Page:The Queens of England.djvu/116

98 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. the deaths of three of his children previous to that of King Henry, so soon followed by that of the Queen of Scotland. When, nearly two years after Edward's accession to the crown, he returned from his eastern expedition, his coronation took place ; and this event, which should have been an occasion of rejoicing to his mother, became one of deep sorrow, owing to the sudden death of her only surviving daughter, Beatrice, Duchess of Bretagne, who, with the duke her husband, came to England to participate in the splendid festivities attending this ceremony. After this affliction, the queen-mother resided seldom in London, but lived in much privacy at Waltham and Lutger's Hall, until she retired to Ambresbury, where, four years after, she took the veil, chastened by many trials. and sorrows, having seen seven of the nine children she had borne to King Henry depart this life in the prime of their days. The princes and princesses to whom she had given birth were remarkable for beauty, intelligence, and devotion to her ; so that it cannot be wondered at that the high spirit and unbending haughtiness, which no other trials could subdue, yielded to the regret of the fond mother. The retired queen had the consolation of retaining her rich dowry, as Queen Dowager of England, and Edward the First continued an affectionate and respectful son. He visited the queen-mother before and subsequently to her pronouncing the monastic vows ; and it was no slight proof of his obedience to her wishes, that he yielded to her desire that the Princess Mary, his fifth daughter, should take the veil, against the consent of her mother, whose grief on the occasion must have greatly pained him, devoted as he was to his beloved queen, Eleanor of Castile. King Edward is said to have often referred* to the opinion, and profited by th^ counsel of his mother, up to the close of her life. That the seclusion of a conventual life, and the duties im- posed by her vows, had produced a salutary change in the sentiments of the once haughty Eleanor, is proved by the wis- dom and moderation of the advice given by her on her dying bed to the king, not to extort or receive a confession of his accomplices from a criminal then under conviction for treason, under circumstances that greatly aggravated his crime, and whose confession it was more than suspected would compro- mise the safety of many individuals of consequence about the court.