The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-11-14
HENRY's ENGLISH MOTHER.

our race, as his mother was a Princess OF
England. This lady was the fair, sweet
Phillipa, who accompanied her gallant father,
John Of Gaunt, when he went as a princely
hllbuster along with his famous brother the
Black Prince. TO fight for Pedro the Cruel Of
CASTLE against the heroic Joao Of Portugal.
She on one occasion, when an engagement
was about TO take place, prompted not only
by the curiosity, but by the courage and love
Of heroic action which animate maidens as
well as men, ventured like young David, in
the naughtIness Of her girlish heart, TO es-
cape from the observations of her maidens
and the cOnfnements of her tent, and go and
look upon the battle. and she beheId the
brave King riding at the head Of her fathers
foes. But he appeared before her generous
young soul, not as an enemy, but as n hero
leading his people TO battle for the indepen-
dence of their country, and the heart of the
glorious English maiden was at once in
spired with admiration, sympathy and love.
The fond daughter quickly touched the heart
Of n magnanimous father. HIS fair young
Phillipa had been solace and compromising
to him in many expeditions, and he listened
to her ardent pleadings. Why should he
war for n tyrant against n gallant Chief
fighting for his country? The entreaty of
the sweet maiden was more powerful than
the gold of CASTLE or the armies of Portugal,
and so John of Gaunt offered honorable
peace and the Portuguese King being in
formed OF the noble and tender influence that
had brought about such an unexpected and
favorable diversion in his behalf, besought the
English Prince for the hand of his daughter,
and the beautiful, wise and modest young
PhiIIipa became the Queen of P~ortugal.4
She bore several sons, the youngest of
whom Henry became
THE FAvoRIIE OF HIS MOTHER.
The eldest was to be King, the next to be
general Of his country, but for her %favorite
boy, this noble mother marked out a special
career. She, like many a faithful, English
matron, was the sole instructTess of her
children during the most impressible period
of their youth. She inspired Henry to be a
sailor, although Portugal had not then
any royal navy. She pointed out the
achievements of his grandfather Gaunt, who
under Edward Ill. and Richard ii. was Lord
High Admiral Of England. She told her
noble boy, as he stood by her knee, listening
with ardent heart TO the words of n beauti-
full and inspiring mother, that the cause of
the blessed Christ could never prevail be-
yond the bounds OF his native peninsula,
among many nations living on the shores of
the Mediterranean sea, so long as the inhdel
Moors held so many ~sirongholds on the
Coast of Africa, from whence they issued
with their %piratical prows, and kept terrified
Christians forever confined to European
shores whilst beyond them, beyond the
Gates of Hercules, there lay the nations
visited by Hanno the Carthaginian, and far
in the western seas, no doubt, those islands
of the blest, which would some day glorify
the cross, and the heroes who sought them
out.
Oh, glorious and noble woman What
precious and fruitful seed did you implant
in the heart of that earnest boy, who looked
up into your bea utiful eyes, and filled his
soul with your high aspiring purpose like a
worshiper of some heavenly inspiration.
The thoughtful and high-minded young
Prince, under such tuition, became too noble
10 waste time In the designations and rude
sports of his country. He disdained the
tourney, which occupied the attention of the
Young mobiles of his day and we can I'M
agine how such a high purposed young soul,
would have disdained in our day the paltry,
puerile Journeys of billiards. He preferred
the honor of learning to do some useful
thing, even to fashion a timber for a ship
with an axe,-rather than that OF overthrow
ing a man with a lance.S
HE PROPOSES TO INVADE AFRICA.
When about twenty years of age, he con-
ceived under the inspiration of his mothers
teaching, the purpose of attacking and de-
stroying the great Moorish citadel and tort
of Ceuta, the ancient A5yla, one of the Pill
lars of Hercules, that marked on the coast
of Africa the entrance to the Straits OF Glb-
raltar. When he spoke of such a purpose
to his father, who was as prudent as he was
brave, he was laughed at by his experienced
- - ubo .o1d his anthucia site hOV
that the Portuguese must be content to re-
main on the peninsula, as he had not a ship
ar p mariner that belonged 10 his crown, and
ne would require great fleets as we'll as
armies TO strike at Moorish power In Africa.
Il will create for you ships and men, SAID
the ardent, inspired young Prince. However
10 all this nonsense, the wise and prudent
Joao would not then for a moment listen
Rut after n time, be is astounded TO discover
that his good and faithful Queen is encour-
aging this ex~travagant scheme OF their
Youngest boy. Phillipa pleads with her
royal husband to grant their generous son a
I commission, that will enable him TO solicit
voluntary aid of men and means TO under
take the crusade against Ceuta. After
urgent entreaty of mother and child, the
father at last reluctantly consents TO what
ne esteems an almost insane enterprise
When Henry obtains the royal sanction
he makes a stirring appeal TO the generous
youth of his own, and of neighboring coun-
tries. They flock to him at Lisbon, like the
Gracian heroes TO Iolchos TO assist Jason TO
! obtain the golden fleece of the winged ram
of Neptune. And so did Henry look for
some wondrous golden fleece in western
seas and the citadel of Ceuta and the
Moorish rovers were dangers in his path to
he overcome, even as Jason conquered the
fery brazen bulls, the crop OF armed men
and the dragon that guarded the treasure ne
w.l,iDebsm,. History of England. Edward III.