New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-19
ROYAL WOMEN OF FRANCE.
A GROUP OF STRIKING FIGURES.

A GROUP OF STRIKING FIGURES
WOMEN OF THE vALOIs COURT. BY lmber DC
saint Amand; Translated r US =, tnNa ~ Sharlcs
Scribner's sons. .
VI. de sant-Amand in this volume follows &" ma
die course lie refuses to agree with those VINO cen
sure OF with those who praise Catherine DC MeHoi'
Diana OF Poitiers Mary OF scotland, Margaret oe
yaIoas Iouise de Naudemont and Jeanne dAbret.
He sees In Catherine a woman who aimed AT uh4uhS
and strengthening the French Kingdom. not crueI
from the love OF cruelty, but led Into irigh'Iui Puo
crimes by a spirit which was also the spirit oil 'ne
times In which she lived wise ruler III inc "'o''H
accepta,ioD of the term would not have been under
stood In the days Of the Reformation. ta'he''n'
followed her age. As prosecutor she was only what
fbe masses OF the people were. and what they lnper
lively demanded by actions louder than WORDS 'hat
their Regent should he. He indicates MS Oeie 'i''
OF the outset like the clever politician she "aS'
Catsrine balanced her intent between the two great
religious parties In the Kingdom and not unui she
found that the overwhelming weight of pubic op'n'
lon was Catholic did She array herself on that SIDE
Having made decision. she found reasons to JUSTIFY
II On every hand. Her Italian love OF art was out
ragged by the ruin which the adhcrcnts OF the new
faith wrought in the ancient church architecture ana
sculpture OF the country AS bc1tted one who had
learned her first lessons I'm human nature In the
school OF Machaveli, she was as ptless in fact as
she was sauve and gentle III demeanor. Though
she had the courage Of solder Ill
battle and could look Oh massacre I'M
moved, she should not be pictured IN 'he
mind as a sort OF wild beast. When she was moS'
angry then she most polite. IL she called any one
My friend" 1t either because she desplSed MN S
q fool or was fri tated by his conduct Her secre-
taries and said TO have understood uiiS
pecularity OF her manner well that they even pro
tested against the savage irony of her pocnea' me
was more OF ease, In appearance IMAM JuS' y"
those occasions when her troubles were realty ,he
greatest. obviously woman without conscience D"'
with superb selfcontrol she had within herself lhhe
ca,acities OF wickedness. DoubteS' she Wouiu ha''
wished to preserve the House of Nalo and the fr'nch
Kingdom by fair and gentle means If possible. In
fact her beginnings in the Regency were more Ike
those OF constitutional sovereign thah oil one "ilu
ing absolute power She was even aocuseu Oh iu'
csjoD. up to the fatal moment wheh the o'h'
Bartholomew spotted her black robe with an
ineffaceabe stain of blood says NJ de saint-Amand
she much oftcner accused OF hou'rauoh anu ''i"
ness than OF violence and cruelty
In the strongest contrast with her stood Jeanne
d'Albret Queen of Navarro. who was as shlliu i'll
diplomacy and Catherine and yet siorlnc'o
nothing of her independence or OF her prlde' or Z" h'
honesty Between the two Catholic kingdoms OF
France and SPAIN shielding herself behind the devo
tion of her loyal Bearna. She bravcy accepted 'he
challenge of Rome" Her religion was not largely
matter OF politics. 1t a matter Of conviction ana
her conduct both in peace and war; was guided D! IT,
She had little Of the politeness OF her rival ana MS
torians speak of her as masculine In her manners
NJ de Saint-Amand rejects the story 'hl'
she was poisoned at the instance Of Catherine
This assertion so agreeable to the Protestant
feeling OF the times. originated not in Paris
where the Queen died, but in Geneva suh
snch a crime would not have been incongruouS Win
Catharine de- MedCi's character After the ar"c'ues
Of Saint Bartholomew. few acts Of cruelty would be
Thought unlikely in her. Though stern and unrelen
ing in war the Queen of Navarro could never have
boen puilty of plots and as,a,SinaonS. Her career
shines by contrast with those Of famous women hcr
contemporaries because she guided by pua'N'
or course the finest figure described In TIE l'oK
belongs 10 an earlier age. Margaret. the sister 81
Francis l. will always occupy special meme III TN
history of literature. She seems nearer 10 the moo
erns than other royal Of her day. She was
above the supersttons and partisanship q her con
,emporares and ~ de Saint Amand mas depicted her
as one who while clinging devoutly To the ancient
Church. still protected the rtformeIs 1I'ngh' As
the @Heptameron- shows she ready To indulge In
the free speech characteristic OF the age that pr ducei
Rabelais vet she tempered this license with pure
morality In her and in her prose she strnck
chords which still vibrate. Her love for the KING
her brother and her soils and sacrifices in his behalf
were the marvel of m age which still retained the
favor Of the old feudal romance. Certainly II is
no wonder that the author Of this book dwcls on hr
character and her career with affection.
The translation Is attractive and readable with the
yividness Of original work.