Page:The Queens of England.djvu/282

242 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. spring, the succession was to be continued in any children he might have by another wife — -an act of injustice as well as one of ungraciousness. How the fair and gentle queen bore this conduct we have no authority to judge ; but her deli- cate health may be taken as an indication that she felt, al- though she might not have resented, that, and the harshness with which he is said to have treated her. Elizabeth had not been long a wife before she gave hopes of becoming a mother, and, as was the usage at that period, in due time withdrew from her courtly circle to the chamber designed for her ac- couchement. From the chamber of ladies so situated it was the custom to exclude air, as well as light, and women only were admitted. The walls were covered with rich arras, which extended over the sides, including the windows and ceiling; that part of it which enveloped the doors and windows being made to be drawn back if required. Rich plate and other costly decorations and furniture were placed in this chamber of retreat, in order that the queen might lack none of the splendor suitable to her rank. At the door she- took leave of all the officers of her court, and from that hour until she left the room was waited on only by ladies, who had all things needful for her service brought to the door. The queen's accouchement took place at Winchester on the 20th of Sep- tember, and occurred a month sooner than was expected ; not- withstanding which, the infant, afterwards named Arthur, was a promising child, with no appearance of the delicacy pe- culiar to children born before the regular time. But though the birth of an heir to his crown might be thought to be the completion of the felicity of Henry the Seventh, it was not so ; for there were those amongst his subjects who were little disposed to be obedient, or to let him enjoy a peaceful reign. These were the partisans of Richard the Third, who had neither forgotten nor forgiven their defeat at Bosworth. The first outbreak was that headed by Lord Lovell, Sir Humphrey Staf- ford and Thomas Stafford, his brother, who, while the king was proceeding to York, left the sanctuary at Colchester, at which they had taken refuge and remained ever since the death of Richard, refusing to trust to Henry's clemency, and who now, collecting their forces, determined to dethrone him. The news reached him at York, and, unprepared as he was, he evinced considerable resolution and vigor to meet the dangers that menaced him. He armed three thousand men, employ-