священной Римской империи
Geoffrey Plantagenet – Джеффри Плантагенет
Stephen – Стефан
Adela – Адела
oppose – противостоять
Civil War – гражданская война
Count of Anjou, Tourain and Maine – Граф Анжу, Турени и Мена
Eleanor of Aquitaine – Алиенора Аквитанская
restore – восстанавливать, возврвщать
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury – Томас Бекет, архиепископ Кентерберийский
reduce – уменьшать
saint – святой
Richard the Lion-Hearted – Ричард Львиное Сердце
crusade – крестовый поход
Palestine – Палестина
3. King John and Magna Carta
John was unpopular because of his history of plotting against family members: he killed his 16-year-old nephew Arthur, who had the best claim to the throne, being the son of John’s elder brother Jeffrey.
John was faced with three main problems. The power of the English nobility [nou`biliti] was increasing; the possessions [pз`ze∫зnz] of the English kings in France were daily becoming more difficult to defend; and the Church was eager to gather into its hands as much power as possible. John attempted to maintain [men`tein] his positions. But he was unlucky in war and lost most of England’s land, so he lived up to his nickname, ‘Lackland’.
In 1215 the richest and most powerful sections of English society – the aristocracy [,æris`tokrзsi], the Church and the merchants [`mз:t∫зnts] – formed a coalition [,kouз`li∫n] against the King. At Runnymede [`rΛni,mi:d], an island in the Thames John’s opponents [з`pounзnts] made him sign a document called the Great Charter [`t∫a:tз] (‘Magna Carta’ [,mægnз`ka:tз] in Latin), in which the king agreed to follow certain rules of government. The document officially stated certain rights and liberties [`libзtiz] of the people, which the king had to respect. And it defined and limited royal rights. Magna Carta was a long list of everything that was wrong with government as John applied it. Baronial [bз`rouniзl] liberties were protected and freemen were provided with some guaranties [`gærзntiz] against arbitrary [`a:bitзrзri] royal actions. The crown alone would not be able to determine its rights. So Magna Carta could be called ‘The cornerstone of English liberties’.
John had no intention of agreeing Magna Carta without a fight. The war with the barons continued. In 1216 King John died of a fever. His son Henry became the King Henry III. England was deep in war.
Vocabulary
nobility – дворянство, знать
increase – увеличиваться, нарастать
possession – владение
maintain – укреплять
merchant – купец
coalition – коалиция
Runnymede – Раннимид
opponent – противник
Great Charter (‘Magna Carta’) – ‘Великая Хартия Вольностей’
liberties – свободы
apply – зд. применять, употреблять
baronial – баронский
guaranty – гарантия
arbitrary – произвольный
determine – определять, устанавливать
4. The birth of the British Parliament
Henry was only nine years old when he became king. So William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke [`pembruk], acted as a Regent [`ri:d3зnt]. He ruled the country for the young king. Marshal was famed throughout the Christian world for his courage, physical power and skill in fighting, and also for his honourable nature. He served Henry II, Richard I and John with utter loyalty [`loiзlti]. Peers [piзz] and churchmen respected his wisdom and asked his advice.
Henry III was a weak king, foolish and dishonourable. Unlucky in war he failed to regain [ri`gein] England’s territories in France, lost by King John. Henry’s wife, Eleanor, was French. She brought French nobles to the English court. Henry showed special favour to these Frenchmen, often giving them English land. This made him hated by the English barons. The high taxes Henry demanded, and his wasting money on useless wars, made him very unpopular.
At Easter 1258 a group of barons rebelled [ri`beld]. Civil war broke out. Henry and his son, Prince Edward, commanded the royalist forces, and Simon de Montfort [`saimзn dз `montfзt || Fr. mo:n`fo:r], Earl of Leicester [`lestз], Henry’s brother-in-law (he was married to King’s sister Eleanor), led the barons. In April 1264 the King and Edward were badly defeated, and they were taken prisoner by the barons. Simon became ruler of England.
