then about to leave England, "to the sorrow of no man but the king."
In 1252, Henry gave in marriage his beautiful daughter Margaret, to
Alexander, King of the Scots, and held his Christmas at the same time.
The city of York was the scene of the regal festivities. The marriage
took place on Christmas Day, the bridegroom and many of his nobles
receiving knighthood at the hands of the English king. Henry seems to
have conciliated the English barons for a time, for most of them were
present at the marriage festivities, and he counted a thousand knights
in his train; while Alexander brought sixty splendidly-attired
Scottish knights with him. That the banqueting was on no mean scale is
evident from the fact that six hundred fat oxen were slaughtered for
the occasion, the gift of the Archbishop of York, who also subscribed
four thousand marks (L2,700) towards the expenses. The consumption of
meats and drinks at such feasts was enormous. An extant order of
Henry's, addressed to his keeper of wines, directs him to deliver two
tuns of white and one of red wine, to make garhiofilac and claret 'as
usual,' for the king at Christmas; and upon another occasion the
Sheriffs of Gloucestershire and Sussex were called upon to supply part
of the necessary provisions; the first named being directed to get
twenty salmon, and make pies of them; while the latter was instructed
to send ten peacocks, ten brawns with their heads, and other things.
And all this provision was necessary, for while Henry feasted the
rich, he did not forget the poor. When he kept his Christmas at
Winchester in 1248, he ordered his treasurer to fill Westminster Hall
with poor people, and feast them there for a week. Twenty years
afterwards, he kept his Royal Christmas in London for fifteen days,
opening a fair meantime at Westminster, and forbidding any shop to be
opened in London as long as the festival lasted. This prohibition of
business naturally displeased the citizens of London, but the king
would not withdraw his prohibition until they agreed to make him a
present of two thousand pounds, upon the receipt of which the
prohibition was withdrawn.

We cannot pass over this period without reference to the summoning of

THE FIRST ENGLISH PARLIAMENT,

which was a great event of Christmastide.

The Barons' Wars interfered seriously with the Christmas festivities,
but they solved the problem of how to ensure the government of the
realm in accordance with the provi