Page:The Queens of England.djvu/29

Rh forced her to assume a nun's garb at Rumsey, her hatred to- the costume, and her petulant tearing it off on every possible occasion. The will of the king, the plain statement of the young princess, and the voice of the nation in general — all declared for Matilda. She was pronounced free from all convent-vows, and besought by king, nobles, and people, to wed Henry, and become Queen of England.

How Christina bore this mortification, history sayeth not. Both her young novices had fled; for Mary, equally glad to escape from her aunt's stern rule, quitted the convent with Matilda, and soon after became a bride. The marriage of the royal lovers took place at Westminster, on St. Martin's day, November nth, 1100. William of Malmesbury, the quaint chronicler of the time, relates the circumstances with great exactness. It' must have been one of the strangest weddings that ever took place in those old walls, which have witnessesd the bridals of so many English rulers. Previous to the cere- mony, Archbishop Anselm — who seems throughout to have been a friend and confidant of Henry, and who was probably himself of Saxon blood — mounted the pulpit, and there, in a long discourse, more suited to the legal precincts of the neighboring hall than to the old abbey and the assembled marriage guests, told the whole proceedings of the synod, and its final opinion that Matilda was free to wed. He ended by an impassioned call on the people to confirm this decree, and was answered by an enthusiastic shout — "Long live Queen Matilda !" after which the good Anselm descended from his rostrum, and joined the hands of King Henry and his bride. Thiis, to the great joy of the whole nation, the two royal lines, Saxon and Norman, were united, and the rights of the after-sovereigns made sure. Matilda, the Queen of England, is a character who shines with as bright a lustre as Matilda the gentle princess in the nunnery of Romsey. Her piety, her conjugal virtues, and her generous spirit, were worthy of the daughter of Margaret Athe- ling. She resided chiefly at the palace of Westminster, and from thence she dispensed her good deeds, and proved that the English had done wisely in wishing for a Saxon queen. Her influence with Henry confirmed him in all his good intentions with regard to his Saxon subjects, and they now enjoyed favors and privileges such as they had not had since William of Nor- mandy set his foot on English shores. This excited the ire of the proud Norman barons, who during the two preceding reigns had grown fat with plunder, and had ravaged and seized upon