THE MISSION ENDED
Before Charles left Spain for Italy he had concluded a separate treaty
with the Pope at Barcelona, the terms of which were more advantageous
to the Holy See than Clement VII. could have expected, considering the
emperor's recent successes. But Charles was anxious to atone for the
insults and outrages committed during the siege of Rome, and if
possible win the Pope as an ally, and get him to oppose his aunt
Katharine's divorce. Amongst other articles he promised to restore all
property belonging to the ecclesiastical state, reestablish the Medici
in Florence, and marry his natural daughter, Margaret, to the head of
that powerful house; allow the Pope to decide the fate of the Sforza
and the possession of the Milanese. In return Clement was to grant the
emperor the investiture of Naples, absolve all who had been implicated
in the plundering of Rome, and allow Charles and his brother to levy a
fourth of the ecclesiastical revenues throughout their dominions.
On October the 2nd, 1529, Margaret wrote a long letter to the emperor
from Brussels, in which she plainly expressed her opinion of the
Treaty of Barcelona and its probable results:--'I do not pretend to
say,' she says, 'that the alliance with the Pope is not a good and
desirable thing; but your Majesty must bear in mind the character of
his Holiness, his inconstant humour and fickle disposition; and that
he must be greatly changed in temper and general condition if he does
not try now, as he did last time, to expel you from Italy after he has
got all he wants from you.... Respecting Milan, my opinion is that,
considering the expense hitherto incurred, your Majesty ought by all
means to endeavour to remain master of it by investing your son with
it, and treating with Massimiliano Sforza.... The king, your brother,
in the meanwhile, must be fully provided with the means of defence,
and money procured for him to carry on a good enterprise against the
Turk....
'Your Majesty might attend to your own affairs in Italy, and
everything being settled there, depart for Germany at the head of all
your forces, leaving only in Italy those strictly required for the
defence of Milan and Naples. This would naturally result in great
honour and reputation to your army, which might be paid out of the
money collected for the intended expedition, and then you could not
only succour your brother, repulse the Turk, and perhaps also follow
him up to his own dominions, but also increase our faith, which will
be a far greater honour and merit than losing your precious time in
the recovery of a few towns in Italy....'[142]
[142] _Calendar of Spanish State Papers._
At last the long-looked-for day came when Charles, after a triumphal
progress through Italy, entered Bologna, on November the 5th, for his
coronation, at the head of twenty thousand veteran soldiers, and, in
token of his humility as an obedient son of the Church, kneeled down
to kiss the feet of that very Pope whom he had but recently retained a
prisoner. On St. Peter's Day, February the 22nd, 1530, he received
the iron crown of Lombardy, and two days later (St. Matthew's Day),
the thirtieth anniversary of his birth, he was crowned by Clement
VII. this ceremony can have been no pleasant task. 'The Pope,' wrote
the Bishop of Tarbes, 'tried to show the emperor the best cheer
possible; but I think he never in his life performed a ceremony which
touched him so near the heart, nor of which less good is likely to
come to him. For several times, when he thought no one saw him, he
heaved such sighs that, heavy as his cope was, he made it shake in
good earnest.'[143] This memorable day in the annals of the House of
Austria marked the summit of Margaret's ambitious hopes for the nephew
she had mothered with such unceasing care. She had lived to see the
children over whose welfare she had so tenderly watched grow up to
fill some of the most brilliant positions in Europe. Charles was now a
thrice-crowned king and emperor; Ferdinand, King of Hungary and
Bohemia (and was shortly to be elected King of the Romans); whilst
Eleanor had become first Queen of Portugal and then Queen of France;
the short-lived Isabel, Queen of Denmark; Mary, Queen of Hungary; and
Katharine, who succeeded her sister, Queen of Portugal.
[143] E. Armstrong.
Although only in her fiftieth year, Margaret began to look forward to
the time when she could hand over the government of the Netherlands to
her nephew Charles and spend the rest of her days in quiet seclusion.
For her life had been a very strenuous one, full of great
responsibility and unceasing work, and now that she felt her mission
accomplished, she longed for her nephew's advent and her own
retirement from political life. Chiefly owing to her intervention,
that peace which it had been her lifelong endeavour to promote, now
reigned throughout Europe, and under her wise rule the Netherlands had
reached the zenith of their prosperity. Art, industry, and commerce
flourished in the Low Countries as they had never flourished before.
Encouraged by Margaret, a brilliant group of artists, poets, and
literary men settled at her Court at Malines. Merchants from England,
Spain, France, and Italy attended the great fairs, and traded in arms,
embroideries, tapestries, velvets, satins, cloth, and leather goods.
