Chapter III: Preface

All my life I have been a student of French memoir-history. In this species of literature France is remarkably rich. There exist contemporary memoirs and chronicles, from a very early period down to the present time, in which are preserved not only admirable outlooks over general events, but details of language, character, dress, and manners, not to be found elsewhere. I was bold enough to fancy that somewhat yet remained to tell;--say--of the caprices and eccentricities of Louis XIII., of the homeliness of Henri Quatre, of the feminine tenderness of Gabrielle d’Estrées, of the lofty piety and unquestioning confidence of Louise de Lafayette, of the romantic vicissitudes of Mademoiselle de Montpensier; and that some pictures might be made of these old French personages for English readers in a way that should pourtray the substance and spirit of history, without affecting to maintain its form and dress.

In all I have written I have sought carefully to work into my dialogue each word and sentence recorded of the individual, every available trait or peculiarity of character to be found in contemporary memoirs, every tradition that has come down to us.

To be true to life has been my object. Keeping close to the background of history, I have endeavoured to group the figures of my foreground as they grouped themselves in actual life. I have framed them in the frames in which they really lived.

FRANCES ELLIOT.

FARLEY HILL COURT, Christmas, 1872.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I--FRANCIS I. 1

II--CHARLES DE BOURBON 6

III--BROTHER AND SISTER 12

IV--THE QUALITY OF MERCY 20

V--ALL LOST SAVE HONOUR 28

VI--BROKEN FAITH 33

VII--LA DUCHESSE D’ÉTAMPES 42

VIII--LAST DAYS 49

IX--CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI 55

X--A FATAL JOUST 58

XI--THE WIDOWED QUEEN 63

XII--MARY STUART AND HER HUSBAND 67

XIII--A TRAITOR 74

XIV--THE COUNCIL OF STATE 80

XV--CATHERINE’S VENGEANCE 86

XVI--THE ASTROLOGER’S CHAMBER 94

XVII--AT CHENONCEAU 101

XVIII--A DUTIFUL DAUGHTER 113

XIX--BEFORE THE STORM 122

XX--ST. BARTHOLOMEW 129

XXI--THE END OF CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI 139

XXII--THE LAST OF THE VALOIS 146

XXIII--DON JUAN 158

XXIV--CHARMANTE GABRIELLE 172

XXV--ITALIAN ART 186

XXVI--BIRON’S TREASON 198

XXVII--A COURT MARRIAGE 207

XXVIII--THE PREDICTION FULFILLED 215

XXIX--LOUIS XIII. 227

XXX--THE ORIEL WINDOW 235

XXXI--AN OMINOUS INTERVIEW 244

XXXII--LOVE AND TREASON 254

XXXIII--THE CARDINAL DUPED 263

XXXIV--THE MAID OF HONOUR 271

XXXV--AT VAL DE GRÂCE 283

XXXVI--THE QUEEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL 291

XXXVII--LOUISE DE LAFAYETTE 302

NOTES 317

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

THE CHÂTEAU OF CHENONCEAU _Frontispiece_
From the painting by Debat Ponson.
(With permission of Ad. Braun et Cie.)

PORTION OF THE ROOF OF THE CHÂTEAU OF CHAMBORD 2

CHÂTEAU OF AZAY LE RIDEAU 6

FRANCIS I. 10
From the painting by Titian.

DOOR OF THE CHAPEL, CHÂTEAU OF AMBOISE 16

HENRY, DUKE OF MONTMORENCI, MARSHAL OF FRANCE 24
From a portrait by Balthasar Moncornet.

THE CHEVALIER BAYARD 40
After A. de Neuville.
(By permission of Estes & Lauriat.)

QUEEN ELINOR 44

CHÂTEAU OF AMBOISE 48

DUCHESSE D’ÉTAMPES 52

CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBORD 56

SPIRAL STAIRCASE, CHÂTEAU OF BLOIS 78
(By permission of Neurdein, Paris.)

COUÇY 86

THE GARDENS OF THE TUILERIES, PARIS 90

A GATE OF THE LOUVRE, AFTER ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY 102

CHARLES IX. 106
From the painting by Clouet.

HENRI DE GUISE 122
From a drawing in the Louvre.
(By permission of A. Giraudon, Paris.)

NOTRE-DAME, PARIS 126

ADMIRAL GASPARD DE COLIGNY 132
From a drawing by François Clouet.
(By permission of A. Giraudon, Paris.)

CATHERINE DE MÉDICIS 140

CHÂTEAU DE BLOIS 150

HENRY IV. 158
From a contemporary painting in the Museum at Versailles.

DIANA DE POITIERS, BY JEAN GOUJON 164
From the Château of Anet, now in the Louvre.
(By permission of Levy, Paris.)

THE CASCADE OF ST. CLOUD 174
From an engraving by Rigaud.

GENERAL VIEW OF FONTAINEBLEAU 190
From an old print.

MARIE DE MÉDICIS 204
From a steel engraving.

COUÇY--INTERIOR, SHOWING THICKNESS OF WALLS 218

LOUIS XIII., KING OF FRANCE AND NAVARRE 232
From an old print.

CARDINAL RICHELIEU 270

CHÂTEAU OF NANTES 280

AUTHORITIES

Mémoires de Brantôme.
Mémoires de son Temps, Du Bellay.
Histoire de Henri Duc de Bouillon.
Mémoires de Condé.
Dictionnaire de Bayle, “_Duc de Guise_.”
Histoire des Guerres Civiles de la France, par Davila.
Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire de France, par Champollion.
Mémoires de Coligni.
Novaes, Storia dei Pontefici.
Mémoires de Marguerite de Valois.
Journal de Henri III.
Mémoires de Sully.
Histoire de Henri IV., par Mathieu.
Histoire des Amours de Henri IV.
L’Intrigue du Cabinet sous Henri IV. et Louis XIII.
Mémoires pour l’Histoire du Cardinal de Richelieu.
Mémoires du Cardinal de Richelieu.
Histoire de la Mère et du Fils, par Mezeray.
Mémoires du Maréchal de Bassompierre.
Observations de Bassompierre.
Mémoires de feu Monsieur (Gaston) Duc d’Orléans.
Mémoires de Cinq-Mars.
Mémoires de Montrésor.
La Cour de Marie de’ Medici, par un Cadet de Gascogne.
Lettres de Madame de Sévigné.
Mémoires de Mademoiselle de Montpensier.
Mémoires du Duc de Lauzun.
Mémoires de Madame de Motteville.
Mémoires de M. d’Artagnan.
Mémoires du Cardinal de Retz.
Mémoires de La Porte.
Mémoires de Mazarin.
Œuvres Complètes de Saint-Simon.
Mémoires de la Duchesse de la Vallière.
Mémoires de la Marquise de Montespan.
Mémoires de la Marquise de Maintenon.
Amours des Rois de France.
Dulaure, Histoire de Paris.
Histoire de la Touraine, dans la Bibliothèque Publique à Tours.
Capefigue, Ouvrages Divers.

OLD COURT LIFE IN FRANCE.