Some memorials of Renée of France, duchess of Ferrara

Front matter

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

944.02

R29Wb

Preface

gratified by being assured that they have efficiently helped me, and that I trust never to forget the obligations under which they have laid me.

If I did enumerate those my surviving auxiliaries, I should be impelled to specify one, " a friend of many years," who has gone into the work of research and revision of materials for me with a voluntary earnestness, relieving my mind, while it has clearly gratified his own spirit. But he who has thus aided me, will be better pleased with the consciousness of having done so as a private friend, undesirous of publicity.

My effort at authorship lays no claim to originality. It is but a compilation from various sources, some printed, some in manuscript, some old and familiar, others recently opened. Eeference to the authorities which I have consulted and indicated will show at once the extent of my obligations to them, even where I may not fully have acknowledged it by the customary marks of quotation. I wish my confession of every omission of this kind, which may be discovered, to be understood in the amplest sense ; for I should be indeed ashamed to incur the slightest imputation of that literary dishonesty which, availing itself of the labours of others, assumes the credit as its own.

Chapter I

Renee's Birth and Baptism. — Her Personal Appearance. — Her Governess, Madame de Soubise. —Her Mother, Anne of Bretagne. —Matrimonial Projects for Renee.— Character of " the Good Queen Claude." — Renee promised in Marriage to the Prince Ercole of

CHAPTER n.

Character of Ercole, Prince of Ferrara.-Character of Renee.— Marriage of Renee.— Her Departure to Italy. -Her Reception at Ferrara.—

Her Patronage of Literature. — Her Religious Opinions Favour to

the Fraternity of St. Fran9ois de Paul.-Birth of the Princess Anna. —Renee's charitable Disposition. —Her Visit to Venice. — Death of Alfonso I. ...

CHAPTER HI.

Accession of Ercole n.~His Acts as a Sovereign.-His Literary Sympathies with Renea~His Journey to Rome.- Clement Marot at Ferrara.— John Calvin.— His Influence over the Duchess.-His Character.-Anne de Parthenai and her Husband.-Men of Literature at Renee's Court.— Birth of Lucrezia, the second Daughter of Renee.—

I Ercole's Disappointment at Rome.— His Return to Ferrara.— Flight of Marot—Danger of Calvin.- His Arrest and Deliverance.- Renee

I compelled to conceal her Religious Opinions ... 30

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X

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

Dawn of the Reformation in Italy. — Writings of the Reformers. — Their Preachers. — Bernardo Ochino. — Antonio Bruccioli's Italian Translation of the Bible. — Dedication to Renee. — Vittoria Colonna. — Ochino proscribed as a Heretic. — Saved by Renee's Intervention. — Birth of Renee's youngest Child, Luigi. — Education of the Princess Anna. — Olympia Morata. — Her Genius, and Friendship with Anna d'Este. — Visit of Pope Paul III. to Eerrara. — Festivities consequent thereon. — Shadows of future Persecution. — The Court of Eerrara. — Its illustrious Men and Women. — Commencement of Calvin's Correspondence with Renee Page 52

CHAPTER V.

Calvin's Epistle to Renee. — Her Complicity in the Conspiracy of Fieschi at Genoa. — Death of Francis I. — Marriage of Anna d'Este with Fran9ois de Guise. — Disgrace of Olympia Morata. — Faventino Fannio. — Order of the Jesuits at Eerrara. — Henry 11. of France sends the Inquisitor Oriz to Eerrara to convert Renee. — Failure of his Mission. — Renee sent to the Palazzo di Consandolo. — Her attempts to "proselytize." — Imprisonment of Renee in the Castle of Eerrara. — Separation from her Children. — She sends for the Jesuit Pelletario. — Her Reconciliation to the Church of Rome and to her Husband Ercole II. — Her Return to the Palazzo di Francesco . • • . 73

CHAPTER VI.

