ame Henriette de France.
M. de Preau.
ILLUSTRATIONS
VOL. I
1. MARIE DE MEDICIS, SECOND QUEEN OF HENRY IV OF FRANCE.
2. HENRI DE LORRAINE, DUC DE GUISE. Engraved by Hopwood.
3. THE EVE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW. Engraved by Follet from a Painting by
Raffet.
4. GABRIELLE D'ESTREES.
5. MARECHAL DE BIRON. Engraved by Colin from the Original by Gallait.
6. DUC DE SULLY. Engraved by Hopwood.
7. MARIE DE MEDICIS.
BOOK I
MARIE DE MEDICIS AS QUEEN
THE LIFE
OF
MARIE DE MEDICIS
CHAPTER I
1572
Marriages of Henri IV--Marguerite de Valois--Her character--Her marriage
with the King of Navarre--Massacre of Saint Bartholomew--Henri, Duc
d'Anjou, elected sovereign of Poland--Death of Charles IX--Accession of
Henri III--Conspiracy of the Duc d'Alencon--Revealed by
Marguerite--Henry of Navarre escapes from the French Court--Henry of
Navarre protests against his enforced oath--Marguerite is imprisoned by
her brother--The Duc d'Alencon returns to his allegiance--Marguerite
joins her husband at Bearn--Domestic discord--Marriage-portion of
Marguerite--Court of Navarre--Dupin insults the Queen of
Navarre--Catherine de Medicis induces Marguerite to return to
France--The Duc d'Alencon again revolts--Marguerite arrests a royal
courier--She is banished with ignominy from the French Court--She is
deprived of her attendants--Henry of Navarre refuses to receive her in
the palace--Marguerite returns to Agen--Her licentiousness--Agen is
stormed and taken by the Marshal de Matignon--Marguerite escapes to the
fortress of Carlat--The inhabitants of the town resolve to deliver her
up to the French King--She is made prisoner by the Marquis de Canillac,
and conveyed to Usson--She seduces the governor of the fortress--Death
of the Duc d'Alencon--Poverty of Marguerite--Accession of Henri IV--He
embraces the Catholic faith--His dissipated habits--The Duc de Bouillon
heads the Huguenot party--Henri IV proceeds to Brittany, and threatens
M. de Bouillon--Festivities at Rennes--Henri IV becomes melancholy--He
resolves to divorce Marguerite, and take a second wife--European
princesses--Henry desires to marry la belle Gabrielle--Sully
expostulates--Sully proposes a divorce to Marguerite--The Duchesse de
Beaufort intrigues to prevent the marriage of the King with Marie de
Medicis--She bribes Sillery--Diplomacy of Sillery--Gabrielle aspires to
the throne of France--Her death--Marguerite consents to a divorce--The
Pope
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