Queen Margaret herself; this is assumed mainly because the views
which Parlamente expresses on religion, philosophy, men and women,
are generally in accord with those which the Queen is known to have
professed.
HIRCAN, in M. de Lincy’s opinion, might be the Duke of Alençon,
Margaret’s first husband. Messrs. Frank and Mont-aiglon, following M.
Lacroix, prefer to identify him as Henry d’Albret, King of Navarre.
They conjecture the name of Hircan to be derived from Ilanricus, a not
uncommon fashion of spelling Henricus. It might, however, simply come
from _hircus_, a he-goat, for Hircan is a man of gross, sensual tastes.
LONGARINE, a young widow, is supposed by M. de Lincy to be Blanche de
Chastillon, _née_ de Tournon (concerning whom see _ante_, vol. i. p. 84,
n. 7, and p. 120 _et seq_.; vol. iv. p. 144, n. 2; and vol. v. p. 25, n.
2). M. Frank, however, thinks she is Aimée Motier de la Fayette, lady of
_Longray_, widow of Francis de Silly, Bailiff of Caen, and _gouvernante_
to Queen Margaret’s daughter, Jane of Navarre. Miss Robinson shares this
opinion, but M. de Montaiglon thinks that _Longarine_ would rather
be Aimée Motier de la Fayette’s daughter Frances, married to Frederic
d’Almenesches, of one of the branches of the house of Foix.
SIMONTAULT (occasionally _Symontaut_), a young knight, is thought by M.
de Lincy to be Henry d’Albret, Margaret’s second husband, who was of an
extremely amorous disposition, and much younger than herself. Messrs.
Frank and de Montaiglon, however, fancy _Simontault_ to have been
Francis, Baron de Bourdeilles, father of Brantôme. It is admitted,
however, that if this be the case, it is curious that Brantôme should
not have alluded to it in any of his writings, whereas he does speak
both of his mother and of his grandmother in connection with the
_Heptameron_.
ENNASUITE (occasionally _Ennasuitte_ or _Ennasuicte_, and in some MSS.
_Emarsuite_), is supposed by Messrs. de Lincy, Frank, and de Montaiglon
to be Anne de Vivonne, wife of Francis de Bourdeilles and mother of
Brantôme (see ante, vol. iv. p. 144, n. 2). It is pointed out that the
name may be transformed into the three words _Anne et suite_.
DAGOUCIN, a young gentleman, is thought by M. Frank to be Nicholas Dangu
(see ante, vol. i. p. 20, n. 4, and p. 40, n. 3), who became Chancellor
to the King of Navarre. M. Lacroix, however, fancies this personage to
be a Count d’Agoust.
GEBURON, apparently an elderly man, would in M. Frank’s opinion be the
Seigneur de Burye, a captain of the Italian wars to whom Brantôme (his
cousin-german) alludes in his writings. The name of de Burye is also
found in a list of the personages present at Queen Margaret’s funeral.
M. de Montaiglon shares M. Frank’s views.
NOMERFIDE, so M. de Lincy suggests, may have been the famous Frances
de Foix, Countess of Chateaubriand; but M. Frank opines that she is a
Demoiselle de Fimarcon or Fiédmarcon (Lat. _Feudimarco_), who in
1525 married John de Montpczat, called “Captain Carbon,” one of the
exquisites of the famous Field of the cloth of gold. Miss Robinson,
however, fancies that Nomerfide is Isabel d’Albret, sister of Margaret’s
second husband, and wife of René de Rohan.
SAFFREDENT, so M. de Lincy thinks, may be Admiral de Bonnivet; M. Frank
suggests John de Montpezat; and Miss Robinson René de Rohan, who, after
his father Peter de Rohan-Gié (husband of Rolandine, see _ante_, vol.
iii., Tale XXI, notes 2 and 15), had been killed at Pavia, was for some
years entrusted to Queen Margaret’s care. As Miss Robinson points out,
_Saffredent_ literally means greedy tooth or sweet tooth.
Those who may be desirous of studying and comparing these various
attempts at identification, will find all the evidence and arguments of
any value set forth in the writings of M. Frank, M. de Montaiglon and
Miss Robinson, which are specified in the Bibliography annexed to this
appendix.--Ed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Fourteen MS. copies of the _Heptameron_ are known to exist. Twelve
of these are at the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, one is at the town
library of Orleans, and one in the Vatican library. We also have some
record of four other copies which were in private libraries at the end
of the last century.
