The Memoirs of Marguerite de Valois, vol 1 | Page 9

year,
and by whose death his country lost a youth of most promising talents.
Amongst other discourse, the King asked which of the two Princes that
were before me I liked best. I replied, "The Marquis." The King said,
"Why so? He is not the handsomest." The Prince de Joinville was fair,
with light-coloured hair, and the Marquis de Beaupreau brown, with
dark hair. I answered, "Because he is the best behaved; whilst the
Prince is always making mischief, and will be master over everybody."
This was a presage of what we have seen happen since, when the whole
Court was infected with heresy, about the time of the Conference of
Poissy. It was with great difficulty that I resisted and preserved myself
from a change of religion at that time. Many ladies and lords belonging
to Court strove to convert me to Huguenotism. The Duc d'Anjou, since
King Henri III. of France, then in his infancy, had been prevailed on to
change his religion, and he often snatched my "Hours" out of my hand,
and flung them into the fire, giving me Psalm Books and books of
Huguenot prayers, insisting on my using them. I took the first
opportunity to give them up to my governess, Madame de Curton,
whom God, out of his mercy to me, caused to continue steadfast in the
Catholic religion. She frequently took me to that pious, good man, the
Cardinal de Tournon, who gave me good advice, and strengthened me

in a perseverance in my religion, furnishing me with books and
chaplets of beads in the room of those my brother Anjou took from me
and burnt.
Many of my brother's most intimate friends had resolved on my ruin,
and rated me severely upon my refusal to change, saying it proceeded
from a childish obstinacy; that if I had the least understanding, and
would listen, like other discreet persons, to the sermons that were
preached, I should abjure my uncharitable bigotry; but I was, said they,
as foolish as my governess. My brother Anjou added threats, and said
the Queen my mother would give orders that I should be whipped. But
this he said of his own head, for the Queen my mother did not, at that
time, know of the errors he had embraced. As soon as it came to her
knowledge, she took him to task, and severely reprimanded his
governors, insisting upon their correcting him, and instructing him in
the holy and ancient religion of his forefathers, from which she herself
never swerved. When he used those menaces, as I have before related, I
was a child seven or eight years old, and at that tender age would reply
to him, "Well, get me whipped if you can; I will suffer whipping, and
even death, rather than be damned."
I could furnish you with many other replies of the like kind, which gave
proof of the early ripeness of my judgment and my courage; but I shall
not trouble myself with such researches, choosing rather to begin these
Memoirs at the time when I resided constantly with the Queen my
mother.
Immediately after the Conference of Poissy, the civil wars commenced,
and my brother Alencon and myself, on account of our youth, were sent
to Amboise, whither all the ladies of the country repaired to us.
With them came your aunt, Madame de Dampierre, who entered into a
firm friendship with me, which was never interrupted until her death
broke it off. There was likewise your cousin, the Duchesse de Rais,
who had the good fortune to hear there of the death of her brute of a
husband, killed at the battle of Dreux. The husband I mean was the first
she had, named M. d'Annebaut, who was unworthy to have for a wife
so accomplished and charming a woman as your cousin. She and I were
not then so intimate friends as we have become since, and shall ever
remain. The reason was that, though older than I, she was yet young,
and young girls seldom take much notice of children, whereas your

aunt was of an age when women admire their innocence and engaging
simplicity.
I remained at Amboise until the Queen my mother was ready to set out
on her grand progress, at which time she sent for me to come to her
Court, which I did not quit afterwards.
Of this progress I will not undertake to give you a description, being
still so young that, though the whole is within my recollection, yet the
particular passages of it appear to me but as a dream, and are now lost.
I leave this task to others, of riper years, as you were yourself. You can
well remember the magnificence that was displayed everywhere,
particularly at the baptism of