Читать книгу The Queens of England - Strickland Agnes - Страница 21

Edward I. was only fifteen years old when he accompanied his mother across the Pyrenees from Bordeaux, to claim the hand of Eleanora, sister to King Alphonso of Castile, to whom he had been betrothed several months before.

A.D. 1256. The marriage was solemnized a few days, after his arrival, feasts and tournaments in honor of the event followed, and then the little bride of ten years proceeded with her lord to Paris. She was present at the feast of kings, given by King Henry to celebrate his son's marriage, of which mention is made in the preceding reign.

When Henry III. and Queen Eleanor returned to England, the young couple went with them and made their public entry into the metropolis in grand state.

Among the numerous entertainments given to welcome the bride, that which took place at the house of John Mansel, the secretary of state, was the most remarkable. All the royal family, with their entire retinue, were present, and as the mansion was by no means capacious enough to accommodate so large a party, tents were erected on the surrounding grounds. Considering that seven hundred messes of meat were served at one meal, it is not surprising that Mansel's house was too small.

A few months later, Prince Edward took his little wife to Bordeaux to complete her education, which had scarcely begun at the time of her marriage. While she pursued her studies, the prince led the life of a knight-errant, wandering from place to place, and taking part in various tilting matches and tournaments until summoned to England to take part in the civil wars that resulted, after several years, in the complete restoration of Henry III.

A.D. 1265. Peace was so far established in 1265 as to warrant the return of Queen Eleanor, who took her daughter-in-law home with her.

Prince Edward met the ladies at Dover, and was delighted to welcome his wife, who had, during her absence, developed into a remarkably handsome woman. She had clear cut, delicate features, a fine figure, and magnificent black hair, peculiar to Spanish ladies.

The young couple set up their establishment at the palace of Savoy, built by Edward's uncle, but passed much of their time at Windsor Castle, where, a year later, their first son was born. He received the name of John, after his unworthy grandfather. In 1267 a second son was born and named Henry.

Prince Edward was too restless a man and too much of a soldier to settle down to a life of luxury and ease, and an escape from injury, or perhaps death, that he had one day when playing chess at Windsor, turned his thoughts towards a crusade. He had just left the table, with no special purpose, when the centre stone of the ceiling fell and crushed the chair he had occupied. This circumstance convinced him that he was under Divine protection and that his life was spared for some great work.

He therefore began his preparations for a campaign in Syria forthwith. Prince Edward was eminently fitted for a crusader, being a powerful man, tall, well formed, remarkably agile in wielding his sword, and an excellent horseman.

His wife loved him so fondly that she resolved to accompany him, though it was a sacrifice to leave her two lovely little boys. All the hardships and dangers attendant upon a crusade were laid before Eleanora in graphic colors, but she was willing to brave them all rather than let her husband go without her. "Nothing," said this faithful wife, "ought to part those whom God hath joined, and the way to heaven is as near, if not nearer, from Syria as from England or my native Spain."

Before leaving England, Eleanora, in company with Queen Eleanor, visited the various shrines throughout the kingdom and made offerings, some of them being of great value.

A.D. 1270. In the spring of 1270 the young couple bade farewell to the two sons they were never to see again, and set sail for Bordeaux, thence to Sicily, where they were to be joined by King Louis of France, with his army.

But the death of King Louis occurring at this time, deprived Prince Edward of the aid he had counted on, and caused his detention for several months. The King of Sicily tried to persuade him to abandon the crusade, but heroically striking his breast the prince exclaimed:—"Sang de Dieu, if all should desert me, I would lay siege to Acre, if only attended by Fowen my groom!"

In the spring and summer of 1271 Edward made two successful campaigns and defeated the Saracens with great slaughter. Returning to Cyprus for reinforcements, he undertook the siege of Acre, and established a reputation in the Holy Land, not inferior to that of his great uncle, Cour de Lion.

