Chapter I: Introduction: 1

DISCOURSE I. ANNE DE BRETAGNE, Queen of France 25

_Sainte-Beuve’s remarks upon her_ 40

DISCOURSE II. CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI, Queen, and mother of our last kings 44

_Sainte-Beuve’s remarks upon her_ 85

DISCOURSE III. MARIE STUART, Queen of Scotland, formerly Queen of our France 89

_Sainte-Beuve’s essay on her_ 121

DISCOURSE IV. ÉLISABETH OF FRANCE, Queen of Spain 138

DISCOURSE V. MARGUERITE, Queen of France and of Navarre, sole daughter now remaining of the Noble House of France 152

_Sainte-Beuve’s essay on her_ 193

DISCOURSE VI. MESDAMES, the Daughters of the Noble House of France:

Madame Yoland 214

Madame Jeanne 215

Madame Anne 216

Madame Claude 219

Madame Renée 220

Mesdames Charlotte, Louise, Magdelaine, Marguerite 223

Mesdames Élisabeth, Claude, and Marguerite 229

Madame Diane 231

MARGUERITE DE VALOIS, Queen of Navarre 234

_Sainte-Beuve’s essay on the latter_ 243

DISCOURSE VII. OF VARIOUS ILLUSTRIOUS LADIES:

Isabelle d’Autriche, wife of Charles IX 262

Jeanne d’Autriche, wife of the Infante of Portugal 270

Marie d’Autriche, wife of the King of Hungary 273

Louise de Lorraine, wife of Henri III 280

Marguerite de Lorraine, wife of the Duc de Joyeuse 282

Christine of Denmark, wife of the Duc de Lorraine 283

Marie d’Autriche, wife of the Emperor Maximilian II 291

Blanche de Montferrat, Duchesse de Savoie 293

Catherine de Clèves, wife of Henri I. de Lorraine, Duc de Guise 297

Madame de Bourdeille 297

APPENDIX 299

INDEX 305

LIST OF PHOTOGRAVURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

PIERRE DE BOURDEILLE, ABBÉ AND SEIGNEUR DE BRANTÔME _Frontispiece_ From an old engraving by I. Von Schley.

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FRANÇOIS DE LORRAINE, DUC DE GUISE 8 By François Clouet; in the Louvre.

DISCOURSE