Queen by Right (82 page)

cote or cotehardie
—long gown worn by men and women.

crenellation
—indentation at top of battlement wall.

donjon
—keep or main tower of a castle.

ewerer
—water pourer and holder of hand-washing bowls at table.

exedra
—low, grass-covered wall that could be used as a seat in a garden.

fetterlock
—a padlock for a shackle; a heraldic device.

fewterer
—hunting-dog handler.

flampayne
—an egg pie with meat, like a quiche.

fox and geese
—medieval board game.

frumenty
—soupy mixture of hulled wheat in boiled milk with sugar and spices.

galingale
—aromatic root of the ginger family.

garderobe
—inside privy where clothes were often stored.

gemshorn
—musical instrument of polished, hollowed goat’s horn.

gipon
—close-fitting padded tunic.

gittern
—plucked, gut-stringed instrument similar to a guitar.

gong farmer
—man who removes waste from privies and carts it outside city.

groat
—silver coin worth about fourpence.

grosgrain
—ribbed worsted wool often mixed with silk.

hanap
—wine cup.

heir apparent
—the next in line to the throne, today often called the crown prince.

heir presumptive
—the next in line to the throne in the absence of an immediate heir, but who could be bumped by events.

hennin
—tall conical headdress from which hangs a veil. Steepled hennins were as much as two feet high; butterfly hennins sat on the head like wings with the veil draped over a wire frame.

hippocras
—a honeyed wine.

hobby horse
—fast, light breed of Irish horses said to be the ancestor of Irish racehorses today.

houppelande
—full-length or knee-length tunic or gown with full sleeves and train.

jennet
—saddle horse often used by women.

jupon
—see gipon.

kersey
—coarse woollen cloth.

kirtle
—woman’s gown or outer petticoat.

lanner
—falcon.

malmsey
—kind of wine.

marshalsea
—stables of a castle, overseen by the marshal.

meinie
—group of attendants on a lord.

merels
—game similar to tic-tac-toe.

mess
—platter of food shared by a group of people.

motte
—artificial mound on which to build the keep of a castle.

murrey
—heraldic term for purple-red (plum).

oyer and terminer
—commission to act as a circuit judge in the king’s name.
The Pale
—an area roughly 20 by 30 miles with Dublin at its center controlled by the Anglo-Irish.

palfrey
—small saddle horse.

patten
—wooden platform strapped to the sole of a shoe.

pavane
—slow stately dance.

pibcorn
—hornpipe.

pillion
—pad placed at the back of a saddle for a second rider.

pinnace
—small ship used for communicating between larger vessels.

pipkin
—earthenware or metal pot.

plastron
—gauzy material tucked for modesty into the bodice of a gown.

points
—lacing with silver tips used to attach hose to undershirt or gipon.

poppet
—doll.

psaltery
—stringed instrument like a dulcimer plucked with a feather.

puling
—whining, crying in a high, weak voice.

rebec
—three-stringed instrument played with a bow.

rouncy
—pack horse used by travelers or men-at-arms.

sackbut
—early form of trombone.

saltire
—diagonal cross on a coat of arms.

sanctuary
—place of protection for fugitives; safe haven (perhaps in an abbey), usually for noblewomen and their children, who pay to stay.

sarcenet
—fine, soft silk fabric.

scarlet
—high-quality broadcloth usually dyed red with expensive kermes, dried bodies of an insect found on the Kermes oak.

seneschal
—steward of a large household.

sennight
—a week (seven nights).

settle
—high-backed sofa.

shawm
—wind instrument that makes a loud, penetrating sound, and was often used on castle battlements.

shout
—sailing barge carrying grain, building stone, and timbers common on the Thames.

solar
—living room often doubling as a bedroom.

sparviter’s pie
—two or three partridges, surrounded by a ring of quails, surrounded by a ring of larks cooked in wine sauce (verjuice) in a rough pastry case. A Yorkshire delicacy.

squint
—small window in the wall between a room and a chapel. Often women would participate in a service through it.

staple town
—center of trade in a specified commodity (e.g., Calais for wool).

stews
—brothel district.

stewpond
—private pond stocked with fish for household use.

subtlety
—dessert made of hard, spun colored sugar formed into objects or scenes.

surcote
—loose outer garment of rich material, often worn over armor.

suzerain
—feudal overlord.

tabard
—short tunic with high-yoked neck, sometimes belted or pleated, and open-sided. A simplified version was often worn over chain mail bearing the coat of arms of a knight.

tabbied
—moiré effect on grosgrain taffeta.

tabor
—small drum.

tiring woman
—noblewoman’s dresser or “attirer.”

trencher
—stale bread used as a plate.

tun
—barrel.

tussie-mussie
—aromatic pomander.

verjuice
—sour fruit juice used for cooking and medicines.

viol
—stringed instrument that is the ancestor of the viola da gamba.

voide
—final course of a feast, usually hippocras wine and wafers or comfits.

waits
—bands of musicians singing and playing instruments in the streets.

worsted
—spun from long fleece, a smooth, lightweight wool for summer.

