months, and at his departure declared | when she lay in childbed; flee to her at that nowhere else, in or out of Christen- Winchester, implore her to intercede for dom, did such princely pleasures abound. you with the king, and you may yet be Early in 1103, Henry and Archbishop saved." Anselm had a serious quarrel. The prelate claimed, for the chapters of the clergy, the right hitherto enjoyed by the kings of England of nominating the bishops, which the king resolutely refused, and both appealed to the pope, Anselm going in person to plead against the king's advocates, and remaining for a period in exile. Robert lost no time in acting as the count had advised him, but he paid dearly for his indiscretion; for the queen, playing puppet to her royal lord, graciously received him, and taking the opportunity when he was overcome by wine, persuaded him, with sweet words and winning smiles, to cancel his claims against his brother the king. When In the year following, Robert, so ap- Henry found that his deeply-laid scheme propriately named the Unready, unwisely had succeeded to the full, he was right visited England. His purport for so glad, and with many thanks for his kinddoing probably being to demand his pen-ness, proffered the hand of friendship to sion and enjoy the pleasures of his royal goddaughter's court, although some writers affirm it was nothing less than to remonstrate with Henry, who, with a rod of iron, had persecuted several nobles for no other reason than that they were his partizans. On hearing of his landing, although he came unarmed and with but twelve attendants, the king flew into a great rage, and swore that if he fell into his hands he would keep him a prisoner for life. "God forbid, sire!" exclaimed the Count de Mellent, who witnessed the king's wrath-"God forbid that your brother Robert should receive such harshness at your hands! Besides, he is so generous and easy-hearted, that I dare swear a few kindly-spoken words would induce him to depart in peace, and relinquish his pension to boot." "Be it so," rejoined the king; "and our good cousin shall himself try his eloquence upon our unruly brother." his Norman brother. But Duke Robert felt no inclination to grasp the hand of his despoiler, whom he bitterly reproached with having, by wine and woman's craft, tricked him out of his pension. 66 'Beauclerc, thou art a treacherous villain; and if it costs me my life, I will be revenged!" he exclaimed, as in wild fury he rushed from the presence of his brother Henry. "Perhaps it may, should you attempt to execute your threat," murmured the artful king, who in a few months afterwards nominated his consort Matilda Regent of England, and set sail for Normandy, whither he went with the pretext of mediating between the factions then desolating the land, although his real purpose was to personally observe how and when he could most prudently snatch the ducal crown from the head of his brother Robert. When in Normandy, Henry and Archbishop Anselm met at the castle of the Eagle, and after a few explanations, again became friends. Anselm then embarked for England, and landed at Dover, where the queen received him with hearty welcomes; and he being advanced in years, she herself preceded him on his journey to the metropolis, and in this manner provided for him sumptuous fare and princely accommodation. With all my heart," replied the count, who immediately mounted his fleetest charger, and meeting Robert on the Southampton road, reasoned with him on the folly of exposing himself to the deadly ire of the king, who, he declared, was so terribly vexed at having to pay him four thousand marks a-year, that he swore by the Apostles to slay him or imprison him for life. "Indeed," continued the count, "there is no hope nor But the return of the aged primate safety for you but under the protecting brought trouble to the heart of Matilda, wings of our good Queen Matilda: doubt- as from this time both the king and Anless she has not forgotten your kindness | selm forced the Anglo-Saxon clergy, who had previously always been allowed to for the glorification of the church, to go marry, to lead a life of celibacy, on pain like himself with bare faces and scanof excommunication; and although Ma-tily-adorned pates. tilda durst not interfere in the matter, During the winter season, which was deputation after deputation of these poor passed by the queen and her royal lord ecclesiastics waited upon her, and im- at Northampton, Henry was himself ocplored her, as for their very lives, to per-cupied in raising the means for carrying suade the king, out of compassion for their on the war he had so successfully begun disconsolate wives and children, to permit in Normandy. them again to embrace their families. In 1105, or, as some historians state, in 1104, the queen gave birth to a princess, who was first christened Alice, but afterwards, by the desire of the king, named Matilda, and who, whilst but yet a child, was placed by her