Thibaut Count of Blois But some time after she was brought to Bed the King being inform'd of all Eleonor's Galantries resolv'd to vacate his Marriage To which purpose he assembl'd the Clergy of France at Boisgency where Alegrin his Chancellor set forth the reasons that mov'd the King to desire a separation and easily obtain'd what his Master desir'd because the Queen made no opposition However Lewis that he might come off with Honour surrendred back to her the Dutchy of Aquitaine and the Earldom of Peitou which she brought him in Dowry and only kept the two Daughters which He had by her Eleonor after this Divorce retir'd to Poitiers where she was visited by Henry Duke of Normandy the King of England's Son Who thô he were a Prince whose Person was no way inviting and had the worst colour'd Hair in the world yet she fail'd not to admit of his sedulities and to hearken to the proposals of Marriage which he made her because he was Heir presumptive to the Crown of England Henry was well inform'd of all the disorders of her past life but his eager desire to joyn Guyenne and Peitou to the rest of those Dominions which he was to inherit prevail'd over all other Considerations He espous'd Eleonor which so enrag'd Lewis that he suffer'd no opportunity of Revenge to escape him So that a War was kindl'd between the two Princes so soon as Henry came to the Crown which lasted till an end was put to it by the Marriage of Henry the King of England's eldest Son with Margaret the Daughter of Lewis and Elisabeth of Castille his second Wife And thô the affianc'd Princess were but five years of Age she was put into the hands of the King of England for a farther confirmation of the Alliance When she came to be of age proper for the consummation of the Nuptials the King of England refus'd to deliver her to his Son for fear he should become too potent and go about to dethrone him with the assistance of France Thereupon Henry impatient to enjoy his youthful Spouse that was to secure him his Succession to the Crown of England the Princess being design'd to the Heir of the Kingdom he stole her away and fled into France to the King his Father-in law From thence he wrote to his own Father demanding England or the Dutchy of Normandy as an Earnest of his Succession and upon the King's refusal resolv'd to obtain his Pretensions by force of Arms. Queen Eleonor also engag'd Richard Duke of Aquitain and Jeoffrey Duke of Bretagne her Brothers to take part with Henry and Lewis oblig'd William King of Scotland to invade England on that side while he sent Robert Earl of Leicester with a powerful Army to make a descent into the Island out of France So that a Man would have thought that the King of England assail'd on every side must have been overwhelmed by so many Enemies But Heaven protected him His Son Henry dy'd in a short time after and Peace was concluded between England and France and the Marriage of Richard who was become Heir to the Crown by the death of Henry with Alice the Daughter of Lewis was the Seal of that Union But in regard the Princess was very young she was put into the hands of the King of England as her Sister had been till she came to years of maturity and Queen Eleonor was shut up in close imprisonment to prevent her contriving new troubles at Court. In the mean time King Henry shew'd himself so extreamly complaisant to the Princess Alice that it was look'd upon to be an effect of love and the Princess answer'd him with a frankness pardonable as her years however Richard grew jealous to that degree that he could not find in his heart to marry her when he came to the Crown Queen Eleonor also whom he set at liberty so soon as he saw himself seated upon the Throne confirm'd him in his aversion and negotiated a Match between him and Beranguelle the Daughter of Don Garcias King of Navarre whom she carry'd to Richard then in Palestine where he espous'd her This anger'd Philip surnam'd the August King of France who at the same time had made a voyage to the Holy Land but he would not shew his resentment there for the injury done his Sister because he would not give the Infidels an opportunity to take advantage of the division of the Christians But so soon as he return'd into France he enter'd the Territories of the King of England in revenge At length Eleonor after she had been the cause of many mischiefs in both Kingdoms where she had worn the Crown ended her days at Poitiers in the Fourscore and fourth year of her age Mary of Moravia Mistress to Philip surnamed the August Anno 1192. PHILIP the August after the death of Isabella of Hainault his first Wife marry'd Isembourg or Eudelberge the Daughter of Waldemar the Great King of Denmark but found so little pleasure in the enjoyment of her that after the first Night he never would Bed her again However he endeavour'd a long time to combat this aversion but not being able to surmount it he imparted the secret of his disgust to William Bishop of