Story of Anne de Graville—Illness of Claude—Court of Anne de Bretagne—Italian war—Marriage of MarguÉrite d’AngoulÊme—Dress and customs at Court—Birth of RenÉe de France—The Prince de Chalais—The Queen ill—Birth and death of a son—League of Cambrai—Sea-fight—Death of Queen.

Though much vexed at her daughter’s engagement the Queen still hoped something might happen to prevent the marriage; meanwhile she formed the household of the Princess, and amongst others she placed in it Anne de Graville, one of her demoiselles d’honneur, a sister of whom had been in that of the King’s first wife. To Anne, as to some of her companions, is attached a romance, which, after four hundred years, clings to her memory, and like the scent of rose leaves and lavender in some old-fashioned country house, the refrain of an ancient ballad or the quaint phrases traced in faded ink on some letter yellow with age coming to us from a long-vanished generation, seems to give us a momentary glimpse into the life of those far-off days.

Louis de Malet, Admiral de Graville, bore one of the oldest names in France, and had been the favourite of three kings. That he was a man of great capacity and wisdom is proved by his correspondence, now existing in the BibliothÈque ImpÉriale. He was also extremely cultivated. He gave a bell to Rouen Cathedral, built the portal of Sens and a church near Paris. He collected a valuable library of manuscripts, with illuminations, miniatures, poems in French and Italian, &c., and filled his chÂteau of Marcoussy with pictures and splendid furniture.

Marcoussy, about eighteen miles from Paris, was one of the most imposing castles in the Ile-de-France, with its massive walls, huge towers, and deep moats, surrounded by trees and gardens with terraces, fountains, and fishponds. Here he passed most of his time when not occupied in public affairs, and here grew up his children, Louis, Joachim, Jeanne, Louise, and Anne. They studied music, poetry, literature, and received altogether as good an education as was then attainable. The youngest, Anne, was herself the authoress of a poem written on one of the stories of Boccaccio, and many an exquisite embroidery for church or convent was done by the three sisters.

But upon the prosperous, happy lives of the Gravilles sorrow began to fall. Louis and Joachim died, and their loss so affected their mother that she also died in March, 1503, desiring to be buried near Joachim in the monastery of Marcoussy. Louise and Jeanne had made brilliant marriages, and Anne was left alone with her father, whose favourite she was, and who dreaded parting with her. However, between marriage and the cloister there was no alternative, and the Admiral wrote to her saying he had received offers from three young nobles, of whom he thought the first frivolous, the second rash and hasty, but the third, though less rich, was sensible and irreproachable in character.334

But meanwhile, Anne fell in love with her cousin Pierre, Baron d’Entragues, illegitimate son of Robert de Balzac, a young soldier of four and twenty who, fearing the Admiral might not allow the marriage, carried her off; some said with, others without her consent. At any rate she forgave him, and their marriage was celebrated without waiting for the permission of the Admiral, who was very angry, threatened to disinherit his daughter and forbade any one to help them. The Baron d’Entragues had no money and when he applied for help to his relations they refused; the young people had nothing to live upon and did not know what to do. So they bethought themselves of the good monks of the CÉlÉstin convent of Marcoussy and took refuge with them. The Prior and brotherhood received them with kindness, sympathy, and promises of help, and they stayed in the monastery waiting till Good Friday, which was now approaching, when the Admiral was sure to come there to church.

Accordingly, when he presented himself at the office of the veneration of the Cross, the Prior stopped him, saying, “Dare you approach with your lips the sacred wood on which the Son of God shed His precious blood to reconcile men with His Father; if you have not resolved from your heart to forgive your two children who are here at your knees with profound repentance imploring pardon for their fault?” As he spoke Pierre and Anne threw themselves on their knees before him. The solemn words of the Prior and the sight of the child who had always been so dear to him were too much for the Admiral, he held out his arms to them both, and took them back with him to the castle.335 The marriage proved a very happy one. Anne had a long prosperous life, and one of her children inherited Marcoussy.

