Message from the Duc d’Anjou, Afterwards Henri III., to King Charles His
Brother and the Queen-mother.—Her Fondness for Her Children.—Their
Interview.—Anjou’s Eloquent Harangue.—The Queen-mother’s Character.
Discourse of the Duc d’Anjou with Marguerite.—She Discovers Her Own
Importance.—Engages to Serve Her Brother Anjou.—Is in High Favour with
the Queenmother.
At the time my magnanimous brother Charles reigned
over France, and some few years after our return from
the grand progress mentioned in my last letter, the
Huguenots having renewed the war, a gentleman, despatched
from my brother Anjou (afterwards Henri III. of France),
came to Paris to inform the King and the Queen my
mother that the Huguenot army was reduced to such
an extremity that he hoped in a few days to force them
to give him battle. He added his earnest wish
for the honour of seeing them at Tours before that
happened, so that, in case Fortune, envying him the
glory he had already achieved at so early an age, should,
on the so much looked-for day, after the good service
he had done his religion and his King, crown the victory
with his death, he might not have cause to regret
leaving this world without the satisfaction of receiving
their approbation of his conduct from their own mouths,
a satisfaction which would be more valuable, in his
opinion, than the trophies he had gained by his two
former victories.
I leave to your own imagination to suggest to you
the impression which such a message from a dearly
beloved son made on the mind of a mother who doted
on all her children, and was always ready to sacrifice
her own repose, nay, even her life, for their happiness.
She resolved immediately to set off and take the King
with her. She had, besides myself, her usual
small company of female attendants, together with
Mesdames de Rais and de Sauves. She flew on the
wings of maternal affection, and reached Tours in
three days and a half. A journey from Paris,
made with such precipitation, was not unattended with
accidents and some inconveniences, of a nature to
occasion much mirth and laughter. The poor Cardinal
de Bourbon, who never quitted her, and whose temper
of mind, strength of body, and habits of life were
ill suited to encounter privations and hardships,
suffered greatly from this rapid journey.
We found my brother Anjou at Plessis-les-Tours, with
the principal officers of his army, who were the flower
of the princes and nobles of France. In their
presence he delivered a harangue to the King, giving
a detail of his conduct in the execution of his charge,
beginning from the time he left the Court. His
discourse was framed with so much eloquence, and spoken
so gracefully, that it was admired by all present.
It appeared matter of astonishment that a youth of
sixteen should reason with all the gravity and powers
of an orator of ripe years. The comeliness of
his person, which at all times pleads powerfully in
favour of a speaker, was in him set off by the laurels
obtained in two victories. In short, it was
difficult to say which most contributed to make him
the admiration of all his hearers.
