when the occasion was so excellent, and the thing carried out for a
brother’s sake. The like was done by the gentle Richardet, in the
Romance, but for different purpose, when after hearing one evening
his sister Bramante discourse of the beauties of the fair Princess of
Spain, and of her own love and vain desires after her, he did take her
accoutrements and fine frock, after she was to bed, and so disguiseth
himself in the likeness of his sister,—the which he could readily
accomplish, so like they were in face and beauty. Then presently, under
this feigned form he did win from the said lovely Princess what was
denied his sister by reason of her sex. Whereof, however, great hurt
had come to him, but for the favour of Roger, who taking him for his
mistress Bramante, did save him scatheless of death.[25]
Now as to the ladies of Sienna, I have heard it of M. de La Chapelle
des Ursins, which was at that time in Italy, and did make report of
this their gallant exploit to our late King Henri II. of France, how
that this monarch did find the same so noble, that with tears in his
eyes he took an oath, an if one day God should grant him peace or truce
with the Emperor, he would hie him with his galleys across the Tuscan
sea, and so to Sienna, to see this city so well affected to him and
his party, and thank the citizens for their good will and gallantry,
and above all to behold these fair and honourable ladies and give them
especial thanks.
I am sure he would not have failed so to do, for he did highly
honour the said good and noble dames. Accordingly he did write them,
addressing chiefly the three chief leaders, letters the most gracious
possible, full of thanks and compliments, the which did pleasure them
greatly and animate their courage to yet an higher pitch.
Alas! the truce came right enough some while after; but meantime the
city had been taken, as I have described elsewhere. Truly ’twas an
irreparable loss to France to be deprived of so noble and affectionate
an ally, which mindful and conscious of the ties of its ancient origin,
was always fain to join us and take place in our ranks. For they say
these gallant Siennese be sprung from that people of France which in
Gaul they did call the Senones in old times, now known as the folk of
Sens. Moreover they do retain to this day somewhat of the humour of
us Frenchmen; they do very much wear their heart on their sleeve, as
the saying is, and be quick, sudden and keen like us. The Siennese
ladies likewise have much of those pretty ways and charming manners and
graceful familiarities which be the especial mark of Frenchwomen.
I have read in an old Chronicle, which I have cited elsewhere, how
King Charles VIII., on his Naples journey, when he did come to Sienna,
was there welcomed with so magnificent and so triumphal an entry, as
that it did surpass all the others he received in all Italy. They did
even go so far by way of showing greater respect and as a sign of
humbleness, as to take all the city gates from off their hinges and
lay the same flat on the ground; and so long as he did tarry there, the
gates were thus left open and unguarded to all that came and went, then
after, on his departure, set up again as before.
I leave you to imagine if the King, and all his Court and army, had not
ample and sufficient cause to love and honour this city (as indeed he
did always), and to say all possible good thereof. In fact their stay
there was exceeding agreeable to him and to all, and ’twas forbid under
penalty of death to offer any sort of insult, as truly not the very
smallest did ever occur. Ah! gallant folk of Sienna, may ye live for
ever! Would to heaven ye were still ours in all else, as it may well
be, ye are yet in heart and soul! For the overrule of a King of France
is far gentler than that of a Duke of Florence; and besides this, the
kinship of blood can never go for naught. If only we were as near
neighbours as we be actually remote from each other, we might very like
be found at one in will and deed.
In like wise the chiefest ladies of Pavia, at the siege of that town by
King Francis I. of France, following the lead and example of the noble
Countess Hippolita de Malespina, their generalissima, did set them to
carrying of the earth-baskets, shifting soil and repairing the breaches
in their walls, vying with the soldiery in their activity.
