The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. I | Page 5

now called--readily acceded to it. Margaret brought with her a
dowry of sixty thousand livres, payable in four instalments, and Charles,

who was on the point of attaining his twenty-first year, was declared a
major and placed in possession of his estates. (1) The marriage was
solemnised at Blois in October 1509.
1 Odolant Desnos's Mémoires historiques sur Alençon, vol. ii. p. 231
Margaret did not find in her husband a mind comparable to her own.
Differences of taste and temper brought about a certain amount of
coolness, which did not, however, hinder the Duchess from fulfilling
the duties of a faithful, submissive wife. In fact, although but little
sympathy would appear to have existed between the Duke and Duchess
of Alençon, their domestic differences have at least been singularly
exaggerated.
During the first five years of her married life Margaret lived in
somewhat retired style in her duchy of Alençon, while her husband
took part in various expeditions, and was invested with important
functions. In 1513 he fought in Picardy against the English and
Imperialists, commanded by Henry VIII., being present at the famous
"Battle of Spurs;" and early in 1514 he was appointed
Lieutenant-General and Governor of Brittany. Margaret at this period
was not only often separated from her husband, but she also saw little
of her mother, who had retired to her duchy of Angoulême. Louise of
Savoy, as mother of the heir-presumptive, was the object of the homage
of all adroit and politic courtiers, but she had to behave with
circumspection on account of the jealousy of the Queen, Anne of
Brittany, whose daughters, Claude and Renée, were debarred by the
Salic Law from inheriting the crown. Louis XII. wished to marry
Claude to Francis of Angoulême, but Anne refusing her consent, it was
only after her death, in 1514, that the marriage was solemnised.
It now seemed certain that Francis would in due course ascend the
throne; but Louis XII. abruptly contracted a third alliance, marrying
Mary of England, the sister of Henry VIII. Louise of Savoy soon
deemed it prudent to keep a watch on the conduct of this gay young
Queen, and took up her residence at the Court in November 1514.
Shortly afterwards Louis XII. died of exhaustion, as many had foreseen,
and the hopes of the Duchess of Angoulême were realised. She knew

the full extent of her empire over her son, now Francis I., and felt both
able and ready to exercise a like authority over the affairs of his
kingdom.
The accession of Francis gave a more important position to Margaret
and her husband. The latter was already one of the leading personages
of the state, and new favours increased his power. He did not address
the King as "Your Majesty," says Odolant Desnos, but styled him
"Monseigneur" or "My Lord," and all the acts which he issued
respecting his duchy of Alençon began with the preamble, "Charles, by
the grace of God." Francis had scarcely become King than he turned his
eyes upon Italy, and appointing his mother as Regent, he set out with a
large army, a portion of which was commanded by the Duke of
Alençon. At the battle of Marignano the troops of the latter formed the
rearguard, and, on perceiving that the Swiss were preparing to surround
the bulk of the French army, Charles marched against them, overthrew
them, and by his skilful manouvres decided the issue of the second
day's fight. (1) The conquest of the duchy of Milan was the result of
this victory, and peace supervening, the Duke of Alençon returned to
France.
1 Odolant Desnos's Mémoires historiques sur Alençon, vol. ii. p. 238.
It was at this period that Margaret began to keep a Court, which,
according to Odolant Desnos, rivalled that of her brother. We know that
in 1517 she and her husband entertained the King with a series of
magnificent fêtes at their Château of Alençon, which then combined
both a palace and a fortress. But little of the château now remains, as,
after the damage done to it during the religious wars between 1561 and
1572, it was partially demolished by Henry IV. when he and Biron
captured it in 1590. Still the lofty keep built by Henry I. of England
subsisted intact till in 1715 it was damaged by fire, and finally in 1787
razed to the ground.
The old pile was yet in all its splendour in 1517, when Francis I. was
entertained there with jousts and tournaments. At these gay gatherings
Margaret appeared apparelled in keeping with her brother's love of
display; for, like all princesses, she clothed herself on important

occasions in sumptuous garments. But in every-day life she was very
simple, despising the vulgar plan of impressing the crowd by
magnificence and splendour. In a