The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 1 (of 5) — John Shaqi
The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 1 (of 5)Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
General
The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 1 (of 5)
Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
Love stories, French -- Translations into English; Tales -- France -- Translations into English
1 One of these letters, written by her either to Philiberta
of Savoy, Duchess of Nemours, or to Charlotte d’Orléans,
Duchess of Nemours, both of whom were her aunts, may be thus
rendered in English: “My aunt, on leaving Paris to escort
the King, Monsieur de Meaux (Bishop Briçonnet), sent me the
Gospels in French, translated by Fabry, word for word, which
he says we should read with as much reverence and as much
preparation to receive the Spirit of God, such as He has
left it us in His Holy Scriptures, as when we go to receive
it in the form of Sacrament. And inasmuch as Monsieur de
Villeroy has promised to deliver them to you, I have
requested him to do so, for these words (the Gospels) must
not fall into evil hands. I beg, my aunt, that if by their
means God grants you some grace, you will not forget her who
is above all else your good niece and sister, Margaret.”
Fabry’s translation of the Gospels was made in 1523-24.
Margaret’s religious views frequently caused dissension between her and
her husband, in whose presence she abstained from giving expression to
them. Hilarion de Coste mentions that “King Henry having one day been
informed that a form of prayer and instruction contrary to that of
his fathers was held in the chamber of the Queen, his wife, entered it
intending to chastise the minister, and finding that he had been hurried
away, the remains of his anger fell upon his wife, who received a blow
from him, he remarking, ‘Madam, you want to know too much about it,’ and
he at once sent word of the matter to King Francis.”
It was at Nérac that most of the divines protected by Margaret found a
refuge from the persecutions of the Sorbonne. Here she kept court in
a castle of which there now only remains a vaulted fifteenth-century
gallery formerly belonging to the northern wing. Nérac has, however,
retained intact a couple of quaint mediaeval bridges, which Margaret
must have ofttimes crossed in her many journeyings. Moreover, the
townsfolk still point out the so-called Palace of Marianne, said to have
been built by Margaret’s husband for one of his mistresses, and also the
old royal baths, which the Queen no doubt frequented.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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