Produced by David Widger
THE TALES OF
THE HEPTAMERON
OF
Margaret, Queen of Navarre
_Newly Translated into English from the Authentic Text_
OF M. LE ROUX DE LINCY WITH
AN ESSAY UPON THE HEPTAMERON
BY
GEORGE SAINTSBURY, M.A.
Also the Original Seventy-three Full Page Engravings
Designed by S. FREUDENBERG
And One Hundred and Fifty Head and Tail Pieces
By DUNKER
_IN FIVE VOLUMES_
VOLUME THE FIRST
LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY OF ENGLISH BIBLIOPHILISTS
MDCCCXCIV
[Illustration: Frontispiece]
[Margaret, Queen of Navarre, from a crayon drawing by Clouet, preserved
at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris]
[Illustration: Titlepage]
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
Preface
Memoir of Margaret of Angoulême
Essay on the Heptameron
Dedications and Preface to the Original Editions
of the Heptameron
The Prologue
FIRST DAY.
Tale I. The pitiful history of a Proctor of Alençon, named St. Aignan,
and of his wife, who caused her husband to assassinate her lover, the
son of the Lieutenant-General
II. The fate of the wife of a muleteer of Amboise, who suffered herself
to be killed by her servant rather than sacrifice her chastity
III. The revenge taken by the Queen of Naples, wife to King Alfonso, for
her husband's infidelity with a gentleman's wife
IV. The ill success of a Flemish gentleman who was unable to obtain,
either by persuasion or force, the love of a great Princess
V. How a boatwoman of Coulon, near Nyort, contrived to escape from the
vicious designs of two Grey Friars
Tale VI. How the wife of an old valet of the Duke of Alençon's succeeded
in saving her lover from her husband, who was blind of one eye
VII. The craft of a Parisian merchant, who saved the reputation of the
daughter by offering violence to the mother
Appendix to the First Day
ENGRAVINGS
To face page Queen Margaret of Navarre. Frontispiece.
Prologue: The Story-tellers in the Meadow near The Gave. By S.
Freudenberg
FIRST DAY.
Tale I. Du Mesnil learns his Mistress's Infidelity from her Maid. By S.
Freudenberg
II. The Muleteer's Servant attacking his Mistress. By S. Freudenberg
III. The King Joking upon the Stag's Head being A fitting Decoration. By
S. Freudenberg
IV. The Princess's Lady of Honour hurrying to her Mistress's Assistance.
By S. Freudenberg
V. The Boatwoman of Coulon outwitting the Friars. By S. Freudenberg
VI. The Wife's Ruse to secure the Escape of her Lover. By S. Freudenberg
VII. The Merchant transferring his Caresses from the Daughter to the
Mother. By S. Freudenberg
PREFACE.
The first printed version of the famous Tales of Margaret of Navarre,
issued in Paris in the year 1558, under the title of "Histoires des
Amans Fortunez," was extremely faulty and imperfect. It comprised but
sixty-seven of the seventy-two tales written by the royal author, and
the editor, Pierre Boaistuau, not merely changed the order of those
narratives which he did print, but suppressed numerous passages in them,
besides modifying much of Margaret's phraseology. A somewhat similar
course was adopted by Claude Gruget, who, a year later, produced what
claimed to be a complete version of the stories, to which he gave the
general title of the _Heptameron_, a name they have ever since retained.
Although he reinstated the majority of the tales in their proper
sequence, he still suppressed several of them, and inserted others in
their place, and also modified the Queen's language after the fashion
set by Boaistuau. Despite its imperfections, however, Gruget's version
was frequently reprinted down to the beginning of the eighteenth
century, when it served as the basis of the numerous editions of the
_Heptameron_ in _beau langage_, as the French phrased it, which then
began to make their appearance. It served, moreover, in the one or the
other form, for the English and other translations of the work, and down
to our own times was accepted as the standard version of the Queen
of Navarre's celebrated tales. Although it was known that various
contemporary MSS. were preserved at the French National Library in
Paris, no attempt was made to compare Gruget's faulty version with the
originals until the Société des Bibliophiles Français entrusted this
delicate task to M. Le Roux de Lincy, whose labours led to some most
valuable discoveries, enabling him to produce a really authentic version
of Margaret's admired masterpiece, with the suppressed tales restored,
the omitted passages reinstated, and the Queen's real language given for
the first time in all its simple gracefulness.
