minds the impression that the boy had been
hardly used.

One striking feature in the conduct of Edward the Second is the
remarkable meekness and submission with which he bore his father's angry
outbursts and severe punishments--often administered for mere youthful
follies, such as most fathers would think amply punished by a strong
lecture, and perhaps a few strokes of the cane. Edward the First seems
to have been one of those men who entirely forget their own childhood,
and are never able in after life to enter into the feelings of a child.

His Majesty, however, had other matters to attend to beside the
provocation received from his heir; for in the month of September
following (1299) he was married at Canterbury to the Princess Marguerite
of France. It was a case approaching that of Rachel and Leah, for it
was the beautiful Princess Blanche for whom the King had been in treaty,
and Marguerite was foisted on him by a process of crafty diplomacy not
far removed from treachery. However, since Marguerite, though not so
fair as her sister, proved the better woman of the two, the King had no
reason to be disappointed in the end.

The Council of Regency established in Scotland, discontented with
Edward's arbitration, referred the question of their independence to the
Pope, and that wily potentate settled the matter in his own interests,
by declaring Scotland a fief of the Holy See. The King was still
warring in that vicinity; the young Queen was left with her baby boy in
Yorkshire to await his return.

It was a hot July day, and Vivian, who highly disapproved of the
stagnation of Berkhamsted, declared his intention of going out to hunt.
People hunted in all weathers and seasons in the Middle Ages. Ademar
declined to accompany him, and he contented himself by taking two of the
Earl's squires and a handful of archers as company. The Earl did not
interfere with Vivian's proceedings. He was quite aware that the quiet
which he loved was by no means to everybody's taste; and he left his
retinue at liberty to amuse themselves as they pleased.

Vivian did not think it necessary to turn the key on Clarice; but he
gave her a severe lecture on discreet behaviour which astonished her,
since her conscience did not accuse her of any breach of that virtue,
and she could not trace the course of her husband's thoughts. Clarice
meekly promised to bear the recommendation in mind; and Vivian left her
to her own devices.

The da