%

‘“JlCii!.

lf V

'®iiHtitofljlajitj,lend itan?(titlcdkto nut-Mil

lent toltioidljortk■tbkfrA®iwloilerectlt

:t MjpointsGsittteTimemiW■toTlif.

'dM

i mi S'r.) »beffttiitioi 1

( 121 )

That there was a Countefs of Salisbury with whomKing Edward III. became greatly enamour’d, Iroiffart re-ports after this manner, That this King having relieved aQtjik of that Earl’s in the North, wherein his Countefs hadbeen befeged by the Scots (the Earl himfelf being at that timePrifoner in France 5) upon fight of her extraordinary Beautyhe fell in love with her 5 but fhe fo virtuoufy demeaned herfelf, during his Abode there, that he declined further Solicita-tion. However, fome time after, the King out of De-iire to fee her, proclaim’d folemn Jufts in London , whi-ther this Countefs and other Ladies being invited, cameup. This CaAle it feems was lvark_ upon Tweed in Nor-thumberland, which King Edward had formerly bellowedon her Husband, for his good Service pad, when hefirft efpoufed her, being then but a Knight.

Altho’ it Ihould be admitted that this Countefs ofSalisbury was the King’s Midrefs, yet mull it be re-mark’d, That fhe was Wife to William Mount ague, Kt.created Earl of Salisbury, Anno 11 Edw. III. Mother toWilliam the before-mention’d fecond Earl, that herChridian Name was Catherine, not Alice, as Froiffart, notfoan, as others call her, Daughter to William LordGranfion, and that fhe expired J.8 Edw. III. But that thewhole may appear, what indeed it is, a meer Fable, welhall inlert the Judgment of Dr. Heylin, who took greatPains in this Particular. This, fays he, I take to be a vainand idde Romance, derogatory both to the Founder and theOrder firfl publifhed by Pol. Virgil, a Stranger to the Affairsof England, and by him taken upon no better ground thanFama Vulgi, the Tradition of the common People, too tri-fling a Foundation to fo great a Building.

Of the fame Contexture with the former is anotherTradition in Andrew du Chefne, That the Queen departingfrom the King to her own Apartments, and he following foona fter, chanced to efpy a Blue Garter lying on the Ground (fup-fofed to have flipp'd from her Leg') whilfl fome of his Atten-dants carelefy paffed by it, as difdaining to floop at fuch aTrifle ; but he knowing the Owner, commanded it to be gi-ven him ; at the Receipt of which he faid, You make but fmallcu fount of this Garter 5 but within few Months, I'll caiife theffi °f y m to reverence it alike. Some fuppofe that theMotto was the Queen’s Anfwer, when the King asked

her,

pi