Malines became noted for its various industries, and Brussels, Ypres,
Liége, Ghent, Lille, and Tournay all rose rapidly into commercial
centres. Architecture made enormous strides, and music, painting, and
literature received a new birth.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF COURTYARD IN MARGARET'S PALACE AT
MALINES, NOW THE PALACE DE JUSTICE]
In her palace at Malines Margaret collected all that was rare and
beautiful, and her rooms were veritable museums, as the inventory
written under her direction shows. Priceless tapestries hung on the
walls, some of which she had brought from Spain, whilst others were
presented to her on various occasions. Many rich and valuable objects
are mentioned in her catalogue: Statuettes, gold and silver caskets
and mirrors, crystal, chalcedony and jasper goblets and vases, carved
ivories, amber, corals, and curiously wrought chessmen, beautiful
fans, medallions, clocks of rare workmanship which struck the hours
and half-hours, magnificent plate, sometimes inlaid with precious
stones, glass and pottery, suits of armour, ivory hunting horns, and
various relics of the chase. Her private library contained many rare
and valuable books, chiefly bound in velvet (crimson, green, black,
and blue), with gold and silver clasps, besides illuminated
manuscripts, several bearing her devices in the borders and strewn
with painted 'marguerites.' The 'Bibliothèque Royale' at Brussels
possesses several manuscripts from Margaret's collection. Amongst
others, her 'Book of Hours'; four of her albums; 'La Bible
Historiale,' with portraits of her and Philip kneeling at their
'prie-dieu'; Her 'Album Musical,' and her book of 'Basses Danses' on
black paper, with gold notes and letters, containing a set of dances
fashionable in her day--'La Marguerite,' 'l'Espérance de Bourbon,'
'M'amour-m'amie,' 'Filles à marier,' 'Le joyeux de Bruxelles,' etc. A
portrait of Margaret in water-colours is also in the library, and is
probably by Horembout. When Margaret undertook the regency of the
Netherlands in 1507, her father, Maximilian, gave her as a New Year's
gift a beautifully illuminated _Livre de Chants_, in the frontispiece
of which the United States are represented swearing fealty to her as
regent. Maximilian is seated in the centre on a throne; in front of
him sits his grandson Charles, with Margaret opposite; and the three
young arch-duchesses, Eleanor, Mary, and Isabel, are grouped seated on
the ground, whilst the representatives of the United States stand
round, and with uplifted hands swear to uphold the regent's rule. This
interesting book was one of Margaret's most prized possessions, and is
now amongst the archives of Malines.
From the titles of the books in her library we learn how large and
varied was her taste in reading: Froissart, the _Fables_ of Æsop and
of Ovid, several editions of Aristotle, Livy, the _Letters of Seneca_,
and the _Commentaries of Julius Caesar_, Saint Augustine's _City of
God_, of which she had four copies, and Boethius _On Consolation_.
Besides these, there were _The Golden Legend_, _The Round Table_,
_Lancelot of the Lake_, _Merlin_, _The Story of Jason and the Golden
Fleece_, etc. Also several books on chess, on the interpretation of
dreams, on the nature of birds, and on manners and customs, such as
the _Miroir du Monde_ and the _Miroir des Dames_; various works of
Boccaccio, _Le Livre du Trésor_, and Phebus on hunting, etc. Besides
many missals, breviaries, lives and legends of the Saints, 'Books of
Hours,' and other religious works.
Jean Lemaire says: 'Madame Margaret not only read wise books, but she
also took the pen in hand to write'... and fortunately many of her
poems have been preserved. Through nearly all there runs a strain of
sadness, of loneliness, and disappointed hope, for Margaret's life was
very solitary in spite of her great position and many duties; every
one came to her for help and sympathy, but there was no one on whom
she could lean. Her verses are simple, graceful, and to the point, and
may well bear comparison with those of her contemporaries. The
following charming rondeau in her handwriting is a good example:--
'C'est pour jamès qu'un regret me demeure;
Que sans sesser nuit et jour à tout eure
Tant me tourmant que bien voudroi mourir;
Car ma vie n'est fors seulement languir,
Et s'y faudra à la fin que j'en meure.
De l'infortune estais bien seure
Quan le regret maudit où je demeure
Me coury sus pour me faire mourir,
Car ma vie n'est fors
Seulement languir:
Sy faudra que j'en meure.'[144]
[144] In the Bibliothèque Royale, Brussels.