It is from the authentic text furnished by M. Le Roux de Lincy that the
present translation has been made, without the slightest suppression or
abridgment. The work moreover contains all the more valuable notes to
be found in the best French editions of the _Heptameron_, as well as
numerous others from original sources, and includes a _résumé_ of the
various suggestions made by MM. Félix Frank, Le Roux de Lincy, Paul
Lacroix, and A. de Montaiglon, towards the identification of the
narrators of the stories, and the principal actors in them, with
well-known personages of the time. An Essay on the _Heptameron_ from the
pen of Mr. George Saintsbury, M.A., and a Life of Queen Margaret,
are also given, as well as the quaint Prefaces of the earlier French
versions; and a complete bibliographical summary of the various editions
which have issued from the press.
It may be supposed that numerous illustrated editions have been
published of a work so celebrated as the _Heptameron_, which,
besides furnishing scholars with a favourite subject for research and
speculation, has, owing to its perennial freshness, delighted so many
generations of readers. Such, however, is not the case. Only two fully
illustrated editions claim the attention of connoisseurs. The first
of these was published at Amsterdam in 1698, with designs by the Dutch
artist, Roman de Hooge, whose talent has been much overrated. To-day
this edition is only valuable on account of its comparative rarity. Very
different was the famous edition illustrated by Freudenberg, a Swiss
artist - the friend of Boucher and of Greuze - which was published in
parts at Berne in 1778-81, and which among amateurs has long commanded
an almost prohibitive price.
The Full-page Illustrations to the present translation are printed from
the actual copperplates engraved for the Berne edition by Longeuil,
Halbou, and other eminent French artists of the eighteenth century,
after the designs of S. Freudenberg. There are also the one hundred and
fifty elaborate head and tail pieces executed for the Berne edition by
Dunker, well known to connoisseurs as one of the principal engravers of
the _Cabinet_ of the Duke de Choiseul.
The Portrait of Queen Margaret placed as frontispiece to the present
volume is from a crayon drawing by Clouet, preserved at the Bibliothèque
Nationale, Paris.
Ernest A. Vizetelly.
London,
1893.
_Explanation of the Initials appended to the Notes_.
B.J...Bibliophile Jacob, i.e. Paul Lacroix.
D.....F. Dillaye.
F.....Félix Frank.
L.....Le Roux de Lincy.
M.....Anatole de Montaiglon.
Ed....E. A. Vizetelly.
_MARGARET OF ANGOULÊME, QUEEN OF NAVARRE._
I.
_Louise of Savoy; her marriage with the Count of Angouleme -
Birth of her children Margaret and Francis - Their father's
early death - Louise and her children at Amboise - Margaret's
studies and her brother's pastimes - Marriage of Margaret
with the Duke of Alençon - Her estrangement from her husband -
Accession of Francis I. - The Duke of Alençon at Marignano -
Margaret's Court at Alençon - Her personal appearance - Her
interest in the Reformation and her connection with Clement
Marot - Lawsuit between Louise of Savoy and the Constable de
Bourbon._
In dealing with the life and work of Margaret of Angouleme (1) it is
necessary at the outset to refer to the mother whose influence and
companionship served so greatly to mould her daughter's career.
1 This Life of Margaret is based upon the memoir by M, Le
Roux de Lincy prefixed to the edition of the _Heptameron_
issued by the Société des Bibliophiles Français, but various
errors have been rectified, and advantage has been taken of
the researches of later biographers.
Louise of Savoy, daughter of Count Philip of Bresse, subsequently Duke
of Savoy, was born at Le Pont d'Ain in 1477, and upon the death of her
mother, Margaret de Bourbon, she married Charles d'Orléans, Count of
Angoulême, to whom she brought the slender dowry of thirty-five thousand
livres. (1) She was then but twelve years old, her husband being some
twenty years her senior. He had been banished from the French Court for
his participation in the insurrection of Brittany, and was living in
straitened circumstances. Still, on either side the alliance was an
honourable one. Louise belonged to a sovereign house, while the Count
of Angoulême was a prince of the blood royal of France by virtue of his
descent from King Charles V., his grandfather having been that monarch's
second son, the notorious Duke Louis of Orleans, (2) who was murdered in
Paris in 1417 at the instigation of John the Bold of Burgundy.
1 The value of the Paris livre at this date was twenty
sols, so that the amount would be equivalent to about L1400.
