HENRY IV. AND MARIE DE MEDICI. Part II.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVIL, Issue 1448, 1 November 1861, Page 5

HENRY IV. AND MARIE DE MEDICI. Part 11.

Miss Fkeer's contributions to historical literature have been, as all our readers know, both numerous and valuable. Very recently she has favoured the reading public with two works of special interest. We refer to- her sketch of that cruel and contemptible monarch, King Henry 111 of France, aud to the first portion of the history of the reign of Henry of Navarre. "We have now before us a continuation of the latter work, executed with great caie, and full of interesting matter. The only objection we can ppssibly make to it is a very trivial one. The title given to it is not sufficiently descriptive of the nature of the contents ; Marie de Medici is not introduced till about the middle of the second volume, the real heroine of the major part of the story being the fair but frail Gabrielle d'Estrises, Duchesse de Beaufort. Surpassingly great in the field, Henry IV., like many other warriors, was in private life one of the weakest of men. His passion for Gabrielle, however, in that age of license, was the most creditable of his liaisons. She was a most amiable, beautiful and accomplished woman ; and the good-natured, amorous Sovereign was exceedingly anxious to bestow on her a higher and worthier title than that of the King's mistress. By his Queen Marguerite he had no hope of offspring, and the quiet of the realm required an heir-apparent, whose title should admit of no doubt or question. It was bis desire, under these circumstances, to obtain a divorce from Marguerite, in order that he might espouse his spirituelle and beautiful mistress. To such an alliance, however, Marguerite, the Pope, all Henry's advisers, and the chief of the nobility, were adverse. Marguerite, ere she sane tioned, a divorce, required from her lord a promise that he would not marry Gabrielle. Borne engaged in this matter to support the Queen to the utmost. Nevertheless, so powerful was the influence of the mistress, and so complete the infatuation of Henry, that his infant son Alexandra was baptised " with the pomp and parade of un Enfant de France." No ceremony was omitted that was usually observed on the occasions of Royal baptisms. " For this illegitimate son of the King, Brissao carried the ewer ; the Duke de Eetz the basin ; the Duke de Joyeaux the towel, fringed with gold ; the Duke d'Epernon the torch of virgin wax ; and the Duke de Montpensier the salt. The child was carried by Monsieur de Lavardin ; the train of his baptismal mantle of cloth of silver being borne by the Marshal d'Ornano." Such were the honours awarded by the nobles and the Kinfl of France to the offspring of Gabrielle I A few months afterwards the scene was changed, and the monarch relieved from a very difficult situation. At the house of a millionaire named Zamet, Gabrielle was seized with a sudden sickness, and shortly afterwards expired in great *<K>ny. The illness was " horrible and mysterious ; foul play was suspected, but no accusation was made against any one, nor did suspicion point to any particular mdividual. By the nation at large, undoubtedly, as well as by the chief nobility, the death of the King's mistress was regarded with satisfaction. Strange tales are often told about such ladies, and the fair Gabrielle was much slandered and mahgued. The following excellent story belongs to the period when this remarkable woman was m the height of her power : —

King Henky IV. and the Boatman. " The following day an amusing incident happened to the King on niB return from paying a brief visit to St. Germain. Henry crossed the river at the ferry close to the Quai Malaquais. As his Majesty was simply attired, and attended only by two gentlemen, the ferry-man did not recognise him. The King, therefore, commenced a conversation by asking the man what he thought of the peace of Vervins ? 'Ma foi, I do not oomprehend this fine peace,' replied the boatman, 'there are taxes on everything — even this miserable boat is taxed; I have something to do to eke oat a livelihood.' ' But the King means soon to diminish these taxes,' said Henry. ""The King is a good man enough; bi.it he has got ,a mistyesj, who wears so many fine gowns and gauds that there is no end to her expense — and we. pay for them all ! Even if she belonged to his Majesty alone, the fact might be some con- ' solution ; but report tells strange stories of this said

