Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1899-04-29 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

MALCOLM'S COURTSHIP.  The probability is. however, that Malcolm had not returned home from his English expedition when his guests arrived. Whether or not he was able to welcome the party in person he certainly soon made it evident that he wished them to consider' themselves more than welcome. He must at once have set himself to lay siege to the heart of the Princess Margaret. Now, it may be safely be assumed that Malcolm was not quite Margaret's bean-ideal of a lover. He was 47 she was not much over 20. His court must have seemed to her rude and little more than halleivilised, for her upbringing had been refined, and she was as much distinguished for her mental accomplishments as for her personal beauty. He was a hunter and a warrior; her inclinations were those of the holy maid longing for the pious repose and security of the convent, whither her sister (*hristian afterwards proceeded. TTe was it widower, and by his first wife. Ingibmrg, the widow of Earl Thorfinu, of Orkney. he hail two sons, and doubtless she thought she had enough of cares and trials to bear. It is said, indeed, by St. Dunelm, who was supposed to have been inspired by Turgid. Margaret's confessor, that Margaret and Malcolm had been lovers in England, and that they had been betrothed to each other before she and her friends left the Northumbrian ciao. The probability, however. is that the urgency for the marriage was on Malcolm's part rather on the part of the Princess and her relatives. As a matter of fact the accounts seem to suggest the king had some •liffieultv in inducing Edgar as the head of the Saxon family to consent to tile union. At the same time it is not to be supposed that Malcolm was either an unacceptable or an undesirable lever. Though he was perhaps unlettered in the sense of not being able to read, he was not uneducated in kingly graces. After I the murder of his father by the treacherous Macbeth he had been brought up in Northumberland by hie uncle Siward, and had been trained in the knightly accomplishments of the time. Though he milk' not read or write he could speak three  huiguages, namely, Ga..lie, Latin. mid Saxon. Ile was strong and brave, wise to connect. and skilful in battle, and by his UWII right arm and subtle brain as mlich as by the help of the loyal :Slamluff and of his uncles men-at-arms he had won back the kingdom which his father had lost. Nay, it may be said of him. as Tennyson has written of Arthur—many a _petty king ere Malcolm came reigned in North Britain, and ever waging war each upon other wasted all the laud, . but Cam:goreDrew all their pqry princedoms undtr him And made a resim and reigned The historians tell us that Malt°lm was the flrst sovereign who was King of Scotland in more than name. Theo what a pedigree be had! According to Robert Chambers he came of a line of kings dating back Fix hundred years,. and haa not Dr. Gordon in his Scotichroniorin compiled a continuous list of ficottish monarchs from the accession of Fergus. who began to reign in the year 330 B.°. Let us hope that much more attractive to Margaret than her suitor's claims of long descent were his shining virtues of magnanimity and true chivalry. In any case his love was irresistible; she was entirely in his hands; the safety of the fugitive family was dependent upon him; and so let us say, vowing she would ne er consent, as modest maidens have a way of doing, she consented. Within six months after her arrival in Scotland she was the faithful and loving wife of the large-hearted, large-headed man who was King of Scotland.