News of the Duchess Renee's Recantation received by Calvin, and by Olympia Morata. — Some further Notices of Olympia Morata's Life in Germany. — Its Joys and Sorrows. — Letter of Olympia Morata to Anna d'Este. — Olympia's last Illness and Death at Heidelberg. — Return of Prince Alfonso to Eerrara., and Reconciliation with his Father the Duke, whom he had disobliged by his Flight to France —

CONTENTS.

xi

Partiality of Duke Ercole for Imperial Interests in Italy Accession

of Paul IV. to the Papal Chair, and of Philip 11. to the Throne of Spain. — The two Despots on ill Terms with each other. — Paul IV.

invokes another French Invasion of Italy The Duke of Perrara

persuaded to take the Side of France by the Duke of Guise and by Paul IV. — Failure of the Enterprise in consequence of the Recall of Guise, necessitated by the Battle of St. Quentin. — Prince Alfonso of Ferrara returns to France, and nearly loses his Life by a Fall from

the Duke d'Aumale's Horse Ercole's Refusal to carry the War

into the Neapolitan Dominions. — The Review at Reggio" of the Armies of France and Ferrara. — The War distasteful to Ercole II. — Conspiracy against him, which fails. — Paul IV. omits to have the Duke of Ferrara included in his Treaty of Peace with Philip II. — Desperate State of Ercole's Affairs. — Prince Alfonso defeats the Army of Parma. — Good Offices of Cosmo, Duke of Florence. — He succeeds in bringing about a Peace between Spain and Ferrara. — Marriage of Prince Alfonso with Lucrezia, Daughter of Cosmo. — His Departure to France. — Montluc's Visit to the Ducal Family at Ferrara, and warm Reception by the Duchess Renee. — Renee's benevolent Care for the perishing Soldiery of Guise's Army in Italy. — Her liberal Provision for their Necessities. — Her Reply to the Remonstrances of her Steward Page 109

CHAPTER VII.

Galeazzo Caraccioli. — Epistle of Calvin to Renee. — Her " Vexations." — Persecutions in France. — Deaths of Henry 11. and of Ercole II. — Character of the latter. — Succession of Alfonso II. — His Reception and " Progress." — Renee's Retirement to France. — The Cause of it 132

CHAPTER VIII.

France, on Renee's Return. — Its Court.- — Its religious State. — Leaders of the French Reformation. — The Constable. — The Guises. — The House of Bourbon. — Persecution of the "Huguenots." — Conspiracy of Amboise. — Its Failure. — Cruel Executions. — Anna d'Este's Grief. — Edict of Romoran tin 1.51 xii

CONTENTS,

CHAPTER IX,

Parties in France. — Convocation of the States- General. — New Conspiracy detected. — Conde arrested and sentenced to Death. — Renee on her Arrival remonstrates. — Francis II. dies. — Fall of the Guises. — — Conde released. — Renee*s Communications to and from Queen Elizabeth. — Catherine's Policy. — Her Astrology and Renee's

CHAPTER X.

The " Triumvirate." — Fiercely intolerant Edict of the Parliament of Paris. — Increase of Protestantism — Jeanne d'Albret its Friend — Montargis. — Renee makes it a Refuge for the Persecuted. — Tolerant Edict. — Antoine of Navarre deserts the Protestant Cause — His

Motive — His Presumption Massacre of Vassy. — Renee's prudent

and courageous Conduct. — Outrages at Montargis repressed by her 197

CHAPTER XL

Assassination of the Duke of Guise. — Edict of Amboise. — Coligni accused — Solemnly denies his Guilt. — Reconciliation at Moulins. — Alienation of Duchess of Guise from the Reformed. — Calvin's Letter to Renee complaining of her. — Renee suspected by the Reformed. — Long and interesting Vindication of herself in a Letter to Calvin. — Marriage of Duchess of Guise to the Duke of Nemours . .219

CHAPTER XII.

Death of Calvin. — Letters to and from Renee. — Huguenot Project — Its Failure. — War. — The Constable killed. — Treaty of Longjumeau. Conde and Coligni take Alarm — Edict against the Reformed. — War resumed. — Conde killed at Jarnac. — D'Andelot dies. — Defeat at Montcontour. — Renee at Montargis is obliged to dismiss the Reformed. — Edict insidiously favourable to the Reformed. — Renee's Troubles in private Affairs.— Her Statement drawn up for her Son. — Massacre

of St. Bartholomew. — Anna d'Este — Her Guilt — Her Sufferings

Lucrezia d'Este. — Renee's Decay — Her Death . . . 246 eenEe of feance.

CHAPTER I.

Eenee's Birth and Baptism. — Her Personal Appearance. — Her Governess, Madame de Soubise. — Her Mother, Anne of Bretagne. — Matrimonial Projects for Renee. — Character of the Good Queen Claude." — Renee promised in Marriage to the Prince Ercole of Ferrara.

