1274
[CATHERINE DE' MEDICI]:
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[CATHERINE DE' MEDICI]: (1519-1589) French and Italian noblewoman, Queen of France 1547-59 by her marriage to King Henry II. A good, historic A.L.S., Loise de bretaigne, by Louise de Bretagne (d.1602; Baroness of Castelnau and of Clermont-Lodeve, one of the ladies of honour who accompanied Elisabeth of Valois to Spain for the festivities following her marriage to King Philip II), three pages, folio, Toledo, Second Day of Lent [15th February?] 1561, to Catherine de' Medici, in French. Louise de Bretagne sends news to the Queen on a variety of events including Elisabeth of Valois's recovery from small-pox, the death of Francois II and Queen Mary's return to Scotland, in part, 'Madam, the health of the queen your daughter grows better and better since I wrote to you; because two days after I sent you the last despatch they made her take a little medicine to finish purging her, which has done her so much good that she has no ailment in the world since……It is now several days since she complained of anything; and the day before yesterday, which was Shrove Tuesday, she went to dine in the garden, by order of the doctors…..I fomented her with milk and saffron, and was obliged then and there to give her a clyster…..the doctors have bidden her to begin every meal with Prunes from Tours…..which makes me beg of you, Madam, to send us some of them by every courier. They have ordered her a bath today to make her menses come on, the date of passing we had noted, the ninth of this month…..Her face is quite free of crusts now, and we wash it every day with asses milk; and yesterday we began to anoint her nose with balm, where she has some pits. I hope the balm will make them disappear. The reason for these is that when she got the small-pox she had a cold and blew her nose so much that the pustules got broken. She is much freer of the migraine than she used to be, but I am in great need of marjoram seeds……the season for sowing them here has passed, and it is not possible to get any more. The King has not come to sleep with her yet, for which I am very glad for she is not quite well enough…..The Prince [Don Carlos] has his fever again rather badly, the cause being I think the great army which they say the Turks are preparing to bring this summer to Goletta [Tunis]……From the last couriers who came…..there is much comment here about the story that the funeral of the late King [Francis II] was conducted with one little candle, which is thought very strange. It is also said for about a fortnight, that Monsieur the Cardinal of Lorraine is going to Metz after Easter, and Queen Mary either to Joinville or to Scotland……Our Lenten services last five hours every morning, and they do not finish until between one and two, which makes fasting easier for us. The Queen your daughter is dispensed from it this Lent on account of her illness and eats meat. They make no difficulty about it. However, none of the Frenchwomen eat it except her and mademoiselle, who is very well. We are told here that she is soon to be married. They are very anxious to know the truth about it, for the King is resolved to make her a very handsome present…..You will be informed of everything. At present I know of nothing more except that all are very well at this court and very glad at the power you have, and greatly wish that it may last long…..' With the address panel to the verso of the final page, 'A La Raine, ma souveraine daime'. Loosely contained within a dark brown morocco presentation folder (slight wear and damage to the inside) with gilt decorations to the borders of the interior and exterior and with a gilt stamped title to the front Louise de Bretagne - Letter to Catherine de Medicis relative to the Queens of Spain & of Scotland 1561. Also included are a series of interesting typed research notes and a French transcript and English translation of the letter, apparently prepared for (or by) Frank Lester Pleadwell (1872-1957) American physician and autograph collector. A letter of fascinating content, including intimate details from within the Royal court. Neatly inlaid and with some minor slits and a small area of paper loss to the left edge as a result of the letter having originally been tied with ribbon. About VG
A remarkable, intimate letter relating to Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain, who was recovering from small-pox, the death of Francis II, and Queen Mary's return to Scotland. Elisabeth, the daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici, was born at Fontainebleau in 1545. Henry VIII was her Godfather and she was at first destined to be the wife of Edward VI, who had previously, by Treaty, been engaged to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. Edward's death, in 1553, put an end to this project, and a marriage was then arranged between her and Don Carlos, the son of Philip II of Spain. Philip's wife, Mary I, died in 1558, and in the year following he himself married Elisabeth, ignoring the engagement to his son, to whom Elisabeth appears to have been attached. The marriage was an unhappy one. The bride was not yet fifteen years of age and had been brought up with every care in a refined and luxurious Court. Philip, although only thirty-two years old, was morose and severe. The marriage took place (by proxy) in the Church of Notre Dame at Paris in June 1559, Philip being represented by Ferdinand de Toledo, Duke of Alba. Elisabeth first met her husband in the following year, on 2nd February 1560, at Guadalaxara, but the meeting was unfortunate. She died in October 1568, and the cause of her death was not without suspicion, especially as her former lover, Don Carlos, had died under very suspicious circumstances just a few months earlier.
