ducted her with all honour to the king at Westminster where she appeared before the messengers of the emperor, a lady in her 20th year, beautiful to look upon, adorned with virgin modesty, and distinguished by her royal dress and manners. After they had refreshed their sight for some time with gazing on the lady, they decided that she was most worthy in all respects of the imperial couch, and confirmed the marriage on the soul of the emperor by oath, presenting her with a wedding ring in his name; after they had placed it on her finger they proclaimed her empress of Rome, all exclaiming, "Long live our empress.' They then sent messengers with all haste to inform the emperor of what they had done, who, immediately after Easter, sent the archbishop of Cologne, and the duke of Louvaine, with a large array of nobles, into England to bring the empress to him with due honour, and to complete the marriage ceremony, in order that it might be consummated.

Of the wedding ornaments of the empress and of the noble preparations. There was such a profusion of ornaments at this marriage that they appeared to surpass kingly wealth; for the empress herself a crown had been most elaborately constructed out of pure gold adorned with jewels, and on it were carved likenesses of the four martyr and confessor kings of England, to whom the king had especially assigned the care of his sister's soul. She shone forth with such a profusion of rings and gold necklaces, and other splendid jewels, with silk and thread garments, and other like ornaments, which usually attract the gaze and excite the desires of women even to covetousness, that they appeared invaluable. With bridal garments of silk, wool, and thread, she was so well supplied, that it was difficult to say which would be most likely to attract the emperor's affections. Her couch was so rich in its coverlets and pillows of various colours, and the various furniture and sheets made of pure fine linen, that by its softness it would invite those lying in it to a delightful slumber. All the drinking cups and dishes were of the purest gold and silver; and, what seemed superfluous to every one, all the cooking pots, large and small, were of pure silver. And to take the management and care of all these, some of the attendants of the courts were deputed, and to wait on the empress and her family in kingly custom. After being supplied with these and many other gifts by her brother and receiving a dowry from him, the lady Isabel remained under the care of the bishop of Exeter, and Ralph Fitz Nicholas, the king's seneschal, and other nobleman of his household, and attended by noble dames and damsels, who, being all skilled in courtly manners, would suffice to wait on and escort the empress. After he had thus arranged matters the king, on St. John's day, held a solemn festival before the Latin gate at Westminster in company with the archbishop of Cologne and the emperor's other messengers; on the day following they all took the road towards the borough of

Dartford accompanied by the king with a large train of earls and barons. The king had also procured for the lady, in honour of her as empress, a number of horses remarkable for their various colours and of gentle paces, which bore their riders with a delightful gentleness, without annoying them by the motion of their feet; the trappings and saddles too, gilt and carved, were of such a variety, and the bridles and reins so elaborately worked in gold, that they set off the rider as well as the horse. They proceeded through the city of Rochester and arrived at the abbey of Feversham, and starting from thence they went to Canterbury to perform their devotions to the archbishop and martyr, Thomas; after fulfilling their religious duties, they proceeded to the port of Sandwich to the number of about three thousand knights. From that port the empress and the archbishop of Cologne, with the noblemen and ladies appointed as her suite, embarked on the 11th of May, and put to sea under full sail; it was not however without weeping that the brother and sister, the king and empress parted.

Of the arrival of the empress at Cologne.

After a voyage of three days and nights they entered the mouth of the river Rhine, and after a run of a day and night up that river, they arrived at Antwerp, a city under the imperial jurisdiction. On their landing at this place they were met by an immense host of armed nobles, who had been sent by the emperor to act as a guard to the empress, to keep vigilant watch round her person day and night; for it was reported that some of the emperor's enemies, who were in alliance with the French king, were planning to carry off the empress, and prevent the marriage. They were also met by all the priests and clergy of the adjacent districts in solemn procession, ringing bells and singing songs of joy, and with them came all the best masters in every sort of music with their instruments, who accompanied the empress with all kinds of nuptial rejoicings during her journey of five days to Cologne. When her approach became known at that place there went out to meet her, with flowers, palm branches, and in festive dresses, about ten thousand of the citizens, mounted on Spanish horses, who put them to full speed and engaged in jousting with one another. Accompanied by these rejoicing crowds the empress proceeded through the principal streets of the city, which had been decorated in all kinds of ways against her arrival; and, on learning that every one, and especially the noble ladies of the city, who sat in the balconies, were desirous of seeing her face, she took her cap and hood from her head, for all to get a sight of her, for doing which every one praised her, and after they had gazed at her gave her great commendations for her beauty as well as her humility. She then took up her abode outside the walls of the city on account of the noise therein, and there awaited the emperor's instructions.

