New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
uARGUERITE OF NAVARRO.
TRANSLATION OF HER MEMolRS'

A TRANSLATION OF HEX MEM'ii"''
MEMOIRS OF MAEGrEEITE DE vAo Nsv T@c trans
i,ted int, English with an Introduction ana No,cs'
by Violet Fame. With eight portraits from Imno rt
temporary cneravings: oVo' pp' -'''
by Charles Scrbners Sons
II is somewhat curious fact that these memoirs Oh
Marguerite Queen OF Navarro. though TRANSLATED D
English ncary two centuries ana nun s'h''' 'O
mayor hovc been chosen for republication, or ir
new version. until the present translator 'ooH ' "
hand The circumstances, however. may perhaps W
accounted for by the contrast ahorued pc'"''" '
Queen Of Navarre's actual life and the view oi II
which she desired poseriiy 10 take OF H. Iho'' WIN
d violet rancs clever Introduction WILL after per1is-
INC the Memoirs" rcaiz" that the latter are any
thing but iluminativc. They might rs the U"n,n''''
iustly observes have been written by prndc' ihc'
were written BY a queen who borc-and u'Ne'N"' "
bear-one of the very worst populations IN fhropc ~
time when the general standard OF mora's WIS '''s
low The translator. like ,antc Beuve. has more 'hai
,oolip kindness for Marguerite but she does not 20
~ for a. fine great critic invcntng excuses pr h'f
mr. I'm aucsonlng without evidence. the truth oi Inc
contemporary reports which gave her the lame "hioh
She has ever since borne.
In rth not much can be said for her save that She
posscs,cd bright intellect and vrute these mcriors III
. nlcas,nc STYLE They are addressed oddly enough
10 the sicrr dc Brantonc. than whom no man then
uv,u, vas moro thoroughly Informed Of the vices and
fratcs OF tho French Court The translator suggests
that this dcdicatlca may be- construed rs an evidence
that Marguerite was not bad she had "cn repre-
scnied. But Of course she knew that she w"nld be
dead before the Memoirs" saw the light, and she was
shrewl enough 10 have forcsecn the argument here
nsed by her MODERN translator. Violet Fan. lnS Done
we'll to open Introduction by an explanation OF tho
IDENTITY OF the three Marrueries If Nnlos who lived
In the sixteenth century for readers not well vercd
In history liable to oonfound at least two OF
these since both Queens Of Navarro. ara both
were married to King, Of Navarro bearing the name
Of Henry" First there was Marguerite, sister ot
Francis /. who married the Duke of AIencon first.
and secondly Henry d'Alb;et King Of Navarro. She
was the author or compiler Of tho "IIeptamepn" and
Of the poems Marguerite, dc In MnrgueNic dcs
PrinccsscS.' and the mother 81 Jeanne d'Albret
The Marguerite ~ these memoirs her great niece
The second Nj icritc Of NalOs was IN" second
daughter of Francis the sister Of Henry H. and wife
Of Emanuel Thllibcrt " Duke Of savoy. The Mar
guerie Of these Memoirs the youngest daughter
OF Henry II by his wife. Catharinc de McdicI. She
was sister Of Francis H. Charles lX and Henry H. and
Of that Duke Of Alcncon lor Anjou) who suitor
for the hand Of Queen Elizabeth. to the great appre
hcnsion Of her oounselorS courticrs and people.
Marguerite OF Na,arrc married Henry o: Navarro
(ancrward Henry " OF France, oniy DAYS before
the Massacre OF ST. bartholomew. In Der Mem hrs :
she gives her version Of that atodty. according 10
which Manrevcrs abortve attempt TO assassnate Ad-
mral Colgny Infatuated the iIugienot leaders that
they determined upon severe rcprisals and only
forcsalled by the massocN. This was the story ar.
ranged by the Court party. but TIE tfut. II Is
well known. very different The massacre had
been carefully planned well In advancc OF its exccr.
ton. The fact that n simultaneous all through
France sufficiently proves this Whether. MS Gather
lie dc Medic may very we'll have told the King Of
NavarNe's wife. Charles * was reluctant 10 consent
TO the crime. 1t II now impossible to determine: but
from his character. which wa. less marked by cru
city thaD by weakness. the probability that he shrink
from such deed from any consideration Of humanity
is not strong Marguerite declared that the plot was
wholly concealed from Ter. and this may bc believed
She says that her frs. knowledge OF what was going
ou came to her when n wounded IInsuenot gentleman
pursued by archcrS. burst Into her mplorng her
protection. Him she succeeded In rescung and sub
scquenty she saved two other gentlemen. This seems
to have been the extent OF her experiences on that
awful night and on the following days.
As the wife OF the IngienOt King. living In
Catholic court her position full Of difficulty
Charles. indeed (whom she always speaks 4" that
magnanmous Klng). was kind 10 her during her short
reign but when Henry ILL., her brother assembled the
throne, he began TO manifest n hostility toward
her which eventually to take the form Of pcrs,.
cntion That Is. according 10 Marguerite for It must
rcmcmbercsl that her contemporaries told another
story, and explained her rude and summary Danish
ment from Ilcnrys court by relatng a scandalous
chronicle OF which she & heroine With her
husband" the King, my husband she always calls
hm-she lived on good terms for time and this
because sue was not at all ienlons. Henry was no
jealous than Marguerite and the latter tested his
equanlmlty often enough II report be Trustworthy for
contemporary gossip represents her rs a Faustinc Of
the sixteenth century. But nothing OF this oppcnrs
In her Memoirs They written throughout
from the point OF view OF artlcss Nervousness
1t might be thought that this pa secuted lady was the
very incarnation OF innocence and simplicity Some
times she ovedocs her role little In the answer
she Der mother a certain occasion. Catherine
de Medici appears throughout the three rcgns OF tho
last Valos kings as the controlling influence and also
as malignant one The memoirs abound with assass-
nation and outrage, but Marguerite treats II all AZ
being mater-ofcoursc, and IL really was I'm that
period. Nor were her own hands clean for she had
caused 10 be removed" court favorite named De
Qua or Do Guas who had certainly prosecuted her
for long time All great persons IN those days had
their enemies killed In this way. Sometimes, as IN
the case OF Busy Rabutn. the dashng chevalIer and
author OF the Historic Anoureuse dcs Canlcs, the
popularity OF prescribed man was S, GREAT that in
order to assnssinae him II necessary to fight n
small battle. No less than 900 men were told on
10 murder Bnssy; but though his right arm was
disabled by wound recently received I'm a duel and
though he had only fifteen twenty friends with
him when attacked. he beat on his assuiiauts with
heavy loss. and went gayly home. In no way dis
turbcd by the adventure.
Poor Marguerite went through many painful ex.
perences with her Iireuenot husband and finally
as she had no children. he divorced her. though not
against her WILL They did not quarrel md he re-
wsrded her comDlaisance BY settling various estates
upon her. She had In her youth been the leader Of