Her poem, 'La complainte de dame Marguerite d'Autriche, fille de
Maximilien, Roy des Romans,' is an interesting résumé of her life and
misfortunes, full of feeling charmingly expressed, but is too long to
quote here.
In the following she gives advice to her maids of honour, and warns
them not to trust to lovers' deceitful promises:--
'Fiés-vous-y en vos servans
Dehure en avant, mes demoiselles,
Et vous vous trouverés de celles
Que en out eu des décepvans.
Il sont, en leurs ditz, observans
Motz plus doulx que doulces pucelles,
Fiés-vous-y.
En leurs cueurs il sont conservans,
Pour decepvoir, maintes cautelles,
Et puis qu'il ont leurs fassons telles,
Tout ainsi comme abavantz
Fiés-vous-y.'
And again:--
'Belles paroles en paiement
A ces mignons présumptieux
Qui contrefont les amoureux
Par beau samblant et aultrement.
Sans nul credo, mais promptement
Donnés pour récompense à eulx
Belles parolles.
Mot pour mot, c'est fait justement,
Ung pour ung, aussi deulx pour deulx.
Se devis ils font gracieulx,
Respondés gracieusement
Belles parolles.'
Sometimes she expresses herself resigned to her lonely life:--
'Tout pour le mieux bien dire l'ose
Vient maleur qui fault soubtenir,
Si c'est pour à mieux parvenir
L'endurer est bien peu de chose.
Mon cueur en franchise soy tenir
Tout pour le mieux.
De ma part rien je ne propose;
Viengne ce que pourra venir
Car dire veulx et maintenir
Que des emprinses Dieu dispose
Tout pour le mieux.'
In the following verses she announces her intention to remain
unmarried:--
'Tant que je vive, mon cueur ne changera
Pour nul vivant, tant soit il bon ou saige
Fort et puissant, riche, de hault lignaige,
Mon chois est fait, aultre ne se fera.
'Il peut estre que l'on dévisera,
Mais je pour ce ne muera mon courage,
Tant que je vive.'
These few fragments give an idea of Margaret's style, which was
simple, clear, and well expressed, but throughout her rondeaux, songs,
and ballads, there is an echo of sadness and disappointment. Many of
her words and expressions are now out of date, but the charm of her
personality still lingers in her poems with a mournful pathos none the
less touching though written in a French of long ago:--
'Dame infortunée
Dame de dueil tousiours triste et marrie.'[145]
[145] Régretz de la dame Infortunée.
But amongst all the treasures she had gathered together, her
picture-gallery at Malines was not the least interesting part of her
wonderful collection. More than a hundred portraits and paintings are
mentioned in her catalogue, chiefly by famous artists of the day.
Amongst others there are several by Bernard van Orley (her Court
painter), John Memling, Michel von Coxie, John van Eyck, Roger van der
Weyden, Mabuse, Bouts, Jacob de Barbari, Jerome Bosch, Gerard
Horembout, etc.
The John Van Eyck of John Arnolfini and his wife Joan Cenani of Lucca
(who settled at Bruges in 1420), now in the National Gallery, London,
was one of the gems of Margaret's collection, and is thus mentioned in
her catalogues of 1516 and 1524:--
'Ung grant tableau qu'on appelle Hernoul-le-Fin avec sa femme
dedens une chambre, qui fut donné à Madame par don Diégo, les
armes duquel sont en la couverte dudit tableaul. Fait du
painctre Johannes.'
'Ung aultre tableau fort exquis qui se clot à deux fuelletz, où
il y a painctz un homme et une femme estantz desboutz touchantz
la main l'ung de l'aultre, fait de la main de Johannes, les
armes et devise de feu don Dieghe esdits deux feulletz nommé le
personnaige: Arnoult fin.'
Its history is peculiarly interesting. Before 1490 it belonged to Don
Diego de Guevara, one of Maximilian's Councillors, who added shutters
to it, on the outer side of which were painted his arms and motto. Don
Diego presented the picture to Margaret. After her death it came into
the possession of a barber-surgeon of Bruges from whom Mary, Queen of
Hungary, bought it in exchange for a place worth a hundred florins a
year. The picture is mentioned in an inventory of the queen's effects
in 1556. Later it was taken to Spain, and in 1789 was in Charles
III.'s collection at Madrid, but afterwards fell into the hands of one
of the French generals. In 1815 Major-General Hay, who had been
wounded at Waterloo, found it in the house to which he was removed in
Brussels, and after his recovery purchased it and brought it to
England, where in 1842 it was bought by the National Gallery for £730.