The great act of Simon, while he ruled, was to summon [`sΛmзn] a Parliament in June 1264. Parliament was established as a regular form of government. Parliaments were meetings of the most important men in the country to exchange views and offer advice. Parliament’s origins are unclear but the calling together of barons and prelates [`prelits] to exchange views and give advice to the monarch [`monзk] was not a great departure from the King’s traditional practice of consulting the great men of the kingdom. The great barons, out of whom the House of Lords was formed, came in person, and as the small freeholders [`fri:,hoзldзz] were too many to do the same, a few of their number came to act for them. Simon brought the towns in by having each city send two of its citizens. Simon’s Parliament was not full and free. The number of earls and barons was small, only those being called who were friends of his. On the other hand, there was a large body of clergy [`klз:d3i], as among them his friends were many.
The barons disliked the great power Simon wielded [wi:ldid]. He was killed in 1265. Henry III spent his last years enjoying his happy and long marriage, and encouraging the arts. He was a lover of architecture and many beautiful cathedrals were built or improved during his reign. Henry rebuilt Westminster Abbey, where he was buried when he died in 1272.
Vocabulary
William Marshal,Earl of Pembroke – Уильям Маршал, граф Пембрук
regent – регент
loyalty – верность
Peer – пэр
churchman – священнослужитель
regain – возвращать, снова приобретать
demand – требовать
rebel – восставать
command – командовать
Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester – Симон де Монфор, граф Лестер
defeat – побеждать, разбивать
summon – созывать
prelate – прелат
monarch – монарх
freeholder – фригольдер, свободный землевладелец
clergy – духовенство
wielded – владеть, обладать
encourage – поощрять
architecture – архитектура
cathedral – собор
5. The struggle of Scotland for its independence
Edward I, the son and successor of King Henry III, might be taken as a pattern of the medieval [,medi`i:vзl] King. He was strong and tall, a fine soldier, a good horseman, and fond of hunt. He ruled the realm [relm] well and wisely. He was a determined monarch, firm in the defence of his rights.
Edward devoted his first years as King to Wales. The Prince of Wales, Llywelyn [lз`welin], was called on to do homage [`homidg]. But the prince didn’t come. He and his people still hoped to win their freedom. In 1282 Edward defeated Llywelyn’s army and killed him and his brother, the last of the Welsh royal line. As a recompense [`rekзmpens] Edward offered his baby son to the Welsh people to be their prince. It is said that Edward promised the Welsh ‘a prince who speaks no English’; the baby prince couldn’t speak at all. In 1301 the young prince was officially created Prince of Wales and this title has been held by successive [sзk`sesiv] heirs to the throne ever since.
Edward was determined to conquer Scotland as well as Wales.
The feudal [fju:dl] system did not develop in the Highlands where the tribal ‘clan’ system continued. Although Scottish kings had sometimes accepted the English king as their ‘overlord’, they were strong enough to defend their country. But in 1290 a crisis [`kraisis] took place over the succession to the Scottish throne. On a stormy night in 1286 Alexander III King of Scotland was riding home along a path by the sea in the dark. His horse took a false step, and the king was thrown from the top of the cliff. He left no heir, but there was a crowed of men who had any claim to the Scottish throne. Of these, the best known are John de Balliol [`beiljзl] and Robert Bruce [bru:s], both of Norman blood, who held lands in England and Scotland. Edward was called on to say who should be king, and he settled on Balliol, but made him acknowledge him as head king.
There was a fight between France and England, and the Scots sided with France. But they were defeated and Balliol was forced to give up the crown to Edward, who brought away the Scottish crown jewels and with them a relic [`relik] whose loss was deeply felt. At Scone Abbey [sku:n || skoun] there was a piece of rock, called Stone of Destiny [`destini], on which the Scottish king stood when he was crowned. It was said where that stone was the Scottish king should reign. Edward placed it on a throne in Westminster Abbey, where the stone and chair still are seen and on them all the Kings of England have since been crowned.