him.
For fifty years Edward the Third swayed the sceptre of England, and his
rule, upon the whole, was just and gentle. Two sore sins lie at his
door--the murder of his brother, in a sudden outburst of most righteous
indignation; and the long, dreary captivity of the prisoner of Tickhill
and Hazelwood, who had done nothing to deserve it. Considering what a
mother he had, perhaps the cause for wonder is that in the main he did
so well, rather than that on some occasions he acted very wrongly. The
frequent wars of this King were all foreign ones, and under his
government England was at rest. That long, quiet reign was now drawing
near its close. The King had not yet sunk into the sad state of senile
dementia, wherein he ended his life; but he was an infirm, tired old
man, bereft of his other self, his bright and loving wife, who had left
him and the world about four years earlier. He exerted himself a little
at supper to make himself agreeable to the ladies, as was then held to
be the bounden duty of a good knight; but after supper he enjoyed a
peaceful slumber, with a handkerchief over his face to keep away the
flies. The two prisoners were speedily disposed of, by being sent in
chains to the Duke of Bretagne, to be dealt with as he should think fit.
The King seemed rather amused than angered by Kate's share in the
matter: he had the terrified girl up before him, talked to her in a
fatherly fashion, and ended by giving her a crown-piece with his own
hand, and bidding her in the future be a good and loyal maid, and not
suffer herself to be beguiled by the wiles of evil men. Poor Kate
sobbed, promised, and louted confusedly; and in due course of time, when
King Edward had been long in his grave, and Kate was a staid
grandmother, the crown-piece held the place of honour on her son's chest
of drawers as a prized family heirloom.
The next event of any note, a few weeks afterwards, was Marabel's
marriage. In those days, young girls of good family, instead of being
sent to school, were placed with some married lady as bower-women or
chamberers, to be first educated and then married. The mistress was
expected to make the one her care as much as the other; and it was not
considered any concern of the girl's except to obey. The husband was
provided by the mistress, along with the wedding-dress and the
wedding-dinner; and the bride meekly accepted all three with becoming
thankfulness--or at least was expected to do so.
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