MISS STRICKLAND'S QUEENS OF ENGLAND.

THIS volume completes the Lives of the Anglo-Norman and Plantagenet Queens. It contains IsAmn.r.A, the second wife of RICHARD the Second ; JoAsstA of Navarre, the second wife of HENRY the Fourth; KATHERINE of Valois, the wife of his son, the hero of Agincourt ; 'MARGARET of Anjou, whose life was a scene of' empty show and severe misfortune which neither romance nor portly can parallel; El.w.Aorro W000vn.LE, the handsome widow who gained the heart of the gallant EnwAno the Fourth ; and ANNE of Warwick, the hardly-won wife of Bo:11AR') the Third.

The leading points in the lives of these ladies ag Queens, are fa- miliar to the English public, through the plays of SILIKSPERE, with the exception ofJoANsA of Navarre. Much, however, relat- ing to their public, and all regarding their personal character, was of coarse left untold by the great dramatist, as he introduced their characters into his plays with a view to dramatic effect. Some- times, too, the truth oftistory was violated—as by the introduction of MARGARET of Anjou into Richard the Third, and the revolting courtship of Lady ANNE in the same play. The contents of the volume have, therefbre, a double advantage over the generality of biographies that relate to persons who lived in a remote time— they possess a popular attraction for the reader ; and they will dis- abuse some misconceptions of those who, like the Duke of MARI.- noaoron, know no more of English history than what is learned from SHAKSPERE'S plays.

Nor must the execution pass without its share of praise. The matter of the Lives is more real than that of some similar works which have lately fallen under our observation, and the composi- tion less disfigured by vapid reverie or sentimentalism. No doubt, greater interest would have been imparted by greater unity and compression, and by a more rapid style of narrative, dealing Jess in minutine. These minutitr, however, are for the most part drawn from original authorities; and as the words of contemporary docu- ments or chronicler-historians are very often given, a quaint attrac- tion is frequently imparted to Miss STRICELAND's pages, which also throw considerable light on the manners and customs of the time.

Many of the authorities to which Miss STRICKLAND has had re- course, have been only brought to light of late years by modern research ; amongst which may be mentioned Sir IlAtuns Nicor.As's " Acts of Privy Council," and several other contributions of that distinguished antiquary to English historical literature. She also has been able to procure access to many French manuscripts, through the politeness of several Frenchmen, and especially 31. Grrmyr ; who thus pleasantly acknowledges the receipt of her volumes—

bombes. Mai 17, 1940. "Mademoiselle—de reprouls hien tard ii Ia hont6 que vous m'atvez t6moigae

en Wenvoyaint vos Vies des Reines d'Angleterre; Je pas wadi, vous en _prier sans les avoir lues, et jusqu' ici j'ai en hien pc de haus disponible. J'ai lii entin, nelentoiselle, et avec on hien vif plaisir. C'est nit ouv rage charmant, plein d'un sn"..rienx et don x. Vous avez Mudie.• les sources, et roue savez presenter lea faits simplement, hien quo sans st'a:heresse. Ma lecture Ii tie, j'ai envoye votre livre h mes files, qui sont encore a Paris, et qui he limit h tear tour Itree he vii amusement Ile haire.

" Agreez, je roes prie, Mademoiselle, tous mes remerciemens et rhommage de num respect. " Ce i zire. "PS.—J'ai 6crit it Paris pour demander s'v existent quelques documens par- ticaliers et inCalit a sue l'histoire de ',Marguerite d'Anjont. Si on m'en envoye, round fhonneur the yous les transmettre."

These documents were procured, and caused the delay in the pub- lication of this volume.

The life of the greatest interest in the collection is that of MAR- GARET of Aejou, with of Ihesay the Sixth,--tior the character of the woman, the variety of' her fortunes, the perils and hardships she encountered, and the indomitable spirit by which they 'VCR' sustained, till the death of husband, son, and friends, :nal the ex- tinction of hope ilself, That of IsAnnt.t.A, the " little Queen" of the unfortunate RICHARD the Second, is full of a peculiar anti tender interest ; for she was wedded when it child, that her royal lover might educate her in his own thshion, ,10.%xstA Of Navarre, daughter (of CoAat.Es the Bad, tir:a married to the Duke of BRIT- TANY, and ;(fterwards to 11ENny the Fourth, is an example of what power a pleasing and prudent woman Could ;Rewire even in those days of iron hands ; at least till she encountered a hero in a needy son-in-law ; for offer the death of I ENR V the Fourth, Jo 1N NA we imprisoned on a charge of nttempting the life oh' It utitY BR! Fill Is, by sorcery. This charge Miss Salucal.Axio makes light of,--at- tributing her imprisonment to her avarice in refusing to lend hm money 14 his French wars ; and infers duo her miserly disposition was the great blot in her character. lit suloport oh' this, she quotes 80111.0 curious particulars from JOANNA'S household-book, now in the " valuable collection" of Sir Tnostas l'inLyArs of Middle Worcester.

