The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-07-09

fails; but chou knowest full well my heart,
| and l need not tease thee with its out
| pourings.
There is yet another matter of which I
wish to write in very earnestness. Sir
Edwin spoke to me thereof, and what he
| said hath given me serious thought.
thank him for his words, of which he
will tell thee in full if thou but importune
him thereto. 1t Is this: The dauphin,
Francis d Angouleme, hath fallen des-
perately fond of me and is quite as i'm
Fortunate and almost as foolish as the
elder lover. This people in this strange
land of France have, in, sooth, some curl
Gus notions. For an example thereto, no
one thinks to find anything unseeming in
the dauphn's conduct by reason of his
having already a wife, and more. that
wife the Princess Claude, daughter to the
king. I laugh at him and let him say
what he will, for in truth am powerless
to prevent it. Words cannot scar even a
rose leaf and will not harm me. Then, by
his help and example, am justified in the
eyes of the court in that I so treat the
king, which otherwise it were impossible
for me to do and live here. So, however
| much I may loathe them, yet 1 am driven
to tolerate his words, which 1 turn off
with a laugh, making sure, thou mayest
know, that it come to nothing more than
words. And thus 1t u.s. however much
wish 1t not, that do use him to help me
treat the king like, and do then use
the poor old king my buckler against
TINS dukes too great familiarity. But my
friend, when the king comes to die, then
shall have my fears of this young
FRANCIS d'Angoulene. He is desperate
Tor me, and know not to what length he
| might go. The king cannot live long, as
| the thread Of his life is like rotten flax,
and when he dies thou must come with
out delay, since shall be in deadly peril.
l have messenger waiting at all hours
ready to send to thee upon a moments
notice, and when he comes waste not q
precious instant. It may mean all to thee
and me. could write on and on forever,
but 1t would be only to tell thee DER and
Ger that my heart is full of thee to over
| flowing. I thank thee that thou hast
never doubted me, and will see that thou
hast hereafter only good cause for better
faith. MARY. Regina
"Reginaw That was all. Only a
queen! Surely no one could charge
Brandon with possessing too modest
tastes.
1t was, 1 think, during the second
week in December that I gave this let
ter to Brandon, and about a fortnight
later there came to him a messenger
from Paris, bringing another from
Mary, as follows:
Master Charles Brandon:
Sir and Dear Friend, Greeting-I have
but time to write that the king is so i'll he
cannot but die ere morning. Thou know
est that which I last wrote to thee, and in
addition thereto I would say that al
| though have, as thou likewise knowest,
my brothers permission to marry whom
wish, yet as I have his one consent it is
| safer that we act upon that rather than
be so scrupulous as to ask for another.
So it were better that thou take me to
wife upon the. old one rather than risk
the necessity Of having to do it without
any l say no more, but come with all
| the speed thou knowest. MARY.
1t is needless to say that Brandon
started in haste for Paris. He left
court for the ostensible purpose of
paying me visit, and came to Ipswich,
whence we sailed.
The French king was dead before
Mary's message reached London, and
when we arrived at Paris Francis I.
reigned on the throne of his father-in-
law. l had guessed only too accurate.
~. AS soon as the restraint of the old
kings presence, light as it had been,
was removed, the young king opened
his attack upon Mary in dreadful ear
nest. He begged and pleaded and
swore his love, which was surely
manifest enough, and within three days
after the old kings death offered to
divorce Claude and make Mary his
queen. When she refused this flatter-
ing offer, his surprise was genuine.
''Do you know what you refuse?' he
asked in temper. II offer to make
you my wife-queen of 100000 of the
greatest subjects on earth-and are you
such fool as to refuse a gift like that.
and man like me for a husband?'
THAT I am, your majesty, and with
a good grace. l am queen of France
without your help and care not so much
as one penny for the honor. 1t is great
er to be a princess Of England. AS for
this love you avow, would make so
bold as to suggest that you have a
good, true wife, to whom you would do
| we'll to give it all. To me it is moth
Ing, even were you a thousand times
the king you are. My heart is anoth-
er's, and have my brothers permits
sion to marry him.
"Another's? Gods soul! Tell me
who this fellow is that I may spit him
on my swordv'
"No, no! You would not. Even were
you as valiant and grand as you think
yourself, you would be but child in
his hands,"
Francis was furious, and had Mary's
apartments guarded to prevent her es-
cape, swearing he would have his way.
AS soon as Brandon and I arrived
In Paris we took private lodgings, and
we'll it was that we did. I at once
went out to reconnoiter, and found the
widowed queen a prisoner in the old
Palace des Tournelles. With the help
of Queen Claude secretly obtained an
interview and learned the true state
Of affairs.
Had Brandon been recognized and
his mission known in Paris he would
certainly have been assassinated by
order of Francis.
When I saw the whole situation, with