The Saracen admiral, bent on revenge, sent a messen-

ger several times to the prince, with letters, in which he expressed his desire to become a Christian convert. He was always received in private, because the admiral's life would be in danger from his own people unless the utmost secrecy were observed. The fifth time the ambassador presented himself, Edward was lying on a lounge, clad in a loose garment, as the weather was very warm. He was soon absorbed in the letters that had been written on purpose to please him. Suddenly the letter-carrier drew forth a poniard and aimed at the prince, who fortunately perceived the treachery in time to receive the blow on his arm. The man made another attempt, but Edward felled him to the ground with a powerful kick in the breast, then seizing a stool, killed him outright. The sound of the scuffle brought in Prince Edward's attendants, one of whom beat out the brains of the treacherous messenger. "What was the use of striking a dead man?" asked the prince, with stern reproach.

A surgical operation became necessary before the wounded arm could be cured, but at the end of a fortnight Edward was able to mount his horse, the attention and good nursing of his wife having hastened his recovery.

Eleanora had a little princess soon afterward, and called her Joanna of Acre, from the place of her birth.

As his army had become much reduced, Prince Edward took leave of the Holy Land and returned to Sicily with his wife and infant. Sad news awaited them, for a messenger announced the death of their two little boys in England, and they had scarcely recovered from the shock when another arrived to inform them that Henry III. also had died.

The firmness and resignation with which Edward had borne the loss of his sons now gave way to an outburst of grief that surprised every one, particularly as his father's death made him King of England. When questioned on the subject Edward replied: "The loss of infants may be repaired by the same God that gave them, but when a man has lost a good father it is not in the course of nature for God to send him another."

The royal pair spent a year in Rome before returning to England. During their passage through France, Edward took part in several tournaments, and did not land at Dover with his wife until August 2, 1273.

A.D. 1273. Preparations for their coronation were speedily concluded, and that important ceremony took place on the 19th of August. Great enthusiasm was exhibited by the citizens of London, who had enjoyed a season of such prosperity since the establishment of peace that they were anxious to prove their loyalty to the new king and queen by lavish expenditure. Both houses of parliament assembled to welcome their majesties, and for two weeks after the coronation banquets were served every day in the wooden buildings that had been erected in the palace grounds for that purpose. The rich and the poor, the country yeoman and the Londoner, were welcomed alike and entertained free of charge. It was a fortnight of universal rejoicing, and the opening reign promised to be an exceedingly popular one. But the most remarkable feature of the coronation was this: while the king was at a feast prepared in the palace for the lords who had attended him during the ceremony, King Alexander of Scotland came to pay his respects, accompanied by a hundred knights. They arrived on horseback, and, as each man alighted, his horse was turned loose to become the property of any person, no matter what his station, who might be lucky enough to capture him. Afterwards came Edmund, the king's brother, the Earls of Pembroke and Warren, with their train of knights, and the horses of this whole party were likewise turned loose. Llewellyn, the Prince of Wales, did not appear at the coronation, and this displeased the king so much that he sent to inquire into the cause, whereupon the prince replied that as he had reconquered all the Welsh territory that Edward's Norman predecessors had taken possession of, he owed no homage to the King of England.

Later, when Llewellyn's bride was on her way to Wales, her vessel was captured by the Bristol merchantmen, and the damsel was taken prisoner. King Edward treated her with courtesy, and placed her in charge of the queen at Windsor Castle. Then the prince submitted to the required homage with alacrity and went to Worcester, where the King and Queen of England met him, bringing his lady love with them. The marriage ceremony was performed at Worcester Cathedral; King Edward gave the bride away, the queen supported her at the altar, and both honored the marriage feast with their presence. A year later the young princess died, then her husband repented of his homage and suddenly invaded England, but he was killed on the battle-field without accomplishing anything.

A.D. 1283. Wales was in such an unsettled state in 1283 that King Edward found his presence there very necessary. The queen went with him and established her court at Rhuddlan Castle. By that time the royal couple had several children, and their sixth daughter, Princess Isabella, was born soon after their arrival in Wales.

