Duke John of Lancafter, being a prudent and wife man, forefaw the advantage of marrying his only fon Henry, by his firft wife Blanche, to the lady Mary : he was heir to all the pofleflions of thç houfe of Lancafter in England, which were very cdnfiderable. The duke had for fome time confi-dered he. could not choofe a more defirable wife for his fon than the lady who was intended for a nun, as her eftatcs were very large, and her birth fuitable to any rank ; but he did not take any fteps in the matter until his brother of Buckingham had fet out on his expedition to France. When he had crofled the fea, the duke of Lancafter had the young lady, conduced to Arundel caftle » for the aunt of the* two ladies was the fifter of Richard earl of Arundel, one of the moft powerful barons of England. . This lady Arundel, out of complaifance to « the duke of Lancafter, and for the advancement of the young lady, * went to Plefhy, where fhe remained with the countefs of Buckingham and her fifter fpr fifteen days. On her departure from Pleftiy, fhe managed fo well that fhe carried with her the lady Mary to Arundel, when the marriage was inr ftantly confum mated between her and Henry of Lancafter. During their union of twelve years, he had by her four handfome fons, Henry, Thomas, John and Humphrey, and two daughters, Blanche and Philippa. The earl of Buckingham, as I faid, had not any inclination to laugh when he heard thefe tidings ; for it would now be neceflàry to divide an inhe-ritance which he confidered wholly as his own, ex-I ceptyig 242