Part 25

RENÉE DE FRANCE (Madame), daughter of Louis XII. and Anne de Bretagne, wife of the Duke of Ferrara, 220-223.

RŒDERER (Comte), his Memoirs on Polite Society, study of Louis XII. and Anne de Bretagne, 41-43.

RONSARD (Pierre de), 91, 124, 156, 157, 160, 185, 224.

SAINTE-BEUVE (Charles-Augustin), his remarks on Anne de Bretagne, 40-43; his estimate of Catherine de’ Medici, 85-88; his essay on Marie Stuart, 121-136; on Marguerite de Navarre, 193-213; on Marguerite de Valois, 243-261.

SALIC LAW (the), Brantôme’s argument about it, 168-175.

TAVANNES (Vicomte de), Memoirs, 136.

VIGNAUD (M. H.), his introduction to Brantôme’s “Vie des Dames Illustres” used in the introduction to this volume, 1.

VINCENT DE PAUL (Saint), chaplain to Queen Marguerite de Navarre, 212.

YOLAND DE FRANCE (Madame), daughter of Charles VII. and wife of the Duc de Savoie, 214, 215.

Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:

The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon Regimé=> The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon Régime {pg title}

M. le maréchal answered=> M. le Maréchal answered {pg 83}

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Taken chiefly from the Essays preceding the various editions of Brantôme’s works published in the 18th and 19th centuries; some of which are anonymous; the more recent being those of M. H. Vignaud and M. Henri Moland.--TR.

[2] See Appendix.

[3] See Appendix.

[4] Here follow the names of ninety-three ladies and sixty-six damoiselles; among the latter are “Mesdamoiselles Flammin (Fleming?) Veton (Seaton?) Beton (Beaton?) Leviston, escossoises.” The three first-named on the above list are the daughters of Henri II. and Catherine de’ Medici.--TR.

[5] Henri III. convoked the States-General at Blois in 1588; the Duc de Guise (Henri, le Balafré) was there assassinated, by the king’s order, December 23, 1588; his brother, Cardinal de Bourbon, the next day.--TR.

[6] Honoré de Balzac’s volume, in the Philosophical Series of his “Comedy of Human Life,” on Catherine de’ Medici, while called a romance, is really an admirable and carefully drawn historical portrait, and might be read to profit in connection with Brantôme’s account of her.--TR.

[7] See Appendix.

[8] See Appendix.

[9] See Appendix.

[10] George Buchanan, historian and Scotch poet, who wrote libels and calumnies against Marie Stuart in prison. (French editor.)

[11] She was the daughter of Henri II. and Catherine de’ Medici, married to Philip II., King of Spain, after the death of Queen Mary of England.--TR.

[12] Daughter of Henri II. and Catherine de’ Medici,--“La Reine Margot.”--TR.

[13] Brantôme’s words are _gorgiasetés_ and _gorgiasment_; do they mark the introduction of ruffs around the neck, _gorge_?--TR.

[14] The Salic law: so called from being derived from the laws of the ancient Salian Franks,--according to Stormonth, Littré, and Cassell’s Cyclopædia.--TR.

[15] Marguerite was married to Henri, King of Navarre, six days before the massacre of Saint-Bartholomew, August, 1572.

[16] Marguerite lived eighteen years in the castle of Usson, from 1587 to 1605. She died in Paris, March 27, 1615, at the age of sixty-two, rather less than one year after Brantôme. (French editor.)

[17] It is noticeable in the course of this “Discourse” that Brantôme wrote it at one period, namely, about 1593 or 1594, and reviewed it at another, when Henri IV. was in full possession of the kingdom, but before the end of the century and before the divorce. (French editor.)

The passage to which the foregoing is a note is evidently an addition to the text.--TR.

[18] The story goes that she refused to answer at the marriage ceremony; on which her brother, Charles IX., put his hand behind her head and made her nod, which was taken for consent. In after years, the ground given for her divorce was that of being married against her will. The marriage took place on a stage erected before the west front of the cathedral of Notre-Dame; the King of Navarre being a Protestant, the service could not be performed in the church. It was here, in view of the assembled multitude, that Marguerite’s nod was forcibly given when she resolutely refused to answer. Following Brantôme’s delight in describing fine clothes, the wedding gown should be mentioned here. It was cloth of gold, the body so closely covered with pearls as to look like a cuirass; over this was a blue velvet mantle embroidered with _fleurs-de-lys_, nearly five yards long, which was borne by one hundred and twenty of the handsomest women in France. Her dark hair was loose and flowing, and was studded with diamond stars. The Duc de Guise, le Balafré, with his family connections and all his retainers, left Paris that morning, unable to bear the spectacle of the marriage.--TR.

[19] Meaning the daughters of the kings of France only.--TR.

[20] She was daughter of Charles, Duc d’Angoulême, and Louise do Savoie, great-granddaughter of Charles V., and sister of François I.--TR.

[21] See Appendix.

[22] See Appendix.

[23] The tomb of Marguerite and Philibert is still to be seen in the beautiful church, and the above motto, which is carved upon it, has been the theme of much antiquarian discussion.--TR.

[24] The picture of the Ball at Court, under Henri III., attributed to François Clouet (see chapter ii. of this volume), was given in celebration of her marriage. She advances, with her sweet and modest face (evidently a portrait) in the centre of the picture. Henri III. is seated under a red dais; next him is Catherine de’ Medici, his mother, and next to her is Louise de Lorraine, his wife; leaning on the king’s chair is Henri Duc de Guise, le Balafré, murdered by Henri III. at Blois in 1588.--TR.