royal mother in the abbey at Wilton, where she was educated with great care. In the autumn of this year (1105), Henry returned from his successful campaign in Normandy, and was gratified on finding that the queen had so ably exercised the functions of government during his absence, that the general aspect of affairs had improved, and not a single insurrection had occurred. On learning this, his brother, Duke Robert, having neither funds nor the aid of powerful friends to support his cause, became so impressed with the hopelessness of his position, that in the depth of winter he came over to England and earnestly implored the king to permit him to retain at least the appearance of royalty; but Henry treated the penniless prodigal with such insolent disdain, that, as on a former occasion, he retired in disgust, without effecting his purpose. At the first faint glimpse of spring, in 1106, the king again entrusted Matilda with the reins of his government, and embarked for the continental dominions of his brother Robert, declaring that, beWhilst in Normandy, Henry endea- fore the coming autumn moistened the voured to gain the favour of the clergy-earth with its chilling tears, he would a difficult task, as he had greatly of- win the crown of Normandy, or die in fended the pious world by exalting Roger the attempt. le Poer, from the station of a poor priest, to the archbishopric of York, and the chancellorship of the state, and that for no other reason than Roger having, seven years back, in compliance with Beauclerc's own request, hurried over the church service in half an hour. Henry, however, gained his purpose in rather a singular manner. He and his train wore waving ringlets and moustaches, a practice at that time usual in England, but deemed by the superstitious Normans highly sinful. He, therefore, entered a church, listened with apparent attention to a sermon, preached by Serlo, Bishop of Seez, against beards and long hair, and declared himself so moved by the truthfulness and eloquence of the prelate's discourse, that, in the presence of the congregation, he submitted his flowing locks and graceful moustaches to the scissors of the worthy Serlo, who cropped his head and face with a graceful but most unsparing hand. Henry next issued a decree, compelling all his lieges, It was during the frequent absence of her royal lord in Normandy that Matilda directed her attention to architecture, and so liberally furthered the views of the learned Gundulph, architect of the Tower of London and other time-defying structures. The hospital of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, the church and hos pital of St. Catherine, near the Tower of London, and the priory of the Holy Trinity, afterwards named Christ Church, in Duke's Place, London, now a noted resort of peddling Jews, remained for many centuries monuments of her munificent bounty. By her queenly desire was built Bow Bridge, at Stratford-leBow, said to be the first stone bridge erected in England; and also Channel's Bridge, over a tributary of the Lea; whilst, not unmindful of the importance of good roads, she had the ancient highways, which had fallen into decay during the late civil wars, put in repair, and many new ones made. The good queen was also a most active and liberal pa D take the veil, a pledge which she ever | enter the next world more fully purified afterwards religiously kept. Matilda was only about sixteen years of age, when both her parents were conveyed to their last home. The kingdoms of England and Scotland had enjoyed the blessings of peace for several years; when, in 1093, Malcolm, taking advantage of the unpopularity, and the dangerous illness of William Rufus, proceeded, for the fifth time, to ravage Northumberland with fire and sword. After several encounters, he laid siege to Alnwick Castle, where the besieged, being reduced to extremities, offered to surrender, on condition that the Scottish King should receive the keys in person. This request being acceded to, a knight, in complete armour, stood within the walls, and on bended knees presented the keys on the top of a lance. But when Malcolm put out his arm to reach them, the knight thrust the point of the lance through the bars of his helmet into his eye, and inflicted a wound in his brain, of which he instantly died. On beholding this treachery, the Scotch rushed forward to avenge their king, but they were beaten back with great slaughter, and in the melée, Malcolm's eldest son, Henry, was slain. There is a legend extant, that the knight, who so treacherously murdered Malcolm, was afterwards named Pierceeye, and that he is the progenitor of the Northumberland family of Pierceeye, since corrupted into that of Percy. Margaret lay on the couch of death, when her youthful son Edgar arrived in breathless haste with the sad news of the defeat and death of his royal sire and brother. The widowed queen bore the shock with Christian fortitude and resignation. As she nobly braved the