The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
4 GREAT LADY IN 1877.
How the widow or Edward II. Lived ut IIcrt-
ford Castle.

HHn VINO WTOte nrSt, wnub WOulu tno nan VINO
wrote second CT third or nth do? He would
have 10 work things ont for himself. and that,
MS every one knows. is too much to expect Of a
man nowadays. So hail 10 the man that wrote
first. The other writers snn COPY from him.
and can refer to him with scorn when any one
finds fault with their facts. or challenges their
veraclty In other ways. Then what the first
writer omitS. the second TO the nth writer
need not insert. IL is interesting To notice
how. many things are put Into the histories or
arc kept out of tho histories things that urrn't
so-just because tbs first writer made note Of
them. or left them ont entirely.
1t is this worship of tho first writer that
leads the historian of England meaning real.
~ Great Brittany to write thus about Edward
IFS wife, Isabella OF France. She. IL will be
remembered. was responsible largely for her
husbands deposition. and after that event, say
the historians: THE Queen was confined to
her own house at Castle Rising; and. though
the King paid her n visit OF CEREMONY once or
twice a yenr. she was never reinstated in any
credit or authority. She died in 1857"
In other words. according to tho historians.
Isabella sank Into obscurity and remained out
OF sight for thirty years. at the erd OF which
time she died. md In consequence, was buried.
Froissart started this story. But she put
It rather differently: THE King. BY the advice
of his council. ordered his mother to 30 con-
fined in n Eoodly castle, and gave her plenty
OF ladies to wait and attend on her. as well AS
knights anu esquircs Of honor. He made her q
handsome allowance to keep and maintain
the state she had been used TO. but forbade
that she should over 20 out or drive herself
abrond. except at certain times, when any
shows were exhibited in the court OF the castle.
The Queen thus passed her time there mceEly.
and the King. her son. visited her twice or
thrice A year" Sir John says the King visited
her twice or thrice n year: the later writer's
have reduced the number of visits to one or
two a year.
But. ms a matter OF fact. Queen Isabella had
a better time than even Troissart would sux-
gest, and n vastly better time than his ,mprov-
ers would allow. Castle Rising held the Queen
for only two years: thereafter she lived at
HEREFORD Castle. and the strictncss OF her Sc
clusion was relaxed. How much IL was relaxed
Is shown In TITO expense account OF the last
y ar of her life. the manuscript OF which is in
tho lSrisish Museum. Tn account also gives
an idea OF the way OF lie OF a great lady of $50
years ago, ana rs interesting for that reason,
too. OF course. the old writer's o. history
scotned TO look Mt tho expense accounts OF a
households: such writings were not documents.
they were not worthy OF 30 dignifed "A name:
hut, nevertheless, there is Just as gond history
in a wash list. sometimes. as in a protocol.
Day by day. In the accounts or Que, n lisa
bella's household. the names OF her visitors
are set down. Early In October. 1857. 5i9
Majesty. In those days was at HEREFORD. hav-
ing returned rsccntly from Castle Rising. and
with her was her nj .cc. Princess Joan. About
the middle OF Octo,er the Queen went to
Canter Jury on n pilgrimage. She stopped at
Tottenham. London; E!tha'n. hartford. and
and wss back Mt Hartford bY the first Of No
vember. She stopped a day or two In London
IperhEps 70 do her fall shopntngl. and had her
hDn the king md her rranlElv TIM IprfrTn al
Wales. 10 supper with her, and entertained
them with music gave n little musicale. We
what her Grace paid to her artists: there were
four OF them, and they got Is shiliiugs i pence.
On her rip tue Queen gave aims To tbs nuns
mincresses without Aldgste; TO the rector OF
81. EdrDund's. in WHOSE parish her London
house was situated, and u the prisoners in
Nrwgate.
In November the CAPITAL de Buche. cousin of
Gasion dc Folk. visited her Grace: and t. mum
Der OF French gentlemen. who had been taken
spects." On Feb. 10. 1857, Che year began on
March rs. remember. messengers cane from
from captivity. On March 20 the King came
10 sqpper. and in April the Queen went up to
London again.