Francis II, whose funeral is mentioned in the present letter, had died on 5th December 1560, and the occasion was perhaps the most important event in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, when her power and prospects in France were shattered in one blow, and her life-long enemy Catherine de' Medici again placed in a position of authority. Hence forward the struggles between Catherine and the Guises went more in her favour since she possessed absolute power over her young son, Charles IX, who succeeded to the throne, and usurped complete control of the Kingdom.
The forecast given in the present letter regarding Queen Mary's future movements proved correct. Mary, who had lived in complete seclusion since her husband's death, spent Easter at Rheims and then set out to Joinville to visit her grandmother, Antoinette de Bourbon, dowager Duchess of Guise. Thence she returned to Rheims and spent some weeks in seclusion in the Convent of St. Pierre with the Abbess, her aunt, Renee de Lorraine. Finally, she went to Paris where she stayed until July, when she set out for Scotland.
At the time when the present letter was written, early in 1561, great endeavours were being made by Mary's relatives to bring about a marriage between her and Don Carlos, a scheme very nearly concluded, in which case she would have become a step-daughter-in-law of Elisabeth, Queen of Spain, who was still supposed to be in love with her stepson herself. This scheme was strongly opposed by Catherine de' Medici, who wanted Don Carlos to marry her younger daughter, Margaret, who is referred to in the present letter as 'Madame your little daughter'
Louise de Bretagne was one of the maids-of-honour who accompanied Elisabeth to Spain. The 'mademoiselle' of the letter was another maid-of-honour, Anne de Bourbon Montpensier.
[CATHERINE DE' MEDICI]: (1519-1589) French and Italian noblewoman, Queen of France 1547-59 by her marriage to King Henry II. A good, historic A.L.S., Loise de bretaigne, by Louise de Bretagne (d.1602; Baroness of Castelnau and of Clermont-Lodeve, one of the ladies of honour who accompanied Elisabeth of Valois to Spain for the festivities following her marriage to King Philip II), three pages, folio, Toledo, Second Day of Lent [15th February?] 1561, to Catherine de' Medici, in French. Louise de Bretagne sends news to the Queen on a variety of events including Elisabeth of Valois's recovery from small-pox, the death of Francois II and Queen Mary's return to Scotland, in part, 'Madam, the health of the queen your daughter grows better and better since I wrote to you; because two days after I sent you the last despatch they made her take a little medicine to finish purging her, which has done her so much good that she has no ailment in the world since……It is now several days since she complained of anything; and the day before yesterday, which was Shrove Tuesday, she went to dine in the garden, by order of the doctors…..I fomented her with milk and saffron, and was obliged then and there to give her a clyster…..the doctors have bidden her to begin every meal with Prunes from Tours…..which makes me beg of you, Madam, to send us some of them by every courier. They have ordered her a bath today to make her menses come on, the date of passing we had noted, the ninth of this month…..Her face is quite free of crusts now, and we wash it every day with asses milk; and yesterday we began to anoint her nose with balm, where she has some pits. I hope the balm will make them disappear. The reason for these is that when she got the small-pox she had a cold and blew her nose so much that the pustules got broken. She is much freer of the migraine than she used to be, but I am in great need of marjoram seeds……the season for sowing them here has passed, and it is not possible to get any more. The King has not come to sleep with her yet, for which I am very glad for she is not quite well enough…..The Prince [Don Carlos] has his fever again rather badly, the cause being I think the great army which they say the Turks are preparing to bring this summer to Goletta [Tunis]……From the last couriers who came…..there is much comment here about the story that the funeral of the late King [Francis II] was conducted with one little candle, which is thought very strange. It is also said for about a fortnight, that Monsieur the Cardinal of Lorraine is going to Metz after Easter, and Queen Mary either to Joinville or to Scotland……Our Lenten services last five hours every morning, and they do not finish until between one and two, which makes fasting easier for us. The Queen your daughter is dispensed from it this Lent on account of her illness and eats meat. They make no difficulty about