Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/546

532 mond Ironside. From the court of Solomon, king of Hungary, their grandfather, they came over to England; but on the accession of Harold, fled with their mother Agatha, and a younger sister, and were cast ashore on the coast of Scotland, where they were hosptablyhospitably [sic] received by the king Malcolm, who, by the assistance of Edward the Confessor, had recovered the throne of Scotland from the usurper Macbeth. Malcolm, in 1066, married Margaret. Wonderful things are related of her piety, liberality, and humility. Through her influence the ferocious spirit of her husband received an happy tincture of humanity, and so high was his opinion of her wisdom, that he made her partaker of his power. She was thus enabled to reform the kingdom of Scotland, in a great degree; she rendered the people happier by a diminution of taxes, succoured the unfortunate, and introduced a more serious regard to the duties of the sabbath than had been known before in that country. She had, by Malcolm, six sons and three daughters. Three of the former reigned successively, and were esteemed excellent monarchs. Her daughter, the wife of Henry I, of England, was lovely, patient, and benevolent. She obtained the name of Matilda the Good. Margaret had taken uncommon care of her children's education, and the fruits of her labours appeared in their lives. Theodoric, her confessor, observes, that she was remarkably attentive in public prayer, "And," says he, "she would discourse with me concerning the sweetness of everlasting life, in such a manner as to draw tears from my eyes." This same Theodoric, a monk of Durham, wrote her life. She was afflicted with sickness at the very time in which her husband Malcolm was slain at Alnwick, in Northumberland, in the reign of William Rufus, in 1093. The bitter