[Illustration: JOHN ARNOLFINI OF LUCCA AND HIS WIFE JOAN
FROM THE PAINTING BY JOHN VAN EYCK IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY]
Unfortunately we cannot thus trace the history of all Margaret's
collection. Her library at Malines was hung with family portraits,
from Charlemagne on through many Dukes of Burgundy--her grandfather,
the Emperor Frederick; her parents, Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy;
her brother Philip; her husband Philibert, Duke of Savoy; her nephews
and nieces, at different ages, were all portrayed; and there was also
a portrait of herself as a girl. Her pictures are all fully entered in
her catalogue, with such charming descriptions as:--'Une petite
Nostre-Dame disant ses heures, faicte de la main de Michel (Coxie) que
Madame appelle sa mignonne et le petit dieu dort,' or 'Ung petit
tableau ront de Nostre-Dame que Madame fait mettre au chevet de son
lit,' or 'Ung petit paradis ou sont touxs les apôtres,' etc.
Margaret not only collected pictures, but she drew and painted
skilfully herself, a most unusual accomplishment for a princess at
that time, and amongst her possessions was a paint-box and brushes;
she also is said to have drawn part of the plans for a church at
Bruges.
During her regency architecture made great progress, and many
beautiful buildings were designed and executed. The belfry at Bruges,
the cloisters of the Convent of the Annunciation near the same town,
and the Tower of St. Rombault at Malines, the Hôtel de Ville at Ghent,
besides several churches which were restored and embellished, such as
the churches of St. Peter and St. Stephen at Lille, the spire of
Antwerp Cathedral and Ste. Gudule at Brussels. But the greatest
monument to Margaret's memory and taste in architecture is the church
of Brou, near the town of Bourg en Bresse, of which a full description
is given elsewhere, and for the construction of which Mercurin de
Gattinare advised 'sa très redoubtée dame de vendre jusqu'à sa
dernière chemise.' In this beautiful church the spirit of Margaret
seems to pervade every part, bringing into perfect harmony the work of
the various Flemish, French, German, and Italian artists she employed.
Margaret also did much to encourage a taste for music, and the names
of several of her musicians and composers have been preserved. Maître
Agricola wrote accompaniments to her songs, and Bruneel, Josquin des
Prés, Compère, Henry Isaac, and Pierre de la Rue are all mentioned as
attached to her Court. Flemish singers were sought for far and wide,
especially in Italy and France, and many of the Pope's choir were
recruited from the Netherlands.
But if Margaret did much for art, she did no less for literature.
Grouped around her stand forth the names of such men as Jean Molinet,
Jean Lemaire de Beiges, Adrian of Utrecht, Cornelius Agrippa, Erasmus,
Massé, Nicolas Everard, Renacle de Florennes, Louis Vivés, and many
others whom she welcomed to her Court, lodged in her palace, and
counted amongst her friends. It is no wonder that they sang her
praises in prose and in verse, extolling her beauty, her golden hair,
fresh complexion, and soft brown eyes, exclaiming how lovely she
looked when attending the dances given on festive occasions, or
dressed in satin with long hanging sleeves lined with ermine, and
followed by her greyhound, parrot, and marmoset, she wandered amongst
her roses in her sweet-scented garden at Malines.
Molinet, her librarian, comes first among the poets who celebrated her
charms. Besides his chronicles, he wrote 'La Récollection des
Merveilleuses,' and several epigrams. The following verses on
Margaret's return are a curious _tour de force_:--
'Par vous nous vint grâce, miséricorde,
Paix et concorde, et cordastes la corde,
Qui se discorde et veult discorder,
Par bien corder, cordons par concorder,
Et recorder, accord fut par cordée,
La bonne harpe est tantôt accordée.'
Jean Lemaire de Belges was born about 1473; after the death of Louis
XII. he attached himself to Margaret's Court and became her historian.
He published a curious work called _Les illustrations de Gaule et
singularitez de Troye, avec la Couronne Margaritique et plusieurs
autres oeuvres_. In the _Couronne Margaritique_, Margaret figures as
the heroine. Jean Lemaire also published the _Triomphe de l'Amant
vert_, which is the history of a green parrot given by Sigismond,
Archduke of Austria, to Margaret's mother, Mary of Burgundy, after
whose death it passed into Margaret's possession. She was naturally
very fond of the bird, and when it died composed the following
epitaph:--
'Souz ce tumbel, qui est un dur conclave,
Git l'amant verd, et le très noble esclave,
Dont le noble coeur de vraye amour, pure, yvre,
Ne peut souffrir perdre sa dame et vivre.'
