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Isabella loved her husband entirely; he was the pride of his country, both in mind and person. He was that celebrated poet-duke of Orleans, whose beautiful lyrics are still reckoned among the classics of France.1 Just as Isabella seemed to have attained the height of human felicity, adored by the most accomplished prince in Europe, beloved by his family, and with no present alloy in her cup of happiness, death claimed her as his prey in the bloom of her life. She expired at the castle of Blois, in her twenty-second year, a few hours after the birth of her infant child, Sept. 13th, 1410. Her husband's grief amounted to frenzy; but after her infant was brought to him by her attendants, he shed tears, and became calmer while caressing it. The first verses of Orleans that attained any celebrity were poured forth by his grief for this sad bereavement. He says,―

"Alas,

Death! who made thee so bold,

To take from me my lovely princess?

Who was my comfort, my life,

My good, my pleasure, my riches!
Alas! I am lonely, bereft of my mate.

Adieu, my lady, my lily!

Our loves are for ever severed."

But a more finished lyric to the memory of Isabella thus commences in French: J'ai fait l'obsèques de Madame.*

TRANSLATION.

"To make my lady's obsequies

My love a minster wrought,
And in the chantry service there
Was sung by doleful thought.

1 In the public library of Grenoble is a fine copy of the poems of Charles duke of Orleans, the husband of this queen of England. It was written, from his dictation, by his secretary, Antoine l'Astisan. It has been copied for the Bibliothèque Royale. Another fine copy exists, richly illuminated, in the British Museum, supposed to have been transcribed for Henry VII.

* Isabella's infant was a little girl, who was reared, and afterwards married to the duke of Alençon.

We believe the translation is by the elegant pen of Mr. Carey. Whoever wishes further acquaintance with the lyrics of Charles of Orleans, will find many well worthy of attention translated by Miss L. Costello, in her truly poetical version of the Early Poets of France.

*This expression, madame, simply denotes the title of Isabella; she was Madame of France, both as eldest daughter to the king, and wife to the second prince of France. That the title of madame was thus applied in the fourteenth century, see Froissart, when narrating the adventures of Isabella's mother-in-law, Violante of Milan.

The tapers were of burning sighs,
That life and odour gave,
And grief, illumined by tears,
Irradiated her grave;

And round about, in quaintest guise,

Was carved,- Within this tomb there lies

The fairest thing to mortal eyes.'

Above her lieth spread a tomb
Of gold and sapphires blue:
The gold doth show her blessedness,
The sapphires mark her true,
For blessedness and truth in her
Were livelily portray'd.

When gracious God, with both his hands,
Her wondrous beauty made,

She was, to speak without disguise,
The fairest thing to mortal eyes.

No more, no more; my heart doth faint,

When I the life recall

Of her who lived so free from taint,
So virtuous deem'd by all;

Who in herself was so complete,
I think that she was ta'en

By God to deck his Paradise,

And with his saints to reign;

For well she doth become the skies,

Whom, while on earth, each one did prize
The fairest thing to mortal eyes!"

The exquisite beauty and naïve earnestness of the last verse, will inspire all readers with respect for the genius of the second husband of our Isabella.

Isabella, thus passionately mourned in death by her husband, was happy in closing her eyes before the troublous era commenced, when sorrow and disgrace overwhelmed her family and her country. The infamy of her mother had not reached its climax during the life of Isabella. Charles of Orleans, by the peculiar malice of fortune, was doomed to a long imprisonment by the very man who had so often been refused by his wife, a circumstance which perhaps was not altogether forgotten by Henry V. The husband of Isabella, after fighting desperately at Agincourt, was left for dead on the lost field; but, being dragged from beneath a heap of slain, was restored to unwelcome life by the care of a valiant English squire, Richard Waller. Orleans refused to eat or drink after recovering from his swoon, but was persuaded out of his solution of starving himself to death by the philosophic and

friendly remonstrances of Henry V. His wounds soon healed, and he was seen riding side by side with his conqueror and kinsman, conversing in the most friendly terms, a few days after the victory of Agincourt. But after thus reconciling his unfortunate captive to life, Henry refused all ransom for him, because he was the next heir to the throne of France after Charles the dauphin. Orleans was sent to England, and at first confined at Groombridge, in Kent, the seat of Waller; but was afterwards consigned to a severe imprisonment in the Tower of London, where he composed some of his most beautiful poems. It was well that his fine mind possessed resources in itself, for his captivity lasted twentythree years!

Isabella was first interred at Blois, in the abbey of St. Laumer, where her body was found entire in 1624, curiously lapped in bands of linen, plated over with quicksilver. It was soon after transferred to the church of the Celestines, in Paris, the family burying-place of the line of Orleans, now desecrated and in ruins.

She

No portrait exists of Isabella of Valois as the queen of Richard II. The one from which our frontispiece has been copied, is from an illuminated MS. discovered by Mr. Harding, the antiquarian artist, among the Harleian collection.' Isabella is represented as the bride of Charles duke of Orleans. has evidently resigned the royal mantle and sceptre of an English queen. Her coronet is the circle of fleurs-de-lis of a French princess, and she merely wears the jacket-bodice, of the fashion of her era, of blue velvet figured with fleurs-delis, and bordered with white miniver: the stomacher is of the same fur. Not a single jewel adorns the person of queen Isabella, save the few in her coronal-circlet; her hair is worn dishevelled, as was then the custom of maiden brides when they approached the altar.

The reference given by Mr. G. P. Harding is, Harleian MS. 4379, 4380: Brit. Museum.

JOANNA OF NAVARRE,

QUEEN OF HENRY IV.

CHAPTER I.

Joanna's parentage-Descent-Evil character of her father-Her early youthContracted to the prince of Castile-Captured by the French-Rage of her father-Her release-Her hand demanded by the duke of Bretagne-DowerMarriage Horrible death of her father-Her husband's jealousy-Birth and death of Joanna's daughter-Heir of Bretagne born-French ambassadors saved by Joanna-Her conjugal influence-Her son betrothed to Joanna of France-Besieged with her lord at Vannes-She mediates a peace-Her daughter contracted to the heir of Derby, (Henry V.)-Espousals of two of her children--Joanna's first acquaintance with Henry (IV.)—His floral emblem Forget-me-not--Henry assisted by Joanna's husband-The duke of Bretagne -Death of the duke-His will-Joanna regent of Bretagne-Her wise govern ment-Inauguration of her son-Sought in marriage by Henry IV.-Her subtlety outwits the pope-Married to Henry-Visit of the duke of Burgundy to Joanna-His presents-Joanna puts her sons into his hands-Deed of gift to her aunt.

JOANNA, or Jane of Navarre, the consort of Henry IV., is one of those queens of England whose records, as connected with the history of this country, are of a very obscure and mysterious character; yet the events of her life, when traced through foreign chronicles and unpublished sources of information, are replete with interest, forming an unprecedented chapter in the history of female royalty. She was the second daughter of Charles king of Navarre, by the princess Jane of France, daughter of king John, the gallant and unfortunate opponent of Edward III. The evil deeds of Joanna's father had entailed upon him the unpopular cognomen of Charles le Mauvais,in plain English, Charles the Bad.' This prince, being the son of the daughter and sole offspring of Louis X. of France, from whom he inherited the little kingdom of Navarre, the appanage of his great-grandmother, queen Jane, fancied that

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