Of the issue of Louis XII.'s ambitious marriage with Anne^ heiress of the Duchy of Bretagne, two daughters only survived. The elder, born Oct. 14, 1499, and married in 15 14 to the Comte d'Angouleme, afterwards Francis I., is known to all readers of French history as " the Grood Queen Claude." The younger, who was born after the lapse of eleven years, on the 25th of October, 15 10, at the royal residence of Blois, received the name of Renee at her baptism, by the express desire of her joyful mother.* The sponsors of the royal child were Madame de Bourbon, and Madame de Bouchaige, also the celebrated Jean- Jacques de Trivulzio, Marshal of France. f

* Bernier's Histoire de Blois.

f flistoire de Louis XII. par Messire Claude Seyssel, Archeveque de Turin, p. 383.

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ME3I0EIALS OF

The young princess was called une belle fille";* in fact^ she is described in a letter of the time^ as ^' bien belle, blanche, et toute jolie." | But this portraiture of Eenee, if true at all, could only have been so during her infant years. Her personal appearance in after life is usually described as the reverse of attractive, and in more than one instance the limner has confirmed the testimony of the historian on this point.J The old chronicler of Blois tells us that King Louis v^ould now and then divert himself at his child's expense, on account of the deformity of her figure, and that one day he added to his ordinary jests on this subject the remark that, for one so plain as Eenee, it might be hard in future time to find a husband. But the queen, who was present, coldly reproved the saying, by replying with serious emphasis, " The love which personal beauty alone excites, passes away as quickly as its object; but that which is prompted by mental beauty is not subject to change, being fixed on that which is in itself enduring." §

It was therefore Queen Anne's wise aspiration for her young daughter, that as she grew to woman's

* Histoire de Louis XII. par Messire Claude Seyssel, Archeveque de Turin, p. 383.

t Lettres de Louis XIL t. iii. p. 36.

J There is a portrait of Kenee in the Galerie du Louvre which certainly conveys no idea of beauty. It was probably taken before her marriage. The MS. collections of Roddi in the British Museum contain a rough sketch of her in her old age, which is even more unsightly.

§ Bernier's Hist, de Blois.

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estate, the superior cultivation of her mind might compensate her deficiency in personal charms. And being enfeebled in health ever since the birth of Eenee, and gradually sinking under mortal disease, she chose a Breton lady, Michelle de Saubonne, wife of the Sieur de Soubise, and one of her former maids of honour, to conduct the education of the princess when she herself should be no more. The important trust was well bestowed, duly appreciated, and faithfully discharged. The Dame de Soubise was gifted with an intellect of a high order, and was ably qualified to train un esprit tout de feu," with which we are told that Eenee was born.* Her religion too was of a purer sort than was general at that period, and she laboured with pious care to impart a better wisdom than that of this world only, to her royal pupil. So that Eenee's predilections for the reformed doctrine, in later years, have been ascribed to the influence of the early lessons of Madame de Soubise.

The character of Anne of Bretagne was no ordinary one, and its better qualities were inherited by her daughter Eenee. Anne was eminently virtuous and firm of purpose ; her mind too had received with facility the best instruction that the age could afford. But she was also haughty, ambitious, and vindictive.f Her ambition had been rebuked by the death of one

* Bernier's Hist, de Blois. t Sismondi, Histoire des Eran9ais, t. xv. p. 660. B 2 son after another^ till she had the bitterness of knowing that the throne of France must pass from her husband's line to the son of Louise of Savoy^ Duchess d'Angouleme, a woman whom she hated. An intense patriotism, which at times gave the semblance of ambition to her purposes, was a marked feature of Eenee's disposition ; otherwise the alloy of her mother's character cannot be traced in hers. On the contrary, she derived from her father Louis XII. much of that remarkable kindliness of nature, which won from the States- Greneral assembled at Tours in 1506, the honourable title of " Father of his People."

