16 NOVEMBER 1850, Page 17

mratil writicirLAND's LIVES OF TUE QUEENS OF TIM Itiett, of

this pablicatioitewaa probably ottggested hy, e suc- cess,of laiiss Strialtland's farmer work,,, as much as by the .de- sirableness of theofbioraphies ',of c illerthern Queens its " ad- juncts " tol piii`li4teil ,of those of ' IV')4*Ititl deal of matter was collectetjAietterence to the' '1 er 'Qualm Of Scotland during the biographer'imessarches for the Queens of .Englantl, which it seemed a pity to lose; and this matter, assisted by further inquiries among publie and private archives, especially- among the mini- ment-cheste of noble Scottish families, forms the materials of the present undertaking. - The "lives" do not begin till the Tudor times, when the nearer relationship with England imparts a greater interest to the subject, not only from the closer communication between the courts, but the prospects of the Scottish succession to the English crown. The first Queen in the volume is Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry the Seventh and wife of James the Fourth, who fell at Flodden. From the narrative of a herald who accompanied Margaret from London to Edinburgh, and from similar sources, the pageantry of her life is pretty well ascertained ; her letters to her brother Henry the Eighth, and the reports of his spies and ambassadors in rela- tion to her, preserved in the State Paper Office, give authentic accounts of her conduct; and there are chroniclers enough to speak of her popular estimation and paint her from the Scottish point of view. Margaret herself; though a very unscrupulous and not very amiable person, had many of the Tudor characteristics. In tames of danger she exhibited their constitutional spirit. She had also the lavishness in regard to money, and the amorous tempera- ment of her brother: by means of a divorce she married two hus- bands after James's death, and would have divorced the last but that her son James the Fifth ate d the proceedings ; and, accord- ing to report, she had several ants. But she had not the im- placability, the resolute will, an the tenacity of purpose possessed by her race ; or the subject and very often the needy state in which she was placed compelled her to have recourse to trick, subterfuge, and treason, as regarded her son and his kingdom. Altogether, she was a singular person—" a very, very woman" • and by her own hand, and the hands of her brother's plain-speaking agents, together with some of Henry's unsophisticated discourses, the means exist of painting her at full length.

The other Queen whose life is completed in this volume is Mag- dalene of France, daughter of Francis the First and wife of James the Fifth. She died too soon after her marriage to have left many memorials as a sovereign. The romantic pilgrimage of James to France to see and choose for himself—his selection of Magdalene, in spite of the advice of Francis and his own council on account of her delicate health—the deep attachment of the royal pair, with the amiable character of the Queen, and her early fate give an interest to the subject which royal processions, and courtly pa- geants or intrigues, can never possess. Mary of Lorraine, the se- cond wife of James the Fifth and mother of Mary Queen of Scots, is better though somewhat disadvantageously known as Regent of Scotland after the King's death ; but her life is incomplete, the volume closing with the mortal sickness of her husband after the route of Solway Frith.

In point of literary character the book resembles that of the Queens of England. Considered strictly as biographies, in which everything is rejected that does not as essentially bear upon the life of the subject as the conduct of a drama on the action to be de- 1 veloped, the " lives " are nought. No one will ever be so attracted by any one of them as to read immoveably to the end, like Rey- nolds with the life of Savage, till the "finis " found him cramped •

with his position. The heroine is continually lost sight of, and as continually overlaid. Matter is often introduced which has little more relation to the life of the Queen than an inventory of her wardrobe, or a ball which she has been present at, would have to the life of a subject. The husband, not in relation to his wife, and

persons who have little reference to either, often appear instead of the Queen, as well as any little bit of pleasant antiquarian read- ing that turns up. They are not biographies, but " lives and times," in the largest sense that the laxity of modern bookmaking attaches to the term.