The twelve MSS. at the Bibliothèque Nationale are the following:--
I. (No. 1511 in the catalogue). A folio volume bound in red morocco,
bearing the Béthune arms. This MS. is on ruled paper, and only one leaf,
the last, is missing.
II. (No. 1512). A small folio, calf gilt, 350 leaves, from Colbert’s
library. The handwriting is that of the middle of the sixteeenth
century, and is the same throughout; the last page bearing the signature
“Doulcet.” This supplied the text followed in the present translation.
III. (No. 1513). A small folio, half-bound in red morocco, stamped with
King Louis Philippe’s monogram. It contains only twenty-eight of the
tales.
IV. (No. 1514). A large quarto, calf, from the De Mesmes library.
Contains only thirty-four of the tales.
V. (No. 1515). A small folio from Colbert’s library, bound in calf,
in Groslier’s style. The text is complete, but there are numerous
interlinear and marginal corrections and additions, in the same
handwriting as MS. VII.
VI. (Nos. 1516 to 1519). Four quarto vols., red morocco, Béthune arms.
The first prologue is deficient, as is also the last leaf of tale lxxi.
VII. (No. 1520). A folio vol., calf and red morocco, stamped with
fleurs-de-lys and the monogram of Louis XVIII. This MS. on stout ruled
paper, in a beautiful italic handwriting of the end of the sixteenth
century, is complete. Unfortunately Queen Margaret’s phraseology has
been considerably modified, though, on the other hand, the copyist has
inserted a large number of different readings, as marginal notes, which
render his work of great value. It is frequently quoted in the present
translation.
VIII. (No. 1523). A folio vol., calf, from the De La Marre library. The
first two leaves are deficient, and the text ends with the fifth tale of
Day IV.
IX. (No. 1522). A small folio, bound in parchment, from the De La Marre
library. Only the tales of the first four days are complete, and on
folio 259 begins a long poem called Les Prisons, the work probably of
William Filandrier, whom Queen Margaret protected. On the first folio of
the volume is the inscription, in sixteenth-century handwriting: _Pour
ma sour Marie Philander_. The poem _Les Prisons_ is quoted on pp.
xxxviii.-ix. vol. i. of the present work. It concludes with an epitaph
on Margaret, dated 1549.
X. (No. 1524). A folio vol. from Colbert’s library, bound in red and
yellow morocco, on which is painted, on a blue ground, a vine laden with
grapes twining round the trunk of a tree. On either side and in gold
letters is the device, _Sin e doppo la morte_ (until and after death).
Following the title-page, on which the work is called “The Decameron of
the most high and most illustrious Princess, Madame Margaret of France,”
is a curious preface signed “Adrian de Thou,” and dated “Paris, August
8, 1553.” This Adrian de Thou, Lord of Hierville and canon of Notre Dame
de Paris, counsellor and clerk of the Paris Parliament, was the fourth
son of Augustine de Thou and uncle to James Augustus de Thou, the
historian. He died in October 1570. His MS. of the _Heptameron_, a
most beautiful specimen of caligraphy, contains a long table of various
readings and obscure passages; this was consulted in preparing the text
for the present translation. The titles to the tales have also been
borrowed from this MS.; they were composed by De Thou himself, and
figure in no other MS. copy.
XI. (No. 1525). A small folio, calf, from Colbert’s library, very
incomplete and badly written, but containing the _Miroir de Jésu Crist
crucifié_, the last poem Queen Margaret composed (see _ante_, vol. i. p.
lxxxvi.).
XII. (No. 2155). A small quarto, red morocco, from the library of
Mazarin, whose escutcheon has been cut off. The text, which is
complete and correct, excepting that a portion of the prologue has been
accidentally transposed, is followed by an epitaph on the Queen. The
handwriting throughout is that of the end of the sixteenth century.
The other MSS. of the _Heptameron_ are the following:--
XIII. (Orleans town library, No. 352). A folio vol. of 440 pp. It is
doubtful whether this MS. is of the sixteenth or seventeenth century.
It bears the title _L’Heptaméron des Nouvelles, &c_. There are numerous
deficiencies in the text.