Being deprived of heirs male to the crown of France, and the Salic Law excluding the Princesses Claude and Eenee from the succession. Queen Anne employed the energies of her active mind in forming brilliant matrimonial projects for her daughters. Even before the infants Claude of France and Charles of Austria * had attained their second birthday they were affianced to each other, and the worldly inducement was a great one. If the marriage had eventually taken place, Claude would have been an empress. To secure to her child such a brilliant destiny, Anne of Bretagne cared not that the integrity of the French kingdom must in that case have been sacrificed to provide the dowry. But the wise judgment of Louis XII. accorded with the popular dislike of this alliance, and the dearest wish of

* Afterwards Charles V,

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Anne's heart was disappointed. Claude was betrothed, not to Charles, but to the youthful heir of Louis, Francis, Comte de Valois, son of Charles, Comte d'Angouleme, and Louise of Sa^oy, amidst great rejoicings on the part of the people of France. But Anne had influence enough to hinder the conclusion of the marriage during her lifetime. It was not only her " marvellous affection for the house of Burgundy,"* but her deeply-rooted prejudice against Louise, which inspired her with an unconquerable aversion to the proposed union ; and more bitter still would have been her feelings could she have foreseen the misery of Claude's wedded life, which was throughout a martyrdom " to that keenest of all woman's sufferings, a despised and neglected affection ; " more persevering than ever would have been her efforts to prevent that unhappy marriage. How do the blasted schemes of the great ones of the earth, for their own aggrandisement or for that of their offspring, echo for ever the solemn words, " I charge thee, fling away ambition " !

Unchecked, however, by the failure of her plans in favour of Claude, the Princess Eenee was no sooner born than Queen Anne commenced scheming on her behalf also. The natural " bonte " of Louis XIL always permitted much meddling in state affairs on the

* Anne had been affianced and married by proxy to Maximilian, King of the liomans, when she was only fourteen years of age. This marriage was nullified by her compulsory union to Charles VIIL, predecessor of Louis XIL

B 3 part of his wife, whose noble qualities commanded his love, esteem, and honour. But once, when she was taking rather a high tone with respect to Eenee's future prospects, he strove to repress her undue interference by a fable, which Bernier records for us. " Know, madam," said the king playfully, that Grod gave horns to the hinds as well as to the stags at the creation of the world ; but they, seeing the beautiful branches on their heads, endeavoured to give the law to the stags ; upon which the Almighty, in wrath, took from them those ornaments to punish them for their arrogance ! " Queen Anne persevered, however, in her projects ; and in November, 1513? prevailed on Louis to transfer to Eenee (who was at that time but three years old) his claims on Milan, Asti, and Grenoa. These states were designed to constitute the dowry of Eenee in the event of her marriage with either the Archduke Charles, or his younger brother Ferdinand. Such were the plans of Anne of Bretagne amidst the pangs of acute disease, and even whilst the cold shadow of approaching death lay upon her. She died at Blois on the 2nd Ja>nuary, 15 14; on the 1st January, 15 15, King Louis died also, and Eenee was left an orphan.

The last testament of Anne of Bretagne committed both her children to the care of Louise of Savoy, notwithstanding the animosity which had so long subsisted between them.* Perhaps Anne hoped to conciliate her

* "Ea mourant," dit, parlant d'elle (Anne de Bretagne) dans ses

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adversary by this mark of confidence, and avert her mahce from the unoffending Claude and Eenee. Or perhaps Anne really had in her inmost heart a just appreciation of the few great qualities which partially redeemed the character of the mother of Francis I. But whatever was the conduct of the appointed guardian of the young princesses in the discharge of this trust, it is certain that they both found a faithful friend in the daughter of Louise, — Marguerite de Valois.

Hardly emerged from infancy at the time of her mother's death, Eenee could have known but little of the sorrow of such a bereavement ; and over her childhood and youth watched the faithful governess, Madame de Soubise, and the loving sister, Claude, Queen of France. Under their care, Eenee grew up ; and so far were the forebodings of Louis XIL as to the consequences of her personal plainness from being realised, that she was, in fact, sought in marriage by the most celebrated personages of that period. During the first and second years of the reign of her brother-in-law, Francis I., it seemed almost certain that she would be the bride of either the one or the other of the Austrian princes. She had been contracted to the Archduke

memoires, Louise de Savoie, " elle me laissa I'administration de ses biens, de sa fortune, et de ses filles, memement de Madame Claude, depuis Relne de France, femme de mon fils, laquelle j'ay honorablement conduit." See I'Art de Verifier les Dates, where the following remark is added : — " Ccla prouve que malgre son aversion pour Louise de Savoie, la reine avoit un grand fonds d'estime pour elle." T. ii.