Conduct like that of the Siennese dames I have just told of, myself
did behold on the part of certain ladies of La Rochelle,[26] at the
siege of their town. And I remember me how on the first Sunday of Lent
during the siege, the King’s brother, our General, did summon M. de la
Noue to come before him on his parole, and speak with him and give
account of the negotiations he had charged him withal on behalf of the
said city,—all the tale whereof is long and most curious, as I do hope
elsewhere to describe the same. M. de la Noue failed not to appear, to
which end M. d’Estrozze was given as an hostage on the town, and truce
was made for that day and for the next following.[27*]
This truce once concluded, there did appear immediately, as on our side
we too did show us outside our trenches, many of the towns-folk on the
ramparts and walls. And notable over all were seen an hundred or so of
noble ladies and citizens’ wives and daughters, the greatest, richest
and fairest of all the town, all clad in white, the dress, which did
cover head as well as body, being all of fine white Holland linen,
that ’twas a very fair sight to see. And they had adopted this dress
by reason of the fortification of the ramparts at which they were at
work, whether carrying of the earth-baskets or moving the soil. Now
other garments would have soon grown foul, but these white ones had
but to be sent to the wash, and all was well again; beside, with this
white costume were they more readily distinguished among the rest. For
our part we were much delighted to behold these fair ladies, and I do
assure you many of us did find more divertisement herein than in aught
else. Nor were they the least chary of giving us a sight of them, for
they did line the edge of the rampart, standing in a most gracious
and agreeable attitude, so as they were well worth our looking at and
longing after.
We were right curious to learn what ladies they were. The towns-folk
did inform us they were a company of ladies so sworn and banded
together, and so attired for the work at the fortifications and for
the performing of suchlike services to their native city. And of a
truth did they do good service, even to the more virile and stalwart of
them bearing arms. Yea! I have heard it told of one, how, for having
oft repulsed her foes with a pike, she doth to this day keep the same
carefully as ’twere a sacred relic, so that she would not part with it
nor sell it for much money, so dear a home treasure doth she hold it.
I have heard the tale told by sundry old Knights Commanders of Rhodes,
and have even read the same in an old book, how that, when Rhodes was
besieged by Sultan Soliman, the fair dames and damsels of that place
did in no wise spare their fair faces and tender and delicate bodies,
for to bear their full share of the hardships and fatigues of the
siege, but would even come forward many a time at the most hot and
dangerous attacks, and gallantly second the knights and soldiery to
bear up against the same. Ah! fair Rhodian maids, your name and fame is
for all time; and ill did you deserve to be now fallen under the rule
of infidel barbarians![28*] In the reign of our good King Francis I.,
the town of Saint-Riquier in Picardy was attempted and assailed by a
Flemish gentleman, named Domrin, Ensign of M. du Ru, accompanied by two
hundred men at arms and two thousand foot folk, beside some artillery.
Inside the place were but an hundred foot men, the which was far too
few for defence. It had for sure been captured, but that the women of
the town did appear on the walls with arms in hand, boiling water and
oil and stones, and did gallantly repulse the foe, albeit these did
exert every effort to gain an entry. Furthermore two of the said brave
ladies did wrest a pair of standards from the hands of the enemy, and
bore them from the walls into the town, the end of all being that the
besiegers were constrained to abandon the breach they had made and the
walls altogether, and make off and retire. The fame of this exploit did
spread through all France, Flanders and Burgundy; while King Francis,
passing by the place some time after, was fain to see the women
concerned, and did praise and thank them for their deed.
The ladies of Péronne[29] did in like gallant wise, when that town
was besieged by the Comte de Nassau, and did aid the brave soldiers
which were in the place in the same fashion as their sisters of
Saint-Riquier, for which they were esteemed, commended and thanked of
their sovereign.
The women of Sancerre[29] again, in the late civil wars and during the
siege of their town, were admired and praised for the noble deeds they
did at that time in all sorts.
Also, during the War of the League, the dames of Vitré[29] did acquit
them right well in similar wise at the besieging of the town by M. de
Mercueur. The women there be very fair and always right daintily put
on, and have ever been so from old time; yet did they not spare their
beauty for to show themselves manlike and courageous. And surely all
manly and brave-hearted deeds, at such a time of need, are as highly to
be esteemed in women as in men.
Of the same gallant sort were of yore the women of Carthage, who
whenas they beheld their husbands, brothers, kinsfolk and the soldiery
generally cease shooting at the foe, for lack of strings to their
bows, these being all worn out by dint of shooting all through the
long and terrible siege, and for the same cause no longer being able
to provide them with hemp, or flax, or silk, or aught else wherewithal
to make bow-strings, did resolve to cut off their lovely tresses and
fair, yellow locks, not sparing this beauteous honour of their heads
and chief adornment of their beauty. Nay! with their own fair hands, so
white and delicate, they did twist and wind the same and make it into
bow-strings to supply the men of war. And I leave you to imagine with
what high courage and mettle these would now stretch and bend their
bows, shoot their arrows and fight the foe, bearing as they did such
fine favours of the ladies.
