uence of the good but weak
Marguerite de Provence, was the scene of a court scandal which
threatened serious consequences under the son of Saint Louis, that
Philippe misnamed "le Hardi." The central figure in this unpleasant
episode, Marie de Brabant, is otherwise of so little note that we shall
not tell more of her than is necessary to the understanding of the
little intrigue of which she was accused.

Isabelle d'Aragon, the first wife of Philippe III., had died under
tragic circumstances. She accompanied her husband and Saint Louis on the
latter's second crusade, and returning with the body of the saintly
king, was thrown from her horse while crossing a stream in Calabria, and
died a few days later (January, 1271), giving birth to a child who did
not long survive. In 1274, Philippe married Marie de Brabant, sister of
Duke Jean de Brabant. The new queen was young, beautiful, and
_excellente en sagesse_, increasing each day in favor with the king. The
favorite of Philippe at that time was Pierre de la Brosse, who had begun
life, so his enemies said, as barber-surgeon to Saint Louis, but who was
really of more respectable origin. He had now arrived at such a pitch of
fortune as to excite the envy of the nobles; since there was a clique
against him, he was resolved to use every means to secure his power, for
the loss of his power, as he well knew, would almost certainly involve
the loss of his life.

The queen, Marie, had probably manifested dislike of this favorite and
perhaps sympathy with the attempts to overthrow his power. An
accident--we do not hesitate to affirm that it was an accident--gave
Pierre, now her enemy, a chance to ruin her. In 1276, Prince Louis,
Philippe's eldest son by Isabelle, died suddenly, or at least under
mysterious circumstances. The days of poisoning were not by any means
past, and poisoning was at once suggested to account for the mysterious
death. Pierre de la Brosse industriously circulated the rumor that the
queen had committed the crime and was prepared to do the like by the
three remaining children of Isabelle, in order that the crown might
descend to her children. There was, of course, much evil talk in the
court, as well as plots and counterplots between the friends of the
queen and the friends of the favorite. Philippe was half distracted
between his love for Marie and his suspicions of her, and the latter
Pierre de la Brosse took pains to keep alive. Finally things came to
such a p