DISBURSEMENT OF JOANNA OF NAVARRE.

It is to be observed, that first the Duke of Gloucester and then Cardinal Beaufort certainly visited her just before the formal official notice of Henry's penitence, nod assuredly brought her private intelligence of the change in her favour; for on June the 12th is an item that the Duke dined with her at Leeds, and went away after dinner; expenses for the feast, 4/. 2s.: and on tho 2d of the next month Cardinal Beaufort dined with her, at a cost of' 4/.143.2d. tier oblations and :Irina at the cross of the chapel within Leeds Castle came to Gs. 8d.; hut she laid in a stock of Cascon, (claret,) Rochelle, and Rhenish wi»es, at the cost of 56/, Os. 4d. Her alms seem influenced by her usual avarice, for if she could find money to buy so much wine, she might have commemorated her signal deliverante from captivity and obloquy by a larger outlay thrill Gs. 8d. All her recorded donations appear despicably mean. Indeed, this precious his- torical document singularly confirms our estimate of her character, that grasp- ing avarice was the chief source of her misfortunes. Iler clerk, 'lhomas Lilhourne, proceeds to note the expenses of her mourning (Ire,. for the death of her persecutor, as well for her own person as the maids of her t bomber. There are sonic odd notices of the price of making court-dresses, ahich may be amusing to the ladies of the present day. There are charges fur seven: yards of black cloth fiw a gown fur the Queen, at the feast of Easter, at 7t. sd, per yard, and for tnakinJ a goten fbr her, Is. 641. for one cape airlock, for blaek silk loops, and for 400 t•htsps, possibly hooks and eyes ; for 7), yard of black cloth at is. per yard, for the Queen's person ; for making a cape for the Queen; for black satin ; for erav smtirrel fur, 23s. 4d.; for fit r for a collar and mantle for the Queen ; for on-e ounce of blank thread, Is. fid. ; three dozen shoes at 6d. per pair. Likewise to Agnes Stowe, of the fluoily of lady Margaret Trum. py»gton, for her good services to the Queen, as a gi!t„ t.zd. To two Ser- geants-at-law to plend for the Queen's gold, Gs. F",/. To Nicholas, minstrel, a gift of the Queen, t,s d. None of Joanna's gifts exceed this -.4m. Some miscellaneous articles ;ire curious notitia of the tin s,—as one pot of green ginger, Os. Gil.; for ros,e-water, 7s. Gd.; to Ma-ter Laurence, for cinnamon, 7s, 10d. The Queen gives Gd per pair for her maids' shoes, and 7d. for those oilier Own wearing.

One of the sons of .ToAN by her former loushand, the Duke of IlarrAnsu, was taken prisoner at the battle of Agincourt, and sent to England. " The first interview between Joanna and her caplive son is, perhaps, one of the most touching pa:cages in history. They had it seen each other since 1404; when Arthur as a boy visited the Court of England, to vvriice the in.. vestiture of the Emblom of Richmond from his Royal stel,father. !leery the Fourth, twelve years before; and Joanna, anxious to ascertain wine!her he re- tained any remembrance of her persom—which, perhaps, she felt was faded by rears of anxious tendance on a husband sick alike in bode and mintl,—vet fondly hoping- that maternal Instinct would lead him to Ins mother's arms, placed one of her hulk: ill her chair of state, and retired among her attendants, two of Whom stood before her while she watched what would follow. Arthur, as might he expeetvd. took the Queen's representative for his mother: she sup- ported the character tinr some time, and desired him to pay his compliments to her ladies. 'When in turn he came to Joanna, her helat betrayed her, and she exclaimed, '1-1111:qtpy sum, 0.o you not know ire the call of nature was Grit ; both mother and 6011 burst into tears."

VrIT OF CHARLES THE RAD.

'Ile death ofJoanna's fatber, which took place the same year, was attended with circumstances of pcerthar horror. Ile had lotig been sutieriog from a complication of inaltolie:,. In hopes of recovering his paralytic limbs from their mortal tidiness, lie caused Lis whole pees oi to he seivir up in cloths dipped in spirit:: of wine and sulphur. One niglit. after these bandages had been fixed, neither knife nor scissors being at haml, the careless attendants tip. plied the tlame of the candle to sever the neelle with »ltich the linen had been sewn ; the spiritc of wine inslantly ignited, and the wretched Charles WaS burned so dreadlelly, that after lingering see, rvi day -. he expired. January- 1st, I3S7, leaving hie throne to his g.allant patriotic sst ct,arks the Good, and his name to the geeeral replultation of all French cla, A rIIILOSOFIIICAL tim So little l'ee:111)1:171ce there in ,baracter bet i it vii ar-1 1 daughter Ma:•gaier. (e' Anjou,) that it is related a the los. ef it his kingdoms W3S brought to

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HeliCs original compositions in music are it ballet ; and I is,. (1NIW..1 of La 7', .ts e:tt.: