Lives of the Queens of England, from the Norman Conquest. by A. [and E. ] Strickland

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 edition. Excerpt: ... MAEGAEET OF ANJOTJ/ QUEEN OF HENRY VI. CHAPTER L The history of Margaret of Anjou, from the cradle to the tomb, is a tissue of the most striking vicissitudes, and replete with events of more powerful interest than are to be found in the imaginary career of any heroine of romance; for the creations of fiction, however forcibly they may appeal to our imagination, fade into insignificance before the simple majesty of truth. When we consider the stormy grandeur of character of this last and most luckless of our Provencal queens, her beauty, her learning, her energetic talents, and the important position she occupied for more than a quarter of a century in the annals of this country, --first, as the unconstitutional, but certainly supreme, director of the power of the crown, and, lastly, as the leader and rallying point of the friends of Lancaster, it is remarkable that no complete and authentic biography of her has ever been given to the world. Margaret was the youngest daughter of Rene of Anjou and Isabella of Lorraine. Her father was the second son of Louis II., king of Sicily and Jerusalem, duke of Calabria and Anjou, and count of Provence. English historians place the date of Margaret's birth in 1425; but this is a palpable error, for her mother, who was scarcely fifteen at that time, did not give birth to her eldest child, John of Calabria, till 1426. Then came prince Louis, followed by Nicolas and Yolante, twin-children, who were born October 2, 1428. After the decease of Rene1 and his sons, Yolante took the title of queen of Sicily, as the next heir. Thus we see that Margaret of Anjou was four years younger than has been generally supposed. According to the best authorities,1 Margaret was born March 23,1429, at Pont-a-Mousson, her..