The Project Gutenberg EBook of Women of Mediaeval France, by Pierce Butler

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Women of Mediaeval France
Woman: in all ages and in all countries Vol. 5 (of 10)

Author: Pierce Butler

Release Date: June 5, 2010 [EBook #32695]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WOMEN OF MEDIAEVAL FRANCE ***

Produced by Renald Levesque

WOMAN

VOLUME V

WOMEN OF MEDIAEVAL FRANCE

BY

PIERCE BUTLER, PH. D.
OF TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

[Illustration 1:
ODETTE DE CHAMPDIVERS AND CHARLES VI.
After the painting by Albrecht de Vriendt.
The king, now often idiotic when he was not raving,... To amuse and
distract him, and also to strengthen the Burgundian influence, the Duke
of Burgundy provided him with a fair child as playmate and mistress. To
the sway once held by Valentine over Charles there now succeeded Odette.
She was little more than a child, but she became mistress as well as
playfellow of the mad king. Of humble origin (daughter of a horse
dealer), she wears in court history a name better than that she was born
to, Odette de Champdivers; and the people, indulgent of the sin of the
mad king, called her "la petite reine" She was happy, it seems, and kind
to the king, amused him, was loved by him; and, more true to him than
was quite pleasing to the Burgundians, did not play false to France in
later years when Burgundy and England were leagued together.]

Woman

In all ages and in all countries

VOLUME V

WOMEN OF MEDIAEVAL FRANCE

BY

PIERCE BUTLER, PH. D.
Of Tulane University of Louisiana

ILLUSTRATED

PHILADELPHIA
GEORGE BARRIE & SONS, PUBLISHERS

COPYRIGHT. 1907, BY GEORGE BARRIE & SONS Entered at Stationers' Hall,
London

TO
M. L. B. AND J. P. B.

PREFACE

IT is the customary privilege of the author to meet you at the
threshold, as it were, bid you welcome, and in his own person explain
more fully and freely than he may elsewhere the plan and intent of his
book. After you have crossed this imaginary boundary you may judge for
yourself, weigh and consider, and condemn even with scant regard for the
author's feeling