2 This was the prince described by Brantôme as a "great
débaucher of the ladies of the Court, and invariably of the
greatest among them." - _Vies des Dames galantes_ (Disc. i.).
Louise, who, although barely nubile, impatiently longed to become a
mother, gave birth to her first child after four years of wedded
life. "My daughter Margaret," she writes in the journal recording the
principal events of her career, "was born in the year 1492, the eleventh
day of April, at two o'clock in the morning; that is to say, the tenth
day, fourteen hours and ten minutes, counting after the manner of
the astronomers." This auspicious event took place at the Château of
Angoulême, then a formidable and stately pile, of which nowadays there
only remains a couple of towers, built in the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries. Soon afterwards Cognac became the Count of Angoulême's
favourite place of residence, and it was there that Louise gave birth,
on September 12th, 1494, to her second child, a son, who was christened
Francis.
Louise's desires were now satisfied, but her happiness did not long
remain complete. On January 1st, 1496, when she was but eighteen years
old, she lost her amiable and accomplished husband, and forthwith
retiring to her Château of Romorantin, she resolved to devote herself
entirely to the education of her children. The Duke of Orleans, who,
on the death of Charles VIII. in 1498, succeeded to the throne as Louis
XII., was appointed their guardian, and in 1499 he invited them and
their mother to the royal Château of Amboise, where they remained for
several years.
The education of Francis, who had become heir-presumptive to the throne,
was conducted at Amboise by the Marshal de Gié, one of the King's
favourites, whilst Margaret was intrusted to the care of a venerable
lady, whom her panegyrist does not mention by name, but in whom he
states all virtues were assembled. (1) This lady took care to regulate
not only the acts but also the language of the young princess, who was
provided with a tutor in the person of Robert Hurault, Baron of Auzay,
great archdeacon and abbot of St. Martin of Autun. (2) This divine
instructed her in Latin and French literature, and also taught her
Spanish and Italian, in which languages Brantôme asserts that she became
proficient. "But albeit she knew how to speak good Spanish and good
Italian," he says, "she always made use of her mother tongue for matters
of moment; though when it was necessary to join in jesting and gallant
conversation she showed that she was acquainted with more than her daily
bread." (3)
1 Sainte-Marthe's _Oraison funèbre de la Royne de Navarre_,
p. 22. Margaret's modern biographers state that this lady was
Madame de Chastillon, but it is doubtful which Madame
de Chastillon it was. The Rev. James Anderson assumes it was
Louise de Montmorency, the mother of the Colignys, whilst
Miss Freer asserts it was Anne de Chabannes de Damniartin,
wife of James de Chastillon, killed in Italy in 1572. M.
Franck has shown, in his edition of the _Heptameron_, that
Anne de Chabannes died about 1505, and that James de
Chastillon then married Blanche de Tournon. Possibly his
first wife may have been Margaret's governess, but what is
quite certain is that the second wife became her lady of
honour, and that it is she who is alluded to in the
_Heptameron_.
2 Odolant Desnos's _Mémoires historiques sur Alençon_,
vol. ii.
3 Brantôme's _Rodomontades espagnoles_, 18mo, 1740, vol.
xii. p. 117.
Such was Margaret's craving for knowledge that she even wished to
obtain instruction in Hebrew, and Paul Paradis, surnamed Le Canosse, a
professor at the Royal College, gave her some lessons in it. Moreover,
a rather obscure passage in the funeral oration which Sainte-Marthe
devoted to her after her death, seemingly implies that she acquired
from some of the most eminent men then flourishing the precepts of the
philosophy of the ancients.
The journal kept by Louise of Savoy does not impart much information as
to the style of life which she and her children led in their new abode,
the palatial Château of Amboise, originally built by the Counts of
Anjou, and fortified by Charles VII. with the most formidable towers in
France. (1)
1 The Château of Amboise, now the private property of the
Count de Paris, is said to occupy the site of a Roman
fortress destroyed by the Normans and rebuilt by Foulques
the Red of Anjou. When Francis I. ascended the French throne
he presented the barony of Amboise with its hundred and
forty-six fiefs to his mother, Louise of Savoy.
