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THE

LADY'S MAGAZINE AND MUSEUM,

A Family Journal

OF ORIGINAL TALES AND STORIES, IN PROSE AND VERSE, INCLUDING
IMPARTIAL REVIEWS OF LITERATURE, THE FINE ARTS,
DRAMA, FASHIONS, &c. &c.

[To our great delight the pictures from which, though in vain, we had endeavoured to take our promised British Queens, are undergoing a thorough cleaning, so that our readers as well as ourselves will, we trust, gain by the delay, in having more closely copied portraits than it would have been otherwise in our power to have given. Our readers will nevertheless be pleased in seeing that our portraits and memoirs are intimately connected with the affairs and the history of Great Britain, and the continued demand which is made both for the past numbers of this Magazine and for the Portraits (which fact is well known to the large publishing houses and the book trade generally) confirms us in the notion that we have at length established this work, as one of permanent interest, for public libraries, as well as for those of the nobility, to whom we have long been highly indebted for their support of this publication].

OCTOBER, 1837.

UNDER THE DISTINGUISHED PATRONAGE OF

HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT.

MEMOIR OF MARGUERITE OF FLANDERS.

COUNTESS OF MONTFORT AND DUCHESS OF BRETAGNE.

(Illustrated by an authentic Portrait, carefully coloured, from a whole length Miniature painted in a vellum manuscript of Froissart's Chronicle.)

MARGUERITE de Flandres will be well known to many of our readers as the heroine of the chivalrous chronicler Froissart, and we shall have the great pleasure of unwinding from his magnificent web the threads which compose the life of this illustrious lady, and when we consider that the great historian of the

ages was her contemporary, and in some instances the eyewitness of her actions, the interest taken by the reader in the perusal of this memoir must be greatly increased.

Whether it be that the flower of courtesy, Sir John Froissart, considered it unpolite to set down in precise figures the Anno Domini of the birth of a courtly beauty who was still in existence, we will not undertake to determine, all we know is that he does not do it, and only tells us that in the year 1340 she was "the wife of John, Count of Montfort, competitor with Charles of Blois for the

K K-VOL. XI.-OCTOBER.

ducal throne of Bretagne. Marguerite was of royal birth, a Flemish princess, being daughter of John, sovereign-count of Flanders, and sister to Count Louis, whose struggles with his rebellious subject Artevelde have been the subject of more than one modern romance. Both brother and sister, eminent as they were for beauty and splendid talents, have been favourite subjects for the pen of the romance writer; but with romance this department of our magazine has nought to do, unless it be with the romance of reality, of which we find ample store in the pages of the knightly chronicler.

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The Kings of England, as dukes of Normandy, claimed feudal homage and sovereignty over the Dukes of Bretagne, for which they paid homage with their other French dominions to the Kings of France, not as kings of England, but as Dukes of Normandy.

Now the ancestors of Philip of Valois, King of France, had violently seized Normandy from King John of England, as a punishment for the murder of the vassal of the King of France, Arthur, Duke of Bretagne; and since that time, the Dukes of Bretagne had done homage to the Kings of France, not only as principal suzerain, but as Dukes of Normandy.

Our Edward III. commenced his well known warlike career with the intention of winning Normandy and his other continent. I possessions.

His attempts were successless while the great independent vassals of the King of France were at peace with their monarch.

On the death of John III. Duke of Bretagne, without heirs, a dispute for the succession arose between his brother John, Count of Montfort, the husband of our Marguerite of Flanders, and Charles of Blois, the husband of the Princess Joanna, the heiress of Bretagne, niece to John III., and daughter to his second brother, Guy, Count of Penthievre. King Philip of Valois warmly espoused the cause of Joanna, because her husband, Prince Charles of Blois, was his nephew.

King Edward III., of England, as warmly espoused the cause of John of Montfort, at first for the politic motive of sowing division in the country of his enemy, and afterwards out of admiration of the splendid qualities of his wife, our heroine.

The claim of John of Montfort was not remarkable for its justice. The constitution of Bretagne rejected the Salic law. The ducal crown had twice before descended to females, yet he, the third brother of the royal family, seized the sovereignty as heir male, to the exclusion of his niece, who was daughter to his elder brother the Count Guy of Penthievre.

The Bretons themselves, who were a peculiar people apart from the rest of France, a colony of British Celts from

our island, speaking the Celtic tongue, and acting under their ancient code of legislation, chiefly derived from Druidical traditions, abhorred at once the language, laws, and domination of France. They viewed with angry distrust the near relationship of the husband of their young duchess to the King of France; ' and notwithstanding their last reigning duke had solemnly instituted his niece as their future sovereign, and the laws of Bretagne positively acknowledged the rights of female successors, yet on the death of John III. nearly two-thirds of the people revolted from the Princess Joanna and her husband Charles of Blois, and elected John of Montfort for their duke.

This prince, though the third son of Arthur the second, Duke of Bretagne, was not by the same mother as John III. and the father of the Princess Joanna. His mother was the second wife of Arthur II., and heiress of the Counts of Montfort, from whom he inherited both wealth and territory, which enabled him to prosecute his contest for the throne of Bretagne.

The subject of our memoir is called in chronicle Marguerite of Flanders from her birth; Countess of Montfort from her husband's inheritance; Countess of Hennebon from the seizure of that earldom and valiant defence of its capital; and finally, Duchess of Bretagne. No little confusion does this variety of titles occasion to the readers of French and English history; but our readers will understand when they meet with these four names in the annals of the times of Edward III. that they mean one and the same person.

Such was the position of affairs in France, England, and Bretagne, when Froissart commences his fascinating history, which will be read with more perspicuity after this introduction.

As soon as the Count of Montfort knew of the death of Duke John III., his brother, he set off directly for the city of Nantes, which is the capital of Bretagne, and exerted himself so much among the citizens and people that he was received as their lord, as being the next relation to the duke just departed. Then he and his wife, who had the heart of a lion, took counsel together upon holding a solemn court and a great feast

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at Nantes. Summons were sent to all the barons and nobles of Bretagne, and to the councils of the great towns, inviting them to attend this court to do their fealty and homage to their true lord, which was done.

It was at this entry into Nantes that the portraits of John of Montfort and Marguerite were taken, and have been handed down to posterity by the contemporary limner who designed and coloured the portraits and embellishments of the folio manuscript of Froissart, and it is from this our portrait is accurately copied. At this time we have reason to suppose Marguerite was twenty-five, in the very prime of her beauty, she was only then entering into active life, and we have no portrait of her after battle, and siege, and sorrow had written their troubles on her fair brow.

The next important step taken by John of Montfort was the seizure of his brother's treasure at Limoges, the people of which town gladly owned his sovereignty. This prince seems to have been the chosen sovereign of the citizens, burgesses, and common people; but the feudal nobility seem to have assisted his rival.

The towns of Brest and Rennes were gained by John of Montfort, partly by force and partly by stratagem.

His next exploit was the capture of Hennebon, a strong city on the river Blavet, in the district of Vannes, thirtyseven leagues from Nantes.

"The fourth day," says Froissart, "he decamped and marched to the strongest town without comparison in all Brittany, called Hennebon. It is situated near the sea, and a river runs round about in deep trenches. Why should I make a long story of it," continues the knightly historian. "The Count of Montfort continued his conquests, gained the whole country, and was every where addressed as Duke of Brittany. He then embarked and landed in Cornwall, where, upon his inquiries after the King of England, he was informed that he was at Windsor. He set off for that place, and was received at Windsor by the king, queen, and all the barons at that time there, with great joy."

Froissart positively declares that John did Edward III. homage for the dukedom of Bretagne, we hope he did not for

his honour's sake, for we find him positively denying that he did so to the King of France. Among our national aunals remains the copy of his homage as Earl of Richmond, an honour the Kings of England, from the time of the Conqueror, bestowed on the Dukes of Bretagne. As Edward III. thought Bretagne a comfortable landing place for his invasion of France, he formed a strong alliance with the duke, offensive and defensive, and promised to support him against his rival Charles of Blois.

