La Princesse de ClèvesParte 17 de 18

2. Le duc de Nemours (1531-1585). Jacques de Savoie, Duke of Nemours, was born at the Abbey of Vaulinsant in Champagne. At the age of fifteen he was brought to the Court of Francis I. He served in the campaigns against Charles V., was present at the siege of Metz, and afterwards fought with great bravery in Flanders and in Italy. He was one of the tenants in the tournament in which Henry II. lost his life. Having been branded with suspicion, he was compelled to leave the Court during the reign of Henry III., but was soon recalled. In 1562 he aided in the capture of Bourges from the Protestants and later succeeded the Marshall of St. André as Governor of Dauphiné. In 1566 he married Anne d'Este, widow of the Duke of Guise. His later years were spent in retirement from the Court. He died at Annecy, June 25, 1585. Brantôme says of him: "C'étoit un très-beau prince et de très-bonne grâce, brave et vaillant, aimable et accostable, bien disant, bien écrivant autant en rime qu'en prose; s'habillant des mieux. Il étoit pourvu d'un grand sens et d'esprit; il aimoit toutes sortes d'exercices et si y étoit si universel qu'il étoit parfait en tous, si bien que qui n'a vu Monsieur de Nemours, il n'a rien vu, et qui l'a vu le peut baptiser par tout le monde la fleur de toute la chevalerie."

3. Saint-Quentin, a city in the Department of Aisne, about eighty miles northeast of Paris. It is the center of the French manufacture of linen, muslin, and gauze. The battle of Saint-Quentin took place on July 29, 1557; the French forces met with a great defeat at the hands of the Spaniards, who were reinforced by a body of English troops.

4. Charles-Quint (Carolus Quintus). Charles V. (1500-1558) was the eldest son of Philip, Archduke of Austria, and Joanna, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. Upon the death of Ferdinand in 1516, Charles ascended the throne of Spain, and also became ruler of the Netherlands, Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia. By the death of his paternal grandfather, Emperor Maximilian, he obtained possession of Austria and was elected Emperor of Germany. The other candidates for the imperial crown were Henry VIII. of England and Francis I. of France. Charles soon became involved in a long struggle with the French, in which he was for the most part successful, and captured Francis I. (see page 1, note 7). The war was continued by Henry II. and a portion of Lorraine was taken from the Emperor. The latter, not long after, retired to the monastery of Yuste in Estremadura, where he died after two years.

5. Metz, formerly capital of the Department of Moselle, situated at the confluence of the Seille and the Moselle. During the war with Henry II. it was besieged by Charles V. and gallantly defended by the Duke of Guise. The siege lasted sixty-five days, and on December 26, 1552, the imperial troops left Metz as a permanent possession of the French. It remained one of their most important strongholds till its cession to Germany in 1870. Charles V.'s remark upon his defeat is well known: "I see that Fortune is just like a woman; she favors a young king more than an old emperor."

6. Cercamp, a city in the Department of Pas-de-Calais (Artois). The chief industry of the place consists in its woolen factories. Here, on October 15, 1558, the plenipotentiaries appointed by the French met those of Spain, with whom were associated the ambassadors of Mary of England and of the Duke of Savoy. Stipulations for a peace were proposed; a truce of fifteen days was proclaimed, which was several times renewed; part of the troops were dismissed and the rest went into winter-quarters. However, before any definite arrangements could be made, Mary, Queen of England, died, and the meeting was dissolved.

Page 4.—1. Don Carlos, son of Philip II. of Spain and of his first wife, Doña Maria of Portugal, was born at Valladolid on July 8, 1545, and died at Madrid on July 14, 1568. In 1559, at the Treaty of Câteau-Cambrésis, Philip negotiated a marriage between his son and Elisabeth, daughter of Henry II., but he afterwards married the princess himself. The loss of his chosen bride in this manner appeared to have a deep effect upon Don Carlos, and the sympathy shown him by Elisabeth and the gratitude thus awakened in the heart of the young prince aroused a feeling of jealousy in the mind of the Spanish King. In 1560 Don Carlos was proclaimed heir to the throne of Spain, but not long after was removed from Court and sent away from the capital. In 1562 he was wounded in the head by a fall, and it is thought by many that his reason was thereby impaired. His father's treatment of him became harsher, and the important positions at the Court were occupied by his enemies; he made two vain attempts to escape from Spain, and intelligence was brought to the King that his son was forming designs against his life. On January 18, 1568, Don Carlos was seized and placed in close confinement. The Council of State condemned him to death, but before the sentence could be executed the prince died in an unknown manner. (See Gachard: Don Carlos et Philippe II., Bruxelles, 1863.)

