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 ISABELLA OF FRANCE. 125 her eldest son, Edward, Prince of Wales, to join her. This done, she threw off the mask, openly maintained the most scan- dalous connection with Mortimer, and refused to return to England, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties of her husband. Edward's letters to her, to her son, and to his royal brother- in-law at this time were of the most earnest and, in themselves, really reasonable character. But his close alliance with the Despensers was against him, and this afforded a most unan- swerable plea to the queen. She demanded their dismissal ; declared that she dared not trust herself within their reach ; that the king himself could afford her no protection against them; that they openly disregarded his most positive com- mands ; and that they only wanted to secure her in order to put her to death. With this valid plea against her husband, a plea fully sanctioned by the contempt of the nation for the king's weak slavery to his favorite, Isabella not only continued to set at defiance the entreaties of Edward to return, but entered into marriage arrangements for her son, of a nature most utterly opposed to Edward's wishes. He himself was engaged in a double treaty, for the marriage of Prince Edward with the Infanta Eleonora of Arragon, and of his eldest daugh- ter, the Princess Eleanor, to the young King of Arragon. Isa- bella, however, regardless of the king's honor, and caring for nothing but those iniquitous plans which she had now matured with Mortimer for the deposition of the king her husband, sought to contract Edward to a daughter of the Count of Hainault, whose wife was Isabella's first cousin. This alliance she eventually accomplished. But Isabella's conduct was become so flagrant, that all France resounded with it. The king, her brother, urged by the plain and solemn remonstrances of the King of England, and dis- gusted with Isabella's shameless behavior, now ordered her to quit his kingdom and return to her husband, or he would make her return with shame. On this the guilty Isabella fled to Hainault, carrying her son Edward with her, and there threw herself, like the distressed queen of romance, on the protection and aid of that court. She was conducted to Valenciennes, in great state, and there feasted for eight days, with much honor, when the Count's brother, Sir John of Hainault, vowed to become her champion against all her enemies. Amid his chiv- alrous vows, the valiant knight did not conceal it from his brother the Count, that he thought it a fine opportunity for