Numerous authorities state, however, that Margaret spent most of her
time in study with her preceptors and in the devotional exercises which
then had so large a place in the training of princesses. Still she was
by no means indifferent to the pastimes in which her brother and his
companions engaged. Gaston de Foix, the nephew of the King, William
Gouffier, who became Admiral de Bonnivet, Philip Brion, Sieur de
Chabot, Fleurange, "the young adventurer," Charles de Bourbon, Count
of Montpensier, and Anne de Montmorency - two future Constables of
France - surrounded the heir to the throne, with whom they practised
tennis, archery, and jousting, or played at soldiers pending the time
when they were to wage war in earnest. (1)
Margaret was a frequent spectator of these pastimes, and took a keen
interest in her brother's efforts whenever he was assailing or defending
some miniature fortress or tilting at the ring. It would appear also
that she was wont to play at chess with him; for we have it on high
authority that it is she and her brother who are represented, thus
engaged, in a curious miniature preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale
in Paris. (2) In this design - executed by an unknown artist - only the
back of Francis is to be seen, but a full view of Margaret is supplied;
the personage standing behind her being Artus Gouffier, her own and her
brother's governor.
1 Fleurange's _Histoire des Choses mémorables advenues du
Reigne de Louis XII. et François I_.
2 Paulin Paris's _Manuscrits françois de la Bibliothèque du
Roi_, &c., Paris, 1836, vol. i. pp. 279-281. The miniature
in question is contained in MS. No. 6808: _Commentaire sur
le Livre des Échecs amoureux et Archiloge Sophie_.
Whatever time Margaret may have devoted to diversion, she was certainly
a very studious child, for at fifteen years of age she already had the
reputation of being highly accomplished. Shortly after her sixteenth
birthday a great change took place in her life. On August 3rd, 1508,
Louise of Savoy records in her journal that Francis "this day quitted
Amboise to become a courtier, and left me all alone." Margaret
accompanied her brother upon his entry into the world, the young couple
repairing to Blois, where Louis XII. had fixed his residence. There
had previously been some unsuccessful negotiations in view of marrying
Margaret to Prince Henry of England (Henry VIII.), and at this period
another husband was suggested in the person of Charles of Austria, Count
of Flanders, and subsequently Emperor Charles V. Louis XII., however,
had other views as regards the daughter of the Count of Angoulême, for
he knew that if he himself died without male issue the throne would pass
to Margaret's brother. Hence he decided to marry her to a prince of the
royal house, Charles, Duke of Alençon.
This prince, born at Alençon on September 2nd, 1489, had been brought
up at the Château of Mauves, in Le Perche, by his mother, the pious and
charitable Margaret of Lorraine, who on losing her husband had resolved,
like Louise of Savoy, to devote herself to the education of her
children. (1)
1 Hilarion de Coste's _Vies et Éloges des Dames illustres_,
vol. ii. p. 260.
It had originally been intended that her son Charles should marry Susan,
daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bourbon - the celebrated Peter and
Anne de Beaujeu - but this match fell through owing to the death of Peter
and the opposition of Anne, who preferred the young Count of Montpensier
(afterwards Constable de Bourbon) as a son-in-law. A yet higher alliance
then presented itself for Charles: it was proposed that he should marry
Anne of Brittany, the widow of King Charles VIII., but she was many
years his senior, and, moreover, to prevent the separation of Brittany
from France, it had been stipulated that she should marry either her
first husband's successor (Louis XII.) or the heir-presumptive to the
throne. Either course seemed impracticable, as the heir, Francis of
Angoulême, was but a child, while the new King was already married to
Jane, a daughter of Louis XI. Brittany seemed lost to France, when Louis
XII., by promising the duchy of Valentinois to Cæsar Borgia, prevailed
upon Pope Alexander VI. to divorce him from his wife. He then married
Anne of Brittany, while Charles of Alençon proceeded to perfect his
knightly education, pending other matrimonial arrangements.
In 1507, when in his eighteenth year, he accompanied the army which the
King led against the Genoese, and conducted himself bravely; displaying
such courage, indeed, at the battle of Agnadel, gained over the
Venetians - who were assailed after the submission of Genoa - that Louis
XII. bestowed upon him the Order of St. Michael. It was during this
Italian expedition that his mother negotiated his marriage with Margaret
of Angoulême. The alliance was openly countenanced by Louis XII.,
and the young Duke of Valois - as Francis of Angoulême was now
called - readily acceded to it. Margaret brought with her a dowry of
sixty thousand livres, payable in four instalments, and Charles, who was
on the point of attaining his twenty-first year, was declared a major
and placed in possession of his estates. (1) The marriage was solemnised
at Blois in October 1509.