The parrot died whilst Margaret was on a visit to her father in
Germany. In Lemaire's poem 'L'amant vert' laments his beloved
mistress's absence, he stops talking, and contemplates 'putting an end
to his short days.'
'... Et comment pourroit un coeur si gros,
En corps si faible et si petit enclos,
Passer le jour que de moy te dépars?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
O demy-deux, o satyres agrestes,
Nymphes des bois et fontaines proprettes,
Escoutez moy ma plainte démener,
Et tu Echo, qui fais l'air résonner
Et les rochers de voix répercussives!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Or doy-je bien haïr ma triste vie,
Veu que tant t'ay par terre et mer suivie,
Par bois, par champs, par montagne et valée,
Et que je t'ay maintes fois consolée,
Et tes dangers, naufrages et périlz,
Ésquels sans moy n'avois joye ne riz,
Et maintenant tu laisses ton amant.'
'Or pleust aux dieux que mon corps assez beau,
Fust transformé, pour ceste heure, en corbeau,
Et mon colier, vermeil et purpurin,
Fust aussi brun qu'un more ou barbarin.'
'Pourquoi t'ay veu tes parfaites beautez,
Et ton gent corps plus poli que fin ambre,
Trop plus que nul autre valet de chambre,
Nud, demy-nud, sans atour et sans guimple,
Demy-vestu, en belle cotte simple,
Tresser ton chef, tant cler et tant doré,
_Par tout le monde aymé et honoré_.
Quant maintes fois pour mon coeur affoller,
Tes deux maris je t'ay veu accoller:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Au moins, princesse, en extrême guerdon,
Je te requiers et te supplie un don:
C'est que mon corps n'y soit ensevely,
Ainsi le me mets en quelque lieu joly,
Bien tapissé de diverses flourettes,
Où pastoureaux devisent d'amourettes,
Où les oiseaux jargonnent et flageolent,
Et papillons bien coulourez, et vollent
Près d'un ruisseau, ayant l'onde argentine,
Autour duquel les arbres font courtine.'
The poor 'amant' hopes that pilgrims will come and weep over his
grave, and ends by a touching farewell to his mistress:--
'Or, adieu donc, reyne de toutes femmes,
La fleur des fleurs, le parangon des gemmes,
Adieu, madame, et ma maistresse chère,
Pour qui la mort me vient montrer sa chère.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fay moy graver sur ma lame marbrine
Ces quatre vers, au moins, si j'en suis digne.
Then comes the epitaph quoted above. L'amant vert finally addresses
his mistress from the tomb, and describes his descent into Hades,
where he meets Mercury and converses with him in the Elysian fields.
Rénacle de Florennes sang Margaret's praises in Latin verse, and it
was largely due to her influence that the emperor appointed him his
private secretary. The four Everards and Jean Second all added their
tribute in her honour; whilst Adrian of Utrecht, the future Pope, and
the learned Cornelius Agrippa remained through life her firm and
devoted friends.
During the sixteenth century the beautiful industry of tapestry-making
reached almost its highest point of perfection. After the fall of
Arras in 1477 the workmen from that town settled in Bruges, Brussels,
and Tournay. Amongst the great tapestry-workers were Stephen of
Brumberghe, John of Roubrouck, Perquin d'Ervine, Peter van Oppenem,
John van den Brugghe, etc., but the prince of tapestry-makers was
Peter van Aelst, who for more than thirty years turned out tapestries
innumerable from his workshops, the most celebrated being 'The Acts of
the Apostles.' Although during the Middle Ages the designs chiefly
represented religious subjects from the Old and New Testaments, in the
sixteenth century, with the influence of the Renaissance, there crept
in a taste for mythological and historical scenes such as those in the
Hôtel de Ville at Brussels, or the Legend of Notre Dame du Sablon,
which latter contains contemporary portraits of Margaret and her
nephews and nieces;[146] or the Legend of Trajan, the Story of
Herkenbald, and the History of Julius Caesar attributed to the designs
of Roger van der Weyden. John de Maubeuge, or Mabuse, and Bernard van
Orley also exercised a wide influence over the industry, and their
beautiful compositions were much sought after. With Van Orley a
secular feeling prevailed even in his religious subjects. His saints
and angels, Virgins and Apostles, appear almost pagan in design. It is
easy to follow the different phases of this beautiful industry in such
pieces as 'The Acts of the Apostles' in the Vatican, 'Saint Gregory's
Mass' at Nuremberg, 'The Story of Psyche' at Fontainebleau, 'The
Triumphs of Bacchus,' the 'Rape of the Sabines,' etc.