XIV. (Vatican library, No. 929; from the library of Queen Christina of
Sweden). A folio vol., calf, 95 leaves, handwriting of the end of the
sixteenth century. This only contains fifteen of the stories.
XV. (present possessor unknown). A folio vol., red morocco; text (ending
with tale lxix. ) in sixteenth-century handwriting, with illuminated
initial letters to each tale. _Catalogue des livres de feue Mme. la
Comtesse de Verrue_, Paris, G. Martin, 1737.
XVI. (possessor unknown). MS. supposed to be the original, a large
folio, handwriting of the period, antique binding, containing the
seventy-two tales. _Catalogue des livres, &c., du cabinet de M. Filheul,
&c._, Paris, Chardin, 1779, pp. xxi. and 280.
XVII. (possessor unknown). A folio vol., blue morocco, gilt. No. 1493
in the catalogue of the _Bibliothèque de Simon Bernard, chez Barrois_,
Paris, 1734; and No. 213 in a _Catalogue de manuscrits intéressants qui
seront vendus... en la maison de M. Gueret, notaire_, Paris, Debure fils
jeune, 1776.
XVIII. (possessor unknown). A folio vol., blue morocco, gilt, stamped
with the arms of France, from the Randon de Boisset library; the
seventy-two tales complete, a very fine copy. _Catalogue des livres de
la bibliothèqzie de l’Abbé Rive_, Marseilles, 1793. (This MS. should not
be confounded with No. xvii. See L. J. Hubaud’s _Dissertation sur les
Contes de la Reine de Navarre_, Marseilles, 1850.)
The following are the editions of Queen Margaret’s tales issued from the
press from the sixteenth century to the present time. The list has been
prepared with great care, and we believe it to be as complete a one as
can be furnished; it includes several editions not mentioned in Brunet’s
Manual:--
I. _Histoires des Amans Fortunez dédiées à très illustre princesse, Mme.
Marguerite de Bourbon, etc., par Pierre Boaistuau, dit Launoy_, Paris,
1558, 40. The authorisation to print and publish was accorded to Vincent
Sertenas, and the work was issued by three different booksellers; some
copies bearing the name of Gilles Robinot, others that of Jean Cavyller,
and others that of Gilles Gilles.
This, the first edition of the Queen’s work, contains only sixty-seven
of the tales, which are not divided into days or printed in their proper
sequence; the prologues, moreover, are deficient, and all the
bold passages on religious and philosophical questions, &c, in the
conversational matter following the stories, are suppressed.
II. _L’Heptaméron des Nouvelles de tris illustre et très excellente
Princesse Marguerite de Valois, Royne de Navarre, &c., dédié à très
illustre et très vertueuse Princesse Jeanne, Royne de Navarre, par
Claude Gruget, parisien_, Paris, Vincent Certena, or Jean Caveillier,
1559.
This contains all the Queen’s tales excepting Nos. xi., xliv., and
xlvi., which Gruget replaced by others, probably written by himself. The
other stories are placed in their proper order, but none of the names
and passages suppressed by Boaistuau are restored. The phraseology of
the MSS., moreover, is still further modified and polished.
The text adopted by Boaistuau and Gruget was followed, with a few
additional modifications, in all the editions issued during the later
years of the sixteenth century. Most of these are badly printed and
contain numerous typographical errors:--
III. _L’Heptamêron des Nouvelles, &c_. Reprint of Gruget’s edition,
sold by Vincent Sertenas, Gilles Robinot & Gilles Gille, and printed by
Benoist Prévost, Paris, 1560.
IV. _L’Heptamêron des Nouvelles, &c_., 1560, 16mo. (No bookseller’s or
printer’s name appears in this edition. )
V. _L’Heptamêron, &c_. (Gruget). Guill. Rouillé, Lyons, 1561, small
12mo; Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1561, 16mo.
VI. The same. Norment & Bruneau, and Gilles Gilles, Paris, 1567, 16mo.
VII. The same. Louys Cloquemin, Lyons, 1572, 16mo (reprinted in 1578 and
1581).
