MARGARET OF ANJOU, ûmn nf Irartf tjjî éiûl). CHAPTEB I. Parentage of Margaret of Anjou—Her father's talents and misfortunes—Her childhood—Character of Henry the Sixth—Failure of Gloucester's efforts to procure him a bride—Beaufort resolves to establish peace with Prance by a marriage between Henry and Margaret—The craft by which he accomplishes his purpose— The marriage negociated by Suffolk—Betrothment and journey of Margaret to England—Her illness on landing—Doctor's bill—Marriage and coronation— Ascendancy over the mind of her husband—Regard for Beaufort—Death of Gloucester—And of Beaufort—Margaret's unpopularity—She founds Queen's College—Directs the minds of the people to the arts of peace. ARGΛ R Ε Τ Ο F ; of his era despised him, whilst by the ANJOU, a princess j people he was adored for his benificence, whose history is one and surnamcd the Good. When the tissue of exciting I Duke of Lorraine died in 1430, his sucincidents, was the ι session to that valuable fief was disputed daughter of René, j by Count Yaudemonte. A fierce war-Duke of Anjou,, and j fare ensued. And at length René was Isabella, daughter j defeated and made prisoner in the little and heiress of the Duke of Lorraine. I but sanguine battle of Bulgneville, in She first saw the light in .ilarcb^-.1 1431, The mother of Margaret, a at tho noble castle of Pont a Mousson | princess of parts, energy, and perseverai Lorraine. Her more accomplished ! ance, born and nurtured amidst scenes of than chivalrous father was the son of ι trouble and warfare, and withal the pa-Louis the Second, King of Sicily and j tronos3 of Agnes Sorel, and the oontem-Jerusalem, Duke of Anjou, and Count1 porary of the celebrated heroine of of Provence, and a poet, a musician, i France, Joan of Arc, exerted all her and an artist of no mean order. To | energies to obtain the rcleaso of her him we owe the origin of the opera | lord ; but as he had already been eonballet ; and many of his beautiful mu-• signed to his bitter foe, the Duke of sical compositions have retained their • Burgundy, her efforts were fruitless, popularity even to the present day. j and for six years the father of Margaret He, however, lived in turbulent times, I of Anjou languished a closely confined and being of a gentle and charitable j captive in the highest tower of the disposition, the rude, lion-hearted nobles i castle of Dijon. René only obtained