[146] Now in the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels.
[Illustration: LEGEND OF 'NOTRE DAME DU SABLON'
FROM THE TAPESTRY IN THE MUSÉE DU CINQUANTENAIRE, BRUSSELS
_It contains portraits of Margaret and her Nephews and Nieces_]
After his coronation at Bologna the emperor continued his progress
through Trent, Bötzen, Innsbruck, to Augsburg, where he attended the
Diet which opened on June the 20th, 1530. There he met Melanchthon and
listened to his famous confession, and the long arguments which
followed on religious questions. Lutheranism was rapidly spreading in
Germany, but the emperor was powerless to prevent it. Charles remained
at Augsburg until November 23rd, and then continued his journey
towards the Netherlands, where Margaret was anxiously awaiting him;
but she and her beloved nephew were destined never to meet again on
earth, for when he reached Cologne he received the news of her death.
For some time past Margaret seems to have cherished the hope of
retiring to the Convent of the Annunciation which she had founded
outside the 'Porte des Anes' at Bruges, and spending the rest of
her days there in quiet seclusion. From Malines she wrote to the
Mother Superior:--'Ma Mère, ma mie,--I have ordered the bearer of
this, whom you know well, to give you news of me, and tell you of my
good resolution for some days past, and also inquire how you are,
which I hope is as well as you could wish for me. My hope is in the
good God and his glorious Mother, who will help and keep you for
better things. I have given him (the bearer) a memorandum for you, and
the Pater, your good father, which is from my own hand; from this you
will learn my intention. I desire that it shall not get talked about
('n'en soit faict grant bruit'), and for good reason, and with this I
will end, begging you to recommend me to our good father's prayers,
and also to all my good daughters, praying the Creator and His blessed
Mother to give His grace to you and also to me.--Your good daughter,
MARGARET.'
Then follows the memorandum to Estienne, her _valet de chambre_,
concerning what he is to say to the Pater and the Mère Ancille:[147]
'First, that I wish above all to put my religious (community) in such
a state that they will never be in great poverty, but will be able to
live without begging; and I wish to know... if more money is needed,
and if so, how much, that they may not be stinted; for with God's help
I will see to all; and every other thing that they desire, they must
let me know, for I intend to make there a good end, with the help of
God and our good Mistress, His glorious Mother.
[147] The Mother Superior was called 'la Mère Ancille,' a term of
humility, from 'Ancilla,' servant.
'Amongst other things say to the Mère Ancille, my good mother, that I
beg her to make all my good daughters pray for the purpose which I
have always told her; for the time approaches, since the emperor is
coming, to whom, with God's help, I will render a good account of the
charge and government which he has pleased to give me; and this done,
I shall give myself up to the will of God and of our good Mistress,
begging you, my good Mother, "ma mie," that I may not be forgotten by
yours, and always remain your good daughter, MARGARET.'
Concerning the death of the Regent of the Netherlands very little is
authentically known, but from a MSS. in the archives at Ain, written
by an Augustine monk, the following account is found:--'Early on the
morning of the 15th of November, before rising, Margaret asked one of
her ladies, Magdalen of Rochester, for a glass of water. The maid of
honour brought her the drink in a crystal goblet, but in taking it
back Magdalen unluckily let it fall near the bed, where it broke in
several pieces. She carefully picked up all the fragments she could
see, but one piece lay hidden in Margaret's high-heeled embroidered
slipper. When the princess got up a few hours later, she put her bare
feet into the slippers, and tried to walk towards the fire, but
immediately felt a sharp pain in the sole of her left foot. On
examination it was found that a piece of broken glass was in the foot;
this was at once extracted, but the wound remained, and bled very
little. Margaret, who was always plucky, soon thought no more of the
accident, and neglected the wound. A few days later, however, her leg
became greatly inflamed, and she suffered much pain. At last, on the
22nd, doctors were called in, and a consultation was held. They found
that gangrene had already set in, and decided that the only way to
save her life was to amputate the foot. The next day, the 23rd, they
commissioned M. de Montécute, her almoner and confessor, to break the
news to her, and prepare her for the terrible operation. She was
naturally much surprised and upset, but with great fortitude consented
to undergo the dreadful ordeal. For four days she shut herself up, and
would see no one, spending the time in prayer and confession; on the
morning of the 27th she received the Sacrament, and on the 28th and
29th she arranged her earthly affairs, and added a codicil to the will
she had made in 1508. This codicil did not, however, fundamentally
alter her former testament. She left Charles her sole heir, with the
exception of a few bequests, such as 'one of her best rings' to his
brother Ferdinand, and legacies to her old officers and servants. 'And
in order not to abolish the name of the House of Burgundy... my said
lady begs and implores the Lord Emperor to be pleased to keep in his
own hands the said county of Burgundy, and its dependencies, as long
as he lives, and after his death to leave it to the one of his
children or other heirs who may succeed to these countries (the
Netherlands), without dividing or separating it.'
'And as a last request of my said lady made to the said Lord Emperor,
she begs him for the universal good of Christianity and the safety of
his State, to keep, guard, and observe peace and friendship with the
Kings of France and England, their realms, countries, and subjects; as
she hopes to say to him with her own mouth if it pleases God to spare
her life until she can see him.'
On the next day, the 30th, the doctors decided to operate, but
before submitting herself to their hands Margaret dictated a last
touching letter to Charles, in which she bade him an eternal
farewell:--'Monseigneur, the hour has come when I can no longer
write to you with my own hand, for I feel so ill, that I doubt not
that my life will be short. With my conscience at rest and peace,
and resolved to receive all that it may please God to send me,
without any regret whatever, excepting the privation of your
presence, and not being able to see and speak to you once more
before my death, which is partly supplied by this my letter, though
I fear that it will be the last that you will receive from me. I
have made you my universal and sole heir, recommending you to fulfil
the charges in my will. I leave you your countries over here, which,
during your absence, I have not only kept as you left them to me at
your departure, but have greatly increased them, and restore to you
the government of the same, of which I believe to have loyally
acquitted myself, in such a way as I hope for divine reward,
satisfaction from you, monseigneur, and the goodwill of your
subjects; particularly recommending to you peace, especially with
the Kings of France and England. And to end, monseigneur, I beg of
you for the love you have been pleased to bear this poor body, that
you will remember the salvation of the soul, and the recommendation
of my poor vassals and servants. Bidding you the last adieu, to whom
I pray, monseigneur, to give you prosperity and a long life. From
Malines, the last day of November 1530.--Your very humble aunt,
MARGARET.'
And so having arranged all her earthly affairs Margaret took a tender
farewell of her attendants and friends, and placed herself in the
physicians' hands, who, hoping to spare her the pain and shock of an
operation, gave her a dose of opium, which was so strong that she fell
asleep never to wake again. She passed away during the night of the
30th of November 1530 between midnight and one o'clock, in the
fiftieth year of her age, and the twenty-third year of her regency.
The Archbishop of Palermo, Jean de Carondelet, and Antoine de Lalaing,
Count of Hochstrate, at once sent to Cologne to inform the emperor of
the sad news. In their letter they said that the inflammation
(gangrene) had spread from the princess's leg to her body (probably
from the long delay), and therefore an operation would have been
useless. No one, however, seems to have been blamed, and Philip
Savoien, her surgeon, was given thirty philippus 'for having treated
madame as well as he could, and for having embalmed her body.' As the
archbishop and the Count of Hochstrate wrote to the emperor: 'Madame
has indeed shown in her end the virtue that was in her, for she died
as good a Christian as it seems to us possible to be. She is a great
loss, Sire, to your Majesty, and to all your countries over here.'
Charles was greatly distressed when he learned that his beloved aunt
had passed away, and ordered magnificent obsequies to be performed in
the cathedral of Cologne, which he attended with his whole Court. The
funeral sermon, delivered in Latin by Jean Fabri, was listened to with
rapt attention by the large congregation which filled the building.
Margaret was deeply mourned by all who knew her, and especially by the
people over whom she had ruled so well.
In her will she directed that her heart should be given to the Convent
of the 'Annonciades' at Bruges, her intestines to the church of St.
Peter and St. Paul at Malines, and her body to the Monastery of St.
Nicolas de Tolentin at Bourg en Bresse, where she wished to be buried
beside her husband, Philibert of Savoy, in the church of Brou.
Her funeral services began in the church of St. Peter and St. Paul at
Malines by three solemn masses, and were continued in the cathedral
church of St. Rombault, which was hung with 120 yards of black cloth
for the occasion. The Archbishop of Palermo conducted the service,
which was attended by the Grand Council and Magistrates, and all the
guilds of the city. Here Cornelius Agrippa preached her funeral
oration, dwelling at much length on her many virtues and great
talents. 'We have lost,' he said, 'the anchor on which our hopes
rested. We are weighed down with this great affliction, for no greater
loss could have befallen us and our country. What consolation can we
find in the death of the very saintly Princess Margaret? We all weep,
we all lament her! All the provinces, all the cities, all the towns,
all the villages, all the hamlets are plunged in grief, sorrow, and
mourning.'