The following year the queen removed to the Castle of Caernarvon, because it was the strongest fortress in Wales, and the king wanted to feel that she was safe from insurgents. There, in a gloomy little chamber, ten feet by eight, a prince was born on the 25th of April, 1284. The room had no fireplace, but tapestry was hung on the walls to keep out draughts. It was Queen Eleanora who first put tapestry to this use in England in imitation of a Moorish custom that she had seen adopted in Spain. A Welsh nurse was procured for the infant, because the queen knew that it would please the people to have a native woman in that position. Edward I. was at Rhud-dlan Castle, trying to negotiate a treaty of peace with the authorities of Wales, when a gentleman arrived to inform him of the birth of his son. He was so delighted that he knighted the man on the spot and made him a present of some lands.

The king then hastened to Caernarvon to see his wife and baby. Three days later all the chiefs from the different parts of North Wales met at the castle to tender their submission to Edward, and to implore him to appoint them a prince of their own land, whose native tongue was neither French nor Saxon.

Edward assured them that he would comply, whereupon they promised that if his character was free from stain, they would certainly accept him without a murmur. Then the king ordered his infant son to be brought in, and presenting him to the assembly, said, "that he was a native of their country, his character was without reproach, that he could not speak a word of English or French, and that if they pleased, the first words he uttered should be Welsh."

As there was no alternative, the rough mountaineers kissed the little hand and swore fealty to Edward of Caernarvon.

The queen soon removed to Conway Castle, where she was surrounded with all the comforts and luxuries the age afforded. Under her influence the Welsh made rapid strides towards civilization, and she felt happy to be among them; but they had been so barbarous when she first went to their country that the king had to threaten se-

vere punishment to any one "who should strike the queen or snatch anything out of her hand."

A.D. 1285. King Alexander of Scotland died in 1285, and his heiress, the Princess Margaret of Norway, was by consent of the nobles of Scotland, solemnly betrothed to little Edward of Caernarvon, Prince of Wales.

In 1290, Queen Eleanora was the mother of nine beautiful princesses, to whose care and education she devoted a great deal of time. They occupied a retired portion of Westminster Palace, which was called in consequence, Maiden Hall. One of these princesses entered a convent, not long after the ninth one was born, and during the same year three others married. The rejoicings that attended the nuptial ceremonies were suddenly brought to a close by a dreadful calamity. It had been arranged that the little Queen Margaret of Scotland should go to England to be educated under the guidance of Queen Eleanora, but she died on the voyage. This sad event was disastrous to Scotland, and threatened the prosperity of the whole kingdom, by severing the bond that would have united it had the marriage between Margaret and Edward been consummated.

A.D. 1291. As soon as the king heard of Margaret's death he started for Scotland, bidding his beloved Eleanora to follow as speedily as possible. But before he reached his destination a messenger overtook him with news of the queen's dangerous illness. She had been attacked with fever while travelling through Lincolnshire, and prevented from proceeding. Edward turned back instantly, and everything was lost sight of excepting that his dear wife was ill and suffering. Notwithstanding that he pushed forward with utmost haste, he arrived too late, for the queen was dead. King Edward's grief was so deep for a time that he was unable to attend to public affairs of any description. He followed the corpse of his wife for thirteen days, stopping at every important town to have a funeral ceremony performed at the largest church where all the neighboring priests and monks assembled for the purpose. As the royal bier approached London the officers and principal citizens met it, clad in black hoods and gowns, and marched in solemn procession to Westminster Abbey.

Queen Eleanora was buried at the feet of her royal father-in-law. Besides the beautiful monument in bronze for which King Edward paid an Italian artist £1700, he erected others in the shape of a cross in memory of the chère reine, as he called his wife, at each of the places where the funeral procession halted on the way to London. The last stopping place was the one now called Charing Cross, a perversion of the original French, which signified "dear queen's cross."

Eleanora of Castile was sincerely lamented in England; for as Walsingham says of her: "To our nation, she was a living mother, the column and pillar of the whole realm. She was a godly, modest and merciful princess, who consoled the sorrow-stricken, and made those friends that were at discord."

During the reign of Edward I. and Eleanora, sculpture, architecture, casting in brass and bronze, and wood-carving were encouraged, and many beautiful specimens of these branches of art appeared in England.

Of all the children of this royal couple, the nun-princess and Edward II. were the only ones that reached middle age.