308 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

to make us ask ourselves, do we know the Lord? We
have heard of him, as Manasseh did when he was young ;
but have we loved him, and sought to obey him, as
Manasseh did not till he was old?

Marianne. Did he ever get back to his own land ?

Grandfather. He did, and from that time till his
death he served God, and did his duty to his subjects,
trying to remedy the evil that the former part of his
reign had done. The very little success which he had
in that attempt shews us it is easier to lead people wrong
than to lead them right.

Marianne. Did a good king reign after him ?

Grandfather. He was succeeded by his son Amos, of
whom we hear little, and what little we hear is not to
his credit. He had reigned only two years when he
was slain by his own servants. After him came the
pious king Josiah, whose reign was the last bright spot
in the darkening history of Judah. There was no war
in his reign till the end of it, when it happened that
Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, led his armies to invade
Assyria. Josiah hearing this, went out to oppose him.
Pharaoh said he ought not to do that, for he had no
intention of attacking him: it was against the king
of Assyria he was going, and he had undertaken the
expedition at the express command of God.

Johnnie. That was not true surely ?

Grandfather. Yes, it was true, but Josiah heeded it
not. He went out against Pharaoh, and fell in the
battle: he was shot by the archers, and mortally