Roses--“December” and “May”--A famous House--The Queen of Beauty--All in love with Jehanne--The champion’s crest--A tournament banquet--The Grand Prix--René struck with Jehanne--His Genoese innamorate--“Devils at home”--A second marriage desirable--The King bemoans Isabelle--No festivities--A moral allegory--A new course of life--Costly offerings--“Les Tards-Venus”--Court of Love at Les Baux--“La Passe Rose”--A coffin full of golden hair--Ruralizing royalty--Jehanne, nymph of the bosquets--“Pastorals”--“Regnault et Jehanneton”--All fall in love, and all fall out!--An allegory of chivalry--Cuer reads the strange inscription--Louis XI.’s outrageous behaviour--“L’Abuzé en Court”--René the victim--The Pageant of the Pheasant--An elysium of love--The Queen’s virtues--Her portrait--René’s school of architects--St. Bernardin, the King’s confessor--René’s heart--Pious Sovereigns--Relics--The crown of Catalonia--Queen Jehanne and Queen Margaret--Church spectacles--Magnificent hospitality--Demoiselle Odille--La Petite Hélène--Patroness of crafts--“The Golden Rose”--René’s green old age--“Le bon Roy est mort!”--Marie de la Chapelle’s children--Queen Jehanne retires to Beaufort--A studious widow--“I have no other rôle to play!”-“La Reine” in an iron cage--The Queen’s sweet death--Her will--Her monument and René’s--“Priez pour la bonne Jehanne” 306-356 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE CEREMONIOUS ENTRY OF THE “LADY OF THE CREST” _Frontispiece_ QUEEN YOLANDA D’ARRAGONA 30 ENTRY OF A QUEEN INTO HER CAPITAL 40 FAVOURITE RECREATIONS 50 A MYSTERY 60 KING LOUIS II. OF SICILY-ANJOU 68 COMMUNION OF A KNIGHT 74 A ROYAL REPAST 80 STREET SCENE IN AIX 86 QUEEN ISABELLE DE LORRAINE 94 KING RENÉ (_circa_ 1440) 106 ROYAL PATRONESSES AND CRAFTS 118 “CŒUR” AND “THE ISLAND OF LOVE” 130 “THE WHITE QUEEN”--JEANNE D’ARC 144 EXPULSION OF GAY WOMEN 152 SIEGE OF ORLÉANS 160 SACRÉ OF CHARLES VII. 168 QUEEN MARIE D’ANJOU 174 A BESIEGED CASTLE 184 KING RENÉ AND HIS COURT 194 QUEENS, JUDGES, AND KNIGHTS 204 QUEEN GIOVANNA II. DA NAPOLI 216 HOMAGE OF A VASSAL 226