ISABELLA OF FRANCE, Queen of Edward the Second. CHAPTER I. Isabella's descent-Parentage-Birth-Betrothment to Edward the Second-Dower -First acts of Edward the Second on his accession-Gaveston recalled-Appointed Regent-Edward goes to France-Weds Isabella at Boulogne-The marriage festival-The royal pair come to England-Their coronation-Slights offered to the Queen-She complains to the French King-Gaveston's pride and power excite the ire of the Barons-The King's disgusting partiality for himHis person and manners-Isabella sanctions a confederacy to expel him-He is banished-Appointed Viceroy of Ireland-Isabella's revenues-The commons grant the King an aid-Their complaint-The King's favourable reply-Gaveston recalled-His arrogance and sarcasm more than ever disgust the BaronsHis tournament prevented-Ordainers instituted-They decree the banishment of Gaveston-The King separates from his favourite with regret-Isabella commemorates Gaveston's departure by a feast-She becomes reconciled to the KingGaveston is recalled-He insults Isabella-She again complains to the King of France-Philip secretly aids her and the Barons. HAT the boast of branded her memory with deeds the ancestry is really blackest that have darkened the annals significant of little of female royalty since the days of the or nothing but the wicked Saxon Queen, Elfrida - deeds folly of the boaster, at which humanity shudders, and which is strikingly exem- the most partial of her biographers, plified in the sub- with all their silly vain-glorious vaunts ject of the present of her distinguished descent, have neimemoir. For although no Queen of ther been able to excuse nor conceal. England, since the Norman Conquest, Her career for the most part being one could claim so illustrious a descent as rather to blush for than exult over-to Isabella of France-she being the second excite grief and indignation rather than daughter of Philip the Fair, King of respect or veneration. France, and his consort, Joanna, Queen İsabella of France, the greatest beauty of Navarre, whilst her three brothers, of her times, was born at Paris about Louis the Tenth, Philip the Long, and the year 1291. History is silent as to Charles the Fair, successively as- the exact date of her birth, but judging cended the French throne-history has from the writings of her contemporaries, advised precipitancy. Indeed, the first acts of Edward the Second were such as at once to excite the contempt of the court and nobles, and convince the nation of his impotency as a monarch. His sire was scarcely dead, when, in violation of his solemn oath, he recalled his favourite, Piers Gaveston, from banishment, totally changed the officers of government, and disgraced and imprisoned the treasurer, Langton, Bishop of Lichfield, for no other reason than that the prelate, with a commendable resolution, had formerly refused to supply the Prince and his favourite with money for their wanton pleasures. Nor was this all; Edward daily showered gifts and honours upon Gaveston. He elevated him to the Earldom of Cornwall, made him lord chamberlain, bestowed upon him the thirty thousand marks destined for the Holy War, and, on the first of November, 1307, by special appointment, married him to his own niece, Marga and the events of her life, we cannot be far wrong in the period we have assigned. In compliance with a treaty between Edward the First and Philip the Fair, Isabella was solemnly betrothed to Edward the Second, then Prince of Wales, in 1303. The ceremony was performed with great pomp in the presence of the French King and Queen, the leading nobles of France, and the English ambassadors. As Prince Edward was not present, after the Pope's dispensation for the marriage had been read aloud, Pere Gilo, Archbishop of Narbonne, who officiated on the occasion, took the hand of Isabella in his, and emphatically exclaimed, “By this act do I solemnly betroth Edward of Caernarvon, and Isabella, the second daughter of Philip, the reigning monarch of France, on condition that the terms of their marriage treaty be duly performed." By this marriage treaty, it was stipulated, that Philip should give his daughter a portion of thirteen thou-ret of Gloucester, daughter of his sister, sand tournois, three thousand two hundred and fifty pounds sterling, and that she should succeed to the dower of Edward the First's Queen, her aunt, Margaret, and have granted to her use, during Margaret's lifetime, castles and manors to the amount of two thousand five hundred pounds per annum. Edward the First was anxious for this match, and with his dying words charged his heir to complete his union with Isabella without delay. This injunction was the only one of the