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ISABELLA OF FRANCE. 121 meht of the insults, as they regarded them, offered to their princess. The queen herself was not the less eloquent in her letter to her father on her own wrongs, and on the preposterous infatuation of the king in regard to Gaveston. All this was so much advantage thrown into the hands of the discontented aristocracy. The queen came young, beautiful, and surrounded by every evidence of royal splendor. She had two crowns of gold richly set with gems, robes of the most queenly richness, a magnificent array of gold and silver plate, including superb drinking-vessels, massive dishes, and fifty silver porringers. On the other hand, the weak Edward, instead of lavishing his attentions on his wife, flung everything with an insane prodig- ality into the lap of Gaveston. He had already so impoverished his treasury by his gifts to his favorite, that he had not a penny to pay the necessary expenses of his coronation, or the daily demands of his household. He was compelled to ask his nobles for supplies, and they were met by peremptory demands for the dismissal of his disgraceful favorite. The King of France placed himself in communication with the discontented aris- tocracy," and did all in his power to effect this really desirable object. Thomas Earl of Lancaster, and Henry Earl of Derby, were nearly as closely related to the queen as to the king him- self. They were the great heads of the disaffected party, and, threfore, entered into a close alliance with Isabella. They demanded that Gaveston should be banished beyond the seas ; and Edward, promising to comply, sent him to Ireland as its viceroy. This was an evasion of his word ; and the stinging speeches of Gaveston, who was not only endowed with a showy beauty, but a very keen and dangerous wit, only added intensity to the resentment of the nobles. The queen appealed to them for some provision of income, and the lords, finding that she was actually penniless by the improvidence of the king, settled upon her the revenues of Ponthieu and Montrieul. Gaveston very soon returned from Ireland ; but such was now the united power of the queen's party, that Edward was com- pelled again to dismiss him. This time he sent him to Guienne ; but gave him, at parting, not only all his own jewels, but all the trinkets which Isabella had presented to him at different times as tokens of affection. Gaveston remained absent till 13 12, and during his absence there was a period of national tranquillity, the queen being strong in the public regard. On Gavestoir s return, she did not conceal from him her dislike, and