The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 3 (of 5)Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
General
The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 3 (of 5)
Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre
Love stories, French -- Translations into English; Tales -- France -- Translations into English
5 This is Mary of Luxemburg, Countess of St. Paul-de-
Conversan, Marie and Soissons, who married, first, James of
Savoy, and secondly, Francis de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme.
The latter, who accompanied Charles VIII. to Italy, was
killed at Vercelli in October 1495, when but twenty-five
years old. His widow did not marry again, but retired to her
château of La Fère near Laon (Aisne), where late in 1518 she
founded a convent of Benedictine nuns, which, according to
the _Gallia Christiana_, she called the convent of Mount
Calvary. This must be the establishment alluded to by Queen
Margaret, who by mistake has called it Mount Olivet, i.e.,
the Mount of Olives. Madame de Vendôme died at a very
advanced age on April 1, 1546.--See Anselme’s _Histoire
Généalogique_, vol. i. p. 326.--L.
Speaking in the quality of a prince of reformers, he gave her to
understand that the Abbess of the aforesaid Mount Olivet lacked the
capacity to govern such a community. The worthy lady begged him to
give her another that should be worthy of the office, and he, who asked
nothing better, counselled her to have the Abbess of Gif, as being the
most capable in France. Madame de Vendôme sent for her forthwith, and
set her over the convent of Mount Olivet.
As the Prior of St. Martin’s had every monastic vote at his disposal, he
caused one who was devoted to him to be chosen Abbess of Gif, and this
being accomplished, he went to Gif to try once more whether he might win
Sister Marie Heroet by prayers or honied words. Finding that he could
not succeed, he returned in despair to his priory of St. Martin’s, and
in order to achieve his purpose, to revenge himself on her who was so
cruel to him, and further to prevent the affair from becoming known, he
caused the relics of the aforesaid convent of Gif to be secretly stolen
at night, and accusing the confessor of the convent, a virtuous and
very aged man, of having stolen them, he cast him into prison at St.
Martin’s.
Whilst he held him captive there, he stirred up two witnesses who in
ignorance signed what the Prior commanded them, which was a statement
that they had seen the confessor in a garden with Sister Marie, engaged
in a foul and wicked act; and this the Prior sought to make the old monk
confess. But he, who knew all the Prior’s misdoings, entreated him to
bring him before the Chapter, saying that there, in presence of all the
monks, he would tell the truth of all that he knew. The Prior, fearing
that the confessor’s justification would be his own condemnation, would
in no wise grant this request; and, finding him firm of purpose, he
treated him so ill in prison that some say he brought about his death,
and others that he forced him to lay aside his robe and betake himself
out of the kingdom of France. Be that as it may, the confessor was never
seen again.
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