Almost everybody knows something about Queen Elizabeth, the famous queen who made England such a powerful country long ago in the sixteenth century. And almost everybody knows something about her older sister, Queen Mary, who caused so much sorrow to England because of religious persecution. But not nearly so many people know about their younger brother, King Edward the Sixth, who came to the throne before either of his sisters, and whose short life was full of burdens and anxieties. This story tells something about the way in which a boy had to be educated if he was going to be a king. You will see that he had very little chance for freedom or happiness.
Read the story through quickly, and then glance back and make an outline of it. Your teacher will let two or three of you tell the story from the outline you have made.
Almost four hundred years ago all London was rejoicing because of the birth of a prince, the son of the wicked Henry the Eighth. To be sure, Henry had two other children, Mary and Elizabeth; but there were reasons, it was thought, why neither of them could inherit the throne. So the people were glad when little Edward was born; anthems of joy were sung in all the churches; bonfires were lit, and bells rang.
Three days later, when the baby prince was baptized, the way from the palace to the chapel was hung with silk and velvet and cloth of gold, and lined with torch-bearers. Noble lords held a shining canopy over his head, and others carried the towels and basins needed in the ceremony. His sister Mary, a gracious lady of twenty-one, was his godmother, the archbishop was his godfather, and little red-haired Elizabeth, only four years old, also had a share in the ceremony.
Ten days later joy was turned to mourning, for the Queen died, and little Prince Edward was left motherless. The baby, however, had a kind nurse and many servants, four of whom were called "rockers", as it was then thought right to rock a baby in his cradle or in the arms. All these servants were charged to watch and guard the Prince night and day lest any harm should befall him, for, as King Henry said, he was "the whole realm's most precious jewel".
While Edward was a little child he lived chiefly in the country, and was brought up till he was six years old by the women of the household. After that he had learned men for his schoolmasters, and they taught him languages, philosophy, and such art and science as were known at the time. Such studies sound like very grown-up lessons for a little boy, do they not? A large part of education in those days consisted of Greek and Latin. Both Edward and his sister Elizabeth were very fond of books, and many were the happy mornings that the two children spent together over their lessons.