Beauvais who told him that in regard there was a near affinity between him and the Queen it would be no difficult thing for him to disannul the Marriage if he would summon an Assembly of the Prelats of his Kingdom The King relish'd this Proposal and having sent for all the Bishops of France and amongst the rest for the Archbishop of Rheims who presided in the Assembly the sentence of Separation was pronounc'd Some time before the King had seen the Portraicture of Mary Agnes the Daughter of Bertol Duke of Moravis which appear'd so charming to him that he had always the Idea of her in his sight Therefore when he saw himself at liberty he sent to demand her in Marriage and having obtain'd his desires he espous'd her with a more then ordinary Magnificence Anno. 1198. Isemburg would not be present at the Nuptial Ceremony but secretly left the Court with a design to retire into Denmark But when she came to the Frontiers of France she bethought her self of the fault she was about to commit in abandoning the Justice of her Cause she return'd back again and shutting her self up in a Convent sent an account of her misfortune to King Conuie her Brother He being astonish'd at Philip's inconstancy sent to his Ambassador then residing in Rome to make his complaints to Pope Celestin and to demand Justice of him Celestin immediately dispatch'd away two Cardinals the one a Priest and the other a Deacon to make inquiry into what had past in the dissolution of the Marriage and to make use of all the Authority of the Holy See to oblige the King to take Isemburg again in case he had no lawful cause of separation So soon as the two Legates arriv'd at Paris
Daughter was sent away by that private conveyance during his Sickness Nor was he ignorant how prejudicial the conjunction of Bretagne to the Dominions of Spain would be to France which was the reason that without many more to do he resolv'd to cross a contrivance so dangerous notwithstanding he was assur'd that the Queen would never forgive him should the King happen to die of his Sickness Thereupon he stopt the Princess with most respectful protestations of his sorrow for being constrain'd to come to that extremity This action of the Marshal was commended by the King and all good French men and the Queen her self feign'd to applaud it however when the King was recover'd she made use of her credit to ruin that faithful subject Nevertheless she could not prevent the marriage of her Daughter with the Count of Angoulême because it was generally desir'd But it was such an inward vexation to her that sinking under the weight of her corroding anguish she dy'd in the thirty seven Year of her age 'T is true the King did not express that sorrow for her death as 't is thought he would have done considering the passion he had for her as long as she liv'd whither it were that his mind was taken up with his cares of the Wars of Italy or that the Queen's attempts against his authority had cool'd the heat of his Love However after that he liv'd such a reserv'd life that no body believ'd he would ever have thought of a third Marriage but the Duke of Longueville was the occasion of reviving that desire in him That Prince having rashly engag'd himself in a battle against the English year 1514 lost the battle of Spurs and became a prisoner to Henry VIII of England To repair this fault he undertook during his imprisonment to bring off that Prince from his confederacy with the Emperor nor did he find any great trouble to perswade him to it For thô he were very young he was very thrifty and he was a weary of paying the Emperours Troops who was extreamly poor and of furnishing him a hundred Crowns a day for his table There only wanted therefore a plausible pretence to break the Confederacy and there was not a better at that time to be found then a more strict alliance between France and England Henry VIII had a Sister whose beauty was a domestick mischief to him as we shall find in the sequel of this history She was born after another Daughter so much unprovided of the graces of the body that the King of Scotland had never marry'd her but because the King would not marry the youngest before the eldest The youngest being come of Age the Duke of Milan and several other Sovereign Princes sought her in vain because 't was not then the custom to marry the King's Daughter out of the Island This custome which had not been alter'd for four Ages together had infus'd into the young English Lords of the highest Quality a confidence to pretend to the Princess and the King gave way to it lest he should be accus'd of too much severity toward his Sister tho' he had no design to have marry'd her to any of his subjects for fear of drawing a civil War upon himself not unlike to those wherein several of his predecessors had miscarry'd Nevertheless in regard it is a difficult thing for a Woman to hold out any long time against Love when she makes it her business to allure the Princess