it. However, none of the Frenchwomen eat it except her and mademoiselle, who is very well. We are told here that she is soon to be married. They are very anxious to know the truth about it, for the King is resolved to make her a very handsome present…..You will be informed of everything. At present I know of nothing more except that all are very well at this court and very glad at the power you have, and greatly wish that it may last long…..' With the address panel to the verso of the final page, 'A La Raine, ma souveraine daime'. Loosely contained within a dark brown morocco presentation folder (slight wear and damage to the inside) with gilt decorations to the borders of the interior and exterior and with a gilt stamped title to the front Louise de Bretagne - Letter to Catherine de Medicis relative to the Queens of Spain & of Scotland 1561. Also included are a series of interesting typed research notes and a French transcript and English translation of the letter, apparently prepared for (or by) Frank Lester Pleadwell (1872-1957) American physician and autograph collector. A letter of fascinating content, including intimate details from within the Royal court. Neatly inlaid and with some minor slits and a small area of paper loss to the left edge as a result of the letter having originally been tied with ribbon. About VG
A remarkable, intimate letter relating to Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain, who was recovering from small-pox, the death of Francis II, and Queen Mary's return to Scotland. Elisabeth, the daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici, was born at Fontainebleau in 1545. Henry VIII was her Godfather and she was at first destined to be the wife of Edward VI, who had previously, by Treaty, been engaged to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. Edward's death, in 1553, put an end to this project, and a marriage was then arranged between her and Don Carlos, the son of Philip II of Spain. Philip's wife, Mary I, died in 1558, and in the year following he himself married Elisabeth, ignoring the engagement to his son, to whom Elisabeth appears to have been attached. The marriage was an unhappy one. The bride was not yet fifteen years of age and had been brought up with every care in a refined and luxurious Court. Philip, although only thirty-two years old, was morose and severe. The marriage took place (by proxy) in the Church of Notre Dame at Paris in June 1559, Philip being represented by Ferdinand de Toledo, Duke of Alba. Elisabeth first met her husband in the following year, on 2nd February 1560, at Guadalaxara, but the meeting was unfortunate. She died in October 1568, and the cause of her death was not without suspicion, especially as her former lover, Don Carlos, had died under very suspicious circumstances just a few months earlier.
Francis II, whose funeral is mentioned in the present letter, had died on 5th December 1560, and the occasion was perhaps the most important event in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, when her power and prospects in France were shattered in one blow, and her life-long enemy Catherine de' Medici again placed in a position of authority. Hence forward the struggles between Catherine and the Guises went more in her favour since she possessed absolute power over her young son, Charles IX, who succeeded to the throne, and usurped complete control of the Kingdom.
The forecast given in the present letter regarding Queen Mary's future movements proved correct. Mary, who had lived in complete seclusion since her husband's death, spent Easter at Rheims and then set out to Joinville to visit her grandmother, Antoinette de Bourbon, dowager Duchess of Guise. Thence she returned to Rheims and spent some weeks in seclusion in the Convent of St. Pierre with the Abbess, her aunt, Renee de Lorraine. Finally, she went to Paris where she stayed until July, when she set out for Scotland.
At the time when the present letter was written, early in 1561, great endeavours were being made by Mary's relatives to bring about a marriage between her and Don Carlos, a scheme very nearly concluded, in which case she would have become a step-daughter-in-law of Elisabeth, Queen of Spain, who was still supposed to be in love with her stepson herself. This scheme was strongly opposed by Catherine de' Medici, who wanted Don Carlos to marry her younger daughter, Margaret, who is referred to in the present letter as 'Madame your little daughter'
Louise de Bretagne was one of the maids-of-honour who accompanied Elisabeth to Spain. The 'mademoiselle' of the letter was another maid-of-honour, Anne de Bourbon Montpensier.
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