We read in the History of Naples[30] how that great Captain Sforza,
serving under the orders of Queen Jeanne II., having been taken
prisoner by the Queen’s husband, James, and set in strict confinement
and having some taste of the strappado, would without a doubt ere much
longer have had his head cut off, but that his sister did fly to arms
and straight take the field. She made so good a fight, she in her
own person, as that she did capture four of the chiefest Neapolitan
gentlemen, and this done, sent to tell the King that whatsoever
treatment he should deal to her brother, the same would she meet out to
his friends. The end was, he was constrained to make peace and deliver
him up safe and sound. Ah! brave and gallant-hearted sister, rising so
superior to her sex’s weakness!
I do know of certain sisters and kinswomen, who if but they had dared
a like deed, some while agone, might mayhap have saved alive a gallant
brother of theirs, which was undone for lack of help and timely
succour of the sort.
5.
Now am I fain to have done with the consideration of these warlike
and great-hearted dames in general, and to speak of some particular
instances of the same. And as the fairest example Antiquity hath to
show us, I will adduce the gallant Zenobia[31] only, to answer for
all. This Queen, after the death of her husband, was too wise to
waste her time, like so many others in like case, in mere lamentation
and vain regrets, but did grasp the reins of his empire in the name
of her children, and make war against the Romans and their Emperor
Aurelian,[31] at that time reigning at Rome. Much trouble did she give
these foes for eight long years, till at the last coming to a pitched
battle with his legions, she was vanquished therein and taken prisoner
and brought before the Emperor. On his asking her how she had had the
hardihood to make war against the Emperors of Rome, she did answer only
this: “Verily! I do well recognise that you are Emperor, seeing that
you have vanquished me.”
So great content had he of his victory, and so proud thereof was he
and exalted, that he was fain to hold a triumph over her. So with an
exceeding great pomp and magnificence did she walk before his triumphal
car, right gorgeously put on and adorned with much wealth of pearls and
precious stones, superb jewels and great chains of gold, wherewith she
was bound about the body and by the hands and feet, in sign of being
captive and slave of her conqueror. And so it was that by reason of
the heavy weight of her jewels and chains she was constrained to make
sundry pauses and to rest her again and again on this march of triumph.
A fine thing, of a surety, and an admirable, that all vanquished and
prisoner as she was, she could yet give the law to her triumphant
conqueror, and thus make him tarry and wait her pleasure till that she
had recovered breath! A great instance too of good feeling and honest
courtesy on the part of the Emperor, so to allow her breathing space
and rest, and to suffer her weakness, rather than unduly to constrain
or press her to hurry more than she well could. So that one doth scarce
know which to commend the more, the honourable courtesy of the Emperor,
or the Queen’s way of acting,—who it may well be, did play this part
of set purpose, not so much forced thereto by her actual weakness of
body and weariness, as for to make some show of pride and prove to all
how she would and could gather this little sprig of respect in the
evening of her fortunes no less than she had done in the morning-tide
of the same, and let them see how the Emperor did grant her this much
privilege, to wait on her slow steps and lingering progress.
Much was the Queen gazed at and admired by men and women alike, not
a few of which last had been but too glad to resemble so fair an
apparition. For truly she was one of the most lovely of women, by what
is said of the historians of these events. She was of a very fine, tall
and opulent figure, say they, her carriage right noble, and her grace
and dignity to match; furthermore her face very beautiful and exceeding
pleasing, her eyes dark and piercing. Beside her other beauties, these
writers do give her fine and very white teeth, a keen wit and a modest
bearing, a sincere and at need a kind and merciful heart. Her speech
was eloquent and spoke with a fine clear voice; moreover she was used
always to express her ideas and wishes herself to her soldiers, and
would many a time harangue the same publicly.
I ween he did so show her to best advantage, thus richly and gracefully
attired in women’s weeds, no less than when she was armed in all points
as the Warrior Queen. For sex doth always count for much; and we may
rightly suppose the Emperor was fain to display her at his triumph only
under guise of her own fair sex, wherein she would seem most beauteous
and agreeable to the populace in all the perfection of her charms.
