Transcriber's note: Obvious printer errors have been repaired, but spelling has not been standardized. Likely spelling errors in the French poems have not been corrected, as the consulted sources have the same. Some Roman numerals, followed by superscript representing ancient units of weight used in the goldsmith's trade, have been marked in curly brackets: {m} stands for marc {o} stands for once {e} stands for estelin Letters written with a straight line above are marked [=x]. Number "83" was somehow left out in the (French) Inventory of Margaret's possessions. ROMANTIC HISTORY _General Editor_: MARTIN HUME, M.A. THE FIRST GOVERNESS OF THE NETHERLANDS [Illustration: MARGARET OF AUSTRIA FROM THE WINDOW IN THE CHAPEL OF THE VIRGIN IN THE CHURCH OF BROU (ABOUT 1528)] THE FIRST GOVERNESS OF THE NETHERLANDS MARGARET OF AUSTRIA BY ELEANOR E. TREMAYNE WITH TWENTY ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS LONDON: METHUEN & CO. 1908 CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE INTRODUCTION, vii I. QUEEN OF FRANCE, 1 II. PRINCESS OF ASTURIAS, 16 III. DUCHESS OF SAVOY, 32 IV. THE BUILDING OF BROU, 50 V. REGENT OF THE NETHERLANDS, 67 VI. THE LEAGUE OF CAMBRAY, 86 VII. MARGARET'S CORRESPONDENCE, 98 VIII. A LOVE AFFAIR, 119 IX. CHARLES DECLARED OF AGE, 141 X. DEATH OF MAXIMILIAN, 158 XI. REVOLT OF THE DUKE OF BOURBON, 183 XII. CAPTURE OF FRANCIS I., 208 XIII. THE LADIES' PEACE, 242 XIV. THE MISSION ENDED, 268 XV. THE CHURCH OF BROU, 294 INVENTAIRE DES TABLEAUX, LIVRES, JOYAUX, ET MEUBLES DE MARGUERITE D'AUTRICHE, 305 LIST OF PICTURES FROM MARGARET'S COLLECTION SENT TO BROU (1533) 328 CATALOGUE OF MANUSCRIPTS IN MARGARET OF AUSTRIA'S LIBRARY AT MALINES, 330 A FEW LETTERS FROM MAXIMILIAN I. TO MARGARET, AND FROM MARGARET TO VARIOUS PERSONS, 335 INDEX, 343 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS MARGARET OF AUSTRIA, _Frontispiece_ From the Window in the Chapel of the Virgin in the Church of Brou (about 1528).