2. Monsieur de Savoie. Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, was born at Chambéry, July 8, 1528. He was an officer in the army of Charles V., and in 1557 won the battle of Saint-Quentin. He died August 30, 1580.

3. Marie, reine d'Angleterre (1516-1558), was the daughter of Henry VIII. by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. She became Queen of England in 1553. On July 25, 1554, she married Philip II. of Spain, and from this time on her energies were directed to the destruction of Protestantism in England. Her death took place on November 17, 1558.

4. Elisabeth (1533-1603), daughter of Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. She ascended the English throne in 1558.

5. De La Ferrière, in his Projets de Mariage de la Reine Elisabeth, says: "Elisabeth was very desirous of making the acquaintance of the Duke of Nemours. She received the Count of Randan and directed the conversation upon the Duke. Randan drew so flattering a picture of the latter that he soon awakened in her a spark of love which could easily be perceived in the face and manner of the Queen. It was a matter of no difficulty for him to obtain her request for a meeting. On his return to France he announced this to Nemours. The Duke sent Lignerolles, his most trusted servant, to London; the response brought back by Lignerolles was encouraging. Nemours then lavished money on his apparel, arms, and horses; the King also aided him with his purse, and the flower of the young nobility contended for the honor of following him to England; but at the last moment the expedition 'se rompit et demeura court,' for, continues the chronicler, 'd'autres amours serroient le cœur du duc et le tenoient captif.'"

Page 8.—1. Madame de Valentinois, Diana of Poitiers, eldest daughter of Jean de Poitiers, was born September 3, 1499. At the age of thirteen she married Louis de Brézé, Comte de Maulevrier, who died in 1531. She became the mistress of Francis I., and afterwards of his son, Henry II. Her influence over Henry was boundless; even the beauty and wit of Catherine de Medici could not weaken the King's attachment to her. He loaded her with favors, and in 1548 donated to her for life the Duchy of Valentinois. Upon the death of Henry, Madame de Valentinois was banished from the Court by Catherine. Abandoned by all her friends, she retreated to Anet, where she died in 1566.

Page 10.—1. Chez les Reines, in the apartments of Catherine de Medici and of Mary Stuart.

2. Aux assemblées, "in company."

Page 11.—1. Avoit le cœur très-noble et très-bien fait, "had a very noble and generous disposition."

Page 12.—1. Louvre, one of the most famous buildings of Paris, situated in the western part of the city, on the right bank of the Seine. It was at first designed as a fortress for the protection of the river. In 1204 Philip Augustus erected in the center of the court of the Louvre a tower to serve as a state prison. Later on, several of the kings of France placed their libraries there. Charles V. selected this palace as his residence in 1347, and it served as the abode of the royal family till the reign of Louis XIV., who preferred Versailles. Since the days of the Empire it has been used as a museum.

Page 13.—1. Le duc de Nevers, Francis II. of Nevers, elder brother of the Prince of Clèves (see page 2, note 7).

2. Le duc de Lorraine, Charles III., called "the Great," was the son of Francis I., Duke of Lorraine, and of Christina of Denmark, niece of the Emperor Charles V. He was born at Nancy, February 15, 1543. After the death of his father in 1546, his mother ruled over the Duchy during the minority of her son. He was sent to Paris and in 1559 married Claude, daughter of Henry II. He subsequently took charge of the affairs of his state, and ruled long and peacefully, dying at Nancy, May 14, 1608.

Page 16.—1. Courre la bague, "riding at the ring." Courre is an old infinitive of the verb courir, used only in a few expressions, as: courre le cerf.

Page 18.—1. Le maréchal de Saint-André. Jacques d'Albon, Marshal of Saint-André, was one of the most valiant commanders of the sixteenth century. He early won recognition from the Dauphin, afterwards Henry II., and distinguished himself at Boulogne and Cerisoles. He was appointed Marshal in 1547. He took an active part in the subsequent campaigns and was taken prisoner at Saint-Quentin, but was soon exchanged. Shortly after the death of Henry II., Saint-André, together with the Duke of Guise and the Constable of Montmorency, formed the famous "triumvirate" for the suppression of heresy in France. He was a most active upholder of the Catholic cause during the civil wars, and was killed at Dreux, December 19, 1562. A contemporary describes him as the "most elegant courtier of his time."

