g, he was perfectly enchanted with his bride. He was
himself, as has already been said, of a very sedate and quiet turn of
mind; amiable and gentle in disposition; devout, fond of retirement,
and interested only in such occupations and pleasures as are
consistent with a life of tranquillity and repose. Margaret was as
different as possible from all this. Her brilliant personal charms,
her wit, her spirit, her general intellectual superiority, the
extraordinary courage for which she afterward became so celebrated,
and which began to show itself even at this early period, all combined
to awaken in Henry's mind a profound admiration for his wife, and gave
her a great and rapidly-increasing ascendency over him.

[Sidenote: Her popularity in England.]

The impression which Margaret made upon the people was equally
favorable. England, they thought, had never seen a queen more worthy
of the throne than Margaret of Anjou. Some one said of her that no
woman equaled her in beauty, and few men surpassed her in courage and
energy. It seemed as if she had been born in order to supply to her
royal husband the qualities which he required in order to become a
great king.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE STORY OF LADY NEVILLE.

[Sidenote: Intrigues.]

[Sidenote: A romantic story.]

In reading the history of the English monarchy in these early times,
you will often hear of the _court intrigues_ which mingled with, and
sometimes greatly complicated, the movement of public affairs.
Margaret of Anjou found herself, on her arrival in England, involved
in many such intrigues. Indeed, she was admirably qualified, by her
sagacity and quickness of apprehension, and by the great ascendency
which these and other qualities which she possessed gave her over the
minds of all about her, to take a very active and successful part in
the management of manoeuvrings of all sorts. The nature of these court
intrigues is very well illustrated by the narration which the most
celebrated of Margaret's biographers gives of one in which he says
that Margaret herself became involved while on her way from France to
England. The story seems much more like romance than like reality.
Indeed, it doubtless is a romance, but it nevertheless illustrates
well the manner in which the private passions and personal and family
quarrels of the great became involved with, and sometimes entirely
controlled, the most important events in the national history, and
therefore it w