lady !' The Kin§ laughed, and, stepping from the boat, departed without paying the toll : upon this the man pursued the party,* and clamorously demanded his sou, using expletives which seemed to afford stdl greater amusement to the King. At length some pasier, a spectator of the scene, seized the ferryman by the collar, and pronounced the name of the cavalier whom ho was abusing with such vigour. The effect was instantaneous : the man, believing that his life wonid be the forfeit of his temerity, dropped down, and was carried back to hib boat in a swoon. For a few days ho heard nothing of the incident : meantime, the Duchess de Beaufort arrived at St. Germain, when the King caused the man to be arrested, and conveyed to the chateau. There he was conducted into the Royal presence. With the King sat Madame la Duchesse. Henry beckoned to him, and commanded him, if he valued his life, to repeat the slanders which he had ventured to utter on the previous day. The man tremblingly obeyed ; and, falling on his knees, prayed for pardon. ' You deserve to be hanged for your mendacity,' replied the Duchesa ; and, turning to the King, she requested him so to decree. Henry, however, from whose eyes tears were falling in excess of mirth, replied, 'No ! no ! ma mailresse, do j you not understand that famice and poverty have irritated this poor devil ? He has only repeated what he heard, and is not malignant. I pardon him; his boat shall no longer be taxed : then, Madame, he will shout loud enough, 'Vive Henri ! Vivi Gabrielle."' Henry shed some bitter tears for the loss of his beautiful mistress, but in a, short tune he was completely enslaved by another charmer. Five weeks after the demise of Gabrielle, Heniiette de Balzac, the daughter of the Marquis d'Entragues, "stood before the King in the lustre of her artful yet piquant beauty, and the Royal heart again throbbed with passion. This lady and her relatives cherished high and "ambitious designs. Mademoiselle d'Entragues they hoped might supply the place of Gabrielle d'Estrges, and mount the thione to which the latter had aspired. With great cunning they obtained fiom Henry a promise of marriage in writing. This document he signed in opposition to the advice, and against the strong remonstrance of his faithful friend and Minister, Rosny (better known to tis by his after acquired title of the Duke de Sully). It is sufficiently curious to bear quotation :— "We, Henry the Fourth, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, promise and swear befoie God, and on the faith and word of a King, to Messire Frangois de Balzac, Seigneur d'Entragues, Knight of our Order, that he giving us for companion and consort Mademoiselle Hennette Catherine de Balzac, his daughter, that in case six months hence the said lady becomes pregnant, and eventually gives birth to a son, from that instant we will take her for our wife and legitimate spouse ; and will publicly celebrate such marriage in the face of Holy Church, with the accustomed solemnities. We also promise and swear to ratify this promise again, under our sign-manual, so soon as our Holy Father the Pope decrees the dissolution of the marriage contracted between us and Madame Marguerite de France, with permission to enter into fresh nuptial contract. In witness thereof we write and sign the present — | Au Bois de Malesherbes, this Ist day of October, 1599. , "Heney." Shortly after the date of this " promise" a fitting spouse was found for Henry m Marie de Medici, the daughter of Francis 1., Grand Duke of Tuscany. Mdfie. d'Entragues, however, was a lady of spirit, ] and one that could not be easily disposed of. She had a bitter tongue, and whilst the marriage was talked of was "beside herself with passion and mortification. . . . She accused his Majesty of perjured faith, and publicly spoke of the Princess Mane as 'La grout Banquiere.' One day Henrietta had the assurance to ask the King at one of Zamet's fites when he expected sagrosse banquiere. " Madam," replied Henry, "we shall expect her when our country shall be purged of such as you." The King, however, in vain endeavoured to get possession of the fatal promise. He wrote the following letter to the audacious Henrietta, but it produced no effect :— " The King to Mademoiselle d'Entragues. •' Mademoiselle, — The affection, the honours, and the benefit which you have received from me must have inspired the most volatile mind with gratitude, had not such been combined with a temper, evil, like your own. I will not reproach you more, though you know that so I ought to do, and that I possess the power. I beg you to send me immediately the promise which you know ; and do not give me the trouble to compel its return by other means. Return me also the ring, which I gave back to you the other day. You