The book of the ladies: Illustrious Dames: The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon RégimeBrantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
History
The book of the ladies: Illustrious Dames: The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon Régime
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
France -- Biography; France -- Court and courtiers; Queens; Women -- Biography
I arrived in Spain a month after this recovery of her health; but I saw
so much devotion among the people in giving thanks to God, by fêtes,
rejoicings, magnificences, fireworks, that there was no doubting in any
way how much they felt. I saw nothing else in Spain as I travelled
through it, and reaching the Court just two days after she left her
room, I saw her come out and get into her coach, sitting at the door of
it, which was her usual place, because such beauty should not be hidden
within, but displayed openly.
She was dressed in a gown of white satin all covered with silver
trimmings, her face uncovered. I think that nothing was ever seen more
beautiful than this queen, as I had the boldness to tell her; for she
had given me a right good welcome and cheer, coming as I did from France
and the Court, and bringing her news of the king, her good brother, and
the queen, her good mother; for all her joy and pleasure was to know of
them. It was not I alone who thought her beautiful, but all the Court
and all the people of Madrid thought so likewise; so that it might be
said that even illness favoured her, for after doing her such cruel harm
it embellished her skin, making it so delicate and polished that she was
certainly more beautiful than ever before.
Leaving thus her chamber for the first time, to do the best and
saintliest thing she could she went to the churches to give thanks to
God for the favour of her health; and this good work she continued for
the space of fifteen days, not to speak of the vow she made to Our Lady
of Guadalupe; letting the whole people see her face uncovered (as was
her usual fashion) till you might have thought they worshipped her, so
to speak, rather than honoured or revered her.
So when she died [1568], as I have heard the late M. de Lignerolles, who
saw her die, relate, he having gone to carry to the King of Spain the
news of the victory of Jarnac, never were a people so afflicted, so
disconsolate; none ever shed so many tears, being unable to recover
themselves in any way, but mourning her with despair incessantly.
She made a noble end [_at._ 23], leaving this world with firm courage,
and desiring much the other.
Sinister things have been said of her death, as having been hastened. I
have heard one of her ladies tell that the first time she saw her
husband she looked at him so fixedly that the king, not liking it, said
to her: _Que mirais? Si tengo canas?_ which means: “What are you gazing
at? Is my hair white?” These words touched her so much to the heart that
ever after her ladies augured ill for her.
It is said that a Jesuit, a man of importance, speaking of her one day
in a sermon, and praising her rare virtues, charities, and kindness, let
fall the words that she had wickedly been made to die, innocent as she
was; for which he was banished to the farthest depths of the Indies of
Spain. This is very true, as I have been told.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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