The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

translated one of her best works, so three ac-
complished daughters of the house of Seymour
extolled her merits in Latin verse. Calvin,
Beza, and Melancthon have all paid literary
homage to her virtues. Ronsard cast some of
his finest poetry on her tomb, and the grave
page of De Thou records the bright qualities
that have given lasting brilliancy to her fame.
No part of Miss Freer's work is more inter-
esting than that which describes the visit of
the Queen of Navarre to her imprisoned
brother, after the battle of Pavia. Indeed,
one of the greatest charms of the volumes is
that the reader, from the events of the narra-
tive, is introduced to the history of Francis I.
The visit of Charles V. to his illustrious
prisoner is thus described by Miss Freer :

On the morning of the 18th of September, 1525, an im-
perial chamberlain presented himself before the King
to announce, that during the day the Emperor intended to
pay him a visit of friendly condolence. This intimation
of Charles's intentions produced not the slightest emotion
on the sore and weary heart of the King ; and the news of
his intended tardy performance of this act of indispensable
courtesy and kindness was received with indifference.
The Emperor, attended by a numerous suite, arrived to
visit the King between eight and nine o'clock in the
evening. Charles ordered his attendants to await him in
the antechamber, and entered the royal apartment accom-
panied only by 1)e Lannoy, and preceded by the Marshal
de Montmorency, bearing a lighted torch, The King
was reposing on his bed, feeling too weak to rise; on the
right of the couch stood the Bishop of Senlis. Charles
fixed his keen and eager gaze on the wasted features of
the King. " Your Imperial Majesty has at length come to
see your prisoner die!" exclaimed Francis, as the Emperor
advanced to salute him. Charles hastily replied, " You are
not my prisoner, but my brother, and my friend. I have
no other design than to give you liberty, with all the satis-
faction that you can desire." " I expected no less a thing
from your Majesty's loyalty and honour," rejoined the
King, with prompt dignity. The two monarchs then
entered into conversation, during the course of which
the wily Charles deplored the political necessity that
compelled him to prolong the captivity of his friend and
brother. Throughout the interview the deportment of
the King was dignified and collected ; for, during the
entire period of his painful captivity, never did Francis
forget that a crown, at that time the most brilliant in
Europe, encircled his brow. It was this admirable union
of majesty and affability which proved so captivating to
the Spaniards, as well as to his own more impulsive sub.
jects ; and that raised notwithstanding his arbitrary
enforcement of his prerogative—the enthusiasm of the
French to a height they never lavished on any previous
sovereign. The attractions of the accomplished gentle.
man and of the gallant cavalier were so happily blended
with the dignity of carriage becoming the mighty monarch
that Charles himself was fascinated. After the lapse of half
an hour, spent in conversation on indifferent subjects, the
Emperor withdrew, perceiving that Francis was too indis-
posed to render it advisable for him to prolong his visit.
Margaret had hastened to her brother's bed-
side when she heard that he was ill. It is
curious to observe the mixture of human sor
row and courtly etiquette exhibited in the
following passage :
The Emperor approached Marguerite with a lowly
obeisance ; he then kissed her on the forehead, and with
words of profound courtesy welcomed her to Madrid. The
duchess, we are told, made a dignified reply to the Empe-
ror's address ; and, accepting the hand offered to her by
Charles, entered the palace, passing between two lines of
courtiers. It was an embarrassing moment for Marguerite
to present herself thus before a prince to whom her hand
had been so unceremoniously offered; but she bore herself
with her accustomed self-possession and grace.
Marguerite appeared attired in her widow's robes of
black velvet. Not a colour or a jewel relieved the sombre
hue of her attire, which displayed to the greatest advan-
tage the exquisite tints of her complexion. A white veil
shrouded her head, and drooped from her shoulders in
graceful folds to the ground. The Emperor's admiration
was so visibly demonstrated that the nobles in Margue-
rite's train formed the most sanguine hopes of the success
of her personal negotiation for the release of the King.
The senechale of Poitou, Madame de Silly, and the other
ladies and gentlemen in the duchess's suite, followed their
royal mistress, and were afterwards severally presented by
her to the Emperor. When this tedious ceremonial was
over Charles again offered his hand to Marguerite to con-
duct her to her brother's apartment. But the intelligence
which there greeted the duchess was heartrending ; the
King's malady had augmented so greatly since the pre-
vious evening that the gravest apprehensions were enter-
tained for its result. Francis had scarcely life enough left
in him to respond to the agitated greetings of his sister.
He was in bed, attended by two of his own physicians and
by other two in the service of the Emperor, and reduced to
so deplorable a degree of weakness from the severity of
the fever that even Marguerite's presence and the sight of
her tears failed to rouse him from the apathy in which he
lay. The Emperor silently stood by the King's couch for
some minutes, contemplating his captive, then, profoundly
bowing to the duchess, he retired, and quitted Madrid the
same evening.
But the power of affection is great, and
Margaret's presence was a healing medicine to
the royal captive. The following scene is
worthy of a great painter:—
Kneeling, surrounded by the King's weeping attendants,
herself bathed in tears, Marguerite fervently again waited

