of the love-affairs of the accomplished king of Scotland; and through her agency, hopes were held out to the gallant James, that if he gave satisfaction to king Henry in the ensuing campaign, he need not despair of possessing the beautiful Joanna Beaufort, with whom he was so desperately enamoured. Stowe affirms that this lady was betrothed to king James before the festivals of Katherine's coronation ended. Katherine presented sir James Stuart with the gilt cup with which he served her at the coronation.' After the festivals had concluded, the queen was left by Henry V. in her palace of Westminster till Palm-Sunday; when she removed to Windsor, expecting to meet him, as he had promised to pass Easter with her at the castle. Henry, however, found it impossible to return from the north, whither he had gone on progress; he therefore sent for the queen to Leicester, where they celebrated the spring festival: they then continued the progress together, visiting the shrines of all northern saints. Henry was so superfluous in his devotions, and so stern in suppressing all the satirical writings of the Lollards against the clergy, that the Reformers gave him the sobriquet of the prince of the priests." The object of the king in this progress was to prepare his people for the extraordinary supplies he meant to request at the ensuing parliament. For this purpose, he harangued the corporations of every town through which he passed: and showing them his fair queen, as a proof of the progress he had made in the conquest of France, he explained to them, with great eloquence, what forces and funds it would take to complete it. Henry proceeded no further northward than the shrine of St. John of Beverley. While he was offering to that popular saint, he left his queen at the royal castle of Pontefract, that fearful 3 sir John Swinton, of Swinton, unhorsed the duke of Clarence, and wounded him in the face; the earl of Buchan afterwards killed him with a blow of his truncheon, bat to the gallant Swinton certainly belongs the chivalric part of the victory. The late Swinton, of Swinton, descendant of sir John, gave the spear which achieved this conquest to sir Walter Scott, and it is now to be seen at Abbotsford. Excerpta Historica, p. 278. 2 White Kennet; reign Henry V., vol. ii. p. 163. Ibid. In the elegant edition of Monstrelet's Chronicles, published by Smith, Fleet-street, 1840, there is a beautiful wood-cut purporting to be a portrait of fortress where her sister Isabella's first husband, Richard II., had met with his mysterious death, and where that sister's second husband, and her own cousin-german,—the poet duke of Orleans, was then enduring a strict captivity. It may be inferred that queen Katherine was permitted to see this near relative, or Henry would scarcely have taken her to his place of abode. Katherine returned to Westminster in May 1421, when the king met his parliament. Soon after, the disastrous news arrived of the defeat and death, at the fatal field of Baugy, of that stainless knight the king's best-beloved brother, Thomas duke of Clarence. Henry had not intended to leave England till after the birth of the heir, which the situation of his young queen led him to expect; but now, burning to avenge Clarence,' he hurried to France, June 10th, leaving his Katherine in the care of the duke of Bedford. He laid one especial command on his wife at parting, which was, not to let his heir be born at Windsor. Our chroniclers lead us to suppose, that the king himself had examined the aspect of the planets according to the vain rules of art; for the expression always is," that he prophesied the calamities of Henry VI." Now, if it was a marvel that Saul was among the prophets, it would be one still greater to find one of the most martial of the Plantagenet kings assuming the prophet's mantle; unless, indeed, during his education at Oxford he had, among other trash then considered learning, acquired the art of casting horoscopes. Be this as it may, Henry, from some mysterious reason, deemed that destiny loured darkly over the royal towers of Windsor during the month when he expected Katherine to bring forth her firstborn. It is certain, however, that Katherine disobeyed her royal lord, either from want of belief in astrology, or because she chose that her child should first see the light in that stately queen Katherine, copied from a sculpture on an old oak-chest at York. The figure of the queen is noble and graceful, the costume perfectly agreeing with the times, excepting the amplitude of the draperies. The sculpture is a relic of this progress. It is, according to the Gentleman's Magazine, still at York minste.. As the Scottish army had defeated Clarence, he hung every Scotchman he took in arms in France, under pretence that they were fighting against their king, James I., who followed the English banner as a private knight. * Ibid. 2 