B 4

Charles in 15 14, during her father's lifetime. In 1515^ on an embassy being sent by Charles to congratulate Francis I. on his accession to the crown of France and to solicit his friendship, the young monarch acknowledged the courtesies of the future emperor with the most friendly expressions, and promised to him the hand of the Princess Kenee when she should have attained the age of twelve. Even her dowry was determined upon. It was to consist of 200,000 silver crowns, with the Duchy of Berri, estimated as equivalent to 400,000 more. However, this arrangement was set aside; and in 15 1 6, the Archduke Ferdinand was spoken of as the destined husband of Eenee, whilst Charles, succeeding to his grandfather's throne of Castillo, strengthened his new treaty of peace with Francis I. by an article which guaranteed his marriage with Louise of France, an infant of a year old, daughter of Francis I. and Claude.

Eenee's union with a prince of the house of Austria was never accomplished ; but she had another illustrious suitor in Charles, Duke of Bourbon, the celebrated Constable of France. He was one of the early favourites of Francis I., and that high office had been conferred on him not only at the request of his mother Louise, but as a special mark of the young monarch's friendship. By the deaths, in rapid succession, of his wife, Suzanne, in and of her mother, Anne of Beaujeu,

in the following year. Bourbon became, in his own estimation, " the sole legitimate claimant of enormous possessions." His immense wealth, his lofty position,

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his relationship to the sovereign, and his many noble qualities, seemed to justify his claims to the hand of Eenee, whose childish imagination he had already captivated. But the proposition did not commend itself to the mind of Francis. He regarded it merely as a proof of the soaring ambition of an already too powerful subject ; and Louise, who coveted the Constable's large possessions, was also resolved to thwart this project. It is likely that, notwithstanding the disruption of their former friendship, the mother of Francis I. was still secretly attached to the person of the Constable, irrespectively of the worldly wealth which he had inherited. She was only eight years older than Charles of Bourbon, and Francis, though decidedly rejecting the alliance on behalf of his sister-in-law Eenee, intimated to the Constable that it was in his power to raise himself to the highest dignity in the realm next to the kingly state, by taking advantage of the favourable sentiments entertained for him by the widowed matron Louise.* But the hing and his mother, astute as she was, little knew the character of Bourbon. The Constable rejected the proffered hand of Louise with irrepressible disdain, and with words of insult. It was no wonder, therefore, that the bitterest hatred took possession of her mind, — that she vowed vengeance against Bourbon, — it was but human nature ! On the pretext of being herself a Bourbon she claimed the inheritance of

* See Miss Freer's Life of Marguerite of Valois, Queen of Navarre, vol. i. p. 189.

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Suzanne's rich dowry, to the total exclusion of the rights of the Constable. She went fui'ther, and "changed a wholesome heart to gall/' by not only robbing him of his estates, but by alienating from him the affections of Eenee. For when, with the full consent of " the Grood Queen Claude," he renewed his suit to the young princess, she repelled him with the mercenary reply that it was impossible for her any longer to entertain the idea of an alliance with a noble, who must, if the legal proceedings proved fatal to his claims, become one of the poorest princes in Europe. Here we may easily trace the resentment of Louise of Savoy. Such an objection could have been no spontaneous expression of feeling on the part of a child not yet twelve years old.

Queen Claude had often much to endure from the irritable temper of her mother-in-law, who has been accused of taking pleasure in revenging upon the innocent daughter of Anne of Bretagne the virtuous dislike with which that high-souled queen had formerly regarded her. But no experience of personal indignity could have caused so much pain to Claude as the influence of the worldly Louise on the young mind of Eenee. The measure of Claude's appointed griefs was, however, soon filled up, and before the completion of her twenty-fifth year, she died, in the arms of her sister Eenee, on the 26th July, 15^4. To that sorrowful spirit the angel of death must have been a welcome visitor. With solemn and grateful joy the purified

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sufferer must have exchanged the splendid misery of her earthly palace for the holy rest of her heavenly home. But the memory of her excellence was such, as even the world, which understands it not, does not willingly let die." The burghers and people of France long revered her as their " Good Queen Claude." Her patient endurance, her boundless charity, her unfailing self-respect, and her purity of heart and life — all these high attributes of woman's character have combined to place her name amongst those which are " had in everlasting remembrance." Even her unworthy husband Francis, who had neither requited her love nor appreciated the beauty of her character, sorrowed deeply for a while. He did not indeed attempt to solace her last hours on earth with his presence, but paused at Bourges on his way to Italy, when he heard of her increased illness, " awaiting the end." Perhaps conscience awoke and smote him when he was told that her case was hopeless, for his sister Marguerite, in a letter to the Bishop of Meaux*, relates that "he mourned exceeding^, saying to Madame (his mother), ^ If my life could be given in exchange for hers, willingly would I yield it up. Never could I have believed that the bonds of marriage, confirmed by Grod, were so hard and difficult to sever,' and so, in tears, we separated. Since we have not had news how he (the king) fares ; but I fear that he is burdened with heavy sor-

