Lord Marnell took his wife to Court, and presented her to the King—the Queen was dead—and the Duchess of Gloucester (Eleanor Bohu), his aunt. The King spoke to Margery very kindly, and won her good opinion by so doing. The Duchess honoured her with a haughty stare, and then “supposed she came from the North?” in a tone which indicated that she considered her a variety of savage. The ladies in waiting examined and questioned her with more curiosity than civility; and Margery’s visit to Court left upon her mind, with the single exception of King Richard’s kindness, a most unpleasant impression.
In the winter of 1396, King Richard brought home a new queen, the Princess Isabelle of France, who had attained the mature age of eight years. Margery watched the little Queen make her entrance into London. She was decked out with jewels, of which she brought a great quantity over with her, and fresh ones were presented to her at every place where she halted. Alice, with round eyes, declared that “the Queen’s Grace’s jewels must be worth a King’s ransom—and would not your good Ladyship wish to have the like?”
Margery shook her head.
“The only jewels that be worth having, good Alice,” said she, “be gems of the heart, such like as meekness, obedience, and charity. And in truth, if I were the chooser, there be many things that I would have afore jewels. But much good do they the Queen’s Grace, poor child! and I pray God she rest not content with gauds of this earth.”
Before that winter was over, one thing, worth more than the Queen’s jewels in her eyes, was bestowed upon Margery. Something to take care of—something to love and live for. A little golden-haired baby, which became, so far as anything in this world could become so, the light and joy of her heart and soul.
Margery soon learned to value at its true worth the show and tinsel of London life. She never appeared again at Court but once, to pay her respects to the new Queen, who received her very cordially, seated on a throne by her husband. The small Queen of eight “hoped she was quite well, and thought that England was a very fine country.” The king spoke to her as kindly as before, offered her ipocras (see Note 4) and spices, and on the close of the interview, took up his little Queen in his arms, and carried her out of the room. Margery had, indeed, no opportunity to visit the Court again; for the young Queen was educated at Windsor, and very rarely visited London. And Lady Marnell, tired of the hollow glitter of high life, and finding few or none in her own sphere with whom she could complacently associate, went back with fresh zest to her baby and the book.
Note 1. These descriptions are taken from the invaluable illuminations in Creton’s Histoire du Roy Richart Deux, Harl. Ms. 1319. Creton was a contemporary and personal friend of King Richard.
Note 2. The frontlet and barb were pieces of white linen, the former worn over the forehead, the latter over the chin.
Note 3. Gloves were just becoming fashionable in the fourteenth century for common wear. Before that, they were rarely used except when the wearer carried a falcon on the wrist.