But they are cleverly and pleasantly done ; although there are frequent passages which the reader is inclined to skip, or finds

that he might as well have skipped. Miss Strickland is unrivalled in taking a queen as a theme, and bringing together from letters, account-books, public records, and printed works, a variety of , gossip, and frequently of something better than gossip, that throws i a light upon personal character, or upon the manners of the age. I Construe the term as liberally as we please, Miss Strickland's "lives" have no pretension to be considered works of art or bio- ' graphies, but they are curious repertories of antiquarian, historical, and biographical information, where something may be found to i snit all tastes; which is perhaps a reason of the writer's success. I • Lives of the Queens of Scotland and the English Princesses connected with the Regal Succession of Great Britain. By Agnes Strickland, Author of "Lives of the Queens of England." Vol. I. Published by Blackwood and Sone. The life of Margaret Tudor, from her marriage at fourteen to her death when upwards of fifty, was by no means a hap y one, owing chieq lier own impru ence and ill condition. Tt may be questiOxted, liowever, whether she felt the discomforts of ha position 46 ' as many uld have done, notwithstanding her incessant eomplaints To` ' dissatisfied or to express disstitiSfao- tion with everything, 'pert of her nature ; and 41181iiplayea it inunpamtelv on her a val in Scotland. James theirofirth was not a Piittern husband, but he lvtp3 aliandorne niati,4:41 he had the spirit' am gallantry that marked tie Stuart race' 4.4' long at

fool, as pn their native heather. lie, recel*41 his young,

, comPlinieutary attention that Would have won most woinOpe At 1)alkeith the procession was received in state. "The Earl of Merton, attended, by many gentlemen was standing at the castle gateway. When the Queen *laved he welcomed -her as lady and mistress,' presenting her .at the same time with the keys of the castle. Ber tween the two gateways of the quadrangle stood Lady Morton, the castellaine of Dalkeith, surrounded by a number of ladies and gentlemen. The whole group knelt down as their Queen approached ; who very graciously went to the Lady Morton, raised her up, and kissed her. " The Queen was conducted by Lady Morton in grand state to her suite of apartments aritmenta within the castle ; where everything was in fair array, although building g was a strong place meant for purposes of defence. "Scarcely was the royal bride in possession of her chamber and with- drawingroom, when a hurrying sound in the quadrangle announced that some unexpected event had happened. The tumult ran through the castle, till it reached the anteroom of the royal suite, where the cry soon greeted the ear of Margaret, 'The King, the King of Scotland has arrived!'

i "James IV dame in thus unexpectedly to relieve his young bride from the anxiety of a formal introduction to him in the midst of tedious state ceremonies, with the oyes of a multitude fixed upon them. He wished to make acquaint- ance with her before such ordeal commenced ; and if his bride had a heart worth the winning, it was evident the King of Scotland thought it moat likely to be won when they were disencumbered of the stiff stateliness ever surrounding royalty on public days. "He entered the presence of Margaret Tudor with his hawking-lure 11 over his shoulder, dressed simply in a velvet jacket; his hair and curling naturally, were rather long; his complexion glowing from the manly exercise be hadjust been engaged in. He was the handsomest sovereign in Europe ; the black eyes and hair of his elegant father, James III, being softened in his resemblance to the blonde beauty of his Danish mother. "The young Queen met her royal lord at the doorway of her great cham- ber. The King of Scotland uncovered his head and made a deep obeisance to her, while she made a lowly reverence to him. He then took her hand and kissed her, and saluted all her ladies by kissing them. It was noticed that he welcomed the chivalric Earl of Surrey with especial cordiality. " Then the King of Scotland took the Queen on one side, and they com- muned together for a long space. She held good manner, was unembar- rassed,) and the King remained bareheaded during the time they conversed, and many courtesies passed between them. Incontinent (immediately) the board was set and served. The King and Queen washed their hands with humble reverence, and after that set them down at table together. "' After supper they washed again, with the reverences' ; which we opine to have been an elaborate series of bows and genuflexions performed with due solemnity. The minstrels began to blow; than Queen Margaret danced accompanied by my Lady Surrey. This done, King James took leave of her, for it was late ; and he went to his bed at Edinburgh very well content at so pleasant a meeting, and that he had found the fair company so well to- gether.' "

The King's behaviour throughout was corresponding. Yet when the Queen's English train returned home after the marriage, they carried this private letter to Henry the Seventh-

" My most dear Lord and Father—In the most humble wise that I can think, I recommend me unto your Grace, beseeching you of your daily bles- sing, and that it will please you to give hearty thanks to all your ser- vants, the which, by your commandment, have given right good attendance on use at this time, and specially to all the ladies and jantilwomen which hath accompanied me hither, and to give credence to this good lady, the bearer hereof; for I have showed her more of my mind than I will write at this time.