She was there for two weeks. having friends
at dinner. after dinner. aud Mt supper. every
day. She. entertained them with music
probably; for earlier in the Year she had sent
Walter Hert. one of her "vie,les." IT viol-
pla, ers,, up TO London to AXE music lessons.
On May, IL. Queen Isabella left London. stop
ring Mt Chez thunt the next day. and on Junc4
bury. She onrertniGcd Tie ALhot Of St. Nu.
gustine's priory. had music In tho evening and
gave aims and obtariors. as usual.
But ever since the middle OF February the
oueen had hecn unw":l; she was nearly II not
quite seventy years old. and her mode Of HE
In her younger days had not been such "A, 10
Justify her in expcc ing. 10 live 20 tina age. On
Feb. 10 a messenger made his third trip TO Lon
don FOR medicine. and Master Lawrence. II phrsi-
CHM. ha been sent for. aud the same messeu-
DENLY La get Iu.s trint IN n ltIFr u FOR ln 'front.'
by NIGHT. On Aug. !. Master La wrcnco received
40 s%hillings for his attendance for a whole
received. his pay for medicines supplied. And
on AuR..23. the.Queen died rather suddenly at
the: last, with her niece. thu Princess Joan
BY her stce.
The body Of the Queen remained in tho
CHAPEL Of the castle for three months. watched
u these watchers received two pence n day and
HE food, On. NOV. 90 the Qmrcn was buried
I, the 'n site O Of Christ St char She Ho s5inriI' N %Md Hsr
,Ol, the King. distributed E5IO equal TO about
E5.4Oo. or ssy. 81 900 Of our present money
Beside, the notices OF her journeys and her
guests. the acc Iunt shows how 10 Queen lived.
in aims nearly $500 about 5000 OF our
II on-yl. Poor scholars at oxford came to
HEREFORD TO ask the Queens help and got IT.
and the Queen gave a Say in dolcs nearly =?
n week. about t20 of [ c present money. She
remembered her friends. too: for. after her
death. one William l.adde OF Shcre received
been burned while the Queen had been in Slene,
aud she had left word that he should receive
this AMOUNT.
Carpenters. plasteroTs. and Tiers were Mt
work ~ Ound Hcrtfu.d Castle and made repairs
to the Queens room. Her GraCe's carpet was
rehOuag. her chariot rellned with colored cloth.
her bathtuD was repaired lnfobahly it needed
repniuting: most bathtubs do: she laid IL a
supply OF yeilunl, hired Richard the Painter To
illuminate some books for her: repaid the Earl
or Arund" goo While. she had bnrruwed;
bought a hluR palfrcy and gave IL with II gold
mounted saddle md trnppiagS TO her iaugh-
ter. the Queen or Scotland. ana paid for two
mules which Louis lie Rucun. mcrchnnt. ~ the
S,ieiy OF Maleballl In london. was 10 bring
her from Avign0n. Tie mules were delivered
IN her agent after hcr death. and King Edward
III. received them ultimately.
The Queen saenS a good deal more money
on her i-wolry than OIL her alms. as most per-
sons do. ii the last year OF her life she spent
no less thun El.iU0. equal to about ElI 900
OF thr present currcncS- rr rather more than
so. OOp. She bought 400 ruOic- nj 20 pence II
hundreds: 1900 pearls at . pJuCe cacn. and
other things AZ equally astonishing Prices, and
IN equally astonishing quantities she also
lent u little IN ney out on Drolnissory notes.
when she saw n good chaurc; for instance.
ESQ ten tiiU.s'.s much to-day, was seat 20
Sir Thomas die Ia NarCn.
Charles of Navarro. n noted above. sent
word OF his escape. Evidently Queen Isabella
was tin connrctc. with the game OF POLITICS
being played in France; perhaps she sent some
q. her muucr and icwels 10 help her grand
ucnhcw OF Navarro In his fight against her
...,,,l ,,I,aIn Il ipV itht nj tTygppn Sl,a tNna