Furthermore, ’tis to be supposed, so lovely as she was, the Emperor
had tasted and enjoyed her loveliness, and was yet in the enjoyment
thereof. So albeit he had vanquished her in one fashion, yet had
she,—or he, if you prefer it so, for the two be as one in this,—won the
victory in another.
Mine own wonder is, that seeing the said Zenobia was so beautiful,
the Emperor did not take her and keep her for one of his mistresses;
or else that she did not open and establish by his permission, or
the Senate’s, a shop or market of love and harlotry, as did the fair
Flora in the same city, for to win wealth and store up much gear and
goods, by the toil of her body and shaking of her bed. For to such a
market had surely resorted all the greatest men of Rome, one vying
with other in eagerness; seeing there is no contentment ’twould seem,
or satisfaction in all the world like that of a man’s taking his
will of a Royal or Princely person, and enjoying of a fair Queen, or
Princess or a high-born Lady. As to this I do appeal to such men as
have embarked on these voyages, and made such good traffic there. Now
in this fashion would Queen Zenobia have soon grown rich out of the
purse of these great folks, as did Flora, which did receive no others
in her place of commerce. Had it not been far better for her to make
of her life a scene of merry-making and magnificence, of money getting
and compliments, than to have fallen into that need and extremity of
poverty she did come to? For she was constrained to gain her bread
a-spinning among common work-women, and would have died of hunger, but
that the Senate, taking pity of her in view of her former greatness,
did decree her a pension for her maintenance, and some trifling lands
and possessions, which were for long after known as “Zenobia’s Lands.”
For indeed and indeed is poverty a sore evil; and whosoever can avoid
the same, no matter what transformation be taken to that end, doth well
and right, as one I wot of was used to declare.
Thus we see how Zenobia did not carry her high courage to the end of
her career, as she should,—and as folk should ever persist in every
course of action to the last. ’Tis said she had had a triumphal car
constructed, the most magnificent ever seen in Rome, to the end she
might, as she was often used to say in her days of high prosperity and
glorying, hold triumph therein at Rome. For her ambition was to conquer
and subdue the Roman Empire! Alas! for her presumption; for it did
all fall out quite otherwise, and the Emperor having won the day, did
take her car for himself, and use it in his own triumph, while she did
march a-foot, and did make as much triumph and ceremonial over her as
if he had vanquished a puissant King,—and more. Yet be sure, a victory
won over a woman, be it gained how it may, is no very great or famous
exploit!
After a like fashion did Augustus long to triumph over Cleopatra; but
he got no success in this. She did forestall him in good time, and
in the same way which Aemilius Paulus did signify in what he said to
Perseus,[32] when in his captivity he did beseech him to have pity on
him, answering him he should have seen to that beforehand, meaning that
he ought to have killed himself.
I have heard say that our late King Henri II. did long for no other
thing so sore as to be able to take prisoner the Queen of Hungary,
and this not to treat her ill, albeit she had given him many causes
of offence by her devastations of his territory, but only to have the
glory of holding this great Princess captive, and to see what bearing
and countenance she would show in her prison, and if she would then
be so gallant and proud-spirited as at the head of her armies. For in
truth there is naught else so fine and gallant as such a fair, brave
and high-born lady, when she hath will and courage as had this same
Princess, which did much delight in the name the Spanish soldiers had
given her; for just as they did call her brother the Emperor _el padre
de los soldados_, “the father of the soldiers,” so did they entitle her
_la madre_, “the mother,” of the same. So in old days, in the times of
the Romans, was Victoria or Victorina known in her armies by the name
of “the mother of the camp.” Of a surety, an if a great and beautiful
lady do undertake an exploit of war, she doth contribute much to its
success and giveth much encouragement and spirit to her folk, as myself
have seen in the case of our own Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici,
which did often visit our armies, and so doing did greatly animate
their courage and rouse their ardour. The same is done at this present
by her grand-daughter, the Infanta[33] in Flanders, which doth take the
lead of her army, and show herself a valorous chief of her fighting
men,—so much so that without her and her noble and delightful presence,
Flanders could never have been retained, as all men allow. And never
did even the Queen of Hungary herself, her grand-aunt, make so fair a
show of beauty, valour, great-heartedness and graceful bearing.
