later, in 1235, the Count of Champagne had, in his
turn, risen against the king, and was forced, as an escape from imminent
defeat, to accept severe terms.

An interview took place between Queen Blanche and him; and "'Pardie,
Count Theobald,' said the queen, 'you ought not to have been against us;
you ought surely to have remembered the kindness shown you by the king my
son, who came to your aid, to save your land from the barons of France
when they would fain have set fire to it all and laid it in ashes.' The
count cast a look upon the queen, who was so virtuous and so beautiful
that at her great beauty he was all abashed, and answered her, 'By my
faith, madame, my heart and my body and all my land is at your command,
and there is nothing which to please you I would not readily do; and
against you or yours, please God, I will never go.' Thereupon he went
his way full pensively, and often there came back to his remembrance the
queen's soft glance and lovely countenance. Then his heart was touched
by a soft and amorous thought. But when he remembered how high a dame
she was, so good and pure that he could never enjoy her, his soft thought
of love was changed to a great sadness. And because deep thoughts
engender melancholy, it was counselled unto him by certain wise men that
he should make his study of canzonets for the viol and soft delightful
ditties. So made he the most beautiful canzonets and the most delightful
and most melodious that at any time were heard." (_Histoire des Dues et
des Comtes de Champagne,_ by M. d'Arbois de Jubainville, t. iv. pp. 249,
280; _Chroniques de Saint-Denis,_ in the _Recueil des Historiens des
Gaules et de France,_ t. xxi. pp. 111, 112.)

Neither in the events nor in the writings of the period is it easy to
find anything which can authorize the accusations made by the foes of
Queen Blanche. There is no knowing whether her heart were ever so little
touched by the canzonets of Count Theobald; but it is certain that
neither the poetry nor the advances of the count made any difference in
the resolutions and behavior of the queen. She continued her resistance
to the pretensions and machinations of the crown's great vassals, whether
foes or lovers, and she carried forward, in the face and in the teeth of
all, the extension of the domains and the power of the kingship. We
observe in her no prompting of enthusiasm, of sympathetic charitableness,
or of religious scrupulousness, that i