Primate and Henry Beaufort, Cardinal Bishop of Winchester, the King's uncle and former tutor; on her left sat the captive King James of Scotland, the most unfortunate monarch and the greatest poet of his age for whom Katharine had conceived a cordial friendship, and whom she sought soon after to release from his durance. The King of Scotland was dressed in royal robes, was surrounded with a state befitting his rank, and was served from dishes of silver, as a peculiar distinction.* Near him sat the Duchess Dowager of York and the Countess of Huntingdon. The Countess of Kent reclined on an ottoman at the Queen's feet, holding a napkin for Katharine's use. The young Earl of March, the displaced heir to the throne, knelt on the other side of Katharine, bearing her sceptre in his hand; a little further off was Nottingham, Earl Marshal, bearing another sceptre. Humphrey of Gloucester was the director of the feast, and did the honors of the royal board. Grouped around her Majesty were the great nobles who held the offices of ceremony incident to her household, Sir Richard Neville, her cup-bearer, Sir John Stuart bearing the server, Lord Clifford the bread, and Lord Grey de Ruthyn the cloths, and Lord Audley, the Queen's almoner, or distributor of charities. It being the third Sunday in Lent, no meat was served upon the table; but every variety of fish was provided-soles, chubb, barbel, lobster, roach, smelt, lamprey, dead eels stewed, carp, perch, gudgeon. Numerous devices, significant in meaning, were placed upon the board at intervals. One consisted of a pelican reposing on its nest with young, over which stood a figure of St. Katharine, disputing with sages, and holding in her hand a card, * Holinshed. upon which the guest deciphered "Madame the Queen." Another was the royal escutcheon and crown, inge niously formed of confectionery, where St. Katharine again appeared, with the conceit "The Queen my daughter In this island, Has with good reason Another represented a tiger gazing in a mirror, while beside him was a knight full armed, bearing in his arms a young tiger, and having, in allusion to the Dauphin, this motto: "By force, not persuasion, I have taken this beast." The merrymaking was con tinued until late in the evening, and the King toward the close came in and joined in the general mirth. The feast was not concluded without a most graceful act on the part of Katharine. She asked her husband to grant her, in this hour of good cheer, one boon. Being asked what it was, the fair princess declared it to be her urgent wish, that the young Scotch King should be liberated, and restored to his inheritance. Henry, having made it a condition that James should join him in arms when he should return across the Channel, consented to his being set at liberty. But it appears that the gallant Scot was not quite satisfied with this alone. In his weary hours at Windsor he had often perceived a lovely damsel promenading pensively in the gardens below him; and, vacant of mind, he had found no better occupation than to fall in love with her, and to busy himself by composing innumerable sonnets in her praise. The young lady turned out to be the fair Joanna Beaufort, step-niece to the King, whose beauty was the constant envy of the court belles. With a woman's quick perception, Katharine soon discovered why her protégé did not receive his freedom with rapture. Doubly interested in him now that his trouble was a love-affair, the Queen gave him every encouragement, interceded with Joanna (a not difficult task), persuaded the King, and had the satisfaction of bringing about, in a short time, the betrothal of the love-sick pair. Soon after the feast of coronation Joanna became Queen of Scotland, being wedded in the presence of the English court. The few weeks succeeding the coronation of the Queen were quietly and pleasantly spent by the royal pair in the retirement of Windsor; and this castle, so beautifully situated on a cliff overhanging the Thames, became Katharine's favorite residence in England. Henry, however, so restless and busy was his nature, was not content to remain long idle. He had been so long away from his realm that he was curious to visit the different counties, and to correct whatever abuses might have crept in during his absence. He was desirous to show to his people the new Queen, being well assured by experience that she would elicit admiration everywhere. He determined, therefore, to make a progress with her through the kingdom. About the eighth of March the preparations were complete, and the King and Queen, attended by a numerous and brilliant retinue, set out from Windsor in a northwesterly direction. Their first halt was made at Coventry, the scene of Bolingbroke's duel with Norfolk, and where Henry had a country-house. Through whatever town they passed they were received with hilarious enthusiasm, and Henry, at each place, addressed the townspeople with short and felicitous harangues. It was his wish that a welldisposed parliament should be elected, that he might have no trouble in prosecuting his designs in France, through want of supply and popular compliance; and he wisely thought, by humoring the people, he might obtain a complaisant legislature. From Coventry, the sovereigns went to Kenilworth Castle, near by, then a favorite residence of Henry, as indeed it had formerly been of his grandfather, John of Gaunt. Henry had bestowed much attention to the adornment of Kenilworth, and had ordered lawns and avenues to be constructed around it; so that it was, at the time of his present visit, one of the loveliest spots in England. The royal cavalcade went thence to Leicester, where the solemn rites of Easter were celebrated. Their next destination was the venerable and historic city of York, the metropolis of the north, where they arrived about the first of April. The people of York gave their beloved lord and his charming Queen a reception so hearty, so loyal, so magnificent, as to bring tears to the eyes of the victo rious King. Preparations the most elaborate had been made to celebrate his visit; the municipal exchequer had been drained to supply the cost; Te Deums were chanted in the huge and sombre York minster, by whole choirs of priests; the streets were festooned with gorgeous tapestries; music lent its noble harmonies to the jubilee; and maidens, with costly robes, met the royal cortége, and showered spring flowers beneath the horses' hoofs as they passed along. Henry spoke to the multitudes with a tender emotion which won every heart; and Katharine, all smiles and graciousness, called forth their enthusiastic admiration. In the midst of these rejoicings, however, there came news to Henry from France, which filled his heart with the acutest anguish, and plunged all England into the darkest gloom. It seemed that cypress must be twined with the garlands of joyous triumph. The gallant, the stainless, the great-hearted Thomas of Clarence had fallen in battle, valiantly fighting in the service of England. The best-beloved, as well as the most capable of Henry's brothers, would no longer be his good right arm, filling his place in absence, sustaining when present, by the wisdom of his head, and the loving fidelity of his heart. Thus it happened: Clarence, as has been said, was left by Henry in command of the forces in France, and was charged with the duty of maintaining the campaign against Prince Charles, the Dauphin. When the latter knew of the Regent King's departure, he became alarmingly active, and rapidly advanced from the south toward the Loire. Clarence promptly set his forces in motion, leading a large part of the troops left in his command, and made quick marches westward, taking his road through Chartes, Maine, and Anjou, which counties he plundered for the sustenance of his army. Hoping to surprise Charles, he encamped at Angers, on the north bank of the Loire, at its junction with the Sarthe. Charles, however, who was stationed in Clarence's rear at Beaugé, had been apprised of his approach, and was informed of his numbers. Clarence, rash and brave, began the battle by pushing forward in person at the head of his cavalry corps, having ordered Kent to follow with the archers. The Dauphin made a prompt disposition of his forces, himself commanding the French, and Buchan the Scots, and received the im petuous shock of his adversary with stoical obstinacy. After a desperate conflict, the English lines broke, |