Speed. Stowe. Fabyan. Holinshed. fortress where his great and fortunate ancestor, Edward III., was born. On the 6th of December, 1421, the son of Katherine came into a world, which only too truly proved most disastrous to him. When the news was brought to Henry V. that Katherine had brought him an heir, he was prosecuting the siege of Meaux. He eagerly inquired "where the boy was born?" and being answered "at Windsor," the king repeated with a sigh to his chamberlain, lord Fitzhugh, the following oracular stave, which certainly does little honour to his talents as an impromptu versifier: "I, Henry, born at Monmouth, Shall small time reign, and much get; But Henry of Windsor shall long reign, and lose all. No regular English dower was at this time settled on Katherine, but it is evident that the revenues of the unfortunate queen-dowager were confiscated for her use, as her maids were paid from that source. Her damsels were Joanna 2 Belknap, Joanna Troutbeck, and Joanna Coucy, besides Agnes, who has no surname. "These ladies," says Henry, "the demoiselles of our dear companion, are to receive ten 'livres' a-piece out of the funds of queen Johane, (Joanna of Navarre). Guillemote, damsel of the bedchamber to his said dear companion, is to receive one hundred shillings from the moneys of queen Joanna." Not very honest of the valiant Henry, to pay his wife's servants with another person's money. These gifts are declared to be in consideration of the "costages and expenses the beloved demoiselles are incurring, by following the said dear queen and companion to 1 White Kennet. Trussel's Chronicle of Henry V., vol. i. p. 336. Most of the chroniclers who wrote during the latter part of Henry VI.'s reign to Henry VIL's era, mention this singular piece of court gossip. If the saying was indeed prevalent from the commencement of the life of Henry VI., it must have fought more fatally against the red rose' than an army with banners. It is well worthy of observation, how completely these oracular sayings brought their own fulfilment by the peculiar bias they gave to the minds of men; hope was raised on one side, and despair induced on the other, and thus predictions were fulfilled by natural causes. Fodera, p. 204, vol. x. The deed is in Norman French. We think the word Evres' means English pounds sterling. Likewise an annuity of meet me, king Henry, in France." twenty livres' per annum, " for that dear doctor of philosophy, maister Johan Boyers, because of his office of confessor to queen Katherine." The revenue of the unfortunate dowager was likewise taxed for the maintenance of Katherine's guest, Jaqueline of Hainault, to the enormous amount of a hundred pounds per month. Henry directs the treasurer of his exchequer to pay to his dearly beloved cousin, dame Jake, duchess of Holland, such moneys from the profits of the dower of Joanna, late queen of England. Before Katherine left England, her infant was baptized by the name of his father, the duchess Jaqueline standing godmother; the duke of Bedford and cardinal Beaufort were the other sponsors. Early in the same spring Katherine wrote her warlike lord a most loving letter, declaring that she earnestly longed to behold him once more. This epistle was answered by an invitation to join him in France. 1 Fœdera, vol. x. p. 134. 2 This princess had eloped from a bridegroom whom she hated, and had taken refuge at the court of Katherine, with whom she lived on great terms of intimacy. Jaqueline was in hopes that the pope would dissolve her forced marriage, and consent to her union with Katherine's handsome brother-in-law, Humphrey duke of Gloucester. KATHERINE OF VALOIS, SURNAMED THE FAIR, CONSORT OF HENRY V. 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 residenceInfancy 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 motherMarriage discovered-Imprisonment-Illness-Penitence-Death-Burial— Epitaph-Her husband persecuted-His death-The grandson of Katherine, (Henry VII.)-New epitaph-Katherine's body exhumed-Made a spectacle for three centuries-Pepys kisses her remains. QUEEN Katherine crossed the sea, and landed at Harfleur on the 21st of May, 1422, escorted by the duke of Bedford and an army of twenty thousand men, destined to complete the conquest of her unhappy country. At the head of this mighty reinforcement she traversed France in royal state. Henry left Meaux, which he had just captured,' as soon as he heard of the landing of his queen, and came to Paris to receive her; on their arrival at the castle of Vincennes, she was welcomed by her parents and subjects as if she had been somewhat more than mortal. She had left her little infant in England, under the care of its uncle, the duke of Gloucester." Great rejoicings were made at Paris for the arrival of the queen of England, and the birth of the heir of Henry. The royal party left Vincennes,' and entered Paris in great mag. 2 * Speed. 1 Stowe's Annals. • Monstrelet. |