Although only in her fiftieth year, Margaret began to look forward to the time when she could hand over the government of the Netherlands to her nephew Charles and spend the rest of her days in quiet seclusion. For her life had been a very strenuous one, full of great responsibility and unceasing work, and now that she felt her mission accomplished, she longed for her nephew's advent and her own retirement from political life. Chiefly owing to her intervention, that peace which it had been her lifelong endeavour to promote, now reigned throughout Europe, and under her wise rule the Netherlands had reached the zenith of their prosperity. Art, industry, and commerce flourished in the Low Countries as they had never flourished before. Encouraged by Margaret, a brilliant group of artists, poets, and literary men settled at her Court at Malines. Merchants from England, Spain, France, and Italy attended the great fairs, and traded in arms, embroideries, tapestries, velvets, satins, cloth, and leather goods. Malines became noted for its various industries, and Brussels, Ypres, Liége, Ghent, Lille, and Tournay all rose rapidly into commercial centres. Architecture made enormous strides, and music, painting, and literature received a new birth. [Illustration: INTERIOR OF COURTYARD IN MARGARET'S PALACE AT MALINES, NOW THE PALACE DE JUSTICE] In her palace at Malines Margaret collected all that was rare and beautiful, and her rooms were veritable museums, as the inventory written under her direction shows. Priceless tapestries hung on the walls, some of which she had brought from Spain, whilst others were presented to her on various occasions. Many rich and valuable objects are mentioned in her catalogue: Statuettes, gold and silver caskets and mirrors, crystal, chalcedony and jasper goblets and vases, carved ivories, amber, corals, and curiously wrought chessmen, beautiful fans, medallions, clocks of rare workmanship which struck the hours and half-hours, magnificent plate, sometimes inlaid with precious stones, glass and pottery, suits of armour, ivory hunting horns, and various relics of the chase. Her private library contained many rare and valuable books, chiefly bound in velvet (crimson, green, black, and blue), with gold and silver clasps, besides illuminated manuscripts, several bearing her devices in the borders and strewn with painted 'marguerites.' The 'Bibliothèque Royale' at Brussels possesses several manuscripts from Margaret's collection. Amongst others, her 'Book of Hours'; four of her albums; 'La Bible Historiale,' with portraits of her and Philip kneeling at their 'prie-dieu'; Her 'Album Musical,' and her book of 'Basses Danses' on black paper, with gold notes and letters, containing a set of dances fashionable in her day--'La Marguerite,' 'l'Espérance de Bourbon,' 'M'amour-m'amie,' 'Filles à marier,' 'Le joyeux de Bruxelles,' etc. A portrait of Margaret in water-colours is also in the library, and is probably by Horembout.