"After this King Edward and Queen Philippa made such rich presents of jewels and other gifts to the count and to those who had come over with him, that they pronounced King Edward to be a gallant king and fit to reign many years in great prosperity. They afterwards took leave, embarked, and landed at Roscoff, a town in Brittany, the place whence they sailed, and thence he went to Nantes, where his countess had remained, who told him that he had done well and acted wisely."

Prince Charles of Blois we may well suppose approved but very little of these proceedings; he complained to his royal uncle Philip of Valois, who, as high suzerain, summoned John of Montfort before him to account for his claims on Bretagne.

"The messengers found Montfort and his countess in the city of Nantes, keeping great feasts, which he made them partake of, and told them he would be obedient to the King of France's commands.

"He made very magnificent preparations, set out from Nantes, and journeyed on till he came to Paris, which he entered with more than 400 attendants on horseback. On the morrow, about eight o'clock, he and his attendants mounted and rode to the palace, where King Philip was waiting for him surrounded by the twelve great peers (who were all par parenthese, like the Duke of Bretagne, minor sovereigns), great numbers of other barons, and the Lord Charles of Blois. The count was civilly regarded and saluted by them. He advanced towards the King, and making a reverence said,

"Sire, I come here in obedience to your commands and good pleasure."

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"The king replied, Count of Mont

fort, I thank you for so doing, but I am much surprised how you could think or dare of your own accord to invade the duchy of Brittany where you have no right, for there be nearer heirs than you, and to strengthen your claim you have been (as I am informed) doing homage for it to my enemy the King of England.' "The Count answered, Dear Sire, do not believe it, for in good truth you have been misinformed. But with regard to my claim on Brittany, of which you have just spoken, with all due deference to your grace, I believe you are quite mistaken; for I know of no nearer relative to my brother the last duke than myself; and I shall not think myself a rebel, or be ashamed for not giving up my right.'

"Sir count,' said the king, 'you say well; but I command you, by what you now hold from me your suzerain, that you quit not my city of Paris for fifteen days, when the peers and barons shall try this claim, at which time they will let you know what your right is.'

"Your will shall be done, Sire,' answered Count de Montfort.

"He then left the court, and returned to his hotel to dinner. When he was come there, he retired to his own chamber, and having well weighed some suspicions he had conceived, he mounted his horse, and with a few attendants made the best of his way home to Brittany, and arrived safe in his city of Nantes, before the king or any others knew he was missing. It was imagined ill health kept him within his hotel.

"He related to his countess all that had befallen him, and wrote, according to her advice, to all the towns and castles that had been surrendered to him to hold themselves in watchfulness; he established in each able captains, cavalry as well as infantry, and paid them handsomely."

We hope the ladies of Great Britain will observe how pleasantly the chivalrous Froissart mentions the consultations the brave De Montfort held with his lady, and the good results of these matrimonial confidences. This is the more amiable of Sir John Froissart, since, being a secular canon, he was debarred by the rules of the church from possessing a fair and faithful better-half himself. He was not envious like some learned

bachelors, who vituperate the ladies whenever they write.

We may pretty well guess what was the result of the grand feudal court over which King Philip presided as suzerain of the twelve great peers. If Charles of Blois had not been his nephew, he would have decided against any ally of his rival King Edward. He pronounced his nephew Duke of Bretagne, in right of his wife Joanna, and, appointing his second son, whom he had created Duke of Normandy, to the command of a great army, proceeded to sustain the claims of Charles on Bretagne by force of arms.

As the war proceeded, the citizens of Nantes began to suffer in their persons and goods, and in consequence to grow discontented. At last through the machinations of Sir Hervé de Leon, a partisan noble whom Montfort had imprudently affronted, the fickle citizens treacherously delivered up Montfort to the Duke of Normandy. "They carried him to their camp without injuring house or inhabitant in the city. This was in the year of grace 1341, about All Saints day. The lords of France entered the city in great triumph, when all the burgesses did homage to the Lord Charles de Blois as their true lord. The lords then took their leave and departed, and rode on till they came to Paris, when they delivered up the Count of Montfort to King Philip as his prisoner. The king confined him in the Tower of the Louvre at Paris, where he remained for a length of time, and where he died as has been told me for a truth."

