The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-23


suit, sent message to Richard inquiring why
he had taken such step. The duke returned
the answer, that he had no design against the
king but only against the traitor Somerset
and that with his arrest and trial his army
should disband" His demand was complied
with. Unattended and unarmed, the Duke OF
York was admitted to an interview with the
king To his amiablc sovereign he recountcd
the story Of his grievances. Most earnestly
did he protest his devoted loyalty to the king,
assuring him that his only hostility was to the
traitor Somerset Somerset, who, through the
queens efforts, had been released, and conceal.
ed behind the arras during this interview,
stung by this accusation, rushed out before the
astonished duke and king. A terrible exchange
of reproaches ensued between the foes ending
by the arrest of the Duke of York. Margaret,
overjoyed at the thought that her mortal enc
my was completely in her power, forgot her
queenly honor, and Richard became prison.
err 1t was neither wise nor polite to continue
this restraint long, and after taking the oath of
fealty he was set at liberty. Richards lips
took the oath IN the name Of the living God,
beneath the roof of grand ola cathedral, but
Richards breast registered deep, unalerable
VOW Of bitter, speedy revenge, as he fled to the
safe refuge Of his mountain castle.
One year later Margaret clasped close with
in her arms newfound, priceless treasure
her baby Edward. Proud queen, heroic war.
rlOr, keen statesman us she was, she was still
woman, and all the matChless tenderness of
| her motherhood Overlowed as she gaZed upon
the tiny, sinless face whose deep, lovely eyes
seemed to reflect the unshadowed light of a
lost heaven; and, in her happiness, Margaret
envied none, not even tina angels Neverthe.
less, her cherished child was destined to be her
curse, not her blessing. True, those sweet,
innocent features might have almost caused
the heart Of a Medusa to melt in compassion,
but Richard remembered that the crown of
England could never be his while Edward
lived, and for that crown he was willing to
peril all, even heaven. So the small baby
hand was fated to throw the torch which
should kndle the embers OF dlscord into hot,
deadly flame.
Suddenly, under the sembanc0 of deep
sorrow falling upon the royal household, an
unseen hand laid for the time being pro-
found hush upon the raging waves. Through
many months the poor kings sensitive heart
had bled in silence beneath the chilling intlu-
ence of professed friends, and the open thrusts
of cruel enemies; his wearIed brain had grown
wild beneath Its load OF perpeXing cares and
his sad eyes, looking forward, saw only hope
less night closing over the dreary future. BY
| day. the consciousness of his inability to cope
with the hostile elements around HIM, his
lpowerlessness tn aid III. brave wife III her sin.
rlehandcd conflict against such terrible odds,
racked his atlcctlonatc nature. AZ night, the
VISION of Il country torn by faction aud dying
from the wounds which her own hands had
inflicted, haunted his pillow and drove sleep
from his side. Is it any wonder that reason
resigned her imperial seat, and mauIess wan
dercd at its own fantastic pleasure up and
down through the gloomy chambers Of the
ruined mind?
1t was now that Margaret, clearly foreseeng
that the kings malady would prove a conven-
lent preext for removing all power from her
hands, studiously concealed the fact from all
but her nearest friends THE king was ill.,"
she said, "too i'll to transact business" so she
bore all messages to and fro, minlsterng de-
votedly to his comfort and so perfectly hiding
the dread secret that the truth was not even
suspected. The kings mental disease did not
manifest itself in violent FORMS but the vacant
stare, the unmeanlng smile spoke more mourn
fully than the widest outburst of passion.
Margaret stood alone under the wide canopy
of heaven; there was not single heart upon
which she could lay her throboing head and
say, "bear with me my burthens." Her father,
mother, sisters, and the friends of her girl
hood were separated from her, no less by the
rigid letters of State policy than by the waters
been, almost infinitely Inferior to the lovely,
imperious wife, still his love had been all in
all to her, and her commanding spirit had
leaned upon his unchanging affection and
there found rest Now she looked into the
eyes which had once followed her every move
ment with fond devotion, in that bitter anguish
which had prompted Henry, in Schlller's
tragedy of Marie Stuart, to say, 80 God, from
these eyes speaks no heart"' Her ministers
were her trusted advisers in state affairs, but
she could not unveil to the gaze of strangers
the unutterabe fears for her loved ones which
darkened all the future.
So with one hand quietly shutting the door
against her closet skeleton, and one hand firm
ly holding the helm of state, time passed on,
until the infant Edward was two months old
then the crisis eliminated. The Archbishop
of Canterbury, the highest dignitary of the
church in England, died. A custom made sa-
cred by the ancient usage OF the realm, and
by the same authority rendered unalterable as
the laws of the Modes and Persians, decreed
that upon such occasions adaptation appoint
cd by Parliament should wait upon the king,
condOlc with HIM upon the loss which the ma
ton had suffered, and advise with him rs to
the future Not even Margaret's delicate tact
and wonderful shrewdness could bar the way
to this august body; they were admitted to
the presence OF the king. They informed him
of the blow which had fallen upon the nation,
but received no answer. Their only reply was
the blank glance of the dull, heavy eye, telling
more eloquently than any words of the wreck
ed mind.
Astonished and alarmed, the committee has
tened to lay their report before the House of
Lords, while the tidings spread far and wide
oyer the kindgom That wise body deliber-
ated long, then came to the wise conclusion
that il would conduce to the best interests of
the nation to make the Duke of York regent
of the kingdom, and protector of the king
during his illness. or until his son had reach
ed maturity.
The crown had been placed upon Margar-
cts brow by the highest authority IN the realm,
and she was more than competent to weld the
scepter; nevertheless the English Parliament