of freedom came to them from England. They did not fight against the English people. As you will learn from Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, "Some Famous Portraits," many of the greatest Englishmen of that period used every effort to win fair treatment for the colonies, sympathized with their struggle for independence, and rejoiced when at last George III and his ministers were told that America would no longer submit to oppression.

One of the greatest of these Englishmen was Edmund Burke, who lived in the time of George III and took the part of the colonies in their struggle against the King's tyranny. He worked for the repeal of the taxation laws that so offended the Americans. He made many speeches in Parliament and elsewhere, pleading with Englishmen not to drive their fellow Englishmen in America into civil war. And when at last war came, Burke still sought to bring about reconciliation. He wrote the King a letter in which he said that the British government was not representing the British spirit of freedom in its dealings with the colonies. He wrote a letter to the colonies in which he begged them not to believe that they were at war with the people of England. "Do not think," he said, "that the whole or even the majority of Englishmen in the island are enemies to their own blood on the American continent." The whole matter he sums up by saying that the only true Englishmen either in the British Isles or in America were those who were willing to work and fight in the cause of free government.

All Americans need to remember these words written by a great friend of the colonies during the Revolutionary War, a man who also explained more clearly and more eloquently than any other Englishman in any time the principles on which our inheritance of freedom rests. His interest in the American cause was not merely the interest of a sympathetic friend; over and over again he pointed out that the colonies, and not the King, represented the true English spirit. To him the plan of selfgovernment set up in Massachusetts and Virginia represented the

very ideal for which patriotic Englishmen had struggled for centuries. The British Parliament, in Burke's time, was not made up of representatives from all the population, as it is today; only a small part of the population could vote, and many districts had no representation at all. Complete control of the government by the people was what Burke and thousands of other Englishmen had been trying to win. In the American colonies such a form of popular government had developed freely, because the British King paid little attention to the colonies until they became wealthy enough to be a source of riches. It was this fact that made the American Revolution not merely a war for the establishment of a new nation, but quite as much a war for the development of free government in England itself. Burke realized this fact when he prophesied that the future would look back upon the American Revolution and see that it helped establish freedom not only in America but also among Englishspeaking peoples everywhere.

The prophecy has been fulfilled. Britain still has a king, but he is king in name only; the real power of the government is in the hands of the people. The struggle in which the American colonists won their independence has resulted not only in a free America, but also in a free England and in freedom for the great dominions Canada, Australia, and New Zealand-which have much the same form of government. This free spirit of modern England is well shown by the little group of poems in Part III.

The struggle for freedom all over the world is not yet ended. Millions of people are still ruled by governments that oppress them. We free citizens of fortunate America owe a duty to all mankind. This duty is to value our freedom so highly that we will make free government more and more successful in our country, more and more a model that all other nations will gladly follow. Only in this way can we show that we are worthy of the sacrifices made for us by the brave men of long ago who fought that we might have this precious "inheritance of freedom."

Xerxes, King of Persia, when he was about to start the expedition against the Greeks, called an assembly of the principal Persians, that he might make known his intentions. When they were assembled, he addressed them as follows: "Men of Persia, I have resolved to make war upon the Greeks. If we subdue them and their neighbors, we shall make the Persian territory as extensive as the air of heaven. I will march through all Europe, and no city or nation of the world will remain which will be able to come to a battle with us, when those whom I 10 have mentioned have been brought into subjection. Thus all must equally submit to the yoke of servitude. It will be the duty of each of you to come promptly; and whosoever shall appear with the best-appointed troops, to him I will give such presents as are accounted most honorable in our country."

15

How great a number of men each contributed is not mentioned by anyone, but the amount of the whole land forces was found to be one million, seven hundred thousand. As for the naval forces, the number of vessels amounted to twelve hundred *See Silent and Oral Reading, page 40.

and seven. Xerxes, when he had inspected his forces in person, sent for Demaratus, a Greek exile who was with the Persian army, and said to him: "Demaratus, you are a Greek. Now, therefore, tell me whether the Grecians will venture to lift their hands against me; for I think that if all the Grecians were collected together, they would not be able to withstand my attack. However, I desire to know what you say on this subject."

When Demaratus heard what the King said, he spoke thus: "O King, poverty has ever been familiar to Greece, but virtue 10 has been acquired; by the aid of this, Greece has warded off tyranny. I say it is not possible that they will submit to you and bring slavery on Greece. With respect to their number, you need not ask how many they are, for if a thousand men, or even fewer, should march out, they would certainly give you battle.” 15 Such was the reply he made, but Xerxes treated it with ridicule.

When the Greeks heard that Xerxes was leading this huge army against them, they consulted in what way and in what places they should fight. The opinion which prevailed was that they should defend the pass at Thermopylae, for it appeared to be 20 narrower than any other. They accordingly resolved to guard this pass and not suffer the barbarians to enter Greece.

On the western side of Thermopylae is a steep mountain, and on the eastern side of the pass are the sea and a morass. A wall had been built in this pass, and formerly there were gates in it. 25 This old wall had been built a long time before, and the greater part of it had fallen; but the Greeks determined to rebuild it, and in that place to repel the barbarians.

The force that Xerxes led to Thermopylae, including the servants and those who took care of the provisions, amounted 30 to five million people. They were so many that I am not astonished that the streams of some rivers failed because of their having been drunk dry. King Xerxes encamped in the territory of Malis, and the Greeks took their stand in the pass. The following were the Greeks who awaited the Persian in this position: 85 of Spartans, three hundred heavy-armed men; of warriors from

other cities, about four thousand. The man most admired and who commanded the whole army was Leonidas, the young King of Sparta.

When the vast Persian army drew near the pass, the Greeks 5 became alarmed and consulted about a retreat. It seemed best to some to retire; but Leonidas determined to stay, and to dispatch messengers to the cities throughout Greece, desiring all the others to lend their aid in repelling the vast army of the Persians.

10 While they were deliberating on these matters, Xerxes sent a scout to see how many Greeks there were; for he had heard that a small army had been assembled at that spot. When the scout rode up to the camp, the Spartans happened to be posted outside; and he saw some of the men performing gymnastic 15 exercises, and others combing their hair. On his return he gave an account to Xerxes of all that he had seen.

When Xerxes heard this, he could not believe that the Greeks were preparing to be slain, and to slay to the utmost of their power; but, as they appeared to behave in a ridiculous manner, 20 he sent for Demaratus, the Greek, and questioned him as to what the Spartans were doing. Demaratus said, "Before, when we were setting out against Greece, you heard me speak of these men; and when you heard, you treated me with ridicule. These men plan to fight with us for the pass, and are now preparing 25 themselves to do so. For such is their custom: when they are going to hazard their lives, they dress their heads. O King, you are now about to fight against the noblest of all the Greeks, and with the most valiant men." What was said seemed incredible to Xerxes, and he asked again, "When they are so few in num30 ber, how can they contend with my army?" Demaratus answered, "O King, deal with me as with one who speaks not the truth, if these things do not turn out as I say."

By saying this he did not convince Xerxes. The Persian King, therefore, let four days pass, constantly expecting that the 35 Greeks would betake themselves to flight; but on the fifth day,