On the 22nd of January 1531, a funeral procession, headed by the young
Crown Prince of Denmark, as chief mourner, escorted Margaret's body
and heart to Bruges. Whilst awaiting translation to its final
resting-place at Brou, her body was laid in a vault beneath the high
altar in the Convent of the 'Annonciades'; her heart, enclosed in an
urn, was placed in the tomb of her mother, Mary of Burgundy, in the
church of Notre-Dame, but on the 6th of February following, it was
given to the Mère Ancille by the emperor's command to replace her
body, which, on April the 21st, 1532, was sent to Brou. This long
delay in carrying Margaret to her final resting-place was due to the
fact that at the time of her death the church of Brou was not
finished, and it was two years before the tombs were completed. But at
last in June 1532 Margaret was laid to rest beside Philibert and his
mother in the beautiful church which her love and piety had called
into being, but whose glories she had not lived to see completed. The
funeral ceremonies lasted three days, the 10th, 11th, and 12th of
June. Accompanied by the chief men of the town, the Syndic of Bourg
went out to meet the funeral _cortège_, which was escorted by the
Marshal of Burgundy, the Count of Hochstrate, the Archdeacon of
Fauverny, and Claud de Boisset, who was afterwards Bishop of Arras. At
the service the sermon was preached by Brother Anthony of Saix,
Commander of the Abbey of St. Anthony of Bourg, in French as well as
in Latin, so that all might understand. Amongst her many talents he
mentioned 'her subtle excellence in painting,' in which pastime he
asserted she frequently indulged.
The leaden urn which contained her intestines was placed in a vault in
front of the high altar in the church of St. Peter and St. Paul at
Malines, but in 1778 the urn was found to be much damaged, and was
enclosed in an oaken chest, and reburied under one of the stone slabs
in the choir, between the first step of the high altar and the wall,
where a small X in the pavement marks the spot.
By her will Margaret dowered fifty maidens of Bresse with fifty pounds
apiece, and amongst other legacies bequeathed her wine-glass incrusted
with silver, a silver spoon and silver medal to the 'Annonciades' at
Bruges; besides a gilded and illuminated copy of the Gospel of St.
John, and her rosary, which contained ten agates, on the largest of
which were engraved the virtues of the Holy Virgin Mary. This relic
had been worn by Jeanne de Valois, the unhappy wife of Louis XII. of
France, foundress of the Order of the Annunciation. The other stones
were interspersed with small beads of gold, a gold heart hanging from
the end of the rosary. This gift was accompanied by a portrait of
Margaret painted on wood by Bernard van Orley, and two touching
letters addressed to the Mère Ancille. The Church of the 'Annonciades'
was demolished in 1578, when the nuns retired to a house called
'Fluweelhof' at Bruges, carrying Margaret's remains with them.
In 1531 the emperor caused an alabaster monument, decorated with gold
statuettes, to be erected to Margaret's memory in the church outside
the Porte des Anes. But in 1578 it was horribly mutilated by the
rebels, and what was left of it was transferred in 1714 to the church
of the new Convent at Fluweelhof. A pavement of black and white marble
was added, and a figure representing the Annunciation of the Virgin,
before whom Margaret was depicted kneeling at her prie-dieu, holding
her 'Book of Hours' in her hands, with her patron saint, Margaret,
behind her, and her maids of honour by her side, bearing the arms of
the empire, Burgundy, Bourbon, and Castile. The débris of the former
monument was used to make these figures. In the centre of the niche
containing the monument was placed a painted heart in a mirror with
this inscription in Flemish:--
'Here lies the noble heart of the very excellent Archduchess of
Austria, Madame Margaret, daughter of the invincible Emperor
Maximilian and of the Lady Mary of Burgundy, his wife, foundress of
this Convent of the Annunciation at Bruges, niece of Jeanne, Queen of
France, and foundress of the Order of the Annunciation, widow of the
Prince of Spain, etc., aunt of his Imperial Majesty Charles V., who
gave this heart in the year 1531, the 6th of Feb., in eternal
remembrance.'
In the same niche behind the figure of St. Margaret is the inscription
which the emperor also caused to be erected at Malines:--
D. O. M.
Illustrissimae Margaritae,
Archiducissae Austriae,
Invictissimi Maximiliani imperatoris natae,
Ac principis Hispaniarum primo,
Deinde ducis Sabaudiae relictae,
Harum inferiorum regionum gubernatrici.
Carolus Quintus, Caesar Augustus,
Amitiae posuit.