d willing to be guided by his counsel in
almost every thing that she did. Indeed, the ascendency which the
cardinal thus exercised over Margaret greatly increased his power over
the king. The affairs of the court and of the government were directed
almost wholly by his counsels. The Duke of Gloucester and the nobles
of his party became more and more indignant and angry at this state of
things. The realm of England, they said, through the weakness and
imbecility of the king, had fallen into the hands of a priest and of a
woman--a French woman, too.

[Sidenote: Great mistakes often made.]

But there was nothing that they could do. Margaret was so young and so
beautiful that every body was captivated with her person and behavior,
and whatever she did was thought to be right. Indeed, the general
course which she pursued on her first arrival in England _was_ right
in an eminent degree. There have been many cases in which young
queens, in coming as Margaret did, away from their native land and
from all their early friends, to reign in a foreign court, have
brought with them from home personages of distinction to be their
favorites and friends in their new position. But when this is done,
jealousies and ill-will always sooner or later spring up between these
relatives and friends of the foreign bride and the old native advisers
of the king her husband. The result is, in the end, a king's party and
a queen's party at court, and perpetual quarrels and dissensions
ensue, in which at least the people of the country are sure to become
involved, from their natural jealousy of the foreign influence, as
they call it, introduced by the queen.

[Sidenote: Margaret's friends and counselors.]

[Sidenote: Her good sense.]

[Sidenote: Example for all young brides.]

Queen Margaret had the good sense to avoid this danger. All the
principal persons who came with her to England, for the purpose of
accompanying her on the journey, and of carrying back to her father
and friends in France authentic assurances of her having been
honorably received by her husband as his bride and queen, were
dismissed and sent home again immediately after the coronation, as we
have already seen. Margaret retained only certain domestic servants,
and perhaps some two or three private and personal friends. As for
counselors and advisers, she threw herself at once upon the ministers
and counselors of the king--the Cardinal Beaufort, who had been his
guardian fr