here Louis XII. had fixed his residence. There
had previously been some unsuccessful negotiations in view of marrying
Margaret to Prince Henry of England (Henry VIII.), and at this period
another husband was suggested in the person of Charles of Austria, Count
of Flanders, and subsequently Emperor Charles V. Louis XII., however,
had other views as regards the daughter of the Count of Angouleme, for
he knew that if he himself died without male issue the throne would pass
to Margaret's brother. Hence he decided to marry her to a prince of the
royal house, Charles, Duke of Alencon.

This prince, born at Alencon on September 2nd, 1489, had been brought
up at the Chateau of Mauves, in Le Perche, by his mother, the pious and
charitable Margaret of Lorraine, who on losing her husband had resolved,
like Louise of Savoy, to devote herself to the education of her
children. (1)

1 Hilarion de Coste's _Vies et Eloges des Dames illustres_,
vol. ii. p. 260.

It had originally been intended that her son Charles should marry Susan,
daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bourbon--the celebrated Peter and
Anne de Beaujeu--but this match fell through owing to the death of Peter
and the opposition of Anne, who preferred the young Count of Montpensier
(afterwards Constable de Bourbon) as a son-in-law. A yet higher alliance
then presented itself for Charles: it was proposed that he should marry
Anne of Brittany, the widow of King Charles VIII., but she was many
years his senior, and, moreover, to prevent the separation of Brittany
from France, it had been stipulated that she should marry either her
first husband's successor (Louis XII.) or the heir-presumptive to the
throne. Either course seemed impracticable, as the heir, Francis of
Angouleme, was but a child, while the new King was already married to
Jane, a daughter of Louis XI. Brittany seemed lost to France, when Louis
XII., by promising the duchy of Valentinois to Caesar Borgia, prevailed
upon Pope Alexander VI. to divorce him from his wife. He then married
Anne of Brittany, while Charles of Alencon proceeded to perfect his
knightly education, pending other matrimonial arrangements.

In 1507, when in his eighteenth year, he accompanied the army which the
King led against the Genoese, and conducted himself bravely; displaying
such courage, indeed, at the battle of Agnadel, gained over the
Venetians--who were assailed after the submission of Genoa--that Louis
XII. bestowed u