last solemn commands of his sire that Edward the Second thought proper to obey. It completely accorded with his own sentiments, he therefore complied with it in such haste, that before the obsequies of his father were solemnized, the Bishops of Durham and Norwich were dispatched to the French court to name the natal-day, and forward the necessary preparations for the espousals; whilst he himself, immediately the arrangements for his wedding were completed, turned his back upon Scotland, where the energetic patriot, Robert Bruce, was daily gaining strength, and neglecting all matters of state, hurried on his unfortunate marriage and coronation with ill Joanna of Acre, an act which, of itself, greatly excited the indignation of the barons and the people.† Having appointed Gaveston Regent, with full sovereign powers during his absence, Edward embarked at Dover, on the twenty-second of January, 1308, to complete his marriage. After a prosperous voyage he landed at Boulogne, received the joyous smiles of his bride and her royal parents, who awaited his arrival, and on the same day, did homage to Philip the Fair, for Guienne and Ponthieu. The following day, January the twenty-fifth, Isabella and Edward were married in the cathedral of Boulogne *When Gaveston married, the King be stowed upon him the honours of Tickhill and Berkhampstead, the castle and manors of Skipton in Yorkshire, High Pen in Derbyshire, Cockermouth in Cumberland, Torpel and Upton in Northamptonshire, Carisbrook in the Isle of Wight, with divers other lands in England, besides lands in Guienne, to the yearly value of three thousand marks. A tolerable marriage present this from a monarch to a foreign subject, whose only services were those of a debased, immoral sycophant: no wonder the nation cried aloud against it. 149." See Memoir of Eleanora of Castile, page with great splendour; and in the pre- | after a short stay, to admit of the comsence of the King and Queen of France, pletion of the preparations for their Mary, the Queen Dowager of France. coronation, they journeyed to Westthe King of Navarre, the King and minster, where, on the twenty-fifth of Queen of the Romans, the Archduke of February, being Quinquagesima Sunday, Austria, the King of Sicily, Margaret, Edward and Isabella were solemnly the Queen Dowager of England, and crowned and anointed by the Bishop of the most numerous and brilliant assembly Winchester, who obtained from the of princes and nobles that had ever be- King a solemn pledge at the altar, to fore graced the nuptials of a mighty protect the liberties and duly execute monarch. the laws of the land. The marriage feasts were the most gorgeous and sumptuous that had ever been witnessed. The brilliant display of plate, the variety and richness of the dishes, and the excellency of the many rare and choice wines, are dwelt upon with enthusiasm by a French chronicler who was present, and who, after lavishing praises on the appointments and gorgeous pageants, continues, "Mine eyes never beheld such prowess, such masculine beauty, as that displayed by the royal tilters at the tournaments held on the occasion; the play of lances was wonderful, sometimes fearful, to look upon." But withal, the bride and bridegroom were the stars that shone forth most brilliantly out of this dazzling constellation of royal and noble personages. Edward was pronounced the handsomest man in Europe, and Isabella, from her exquisite beauty, was named the Fair. "Sire," demanded the officiating prelate, in a loud, clear voice, "will you grant, and keep, and confirm by your oath, to the people of England, the laws and customs granted to them by the Kings of England, your predecessors, and especially the laws, the customs, and the franchises granted to the clergy and to the people by the glorious King, St. Edward, your predecessor?" "I will, and promise it," answered the King. Sire," continued the bishop, "will you keep to God and holy church, and clergy and people, peace and harmony in God, according to your power?" 'I will keep them," replied the King. "Sire," repeated the Bishop, "will you cause to be observed in all your judgments right and justice, with discretion in mercy and in truth, to the best of your power?" "I will," answered the King. "And now, sire," said the Bishop, putting the last question, "will you promise to hold and maintain the laws and the customs which the commonalty of your kingdom shall have enacted, and will you defend and strengthen them to the utmost of your power " "I promise it," replied the King.