In the spring of 1507, Louis went to Genoa, to put down a revolt there, which, having done, he recrossed the Alps and came to Grenoble, where the Queen went to meet him. While he was there the Princess Claude was seized with a kind of continuous fever which greatly alarmed and distressed the Queen, who kept up a constant correspondence with Madame des Bouchage, governess to the little princess, being always fully informed of her condition. The doctors at first declared she would not recover, but as she very soon became much better, the Queen, who did not believe in doctors because they had been altogether wrong about her eldest son, and failed to save either him or any of her other children, was so angry, and so confirmed in her opinion that she wrote to Madame des Bouchage that the child was not to see any more of them, for they were no use, she must take care of her herself.336 The Princess Claude soon recovered.

The Italian war dragged on. The league of Cambrai was formed against Venice in 1508, and Louis was eager to be again at the head of the French army. Anne did all she could to dissuade him, and tried to induce him to return to Blois, assuring him that Claude was fretting to see him,337 but it was useless. He recrossed the Alps, and soon came tidings of the victory of Agnadel and conquest of nearly all the Venetian mainland provinces.338

He returned, safe and victorious, to Blois at the end of the summer, and there during that year took place the wedding of MarguÉrite, sister of FranÇois, Duc de Valois, with the Duc d’AlenÇon. It was celebrated with suitable splendour and followed by a great banquet and ball, after which there were joustes. The Duc de Valois kept the lists with eight others, served by the King himself, the princes who contended were so young that small lances were made on purpose. The Pope’s legate not being well, looked on from a window. Next day they fought again, this time in white armour, the bridegroom dressed in white satin. The Queen and her ladies gave the prizes.339

They all delighted in festivities and amusements, fÊtes champÊtres were often given in the open air, a favourite day being Mid-Lent Sunday, called, especially in the valleys of the Marne and Meuse, dimanche des fontaines. M. SimÉon de Luce describes those given in a preceding reign by Beatrix de Bourlemont when young men and girls from the neighbouring chÂteaux and peasants from the villages hung garlands, dined, sang, and danced under an ancient beech tree said to be haunted by fairies.340

A solemn and important domestic fÊte in the country was the first mass of a young priest. M. de Ribbe describes one of their mediÆval village festivals. Presents were given, relations and friends assembled as for a marriage or christening. They walked to church two and two in a long procession, minstrels playing before them and crowds following. A collection was made in church and then there was a great banquet in the bergerie to which the relations contributed various dishes, the cooking being done in a mill close by.341

On the opening of parliament it was customary to present quantities of roses and violets to the members, one special person being responsible. De Sauval mentions an account owing to MarguÉrite le Mercier, marchande de roses, for four dozen chapeaux of red roses, eight bouquets of violets, and a great basinful of flowers to cover the table, distributed to the Presidents, Councillors, and other officers of the King, the vigil of the feast of Whitsuntide, who were assembled at the Chastelet for the deliverance of the prisoners in the said Chastelet “comme d’ancienntÉ a este coutume de faire.”342

RenÉe de France was born October, 1509. Amidst the general disappointment at not getting a Dauphin, the King and Queen rejoiced that this child lived. She was afterwards the celebrated Duchess of Ferrara.

The Queen from this time entertained the project of leaving Bretagne to RenÉe, if she could not break off Claude’s marriage, and constantly endeavoured to gain the consent of the King; but, although, dreading the outcry which would be the consequence, he would not agree to her wishes, it seems very possible, considering her great influence over him, that had she lived longer she would have succeeded in carrying out one or other of these plans. During her lifetime she would never allow the marriage of Claude to take place.

Anne was extremely fond of music; amongst other musicians in her household were four Bretons minstrels. About six months after the birth of RenÉe, being at Chartres, she was so struck with the voice of a chorister boy in the cathedral that she asked the chapter to give him to her, and in return for their doing so she said, “You have given me a little voice and I will give you a large one,” and accordingly presented them with a great bell, named “Anne de Bretagne” to be rung every day from Easter to Trinity, and 3,000 livres.343

She rather prided herself upon her conversational powers, indeed, writers of her day assert that nobody could talk better, either in society or on State affairs. The King, who liked to have her opinion about everything that went on, always sent the ambassadors to her after an audience with him.

