"Oh, that would be shocking!" said Charles.

"And yet it has sometimes happened," said his mamma; "there have been
brothers too, who have fought against each other, and many persons who
were friends before, have become the bitterest enemies."

"Was there ever a civil war in England, mamma?"

"Yes, my dear, more than once. The last was because many people thought
they should like to have no king at all; I am going to buy you a little
history of England, and then you will read about it."

"I shall like to read about it," said Charles, "but what did the people
do when they thought they should like to have no king?"

"They said the king had done a great many things that were wrong, and so
they put him in prison, and at last had his head cut off; do you know,
Charles, which king it was who was beheaded?"

"Yes, mamma; it was Charles the first."

"Well, after Charles the first was beheaded, some of the people declared
that his son should be king, and others said they would have no king at
all, but that they would have somebody instead to manage the affairs of
the country."

"And I know who that was, mamma," said Charles, "it was Oliver Cromwell,
I know he was not a king, but I did not understand how it was before."