what shall be said, from the point of view of some writers, who
submit that the whole was a mere pretext to imprison Constance and her
brother, that the Mortimers were never stolen away at all, or that the
real agents remained undiscovered, and that Constance's alleged
confession is a pure fiction from beginning to end? One thing is plain:
there was evidently _some_ reason in the mind of the King why Kent must
not openly marry Constance: and knowing Henry's character, and Kent's
character as well, I can see none that suits all the facts of the case,
unless Constance were one of the hated and proscribed Lollards. The
marriage of Constance and Kent, if it really occurred, of which I cannot
feel the least doubt, must have taken place between 1401 and 1404
inclusive. It was about February, 1405, that (if this part of the story
be true) she broke into Windsor Castle and carried off the young
Mortimers, by means of false keys; and she and they had nearly reached
Wales when they were recaptured. She was tried before Parliament.
Henry the Fourth's records (but he was an atrocious falsifier of state
papers) tell us that she confessed that her brother Edward had been her
instigator; and that he had attempted, the Christmas before, to scale
the walls of Eltham Palace, and assassinate or at least imprison King
Henry. This may or may not be true. What is undoubtedly true is that
Edward and Constance were arrested and imprisoned; the latter in
Kenilworth Castle, whither she was taken at a cost of 10 pounds, in
charge of Elmingo Leget (_Rot. Ex, Michs_, 6 H. IV); and that all the
estates, goods, and chattels of both were seized by the Crown.
(_Ibidem_.) But Kent remained in favour. The length of time which must
necessarily have elapsed shows that no sooner was Constance safely shut
up than Henry began negotiating with his old friend, Galeazzo Visconti,
for the hand of his beautiful cousin Lucia as the bride of Kent. When
all was arranged, but not sooner, in November he presented himself at
Kenilworth. (_Rot. Pat_, 7 H. IV, Part i.) What means were taken to
torture his unhappy cousin into compliance with his iron will can only
be conjectured. She did at last consent to disown her marriage, unless
the facts alleged in the petition of Kent's sisters are fictions. On
January 19th, 1406, "all the goods that belonged to the said Constance,
in the custody of the Treasurer of our Household, and were lately seised
in our hands