BOOK VII

CLEVES, ORANGE, AND LORRAINE

1539-1541

I.

The negotiations for the King of England's marriage with the Duchess of

Milan were broken off. But there was no lack of suitors for Christina's

hand. During the winter and spring of 1539 the Emperor's niece received

offers of marriage from three princely bridegrooms. The first of these

was Antoine, Duke of Vendôme, whose courtship of the Duchess on the

journey to Compiègne had aroused King Henry's jealousy. The second was

William of Cleves, who since the old Duke Charles's death had taken

possession of Guelders, and was now seeking to obtain the investiture

of the duchy, together with Christina's hand. The third was Francis,

the Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson, and heir of Lorraine. From the day that

this Prince first met the Duchess at Compiègne, he sought her for his

bride with a constancy and steadfastness that were eventually to be

crowned with success. But for the moment the Duke of Cleves seemed

to have the best chance of winning the coveted prize. From the first

Mary of Hungary had regarded this alliance with favour, and when,

in January, 1539, she consulted her Councillors on the Duchess's

marriage, it was this union which met with their highest approval.

"Duke William," wrote the Queen in her reply to the Emperor,

"has greatly offended Your Majesty, both as a private

individual and sovereign lord, by taking possession of

Guelders. Still, as he renews his suit and professes to be your

loyal friend and servant, it would be well to treat with him

and offer him the Duchess's hand, on condition that he will

give up Guelderland."[243]

The alternative proposal, she proceeded to say, deserved consideration,

seeing the great anxiety which the Duke of Lorraine's son showed for

the marriage. No doubt the Emperor's niece, with her large dowry, would

be a very honourable match for him, and well worth the surrender of his

rights on Guelders; but, since it was most desirable to recover this

duchy without delay, it might be well to secure the help of Lorraine by

this means.

The situation was a difficult one, and from the moment of the old

Duke's death in June, 1538, Mary had never ceased to entreat Charles to

come to Flanders and take active measures for the recovery of Guelders

before it was too late. Throughout the winter Duke William went from

town to town, endearing himself to his new subjects; and when the

deputies of Lorraine asserted their master's superior claims, he told

them that he would never give up Guelders to any mortal man. By the

death of his father on the 6th of February, 1539, he succeeded to the

rich provinces of Cleves and Jülich, and became the wealthiest and most

powerful Prince in North Germany.[244]

[Sidenote: MARCH, 1539] ANNE OF CLEVES]

Still Charles put off his coming, and told his sister that he was

bent on undertaking a second Crusade against the Turks, and could not

spare the time for a journey to Flanders. This was too much for Mary's

equanimity, and she protested in the strongest language against the

Emperor's folly in exposing his person to such risks, declaring that

this Crusade would not only prove the utter ruin of the Netherlands,

but of all Christendom.[245] Fortunately, Mary's remonstrances were

supported by the Emperor's wisest Councillors, and, in deference to

their representations, he decided to abandon his Crusade for the

present and come to Flanders. This decision was confirmed by the

discontent which the Duke of Cleves's intrigues helped to foment in

Ghent--always a turbulent city--as well as by the news that the King of

England had entered into a close alliance with Cleves, and was about to

marry his sister.

Cromwell, with his habitual duplicity, had been in correspondence with

the German Princes while he professed to be zealous for the Emperor's

alliance; and in March Christopher Mont, his Envoy to Frankfort,

was desired to make diligent inquiries as to the shape, stature,

and complexion, of the Duke of Cleves's sister Anne. If these were

satisfactory, he was to suggest that proposals of marriage should be

made by that Prince and his brother-in-law, the Elector John Frederick

of Saxony. Mont sent glowing descriptions of the lady's beauty, and was

bold enough to declare that she excelled the Duchess of Milan as much

as the golden sun excels the silver moon.[246]

Henry was now all on fire to see the Lady Anne, although he had not

yet lost all interest in Christina, whose name still figures constantly

in letters from Brussels. On the 6th of April we hear that the Duchess

of Milan is sick of fever, and ten days later Cromwell writes to the

King that Her Grace is no longer sick, and that "at Antwerp the people

still cherish a hope that Your Highness will yet marry her."[247] If he

could not make her his wife, the King was determined to prevent another

suitor from succeeding where he had failed, and renewed his offer of

his daughter Mary with a large dowry to the Duke of Cleves. William,

however, showed no alacrity to avail himself of this offer, and sent

Envoys both to Brussels and Toledo to press his suit for Christina's

hand.

The sudden death of the Empress at Toledo on the 1st of May altered all

Charles's plans. A few weeks before this Isabella had given birth to a

son, who only lived a few hours, and Charles had written to inform his

sister of the infant's death. On the 2nd of May he wrote a few touching

lines with his own hand to tell Mary the grievous news. The doctors had

pronounced her to be out of danger, but catarrh attacked the lungs, and

proved fatal in a few hours.

"I am overwhelmed with sorrow and distress, and nothing can

comfort me but the thought of her good and holy life and the

devout end which she made. I leave you to tell my subjects

over yonder, of this pitiful event, and ask them to pray for

her soul. I will do my best to bow to the will of God, whom I

implore to receive her in His blessed paradise, where I feel

certain that she is. And may God keep you, my dear sister, and

grant you all your desires."[248]

[Sidenote: MAY, 1539] THE PALATINE'S TRAVELS]

When this sad event took place, Christina's sister Dorothea and her

husband, Count Frederic, were staying at the Imperial Court. These

adventurous travellers had come to Spain in the vain hope of inducing

the Emperor to support their claims on Denmark, and, after crossing the

Pyrenees in rain and snow, had at length reached Toledo, where they

were hospitably entertained. The Empress treated Dorothea with great

affection, but Frederic's German servants, who consumed five meals

a day and ate meat on Ash Wednesday, shocked the Spanish courtiers,

and drew down the censures of the Inquisition upon them. Even the

Emperor asked his cousin why he brought so numerous a suite on his

travels; but, although he would make no promises of further help, he

good-naturedly paid Frederic's expenses at Toledo, and gave him a

present of 7,000 crowns. The death of the Empress, Dorothea's best

friend, put an end to all hope of further assistance. The Emperor

shut himself up in a Carthusian convent, and the Palatine and his

wife started for the Low Countries.[249] On their way through France

they were royally entertained by the King and Queen in the splendid

Palais des Tournelles, and Francis took so great a fancy to his wife's

niece that Eleanor felt it wise to keep Dorothea continually at her

side. Here they were detained some time by Frederic's illness, and

after his recovery spent several days at Chantilly with the Constable,

and at the King's fine new villa of Cotterets, on their way to the

Netherlands.[250]

[Sidenote: SEPT., 1539] A MOCK FIGHT]

Here the travellers were eagerly awaited by Christina and her aunt.

After the funeral services for the repose of the Empress's soul had

been duly celebrated, and the last requiem sung in S. Gudule, the Queen

set out on a progress through Holland and Friesland, and spent some

time at Bois-le-Duc, on the frontiers of Guelders, trying to arrange

matters with the Duke of Cleves. But, although friendly letters and

messages were exchanged, nothing could be settled until the Emperor's

arrival, which was now delayed till the autumn, and the Court moved

to the Hague for August. Here the Queen received news that the Count

Palatine and his wife had reached Dordrecht and were coming by sea to

Holland. Christina at once travelled to Rotterdam, intending to go by

boat to meet the travellers. But the weather was rough and stormy, and

the sailors were reluctant to set out. The Duchess, however, would

hear of no delay, and, embarking in a small boat, bade the sailors

put out to sea. Hardly had they left the shore before a terrific gale

sprang up, and from the deck of their ship the Palatine and his wife

saw a barque tossed on the raging seas, sending up signals of distress.

Altering their course, they hastened to the rescue, and found, to their

great surprise, that the Duchess of Milan was on board. Count Frederic

scolded his sister-in-law soundly for her rashness, but Dorothea was

enchanted to see Christina, and laughed and cried by turn as she

embraced her.[251] The Queen awaited the travellers no less eagerly,

in her anxiety to hear the latest news from Spain, and agreed readily

to Frederic's proposal that his wife should remain at the Hague while

he returned to Germany. Early in September the Palatine took leave of

his relatives and went to Antwerp, saying that he must raise money for

his journey to Heidelberg. But he kept his true destination a secret.

During his illness in Paris, Bishop Bonner had brought Frederic a

letter from Cromwell, begging him to come to England, since he was only

divided from this country by a narrow arm of the sea, and His Majesty

was very anxious to see him again. All immediate alarm of war had died

away, and the irascible monarch's anger was allayed by the arrival of a

new French Ambassador in the person of Marillac, and by the permission

which Mary gave him to buy ammunition in the Low Countries. In return,

he ordered an imposing requiem to be held in St. Paul's for the late

Empress, and desired Cromwell and the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk,

with twenty Bishops, to attend the service.[252] He resumed his old

habit of spending the summer evenings on the river, enjoying the

music of flutes and harps, and sent to France and Italy for excellent

painters and musicians--a sure sign, Marillac was told, that he was

about to marry again. Another fête, at which the Ambassador declined

to be present, was a mock-fight on the Thames between two galleys,

one of which bore the King's arms, while the other was decorated with

an effigy of the Pope with the triple tiara and keys, attended by

the Cardinals. The show ended in the triumph of the English sailors,

who threw the Pope and Cardinals into the river--"the whole thing,"

according to Marillac, "being as badly represented as it was poorly

conceived."[253]

Now the King was anxious to hear the Emperor's intention from the

Palatine's own lips, while Frederic on his part was flattered by this

powerful monarch's invitation, and felt that his assistance might

prove of use in his visionary schemes for the recovery of Denmark. But,

knowing that of late relations between Henry and the Queen had been

strained, he kept his counsel, and told no one but his wife that he was

bound for Calais.