" 'Sir I beseech your Grace to be good and gracious lord to Thomas which was footman to the Queen my model., whose sowle God assoyle,'

has been shown previously that her mother, Elizabeth of York, diedjust I before Margaret departed for LSootland,) 'for he hath been one of my f-aot- men hither, with as great diligence and labour to his great charge of his own good and true mind. I am not able to recompense him except by the favour of your Grace. " 'Sir, as for news, I have none to send, but that my Lord of Surrey is in frimeatallinvocagmwe with IheisaKiny. King rere:mtdhatthehT3iieromootf forbear othrsecrocitnhpeanyty; of thing as nigh as they can to the King's pleasurep: I pray Murrayod it may be Zr my poor heart's ease in time to come. They call not my Chamberlain to them ; who, I am sure, would speak better for my part than any of them that be of that council. But if he speak anything for my cause, my Lord of Surrey hath such words unto him that he dare speak no further. God send me comfort to his pleasure, and that I and mine, that be left here with me, may be well entreated.' " So far the child-Queen has communicated her grievances through the pen of one of her attendants ; but she thinks proper to finish the letter in her own hand. It does not seem that princesses of fourteen years old in those days held the pens of ready writers ; the orthography and characters are equally barbarous ; altogether, Margaret's first autograph is nearly ille- gible; and one would think that it was tribulation of heart alone that could force the effort of concluding the complaining epistle. She proceeds- " 'For God's sake, Sir, hold use excused that I write not myself to your Grace, for I have no leisure at this time; but with a wish I would I were with your Grace now, and many times more. And for this that I have writ- ten to your Grace, it is very true; but I pray God I may find it well for my welfare hereafter. No more to your Grace at this time; but our Lord have you in His keeping. Written with the hand of your humble dauter.

" ' Manomire "

Although the conduct of Margaret was continual meanness, and her language generally that of complaint or whining, yet on ocea. sion the lofty bearing and imperious spirit of her niece Elizabeth flashed forth —as when the -ent Albany and the Parliament wished to.take possession of the young princes.

" A more difficult undertaking than the deprivation of her political power was to wrest her children from Queen Margaret. The Regent evidently de- murred on a proceeding in which the kindest measures taken could not fail of seeming cruel in the extreme. July had nearly passed away, yet Queen

Margaret still held possession of her little sons at the castle of Edinburgh. Albany made his approaches with great caution, while the Parliament was sitting at the Tolbooth. There the netirmai council chose eight Peers, and out of them Albany was to appoint four by lot; and from the four Queen Margaret was to choose three to mtrust with the care of her Royal infants.

" The four Peers went in solemn procession from the Tolbooth (where the Parliament sat) up to Edinburgh Ne.le gate. All the quid town followed them on foot, in immense concourse, to behold the exciting drama, in which their Queen and her little ones played the principal parts. The gates were unfolded, and the people beheld the Queen standing within the entrance, holding the young Kin g with his hand clasped in hers ; behind her was the nurse, with the infant Duke of Ross in her arms; near her stood her hus- band 'Angus ; and her household made a half circle in the rearward.

" The Queen had certainly drawn up her little force with great scenic skill; and it had its due effect on the good people of Edinburgh, who hailed the tableaux vivans before them with long and loud acclamations. When some degree of silence was restored, which was only when the populace had shouted themselves hoarse, Queen Margaret, seeing the approach of the dele- gates from the Tolbooth, gave the words, with much majesty and command, of ' Stand ! declare the cause of your coming before you draw nearer to your sovereigns? " The four Scottish Peers replied, that they infant deputed by the Parlia- ment, then sitting, to demand and receive their nfant Mng and his brother.' " All the answer Margaret vouchsafed was, Drop the portcullis.' To the

consternation of the Parliamentary i deputies, the massive iron gate thundered down betwixt them and the Royal group.

" The Queen then addressed the lords commissioned to take her infants from her arms—' This Castle of Edinburgh is part of my infeoffment. By the late King, my husband, I was made sole governess of it; nor to any mor- tal shall yield the command. But I require, out of respect to the Parliament and the nation, six days to consider their mandate; for my charge is infinite in import, and, alas ! ray counsellors be few.'

" She then led away her little monarch from the gateway, followed by her train ; and the Peers retired in great admiration of her beauty and high spirit. • Angus was by, no means remarkable for the latter quality, or at least did not exert it m this picturesque historical scene. In great alarm lest he might have forfeited life and lands by disobeying the Regent, then sitting in fall national council, he had a notanal instrument drawn, attested by proper witnesses, affirming that he had desired the Queen to surrender the Royal children."