PAGE 64.--1. The student must not be misled by Madame de La Fayette's
ingenious explanation of Catherine de Medici's persecution of Mary
Stuart and the subsequent expulsion of the widowed Queen from France.
The real causes were Catherine's jealousy of the rising power of the
Guises and her desire to avenge her private wrongs. The young Queen had
availed herself of every opportunity to show her dislike for Catherine,
and took special delight in humbling her pride by applying to her the
contemptuous epithet of "fille de marchand." The bad feeling between the
two rose to such a pitch that when, upon the death of Francis II.,
Mary's power was at an end, "the queen-mother," in the words of Michel
de Castlenau, "found it very good and expedient to rid herself of the
princess." (See Chéruel, _Marie Stuart et Catherine de Médici_, p. 19.)
2. LA CONJURATION D'AMBOISE. In 1560 those who were opposed to the
Guises and the Court, including a large number of Huguenots, made an
effort to get Francis II. into their hands. Their design was to surprise
the Court, which was then at the castle of Amboise (a town on the Loire,
near Tours), and seize the King and Queen. The conspiracy was discovered
by the Guises, and numbers of those implicated were executed. Although
the Prince of Condé was really the instigator of the conspiracy, he
could not be convicted, and was therefore released.
PAGE 65.--1. QU'ELLE ÉTOIT D'INTELLIGENCE AVEC MONSIEUR DE NEMOURS,
"that there was an understanding between her and Monsieur de Nemours."
PAGE 66.--1. COMPIÈGNE, a city on the left bank of the Oise, about
fifty-two miles northeast of Paris. It was built by the Gauls and
enlarged in 876 by Charles the Bald. In 833 the council was here held,
by which Louis the Pious was deposed. Joan of Arc was taken prisoner in
this city in 1430.