Page:The Queens of England.djvu/40

28 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. After her second marriage, Queen Adelais continued to re- side at Arundel Castle. She still maintained a sincere friend- ship for her daughter-in-law, the empress; and in 1139, on her coming to England, she and her husband received her into their castle of Arundel, and promised her assistance against Stephen. Every respect and attention was shown her by Adelais, and when Stephen approached with his army, she excused herself for receiving the empress on the plea of friend- ship, and demanded a safe conduct for her to Bristol, declar- ing that, in the event of a refusal, she would defend her castle to the last extremity Stephen granted her request, and raised the siege. Adelais had four sons by her second husband, William, Rey- ner, Godfrey and Henry ; and three daughters, Alice, Olive, and Agatha. Many little memorials of this queen are still extant in the vicinity of Arundel Castle. In the parish of Lyminster she founded a convent for nuns according to the canons of St. Augustine, and contributed largely to the building of Chi- chester Cathedral. Queen Adelais was forty-eight years of age when she died, in 1 151. Sanderus relates that this event took place in the monastery of Affligham, near Alost, in Flanders, and that she was interred there ; yet we are more inclined to the opinion of other writers, who assure us that this queen died in Eng- land, and was buried by the earl, her husband, with customary honors in St. John's Chapel, Boxgrove, where the remains of some of her children had been laid. But let her remains rest where they may, she was, during life, a friend to the poor, the orphan, and the unfortunate ; a model of piety and goodness, blending humility with majesty.