Here he was courteously entertained by Lord Lisle, an illegitimate son

of Edward IV., and escorted by him to Canterbury and London. Frederic

was lost in admiration at the rows of stately palaces along the Thames,

and the fine Castle of Richmond, but was disappointed, when he visited

Westminster Abbey, not to see the famous antlers of the stag which King

Dagobert caught, and which wore a golden collar inscribed with the

words, "Julius Cæsar let me go free." Afterwards he learnt that these

legendary trophies had lately been removed by the King's orders, for

fear the monks, whom he was about to expel, might conceal them.

In the absence of the King at Ampthill, Cromwell, who had been told

to "grope out the reason of Frederic's coming," entertained the Count

splendidly at his own house, and showed him the Tower of London and

the Temple Church. But the Deputy's wife, Lady Lisle, who looked on

Cromwell with deep distrust, begged her husband to beware of the Lord

Privy Seal's fair words, and was none too well pleased to hear that he

had partaken of the partridge pasty and baked cranes which she had sent

from Calais, together with her own toothpick for the Palsgrave's use,

having noticed that her noble guest "used a quill to pick his teeth

with."[254]

[Sidenote: SEPT., 1539] THE PALATINE AT WINDSOR]

Meanwhile the Palatine's visit to England was exciting much curiosity,

and not a little alarm, in some quarters. The Pope and the French King

feared it might lead to a secret covenant between Henry and Charles,

while in London it was commonly reported that Frederic came to renew

negotiations for his union with the Duchess of Milan, and the Duke of

Cleves hastily sent Ambassadors to conclude his sister's marriage.

These Envoys reached Windsor on the same day as the Count Palatine,

whom Henry invited to a banquet there on the 24th of September.

When he bade the Lord High Admiral escort the Palsgrave to Windsor,

Southampton, eager to curry favour with the King, expressed his

opinion that the Cleves alliance was preferable to a marriage with a

French Princess or one of the Emperor's family, "albeit the Duchess of

Milan was a fair woman and well spoken of," and told the King of the

resentment which his union with the Lady Anne had aroused at the Court

of Brussels. Henry remained plunged in thought for some moments; then

a smile broke over his face, and he exclaimed: "Have they remembered

themselves now? They that would not when they might, when they would

they shall have nay!"[255]

Nothing was lacking, however, to the splendour of the Palatine's

reception at Windsor. The Duke of Suffolk rode out to meet him beyond

Eton Bridge with 100 horsemen clad in velvet, and the banquet was

served on golden dishes in a hall carpeted with cloth of gold, to the

strains of delicious music from the King's famous band. The Cleves

Envoys were at table, but after dinner the King took the Count apart,

and conversed with him for over two hours on his travels. Frederic

took this opportunity of begging the King to help him in driving out

the usurper of Denmark, and releasing his unhappy father-in-law,

Christian II.[256] Henry listened kindly, and promised to consider the

matter, but no mention was made of Christina. The next day a great

hunting-party was given in the Palsgrave's honour. A pavilion of

green laurel boughs was set up in a meadow on the banks of the river,

and while the King and his guests were at dinner the merry note of

hunting-horns rang through the air, and a stag bounded across the turf,

followed by the hounds at full cry. Immediately the whole party sprang

to horse and joined in the chase, which lasted for three hours, and

ended in the slaughter of thirty-four stags. From Windsor Frederic went

to Hampton Court, and on the 3rd of October finally took leave of the

King, who gave him 2,000 crowns as a parting gift. Hubert also received

a silver cup from the Lord Privy Seal, who begged him and his lord to

return at Christmas, and surprised him by asking if the Palsgrave had

any castle to let or sell, as it might be convenient for him to secure

a retreat abroad. The Minister evidently realized the precarious nature

of his position, and Hubert remembered his request when he heard of the

doom which soon afterwards overtook the King's favourite.[257]

[Sidenote: OCT., 1539] THE LADY ANNE]

In his last interview Henry told the Count that he feared it would be

impossible for him to join in any enterprise against Denmark, as his

new allies the German Princes were in league with the present King.

At the same time he informed his good cousin of his intended marriage

to the Lady Anne of Cleves, a Princess of suitable age and elegant

stature, and begged him to obtain a safe-conduct from the Regent for

his bride's passage through the Low Countries.[258] The next day

Frederic crossed the Channel and joined his wife at Brussels. Here, as

Dorothea had already told him, he found the Queen much displeased at

the trick which he had played her, and Hubert came in for his share of

blame. They soon left Brabant for Heidelberg, and the Palatine sent

Lady Lisle--or, as he called her, "Madame ma bonne mère"--a barrel of

fine red and white Rhine wine in remembrance "of her loving son."[259]

II.

King Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves, as Southampton told his

master, was exceedingly unpopular in the Netherlands. The alliance

of so powerful a monarch with Duke William was fraught with danger,

and the people bitterly resented the insult which, in their eyes, had

been offered to the Duchess of Milan. The merchants of Antwerp said

openly that, if King Henry chose to break faith with their Princess, he

should not enjoy the company of another wife, and declared they would

not allow the Lady Anne to pass through their city. The Cleves Envoys

in England were so much alarmed by these reports that they travelled

back to Düren in disguise, and advised the bride to take the sea-route

from Germany. But Mary of Hungary was too wise to show her annoyance,

and sent a gracious message to Henry, saying that she would send Count

Büren to wait on the Lady Anne, on her journey through the Emperor's

dominions. The King wrote back in high glee to thank "his dearest

sister," and on the 27th of December his new bride landed safely at

Dover.[260] The loyal citizens of Flanders consoled themselves with

the thought that, if their Duchess was not to be Queen of England,

they would keep her among them, and the old rumour was persistently

repeated: "She shall marry the Prince of Orange." All through the past

year René had devoted himself to Christina's service, had worn her

favours and broken lances in her honour. Her Italian servants called

him openly the Duchess's _cavaliere sirvente_.[261] But it was plain

to Italians and Flemings alike that the affection was not at all on

one side, and that this gallant Prince had won Christina's heart. Old

courtiers smiled kindly on the young couple, and ladies drew aside

discreetly to leave them together. They were eminently fitted for each

other by age, race and character. If the succession to the principality

of Orange, which had been lately restored by the French King, hardly

entitled René to a place among the reigning Princes of Europe, at least

he could offer her splendid homes at Brussels and Breda, and a position

which many ladies of royal birth might envy. The Countess Palatine

Dorothea privately encouraged the Prince, and her husband warmly

approved of the match, and said openly that, since his sister-in-law

could not be King Henry's wife, she had better marry the man of her

choice, and not waste the best years of her life, as he himself had

done.[262]

[Sidenote: SEPT., 1539] THE REVOLT OF GHENT]

Queen Mary was, clearly, not averse to the Prince's suit, and had

a strong liking for René; but reasons of State prevented her from

giving the union her public sanction, and all parties were agreed that

nothing could be arranged until the Emperor's arrival. The date of his

journey was now definitely fixed, and in November Mary told the English

Ambassador Vaughan that her brother would be at Brussels by the New

Year. Charles at length realized the critical situation of affairs,

and saw that if he wished to keep his provinces _de par-deça_ he must

no longer delay his coming.[263] In September, 1539, the citizens of

Ghent, who had long been discontented, broke into open revolt. After

refusing to pay their share of the subsidy voted by the States, the

leading citizens put to death their chief magistrate, Lieven Pyl,

because he declined to bear their insolent message to the Regent, and

proceeded to tear up the famous "Calf-vel," a parchment deed containing

an agreement which they had made with Charles V. twenty-four years

before. Worse than all, they sent deputies to King Francis, asking him

to defend their liberties against the Emperor. At the first tidings of

these disorders Mary hastened to Malines and took energetic measures

to suppress the insurrection, which had already spread to several of

the neighbouring towns.[264] For some weeks the alarm was great, and

watchers were posted on the tower of S. Rombaut night and day; but the

Queen's presence of mind, and the support of her able lieutenants,

Aerschot and De Courrières, who was now Bailiff of Alost, succeeded in

confining the mutiny to the walls of Ghent. A simultaneous rising at

Maestricht was put down by the Prince of Orange, who raised 300 horse

and hastened to restore order in that city. But the citizens of Ghent

still openly defied the Regent, although Francis, to do him credit,

refused to help the rebels. More than this, he addressed a letter

with his own royal hand to Charles, saying that, if the Emperor was

coming to chastise his revolted subjects, he hoped that he would do

him the honour of passing through France, assuring him, on the faith

of a Prince, that every possible honour and hospitality would be shown

him.[265]

So critical was the situation, both with regard to Ghent and Guelders,

that Charles decided to accept the offer and take the shortest route to

Flanders.

