MARIENWERDER, a town of Germany, in the Prussian province of West
Prussia, 3 m. E. of the Vistula, 23 m. S. of Marienburg by rail. Pop.
(1905), 10,258. The town was founded in the year 1233 by the Teutonic
order. It has a cathedral of the same century, a triple Gothic edifice,
restored in 1874 and containing the tombs of several grand masters of
the Teutonic order; a (Gothic) town-hall (1880); a Roman Catholic
basilica (1858); a non-commissioned officers' school; a monument of the
war of 1870-71 (1897); an archaeological collection; and a seminary for
female teachers. The industries include iron-foundries, saw-mills,
sugar-refineries, breweries and printing-works.
MARIE THÉRÈSE (1638-1683), queen consort of France, was born on the 10th
of September 1638 at the Escurial, being the daughter of Philip IV. of
Spain and Elizabeth of France. By pretending to seek a bride for his
master in Margaret of Savoy, Mazarin had induced the king of Spain to
make proposals for the marriage of his daughter with Louis XIV., and the
treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 stipulated for her marriage with the
French king, Marie renouncing any claim to the Spanish succession. As
the treaty, however, hinged on the payment of her dowry, which was
practically impossible for Spain, Mazarin could evade the other terms of
the contract. Marie Thérèse was married in June 1660, when Philip IV.
with his whole court accompanied the bride to the Isle of Pheasants in
the Bidassoa, where she was met by Louis. The new queen's amiability and
her undoubted virtues failed to secure her husband's regard and
affection. She saw herself neglected in turn for Louise de la Vallière,
Mme. de Montespan and others; but Marie Thérèse was too pious and too
humble openly to resent the position in which she was placed by the
king's avowed infidelities. With the growing influence of Madame de
Maintenon over his mind and affections he bestowed more attention on his
wife, which she repaid by lavishing kindness on the mistress. She had no
part in political affairs except in 1672, when she acted as regent
during Louis XIV.'s campaign in Holland. She died on the 30th of July
1683 at Versailles, not without suspicion of foul play on the part of
her doctors. Of her six children only one survived her, the dauphin
Louis, who died in 1711.
See the funeral oration of Bossuet (Paris, 1684), E. Ducéré, _Le
Mariage de Louis XIV. d'après les contemporains et des documents
inédits_ (Bayonne, 1905); Dr Cabanès, _Les Morts mystérieuses de
l'histoire_ (1900), and the literature dealing with her rivals Louise
de la Vallière, Madame de Montespan and Madame de Maintenon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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