THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND AND THEIR TIMES. MATILDA OF FLANDERS, Queen of William the First, usually styled William the Conqueror. CHAPTER I. Birth of Matilda-Her parentage-Education-Beauty-Accomplishments-Sought in marriage by William, Duke of Normandy-Obstacles to the match-His perseverance-Brutality to Matilda-Their marriage-William's early life-The royal pair excommunicated-Dispensation-Conviction of Mauger-Prosperity of Normandy-Domestic happiness of Matilda-Her children-William visits England-Harold's voyage to Normandy-His oath-Betrothment to Matilda's daughter Adeliza-Accession-William prepares to invade England-Matilda and her son Robert Regents of Normandy. the land's king, has named me his heir, and, by the holy cross, the Saxon churl who dares aspire to thy hand, shall, ere long, be crushed by the vengeance of our royal resentment!"" "Mighty words-easily spoken, and, tivating charms of person. Her air was dignified without being haughty, her speech eloquent, soft, and musical, and, as her quick versatile mind was educated with the greatest care, she grew up, in the language of an old chronicler, pearl of beauty, the perfection of good-verily, proof not of greatness, nor vaness, and the mirror of womanly ac- lour," observed the princess, to whom complishments; nobly patronizing the the tale appeared a boastful improbalearned, and, with a queenly hand, en- bility. Then bursting into a fit of macouraging the arts and refinements of licious laughter, she exclaimed, "The the times." Her childhood was passed doubtful Duke of Normandy, monarch in quiet retirement: but the bloom of of England; an excellent joke, truly! youthful maidenhood had scarcely tinged But had not my politic cousin better say her features with womanly charms, Emperor of all Christendom?" when her beauty and accomplishments, her noble descent, and the power and wealth of her father, the Earl of Flanders, induced many of the neighbouring princes to seek her hand in marriage. Of these, the most ardent and persevering was her cousin, William, the young Duke of Normandy, surnamed the Bastard, who desired this union, less as an act of political policy, than to satisfy the burning longings of love. But the cautious Earl of Flanders considered that William held his ducal crown by an uncertain tenure; and a yet stronger objection had Matilda to the matchher affections having been bestowed on Brithric, the Earl of Gloucester, a wealthy Saxon noble, who had visited the court of her father as an ambassador from Edward the Confessor. William, however, having determined on this marriage, was not to be discouraged by difficulties. The intrigues of jealous rivals, the opposition of inveterate foes, the many objections raised by the parents and kindred of Matilda, and even her own cool replies, but increased the glow of his burning ardour, and prompted him to redouble his exertions. Driven to desperation by the failure of negociations and entreaties during a lapse of more than six years, he, in 1047, suddenly presented himself before his fair cousin, when she was returning from early mass, in the ancient city of Bruges, and with wildly glaring eyes, and lips quivering with passion, accused her of loving Brithric. "Know ye, cousin," he continued, in bitter, reproachful tones, “Edward, Eng These sarcastic remarks, uttered with derisive scorn, so excited the fury of William, that, in a frenzy of anger, he seized Matilda, dragged her along the ground, rolled her in a muddy pool, beat her severely, and leaving her more dead than alive, mounted his charger, and gallopped from the town, before the patrols heard of his brutal doings. History saith not what emboldened him, after such outrageous conduct, to again enter Matilda's presence. Although, as that princess's passion for Brithric-the greatest obstruction to the progress of his protracted courtship— was about this time changed to hate, by the coolness of the Saxon earl himself, who positively refused to marry her, it is not improbable that, either from a dread or admiration of his prowess, or, perhaps, both, she overlooked his enormities, and gave him her heart. Be this as it may, it is a historical fact, that in 1052, the royal cousins were married, with great pomp and rejoicings, the ceremony being performed at Augi, a castle in Normandy, belonging to William, and whither Matilda was conveyed by her illustrious relatives, and a numerous train of nobles and knights. William was the illegitimate son of Duke Robert of Normandy, surnamed the Devil, of whom so many strange legends are still current in the north of rance. His mother was the beautiful Arlotta, the daughter of a tanner in the town of Falaise. Duke Robert had no other issue, and he was so pleased with the vigour, handsomeness, and early promise, of the infant William, that, with Meanwhile, the thundering maledictions of Mauger, archbishop of Rouen, an illegitimate brother of the late Duke Robert, threatened William and his bride with alarming dangers. This prelate, who by tact and ambition had risen to the primacy, and who had always been to William a bitter foe, under the plea that the marriage stood within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity, and that, therefore, the union, without the the affection of a fond parent, he caused him to be nurtured and educated with royal distinctions in his own palace, and declared that "the world had never seen the like of so fair and forward a boy." When about proceeding on that mysterious pilgrimage to the Holy Land, whence he returned not, nor was heard of more, the duke left his son, then an infant but seven years old, in the guardianship of his suzerain, Henry the First, the reigning King of France, after hav-pope's consent, was illegal, solemnly exing first received from his nobles their solemn acknowledgment of the infant as his successor. The French monarch appears to have faithfully discharged his duty, as guardian to the young Duke of Normandy, for several years. But scarcely had he resigned him to the ambassadors from the Norman nobles, who now demanded the presence of their sovereign, when he invaded the dominions of his ward with powerful forces, and fomented internal strife, by inciting all who could boast of a descent from Rollo the founder of the Norman ducal line-to become rival claimants for the crown. The Normans, however, bravely beat back his armies, and his political projects were all defeated by the youthful William, who, during the contest, displayed great talents, and overpowering energies. Henry of France was, however, too jealous of the rising fame of the Norman Duke, to cease giving him trouble. But, fortunately for William, immediately after his marriage, the French King, who, with all the chivalry of France, was preparing to attack his dominions, suddenly died; leaving his infant son and successor, Philip the First, under the guardianship of Matilda's father, the Duke of Flanders, who immediately established peace between the suzerain and his vassal. Having now nothing to fear from France, William lost no time in crushing all remains of rebellion amongst his subjects. Guy of Burgundy, the Earls of Anjou, of Eu, and of Montagne, and others, who had vainly endeavoured to snatch the ducal crown from his head, were speedily overpowered, and either reduced to subjection or banished, and peace and happiness restored to the land. communicated the cousins, and absolved the Normans from their oath of allegiance to their royal duke. On receiving intelligence of this wicked outrage offered to himself and his fair cousin, William was so provoked, that he swore "by the splendour of God"-his usual oath "he would be revenged." Without delay, he dispatched Lanfranc, then an obscure monk, with submissive letters to the pope; and the Holy See, conciliated by his modest representations, immediately issued a bull, nullifying the archbishop's anathemas, and confirming the marriage of the royal pair, on condition that they should each build and endow an abbey as the price of this dispensation. In compliance with this bull, the stately abbeys of St. Stephens, and Holy Trinity, were founded at Caen. The former was endowed by William, for monks; and the latter by Matilda, for nuns. The hour had now come for William, in compliance with his solemn oath, to take vengeance on the haughty Mauger. Calling a convocation of all the bishops of Normandy, at Lisieu, he caused the archbishop to be accused before them of selling the church plate and consecrated chalices to supply his own personal luxury. Of these crimes Mauger was solemnly convicted, and deposed, and Maurillus elected in his room; but his judges were probably no less guilty than himself, as, at that period, although forbidden by the canons, it was the usual practice of the great dignitaries of the church to deal with the property of their sees as if it were their own. Having thus reduced or quieted all his foes, William, by the enlightened |