"My good brother the Emperor," wrote Francis to his Ambassador

in England, "is coming to visit me on his way to the Low

Countries, a thing which not only does me the greatest honour,

content, and pleasure, but is a proof of the good and perfect

friendship between us."

He expressed the same feelings in still stronger terms to Wyatt, whom

Cromwell sent to Blois in December to be present at the meeting of the

two monarchs.

"The Emperor," he added, "is doing me the greatest honour that

can be, by coming to visit me, and showing thereby that he

taketh me for an honest man."[266]

[Sidenote: NOV., 1539] A SPLENDID RECEPTION]

On the 23rd of November Charles left Burgos, and four days later

he entered Bayonne, attended by the Dauphin and the Constable

Montmorency, whom the King had sent to meet him on the frontier. He

had begged Francis to dispense with ceremonies, as his great object

was to reach Flanders as quickly as possible, and to excuse him from

entering on political matters, since he could not decide anything of

importance until he had seen the Queen-Regent.[267] But, in spite of

this request, he was everywhere received with the utmost pomp and

festivity. Triumphal arches were erected at the city gates, and the

prison doors were thrown open at his entrance. Bordeaux presented him

with 300 barrels of wine, Poitiers gave him a golden eagle, Orleans a

dinner-service of richly chased plate. The meeting of the two monarchs

took place at Loches on the 10th of December. Charles, clad in deep

mourning, walked under a canopy of cloth of gold, adorned with the

imperial eagles, across the picturesque court to the gates of the

castle, where King Francis met him, surrounded by a brilliant company.

Three times over he embraced his guest, and led him to the hall, where

Eleanor, in robes of purple satin glittering with pearls, welcomed

her brother with transports of joy. Banquets and hunting-parties now

followed each other, as the Court journeyed by slow stages along the

banks of the Loire, from one fair château to another. At Amboise a heap

of tow caught fire as Charles rode up the famous spiral staircase in

the dusk, and he narrowly escaped being suffocated. But, mercifully,

no one was injured, and Francis escorted his imperial brother by way

of Blois and Orleans to Fontainebleau, where Christmas was spent and

the Emperor was allowed to enjoy a week's rest. On New Year's Day the

Emperor entered Paris, where the Parliament and University received

him "as if he were a god from heaven," and the following motto was

inscribed on the gates in golden letters:

"Ouvre, Paris, ouvre tes hautes portes,

Entrer y veut le plus grand des Chrétiens."[268]

Queen Eleanor, who scarcely left her brother's side, took him to see

the _Sainte Chapelle_ which St. Louis had built to receive the Crown of

Thorns, and escorted him to the Louvre, where sumptuous rooms had been

prepared for his reception. On Sunday a grand tournament was held on

the Place des Tournelles, in front of the palace which then occupied

the Place des Vosges, and the Duke of Vendôme and the Count of Aumale

opened the joust, while it was closed by Francis of Lorraine, the

Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson. Charles left Paris on the 7th of January,

and was presented by the city with a silver model of the Column of

Hercules, seven feet high, bearing his motto, _Plus oultre_.[269] The

King took his guest to dine at his new pleasure-house, the Château de

Madrid, accompanied him to St. Denis, where he visited the Tomb of the

Kings, and went on to the Constable's house at Chantilly. Finally,

on the 20th, the Emperor took his leave of the King and Queen at St.

Quentin, and with tears in his eyes thanked his host for this truly

brotherly reception.[270]

[Sidenote: JAN., 1540] THE CALENDAR OF FOOLS]

In spite of the sinister warnings which Charles had received before

he set out on his journey, in spite of Mary of Hungary's fears and of

Madame d'Étampes' thinly-veiled hostility, the experiment had proved a

brilliant success. Spanish and French poets celebrated the triumph of

Peace over War, and the return of the golden age. And Charles himself

laughed heartily when the King's jester, Triboulet, told him that he

had inscribed His Imperial Majesty's name on his Calendar of Fools,

because he had been so rash as to venture into his enemy's country,

but now that he had reached the end of his journey without mishap,

he should rub out Charles's name, and write that of Francis in its

place.[271]

The French King went home in high delight, and wrote to Marillac saying

that now all his differences with the Emperor would be easily arranged.

During those five weeks the King had respected his guest's wishes

and avoided politics, but the Constable, who enjoyed the Emperor's

confidence in a high degree, had made good use of this opportunity,

and flattered himself that he had been entirely successful. He was

above all anxious to effect a marriage between the widowed Emperor and

the King's daughter, and told Granvelle that Madame Marguerite was a

rose among thorns, an angel among devils, and that, if His Imperial

Majesty thought of making a second marriage, he could not do better.

But Charles was firmly resolved never to take another wife, and, when

the Constable pressed the point after he had left France, wrote that he

must beg the King to give up all idea of such a union, as he did not

intend to marry again, and was too old for Madame Marguerite.[272]

[Sidenote: 1539-41] A COURTLY FAREWELL]

In spite of the splendour and cordiality of his reception, Charles was

sad and tired, and longed more than all else to find himself among

his kindred and people. It was with heartfelt relief that he reached

Cambray, and found the Prince of Orange, the Duke of Aerschot, and his

faithful De Courrières, with the Archers' Guard, awaiting him. The

next day he went on to Valenciennes, where his loyal subjects welcomed

his return with passionate joy. Triumphal arches adorned the streets,

and the houses were hung with tapestries. Now it was his turn to act

as host, and do honour to the Dauphin and Duke of Orleans, who, with

Vendôme, the Constable, and Aumale, the Duke of Guise's eldest son,

had insisted on escorting him across the frontier.[273] The keys of

the city were presented to the Dauphin at the Cambray gate, torches

blazed all along the streets, and the bells rang merry peals as Charles

led the way to the ancient hôtel-de-ville, known as La Salle, where

the Queen of Hungary and the Duchess of Milan received him with open

arms. The next two days were given up to mirth and festivity. Charles

showed the French Princes the sights of the town, while the Constable

was invited to dine alone with the Queen and her niece, and sat down to

table between the two royal ladies. A splendid banquet was followed by

a ball, which lasted far on into the morning. All the ladies appeared

in magnificent costumes--French, Italian, Flemish, or Spanish, as they

chose--and wore the richest jewels. The Emperor moved through the vast

hall, blithe and debonair beyond his wont, jesting with his old friends

and rejoicing to be once more in his native land. Mary and Christina,

both of whom, remarks the chronicler, although widows, were still young

and beautiful, danced with the French Princes all the evening, and

were in high spirits.[274] There was much gay talk, and the Pope's

Legate, the young Cardinal Farnese, amused the guests with stories of

the latest gossip from the Court of England, which Queen Eleanor had

heard from Marillac. According to him, the new Queen, Anne of Cleves,

was too old and ugly for King Henry's taste, while her dresses and

those of her German "Fraus" were so monstrous that the King would

not allow them to appear at Court, and told his wife to adopt French

fashions.[275]

The next morning the French Princes appeared early to bid the Queen

farewell, and were very gracious in their manner of leave-taking. The

Dauphin received a superb diamond jewel in the shape of a griffin,

and a very fine emerald was bestowed on the Constable. There was some

talk of a marriage between the Duke of Orleans and a daughter of

King Ferdinand, while the King of Navarre and his wife, Margaret of

Angoulême, were eager for a match between their only daughter, Jeanne,

and the Prince of Spain. Vendôme probably realized that he had little

chance of winning the Duchess of Milan, but he shrugged his shoulders

and went his way gaily, saying he would wed the Pope's granddaughter,

Vittoria Farnese, the sister of the boy Cardinal. And they all rode off

in high spirits to join the King at La Fère and show him the Emperor's

costly gifts. They met him on his way back from hunting, riding at the

side of the Queen's litter, clad in a scarlet cloak, which made the

English Ambassador remark how much better Eleanor was treated since

her brother's visit. And the whole Court, in Bishop Bonner's words,

"made much demonstration of gladness, thinking they have God by the

foot."[276]

III.

Among all his political anxieties and preoccupations, the Emperor had

not forgotten his niece. Before he left Spain on this perilous journey

through his old enemy's country, he drew up a paper of instructions to

be given to his son Philip in case of his own death. A large part of

this advice was devoted to the choice of a wife for the Prince himself,

the heiress of Navarre being on the whole, in Charles's opinion, the

most eligible bride for his son. After suggesting various alliances

for his little daughters, Maria and Juana, the Emperor proceeded to

urge on his successor the importance of finding a husband for his

niece, the Widow of Milan, saying that he counted her as one of his

own children. Three Princes, he said, were all eager to marry her--the

Duke of Cleves, the heir of Lorraine, and the Duke of Vendôme--but

it would be necessary to defer his decision until he had ascertained

the best measures for recovering Denmark and settling the question of

Guelders. "And if God," he added, "should call to Himself the Palatine

Frederic, who is old and broken, one of these Princes might marry his

widow."[277] Christina's marriage, it is easy to see, was closely bound

up with the settlement of Guelders, an object which lay very near to

her uncle's heart.

