Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-02-16


treat the king as like, and do then use
the poor old king as my buckler against
this dukes too great familiarity. But. my
friend, when the king comes to die, then
shall I have my fears Of this young
Francis d d'Angouleme. He Is desperate
for 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.
I have a messenger waiting at all hours
ready to send to thee upon moments
notice, and when he comes waste not
precious instant. 1t may mean all to thee
and me. l could write on and on forever,
hut II would be only to tell thee Ger and
Ger that my heart Is full Of thee to over
flowing. l thank thee that thou hast
never doubted me. and will see that thou
hast hereafter only good cause for better
faith. MARY, Regina
"Regina!" That was all. Only
queen! Surely no one could charge
Brandon with possessing too modest
tastes.
1t was, l think. during the second
week in December that gave this let
ter to Brandon. and about fortnight
later there came to him messenger
from Paris. bringing another from
Mary. as follows:
Master Charles Brandon:
Sir and Dear Friend, Greeting-1 have
but time 10 write that the king Is so III he
cannot but die ere morning. Thou know
est that which last wrote to thee, and In
addition thereto l would say that al
though have, as thou likewise knowest.
my brothers permission to marry whom
1 wish. yet as have his one consent 1t is
safer that we act upon that rather than
be so scrupulous as to ask for another.
So 1. were better that thou take me to
wife upon the old one rather than risk
the necessity of having to do 1t without
any. | say no more. but come with all
the speed thou knowest. MARY.
It is needless to say that Brandon
started in haste for Paris. He left
court for tie ostensible purpose OF
paying me visit, and came to Ipswich.
whence we sailed.
Tie French king was dead before
Mary's message reached London. and
when we arrived at Paris Francis /.
reigned OH the throne Of his father-in-
law | had guessed only too accurate
ly. 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. lie 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. Il offer to make
you my wife-queen Of 100000 Of the
greatest subjects on earth-and are you
such q fool as to refuse gift like that.
and Il man like me for q husband?
THAT am. your majesty, and with
a good grace. am queen of France
without your help and care not so much
as one penny for the honor. 1t Is great
er 10 be Il princess Of England. AS for
this love you avow. would make so
bold as to suggest that you have
good, true wife. to whom you would DO
we'll to give it all. To me 1t Is moth.
ing. even were you thousand times
the king you are. My heart IS anoth-
er's. and have my brothers permis-
sion to marry him."
"Another'S? Gods soul! Tell me
who this fellow is that may spit him
oil my sword"'
NO. no. You would not. Even We're
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 arrived
IN Paris we took private lodgings. and
we'll it was that we did. | at once
went out to reconnoiter. and found the
widowed queen prisoner in the old
Palace dies 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 saw the whole situation, with
Mary nothing less than prisoner In
the palace. was ready to give up
without struggle. but not so Mary.
Her brain was worth having. so fer
tile was 1t in eXpedients, and. while !
was ready to despair. sht was only
getting herself in good fighting order.
After Mary's refusal Of Francis, and
after he had learned that the sacrifice
Of Claude would not help him. he grew
desperate and determined to keep the
English girl in his court ut any price
and by any means. So he hit upon the
scheme Of marrying her to his weak
minded cousin. the Count of Savoy.
70 that end he sent hurried embassy
to Henry WILL. offering, in case OF the
Savoy marriage. to pay back MaryS
dover Of 100000 crowns. He offered to
help Henry in the matter of the impe-
rial crown in case of MaXimilian's
death. help much greater than any
King Louis could have given. He also
offered to corfirm Henry In all his
French possessions and to relinquish
aiI claims of his own thcreto-;lll as tile
price of one cighteen-year-old girl DO
you wonder she had an exalted est-
mate of her own value?
AS to Henry, it of course need not be
said that half the price offered would
have bought him to break. an oath
made upon the true cross itself. The
,,,,o-,;so bo had ,nodo to Mary broken