Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) THE BOOK OF THE LADIES [Illustration: MESSIRE PIERRE DE BOURDEILLE SEIGNEUR DE BRANTOME.] _The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon Régime_ A Brilliant Description of the Courts of Louis XVI, Amours, Debauchery, Intrigues, and State Secrets, including Suppressed and Confiscated MSS. [Illustration] The Book of the Illustrious Dames BY PIERRE DE BOURDEÏLLE, ABBÉ DE BRANTÔME WITH INTRODUCTORY ESSAY BY C.-A. SAINTE-BEUVE _Unexpurgated Rendition into English_ PRIVATELY PRINTED FOR MEMBERS OF THE VERSAILLES HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEW YORK Copyright, 1899. BY H. P. & CO. _All Rights Reserved._ Édition de Luxe _This edition is limited to two hundred copies, of which this is Number_ ........ ..... CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 DISCOURSE I. ANNE DE BRETAGNE, Queen of France 25 _Sainte-Beuve’s remarks upon her_ 40 DISCOURSE II. CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI, Queen, and mother of our last kings 44 _Sainte-Beuve’s remarks upon her_ 85 DISCOURSE III. MARIE STUART, Queen of Scotland, formerly Queen of our France 89 _Sainte-Beuve’s essay on her_ 121 DISCOURSE IV. ÉLISABETH OF FRANCE, Queen of Spain 138 DISCOURSE V. MARGUERITE, Queen of France and of Navarre, sole daughter now remaining of the Noble House of France 152 _Sainte-Beuve’s essay on her_ 193 DISCOURSE VI. MESDAMES, the Daughters of the Noble House of France: Madame Yoland 214 Madame Jeanne 215 Madame Anne 216 Madame Claude 219 Madame Renée 220