1 Odolant Desnos's _Mémoires historiques sur Alençon_,
vol. ii. p. 231
Margaret did not find in her husband a mind comparable to her own.
Differences of taste and temper brought about a certain amount of
coolness, which did not, however, hinder the Duchess from fulfilling
the duties of a faithful, submissive wife. In fact, although but little
sympathy would appear to have existed between the Duke and Duchess
of Alençon, their domestic differences have at least been singularly
exaggerated.
During the first five years of her married life Margaret lived in
somewhat retired style in her duchy of Alençon, while her husband took
part in various expeditions, and was invested with important functions.
In 1513 he fought in Picardy against the English and Imperialists,
commanded by Henry VIII., being present at the famous "Battle of Spurs;"
and early in 1514 he was appointed Lieutenant-General and Governor of
Brittany. Margaret at this period was not only often separated from her
husband, but she also saw little of her mother, who had retired to her
duchy of Angoulême. Louise of Savoy, as mother of the heir-presumptive,
was the object of the homage of all adroit and politic courtiers, but
she had to behave with circumspection on account of the jealousy of
the Queen, Anne of Brittany, whose daughters, Claude and Renée, were
debarred by the Salic Law from inheriting the crown. Louis XII. wished
to marry Claude to Francis of Angoulême, but Anne refusing her consent,
it was only after her death, in 1514, that the marriage was solemnised.
It now seemed certain that Francis would in due course ascend the
throne; but Louis XII. abruptly contracted a third alliance, marrying
Mary of England, the sister of Henry VIII. Louise of Savoy soon deemed
it prudent to keep a watch on the conduct of this gay young Queen, and
took up her residence at the Court in November 1514. Shortly afterwards
Louis XII. died of exhaustion, as many had foreseen, and the hopes of
the Duchess of Angoulême were realised. She knew the full extent of her
empire over her son, now Francis I., and felt both able and ready to
exercise a like authority over the affairs of his kingdom.
The accession of Francis gave a more important position to Margaret and
her husband. The latter was already one of the leading personages of the
state, and new favours increased his power. He did not address the King
as "Your Majesty," says Odolant Desnos, but styled him "Monseigneur"
or "My Lord," and all the acts which he issued respecting his duchy of
Alençon began with the preamble, "Charles, by the grace of God."
Francis had scarcely become King than he turned his eyes upon Italy, and
appointing his mother as Regent, he set out with a large army, a
portion of which was commanded by the Duke of Alençon. At the battle
of Marignano the troops of the latter formed the rearguard, and, on
perceiving that the Swiss were preparing to surround the bulk of the
French army, Charles marched against them, overthrew them, and by his
skilful manouvres decided the issue of the second day's fight. (1) The
conquest of the duchy of Milan was the result of this victory, and peace
supervening, the Duke of Alençon returned to France.
1 Odolant Desnos's _Mémoires historiques sur Alençon_, vol.
ii. p. 238.
It was at this period that Margaret began to keep a Court, which,
according to Odolant Desnos, rivalled that of her brother. We know
that in 1517 she and her husband entertained the King with a series of
magnificent fêtes at their Château of Alençon, which then combined both
a palace and a fortress. But little of the château now remains, as,
after the damage done to it during the religious wars between 1561
and 1572, it was partially demolished by Henry IV. when he and Biron
captured it in 1590. Still the lofty keep built by Henry I. of England
subsisted intact till in 1715 it was damaged by fire, and finally in
1787 razed to the ground.
The old pile was yet in all its splendour in 1517, when Francis I. was
entertained there with jousts and tournaments. At these gay gatherings
Margaret appeared apparelled in keeping with her brother's love of
display; for, like all princesses, she clothed herself on important
occasions in sumptuous garments. But in every-day life she was
very simple, despising the vulgar plan of impressing the crowd by
magnificence and splendour. In a portrait executed about this period,
her dark-coloured dress is surmounted by a wimple with a double collar
and her head covered with a cap in the Bearnese style. This portrait (1)
tends, like those of a later date, to the belief that Margaret's beauty,
so celebrated by the poets of her time, consisted mainly in the
nobility of her bearing and the sweetness and liveliness spread over her
features. Her eyes, nose, and mouth were very large, but although she
had been violently attacked with small-pox while still young, she had
been spared the traces which this cruel illness so often left in those
days, and she even preserved the freshness of her complexion until late
in life. (2)
1 It is preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris,
where it will be found in the _Recueil de Portraits au
crayon par Clouett Dumonstier, &c_, fol. xi.