One day she was going to receive the Spanish ambassador, and not understanding Spanish she asked her chamberlain, the Prince de Chalais, who understood several languages, to teach her some sentences to say to him. Chalais, who had a mania for playing practical jokes, without considering whether the Queen was a proper subject for one, taught her some words not possible in any decent society. Fortunately for himself he was so delighted with his trick or so doubtful of the result of it that, just before the audience, he told it to the King. He laughed but hastened to warn the Queen, who was, of course, exceedingly angry, would not receive Chalais for some days, and would have dismissed him had not the King dissuaded her, assuring her that he would never have allowed her to say the words to the ambassador.344

In 1510 Louis and Anne sustained an irreparable loss by the death of the Cardinal d’Amboise.

As usual, the French successes in Italy had been short lived. The Venetians under their famous Doge, Loredan, had reconquered nearly all their territory, and the members of the league of Cambrai had turned against France, the Milanese was lost, and the King of Spain seized the Spanish side of Navarre including Pampeluna. Catherine de Foix, heiress of the gallant Princes of Navarre and Queen in her own right, remarked to her husband, Jean d’Albret, “Dom Jean, if you had been born Catherine and I Dom Jean, we should never have lost Navarre.”345

The Queen had so dangerous an illness in March, 1511, that her life was despaired of; but after receiving the Communion she revived and by the middle of April was tolerably well. In the following January she had another son, who died like all his brothers, and the doctors managed the Queen so badly that her health was permanently injured. Late in March the Austrian ambassador, who went to take leave of her, found her still in bed but brave, cheerful, and taking her usual interest in public affairs. She did not get up until May, when she appeared much better, but never really regained her strength, and just then many circumstances combined to depress and trouble her.

A great battle was fought August 10, 1512, between the French and English fleets. The Regent with the English Admiral on board attacked the famous CordeliÈre, commanded by the Breton HervÉ Portzmoguet. The two ships were grappled together, the battle raged fiercely and the dead lay in heaps on the decks. Then Portzmoguet, seeing that all hope was lost, set fire to both vessels, and, clad in complete armour, threw himself from the mast into the sea. The ships went down together with more than two thousand men, the French fleet drew off to Brest, the English to the high seas.346

There was strife between the King and Pope, and the Queen’s views were strongly opposed to those of Louis. The Pope laid France under an interdict from which he excepted Bretagne. In vain the King assured her that women had no voice in Church matters; she had but to point to Bretagne as her answer, and to remind him that at fourteen years old she had successfully opposed Innocent III. when he illegally appointed two of his nephews to benefices in her duchy. Also that her influence had prevented Louis from occupying Rome, when, after the battle of Ravenna, the road to the Eternal City lay open to his victorious troops. She ultimately induced him to subscribe to the Lateran Council, whereby the Roman gained the victory over the Gallican party in the Church.347

Anne was not yet thirty-eight, but her brilliant, eventful life was drawing to a close. For a year or two her health had been failing and on the 2nd of January, 1514, she was taken ill at Blois and died a week afterwards. Knowing that she would not recover, one of her last orders was that her heart should be sent to Nantes and laid in the tomb of her father and mother in the land and among the people she had so faithfully loved.

The King shut himself up alone for days wearing the black mourning he had chosen, contrary to the custom for Kings of France. From the shock of the Queen’s death he never recovered. He only survived for two months the preposterous marriage he was induced to make in the following year with the young sister of Henry VIII. for the purpose of stopping the English war. Claude, wife of FranÇois I., died ten years after her mother leaving several children, one of whom was Henri II., whose three sons were the last kings of the house of Valois.

The funeral of the Queen at St. Denis was of more than usual magnificence, and when her coffin was lowered into the tomb there stepped forward Champagne King-at-arms who, after calling three times for silence, said, “King-at-arms of the Bretons, do your duty.” Then Bretagne King-at-arms in his coat of mail stepped forward and proclaimed, “The most Christian Queen and Duchess, our sovereign Lady and Mistress, is dead? The Queen is dead! The Queen is dead!” The Chevalier d’honneur with the hand of justice, the Grand MaÎtre de Bretagne (brother of the Queen) with the sceptre, and the grand Écuyer with the crown advanced, kissed them, and gave them to the Bretagne King-at-arms, who laid them on the coffin.348

In France, to which she had given a great province, Anne de Bretagne was soon forgotten; but, in the land she loved and ruled so well four hundred years ago, her name and her memory are still honoured and cherished by her own people.