r name for the names of
Marguerite and Blanche in the tales of the Tour de Nesle.

Because of the misfortunes which overtook her daughters, Countess Mahaut
was compelled to be very circumspect in her own conduct. She had been an
indulgent and affectionate mother to both; but her own political
situation was at this time top precarious to admit of her attempting to
defend them with a high hand. After the death of her father, in 1302,
Mahaut and her husband had been invested with the county of Artois, and
she had continued to govern it unmolested after Otho's death until 1307,
when we first hear rumors of a claim affecting the validity of her
title. Mahaut had inherited the county as being nearest of kin to Robert
II., the Salic law not applying under the customs of Artois. At the time
there was living a son of Mahaut's brother, Philippe; and this young
Robert de Beaumont, calling himself Robert d'Artois, was the person who,
instigated by his mother, now attacked Mahaut's title, appealing for
judgment to the king and the court of peers. Robert demanded the
recognition of his rights to the countship of Artois, or, failing that,
to an indemnity of considerable amount. This latter had been already
provided for by a convention between his grand-fathers at the time of
the marriage of Philippe d'Artois and Blanche de Bretagne, and Robert
was perfectly justified in demanding its payment. When the cause was
tried before Philippe le Bel, October, 1309, he rendered fair judgment,
confirming Mahaut in the possession of Artois and granting certain lands
and a large sum of money to Robert.

But mediaeval politics were very uncertain; what one king did or said
might well be reversed by his successor; and so the death of Philippe le
Bel (1314) was the signal for a renewed attempt to dispossess Mahaut and
her children. At this time there was much disquiet over all the kingdom,
and Mahaut had the dreadful shame of her daughter to harass her; it
seemed, therefore, a peculiarly opportune time to begin the attack upon
her. Robert addressed a most insolent letter to his aunt: _A tres haute
et tres noble dame, Mahaut d'Artoys, comtesse de Bourgogne, Robert
d'Artoys, chevalier_. But we will translate: "Since you have wrongfully
denied me my rights to the countship of Artois, at which I have been and
still am greatly troubled, and which I neither can nor will longer
suffer, therefore I notify you that I shall take counsel to recover mine
own as