[Sidenote: FEB., 1540] GUELDERS]

The English Ambassador Wyatt, who had been posting after the Emperor

across France, "through deep and foul roads," was convinced that

Charles in his heart of hearts cared more for Guelders than he did for

all Italy. This earnest desire to recover Guelders was, he felt sure,

the true reason why the Emperor had undertaken this long journey in the

depth of winter, and exposed his person to such great risks in passing

through France. When, contrary to the Constable's express orders, Wyatt

obtained an audience from the Emperor at Châtelhérault, as he came

in from hunting with the Dauphin, and informed him of His Majesty's

marriage and alliance with Cleves, Charles turned angrily on him,

saying:

"What hath Monsieur de Cleves to do with Guelders? I mean to show him

that he has played the young man. I hope the King will give him good

advice, for, I can tell you, Monsieur de Cleves shall give me reason. I

say he shall--he shall! If he does," he continued, laying his hand on

his heart, "he shall find in me a Sovereign, a cousin, and a neighbour.

Otherwise he will lose all three."[278]

When, two months later in Brussels, Wyatt craved another interview

of the Emperor, and begged him in Henry's name to look favourably on

his brother-in-law's petition, Charles said he must desire the King

not to meddle between him and his subjects, repeating the same words,

"Je ne ferai rien," two or three times over. An Envoy from the Duke

of Cleves came to meet him at Brussels, but was told that the Emperor

could not attend to his master's business until the affairs of Ghent

were settled. These, as Wyatt remarked, had already quieted down in

a singular manner from the moment that the Emperor started on his

journey, and deputies from the revolted city had been sent to meet him

at Valenciennes. But he refused sternly to see them, saying that they

would learn his pleasure when he came to Ghent.[279]

[Sidenote: APRIL, 1540] A SEVERE PUNISHMENT]

It was Charles's intention to overawe the turbulent city by an

imposing display of armed force. On the 14th of February, 1540, he

entered Ghent--"that great, rich, and beautiful city," writes the city

chronicler, "with its broad streets, fair rivers, noble churches,

houses, and hospitals, the finest in the Netherlands"--at the head of

a stately procession. The Queen rode on his right hand, the Duchess

of Milan on his left, followed by the Princess of Macedonia and other

ladies in litters, the officers of the household, and a long train

of foreign Ambassadors, Princes, and Knights of the Golden Fleece.

Cardinal Farnese, Don Ferrante Gonzaga, Viceroy of Sicily, the Prince

of Orange, the Dukes of Alva and Aerschot, Count Egmont, Büren, De

Praet, Lalaing, and Granvelle, were all present. In their rear came

the troops--4,000 horse, 1,000 crossbowmen, 5,000 _Landsknechten_,

and a strong body of artillery, numbering in all 60,000 persons and

15,000 horses. Their entry lasted six hours, and it was dusk before

the last guns and baggage defiled through the streets. Charles, with

his sister and niece, alighted at the Prinzenhof, the house where he

had been born just forty years before, and the Archers' Guard took

up their station at the gates.[280] A strong body of infantry was

encamped in the neighbouring market-place, pickets of cavalry occupied

the chief squares, and the rest of the troops were quartered in other

parts of the city. But there was not the least show of resistance on

the part of the citizens. Absolute tranquillity reigned everywhere

while the stricken city awaited the Emperor's sentence. It was, as

might be expected, a severe one. Twenty-three of the ringleaders were

arrested, and after a prolonged trial were found guilty. On the 17th

of March, nine of these were put to death in the market-place, while

the others were banished and heavily fined. On the 29th of April the

Emperor convened the chief officers of State and magistrates in the

great hall of the Prinzenhof, and, in the presence of the Queen and

her Court, delivered his sentence on the guilty city. The charters and

privileges of Ghent were annulled, the property of the Corporation

was confiscated, and heavy additional fines were imposed, beside the

payment of the 400,000 florins which had been the cause of the quarrel.

In their consternation, the burghers turned to Mary and implored her

to intercede on their behalf; but she could only advise them to throw

themselves on the Emperor's mercy. On the 3rd of May a memorable and

historic scene took place in the court of the Prinzenhof. Here the

Emperor, seated on a tribunal, with his crown on his head and sceptre

in his hand, and surrounded by the Archers' Guard, received the

senators and chief burghers, as, robed in black, with bare heads and

feet, and halters round their necks, they knelt in the dust at his

feet. The sentence of condemnation was read aloud in the presence of

a brilliant assembly of nobles and courtiers, and of a vast crowd who

looked on from the windows and roofs of the neighbouring houses. Then

Mary, who occupied a chair at her brother's side, rose, and, turning to

the Emperor, in eloquent words implored him to have pity on his poor

city of Ghent, and to remember that he had been born there. The Emperor

gave a gracious answer, saying that out of brotherly love for her and

pity for his poor subjects he would pardon the citizens and restore

their property. But he decided to build a citadel to keep the city in

subjection, and, after taking his brother Ferdinand to the top of the

belfry tower to choose a site, he eventually fixed on the high ground

above the River Scheldt, where St. Bavon's Abbey stood. The demolition

of the ancient monastery was at once begun, and before the Emperor left

Ghent the first stone of the new fortress was laid.[281]

While these tragic events were taking place, a succession of

illustrious guests arrived at Court. First of all, at the end of

February, came Ferdinand, King of the Romans, a simple and honest

Prince, the best of husbands and fathers, and as fondly attached to his

sister Mary as she was to him. At the same time the Palatine Frederic

sent his wife to join the family party and plead her unfortunate

father's cause with the all-powerful Emperor. Although his journey

to England had failed to secure Henry's support, he still cherished

designs against Denmark, and was anxious to prevent a renewal of

the truce between the Low Countries and King Christian III. After

consulting Archbishop Carondelet, the President of the Council, and

Granvelle, the two sisters, Dorothea and Christina, drew up a petition

to the Emperor, imploring him to have pity on the poor prisoner,

who had already languished seven years in solitary confinement, and

reminding him gently of the pledges given to the Palatine at his

marriage.

[Sidenote: APRIL, 1540] WILLIAM OF CLEVES]

"My sister and I,"--so ran the words of Dorothea's

prayer--"your humble and loving children, entreat you, as

the fountain of all justice, to have compassion on us. Open

the prison doors, which you alone are able to do, release my

father, and give me advice as to how I may best obtain the

kingdom which belongs to me by the laws of God and man."[282]

But although the sisters' touching appeal on behalf of their captive

father moved many hearts, and both Henry VIII. and James V. of Scotland

wrote to assure the Palatine of their sympathy, no one was inclined to

embark on so desperate an enterprise, and Dorothea went back to her

lord at Heidelberg without having obtained any satisfaction. On the

14th of April a truce was concluded with the Danish Envoys, who had

followed the Emperor to Ghent, and the illusory hopes of the three

crowns which had been so long dangled before the Palatine's eyes melted

into thin air.[283]

There was still one important question awaiting settlement. William of

Cleves had sent three successive Ambassadors to congratulate Charles on

his return and to seek the investiture of Guelders at his hand. Now, at

King Ferdinand's instance, he arrived at Ghent one day in person, to

the surprise of the whole Court.

"The Duke of Cleves," wrote an eyewitness of his entry, "has

come to Ghent with a fine suite, to claim Guelders and marry

the Duchess of Milan. This is not to be wondered at, for she

is a young and very beautiful widow as well as a Princess of

the noblest birth. He who wins her for his bride will be a

fortunate man."[284]

The English Ambassador at Düren, Nicholas Wotton, had done his utmost

to prevent the Duke from accepting Ferdinand's invitation; and Wyatt

was charged by Cromwell to neglect no means of preventing an alliance

which would defeat all his schemes. The wily Ambassador laid his snares

cleverly. When the Cleves Ambassador, Olisleger, told him that the Duke

was about to wed the Duchess, he whispered that his master had better

be careful and take counsel of King Henry before he took any further

pledges.

"I told him," wrote Wyatt to King Henry, "to advise his master,

in case of marriage, to use his friend's counsel, and herein,

if I shall be plain with Your Majesty, I cannot but rejoice

in a manner of the escape that you made there; for although I

suppose nothing but honour in the Lady, yet methinketh Your

Highness's mate should be without mote or suspicion; and yet

there is thought affection between the Prince of Orange and

her, and hath been of long; which, for her bringing-up in

Italy, may be noted but service which she cannot let, but I

have heard it to proceed partly from her own occasion. Of this

Your Majesty will judge, and do with your friend as ye shall

think meet."[285]

René's courtship of the Duchess was no secret, and Christina's

preference for the popular Prince was plain to everyone at the Imperial

Court; but the unworthy insinuations by which the Ambassador strove to

blacken her character were altogether his invention.