639

her prayers to theirs. Solemn must have been that scene
in the chamber of Francis. The mighty King of France
lay apparently dying in a strange land ; while within that
small and lonely prison•chamber knelt the sister *hose
presence was cheering to him as the light of day—Mont-
morency, and many other faithful friends, mingling their
prayers in his behalf with the impressive intercessions of
the archbishop. At the elevation of the Host, the arch-
bishop advanced to the bedside of Francis, and, holding it
aloft, solemnly exhorted him to look upon it, and adore.
" Then the King," writes the President de Selve, " who had
been for long deprived of sight and hearing, opened his
eyes, and fixed them intently upon the holy sacrament, and
clasped his hands. After the mass Madame la i)uchesse
again caused the said sacrament to be presented to the
King ; and incontinently the King exclaimed, 'ltis my
God, who will cure both my soul and my body ; I pray yon
that I may receive him.' Upon this it was observed to
the said sieur, that he could not swallow the wafer; but he
replying that he was able, then Madame la Duchesse corn-
mended that the holy wafer should be divided, which being
done, he received it with such marks of contrition and ex-
treme humility, that there was not one person present who
did not melt into tears. Madame la Duchene then partook of
the other half of the said holy sacrament. From that hour
the said sieur has continued to amend ; so much so that
he is now quit of all danger, which is a miraculous work of
God, as all the French and Spaniards unanimously testify."
The Romish Church did not fail to ascribe the King's
sudden revival to a miracle wrought by the Host ; but
doubtless, the crisis of the fever being past, the solemn
celebration of the rites of his Church round his bed
roused Francis from the lethargy of exhaustion in which it
had left him. From that day forwards, however, with the
exception of one slight relapse, the King was pronounced
out of all immediate peril of death, though many weeks
elapsed before he could rise from his bed.

The selections from old French literature in
these volumes add greatly to the value of their
contents. The reader can form his own opinion
on the talent of many of the writers of that
age from the specimens aptly cited by Miss
Freer. The original letters of Margaret her •
self will particularly please. We shall extract
the following as a specimen of these in-
teresting documents, written on the occasion
of a slight coolness between her brother and
Margaret :

QUEEN MARGUERITE TO FRANCIS I.
Monseigneur,—You well know that it is not in my
power to conceal from you anything, or even to dissimulate
my thoughts ; for all my life long it has been my hnhit to
speak to you without fear or reserve, expressing my wishes
as to my brother, in order, afterwards, to receive your com-
mand, as that of one who stands to me in stead of a father,
and from whom I receive all that I possess or can hope for
in this world, and for whom I have esteemed the sacrifice
of my own will a privilege—and should deem either my
life happy, or my death glorious, if only I might render
you service. But, monseigneur, it cannot be that God has
doomed me to the misfortune that this my constant aim is
unknown to you ; and that the voluntary obedience, which
1 have tendered out of love for you, should have produced
so contrary an effect as to put into your mind that which
mine cannot even dwell upon without insupportable pain.
From the purgatory of this fear I very humbly beseech
you, monseigneur, to give me relief, and to do me the
honour to believe that if I have said that I thought to be
the last survivor, it was thinking to receive the summit
and perfection of every misfortune and sorrow that God
can inflict upon one of his creatures; for, monseigneur, if
my desire correspond with the fear that I expressed I
should have taken more trouble to preserve my life and
my health than I have done. I feel sure, monseigneur,
that you do me the justice to believe this ; but the words
that you said to me when we took leave of you, " That
perhaps God had ordained that my life should exceed your
own and that of Madame," have since weighed so heavily
upon my heart, that unless I had written this letter in the
hope of receiving the reply from you which I so greatly
need, I ant sure my life could not long have sustained this
suspense; for I have neither aim, hope, nor intention, but
to live and die.—Your very humble and very obedient sub-
ject and sister,

MARO uzurrz.

We have no doubt but that these volumes
will be welcomed by many readers. The pre-
sent season is deficient in works of light
literature ; and there is in the contents of this
work a happy mixture of " the grave and gay,"
almost certain to meet with approbation from
those who desire that the useful and agreeable
should be blended in historical composition.

Three Years Cruise in the Australasian Colonies.

By R. Edmond Malone. London : Bentley.
Ma. MALONE'S attention was directed to the sub•
ject of emigration by three years' official employ-
ment during the famine in Ireland. Meditating
a settlement in Australia, he took an opportunity
of visiting the antipodean colonies as an officer
of H.M.S. Fanteme. " Three years' cruise" in
the Australasian seas furnishes the materials
for this volume, which is plainly written, in a
style not particularly animated or forcible, but
sometimes picturesque, from the literal matter-
of-fact character of the author's descriptions.
The Fantome arrived off Sydney just when the
gold discoveries had become known, the pilot

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