Contents. xxiii KATHERINE OF VALOIS, SURNAMED THE FAIR; CHAPTER I.—Early calamities of Katherine-Abducted by her mother-Re-captured- Henry prince of Wales-Katherine demanded for him-His accession as Henry V.- His invasion of France-Agincourt-Marriage-treaty renewed-Katherine's picture -Henry's exorbitant demands-Interview of Katherine and Henry V.--Her beauty -Henry in love with her-His anger-Treaty broken-Renewed after two years— Katherine is offered with the crown of France-Receives Henry at Troyes- Betrothed-Queen's knight-Marriage of Katherine and Henry-Queen's dower— French marriage ceremonial-The queen enters Paris in state-Voyage to England -Grand coronation-Her friendship for the king of Scots-Northern progress- Disobedience-Birth of her son, (Henry VI.)— Katherine's maids- Her guest- Katherine writes to the king-Prepares to join him in France CHAPTER II.—Queen Katherine joins Henry V.-Her court at Paris-Death of Henry V.-Grief of the queen-She presides over the funeral-Arrives in England-Is at the expense of Henry V.'s tomb at Westminster-abbey-Queen and her infant son, (Henry VI.)-He travels to London on her lap-Her London residence-Infancy of Henry VI.-Katherine retires from public life-Attachment to Owen Tudor-He dances before her-Introduction of his kinsmen-Queen's remarks-Her ruby ring- Birth of second family-Death of her mother-Marriage discovered-Imprisonment -Illness-Penitence-Death-Burial-Epitaph-Her husband persecuted-His death -The grandson of Katherine, (Henry VII.)-New epitaph-Katherine's body ex- humed-Made a spectacle for three centuries-Pepys kisses her remains CHAPTER I.—Parentage and descent of Margaret-Her birth-Baptism-Misfortunes - News of defeat at St. Alban's-Her 534 Queen's Norfolk progress-Defeat at Northampton-Her retreat-Falls into the hands of plunderers-Escapes with her son-Captivity of the king-Queen embarks with her son for Scotland-Sympathy of the Scotch-Visited by the queen-mother of Scotland and the young king His Scotch establishment - Margaret obtains succours-She returns to England-Wins the battle of Wakefield - Her victory at St. Alban's-Frees king Henry-Offends the Londoners-Earl of March enters London-Queen retreats to York-Lancastrians defeated at Ferrybridge and Towton -King and queen retire to Alnwick-Cross the Scotch border-Successful negotia- tions at the Scotch court-Pecuniary distress of Margaret and Henry-Margaret pawns her gold cup-Resentment of the queen-mother-Selfish policy of Louis XI. -Margaret pawns Calais-Her champion, Pierre de Brezé CHAPTER III.-Margaret sails for England-Her landing opposed-Abandoned by her foreign levy-Escapes in a fishing-boat to Berwick-Obtains aid from the Scotch- Total defeat at Hexham-Queen's flight with her son-Their perils-Encounter with a robber in Hexham-forest-The robber's cave-Margaret retires to Scotland- Dangers by land and sea-Driven on the coast of Flanders Lands at Ecluse-Her miserable plight-Message to the duke of Burgundy-Her interview with Philippe Pot-Her journey to meet the duke of Burgundy-Travels in a stage-cart-Meets count Charolois-His gift-Dangers on her journey-Arrives at St. Pol-Meeting between the queen and duke-The banquet-Duchess of Bourbon visits her-Their conversations She returns to Bruges-Honourable reception-Margaret and the noble chronicler-Her miniatures-Punctilios of ceremony-Margaret returns to her father-Education of her son-Reconciliation with Warwick-Marriage of her son-Restoration of Henry VI.-Margaret goes to Paris-Honours paid her there- Returns to England-Earl of Warwick slain at Barnet-Queen takes sanctuary- Battle of Tewkesbury-Her son's death-Queen taken-Incarcerated in the Tower -Her widowhood-Captivity-Ransomed-Embarks for Normandy-Residence at her father's court-Her beauty destroyed by grief-Death of her father-Retires to PAGE LIVES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. INTRODUCTION. "THE queen of England," says that learned commentator on the laws and constitution of this country, Blackstone, "is either queen-regnant, queen-consort, or queen-dowager." The first of these is a female sovereign reigning in her own right, and exercising all the functions of regal authority in her own person, as in the case of her present majesty queen Victoria, who ascended the throne, not only by rightful inheritance and the consent of the people, but also in full accordance with the ancient British custom, noticed by Tacitus in these remarkable words: "Solent fœminarum ductu bellare, et sexum in imperiis non discernere."1 No other princess has, however, been enthroned in this land under such auspicious circumstances as our present sovereign lady. Mary I. was not recognised without bloodshed. Elizabeth's title was disputed. Mary II. was only a sovereign in name, and as much dependent on the will of her royal husband as a queen-consort. The archbishop of Canterbury forfeited the primacy of England for declining either to assist at her coronation or to take the oaths. The same scruples of conscience withheld the nonjuring bishops and clergy, and many of the nobility and gentry of England, from performing their homage either to her, or to queen Anne. Not one of those four queens, therefore, was crowned with the unanimous consent of her people. But the rapturous acclamations that drowned the pealing of the bells and the thunders of the artillery, at the recognition of our beloved liege lady queen Victoria, in Westminster-abbey, can never be forgotten by those who then heard the voices of a united nation uplifted in assent. I was present, and felt the massy walls of the abbey thrill, from base to tower, with the mighty sound, as the burst of loyal enthusiasm, within that august sanctuary, was echoed by the thronging multitude without, hailing her queen by universal suffrage. VOL. I. 1 Life of Agricola. A queen-consort pays no toll, nor is she liable to any amercement in any court. In all cases, however, where the law has not expressly declared her exempted, she is upon the same footing with other subjects, being the king's subject, and not his equal.1 The royal charters, in ancient times, were frequently signed by the queen as well as by the king; yet this was not in the quality of a coadjutor in the authority by which the grant was made, but evidently in the capacity of a witness only, and on account of her high rank she was doubtless a most important one. In point of security of her life and person, the queenconsort is put on the same footing with the king. It is equally treason (by the statute of the 25th Edward III.) "to compass or imagine the death of our lady the king's companion, as of the king himself.” 