[Sidenote: APRIL, 1540] THE DUKE'S SUIT]

Since this was the surest way to win both Henry's and Cromwell's

favour, Wyatt made unscrupulous use of these slanders to poison William

of Cleves's mind against the Duchess whose hand he sought. On the

13th of April the Duke arrived at Ghent, and was met by the Prince

of Orange, who brought him to King Ferdinand's rooms. Late the same

evening the English Ambassador had a secret interview with him, and

did his utmost to dissuade him from entering into any treaty with the

Emperor. The Duke's irresolution was now greater than ever. The next

day Ferdinand himself conducted him into the Emperor's presence, where

he received the most friendly greeting, and was invited to join the

imperial family at dinner. The gracious welcome which he received from

Mary, and the sight of Christina, went far to remove his doubts, and

during the next few days the harmony that prevailed among the Princes

excited Wyatt's worst misgivings. The Venetian Ambassador, Francesco

Contarini, met the Countess Palatine returning from Ghent, and heard

from her servants that a marriage was arranged between her sister and

the Duke of Cleves. Monsieur de Vély, the French Envoy, sent this

report to Paris, and it was confidently asserted at the French and

English Courts that Cleves had settled his quarrel with the Emperor,

and was to wed the Duchess.[286]

[Sidenote: MAY, 1540] AN ABRUPT DEPARTURE]

But these reports were premature. The Duke told Wotton and Wyatt that

nothing would induce him to give up Guelders, and at their suggestion

he placed a statement of his claims in the hands of Ferdinand, who

promised to submit the document to the Emperor. During the next

fortnight the question was discussed in all its bearings by Charles and

his Councillors. The Duke pressed his suit for the Duchess's hand, and

the Emperor went so far as to offer him the reversion of Denmark if he

would renounce Guelders. But William was as obstinate as the Emperor,

and, when Ferdinand induced Charles to offer Cleves his niece and the

duchy of Guelders for his lifetime, he quite refused to accept this

proposal. All Ferdinand could persuade him to do, was to consent that

the question of Guelders should be referred to the Imperial Chamber,

a compromise which satisfied neither party. Still friendly relations

were maintained outwardly. On Sunday, the 27th of April, the imperial

family attended Mass in state, the Emperor riding to the Church of St.

John with the King of the Romans and the boy Legate, Cardinal Farnese,

on his left, followed by the Dukes of Brunswick, Cleves, Savoy, and the

Marquis of Brandenburg. In the afternoon Ferdinand sent for the Duke

again, and made one more attempt to arrange matters, without success.

Some insolent words spoken by Cleves's servants aroused the Emperor's

anger, upon which the Duke became alarmed, and sent Wotton word that,

seeing no hope of agreement, he intended to return home. Early the

next morning, without taking leave of anyone, he rode out of the town

secretly, and never halted until he was safe in his own dominions.

His royal brother-in-law, King Henry, sent him a long letter,

congratulating him on his safe return, and advising him solemnly not to

marry the Duchess of Milan without finding out the true state of her

affections towards the Prince of Orange, lest he should be deceived.

Wotton told the King, in reply, that the Duke's affection for Christina

was now cooled, partly because she had refused him, and partly because

of the information which Henry had given him. All idea of the marriage

was certainly abandoned, and on the 22nd of June Cleves himself wrote

to tell Henry that he had received friendly overtures from the French

King, and was sending Ambassadors to make proposals for his niece, the

Princess of Navarre.[287]

Meanwhile the Duke's strange conduct had excited much surprise at

Ghent. The Emperor, who had spent the anniversary of his wife's death

in retirement at a Carthusian convent in the neighbourhood, returned

to find Cleves gone. Henry of Brunswick rode with his friend to the

outskirts of the town, and hurried back to be present at the imperial

table, where he tried to explain the Duke's abrupt departure by saying

that he was afraid of treachery. But Ferdinand and Mary were both

seriously annoyed, and the only member of the family to rejoice was

Christina, who felt that she could once more breathe freely.

The pacification of Ghent was now complete, and the bulk of the forces

were disbanded. On Ascension Day--the 6th of May--the imperial family

attended Mass at St. John's, the Queen "walking lovingly up the church,

hand in hand with the King of the Romans." The Ambassadors were all

present, as well as Cardinal Farnese--in Wotton's opinion "a very calf,

and a greater boy in manners and condition than in years."

On the 12th the King of the Romans took leave of his family, but the

Council at which he assisted lasted so late in the evening that he did

not actually set out on his journey till two o'clock on the following

day. About six in the cool hours of the May morning, the Emperor,

with his sister and niece, rode out to see the foundations of the new

citadel laid, and then continued their journey towards Antwerp, where

"great gun-shot" and bonfires welcomed their arrival.[288]

IV.

[Sidenote: JULY, 1540] CROMWELL'S FALL]

The Court spent the next three weeks at Bruges, the beautiful old city

which was always a favourite with Charles and his sisters, in the

ancient Prinzenhof where their mother had died. During these summer

days many important events took place, and startling news came from

England. On the 10th of June Cromwell was suddenly arrested and sent to

the Tower on a charge of high-treason. A fortnight later the new Queen,

Anne of Cleves, left Whitehall for Richmond, and on the 9th of July

her marriage was pronounced null and void by a decree of Convocation.

The ostensible reason for the divorce was a precontract between Anne

and Francis of Lorraine. It was true that as children they had been

affianced by their respective parents, but, as was common in such

cases, all idea of the marriage had been afterwards abandoned, and

Henry had professed himself entirely satisfied with the explanations

given by Anne's relatives on the subject. But from the first moment

that he met his bride at Rochester, on New Year's Day, 1540, he was

profoundly disappointed. When Cromwell asked him how he liked her, he

replied, "Nothing so well as she was spoken of," adding that, had he

known as much of her before as he did now, she should never have set

foot in his realm. However, he felt constrained to marry her, for fear

of "making a ruffle in the world," and driving her brother into the

Emperor's arms. At Whitsuntide he told Cromwell that from the day of

his marriage he had become weary of life, and took a solemn oath that

before God Anne had never been his lawful wife.

From that moment Cromwell knew that his own fate was sealed. "The King

loves not the Queen," he said to Wriothesley. "What a triumph for the

Emperor and the Pope!" A week afterwards he was committed to the Tower,

and on the 28th of July he was beheaded.[289]

The news of his fall was received with general satisfaction abroad.

King Francis gave vent to boisterous joy, and sent his brother word

how sincerely he rejoiced to hear that this false and wicked traitor,

who had brought the noblest heads in England to the block, was at

length unmasked. The Emperor, on the contrary, showed no surprise or

emotion when he heard the news from Archdeacon Pate, the new Envoy

who had succeeded Wyatt, but merely said: "What! is he in the Tower

of London, and by the King's counsel?" And when, on the 6th of July,

Pate informed him that the King had repudiated his wife, he cast his

eye steadfastly on the speaker, and asked what scruples His Majesty

entertained regarding his marriage with the daughter of Cleves. The

Ambassador explained, as best he could, what he took to be the motives

of the King's action, upon which the Emperor said that he was convinced

Cromwell was the true cause of all the terrible crimes which had of

late years been committed against religion and order in England. So

friendly was the Emperor that Pate wrote to the Duke of Norfolk: "If

His Majesty hath thereby lost the hearts of the Electors, he hath in

their places gained those of the Emperor and the French King."[290]

[Sidenote: JUNE, 1540] RENÉ OF ORANGE]

Both at Bruges and Antwerp the news aroused much excitement among

the merchants, who were unanimous in the opinion that the King now

intended to take the Duchess of Milan "for the true heart which she

bore him." But nothing was further from Christina's mind. She had

rejoiced at the failure of the King's suit, and saw the Duke of Cleves

leave Ghent without regret. Now all seemed ripe for the fulfilment of

her long-cherished hopes. The Prince of Orange had been unremitting in

his attendance on the Emperor since his arrival, and, as all men knew,

was honoured by His Majesty's confidence and affection. His popularity

with the army was unbounded, and it was a common saying that wherever

the Prince's little pony went, every Dutchman would follow. The Queen

looked kindly on his suit, and Christina's heart was already his own.

But when, in these bright June days at Bruges, he modestly laid his

suit before the Emperor, an unexpected difficulty arose. Three years

before a marriage with the Duke of Lorraine's only daughter had been

proposed for the young Prince of Orange by his uncle, William of

Nassau-Dillenburg, the head of the German branch of the house. The idea

met with Henry of Nassau's cordial approval, and at his request the

Emperor sent his servant Montbardon to obtain Duke Antoine's consent.

This was granted without any difficulty, and the contract was drawn

up before the Count of Nassau's death.[291] Now the Duke urged the

Prince to keep this long-standing engagement and marry his daughter

Anne--the plain but excellent lady whose portrait Holbein had taken

for King Henry. The Prince had never seen his destined bride, and was

very reluctant to carry out the contract, but the Emperor was resolute.

Antoine already had a serious grievance in the matter of Guelders, and

it was of the highest importance to secure his alliance. Accordingly,

Charles told René that he must prove himself a loyal knight, and with

his own hand drew up the articles of the marriage treaty, and sent

them to Nancy by the Archdeacon of Arras. Christina's name is never

mentioned in the whole transaction. It was the old story of the Count

Palatine and the Archduchess Eleanor. She was a daughter of the House

of Habsburg, and knew that the Emperor's will must be obeyed. So she

could only bow her head in silence and submit to his decrees. If she

wept bitter tears, it was in secret, in her quiet chamber in the

ancient Cour des Princes at Bruges, looking down on the green waters of

the canal.[292]

There was great rejoicing throughout Lorraine when the Emperor's

messenger reached Nancy and the marriage was proclaimed. Anne was very

popular throughout the duchy, and since her mother's death, a year

before, had taken a prominent place at the ducal Court, where her tact

and kindness made her universally beloved. The wedding took place in

the last week of August at Bar.[293] All the members of the ducal house

were present, including the Duke and Duchess of Guise, with their sons

and daughters, and the Cardinal of Lorraine, who came from the French

Court to pronounce the nuptial blessing.