† At the altar, Edward made two of This gay festivity was brought to a close on the sixth of February, and on the following day, Edward and his bride, accompanied by two of Isabella's uncles, the Duke of Brabant, and a numerous train of foreign nobles, whom Edward had invited to witness his coronation, voyaged to Dover in safety. At Dover, the royal party were met by Gaveston, and most of the English ba-ferings; first, a pound of gold, in the rons and their ladies; when, to the astonishment and disgust of all present, the moment the King saw Gaveston, he deserted the Queen, and neglecting the others, rushed into the arms of his favourite, called him his dearest brother, and kissed and caressed him with all the tenderness of a lover to one of the gentler sex. After remaining two days at Dover, the King and Queen, with their train, proceeded to Eltham, whence, form of a king holding a ring in his hand, and afterwards eight ounces of gold, wrought into an effigy of a pilgrim putting forth his hand to receive the *The Archbishop of Canterbury was out of the country. This is the first perfect copy of a coronation oath in the English history; and it is worthy of remark, that it was not so much Magna Charta as the laws of the Saxon King, Edward the Confessor, that the monarch swore to observe. ring. According to tradition, this same ring was used at the coronation of her present Majesty. Although the coronation was performed with extraordinary magnificence, in the presence of most of the prelates, and all the leading barons and their ladies, and with every outward expression of joy, discontent secretly rankled in the breasts of many, if not all, who officiated at or witnessed the imposing ceremony, from the King and the Queen down to the poorest noble. Isabella was crabbed, peevish, and morose throughout the day; indeed her pride had again been deeply wounded by the gross indiscretion of the King, who, because Gaveston delighted in finery, had, in defiance of her expressed wish, given to that favourite all the costly jewels and trinkets which he had received as wedding presents from his father-in-law, the French King, and which Isabella very naturally desired to retain for the use of herself and her royal lord. The cause of the Queen was espoused by the noble ladies, some of whom openly cried out, "Shame upon the King and his base minion!" whilst several of the leading barons whispered their determination to withhold their oaths of allegiance if the favourite was not banished, which so alarmed Edward, that he promised, immediately after his inauguration, to call a parliament, with a view to arrange matters to their satisfac tion. To heighten the ill-feelings which, out of respect to the occasion, few dared openly to express, the arrangements of the ceremonial were made entirely by Gaveston, the whole business was under his control, and, from some cause or other, the scene was one of wild confusion and disorder. Everything was out of place, or out of time: nothing went right. The offices at the ceremony had been distributed without regard to the claims of inheritance or the precedents of former reigns; and what, above all, was bitterly galling to the barons, the highest place of honour-that of walking immediately before the King, and bearing the crown of St. Edward was conferred on Gaveston, who outvied the king himself in the splendour of his attire. The consecration of the King and Queen was not over till past three o'clock. The barons were famishing of hunger, and when, at last, the banquet was spread, although profuse in quantity, it was bad in quality, and so illserved, that no regard was paid to ceremony or order; and those that did not help themselves to what they liked as they best could, stood a fair chance of getting nothing. Scarcely a dish was properly cooked, some being over and some under done, whilst, whether from design or accident, not a morsel was placed on the Queen's table till_after dark, and then, such was the rudeness and hot haste of the attendants, that a steaming dish was overturned, and in the bustle and confusion that ensued, her Majesty's apparel was soiled and torn. The provisions to prevent accidents from the crowding of the numerous spectators, all eager to obtain a glimpse of their young Queen, appear to have been as ineffectual as the other arrangements of the day, as, besides broken limbs, maims, bruises, faintings, and other casualties, Sir John Bakewell, a knight, was trampled to death. But despite mishaps and confusion, the coronation was gorgeous in the extreme, and the feast gigantic. Two hundred pounds were paid for cloth, two hundred pounds for poultry, one hundred pounds for large cattle and boars, one hundred pounds for sheep, two hundred pounds for wine, and the enormous sum of fifty pounds for wood and coals. This magnificent display and mighty feast