MATILDA Οΐ BOULOGNE, (fluent nf Ihplmt, CHAPTER I. Crafty designs of Stephen—lie hastens to England on the death of Henry the First —His favourable reception—-His accession—Coronation of Matilda of Boulogne—ITer parentage—lier marriage with Stephen—Stepheris prowess at tlie battle of Tincliebraye—His avoidance of the fatal White Ship—Matilda!s London residence —Stephen signs a charter of Liberties—Immediately violates it —The barons build a castle—Invasion of the Welsh and Scotch—Stephen falls into a lethargy—Thepartisans of the Empress Matilda raise the standard of revolt—Nbrmany invaded —Matilda besieges Dover castle—The battle of the standard—Matilda mediates peace with the Scotch king—Stephen quarrels with the clergy. fullest prelates of the nation, thunder King Henry nor his forth the cry of " Long live King- Stedaughter, the Era-phen! downwith the Empress! down with press Matilda, sus-the woman monarch !" ί$ϊ£::Ή^Ε\^&3& Ρ^*-00^ the fidelity of Immediately the life of his royal uncle Vg^S^^^jjI^^' i Earl Stephen, wrho, had departed, Stephen sped to England ™ with all the semwith a precipitation that betrayed his blance of sincerity, anxiety to ascend that throne, which to wept tears of sorrow over the death-him proved indeed a troublesome and a couch of his uncle, they took no precautottering one. He embarked at the tions to guard against his treachery. small port of Whitsand, and braving a Indeed, on the death of her sire so surewintry sea in a frail vessel, landed on ly did the Empress consider the thrice-the Kentish coast, amidst the ominous sworn circlet of royalty hers, that she welcomes of a thunder-stonn, soterrifio, took no immediate steps for embarking that, says Malmsbury, " the world seemed for England. Not so, however, with well nigh about to be dissolved." the far-seeing Earl Stephen, for long he-Dover and Canterbury closed their fore fever had closed the eyes of his too-gates against him in terror; but disre confiding uncle King Henry, in death, garding these inauspicious incidents, and bad his busy emissaries secretly formed relying on the distaste of the nation to an all-powerful party in the land, who a female reign, on the influence of his waited but for the auspicious moment to powerful friends, and on his own presunshcath their unyielding swords, and, tige, as the most popular personage in blessed by the benedictions of the power-England, he boldlypushed on to London,