ISABELLA OF FRANCE, tora tf êïmù ϊ\μ êtnû. CHAPTER I. Isabella's descent—Parentage—Birth—Bctrothment to Edward the Second—Bower —First acts of Edward the Second on his accession—Gaveston recalled—Appointed Regent—Edward goes to France— Weds Isabella at Boulogne—The marriage festival—The rogai pair come to England—Their coronation—Slights offered to the Queen—She complains to the French King—Gaveston's pride and power excite the ire of the Barons—The King's disgusting partiality for him— Sis person and manners—Isabella sanctions a confederacy to expel him—He is banished—Appointed Viceroy of Ireland—Isabella's revenues—The commons grant the King an aid—Their complaint—The King's favourable reply—Gaveston recalled—Sis arrogance and sarcasm more than ever disgust the Barons— Sis tournament prevented—-Ordainers instituted—They decree the banishment of Gaveston—The King separates from his favourite with regret—Isabella commemorates Gaveston's departure by a feast—She becomes reconciled to the King— Gaveston is recalled—lie insults Isabella—She again complains to the King of France—Philip secretly aids her and the Barons. } HAT the boast of branded her memory with deeds the ancestry is really blackest that have darkened the annals significant of little of female royalty since the days of the or nothing but the wicked Saxon Queen, Elfrida — deeds folly of the boaster, at which humanity shudders, and which is strikingly exemthe most partial of her biographers, plified in the subwith all their silly vain-glorious vaunts ject of the present of her distinguished descent, have nei memoir. For although no Queen of ther been able to excuse nor conceal. England, since the Norman Conquest, Her career for the most part being one could claim so illustrious a descent as rather to blush for than exult over—to Isabella of France—she being the second excite grief and indignation rather than daughter of Philip the Fair, King of respect or veneration. France, and his consort, Joanna, Queen Isabella of France, tho greatest beauty of Navarre, whilst her three brothers, of her times, was born at Paris about Louis the Tenth, Philip the Long, and the year 1291. History is silent as to Charles the Fair, successively asthe exact date of her birth, but judging cended the French throne—history has from the writings of her contemporarietii