ended, the French princes and nobles, exasperated at the insults heaped upon Isabella, hurried home in disgust. The young Queen herself, burning to be avenged, sent a letter full of bitter complaints against her neglectful lord and his Gascon favourite to her father, Philip the Fair, and that monarch, enraged at Gaveston's daring to usurp the affections due from King Edward to his consort, at once aided, with all his power, the efforts of the discontented barons to bring about the downfall of the King's minion. On the third of March, the barous met in the refectory of the monks at Westminster, and petitioned Edward for the redress of abuses, and the immediate banishment of the favourite. The King promised to reply in the parliament that was about to meet in the following May, and, in the meantime, Gaveston continued to dispose of the royal favours; in fact, he wore the royal jewels and crown whenever he pleased, filled the court with libertines and buffoons, outvied every rival in the splendour of his dress and the number of his retinue, took to his own use all the treasures and most of the jewels of the crown, administered the affairs of the nation just as he pleased, and used his irresistible influence over the King to deprive the Queen of her husband's affections. As to Edward, the nation declared him bewitched: he lived but to serve his fascinating minion; and, more than ence, he declared, if his power equalled his affection, he would place Gaveston on the throne. To Isabella, his conduct was reprehensible in the extreme. He evidently deemed her too weak and girlish to be entitled to much attention, either as a Queen or a wife; but in this he was fatally mistaken, for, in temper, she was too haughty, tyrannical, and unforgiving, and in blood too nearly allied to the powerful leaders of the disaffected barons to quietly brook the outrages offered to her womanly pride. provoking display of his sarcastic powers against them and other nobles, who, at the suggestion, and with the immediate sanction of Isabella, formed a confederacy for the express purpose of expelling the insolent favourite from the court. At the head of this confederacy was Earl Thomas of Lancaster, cousin to the King, half-uncle to the Queen, first prince of the blood, and the most wealthy and powerful subject in the realm. When the parliament met in May, this influential noble and his associates attended at Westminster with so great a force, that they were able to dictate their own terms to the King. Gaveston was accordingly banished, and compelled to swear that he would never return; and the bishops threatened him with excommunication should he violate his oath. To console the affliction of his favourite, Edward permitted him to send abroad treasures to the value of little less than one hundred thousand pounds, made him a gift of valuable lands in England and Guienne, wrote in his favour to the Pope and the King of France, and, to the surprise and indignation of his enemies, appointed him viceroy of Ireland, and went with him on his way thither as far as Bristol. Gaveston ruled Ireland with great success, and distinguished himself by the suppression of several formidable rebellions. In England, the King's treasury was at this period empty, and the Queen was completely without money. EdAlthough handsome, stalwart, chival- ward, therefore, summoned a parliaric, and polished in manners, Gavestonment, and solicited an aid for himself, was neither thoughtful noi discreet. He knew the Queen hated him; but as he possessed a sparkling wit and a keenly satirical turn of mind, he made her the frequent subject of his irony and biting sarcasm. Too unwise to aim at conciliating her, he thus aggravated her already deadly enmity. Forgetting, too, that the adventurer whom a breath had made, a breath could just as easily destroy, he conducted himself towards the barons with equal indiscretion and insolence. At different tournaments he had unhorsed the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, Pembroke, and Warenne, and, elated by his success. he indulged in a and requested that an income might be settled on his beloved consort, Isabella, Queen of England, befitting her exalted station. The Lords determined that the revenues of Ponthieu and Montrieul should be appropriated to the Queen's use during her lifetime; and by an order, dated the fifteenth May, 1309, the King commands his seneschal of those provinces to give peaceable possession of them to the Queen's deputies. The Commons granted an aid of a twentyfifth, but to this grant they appendaged the unprecedented request that the King should previously grant redress upon certain articles wherein they were aggrieved. |