Baron de la Châtre. Comte de Liancourt. Maréchal de Fervaques. Marquis de Bois-Dauphin. Marquis de Lavardin. Duc de Montbazon. Duchesse d'Angoulême. Prince de Vaudemont. Marquis de Rosny. Duchesse de Montpensier. Duchesse de Nevers. Duc de Soubise. Comte de Moret. M. de Balagny. Mademoiselle des Essarts. Comte de Beaumont-Harlay. Cardinal de Guise. Cardinal de Lorraine. Mademoiselle de Montpensier. Gaston Jean Baptiste de France. Mademoiselle de Mercoeur. Don Pedro de Toledo. Mademoiselle de Montmorency. Seigneur de Montespan. Comte d'Elbène. Marquis de Coeuvres. Marquis de Gêvres. Duc de la Force. Archduke of Austria. M. de Châteauneuf. Madame Henriette de France. M. de Preau. ILLUSTRATIONS VOL. I 1. MARIE DE MEDICIS, SECOND QUEEN OF HENRY IV OF FRANCE. 2. HENRI DE LORRAINE, DUC DE GUISE. Engraved by Hopwood. 3. THE EVE OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW. Engraved by Follet from a Painting by Raffet. 4. GABRIELLE D'ESTRÉES. 5. MARÉCHAL DE BIRON. Engraved by Colin from the Original by Gallait. 6. DUC DE SULLY. Engraved by Hopwood. 7. MARIE DE MEDICIS. BOOK I MARIE DE MEDICIS AS QUEEN THE LIFE OF MARIE DE MEDICIS CHAPTER I 1572 Marriages of Henri IV--Marguerite de Valois--Her character--Her marriage with the King of Navarre--Massacre of Saint Bartholomew--Henri, Duc d'Anjou, elected sovereign of Poland--Death of Charles IX--Accession of Henri III--Conspiracy of the Duc d'Alençon--Revealed by Marguerite--Henry of Navarre escapes from the French Court--Henry of Navarre protests against his enforced oath--Marguerite is imprisoned by her brother--The Duc d'Alençon returns to his allegiance--Marguerite joins her husband at Béarn--Domestic discord--Marriage-portion of Marguerite--Court of Navarre--Dupin insults the Queen of Navarre--Catherine de Medicis induces Marguerite to return to France--The Duc d'Alençon again revolts--Marguerite arrests a royal courier--She is banished with ignominy from the French Court--She is deprived of her attendants--Henry of Navarre refuses to receive her in the palace--Marguerite returns to Agen--Her licentiousness--Agen is stormed and taken by the Marshal de Matignon--Marguerite escapes to the fortress of Carlat--The inhabitants of the town resolve to deliver her up to the French King--She is made prisoner by the Marquis de Canillac, and conveyed to Usson--She seduces the governor of the fortress--Death of the Duc d'Alençon--Poverty of Marguerite--Accession of Henri IV--He embraces the Catholic faith--His dissipated habits--The Duc de Bouillon heads the Huguenot party--Henri IV proceeds to Brittany, and threatens M. de Bouillon--Festivities at Rennes--Henri IV becomes melancholy--He resolves to divorce Marguerite, and take a second wife--European princesses--Henry desires to marry la belle Gabrielle--Sully expostulates--Sully proposes a divorce to Marguerite--The Duchesse de Beaufort intrigues to prevent the marriage of the King with Marie de