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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ. Queens of England. Vol.1.

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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ.
Queens of England. Vol.1.
page 81



the troubadours against the King, a hatred, so hard and deep seated that whenever peace was about to be established, they, by stirring war songs, fanned the dying embers of contention into the fierce flame of battle strife. Whilst sowing the seeds of rebellion in Guienne, Prince Henry was seized with his mortal illness, a slow fever. On finding his end approaching, the Prince became extremely penitent, and King Henry, whose forgiveness he implored, sent him a ring as a token of pardon. On receiving the precious gift, the Prince was moved to tears, and exclaimed! " Thank God ! I am at peace with my father ; and oh ! if he would but restore my mother to liberty and love, how happy I could die!" He then caused himself to be taken out of bed and laid on a heap of ashes, where, attired in sackcloth and with a rope round his neck, he expired on the eleventh of June, 1183. This melancholy event so moved King Henry, that he became reconciled to Eleanora, who was restored to liberty and her rank of royalty during a brief twelve months. Prince Richard, now that he was heir apparent, remained for a period quiet, to see what course his father the King intended to pursue towards him. But after a reasonable time had elapsed, he, on finding that his betrothed was still detained from him, flew to arms, and succeeded in obtaining possession of his mother's maternal inheritance, which so exasperated King Henry that he again imprisoned Eleanora, and endeavoured to be divorced from her ; a step which, if permitted by the court of Rome, would doubtless have been followed by his marriage with his depraved leman, the Princess Alice. The imprisonment of Eleanora greatly excited the indignation of the troubadours, who again inflamed Aquitaine by lays such as the following : " Daughter of Aquitaine, Beautiful fruitful vine, Torn from thine home To a far distant shore ; Thy voice, once all gladness, Is now changed to sadness ; Poor princesd of sorrow, Beloved Eleanor ! Where, where are thy guards, Where is thy maiden train? Some banished, some miirdored. Some pining in woe ; Whilst thou art, fair jewel, Imprisoned most cruel, By Henry of England, Our deadliest fue. Then, barons of Aquitaine, Fight for your ducal line, Fight for your rights, For your own native shore ; Fight, husbands and brothers, For your wives, sisters, mothers, And the Princess of sorrow, Beloved Eleanor! Woe to the traitor ones, Woe to the Normans, Woe to the foes of our Dearly loved land; For Kichard of Aquitaine, Heir of our ducal line, With his brave men have slaughtered King Henry's band. Then fight, barons, fight, For Duke Richard's right, And oh, fight fir your Duchess, The fair Eleanor !" Like hie eldest brother, Prince Geoffrey was doomed to an early grave. In 1186. he went to assist at a tournament at Paris, where, being dismounted, he was trampled to death. His unexpected demise greatly afflicted Eleanora, who spoiled her children by over-fondness. From this period Prince Richard made several vain attempts to gain Alice, which so annoyed King Henry, that he was about having his youngest son John crowned King of England, when the I- rench monarch, Philip Augustus—Louis was dead —interceded, and prevailed on John to secretly join the cause of his brother. A war between England and France ensued, and after hostilities had been carried on for some time, the opposing monarchs met near Chinon, where, having proclaimed a truce, they entered into a conference, which led to a peace, Philip agreeing to give a list of such of Henry's nobles as had conspired against their sovereign. The list was duly sent, the first name upon it being John, Overcome with grief, and consternation at the disaffection of the darling son of his grey hairs, Henry burst into one of those fits of agonizing violence to which he was in the habit of occasionally giving way. Billing on the ground,


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