VIII. The same. Michel de Roigny, Paris, 1574, 16mo (round letters).
IX. The same. Gab. Buon, Paris, 1581, 16mo.
X. The same. Abel L’Angelier, Paris, 1581, 18mo.
XI. The same. Jean Osmont, Rouen, 1598, 578 pp., sin. 12mo (good type).
XII. The same. Romain Beauvais, Rouen, 1598, 589 pp. 12mo.
In the seventeenth century the _Heptameron_ was frequently reprinted,
Gruget’s text, with a few changes, being still followed until 1698, when
it occurred to some obscure literary man to put the tales into so-called
_beau langage_. At the same time the title of _Heptameron_, devised by
Gruget, was discarded (see post, No. XVI.).
XIII. _L’Heptaméron_, &c., printed by Ch. Chappellein, Paris, 1607,
18mo.
XIV. The same. _Sur Pimprimé à Paris_, J. Bessin (Holland), 1615, sm.
l2mo (reprinted in 1698, 2. vols. 12mo).
XV. The same. David du Petit-Val, Rouen, 1625, 12mo.
XVI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite de Valois, Reine de Navarre, mis
en beau langage_. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1698, 2 vols, sm. 8vo. This edition
is valued not for its _beau langage_, but for the copperplate engravings
illustrating it. These are coarsely executed, and are attributed to
Roman de Hooge, but do not bear his name. A reprint of the edition
appeared at Amsterdam in 1700.
XVII. The same. Gallet, Amsterdam, 1708, 2 vols. sm. 8vo. Virtually a
reprint, but with several of the Roman de Hooge plates deficient, and
replaced by others signed Harrewyn.
XVIII. The same. La Haye (Chartres), 1733, 2 vols. sm. 12mo.
XIX. The same. Londres, 1744, 2 vols. 12mo.
XX. Heptaméron Français, ou les Nouvelles de Marguerite, Reine de
Navarre; chez la Nouvelle Société Typographique, Berne, 1780-1, 3 vols.
8vo. On some copies the title is simply, Nouvelles de Marguerite,
etc., Berne, 1781; on others Béat Louis Walthard is designated as the
publisher.
For this edition were executed the copperplate engravings, designed by
Freudenberg and Dunker, which illustrate the present translation. It was
at first intended to issue the work in parts, but after parts i. and ii.
had been published (at 4 livres each) the project was abandoned. A few
copies of these two parts are in existence; they bear the date 1778.
Freudenberg began his designs in the previous year, and finished them in
1780.
This edition is greatly prized for its illustrations; the text, however,
largely modified by Jean Rodolphe de Sinner, is without value. The work
was reissued at Paris in 1784 (8 vols, in 8vo, some copies 18mo), at
Berne in 1792, and again in Paris in 1807 (8 vols. 18mo).
The following new editions of the _Heptameron_ have appeared during the
present century:--
XXI. _Contes et Nouvelles de Marguerite, &c_. Dauthereau, Paris, 1828, 5
vols. 32mo. (Collection des romans français et étrangers.)
XXII. _L’Heptamêron, ou Histoire des Amants fortunés, &c, ancien texte
publié par C. Gruget.., revu, corrigé et publié avec des notes, &c.,
par le bibliophile Jacob_. Gosselin (Bibliothèque d’Élite), Paris, 1841,
12mo. In this edition the Bibliophile Jacob (M. P. Lacroix) but
slightly modified Gruget’s text, and his annotation was comparatively
insignificant. His work was reproduced in a volume of the _Panthéon
Littéraire: Les vieux Conteurs français_, Paris, 1841, 1. 8vo. (double
cols.).
XXIII. _Heptaméron des Nouvelles de... Margtierile d’Angouléme...
publiée sur les manuscrits par la Société des Bibliophiles Français_ (Le
Roux de Lincy, editor), Paris, 1853-4, 3 vols. sm. 18mo.
In this edition the real text of the tales was printed for the first
time, M. de Lincy having carefully examined the best MSS. for this
purpose. The present English translation is based upon his work. Copies
of the “Bibliophiles Français” edition, which contains a portrait of the
Queen, a facsimile of a miniature, and an engraving showing her arms and
device, cannot be purchased, when in fair condition, for less than £6 in
Paris.
XXIV. _L’Heptaméron des Nouvelles, etc.... avec des notes et une
notice par P. L. Jacob, Bibliophile_ (Paul Lacroix). Adolphe Delahays,
_Bibliothèque Gauloise_, Paris, 1858, 18mo.
In this edition M. Lacroix, following M. de Lincy’s example, went to the
MSS. for his text, which he annotated with care and erudition. All his
notes of any importance are reproduced in the present translation. The
edition of 1858 was reprinted in 1875.
