Page:The Queens of England.djvu/230

ip4 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. ress to her patroness, St. Margaret, and St. Bernard. She also endeavored to introduce manufacturers of woolen and silk goods, and had peace been her lot, there is little doubt that she would have proved one of the most able public-spirited queens which England has ever possessed. Hitherto the popular tumults incident upon the previous events had been suppressed with comparative ease, but- the in- surrection of Cade, formidable from the .secret connivance of the Duke of York, added to a pestilence which broke out about this time, "swallowed up all concern for France, in the com- motion which afflicted England, and shook the throne of Henry." The king, accompanied by his consort, had gone out to meet the insurgents, but, dreading carnage, was only too glad to avail himself of the news of their retreat to relinquish the command and retrace his steps to London. This conduc'* inspired the rebels with fresh courage, and the result was a success over the royal troops, which induced the council to urge the precipitate flight of their majesties to Kenilworth ; nor was peace restored, until, by the intervention of Kempe, Arch- bishop of York, and chancellor, certain conditions had been allowed to the rebels, prior to their laying down their arms and the death of Cade, who was subsequently killed, which conditions Margaret, with ill-advised laxity of honor, after- wards attempted to infringe. At this time was it, when threatened by all the sad disasters of civil war, and smarting under the loss of Guienne, and its attendant bloodshed in France, that Margaret became a mother ; but the birth of this first, and, as it proved, only child, was regarded with no pleasure by the nation, and seemed fated to be the augury of fresh misfortunes to its parents ; occurring simultaneously with the illness of the king, who fell sick at Clarendon, in Wiltshire" and shortly after confirmed the fears of his friends by evincing decided mental aberration. These circumstances probably induced the Duke of York to relinquish at once all disguise, and to assume a more deter- mined position ; he is said to have cast doubts upon the legiti- macy of the infant prince, which probably he himself in sin- cerity did not entertain. At all events, the appearance of youngEdward removed the last scruple in asserting his claim to a crown, which he might patiently have awaited until the death of the sickly monarch, but would not calmly surrender to the present unexpected succession. Queen Margaret was