DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.63221#0130
94
THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE
a Persian Princess; but he could not get into Persia, and
failed in his final purpose.
From all these visions Louise was suddenly awakened by
a rude shock. At the end of 1514, Louis XII, far from
filling the second place in the tomb that he had ordered
for his wife, announced his intention of marrying again.
His choice had fallen on the eighteen-year-old Mary Tudor,
sister of Henry VIII. Louis sent his first painter, Jean de
Paris, to London, to paint her portrait and to plan her
trousseau. He prepared gorgeous pageants to greet her and
himself went in state to receive her at Calais. Francis,
Margaret, and a superb retinue accompanied him : no expense,
no emotion was spared. Louise of Savoy was checkmated,
and by no means agreeable on the occasion. “ Le 22 Sep-
tembre, 1514,” is her spiteful entry in her journal, “le roi
Louis XII, fort antique et debile, (the King was no more
than fifty-two) sortit de Paris, pour aller au devant de sa
jeune femme, la reine Marie.”
“Le 9 Octobre, 1514, furent les amoureuses noces de
Louis XII, roi de France, et de Marie d’Angleterre; et furent
epouses a dix heures du matin.”
Henry VIII, who had, as we know, a high standard of
wifely conduct, sent the King a letter with his sister, ex-
pressing his hopes that her capricious character would not
harm conjugal peace. “Et ainsi,” he added, in painstaking
French, “lui donnames avisement et conseil avant son de-
partement et ne faisons aucun doute, 1’un jour plus que
1’autre, ne la trouvez telle qu’elle ne doit etre envers vous.”
The “Avisement” had no further result than the complete
bewitching of the poor old King. He now dined at noon
THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE
a Persian Princess; but he could not get into Persia, and
failed in his final purpose.
From all these visions Louise was suddenly awakened by
a rude shock. At the end of 1514, Louis XII, far from
filling the second place in the tomb that he had ordered
for his wife, announced his intention of marrying again.
His choice had fallen on the eighteen-year-old Mary Tudor,
sister of Henry VIII. Louis sent his first painter, Jean de
Paris, to London, to paint her portrait and to plan her
trousseau. He prepared gorgeous pageants to greet her and
himself went in state to receive her at Calais. Francis,
Margaret, and a superb retinue accompanied him : no expense,
no emotion was spared. Louise of Savoy was checkmated,
and by no means agreeable on the occasion. “ Le 22 Sep-
tembre, 1514,” is her spiteful entry in her journal, “le roi
Louis XII, fort antique et debile, (the King was no more
than fifty-two) sortit de Paris, pour aller au devant de sa
jeune femme, la reine Marie.”
“Le 9 Octobre, 1514, furent les amoureuses noces de
Louis XII, roi de France, et de Marie d’Angleterre; et furent
epouses a dix heures du matin.”
Henry VIII, who had, as we know, a high standard of
wifely conduct, sent the King a letter with his sister, ex-
pressing his hopes that her capricious character would not
harm conjugal peace. “Et ainsi,” he added, in painstaking
French, “lui donnames avisement et conseil avant son de-
partement et ne faisons aucun doute, 1’un jour plus que
1’autre, ne la trouvez telle qu’elle ne doit etre envers vous.”
The “Avisement” had no further result than the complete
bewitching of the poor old King. He now dined at noon