The Prince of Orange's martial appearance and his splendid suite made

a favourable impression on his new relatives, as Antoinette de Bourbon

wrote to her daughter in Scotland:

"I have delayed longer than I intended before writing to you,

but we have been so well amused by the wedding of Mademoiselle

de Lorraine that until this moment I have not had leisure to

begin this letter. Yesterday we left the assembled company.

There was a very large gathering, and the wedding took place

last Tuesday. Monsieur le Prince arrived honourably attended,

and is, I can assure you, a very charming and handsome Prince.

He is much pleased with his bride, and she is devoted to him.

They are to go home in a fortnight. The fête was at Bar, but

there were very few strangers present--only a few nobles and

ladies of the neighbourhood."[294]

On the 27th of September the Prince of Orange brought his bride to

Brussels, where the States were assembled. The whole Court rode out

to welcome the happy pair, and escorted them to the Nassau palace,

where the Prince changed his travelling dress for a Court mantle, and

hastened to pay his respects to the Emperor. A succession of fêtes

was given in their honour, and dances, masques, and banquets, were

the order of the day. The Princess charmed everyone by her gracious

manners, and her fine figure and splendid clothes and jewels became the

object of general admiration.

[Sidenote: OCT., 1540] ANNE OF LORRAINE]

On the 2nd of October a grand tournament was given in the Prince's

house, which the Emperor, Queen Mary, and Christina, honoured with

their presence. René himself challenged all comers at the barriers,

and his wife was the most charming hostess. Before Charles left, he

presented Anne with a costly ring, and appointed the Prince to succeed

Antoine de Lalaing as Stadtholder of Holland and Friesland. Three

days afterwards the newly-married pair left Court for their own home

at Breda, and the Emperor set out on a progress through Artois and

Hainault, leaving his sister and niece at Brussels.

René's wife soon became a great favourite with the Queen, and Christina

danced as gaily as the rest at the wedding fêtes. But it is significant

that the only mention made of her in contemporary records is in the

despatches of the English Ambassador, Richard Pate, who tells us that

the Duchess of Milan spent much of her time in the company of her

brother-in-law, the Palatine.[295] Frederic had come to Brussels to

confer with the Emperor on German affairs, and, if possible, to raise a

loan of 600,000 ducats for his intended campaign against Denmark. But

although Charles professed himself ready and anxious to oblige his good

cousin, the Regent would give him no answer, and ended by telling him

to get the money from the Imperial Treasury. Richard Pate held long and

confidential conversations with the Palatine, who recalled his visit

to Windsor with delight, and spoke with warm admiration of the beauty

of the singing in St. George's Chapel. He was curious to know if his

old friend the King had grown as fat as he was represented in recent

portraits, and rejoiced to hear that His Majesty was lusty and merry.

As for the Duchess of Milan, he could only feel sorry that so charming

a lady should still lack a husband, and frankly regretted that she had

not married King Henry, or, failing him, the Prince of Orange.[296]

After his return to Germany, Frederic made another attempt to bring

about his sister-in-law's marriage to the Duke of Cleves, who still

hesitated between his old love for Christina and his reluctance to give

up Guelders. But negotiations were already in progress with another

suitor, who had bided his time patiently, and who was now at length to

obtain his reward.

[Sidenote: 1539-41] LOUISE DE GUISE]

The Prince of Orange's union with Anne of Lorraine had strengthened

the ties that bound her father to the Emperor, and a second marriage,

which took place this autumn, united the two houses still more closely.

Among the young nobles who accompanied René to Bar for his wedding was

Charles, Prince of Chimay, the eldest son of the Duke of Aerschot, the

wealthy and powerful Governor of Brabant, who was foremost among the

Regent's confidential advisers, and whom she affectionately called by

the pet name of "Moriceau." On the death of his mother in 1539, the

young Prince had succeeded to her vast estates, and lived at the fine

castle of Beaumont, near the French frontier. At Bar he saw and fell

in love with Louise de Guise, the lovely girl whom Henry VIII. would

gladly have made his wife. But there were difficulties in the young

suitor's way. His own family began by opposing the marriage, and it

was some time before Charles's consent could be obtained. The Duke of

Guise had long been the Emperor's most bitter enemy, and was known to

have strongly opposed his journey through France. Fortunately, Duchess

Antoinette was from the first on the lovers' side, and succeeded in

gaining her husband's consent. For some time past King Francis had been

trying to arrange a marriage between her eldest son, the Count of

Aumale, and the Pope's granddaughter, "_Vyquetorya_ Farnese," as Louise

calls her in one of her letters. But the Pope haggled over the dowry,

and insisted on asking the Emperor's consent; so that Antoinette had a

troublesome task in her lord's absence, and complained sorely to the

Queen of Scotland of these vexatious delays.

"By way of consolation, however," she writes on the 30th of

November, "we have an offer for your sister. Monsieur le Duc

d'Aerschot has sent to ask for her, on behalf of his eldest

son, the Prince of Chimay, a youth about twenty, handsome and

well brought up, we hear. He will give him a portion of 50,000

crowns a year, and he will have some fine estates, such as the

duchy of Aerschot, the principality of Chimay, the counties of

Beaumont and Porcien, most of them near Guise. I have told your

father, who is at Court, and he approves, and has spoken to

the King and to our brothers, who all advise us to accept the

proposal. So do my brother-in-law [the Duke of Lorraine] and my

mother [Madame de Vendôme]. It has been arranged that we should

all meet at Bar on the Conception of Our Lady, as my lord the

Duke wishes the matter to be settled at his house. I hope your

father will be there, but if not he will give me the necessary

powers. If things can be arranged, she will be well married,

for the Prince has great possessions and beautiful houses, and

plate and furniture in abundance. But it is a great anxiety to

be treating of two marriages at once."[297]

Happily for the good Duchess, the young Prince had his way, and the

contract between him and Louise was duly signed at Bar on the 22nd of

December. On the same day the Emperor, accompanied by the Regent and

Duchess of Milan, paid a visit to the Duke of Aerschot at Beaumont, and

offered him their warmest congratulations on his son's marriage.[298]

The wedding took place at Joinville in the following March, by which

time Christina's own marriage to Louise's cousin was arranged, and all

Lorraine rang with the sound of wedding-bells.

V.

[Sidenote: JAN., 1541] CHRISTINA'S BETROTHAL]

The vaunted alliance between Charles and Francis did not last long,

and less than a year after the Emperor and King had parted at St.

Quentin, vowing eternal friendship, a renewal of war seemed already

imminent. Francis was bitterly disappointed to find that none of the

great results which he expected from Charles's visit had come to pass.

The Emperor firmly declined to marry his daughter, and gave no signs

of surrendering Milan to the Duke of Orleans. All he would offer was

the reversion of the Low Countries as his daughter's portion if she

married Orleans. This failed to satisfy Francis, who declared that

he would have Milan and nothing else. In order to prevent his niece,

Jeanne of Navarre, marrying the Prince of Spain, the King offered her

to the Duke of Cleves, who signed a treaty with France this summer, but

was not actually affianced to the little Princess until the Duchess of

Milan was finally betrothed to Francis of Lorraine. Upon hearing of

the alliance between France and Cleves, Charles retaliated by solemnly

investing his son Philip with the duchy of Milan. This ceremony took

place at Brussels on the 11th of October, and was regarded by Francis

as an open act of defiance. He vented his anger on the Constable, who

asked leave to retire; while Madame d'Étampes did her best to obtain

her rival's disgrace and induce the King to declare war against the

Emperor. But Francis was loth to let his old servant go, and said to

Montmorency, with tears in his eyes: "How can you ask me to let you

leave me? I have only one fault to find with you, that you do not love

what I love."[299] The Constable consented to remain, and for the

moment the crisis was delayed.

