THE MONTH: A MAGAZINE AND REVIEW. Per menses singulos reddens fructum suum, et folia ligni ad sanitatem VOL. V. JULY TO DECEMBER 1866. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO. STATIONERS' HALL COURT. 'BURNS, LAMBERT, & OATES, 17, 18 PORTMAN STREET, W. From Cowper's Lines on his Mother's Picture La Guerre: Iambe. By V. de Laprade, of the French Academy. The Fairest Fair, from St. John of the Cross' The Three Maidens, from the Greek Anthology V. A STORMY LIFE; OR QUEEN MARGARET'S JOURNAL. A Stormy Life; ОЕ QUEEN MARGARET'S JOURNAL. [The following words were prefixed to the manuscript from which the ensuing narrative has been printed: "In an age not less perilous and replete with troubles than that in which this piece of writing was originally penned, one into whose handsance or Providence ordained it should fall, in the year 1651, has produced a faithful transcript of its contents; only using, for the sake of conveniency and the better understanding thereof by unlearned readers, the style of language at present in use in this country rather than that which is now obsolete and barbarous. At a time when through rebellions and civil wars, many noble and virtuous persons in England are heavily afflicted, some drop of comfort may be tasted and hope of future peace derived from a knowledge of the strifes which have convulsed this kingdom in times past."] CHAPTER I. THE GODDESHOUSE AT PORTSMOUTH. On the 10th day of the month of April of the year 1445, the maids of honour of the Queen, of which she who writeth this was one, were conducted by their mistress, the Lady de Scales, to the Goddeshouse at Portsmouth, there to await her majesty's landing— a goodly set of maidens, of which only one, in her own thinking at least, was a disparagement to the rest. The queen's arrival was somewhat delayed by reason of a foul wind, which such as were not well pleased that the king's majesty should wed the French king's niece called a good English breeze; but we her grace's servants turned bedeswomen in those days, and said many hundred Aves for it to change; and with a yet greater fervour when we beheld our lodgings at the hospital, the chambers of which were built only with planks, very homely, and not clean, and the pallets we had to lie on and the cheer provided for us exceeding mean. Verily the religious house where we had slept the night before at Holy Cross was a palace to this one. The cold was likewise so sharp, that some of our company shivered as if they had the ague, until a large brasier was VOL, V. JULY 1866. B |