2 "The queen is entitled to some pecuniary advantages, which form her a distinct revenue," continues Blackstone, "one of which, and formerly the most important, was the aurum reginæ, or queen-gold, a royal revenue belonging to every queen-consort during her marriage with the king, and due from every person who hath made a voluntary offering or fine to the king amounting to ten marks or upwards; and it is due in the proportion of one-tenth part more, over and above the entire offering or fine made to the king, and becomes an actual debt of record to the queen's majesty by the mere recording of the fine. Thus, if an hundred marks of silver be given to the king to take in mortmain, or to have a fair, market, park, chase, or free-warren, then the queen was entitled to ten marks in silver, or rather its equivalent—one mark in gold, by the name of queen-gold, or aurum reginæ. Another very ancient perquisite of the queen-consort, as mentioned by old writers and quoted by the learned roundhead Prynne, (who after the Restoration became, when keeper of the Tower records, a most zealous stickler for the privileges of the queens of England), is, that on the taking of a whale on the coasts, which is a royal fish, it shall be divided between the king and queen; the head only being the king's property, and the tail the queen's. The reason of this whimsical division, as assigned by our ancient records, was to furnish the queen's wardrobe with whalebone.5 Now, this shrewd conjecture of the learned civilian quoted by Blackstone may be considered as sufficient authority by barristers and judges to settle the point, but as it relates to matters on which ladies, generally speaking, possess more critical knowledge than lawyers or antiquaries, we beg to observe that the royal garments-feminine would be poorly provided with the article alluded to if her majesty depended on this contingency alone for her supply, as the peculiar kind of whalebone used in a lady's dress grows in the head of the fish, which, as we have seen, falls to the share of the king. 1 Blackstone's Rights of Persons. 2 lbid. book i. chap. iv. 3 Prynne's Aurum Reginæ. 5 Bracton. Britton. It is well known that the ward of Queenhithe derives its name from the circumstance of vessels unlading at that little harbour paying tolls to the queen of Henry III., Eleanor of Provence. The covetous disposition of this princess induced her to use her influence with the king, in order compel every vessel freighted with corn, or other valuable lading, land at her quay, to increase the revenue she drew from this source. It is well for the interests of trade and commerce that our latter queens have been actuated by very different feelings towards the subjects of their royal husbands, than the sordid selfishness practised by this princess. The queen-regnant, in addition to the cares of government, has to preside over all the arrangements connected with female royalty, which, in the reign of a married king, devolve on the queen-consort; she has, therefore, more to occupy her time and attention than a king, for whom the laws of England expressly provide that he is not to be troubled with his wife's affairs, like an ordinary husband. There have been but three unmarried kings of England,-William Rufus, Edward V., and Edward VI. The two last died at tender ages; but the 'Red King' was a determined bachelor, and his court, unrestrained by the presence and beneficial influence of a queen, was the focus of profaneness and profligacy. The earliest British queen named in history is Cartismandua, who, though a married woman, appears to have been the sovereign of the Brigantes, reigning in her own right. This was about the year 50. Boadicea, or Bodva, the warrior queen of the Iceni, succeeded her deceased lord, king Prasutagus, in the regal office. Speed gives us a curious print of one of her coins in his Chronicle. The description of her dress and appearance on the morning of the battle that ended so disastrously for the royal Amazon, and her country, quoted from a Roman historian, is remarkably picturesque:-" After she had dismounted from her chariot, in which she had been driving from rank to rank to encourage her troops, attended by her daughters and her numerous army, she proceeded to a throne of marshy turfs, apparelled, after the fashion of the Romans, in a loose gown of changeable colours, under which she wore a kirtle very thickly plaited, the tresses of her yellow hair hanging to the skirts of her dress. About her neck she wore a chain of gold, and bore a light spear in her hand, being of person tall, and of a comely, cheerful, and modest countenance; and so awhile she stood, pausing to survey her army, and being regarded with reverential silence, she addressed to them an impassioned and eloquent speech on the wrongs of her country." The overthrow and death of this heroic princess took place in the year 60. There is every reason to suppose that the noble code of laws called the Common Law of England, usually attributed to Alfred, were by |