of
all sorts, which it would take a volume fully to unravel. This state
of things continued for two years, during which time she became more
and more involved in the difficulties and complications which
surrounded her, until at last she found herself in very serious
trouble. I can only here briefly allude to the more prominent sources
of her perplexity.

[Sidenote: Suspicions of the people.]

[Sidenote: Their hearts alienated.]

In the first place, the people of England were very seriously
displeased at the treatment which Gloucester had received. They would
not believe that he died a natural death, and the impression gained
ground very generally that the queen was the cause of his being
murdered. They did not suppose that she literally ordered him to be
put to death, but that she gave hints or intimations, as royal
personages were accustomed to do in such cases in those days, on which
some zealous and unscrupulous follower ventured to act, certain of
pleasing her. As Gloucester had been a general favorite with the
nation, these rumors and suspicions tended greatly to alienate the
hearts of the people from the queen. Many began to hate her. They
called her the French woman, and vented their ill-will in obscure
threats and mutterings.

[Sidenote: Reverses in France.]

[Sidenote: Feeling in England.]

This feeling of hostility to the queen was increased by the very
unfortunate turn that things were taking in France about this time.
The provinces of Maine and Anjou lay directly to the south of
Normandy,[10] which last was the most valuable of the possessions
which the English crown held in France, and these two provinces had
been given up to the French at the time of Margaret's marriage. It was
only on condition that the English would give them up that Lord
Suffolk could induce Margaret's father to consent to the match.
Suffolk was extremely unwilling to surrender these provinces. He knew
that the English nobles and people would be very much dissatisfied as
soon as they learned that it was done, and he feared that he might at
some future day be called to account for having been concerned in the
transaction. But the king was so deeply in love with Margaret that he
insisted on Suffolk's complying with the terms which were exacted by
her friends, and the provinces were ceded.

[Footnote 10: See map at the commencement of the volume.]

[Sidenote: York regent in France.]

The Duke of York was regent in Fra