The sun., 1892-05-01
writer in the second half OF the fourth century
could make staten ents, about the early history
Marguerite ,or valois.

could make staten ents, about the early history
| OF Athens.
Marguerite or va,o,s.
In the sixteenth century there were three
ladies. daughters Of tho royal house OF France.
each OF whom at one or another period OF
her life was known as Marguerite OF Valois.
They belong. however. to three successive
generations. The first. was the sister OF
Francis l.. who married the Duke OF AlenSon.
and sfterward Henri d.Albret King OF Ma
varre. This lady was the patroness Of Clement
Marot. and herself the anthor or compiler OF
the Heptameron." and the writer ofthe verses
called "Marguerites de Ia Marguerite. sho was
the mother OF Jeanne dALbret, who succeeded
her father as Queen ltesrent OF Navarro. and
who became. through hor union with An.
thony OF Bourbon. the mother OF Henry
~. OF France. This flrst Marguerite. who died
In lo4'a ts incessantly confounded with
tho third lady OF the same nnme who. in real
ity. was her great niece. Tho second Mar
guerite OF Valois. likewise n co nspicuous
figure in sixteenth century hist ory. was n
daughter OF Francis l.. tho sister OF Henry H..
and the wife Of Emanuel Philibert. ". Duke
OF Savoy The second Marguerite died at
Turin In 1874. We como now to the third Mar
guerite. the Refine Mar.ot OF Dumas's fasci-
OF Henry ii. by his wife. Catherine do Medici.
She was. therefore. the sistcr OF Francis H..
Charles IN. and Henry ILL.,. tho last three
Vaos Kings. and OF thu Duke OF Alencon who
WINS the unsuccessful suitor OF Queen Eliza
beth and for time tho ruler OF tho Low Coun-
tries. 1t wns wo scarcely need to add. this
Marguerite who became the first wife OF Henry
w.. King OF France and Navarro. 1t
was this lady who undertook to write
for Brnnt6me sketch OF her lifc.
which sho carried as far as the year 1882.
These memoirs were first translated into Eng
lish 24O years ngo. but that version is not only
faulty but extremely scarce In the book be-
fore us We have new translation by Miss Violet
Fame. embcllished by illustrations reproduced
from contemporary quarters. Here wo have.
for instance portrait OF Marguerite taken
In her forty-flrth year. and another made seven
years later. which depicts her In blond
wig and represents her as much older. 1t
must be confessed that neither in the face
OF the coquettish-lookinR Indy wearing
the high laco collar. nor in that OF
tho buxom dame Of 1lfty-two. do We
perceive much trace OF the marvellous
beauty which the third Marguerite undoubt-
edly possessed. but both are wearing the " lit
tle smile" mentioned BY Brant6me Us having
been habitual to her countenance. and both
precative OF the fact that they represent one
who was tho daughter. the sister and tho wife
OF kings. 1t will DO of course understood that
in attempting to outline the lifo Of this inter-
esting parsonage biographcr cannot rely ex-
upon the memoirs which are not only
fragmentary but discreet to m edifying degree.
One would never guess from them that the
writer had ever had lover. or had even been
justly accused OF the slightest irregularty.
We may add that in her memoirs. by an
nmiable lapse Of memory. Marguerite makes
herself about three years younger than she
really was.
Tho third Marguerite OF valois was born at
Saint Germain-enP Playe on May IA. 1853. and
was little moro than years old whom her
father was accidentally but fatally wounded
by Montgomery at n tournament. She was
brought up at her birthplace. where her edu-
cation was conducted with SO much care that
with tho exception OF her prospective mother
in-law. Jeanne d'Albret. Queen OF Navarro.
she became tho most learned princess
Of her time. Tho companions who shared
in her studies wcro her two sisters. |
Elizabeth and Claude. and Mary. the |
yonns' Queen OF Scotland who had be- |
come her sister in : law through her |
" 'u'ii t"ss WV" .ao N"op"'h '".'.' ""' " "n'io
H. in 1863 The only rcminiscence OF her |
father which Marguerite gives in her memoirs
is worth citing Tor the reason that IN IL she
nalVely pretends TO nave conceived from chlid-
nooo an aversion TO Henry OF uuise. VINO was
aHorward universally believed 10 DO nor
over. inc passage IN question runs as lol-
ows: being then only four or flve years OF
,ge. he. my father. taking mo upon his knee.
20 try ana make me talk. asked me 10 choose
which should ike best Tor sweetheart NJ.
o frince do JoinVille. VINO became alterward
hat great and unfortunate Due de Gulse. or
he Marquis do Beaupreau. son OF tho prince
10 la lsoche-sur- on. Both wore nc play close
o my tntherthe hing.and was Watching them.
told him that should llke the Marquis best.
why said he. no is not so handsome. mean
ne that the Prince de Joinviile was light
haired and fair. whereas the Marquis de
'eaupreau had brown complexion and dark
'air." Hero We may remind tho reader that
lurinU MarVuerite'a lifetime blOnQS were all |