agonies of body, she pressed to her lips the celebrated black cross, the most precious relic of her royal Saxon ancestors, and committed her daughters to the spiritual care of her religious confessor, Turgot, with a request that he would place them in the convent of which her sister Christina was abbess. When, after thanking God for afflicting her with mental as well as bodily suffering in the hour of death, as thereby she trusted to from the corruption of this, she addressed a short eloquent prayer to the Saviour of the world, and expired. Behind her, she left a character so illustrious for piety and benevolence, that the church of Rome canonized her; and although her greatly revered shrine was destroyed at the Reformation, so dear was her memory to the nation, that, to this day, the name of Margaret is hallowed with fondness by the people of Scotland. Shortly after the death of Malcolm, his illegitimate brother, Donald Bane, usurped the throne, and ordered all the English exiles, including Malcolm's children, to quit Scotland on pain of death. Edgar Atheling conveyed the royal orphans to England, and in compliance with the dying wish of his sister Margaret, he placed his nieces Matilda and Mary in the convent at Rumsey, under the charge of their aunt Christina, who shortly afterwards removed to the abbey at Wilton, whither the sister princesses were at the same time conveyed. The abbeys both of Wilton and Rumsey were royal foundations, belonging to the order of Black Benedictines. Wilton Abbey was founded by Alfred the Great, and in it most of the Saxon princesses were afterwards educated. The abbey of Rumsey was built by Edward the Martyr in 972, and dedicated to the Virgin and St. Elfrida. Like that of Wilton, it was generally governed by an abbess of the royal Saxon line. The plan of instruction pursued in the conventual establishments in the eleventh century, appears to have been most excellent. Nor was the teaching confined to the inmates of the cloister, as nearly every high-born damsel received the lessons of her youth in the school of a convent. Besides reading in the vernacular, the Latin, and other tongues, the fair pupils were taught to excel in writing, drawing, vocal and instrumental music, both sacred and secular, fine needle work, and, above all, that important branch of conventual education, the theory and practice of medicine and surgery. During Matilda's residence in the English convents, she received an education befitting the consort of an Eu ropean monarch. But in this life of se- | the Red King. Like his kindred, he was clusion she appears to have enjoyed but passionately fond of hunting, and, for little happiness. Her aunt Christina's lack of a horse, pursued the game on unceasing efforts to induce her to take foot. From this circumstance, Warren, the veil, a measure which she had de- and other wealthy nobles, sarcastically termined not to adopt, greatly disquieted nicknamed him Deer's-foot, an insult her mind, and she was personally en- which he never forgave. Henry's podangered by the malice of a Norman verty, however, was not the effect of his knight, who told William Rufus that own extravagance, as his father, William Edgar had brought his sister's children the Conqueror, when he died, left him to England, only with a view to dispossess but five thousand pounds of silver, which, the Normans of the crown. But the says the chronicler Speed, so annoyed Red King, who, despite the viciousness of the young Beauclerc, that he remonhis character, had always treated both strated with his sire for bequeathing him Edgar Atheling and his adopted orphans such a paltry pittance. "What," said he, with kindness, disregarded the malicious "can I do with the silver, without castle report, and the officious mischief-maker or domain to support my dignity?" was for his foul scandal challenged and slain in single combat by Edgar's friend, Arthur Ethelbert. Whilst Matilda was an inmate of Wilton Abbey, the Duke of Brittany, then a widower, arrived in England, and after first obtaining the consent of his brother-in-law, William Rufus, proffered her his hand in marriage. But she rejected the offer of the "grandfather wooer," as she humorously styled the mature suitor, with scorn, and declared she would rather take the veil, abhorrent as it was to her, than consent to so unsuitable a match. Shortly afterwards, the Earl of Surrey, William Warren, a powerful baron, and a nephew to the Red King, became enamoured of her, and, singular to relate, young, handsome, and wealthy as he was, she no more favoured his suit than that of his grave predecessor, the Duke of Brittany; her excuse being, that she intended shortly to take the veil. It, however, appears probable that her real motive for rejecting the Earl's addresses, was the secret passion she entertained for the young Prince Henry of Normandy, a passion which doubtless was encouraged to the full by her priest and guardian, Turgot, who, being a deepthinking, clear-sighted