T
OUCHSTONE
R
EADING
G
ROUP
G
UIDE

Queen By Right

Anne Easter Smith

Introduction

The Hundred Years War between England and France is still raging when Cecily Neville is born at Raby Castle. Dubbed “the Rose of Raby,” Cecily is the twenty-second and youngest child of Ralph Neville, the powerful earl of Westmorland, and also cousin to the King Henry VI. Cecily’s fate becomes entwined with the king’s when she is betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, the orphaned duke of York, whose claim to the throne is arguably stronger than young Henry’s.

Cecily’s arranged marriage to Richard develops into a true love match and one of history’s greatest love stories. Their growing family lives abroad for many years, as Richard is posted to the English-controlled regions of France and Ireland by Henry’s councillors, who fear Richard’s proximity to the throne. When King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule due to mental illness, “Proud Cis” must help Richard balance his political ambitions with what is right for their family and the kingdom.

As civil war escalates between the cousins of Lancaster and York, Cecily will suffer the greatest of losses. But in the end, she will witness her oldest son assume his father’s place at the head of a victorious army and be crowned King Edward IV.

Topics and Questions for Discussion

1. How would you characterize the initial relationship that develops between Richard Plantagenet and Cecily Neville when Dickon joins the Neville family as a young ward? Why is their betrothal considered a great match for Cecily? How does their formal betrothal ceremony alter the dynamics of their relationship?

2. On a ride through the woods when she is eight, Cecily surprises a white deer and interprets its appearance as a holy sign. Later, at her father’s death, she witnesses a white dove, and believes it to be a symbol that her father will be accepted into Heaven. How would you describe the trajectory of Cecily’s faith over the course of her life? How does her faith guide her decisions?

3. How does his father’s execution during Richard’s childhood create a kind of social “guilt by association” that Richard must strive to overcome? How does Richard’s behavior at Court bear evidence of his wish to compensate for his family’s scandalous past?

4. Given her own station as the noble daughter of an esteemed English family, and the wife of the powerful and well-connected duke of York, why does Cecily Neville feel a special kinship with Jeanne d’Arc, a young French peasant? What aspects of Jeanne’s life might Cecily especially admire or envy? How does their encounter in Jeanne’s cell change Cecily’s life forever?

5. In the scenes involving Jeanne d’Arc, Cecily undergoes moments of intense spiritual awareness, in which she witnesses what she believes is the physical presence of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever felt a similar awareness of a divine presence or spirit? How were those experiences transformative for you? If you’ve never felt anything of the sort, can you imagine why such an experience might change someone’s life and way of thinking? Why or why not?

6. How does the author’s strategic use of flashbacks in the novel’s narrative enable you as a reader to see Cecily’s life through her own memories? Of
the many parts of her life that Cecily’s reminiscences reveal, which ones were most powerful or memorable for you, and why? Consider Cecily’s childhood, her relationship with her husband, and the births and deaths of her many children.

7. Cecily is surrounded by women who help her navigate her life—her mother, Joan, who informs her morality; her sister-in-law, Alice Montagu, who explains carnal matters with forthrightness; her attendants, Rowena and Gresilde, who take care of all of her daily needs; and her personal physician, Constance LeMaitre, who helps deliver her children and serves as her confidante. What do these relationships reveal about the sphere inhabited by women in this era? Of the many connections Cecily has with women, which seem to influence her most profoundly?

8. How would you describe Cecily’s feelings about motherhood? How do the many children she loses in infancy affect her feelings toward her surviving children? How would you characterize her role in her children’s development, and how does it compare to her husband’s influence?

9. How does Henry VI’s mental instability contribute to volatility in the English kingdom and Europe at large? How is the fragility of his mental state foreshadowed in
Queen by Right
? Why does the pregnant Margaret of Anjou, Henry’s French-born queen, see Richard’s efforts to serve as Regent during Henry’s illness as a threat to her child’s future? To what extent are Margaret’s fears warranted?