* Dated "Herbault, August 1524." — Vide Miss Freer's Life of Marguerite of Yalois.

row." Nevertheless, he did not return for ever so short a time to Blois to attend his queen's funeral ! He " the first gentleman of France/' as he proudly styled himself, left that duty to be performed by others. To the credit of Louise it must be recorded that grief for the unexpected demise of Claude occasioned her a severe accession of illness. She immediately despatched Marguerite to Blois to comfort the Princess Renee and Claude's poor little children by her presence." The remains of the young queen were laid to rest in St. Denis ; and Francis, " after the successful expulsion of Bourbon and his invading hosts from the shores of Provence/' prepared for the realisation of his dream of conquest in the plains of Northern Italy.

The Constable, in arms against his sovereign, might well have relinquished the hope of a matrimonial alliance with the blood-royal of France. But when the tide of fortune turned against Francis I., and that monarch became the prisoner of Charles V., it is certain that, more than once during his weary captivity, he was fain to promise the hand of Renee to the traitor as one of the conditions of his restoration to liberty and to his kingdom. It was but the holding out, however, of a false hope to the unhappy Bourbon. Francis I. took care to withdraw his consent to that stipulation when it ceased to be essential to his own freedom, and Renee was reserved to be disposed of in marriage hereafter as might best subserve the interests of her royal brother-in-law. She only shared the fate of many a

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previous and subsequent princess in being the victim of mere political schemes and heartless ambition. In some motive of such unworthy sort, the idea of marrying her to Joachim, Electoral Prince of Brandenburg, doubtless originated ; but particulars relative to this project are nowhere to be met with, nor are we told for what reason the negotiation was abandoned.

Francis I., at strife with Charles V., solaced himself with the friendship of Henry VIII. of England. The feelings of the English king had been outraged by the triumphs of Bourbon's army at Eome, and in July 1527, Cardinal Wolsey was sent to France on an embassy from Henry, accompanied by the Bishop of London, the Earl of Derby, and Sir Thomas More. Francis and his mother received the Cardinal at Amiens on the 22nd July, with all the state and ceremonial which could have been observed towards Henry himself." There was nothing forgot," says Holingshed, " that might doe him honor or pleasure." The treaty between Henry and Francis was renewed ; and it was agreed that a joint army should be raised to march into Italy, under the command of Marshal Lautrec, to the relief of Pope Clement VII., a prisoner by Charles V.'s order, ever since the sacking of Eome. Other negotiations were also opened by the Cardinal. His master even then meditated a divorce from Catherine of Arragon, and no considerations of delicacy restrained the ambassador from prematurely soliciting the hand of Marguerite of Valois, the now widowed

Duchess of Alenfon, for Henry VIII. But Marguerite^ the personal friend of Henry's injured wife, sternly rejected the revolting proposition. Nothing abashed, the Cardinal next hinted at a marriage between Henry and the Princess Eenee ; a suggestion which found favour in the eyes of Louise of Savoy, when she heard the affirmation of Staffeleo, Dean of Kota, " that the Pope had been able to permit the marriage between Henry and Catherine only by an error of the keys of St. Peter." But it was negatived by Francis, who feared lest Eenee, if the wife of so powerful a neighbour as the King of England, might be led to claim her rights as the real heiress of the duchy of Bretagne. For "the agreement which secured the perpetual independence of that duchy might be applied with as much reason to a second daughter as to a second son," and this contingent possibility proved fatal to Wolsey's scheme. It would be hard to conjecture the probable fate of Eenee had she been suffered to marry the tyrant of England. The affinity of Henry's first wife to a powder ful monarch did not suffice to shelter her from the insult of an unmerited divorce. But Tower Hill would hardly have counted among its victims " a true king's daughter of France." The Princess Eenee would not have been subjected to the doom of Anne Boleyn or Catherine Howard.

The struggle of Francis I. against the emperor in Italy led to combinations which, at last, decided the marriage destiny of Eenee. It was deemed expedient