In our histories of France we do read of how much avail was the
presence of the noble-hearted Comtesse de Montfort,[33] when shut up
and besieged in Hennebon. For albeit her men were brave and valiant,
and had quit themselves in battle and withstood the enemy’s assaults
as well as ever any folk could, yet did they at the last begin to
lose heart and talk of surrendering. But she did harangue them so
eloquently, and did re-animate their courage with such good and
intrepid words, inspiriting them so finely and so well, as that they
did hold out till the succour, so long and eagerly desired, did arrive,
and the siege was raised. Nay! she did better still; for whenas the
enemy were set on the attack and were all busied therewith, seeing
their tents to be all left empty and unprotected, she did make a
sally, mounted on a good horse and with fifty good horses to follow
her. In this wise doth she surprise the camp and set it a-fire, the
result being that Charles de Blois, deeming himself to be betrayed, did
straight abandon the assault. On this subject, I will add yet another
little tale:
During the late Wars of the League, the Prince de Condé, since
deceased, being at Saint-Jean, did send to demand of Madame de
Bourdeille,[34] then a widow of the age of forty, and a very handsome
woman, six or seven of the wealthiest tenants of her estate, the which
had taken refuge in her castle of Mathas at her side. She did refuse
him outright, declaring she would never betray nor give up these
unhappy folk, who had put themselves under her protection and trusted
to her honour for their safety. On this he did summon her for the last
time, informing her that unless she would deliver them up to him, he
would teach her better obedience. She did make reply to this (for
myself was with her by way of rendering help) that, seeing he knew not
himself how to obey, she did find it very strange he should wish to
make others do so, and that so soon as he should have obeyed his King’s
orders, she would obey him. For the rest, she did declare that for all
his threats, she was afraid neither of his cannon nor of his siege, and
how that she was descended from the far-famed Comtesse de Montfort,
from whom her folk had inherited the place, and herself too, and
therewith some share of her gallantry. Further that she was determined
to defend the same so well as that he should never take it, and that
she should win no less fame herein than her ancestress, the aforesaid
Countess, had done at Hennebon. The Prince did ponder long over this
reply, and did delay some days’ space, without further threatening her.
Yet, had he not presently died, he would assuredly have laid siege to
her castle; but in that case was she right well prepared in heart,
resolution, men and gear, to receive him warmly, and I do think he
would have gotten a shameful rebuff.
Machiavelli, in his book _On the Art of War_, doth relate how that
Catherine, Countess of Forli, was besieged in that her good town
fortress by Cæsar Borgia, aided by the French army, which did make a
most gallant resistance to him, yet at the last was taken. The cause
of its loss was this, that the said strong town was over full of
fortresses and strongholds, for folk to retire from the one to the
other; so much so that Borgia having made his approaches, the Signor
Giovanni de Casale (whom the said Countess had chose for her helper and
protector), did abandon the breach to withdraw into his strongholds.
Through the which error, Borgia did force an entrance and took the
place. And so, saith the author, these errors did much wrong the
high-hearted courage and repute of the said gallant Countess, which
had withstood an army the King of Naples and the Duke of Milan had
not dared to face; and albeit the issue was unfortunate, yet did she
win the honour she so well deserved, and for this exploit many rhymes
and verses were writ in Italy in her honour. This passage is one well
worthy the attention of all such as have to do with the fortifying of
places of strength, and do set them to build therein great numbers of
castles, strongholds, fortresses and citadels.
To return to our proper subject, we have had in times past many
Princesses and high-born ladies in this our land of France, which have
given excellent marks of their prowess. As did Paule,[35*] daughter
of the Comte de Penthièvre, who was besieged in Roye by the Comte de
Charolais, and did there show herself so gallant and great-hearted
as that, on the town being taken, the Count did grant her very
good conditions, and had her conducted in safety to Compiègne, not
suffering any hurt to be done her. So greatly did he honour her for her
valour,—and this albeit he felt deep resentment against her husband,
whom he held guilty of having tried to work his death by black arts and
sundry evil devices of images and candles.