After visiting the forts along the frontier and leaving garrisons in

every town, the Emperor came to Namur for Christmas, and prepared

for his final departure. Forty chariots were needed for his own use,

and all the horses and carts in the neighbouring provinces were

requisitioned to provide for the conveyance of his immense suite. On

Innocents' Day the Court moved to Luxembourg, and all the gentlemen

of the countryside rode out to meet the Emperor. With him came the

Queen and the Duchess of Milan, and on the same evening they were

joined by the Duke of Lorraine and his son Francis, the Marquis of

Pont-à-Mousson. On the Feast of the Three Kings the imperial party

attended Mass in the cathedral, and the Emperor, after his usual

custom, presented golden cups to three abbeys in the town. And on

the same day the marriage of the Marquis to the Duchess of Milan

was finally concluded, to the great delight of the old Duke, who

was as much pleased as the bridegroom. Two days afterwards Charles

took an affectionate farewell of his sister and niece, and went on

to Regensburg, leaving them to return to Brussels, while the Duke of

Lorraine hastened to Nancy to summon the States and inform his loyal

subjects of his son's marriage.[300]

On the 1st of March the contract drawn up by the Imperial Ministers,

Granvelle and De Praet, was signed by the Duke of Lorraine at Bar, and

on the 20th by the Emperor. The ducal manors of Blamont and Denœuvre

were settled upon the Duchess, and, in order that she might not lose

any rank by her marriage, the Marquis received the title of Duke of

Bar.[301] On the 12th of March the Queen and Duchess both went to the

Castle of Beaumont in Hainault, to be present at the splendid reception

which the Duke of Aerschot gave his daughter-in-law. The Duchess of

Guise herself accompanied the beloved Louise to her future home,

and wrote the following account of the festivities to Queen Mary of

Scotland from her husband's château at Guise:

"MADAME,

[Sidenote: MARCH, 1541] WEDDING-BELLS]

"I have been so confidently assured that the safest way for

letters is to send them by Antwerp merchants that I am sending

mine by this means, and your sister will be my postmistress in

future. I wrote to tell you of the conclusion of her marriage,

and sent the articles of the treaty and the account of her

wedding by your messenger. I have just taken her to her new

home, a fine and noble house, as well furnished as possible,

called Beaumont. Her father-in-law, the Duke, received her very

honourably, attended by as large and illustrious a company as

you could wish to see. Among others, the Queen of Hungary was

present, and the Duchess of Milan, and both the Prince and

Princess of Orange, who, by the way, is said to be with child,

although this is not quite certain as yet, and I confess I have

my doubts on the subject. I think your sister is very well

married. She has received beautiful presents, and her husband

has made her a very rich wedding-gift. He is young, but full of

good-will and excellent intentions. It did not seem at all like

Lent, for the sound of trumpets and the clash of arms never

ceased, and there was some fine jousting. At the end we had

to part--not without tears. I am now back at Guise, but only

for one night, and go on to-morrow to La Fère. My brother the

Cardinal, and my brother and sister of St. Pol, will be there

on Wednesday. For love of them I will stay at La Fère over

Thursday, and set out again on Friday, to reach Joinville as

soon as may be, in the hope of finding your father still there,

as well as our children--that is to say, the little ones and

the priests."[302]

Ten days later Louise herself wrote a long and happy letter to her

sister from Beaumont, full of the delights of her new home and of the

kindness with which she had been received by her husband's family.

"MADAME,

"Since God gave me this great blessing of a good husband, I

have never found time to write to you. But I can assure you

that I count myself indeed fortunate to be in this house,

for, besides all the grandeur of the place, I have a lord

and father-in-law whom I may well call good. It would take

three sheets of paper if I were to tell you all the kindness

with which he treats me. You may therefore be quite satisfied

of your sister's happiness, and she is further commanded to

offer you the very humble service of the masters and lords of

this house, who beg that you will employ them on any occasion

that may arise, since they will always be very glad to obey

your wishes. We also have a very wise and virtuous Queen, who

has done me the greatest honour by coming here to our house,

expressly, as she condescended to say, to receive me. She

told me herself that she meant to take me for her very humble

daughter and servant, and that in future she hoped I should

be often in her company, which, considering how little she has

seen of me, was exceedingly kind. The Duchess of Milan said

the same, and was the best and kindest of all. We may soon

hope to see her in Lorraine, for her marriage to the Marquis

is in very good train. Since my mother went home, she has sent

a letter asking me to find out if this route to Scotland will

be shorter than the other. If this is the case, and you like

to send me your letters for her, I shall be delighted. Only,

Madame, you must be sure to address your packets to the Duke

of Aerschot, which will be easy for you, as then the merchants

who come from Scotland will leave them at Antwerp or Bruges,

or any other town, and they will not fail to reach me, since

my father-in-law is greatly loved and honoured throughout the

Netherlands. And I pray that God will give you a long and happy

life.

"Your very humble and obedient sister,

"Louise of Lorraine.

"From Beaumont, the 25th day of March."[303]

The keenest interest in these marriages was shown at the Court of

Scotland. King James wrote cordial letters from Edinburgh to his

sister-in-law and to the Duke of Aerschot, and congratulated the

Princess of Orange on her happy expectations, begging her to write

to him and his wife more frequently.[304] Anne had always been on

affectionate terms with her aunt and cousins at Joinville, and the

presence of Louise at Brussels this summer was another bond between

them.

[Sidenote: APRIL, 1541] AN UNWILLING BRIDE]

Meanwhile King Francis was greatly annoyed to hear of the Duchess of

Milan's marriage. He complained bitterly to the Duke of Guise and the

Cardinal of their brother's desertion, and vowed that Antoine and his

son should feel the full weight of his displeasure. He was as good

as his word, and, when the Prince assumed the title of Duke of Bar,

disputed his rights to this duchy on the ground that it was a fief of

the Crown. In order to satisfy these new claims, the Duke was compelled

to sign an agreement on the 22nd of April, by which he and his son

consented to do homage to the King for the duchy of Bar, and to grant

free passage of French troops through this province.[305]

At the same time Francis invited the Duke of Cleves to come to Blois,

as he wished his marriage to the Princess of Navarre to be celebrated

without delay. On the 11th of April the States assembled at Düsseldorf

were amazed to hear from Chancellor Olisleger that their Duke, being

unable to obtain the Duchess of Milan's hand without the surrender of

Guelders, was about to contract another marriage with the Princess of

Navarre, and had actually started on his wedding journey.[306] The

King and Queen of Navarre had always been averse to their daughter's

union with the Duke of Cleves, but Margaret's resistance was overcome

by the royal brother whom she adored, and her husband gave a reluctant

consent to the marriage; but the little Princess Jeanne, a delicate

child of twelve, refused in the most determined manner to marry this

foreign Prince. In vain she was scolded and whipped, and threatened by

her uncle the King with worse punishments. For many weeks the child

persisted in her refusal, and, when compelled to yield, signed a

protest on the eve of her marriage, which with the secret connivance

of her parents was duly witnessed and preserved. On the 14th of June,

1540, the strange wedding was finally solemnized at Châtelhérault, on

the Garonne. A series of Arcadian fêtes in beautiful summer weather

were given by King Francis, who never lost an opportunity for indulging

his love of romance. Arbours and colonnades of verdure were reared on

the river-banks. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were

seen riding forth in quest of adventure; high-born ladies, clad as

nymphs and dryads, danced on the greensward by torchlight.[307] The

bridegroom gave his bride magnificent jewels, although Jeanne was never

seen in public, and did not even appear at the ball on the night before

the wedding. Finally, when all were assembled in the royal chapel, and

the King came to lead his niece to the altar, the little Princess,

weighed down by her costly jewels and gold and silver brocades, was

unable to walk. "Take her by the neck!" cried the impatient monarch to

Montmorency, and the Constable of France, not venturing to disobey the

royal command, lifted up the frightened child in his arms and bore her

to the altar before the eyes of the whole Court. As he did so he was

heard to mutter, "C'en est fini, de ma faveur, adieu lui dis!" and,

surely enough, the day after the wedding he received his dismissal, and

left Court, never to return during the lifetime of Francis.[308]

[Sidenote: JULY, 1541] CHRISTINA'S WEDDING]

The Duke had agreed, in order to satisfy the King and Queen of Navarre,

that the marriage should be merely formal, and consented to leave his

unwilling bride with her parents for another year. Accordingly, three

days later he bade them farewell, and rode, attended by a strong French

escort, through the Ardennes, and travelled down the Moselle and Rhine

to Cologne. As he passed through Luxembourg he saw the trained bands

gathering in force on the frontier, and heard that they were assembling

under Count Büren to meet his successful rival, Francis of Lorraine,

and bring him to Brussels for his wedding.[309]

Here great preparations had been made to do honour to the Emperor's

niece, and the guests came from far and wide. Christina's trousseau

was worthy of her exalted rank, and the Queen presented her with a

wonderful carcanet of rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, with pendants

of large pear-shaped pearls. The marriage was solemnized on Sunday,

the 10th of July, in the great hall where, twenty-six years before,

Isabella of Austria, had been married to the King of Denmark. Only two

of the foreign Ambassadors were absent from the wedding banquet--the

Englishmen Vaughan and Carne--a fact which naturally excited much

comment. King Henry changed colour when Chapuys told him of Christina's

marriage, and was at no pains to conceal his surprise and vexation.

