Henry, who at least had the courage to
honor his own family above that of his mistresses. She is accused of
having had, solely from motives of revenge, a hand in the death of the
king.

Thus, around the queens-regent and the mistresses of the kings of
France in the sixteenth century there is constant intriguing, murder,
assassination, immorality, and debauchery, jealousy and revenge,
marriage and divorce, honor and disgrace, despotism and final
repentance and misery. The greatest and lowest of these women
was Catherine de' Medici; Diana of Poitiers was famed as the most
marvellously beautiful woman in France, and she was the most powerful
and intelligent mistress until the time of Mme. de Pompadour. Amid all
this bribery and corruption, elegant and refined immorality, there
are some few types that represent education, family life, purity, and
culture.

CHAPTER II

WOMAN IN FAMILY LIFE, EDUCATION, AND LETTERS

The queens of France exerted little or no influence upon the cultural
or political development of that country. Frequently of foreign
extraction and reared in the strict religious discipline of
Catholicism, they spent their time in attending masses, aiding the
poor and, with the little money allowed them, erecting hospitals and
other institutions for the weak and needy. Thus, they are, as a rule,
types of gentleness, virtue, piety, and self-sacrifice.

The little information which history gives concerning them is confined
mainly to their matrimonial alliances. To them, marriage represented
nothing more than a contract--a union entered into for the purpose of
settling some political negotiation; thus they were often cast upon
strange and unfriendly soil where intrigues and jealousy immediately
affected them.

Seldom did they venture to interfere with the intrigues of the
mistress; in their uncertain position, any manifestation of resentment
or opposition resulted in humiliation and disgrace; if wise, they
contented themselves with quietly performing their functions as
dutiful wives. Such women were Claude, daughter of Louis XII., and
Eleanor of Spain--wives of Francis I.; lacking the power to act
politically, both passed uneventful and virtuous lives in comparative
obscurity. The wife of Charles IX.--Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of
Maximilian II.--had absolutely no control over her husband; however,
he condescended to flatter himself with having, as he said, "in an
amiable wife, the wisest and mos