Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-16

by his will but he left his widow Elfri
da, who we know, had no desire to SUI
render the sweets of sovereignty, having
once tasted them because she also had a
son, Ethelred, four years younger than
his step brother, Edward, and whom the
imperious destined for the throne.
Consequently the seed which the monk
ish Edgar had sown SO lavishly was rip
ening into a harvest, that was not the less
terrible in the garnerring, that he was
dead and in his grave erethe tragic hour
came which was to avenge his unscrupu.
lous misdeeds, and to fill his own house
hold, as it were, with assassination and
murder-agent and victim being those
who had laid in his bosom, and, been
doubtless, very dear to himl
Gathering around her a party friendly
to her interests-for it was known that
the late king was very partial to her
she used all the power and the influence
she was master of to establish her son
Ethelred on the throne. Edward how
ever, was supported in his claims by the
express will Of his father, by his own
more advanced age, by such of the mobiles
as dreaded the domineering nature of FL
frida, but more particularly by Dunstan
and the monks, whose decision settled
the matter-Dunstan amounting and
browning the young prince at Kingston.
He was then fifteen years of age, and
Ethelred seven and the defeated queer,
baffled and beaten, and nursing her wrath
with that applicability belonging to an
indomitable nature, retired to Corfe Gas
tie, where she took up her residence,
holding now but little communion with
the court.
But for all this, she had net Surrender
ed her ultimate anyps On DealaBf1S her I'd.
vorite son. Strange anomaly, that the
sacred love of a mother should, in it's ar
dent %infatuation, hesitate at no evil means,
breads not the aspect of crime and to
compass her aims for the beloved object,
where sense and reason are obscured and
lost in the absorbing passion, will WELD
the poinard, drug the food. and deal with
midnight murder on his behalf-taking
risk and peril on herself, rather than that
he should fail.
On the part of the young king, he trea
ted his step mother with every mark of
Difference and respect. Presents and
greetings came to her from time to time.
He proposed to make his brothers ad-
vancement his care but with a naughty
humility, and coldly scornful expressions
Of gratitude, the implacable queen holds
aloof and the time goes by year by year,
and the rule of Edward is established, the
people love the frank and loyal nature he
exhibits-a little deferential to the lazy
monks, perhaps !; but when it is recollec.
ted that Dunstan welded the power Of a
pope in England, this will not be SO much
wondered at.
Consequently the news of the tranquil
and peaceful triumph Of his reign-during
which the people throve in such rude com
forts, and a few civilizing elements began
to branch and bud-reaching Elfrida's
ear from time to time, began to rankle
in her merclless and INSCRIPTIONS breast,
with all the fierce turbulence of hate
Edward was twenty years of age-ap-
preaching the full vigor of manhood,
might soon marry and have heirs in
which case, her hopes, ever now so slen-
der would be wholly destroyed.
Brooding ambition, when urged in ad-
dition by the darker passion of hatred,
soon becomes familiar with the contem-
plation of the dark and deadly paths Of
crime. The superb and accomplished
woman began to cherish those designs,
which beginning II fancy, end in fact
and by commencing with the fall inten-
ton, ripen at last in the full f~ruition of
murder.
In her householder rather serving
among the wild soldiery who formed the
castle guard, and still gave brilllancy to
the state which the queen yet affected to
hold, though with a studied form which
made hers secondary to that of the royal
court herself-was a man of a close, res
olute, and darkly brooding nature-one
w~ose infexible physiognomy, stern and
reserved air, and the utter absence of
servility characterizing him, had long be-
fore attracted the notice Of the queen.
lie was by birth a Dane. She had
found him a prisoner. She freed him
took him into her own service and a
tolerably good judge of human nature, she
concluded, though his gratitude found nc
vent in words, that she would not yet
find Gunthrum devoted to her, life and
imb-body and soul and she concluded
rightly.
Here was the agent the means, the
opportunity alone were wanting.
One day the queen was seated apart in
the hall Of state of Corfe Castle, and
with a thoughtful brow perusing a rol
Of vellum, which, inscribed with Saxon
characters, and having broken seals at
tached to it, was nothing more nor less
than a letter which one of her partizans
dwelling in the court of Winchester
and in fact, following it wherever i
moyed-had secretly sent to her. The
armed messenger who had brough
it refreshing himself with food and wine
at the buttery batch, and waiting for {
reply to be sent in return.
i The pages were assembled at q distan