2. Elle fit dire qu'on ne la voyoit point, "she sent word that she would not receive."

3. Sa qualité lui rendoit toutes les entrées libres, "his rank allowed him always to be admitted" (even in spite of the order that had just been given).

4. Maîtresse = the lady who is loved; not "mistress" in the modern sense.

Page 19.—1. Duc de Ferrare. Alphonso II. of Este, Duke of Ferrara, was the son of Hercules of Ferrara and grandson of Alphonso I. He was a cousin of Henry II. and served in all the military expeditions of this monarch. He was a great favorite at Court and made a great display both in his own country and in Italy, whither he accompanied the French King. His brother was the famous Cardinal d'Este.

Page 20.—1. Qu'elle fît la malade: "that she should pretend to be ill."

Page 22.—1. Château-Cambrésis (usually written Câteau-Cambrésis), a city in the Department of Nord, situated upon a hill overlooking the Selle, about fifteen miles southeast of Cambrai. Here was signed, on April 3, 1559, a treaty between Henry II. and Philip II., by which certain cities, as Thionville, Montmédy, etc., were made over to Spain, and France recovered Saint-Quentin. The possession of Calais and of the three bishoprics (Metz, Toul, and Verdun) were also assured to Henry II.

Page 24.—1. devant que, obsolete for avant que. Vaugelas in Remarques sur la langue française says "'Avant que,' 'devant que.' Tous deux sont bons, mais 'avant que' est plus de la cour et plus en usage."

Page 25.—1. Pour être affligée, "although she was in distress."

2. Il s'en falloit peu qu'elle ne crût le haïr, "she almost believed she hated him."

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SECOND PART.

Page 29.—1. Monsieur d'Anville, a famous warrior and courtier during the reigns of Henry II., Francis II., and Charles IX. During the campaigns in Italy he was placed in charge of the light cavalry in the Piedmont. He defeated the Spaniards at the bridge de la Stura and in 1557 won great renown by his victories about Fossano.

Page 30.—1. Courtenay. Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire, born about 1526, was the only son of Henry Courtenay, Marquis of Exeter and Earl of Devonshire. At the age of twelve he was imprisoned with his father in the Tower and was not released till 1553. In this year he was appointed Earl of Devonshire by Queen Mary and not long afterwards was honored with the dignity of Knight of the Bath. He was at one time looked upon as a probable match for the English Queen, but Philip of Spain was preferred. He was for a long time regarded with affection by Elisabeth, and was suspected of plotting to obtain her hand and to seize upon the throne of England. He was therefore arrested and sent to the Tower in March, 1554, and in the following May was taken to Fotheringay. In 1555 he was released on parole and exiled. He traveled to Brussels and then to Padua, where he suddenly died in September, 1556.

Page 32.—1. Madame = Madame Elisabeth de France, daughter of Henry II.

Page 33.—1. Les dernières visites, "the latest callers"; a not infrequent use of the abstract noun for the person.

2. Cette princesse étoit sur son lit. It was customary for ladies to receive callers while reclining on a couch in their bedroom.

Page 34.—1. Pour peu qu'elles soient aimables, "provided that they are charming." Pour used in this sense before pronouns and adjectives is followed by the concessive subjunctive. (See Mätzner, Französische Syntax, ii., §435.)

Page 37.—1. À l'heure du cercle, "at the time that she was holding a reception."

2. His death was caused by an accident that happened to him while jousting with the Duke of Montgomery (see page 92).

3. The death of Guise is thus described by Brantôme: "The said Poltrot was accustomed to go out with Monsieur de Guise together with the rest of us, who were members of his household, and he was continually in search of a suitable occasion to commit the deed. Monsieur passed over the water in a little boat which waited for him every evening and then went on horseback to his lodging, which was at some distance. Being on a cross-road which is right well known, the other, who was waiting for him in ambush, gave him the blow and then began to run and cry, 'Catch him, catch him.' Monsieur de Guise, feeling himself wounded, staggered a little, and said: 'That has been kept in store for me, but I believe it will result in nothing.' With great courage he retired into his lodging, where he was dressed and attended to by the best surgeons in France; nevertheless, he died at the end of a week."

Page 38.—1. Que je le fisse appeler, "that I should send him a challenge."

Page 39.—1. D'un premier mouvement, "impulsively."

Page 40.—1. Portraits en petit, "miniatures."

2. Quand used in the sense of si, a not unfrequent usage by Madame de La Fayette (see page 62, line 29; page 124, line 5, etc.).