The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
This account, though bearing every appearance of probability, is yet
open to some doubts, from the manifestation of a tendency, on the part
of Monstrelet, to give a coloring to the event, and to the character
of Agnes Sorel. He even attempts to throw a doubt upon her having been
the king's mistress, treating the fact as a mere scandal. He says that
the affection of the king was attributable to her good sense, her wit,
her agreeable manners, and gayety, quite as much as to her beauty.
This was, no doubt, the case; but it hardly helps the argument of the
historian. Monstrelet finds it difficult, however, to dispose of the
children that she had by the king: he admits that Agnes had a daughter
which she said was the king's, but that he denied it. The compilation
by Denys Codefroy takes the same view, but nearly the whole account is
copied verbatim from Monstrelet, without acknowledgment.
The heart and intestines of Agnes were buried at Jumiège. Her body was
placed in the centre of the choir of the collegiate church of the
Château de Loches, which she had greatly enriched.
Her tomb was in existence at Loches, in 1792. It was of black marble.
The figure of Agnes was in white marble; her head resting upon a
lozenge, supported by angels, and two lambs were at her feet.
The writer of the life of Agnes Sorel in the "Biographie Universelle,"
having access to printed books and MSS. of French history which are
not in the public libraries of this country, the following statements
are taken from that work: the writer does not give his authorities.
The canons of the church pretended to be scandalized at having the
tomb of Agnes placed in their choir, and begged permission of Louis
XI. to have it removed. "I consent," replied the king, "provided you
give up all you have received from her bounty."
The poets of the day were profuse in their praises of the memory of
Agnes. One of the most memorable of these is a poem by Baïf, printed
at Paris in 1573. In 1789 the library of the chapter of Loches
possessed a manuscript containing nearly a thousand Latin sonnets in
praise of Agnes, all acrostics, and made by a canon of that city.
A marble bust of her was long preserved at the Château de Chinon, and
is now placed in the Muséum des Augustins.
Agnes Sorel had three daughters by Charles VII., who all received
dowries, and were married at the expense of the crown. They received
the title of daughters of France, the name given at that time to the
natural daughters of the kings. An account of the noble families into
which they married, together with the honors bestowed upon the brother
of Agnes, will be found in Moreri's "Dictionnaire Historique."
From the London Examiner.
PROSPECTS OF AFRICAN COLONIZATION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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