This assertion of Sir John Froissart's was not the fact, as we shall show from other authorities in the proper time and place. But now the real history of the heroic Marguerite commences, and we again proceed with Froissart, that courteous chronicler.

I wish," he says, "now to return to the countess, who possessed the courage of a man, and the heart of a lion. She was in the city of Rennes when she heard of the seizure of her lord; and, notwithstanding the great grief she had at heart, she did all she could to reanimate her friends and soldiers. Showing them her little son, named John after his father, she said, 'Oh, valiant gentlemen, be not cast down through all we suffer by the loss of my dear lord, for he was but one

man. Look upon my little son here, please God he shall be his father's restorer, and shall do you much service. I have plenty of wealth which I will distribute among you, and will seek for such a leader as may give you proper confidence.'

When the countess had thus encouraged her friends and soldiers at Rennes, she visited all the other towns and fortresses, taking her young son John with her. She strengthened her garrisons both with men and provisions, paid handsomely for every thing, and gave largely whenever she thought it would have a good effect. She then went to Hennebon, near the sea, where she and her son remained all that winter, from this place she frequently visited her garrisons whom she encouraged and paid liberally.

From this period of her history Marguerite of Flanders is usually termed countess of Hennebon, and by that name she is designated in all the modern tales and romances of which she has been made the heroine. These by the way are very bewildering reading to those desirous of real information; but this is the first attempt to detach the life of this admirable woman from the voluminous mass of chronicle which records the deeds of our third Edward.

The next step of the Lord Charles de Blois was to besiege the city of Rennes, which the countess had well fortified and placed there, as captain, Sir William de Cadondal, a Breton.

The French lords surrounded it on all sides, and did a great deal of damage, by the fierce assaults they made upon it; but the garrison defended themselves so valiantly, that their opponents lost more than they gained. When the countess saw how fiercely the war raged against her, she sent Sir Amauri de Clisson to King Edward in England to entreat his aid, upon condition that her son should take one of his daughters to wife, and give her the title of Duchess of Brittany.

The king ordered Sir Walter Manny to collect as many men at arms as Sir Amauri should judge proper, and also to take to the assistance of the Countess of Montfort 3,000 of the best archers of England.

Sir Walter got together, with volunteers, near six thousand men. But

his fleet was overtaken by a great tempest, and forced by contrary winds to remain on the sea forty days.

Rennes, meantime, was surrended to Charles of Blois by the mutinous citizens, who threw the brave governor into prison. A right courteous opponent seems the gallant rival of our heroine to have been, for he forthwith set Cadondal at liberty, who immediately went to the countess in Hennebon. This lady had not yet received any tidings of her embassy to Edward the Third, or of the coming aid.

"Soon after the surrender of Rennes, when the inhabitants had performed their promised homage to Lord Charles de Blois, he was advised to lay siege to Hennebon where the countess held out, for as her husband was safe in Paris, if he could but get possession of her and her sons, the war was ended.

"The countess had with her in Hennebon the Bishop of Leon, uncle to Sir Hervé de Leon, the betrayer of the Count de Montfort, the brave Sir William de Cadondal, the governor of Guingamp, the two brothers de Quirich, Sir Oliver and Sir Henry Spinefort, and many others.

"When the countess and her knights heard that their enemies were come to besiege them, and that they were hard by, they ordered the alarm bells to be rung, and every one to arm himself for the defence of the town.

"Lord Charles drew near to Hennebon, and then encamped his men. On the second day they made so vigorous an attack upon the barriers, early in the morning, that those within made a sally. Among these were some of the bravest, who continued the engagement with such courage, so that the assailants retired a little to the rear, carrying off with them a great many dead.

"Meantime the countess, who had clothed herself in armour, mounted on a war horse, and galloped up and down the streets of the town, entreating and encouraging the inhabitants to defend themselves right valiantly. She ordered her ladies and other women to unpave the streets, carry the stones to the ramparts and fling them on the enemies' heads. She had pots of quicklime brought to her, of which she made the

same use.

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