Royal Edinburgh: Her Saints, Kings, Prophets and PoetsOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
History
Royal Edinburgh: Her Saints, Kings, Prophets and Poets
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Edinburgh (Scotland) -- History
intercourse and securely established communications. If so he would
probably blame himself for a mixed motive by the side of Margaret's pure
and absolute heavenly-mindedness, yet take pleasure in the secondary
unacknowledged good all the same.
Thus their life went on for nearly a quarter of a century in a course of
national development to which everything contributed, even the love of
splendour which Margaret brought with her, and her artistic tastes, and
the rage for decoration and beautiful surroundings which had then begun
to be so strong an element in national progress. She had many children
in the midst of all these labours and public interests, seven sons and
two daughters, whom she brought up most carefully in all the perfection
of her own faith. Three of these sons succeeded one after the other to
the Scottish throne, and proved the efficacy of her teaching by piety as
strong and as liberal as her own. It was in the year 1093 that
Margaret's beautiful and touching life came to an end, in great sorrow
yet triumph and pious victory over trouble. Before this time, but at a
date not indicated in the narrative, she had parted with her friend and
biographer Theodoric, probably not very long before her own death, as we
are told that she was oppressed by forebodings, or rather premonitions
of death and sorrow, of which she spoke to him with tears. When the
moment of separation came both penitent and confessor so long united in
the closest bonds of sympathy wept sore. "Farewell," said the Queen; "I
shall not live long, but you will live long after me. Remember my soul
in your prayers, and take care of my children; cease not to teach and
admonish them, especially when they are raised to great estate." He made
the promise with tears, not daring to contradict her by happier
auguries, and in this way took his last farewell of the Queen, and never
saw her more. He continues his story, however, taking it from the lips
of a priest who remained with her during the rest of her life, probably
also a Saxon, since he became a monk of St. Cuthbert's on Margaret's
death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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