the crown
of Brittany, but in the event of Charles predeceasing her, Anne
undertook to marry the heir to the throne. Nevertheless, in 1492, after
the conspiracy of Jean de Rohan, who had endeavoured to hand over the
duchy to the king of England, Charles VIII. confirmed the privileges of
Brittany, and in particular guaranteed to the Bretons the right of
paying only those taxes to which the assembly of estates consented,
After the death of Charles VIII. in 1498, without any children, Anne
exercised the sovereignty in Brittany, and in January 1499 she married
Louis XII., who had just repudiated Joan of France. The marriage
contract was ostensibly directed in favour of the independence of
Brittany, for it declared that Brittany should revert to the second son
or to the eldest daughter of the two sovereigns, and, failing issue, to
the natural heirs of the duchess. Until her death Anne occupied herself
personally with the administration of the duchy. In 1504 she caused the
treaty of Blois to be concluded, which assured the hand of her daughter,
Claude of France, to Charles of Austria (the future emperor, Charles
V.), and promised him the possession of Brittany, Burgundy and the
county of Blois. But this unpopular treaty was broken, and the queen had
to consent to the betrothal of Claude to Francis of Angouleme, who in
1515 became king of France as Francis I. Thus the definitive reunion of
Brittany and France was prepared.

See A. de la Borderie, _Choix de documents inedits sur le regne de la
duchesse Anne en Bretagne_ (Rennes, 1866 and 1902)--extracts from the
_Memoires de la Societe Archeologique du departement
d'Ille-et-Vilaine_, vols. iv. and vi. (1866 and 1868); Leroux de
Lincy, _Vie de la reine Anne de Bretagne_ (1860-1861); A. Dupuy, _La
Reunion de la Bretagne a la France_ (1880); A. de la Borderie, _La
Bretagne aux derniers siecles du may en age_ (1893), and _La Bretagne
aux temps modernes_ (1894). (H. Se.)

ANNE OF CLEVES (1515-1557), fourth wife of Henry VIII., king of England,
daughter of John, duke of Cleves, and Mary, only daughter of William,
duke of Juliers, was born on the 22nd of September 1515. Her father was
the leader of the German Protestants, and the princess, after the death
of Jane Seymour, was regarded by Cromwell as a suitable wife for Henry
VIII. She had been brought up in a narrow retirement, could speak no
language but her own, had no looks, no accomplishments and no dow