PHILIPPA OF HAINAULT,

Queen of Edward the Third.

CHAPTER I.

Philippa's gentle, virtuous character-Her parentage-Birth-Attachment of Edward and Philippa-His sojourn at the court of Hainault-Sorrowful separation from her-Artful arrangements for their marriage-Her betrothment-Journey to London-Thence to York-Marriage-Philippa's dower-Edward claims the throne of France-His dissensions with Philip of Valois-Philippa's coronationBirth of Edward the Black Prince-Celebrated by a tournament-Edward assumes the regal reins-He encourages commerce, manufactures, and tournaments-The Princess Isabella born-War with Scotland-Philippa accompanies her lord to the north-Gives birth to the Princess Joanna, and Prince William, and William of Hatfield-Edward commences war with France-To support which, pawns Philippa's crown and jewels-Prince Lionel born at Antwerp-The French pillage Southampton-Edward assumes the arms of France-Gains the naval victory of Sluys-Philippa gives birth to John of Gaunt-Edward concludes an armistice with France-Returns with Philippa to England-His anger on finding the Tower in a defenceless state-Prince Edmund born-Edward's love for the Countess of Salisbury.

HE life of the excellent Queen, Philippa of Hainault, presents a pleasing contrast to that of her predecessor, the detestable Isabella of France. Being a gentle, considerate Queen, a virtuous, loving wife, an affectionate mother, and a staunch supporter of religion and morality, she added greatly to the lustre of the reign of her husband, Edward the Third. By her persevering efforts, the manufacture of woollen cloth was introduced and established in England, whilst much of the good fortune, the

rectitude and respectability of her lord and his court, must be attributed to her kindly offices or ennobling example.

The very beautiful Philippa of Hainault was the second of the four fair daughters of William, Earl of Hainault; Margaret being her elder, and Jane and Isabella her two younger sisters. Her mother, Jane de Valois, daughter of Charles de Valois, brother to Philip the Fair, was first-cousin to Isabella, Queen Consort of Edward the Second. She was born about the year 1310, and first beheld by Edward the Third, when he and his mother took refuge at the court of Hainault, in 1326. Then it was that the young Prince, who was but in his fif

teenth year, fell in love with Philippa, who with maidenly modesty reciprocated his glowing passion.

After Edward had passed a delightful fortnight with Philippa in the Earl of Hainault's palace at Valenciennes, and been betrothed to her with all possible privacy, he accompanied his mother on her venturous invasion of his unfortunate father's dominions. The young lovers separated with sorrow, and for a period remained in doubtful uncertainty as to whether the fortunes of war, the exigencies of state, or the policy and caprice of their relations, would permit them to be united together in holy matrimony.

where the court was then staying; whilst the young English King made his first essay in arms on the Scottish border against the bold, energetic Robert

ruce, and where, on the twenty-fourth of January, 1328, she was married to Edward the Third, in the cathedral, by the Archbishop. The bridal festival was graced by the presence of nearly all the English prelates and barons, and one hundred Scotch nobles, who had come thither to negociate a peace and the marriage of Edward's sister, Joanna of the Tower, with the heir of Scotland.

After passing the spring at York, the royal paír journeyed to the southward, and passing through Lincoln and NorThe cause of Isabella triumphed; but thamptonshire, settled at Woodstock as she dared not own to the English Palace, which from this time became the magnates that she had betrothed the favourite residence of Philippa. Imheir to the throne without their know- mediately after her marriage, Philippa's ledge or sanction, and as it was con- uncle Sir John, and, with a few excep trary to etiquette for the Prince to avow tions, all the other Hainaulters who that he had disposed of his heart with- had accompanied her over sea, returned out the advice and consent of the no-to their native land, loaded with valubles and the parliament, Isabella her- able presents. self undertook to arrange the marriage of Henry the Third. Accordingly, immediately after the solemnization of his coronation, a dispensation for the marriage of the young King of England to one, but without specifying which of the daughters of the Earl of Hainault, was obtained from the Pope, and the Bishop of Hereford dispatched to choose the future Queen of England. When the bishop departed on the delicate mission, Edward privately informed him of his passion for the second of the Earl of Hainault's daughters, and therefore the choice fell upon Philippa.

After being betrothed by proxy at Valenciennes, in October, 1327, Philippa, accompanied by the embassy, by her uncle John of Hainault, and a magnificent suite, sailed from Wissant to Dover, and on the twenty-third of December reached London, where, being met by the mayor, the aldermen, and the city companies, she was welcomed with great joy and pomp, and presented by them with a rich service of plate, worth about three hundred pounds.

