Page:Woman in Art.djvu/329

WOMAN IN ART Matilda of Scotland was queen of Henry I of England, great-granddaughter of Alfred the Great on her father's side and of Henry II of Germany on her mother's side. Her life is a thrilling romance to this day.

After William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings and subjugated the English, the Saxons of noble birth, not daring to trust to his promises of protection, took ship secretly by night and fled from his court. The refugees were Agatha, widow of Edward Atheling, with her three children. A storm took them out of their way, and after some days they anchored on the coast of Scotland, in the Firth of Forth.

The eldest daughter, Margaret, eventually married Malcolm, King of Scotland, Shakespeare's Malcolm, son of that "gentle Duncan" so treacherously murdered by Macbeth. The first child of that marriage was Matilda, born in 1077. The young princess grew from childhood beautiful as her mother had been, and resembling her in goodness and sweetness of disposition.

After the untimely death of her parents, Matilda, then but sixteen years of age, was taken to England by her mother's brother, Edgar Atheling, where, under the care of an aunt she was instructed in the literature of the time and attained a higher degree of knowledge than was customary for one of her sex. For those days she was considered remarkably proficient in music, and her beauty, refinement of manners, and common sense marked her as a queen. The story of her life and influence is too long for these pages, but her marriage with King Henry united the two royal lines, Saxon and Norman, and made sure the rights of future sovereigns, all to the great joy of the whole nation.

Matilda as Queen of England radiated a beautiful character. Her piety, her conjugal virtues, and her generous spirit were worthy of the daughter of Margaret Atheling, and of her queenly position in a country greatly disrupted by greed and political factions. Her exertions for the good of her people were varied. She tried in every way to improve the conditions of the country, causing roads to be made through wild heaths and forests, thus facilitating commerce which had never been looked upon as a national asset. There were the remains of four old Roman roads radiating from London. England must thank Matilda for the first bridge over any river or stream; it still stretches its one arch over the River Lea at Stratford-le Bow. This queen built "Road-Houses" for the comfort of travelers. Several hospitals and charitable communities owe their foundations to Matilda. To have accomplished all this and much more, she must have possessed more power in the government than was permitted a queen-consort. In 1115 Henry and Matilda spent Christmas 261