Saxon, at once perceived the advantages that would accrue to his suffering countrymen, by the union upon the throne of the royal Saxon and Norman lines. At this period Henry was exceedingly poor; income he had none, and his sole dependence was on his capricious brother, "Trust in God, and patiently wait the events of time," answered the dying monarch; "for behold, thou most favoured of my sons, thou inheritor of all my greatness, although to Robert and William I give the crowns of Normandy and England, thy brothers go before thee but for a brief period; soon will their reigns be over, and all my possessions and wealth become thine." Unsatisfactory as this short but solemn prediction appeared, at the time, to the landless Prince, it was actually fulfilled to the very letter. The rays of but twenty summer suns had kissed the Conqueror's tomb, when the triumphant Henry wore the crowns of the united dominions of England and Normandy. It is recorded that at the period of his adversity, Henry was Matilda's accepted lover. But when, or under what circumstances, the fair princess won his heart, history saith not. Probably he_accompanied Edgar Atheling or the Duke of Brittany on their visits to her at Wilton Abbey, and thus was enabled to converse with her, and behold her without the veil, which she cast aside on every possible occasion. Be this as it may, we are told by a contemporary chronicler, that long before circumstances admitted of their union— "The royal pair loved speciallie, CHAPTER II. Death of William Rufus-Henry hastens to Winchester-Breteuil, the royal treasurer, refuses to give up to him the keys of the treasury-Henry with his associates force them from him-Arrival of Robert's partisans-The populace declare for Henry, who is forthwith crowned-He announces his intention of marrying Matilda Atheling-The Abbess Christina opposes his marriage-Henry applies to Archbishop Anselm, who convokes a council, before which Matilda is examined-The council declares that she is free to marry the king-On leaving Wilton nunnery Matilda hears of Henry's amours, and hesitates joining her hand with him-Through the entreaties of the Saxon nobles, she lays aside her seruples-She is married, and immediately afterwards crowned Her noble conduct obtains for her the surname of the "Good"-Her great popularity. Henry did the bidding of the generous noble on the instant, and without even turning aside to obtain a hasty glance at the remains of his brother Rufus, sped to the royal treasury with such swiftness, that when Breteuil arrived there, he had already planted himself at the door. "Many thanks," exclaimed Henry, glancing blandly at Breteuil, "we feel honoured by your kindly anticipating our desire; you have the keys of the royal treasury, I presume." ENRY was in the Up, on to my saddle, and with lightning thirty-second or swiftness away to Winchester, and you thirty-third year of may yet out-Cæsar Breteuil, the royal his age, when the er- treasurer, who has declared for Robert, ring shaft of Sir and is already on his road thither, to Walter Tyrrel rid secure the crown and the royal wealth." the world of his brother, William Rufus, a monarch whose reign was one unbroken succession of tyrannies; and who was so little loved or respected even by his own attendants, that they unceremoniously threw his slaughtered body into the cart of a poor charcoal burner that chanced to be passing by; and in this manner, without regard even to common decency, was the royal corpse conveyed by the man of soot to the city of Winchester, where, on the following day, it was hastily buried, without any of the gorgeous ceremony which usually marks the obsequies of a powerful king. Henry was hunting on foot at a distant part of the forest, when the fatal accident befell his brother. But the boisterous breeze then blowing wafted the loud and clamorous shouts of the royal attendants to his quick ears, and overwhelmed him with surprise. "What," he musingly muttered, "is it so, or do 1 dream? Hark! again they cry, Rufus is dead! long live King Robert! long live King Henry! By the crucifixion! it is reality." At this instant a courtier swiftly gallopped up to Henry, and hastily dismounting, exclaimed, "Rufus is no more; quick, prince, and the crown is yours! "I have, prince," replied Breteuil boldly, "and mean to keep them till the arrival of our king, Robert of Normandy, from the Holy Land, for to no other than the rightful heir of the throne will I resign the crown and treasury of the late king." During this parley, noble after noble was arriving, and Henry, finding that his staunch friend Bellomonte and many other of his powerful partizans were around him, drew his sword, and loudly exclaimed, "William Breteuil, I, Henry of Normandy, demand of you, in my own right, the keys of the royal treasury.” Breteuil answered not, for as yet but few of Robert's friends had arrived, and he hoped by silence to gain time, and strengthen the number of his party. |