of England after she had entangl'd in the snares of Love all those that could give any cause of jealousy to her Brother was her self smitten with one whom he had little reason to fear There was introduc'd into the Court of England a young English Gentleman whose name was Charles Brandon without any other recommendation then that of the King's Nurse whose Son he was He was extreamly handsome well proportion'd in his person and very active in all manner of exercises He had the air of a person of Quality and there was observ'd in him that sweetness of temper and that discretion that he was welcome into all societies and chiefly into the Ladies company who were altogether prevalent at Court The King took him for his second in all his matches at Tenis and made him the confident of all his most secret pleasures He conferr'd upon him the office of his chief Huntsman and lest his name should remind the Courtiers of the meaness of his Birth he caus'd him to assume the title of the Counts of Suffolk illustrious for the merit and quality of the persons who had born it for above two hundred years It is not certainly known whether this new title had convinc'd the Princess that she might bestow her affection without any dishonour upon the person whom the King her Brother had honour'd with it since the English Histories are full of presidents of several Earls of Suffolk that have pretended to the marriage of the Sisters and Daughters of their King 's or whether the Love which she already had for him had imprinted that Idea in her mind in his favour but it was observ'd that in a short time after the Princess lookt upon Suffolk with a more passionate glance then she was wont to do Nor wat it so much to be wonder'd at that the Earle should make her suitable returns with Eyes no less inflam'd and sparkling And the Courtiers in a little time were so us'd to it that they took little notice of it whether it were the custome at that time to love at well beneath as above their quality or whether it were that the Courtiers thought it not proper to be more concern'd about it then the King himself was who only laught at the business and made himself merry with the two lovers so soon as he discover'd their reciprocal affection Not that he approv'd it in the main or that he had so high a value for Suffolk as to make him his Brother in Law thô he had a greater kindness for him then for the rest of his Courtiers But he was in hopes to draw some advantage from the inequality of this Amour which he thought would exasperate the English Lords against her and cause 'em to desist from looking any more after her besides that he assur'd himself that he should be so much the master of his Sister and Suffolk that nothing should be acted between them two but by his consent This was the posture of the Court of England when the Duke of Longueville made a proposal as from himself of a match between the Princess and Lewis XII The King of England listen'd to him with those marks of respect and approbation which suficiently discover'd what he had in his Heart He was importun'd to bestow his Sister out of the way and he met with the most lucky means that Fortune ever could have offer'd him 'T is true he could not without some trouble to himself put an end to a War so advantageous to him
however it would have been no less a vexation to him to separate from his new Mistress who would have been unwilling to cross the Seas and follow him in his Armies In the mean time he was engag'd to repass into France upon the return of the Spring not doubting but that if he fail'd in his promise both his Enemies and his own Souldiers would accuse him of Cowardice There was nothing but a Peace that could handsomly disingage him from that excessive expence which he would be oblig'd to be at if he intended to keep the Emperors Army in pay the next Spring In short he grew weary of contributing to the ambitious designs of the King of Spain his Brother in Law yet getting nothing by it and contented himself with having been twice deceiv'd by as many Treaties sign'd by his Ambassador Quintana as suttle a Fox of a Castilian as ever was born Nevertheless the King of England being haughty told the Duke of Longueville that it would be time enough to think of his Sister when she should be demanded in due form As much as to say that it was not from the mouth of a Prisoner that the King was to take notice of any proposal of that nature The Duke of Longueville gave a shrewd guess at the King's thoughts and sent into France under pretence of sending for his ransome a Gentleman who assur'd Lewis XII that it would be his own fault if he did not make a Peace with England upon reasonable conditions and marry the King's Sister who was the most lovely Woman in Europe Lewis who had always an amourous inclination willingly entertain'd the proposal and the portraiture of the Princess that was sent him was too powerful a charm to let his affection for the Female