He said repeatedly that he wondered how the Emperor could allow so

noble and renowned a Princess to marry the Marquis, when there could

be no doubt that Anne of Cleves was his lawful wife, and insisted

that this had been the chief reason of his own separation from this

lady. After the wedding he again referred to the incident, and told

Chapuys in confidence that the Duke of Lorraine had secretly made

over his rights on Guelders to the French King, and would never help

the Emperor against France, since Monseiur de Guise and the Cardinal

of Lorraine were entirely on the French side. Chapuys listened with

polite attention, and reported most of the King's conversation for the

amusement of the Court at Brussels.[310]

Here a series of fêtes took place after the wedding. A grand tournament

was held in front of the hôtel-de-ville, followed by the mock siege

of a fortress in the park, and a hunting-party in the Forest of

Soignies.[311]

On the 14th, the Duke and Duchess of Bar left Brussels to pay a round

of visits in the neighbourhood and "see the country," and on the 27th

the Queen went to meet them at the Duke of Aerschot's hunting-palace at

Heverlé, near Louvain, and spent several days there with the two other

newly-married couples, the Prince and Princess of Orange and the Prince

and Princess of Chimay.[312]

[Sidenote: AUG., 1541] A NOBLE LADY]

Finally, on the 1st of August, the bride and bridegroom set out on

their journey, attended by a brilliant company, which included the

Prince and Princess of Orange, the Duke of Aerschot, the Prince and

Princess of Chimay, the Counts of Berghen, Büren, and Brederode. They

travelled by slow stages, resting at Namur, Luxembourg, Thionville,

and Metz. Triumphal arches were erected over the gates of each city,

and the burghers came out in procession to greet the bride. At Metz

Christina was presented with an illuminated book on "Marriage," by the

Regent of the University, Édmond du Boullay, and the Chapter of Toul

offered her a gold cup, filled with 300 crowns, while the city gave her

200 crowns and ten barrels of choice wine.[313]

On the 8th the wedding-party reached Pont-à-Mousson, and found a

large family gathering waiting to receive them. A few days before

the Cardinal of Lorraine had joined the Duke and Duchess of Guise at

Joinville, and had accompanied them to Pont-à-Mousson, as Antoinette

wrote,

"in order to give our new Lady her first greeting and conduct

her to Nancy. Great preparations have been made to welcome

her, and there is to be some fine jousting. I will tell you if

there is anything worth writing, and must confess I am very

curious to see if the Marquis makes a good husband. At least

the country rejoices greatly at the coming of so noble and

excellent a lady."[314]

The Duchess of Guise had collected most of her family for the occasion,

and brought four of her sons--Aumale, Mayenne, Charles, Archbishop of

Reims, and Louis, Bishop of Troyes--to Pont-à-Mousson, as well as her

little grandson, the Duke of Longueville, the Queen of Scotland's son

by her first marriage. Duke Antoine and his younger son, Nicholas de

Vaudemont, Bishop of Metz, were also present, together with all the

chief nobles of Lorraine.

It was a strange meeting. Guise and his sons had often crossed swords

with the Prince of Orange and Aerschot, and the Duke had refused to

meet the Emperor on his memorable visit to Chantilly. Now he was

engaged in repairing the forts along the frontier in view of another

war, an occupation which had at least one merit in his wife's eyes,

and kept him longer at home than he had been for many years. All

alike, however, friends and foes, joined in giving the new Duchess a

hearty welcome, and drank joyously to the health and prosperity of the

illustrious pair.

At Pont-à-Mousson Francis took his bride to the convent of Poor Clares,

to see his grandmother, Philippa of Guelders, who had taken the veil

twenty years before, but still retained all her faculties, and was

the object of her sons' devoted affection. The Duke of Guise and his

wife constantly visited the good old lady, whose name appears so often

in Antoinette's letters, and who now embraced her new granddaughter

tenderly and gave the bridal pair her blessing. The next day Christina

entered Nancy, where immense crowds assembled to receive her, and

choirs of white-robed maidens welcomed her coming at the ancient

gateway of La Craffe. One quaint medieval practice which had lasted

until this century was dispensed with. It was the custom for a band

of peasants from the neighbouring village of Laxou, to beat the pools

in the marshes under the palace walls all through the night when the

Princes of Lorraine brought their brides home, to drive away the

frogs, whose croaking might disturb the ducal slumbers. But instead

of this, the peasant women of Laxou stood at the palace gates as the

Duchess alighted, and presented her with baskets of flowers and ripe

strawberries and cherries.[315]

[Sidenote: AUG., 1541] REJOICINGS AT NANCY]

A grand tournament was held the following morning, on the Place des

Dames in front of the ducal palace, in which many of the Flemish

nobles took part, and was followed by a state banquet and ball--"all

very sumptuously done," wrote Lord William Howard, the English

Ambassador.[316] Then the wedding festivities came to an end, the gay

party broke up, and the old city which was henceforth to be Christina's

home resumed its wonted air of sleepy tranquillity.

FOOTNOTES:

[243] Papiers d'État. 82. 20, Archives du Royaume, Bruxelles.

[244] Lanz, ii. 297; Calendar of State Papers, xiii. 2, 16.

[245] Lanz, ii. 289, 683.

[246] State Papers, Record Office, Henry VIII., i. 605; Calendar of

State Papers, xiv. 1, 192.

[247] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 1, 348, 374.

[248] See Appendix; Papiers d'État, 82, 26, Archives du Royaume,

Bruxelles.

[249] Hubert Thomas, 376-390; Cust, "Gentlemen Errant," 377-379.

[250] "Zimmerische Chronik," ii. 547.

[251] H. Thomas, 396.

[252] Kaulek, 104.

[253] _Ibid._, 105.

[254] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 2, 61; H. Thomas, 393-398.

[255] State Papers, Record Office, Henry VIII., i. 616; Calendar of

State Papers, xiv. 2, 54.

[256] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 2, 66, 69, 94, 368.

[257] H. Thomas, 399-401; Kaulek, 136.

[258] Kaulek, 135.

[259] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 2, 215; H. Thomas, 401.

[260] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 2, 127, 232; Calendar of Spanish

State Papers, vi. 1, 200; Kaulek, 138, 139.

[261] Calendar of State Papers, xiv. 2, 127; Nott, ii. 399.

[262] Calendar of State Papers, xvi. 61; Henne, vi. 301-396.

[263] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 205.

[264] Bulletin de la Commission d'Histoire, série ii., 3, 490.

[265] Granvelle, "Papiers d'État," ii. 540; Calendar of State Papers,

xiv. 1, 437, 2, 193; Gachard, "Relation des Troubles de Gand," 258.

[266] Kaulek, 142; Nott, ii. 353.

[267] Gachard, 252.

[268] Gachard, 49.

[269] Henne, vii. 4; A. de Ruble, "Le Mariage de Jeanne d'Albret," 46;

R. de Bouillé, "Histoire des Ducs de Guise," i. 123.

[270] Gachard, 305.

[271] M. du Bellay, iv. 413.

[272] Granvelle, "Papiers d'État," ii. 562; Kaulek, 153.

[273] Gachard, 531.

[274] Gachard, 664-666.

[275] Calendar of State Papers, xv. 65.

[276] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 236, 237.

[277] Granvelle, "Papiers d'État," ii. 542.

[278] Nott, ii. 358.

[279] Nott, ii. 380, 391.

[280] Gachard, "Relation des Troubles de Gand," 65.

[281] Henne, vii. 40-90; Gachard, 67-70, 389.

[282] Lanz, ii. 308.

[283] Henne, vii. 282; Nott, ii. 418.

[284] Gachard, 65, 71.

[285] Nott, ii. 398.

[286] Nott, ii. 417; State Papers, Record Office, viii. 329.

[287] Calendar of State Papers, xv. 349, 367.

[288] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 336, 340, 354; Calendar of

State Papers, xv. 318.

[289] Calendar of State Papers, xv. 363, 390, 391.

[290] Kaulek, 191; State Papers, Record Office, viii. 386, 397, 412.

[291] L. Hugo, "Traité sur l'Origine de la Maison de Lorraine," 212.

[292] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 398.

[293] Pfister, "Histoire de Nancy," ii. 188.

[294] Balcarres Manuscripts, ii. 15, Advocates' Library, Edinburgh.

[295] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 444.

[296] Calendar of State Papers, Henry VIII., xvi. 1, 60.

[297] Balcarres Manuscripts, ii. 22.

[298] W. Bradford, "Itinerary of Charles V.," 517; State Papers, Record

Office, viii. 508.

[299] F. Decrue, "Montmorency à la Cour de François I.," i. 392.

[300] Gachard, "Voyages de Charles V.," ii. 167.

[301] A. Calmet, "Histoire de Lorraine," iii. 387.

[302] Balcarres Manuscripts, ii. 5 (see Appendix). The priests were

Antoinette's two sons, Charles, Archbishop of Reims, and Louis, both of

whom afterwards became Cardinals.

[303] Balcarres Manuscripts, ii. 153 (see Appendix).

[304] _Ibid._, ii. 157.

[305] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 609.

[306] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 550; Calendar of State Papers,

xv. 344, 362; A. de Ruble, "Mariage de Jeanne d'Albret," 83.

[307] M. du Bellay, "Mémoires," iv. 415.

[308] A. de Ruble, 118; F. Decrue, "Anne de Montmorency à la Cour de

François I.," 403.

[309] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 585.

[310] Calendar of Spanish State Papers, vi. 1, 332, 349.

[311] Henne, vii. 282; Calendar of State Papers, xvi. 1, 470.

[312] Calendar of State Papers, xvi. 1, 508.

[313] J. B. Ravold, "Histoire de Lorraine," iii. 743; Hugo, 217; C.

Pfister, "Histoire de Nancy," ii. 192.

[314] Balcarres Manuscripts, ii. 4 (see Appendix).

[315] Pfister, ii. 63, 188; Ravold, iii. 703.

[316] State Papers, Record Office, viii. 609.