From London she was conducted with great feasting and rejoicing to York,

As Isabella had spent Philippa's marriage portion, and as she herself possessed the broad lands forming the usual dower of the queens of England, a document was executed on the fifteenth of May, assigning lands to the yearly value of fifteen thousand pounds to Philippa for her private expenses.

It was about this period that Edward first advanced his pretensions to the throne of France. The three brothers of his mother, Isabella, had died without heirs, and as females were by the fundamental laws of the kingdom excluded from the French throne, he contended, that although his mother's sex might be a disqualification as far as she herself was concerned, it could be no barrier to the succession of her son. The peers and barons of France, however, thought differently, and decided in favour of Philip the Sixth, who, on assuming the regal reins, summoned the King of England to do homage to him for Aquitaine. As Edward was then unable to enforce his claim to the sovereignty of France, he deemed it prudent to answer the summons, and leaving Philippa at Woodstock, em

barked for the continent, attended by | brated the pleasing event by a grand the Bishops of London, Lincoln, and tournament, held in Cheapside, London, Winchester, a numerous retinue of no- which was attended by most of the nobles bies and knights, and about one thou- of the land and several foreigners. At sand horsemen, and, in the month of this tournament the stone pavement August, 1329, reached Amiens, the city was covered with sand, to prevent the appointed for the ceremony; where horses from slipping. Philippa and Philip had summoned most of the many noble ladies, richly attired, and princes and nobles to witness the ho- assembled from all parts of the land, mage, and where, after a gorgeous fes- were present, and that they might betivity, which lasted fifteen days, Edward, hold the play of lances with comfort and with his crown on his head and his case, a temporary wood scaffold like sword by his side, did homage in gene- a tower was erected across the street for ral terms, omitting the liege promise of their accommodation. But the sham faith and loyalty; which so offended the fight had scarcely commenced, when the pride of the French monarch, that Ed- tower broke down, and the Queen and ward, suspecting treachery, suddenly all the ladies were precipitated with returned with his retinue to England, great shame and fear on to the knights and henceforth the conquest of France beneath, many of whom were grievously became his darling project. hurt. Although neither the Queen nor Early in the following year, prepara- the other ladies were injured, the accitions were made for Philippa's corona-dent so incensed the young King against tion. There is a summons in the "Fodera," ordering it to take place on the Sunday after the feast of Easter, in the abbey at Westminster, on which day it was solemnized, but with little splendour, as the royal coffers had been emptied by the rapacity of Isabella and her minion Mortimer. The only other document handed down to us relating to In the autumn of this year, Edward, this coronation, is the claim made by disgusted with the conduct of his worthRobert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, as he-less mother and her paramour, deposed reditary chamberlain, to the bed in which the Queen had slept, the shoes she had worn, and the three silver basons in which she had washed her head and hands. The claim was allowed, but the King retained the bed, and paid the chamberlain one hundred marks as a compensation for it.

On the fifteenth of June, 1330, and at the palace of Woodstock, Philippa gave birth to that renowned warrior, Edward the Black Prince, whose size and beauty excited the astonishment of all who saw him, and who, as a baby prince, had the singular good fortune to be nourished at the bosom of his own mother. The birth of an heir so pleased the King, that to Catherine de Montacute, who brought him the first tidings thereof, he gave five hundred marks, a sum equal to five thousand pounds present money; and in September he cele

the builders who had constructed the tower, that he vowed to put them to death; and it was only at the earnest solicitation of the gentle Philippa, who, on recovering from the terror of her fall, fell on her knees before her royal lord, and implored for their lives, that they were pardoned.

Isabella from the regency, hanged Mortimer, and took the reins of government into his own hands. His first measures, after throwing off the fetters of the regency, were dictated by a wise policy. The abuses that had crept into the government were checked or abolished, commerce and manufactures, especially that of woollen cloth, were encouraged. Tournaments were frequently held, and the spirit of chivalry-a compound of love, generosity, and war-which now pervaded all classes, was greatly encou raged, as it served to soften the ferocity of the age, and excited sentiments of patriotism, and a romantic love of war and victory; indeed, the achievements of English arms in this reign are greatly to be attributed to the spirit of romance infused into the nation by the romantic King, Edward the Third.

On the sixteenth of June, 1332, Phi