perceive and understand the purport of this missive ; to which I demand a lespouse before nightfall." In due time Mane de Medici arrived in France, and her martiage with Henry IV., now divorced from Marguerite, was celebrated with great pomp. She is said to have been a Royal lady of great personal attractions and of a commanding temper, lufinite was the satisfaction of Henry, and the joy of the French people, when in September, 1861, she gave birth to a dauphin. The peace of the lealm was now assured, and in this long-desired heir the poweiful and popular monaich beheld the best support of his thione The Infant aftcrwaids reigned as Louis XIII. , and his birth is thus descubed :—: — Birth or Louis XIII. " The lying-in chambei of the Queen was the celebrated Chambre Ovale, in the Palace of Fontainebleau : there were present at the birth of the child, the King, Madame the Duchess de Nemours, the Duke de Montpensier, the Count de Soissous and the Punce de Conty, Princes of the blood. The adjacent cabinet de la i erne was occupied by the Ministers, and other high personages. The saloon was filled by ladies, and peisonages of the household of the Princes. Louis XIII. was born at half -past 10 at night — the chdd was supposed at first to be lifeless ; but the skdl of Madame Boursier, who iustified the Queen's preference, averted this calamity. ' Tears ran down the cheeks of the King when he heard that a dauphin was born' relates Madame Boursier, in her interesting narrative. 'He asked me whether I had told the Queen ? 1 replied ' No'— but that I begged his Majesty to do so, but with precaution.' The King then went, and embraced the Queen, and said, " M'amye, you have suffered much; but God has blessed us — we have a son." Her Majesty clasped her hands, a few teais escaped, and she fainted away.' The room was then cleared ; the King, taking the dauphin in his arms, exhibited him to the personages in the adjacent apartments. M. Herouard, first physician, then took possession of the little Prince, and escorted him, lying in the arms of Madame de Montglat, to his apartment. The transports were great. People embraced each other, weeping for joy. All night the town of Fontainebleau celebrated the event by fireworks, bonfires, music and feastings. Barrels of wine were emptied in the court of the chateau in honour of the King, Queen, and M. le Dauphin ; and couriers were dispatched to carry the transporting news to every province in the realm. The following day early, visits to the apartments of the dauphin recommenced, and lusted till dusk-hour. The little Clisar de Venddme (one of the children of Gabrielle d'Estriies), who had been I'aifant gatS de la cow, was found by one of the Queen's women clinging to the tapestry portal leading to the young Prince a chamber, and j crying bitterly. ' Monsieur, what are you doing — and what ails you ?' ' Nobody speaks to me now ; yesterday, everybody answered me, and to day they say I may not go in there !' sobbed the child, pointing to the door of the Queen's apartment. When ' Marie was iuformed of the affliction of her little favounte, she ordered that M. de Vendflme should be amused, and allowed to see M. le Dauphin when he liked, aud go out to ric!e in the forest. Marie soon became convalescent. Two days after the birth of the dauphin, the Kmg, writing to the Marquis de Rosny, says — ' It is wonderful to behold how well my wife is. She can diess her hair, and talks to-day of rising from her bed ! Her constitution is marvellously strong !' In the same letter Henry commands Rosny to prepare the necessary deeds for transferring to the Queen the Castle of Monceaux. Henry, however, purchased the chateau from C^sarMonsieur ; and ordered Rosny to invest the money for'the benefit of the Prince/ For several weeks after the birth of the dauphin the town of Fontainebleau kept festival : people from the extremity of France journeyed to gaze enraptured upon "M. le Dauphin, as he lay asleep in his crade of fine filigree work, presented by the Grand Duchess Christine." Men are not often heroes to their valets) and certainly the great Henry, as portrayed in these pages, falls lamentably short of the popular idea of that mighty pnnce "Kmg Henry of Navarre." — Weekly

Locusts in Russia. — The entire provinces of Kiev and Podolia are infested and invested by a mighty army of locusts. So thick and numberless are the eggs that m every shovelful of earth eighty eggs may be counted The ignorant peasantry, even where the natuie of the land admits of the destruction of this pest, lefuse to disturb this' terrible visitation, as they hold it to be a punishment sent fiom Heaven. The entiie haivejt must fall before these vicious insects instead of before the husbandman's siokle, and famine must be the people's portion. >