2 Referring to this subject, she says in one of her letters:
"You can tell it to the Count and Countess of Vertus, whom
you will go and visit on my behalf; and say to the Countess
that I am sorely vexed that she has this loathsome illness.
However, I had it as severely as ever was known. And if it
be that she has caught it as I have been told, I should like
to be near her to preserve her complexion, and do for her
what Ï did for myself." - Génin's _lettres de Marguerite
d'Angoulême_, Paris, 1841, p. 374.
Like her brother, whom she greatly resembled, she was very tall. Her
gait was solemn, but the dignified air of her person was tempered by
extreme affability and a lively humour, which never left her. (1)
1 Sainte-Marthe says on this subject: "For in her face, in
her gestures, in her walk, in her words, in all that she did
and said, a royal gravity made itself so manifest and
apparent, that one saw I know not what of majesty which
compelled every one to revere and dread her. In seeing her
kindly receive every one, refuse no one, and patiently
listen to all, you would have promised yourself easy and
facile access to her; but if she cast eyes upon you, there
was in her face I know not what of gravity, which made you
so astounded that you no longer had power, I do not say to
walk a step, but even to stir a foot to approach her." -
_Oraison-funèbre, &c_, p. 53.
Francis I. did not allow the magnificent reception accorded to him at
Alençon to pass unrewarded. He presented his sister with the duchy of
Berry, where she henceforward exercised temporal control, though she
does not appear to have ever resided there for any length of time.
In 1521, when her husband started to the relief of Chevalier Bayard,
attacked in Mézières by the Imperial troops, she repaired to Meaux with
her mother so as to be near to the Duke. Whilst sojourning there she
improved her acquaintance with the Bishop, William Briçonnet, who had
gathered around him Gerard Roussel, Michael d'Arande, Lefèvre d'Etaples,
and other celebrated disciples of the Reformation. The effect of
Luther's preaching had scarcely reached France before Margaret had begun
to manifest great interest in the movement, and had engaged in a long
correspondence with Briçonnet, which is still extant. Historians are
at variance as to whether Margaret ever really contemplated a change of
religion, or whether the protection she extended to the Reformers was
simply dictated by a natural feeling of compassion and a horror of
persecution. It has been contended that she really meditated a change
of faith, and even attempted to convert her mother and brother; and this
view is borne out by some passages in the letters which she wrote to
Bishop Briçonnet after spending the winter of 1521 at Meaux.
Whilst she was sojourning there, her husband, having contributed to the
relief of Mézières, joined the King, who was then encamped at Fervacques
on the Somme, and preparing to invade Hainault. It was at this juncture
that Clement Marot, the poet, who, after being attached to the person
of Anne of Brittany, had become a hanger-on at the Court of Francis I.,
applied to Margaret to take him into her service. (1)
1 Epistle ii.: _Le Despourveu à Madame la Duchesse
d'Alençon_, in the _OEuvres de Clément Marot_, 1700, vol. i.
p. 99.
Shortly afterwards we find him furnishing her with information
respecting the royal army, which had entered Hainault and was fighting
there. (1)
1 Epistle iii.: _Du Camp d' Attigny à ma dite Dame d'
Alençon, ibid._, vol. i. p. 104.
Lenglet-Dufresnoy, in his edition of Marot's works, originated the
theory that the numerous poems composed by Marot in honour of Margaret
supply proofs of an amorous intrigue between the pair. Other authorities
have endorsed this view; but M. Le Roux de Lincy asserts that in the
pieces referred to, and others in which Marot incidentally speaks of
Margaret, he can find no trace either of the fancy ascribed to her for
the poet or of the passion which the latter may have felt for her. Like
all those who surrounded the Duchess of Alençon, Marot, he remarks,
exalted her beauty, art, and talent to the clouds; but whenever it is to
her that his verses are directly addressed, he does not depart from
the respect he owes to her. To give some likelihood to his conjectures,
Lenglet-Dufresnoy had to suppose that Marot addressed Margaret in
certain verses which were not intended for her. In the epistles
previously mentioned, and in several short pieces, rondeaux, epigrams,
new years' addresses, and epitaphs really written to or for the sister
of Francis I., one only finds respectful praise, such as the humble
courtier may fittingly offer to his patroness. There is nothing
whatever, adds M. Le Roux de Lincy, to promote the suspicion that a
passion, either unfortunate or favoured, inspired a single one of these
compositions.
