tinent a certain Count Charles, the son and heir
of the Duke of Burgundy, who demanded her hand. The count's family had
been enemies of the house of York, and had done every thing in their
power to promote Queen Margaret's plans, so long as there was any hope
for her; but when they found that King Edward was firmly established
on the throne, they came over to his side, and now the count demanded
the hand of the Princess Margaret in marriage; but the stern old Earl
of Warwick did not like such friendship as this, so he recommended
that the count should be refused, and that Margaret should have for
her husband one of the princes of France.

Now King Edward himself preferred Count Charles for the husband of
Margaret, and this chiefly because the queen, his wife, preferred him
on account of the old friendship which had subsisted between his
family and the Lancastrians. Besides this, however, Flanders, the
country over which the count was to reign on the death of his father,
was at that time so situated that an alliance with it would be of
greater advantage to Edward's political plans than an alliance with
France. But, notwithstanding this, the earl was so earnest in urging
his opinion, that finally Edward yielded, and the earl was dispatched
to France to negotiate the marriage with the French prince.

The earl set off on this embassy in great magnificence. He landed in
Normandy with a vast train of attendants, and proceeded in almost
royal state toward Paris. The King of France, to honor his coming and
the occasion, came forth to meet him. The meeting took place at Rouen.
The proposals were well received by the French king. The negotiations
were continued for eight or ten days, and at last every thing was
arranged. For the final closing of the contract, it was necessary that
a messenger from the King of France should proceed to London. The king
appointed an archbishop and some other dignitaries to perform the
service. The earl then returned to England, and was soon followed by
the French embassadors, expecting that every thing essential was
settled, and that nothing but a few formalities remained.

But, in the mean time, while all this had been going on in France,
Count Charles had quietly sent an embassador to England to press his
claim to the princess's hand. This messenger managed this business
very skillfully, so as not to attract any public attention to what he
was doing; and besides, the earl being away, the queen,