XXV. _L’Heptaméron, &c_. Gamier frères, Paris, n.d., 1 vol. 18mo.
This was long the “popular” edition in France. The text, which is
considerably modernised, is of no value.
XXVI. _Les sept Journées de la Reine de Navarre, suivies de la
huitième_. Paris, Librairie des Bibliophiles (Jouaust), 1872, 4 vols.
l6mo.
In this edition Gruget’s text is followed; the notes, &c, are by M.
Lacroix. The work is prized for its illustrations (a portrait and eight
etchings) by Leopold Flameng. It was originally issued in eight parts.
The value of the copies varies according to the paper on which they are
printed. Those on India or Whatman paper, with a duplicate set of the
engravings, command high prices. The text has been reissued by the same
firm in two cr. 8vo vols, under the title of _L’Heptaméron des contes,
etc_.
XXVII. _L’Heptaméron des Nouvelles, &c_, preface, notes, &c, by Benjamin
Pifteau, in the _Nouvelle Collection Jannet_, Alphonse Lemerre, Paris,
1875, 2 vols. l6mo.
This, undoubtedly the best of all the cheap editions, has been reprinted
by Marpon & Flammarion, Paris, n.d. The text is from the MSS.; the
notes are mainly abbreviated from those of MM. de Lincy and Lacroix. M.
Pifteau supplies an introduction and glossary.
XXVIII. _L’Heptaméron, &c., publié avec Introduction, Notes et Glossaire
par Félix Frank_. Liseux, Paris, 1879, 3 vols. 12mo.
This, from the literary point of view, is one of the most important of
modern editions. The text is not taken from the same MS. as was followed
by M. de Lincy. The tales are preceded by a lengthy introduction, in
which the editor discusses Queen Margaret’s work and seeks to identify
the supposed narrators of her tales. He has frequently been quoted in
the notes to this translation.
XXIX. _L’Heptaméron, &c, avec notes, variantes et glossaire par F.
Dillaye et notice par A. France_. A. Lemerre, Paris, 1879.
A handy edition based on the MSS. The notes embody the substance of
M. de Lincy’s and M. Lacroix’s researches with additional particulars
supplied by M. Dillaye, who has been quoted in the course of the present
work.
XXX. _L’Heptaméron, &c., publié stir les manuscrits avec les notes de
MM. Le Poux de Lincy et Anatole de Montaiglon_. Auguste Eudes, Paris,
1880, 8 vols. 1. 8vo and 4 vols. cr. 8vo.
The edition in 8 vols, (two copies of which on parchment were issued at
£44 each; and twelve on Japanese paper at £20 each) is illustrated with
the Freudenberg plates; that in 4 vols, contains the text only. The text
is the same as that of No. XXIII.; but with additional notes, prefatory
matter, &c. The copyright attaching to this edition was acquired for
the present work, in which all M. de Montaiglon’s important notes are
reproduced.
Among the English translations of the _Heptameron_ are the following:--
_Heptameron_, or the _History of the Fortunate Lovers_, translated by
R. Codrington, London, 1654, 12mo. (Dedicated to Thomas Stanley, the
translator of Anacreon and editor of Æschylus, and based on Boaistuau’s
defective text.)
The _Heptameron of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, nota first translated
from the original text, by Walter K. Kelly_. Bohn (extra volume),
London, 1855. This has been several times reprinted. The translation
is a very free rendering of M. de Lincy’s text; many passages are
deficient.
The _Heptameron, &c., translated from the original French by Arthur
Machen_. Privately printed (G. Redway), London, 1886, 1 vol. 1. 8vo. A
scholarly translation, not annotated; illustrated with the etchings by
Flameng (see _ante_, edition xxv.).
_The Fortunate Lovers, twenty-seven novels of the Queen of Navarre,
translated by Arthur Machen, edited with notes and introduction by A.
Mary F. Robinson_. G. Redway, London, 1887, 8vo. Etched frontispiece
by G. P. Jacomb Hood. This only contains such of the tales as the
lady-editor considered unobjectionable. In her introduction she sketches
the life of Queen Margaret and discusses the identity of the supposed
narrators of the tales. Some of the notes are original, but the majority
are based upon the researches of French commentators.--Ed.