The campaign in which Francis I. was engaged at the time when Marot's
connection with Margaret began, and concerning which the poet supplied
her with information, was destined to influence the whole reign, since
it furnished the occasion of the first open quarrel between Francis
I. and the companion of his childhood, Charles de Bourbon, Count of
Montpensier, and Constable of France. Yielding too readily on this
occasion to the persuasions of his mother, Francis intrusted to
Margaret's husband the command of the vanguard, a post which the
Constable considered his own by virtue of his office. He felt mortally
offended at the preference given to the Duke of Alençon, and from that
day forward he and Francis were enemies for ever.
Whilst the King was secretly jealous of Bourbon, who was one of the
handsomest, richest, and bravest men in the kingdom, Louise of Savoy,
although forty-four years of age, was in love with him. The Constable,
then thirty-two, had lost his wife, Susan de Bourbon, from whom he
had inherited vast possessions. To these Louise of Savoy, finding her
passion disregarded, laid claim, as being a nearer relative of the
deceased. A marriage, as Chancellor Duprat suggested, would have served
to reconcile the parties, but the Constable having rejected the proposed
alliance - with disdain, so it is said - the suit was brought before the
Parliament and decided in favour of Louise. Such satisfaction as she
may have felt was not, however, of long duration, for Charles de Bourbon
left France, entered the service of Charles V., and in the following
year (1524) helped to drive the French under Bonnivet out of Italy.
II.
_The Regency of Louise of Savoy - Margaret and the royal
children - The defeat of Pavia and the death of the Duke of
Alençon - The Royal Trinity - "All is lost save honour" -
Margaret's journey to Spain and her negotiations with
Charles V. - Her departure from Madrid - The scheme to arrest
her, and her flight on horseback - Liberation of Francis I. -
Clever escape of Henry of Navarre from prison - Margaret's
secret fancy for him - Her personal appearance at this
period - Marriage of Henry and Margaret at St. Germain._
The most memorable events of Margaret's public life date from this
period. Francis, who was determined to reconquer the Milanese, at
once made preparations for a new campaign. Louise of Savoy was again
appointed Regent of the kingdom, and as Francis's wife, Claude, was
dying of consumption, the royal children were confided to the care of
Margaret, whose husband accompanied the army. Louise of Savoy at first
repaired to Lyons with her children, in order to be nearer to Italy,
but she and Margaret soon returned to Blois, where the Queen was
dying. Before the royal army had reached Milan Claude expired, and soon
afterwards Louise was incapacitated by a violent attack of gout, while
the children of Francis also fell ill. The little ones, of whom Margaret
had charge, consisted of three boys and three girls, the former being
Francis, the Dauphin, who died in 1536, Charles, Duke of Orleans, who
died in 1545, and Henry, Count of Angoulême, who succeeded his father on
the throne. The girls comprised Madeleine, afterwards the wife of
James V. of Scotland, Margaret, subsequently Duchess of Savoy, and the
Princess Charlotte. The latter was particularly beloved by her aunt
Margaret, who subsequently dedicated to her memory her poem _Le Miroir
de l'Ame Pécheresse_. While the other children recovered from their
illness, little Charlotte, as Margaret records in her letters to Bishop
Briçonnet, was seized "with so grievous a malady of fever and flux,"
that after a month's suffering she expired, to the deep grief of her
aunt, who throughout her illness had scarcely left her side.
This affliction was but the beginning of Margaret's troubles. Soon
afterwards the Constable de Bourbon, in conjunction with Pescara
and Lannoy, avenged his grievances under the walls of Pavia. On this
occasion, as at Marignano, the Duke of Alençon commanded the French
reserves, and had charge of the fortified camp from which Francis,
listening to Bonnivet, sallied forth, despite the advice of his best
officers. The King bore himself bravely, but he was badly wounded and
forced to surrender, after La Palisse, Lescun, Bonnivet, La Trémoïlle,
and Bussy d'Amboise had been slain before his eyes. Charles of Alençon
was then unable to resist the advice given him to retreat, and thus save
the few Frenchmen who had escaped the arms of the Imperialists. With
four hundred lances he abandoned the camp, crossed the Ticino, and
reaching France by way of Piedmont, proceeded to Lyons, where he found
Louise of Savoy and Margaret.
