MATILDA AT II ELI Ν 6, Itmwiraìi Hp ®αή, fmi ûmu dì Iraq i\p /irst. CITAPTEE I, Imbecility of Edgar Aiheling—Together with his mother and sisters, he resolves to seek refuge in Germany—Driven into Scotland—Malcolm obtains the hand of Margaret Athding in marriage —Birth of Matilda Athding—Robert of Normandy stands godfather to her—Her excellent virtues—Her aunt Christina anxious that she should take the veil—Places the conventual adornments upon her—Malcolm in a rage tears them off, and refuses to permit lier to become a nun—Matilda yields to her father's wishes—Her youth when her parents die—The manner of Malcolm's death—Legend respecting—Death of Margaret—Donald liane usurps the Scottish throne—Matilda and her sister Mary placed in the convent at Ramsey—Her disquietude while there—The Duke of Brittany offers her his hand in marriage, which she refuses—The Earl of Surrey also refused—The poverty of Prince Henry— King ìFilliam's dying address to him—Literally fulfilled—At the period of his adversity) Matilda accepts Henry as her lover. HEN the royal house ] the vessel in which they embarked been J^JS^^ ^ of Normandy seized providentially driven, by stress ofweathcr, upon the throne of into the Erith of Forth, in Scotland, England, the last deit is probable that the throne of Britain scendants of the great would never again have been filled by King Alfred, the fathe lineage of the Anglo-Saxon dynasty. mily of the Ath clThe royal fugitives had scarcely ings, were too weak reached the Scottish court, when Mal to clutch the golden circlet from the iron colm the Third of Scotland, who, a short grasp of the victorious Conqueror. In time previously, had wrested his kingfact, Edgar Atheltng, the heir of the dom from the usurping grasp of the Saxon kings, possessed neither the presmurderer of his father, the black-hearted tige, talents, wealth, nor energy to asMacbeth, whose deeds of hell the liard sert his rights by force of arms against of Avon has pourtrayed with a more than the powerful Norman Duke William. mortal power, gave thorn a right royal In 1068, but two years afterthc over welcome; and soon afterwards,became so throw of Harold at Hastings, Edgar enamoured with the gentle-hearted graceAt holing, together with his mother Aga ful Margaret Atheling, that he requested tha, and his sisters Margaret and Chris and obtained her hand in marriage. tina, resolved to seek refuge from the The first-born of the royal Malcolm perils that threatened them in England, and the Saxon princess was the subject at the court of Agatha's father, Henry of the present memoir, Matilda Athetho Second, of Germany; and had not ling-, fondly termed by her contcmpora