Of the marriage of the emperor and empress at Worms. At the time of the empress's arrival at Cologne, the emperor was engaged in a war against his son who had rebelled against him; his father, however, led such a large army against him that he laid siege to ten of his castles at one and the same time; in one of the strongest of these the son had shut himself; but on his father's laying siege to it, he, dreading his father's severity, left the castle, and throwing himself at his feet begged his mercy. The latter however, without pity, ordered him to be enchained* and took him away with him to Worms, from which place he sent word to the empress to come to him there, she having then been six weeks at Cologne. The archbishop of Cologne and the bishop of Exeter, with the other nobles of her suite then at once set out on their way to the emperor, and, after a journey of seven days brought the empress to him amidst all kind of nuptial pomp and rejoicing. She was received on her arrival by the emperor with joy and respect, who was beyond measure delighted with her beauty, and the marriage was solemnized at that place on Sunday the 20th of July, and although her beauty pleased the emperor at first sight he was much more pleased after marriage. After the nuptial festivities had been continued for four successive days, the bishop of Exeter and the rest who had attended the empress thither, obtained leave from the emperor and returned joyfully to England, taking with them as presents from him to the English king, three leopards with other costly presents which were scarce in the countries of the west, the emperor also promised to assist him against the king of the French.

Of the nobility of the extraction of this empress.

There were many however in the Roman empire who thought that it was degrading for the emperor, who was so powerful and rich, and who was as it were the lord and governor of the whole world, to marry the sister of an English king. But as it is known to all that there is greater dignity in being of a noble race than in being rich, the reader ought to know that the father of this empress was John king of England; that the then reigning king Henry was her brother; that the illustrious kings Henry and Richard, and Geoffrey count of Brittany, were her uncles. These kings of renowned race ruled in England and Ireland, whence they were kings; in Normandy and Aquitaine, by which they were

* Paris here adds, "When he was released from prison, and the restraint of reverence for the emperor was somewhat removed, the son is said to have procured poison to give to his father; but being accused of this intended crime, he was placed in closer confinement, and consigned to the custody of a certain duke, who bore him imperishable hatred, because king Henry had used all his endeavours to disinherit him; but now, fortune having changed, the king was consigned to the pleasure of the duke. The emperor therefore sent for the empress to come to him at Worms.

dukes; in Poictou and Anjou, by which they were counts; besides claiming jurisdiction over Touraine, Maine, Berry, and Auvergne. In all these districts they had seven archbishops in subjection to them, with the kings of Scotland and Wales, and of the islands of Ireland and Man; and besides these an almost countless number of bishops, earls, barons, and knights. The mother of the empress was queen of all these countries; and of her two sisters, one was queen of Scots, and the other countess of Pembroke. She had five aunts, the first of which was the wife of Alphonso king of Castile, and the mother of Blanche queen of France (whose son Louis now reigned in that kingdom); Roger king of Sicily married another; a third had married Henry duke of Saxony, and became the mother of Otho, afterwards emperor of the Romans, whose brother of Henry duke of Saxony was afterwards king of Jerusalem; a fourth was the wife of Raymond count of Toulouse, and Rotroc count of Perche married the fifth. By this and other things, it seems that the empress was "descended from a race of kings," her father, as aforesaid, being king John, the son of the renowned king Henry; and the latter was the son of the empress Matilda, the daughter of Henry the First, king of England, by his queen Matilda. This Matilda was the daughter of Malcolm king of Scots, and his queen St. Margaret. Margaret was the daughter of Edward by Agatha, sister to Henry the Roman emperor. This Edward was the son of the English king Edmund, surnamed "Ironsides," who was the son of king Ethelred; the father of Ethelred was Edgar the "Peaceful;" the father of the latter was Edmund, and his father was the first Edward, who was the son of the renowned king Alfred. The genealogy of this king is carried back in English history to Adam our first parent. and by this it appears that an empress descended from such ancestors was in every respect most worthy of a marriage with the emperor.

Thus far extend the Chronicles of master Roger de Wendover: "And thus in these pages the history of our age is,

There are writers still in store who'll hereafter tell you more."

THE END.

Clodesuida of Metz, i. 67.
Clotildis, i. 18.
Clovis, i. 17, 18.

Cnute, king, i. 285-300.
Colgrin a Saxon leader, i.
34, 36.

Columbanus, St., i. 48, 58.
Conrad, emperor, i. 487-507.
Conrad of Montferrat, i, 71.
Constans, emperor, i. 86.
Constantine, emperor, i. 70.
Constantine, king, i. 43.
Constantine, pope, i. 127.
Coradin, ii. 410, 491.

Balac, prince of the Turks, Crusades, i. 376, ii. 63, 604.