It has been alleged that they received him with harsh reproaches, and
that, unable to bear the shame he felt for his conduct, he died only a
few days after the battle. (1)
1 See Garnier's _Histoire de France_, vol. xxiv.; Gaillard's
_Histoire de France, &c_. Odolant Desnos, usually well
informed, falls into the same error, and asserts that when
the Duke, upon his arrival, asked Margaret to kiss him, she
replied, "Fly, coward! you have feared death. You might find
it in my arms, as I do not answer for myself." - _Mémoires
historiques_, vol. ii. p. 253.
There are several errors in these assertions, which a contemporary
document enables us to rectify. The battle of Pavia was fought on
February 14th, 1525, and Charles of Alençon did not die till April 11th,
more than a month after his arrival at Lyons. He was carried off in five
days by pleurisy, and some hours before his death was still able to rise
and partake of the communion. Margaret bestowed the most tender care
upon him, and the Regent herself came to visit him, the Duke finding
strength enough to say to her, "Madam, I beg of you to let the King know
that since the day he was made a prisoner I have been expecting nothing
but death, since I was not sufficiently favoured by Heaven to share his
lot or to be slain in serving him who is my king, father, brother, and
good master." After kissing the Regent's hand he added, "I commend to
you her who has been my wife for fifteen years, and who has been as good
as she is virtuous towards me." Then, as Louise of Savoy wished to take
Margaret away, Charles turned towards the latter and said to her, "Do
not leave me."
The Duchess refused to follow her mother, and embracing her dying
husband, showed him the crucifix placed before his eyes. The Duke,
having summoned one of his gentlemen, M. de Chan-deniers, instructed him
to bid farewell on his part to all his servants, and to thank them for
their services, telling them that he had no longer strength to see them.
He asked God aloud to forgive his sins, received the extreme unction
from the Bishop of Lisieux, and raising his eyes to heaven, said
"Jesus," and expired. (1)
Whilst tending her dying husband, Margaret was also deeply concerned
as to the fate of her captive brother, for whom she always evinced the
warmest affection. Indeed, so close were the ties uniting Louise
of Savoy and her two children that they were habitually called the
"Trinity," as Clement Marot and Margaret have recorded in their poems.
(2)
1 From a MS. poem in the Bibliothèque Nationale entitled
_Les Prisons_, probably written by William Philander or
Filandrier, a canon of Rodez.
2 See _OEuvres de Clément Marot_, 1731, vol. v. p. 274; and
A. Champoîlion-Figeac's _Poésies de François Ier, &c_.,
Paris, 1847, p. 80.
In this Trinity Francis occupied the highest place; his mother called
him "her Cæsar and triumphant hero," while his sister absolutely
reverenced him, and was ever ready to do his bidding. Thus the
intelligence that he was wounded and a prisoner threw them into
consternation, and they were yet undecided how to act when they received
that famous epistle in which Francis wrote - not the legendary words,
"All is lost save honour," but - "Of all things there have remained to me
but honour and life, which is safe." After begging his mother and sister
to face the extremity by employing their customary prudence, the King
commended his children to their care, and expressed the hope that God
would not abandon him. (1) This missive revived the courage of the
Regent and Margaret, for shortly afterwards we find the latter writing
to Francis: "Your letter has had such effect upon the health of Madame
[Louise], and of all those who love you, that it has been to us as a
Holy Ghost after the agony of the Passion.... Madame has felt so great
a renewal of strength, that whilst day and evening last not a moment is
lost over your business, so that you need have no grief or care about
your kingdom and children." (2)
1 See extract from the Registers of the Parliament of Paris
(Nov. 10, 1525) in Dulaure's _Histoire de Paris_, Paris,
1837, vol. iii. p. 209; and Lalanne's _Journal d'un
Bourgeois de Paris_, Paris, 1854, p. 234. The original of
the letter no longer exists, but the authenticity of the
text cannot be disputed, as all the more essential portions
are quoted in the collective reply of Margaret and Louise of
Savoy, which is still extant. See Champollion-Figeac's
Captivité de François Ier, pp. 129, 130.
2 Génin's _Nouvelles Lettres de la Peine de Navarre_,
Paris, 1842, p. 27.
Louise of Savoy was indeed now displaying courage and ability. News
shortly arrived that the King had been transferred to Madrid, and