f long duration, for Charles de Bourbon
left France, entered the service of Charles V., and in the following
year (1524) helped to drive the French under Bonnivet out of Italy.

II.

_The Regency of Louise of Savoy--Margaret and the royal
children--The defeat of Pavia and the death of the Duke of
Alencon--The Royal Trinity--"All is lost save honour"--
Margaret's journey to Spain and her negotiations with
Charles V.--Her departure from Madrid--The scheme to arrest
her, and her flight on horseback--Liberation of Francis I.--
Clever escape of Henry of Navarre from prison--Margaret's
secret fancy for him--Her personal appearance at this
period--Marriage of Henry and Margaret at St. Germain._

The most memorable events of Margaret's public life date from this
period. Francis, who was determined to reconquer the Milanese, at
once made preparations for a new campaign. Louise of Savoy was again
appointed Regent of the kingdom, and as Francis's wife, Claude, was
dying of consumption, the royal children were confided to the care of
Margaret, whose husband accompanied the army. Louise of Savoy at first
repaired to Lyons with her children, in order to be nearer to Italy,
but she and Margaret soon returned to Blois, where the Queen was
dying. Before the royal army had reached Milan Claude expired, and soon
afterwards Louise was incapacitated by a violent attack of gout, while
the children of Francis also fell ill. The little ones, of whom Margaret
had charge, consisted of three boys and three girls, the former being
Francis, the Dauphin, who died in 1536, Charles, Duke of Orleans, who
died in 1545, and Henry, Count of Angouleme, who succeeded his father on
the throne. The girls comprised Madeleine, afterwards the wife of
James V. of Scotland, Margaret, subsequently Duchess of Savoy, and the
Princess Charlotte. The latter was particularly beloved by her aunt
Margaret, who subsequently dedicated to her memory her poem _Le Miroir
de l'Ame Pecheresse_. While the other children recovered from their
illness, little Charlotte, as Margaret records in her letters to Bishop
Briconnet, was seized "with so grievous a malady of fever and flux,"
that after a month's suffering she expired, to the deep grief of her
aunt, who throughout her illness had scarcely left her side.

This affliction was but the beginning of Margaret's troubles. Soon
afterwards the Constable de Bourbon, in conjunction w