Sex lie dormant He flatter'd himself also with the hopes of having a Son and casting off all his former fears of the inconveniencies that might befall him if Bretagne were separated from the Crown he dispatcht into England the General of Normandy who concluded both the Peace and the Match in fifteen days and carry'd the Princess to Boulogne where the Count of Angoulême had Orders to go and receive her The Count most gladly undertook and discharg'd his trust thô the marriage which he solemniz'd by procuration from the King was the way in all probability to deprive him of the Crown However Francines the King 's chief Physician assur'd him that the King was very unlikely to have any more Children So that he appear'd at Boulogne like a Prince who only minded his divertisement at what time he could not forbear falling in Love with her whom he marry'd for his Father in Law as she could not chuse but wish that Heaven had ordain'd the Count for her Husband And the convenience which they had to entertain each other with private Conversation might perhaps have prompted 'em to have taken a far greater liberty if the Prothonotary du Pont who was plac'd near the Prince to moderate in some measure the transports of his youth had not put it into his head that 't was not the new Queen's interest to keep her self very cbast because that in regard she was going to a Husband by whom as all People said she would never have any Children 't was to be fear'd she would submit to a temptation that might help her to a Child for the preservation of her race in France when she came to he a Widow and dispence with her return into England under subjection to her Brother but that as for himself it concern'd him above all Men to take care of the Queen's living chastily as being a thing far remote from his Interest to sollicite her to incontinence for that if she had a Son by him that Son would hinder him from coming to the Crown and reduce him to be contented with Bretagne which his Wife had brought him while he contrary to the order of nature must be forc'd to do Homage to a Bastard This reason cool'd the Count of Angoulême's courage and caus'd him to look upon the Queen with no other then jealous Eyes and he watch'd her so narrowly that at length he discover'd the kindness she had for Suffolk He follow'd her with the character of her Champion of Honour but carry'd himself with that discretion that they could have never penetrated into his affairs had they not been already discover'd in England The Count understood every thing so well that the slightest circumstances were not conceal'd from him and because it was no less then either the loss or gaining of a Crown that was now in agitation he sought an opportunity to speak with Suffolk in private He told him that he was well acquainted with his good correspondence with the Queen and that he was so far from breaking it off that he would countenance him in it provided he might be no looser by it that the King was not in â—ondition to have Children nor to live long that Suffolk could never think of making any progresses in the Queen's favour without exposing himself to the danger of being discover'd by a multitude of spies that would never loose sight of him so that if he took never so little liberty he was a lost Man past all redemption On the otherside if he would give him assurance to contain himself within the bounds of respect he would engage never to cross his good fortune after the King's death nay he would connive at his marrying the Queen in private and allow him an establishment in France as good as he could desire till he could make his peace with the King of England Thô the Duke of Angoulême never consider'd at the time of his making those proposals whither he could be as good as his word when he came to the Crown Suffolke found 'em so advantageous that he was charm'd with 'em and accepted of 'em as real performances He promis'd more then the Duke demanded and offer'd to be himself a Spy upon the Queen But in regard it would have been a piece of imprudence to have wholly confided in his Word Precautions were taken to hinder him from breach of Faith should he have gone about to have violated his promise The Baroness of Aumont was made of Honour to the Queen and became her most intimate Confident And it was by the advice of the Queen that she enlarg'd the functions of her Office beyond the usual bounds and that knowing the Queen to be fearful and unwilling to lie alone she pretended that the Honour of lying with the Queen in the King's absence belong'd to her and carry'd it to the exclusion of all the Ladies which the Queen brought with her out of England Now because the Count of Angoulême's Friends thought it absolutely necessary that he should have secret and faithful Spies about the Queen Madame and the Baroness d'Aumont undertook that Province and divided their time so exactly between 'em that either the one or the other was always by her nor