ying the companionship of her daughter Jane. Francis, who never once
lost sight of his own interests, deemed it advisable to possess himself
of this child, who was the heiress to the throne of Navarre. Accordingly
when Jane was but two years old she was sent by the King to the Chateau
of Plessis-les-Tours, where she was carefully brought up in strict
seclusion.

To the fact that Margaret was never really happy with either of her
husbands, and that she was precluded from discharging a mother's duties,
one may ascribe, in part, her fondness for gathering round her a Court
in which divines, scholars, and wits prominently figured. The great
interest which she took in religious matters, as is shown by so many of
her letters, (1) led her to shelter many of the persecuted Reformers in
Beam; others she saved from the stake, and frequently in writing to
the King and Marshal de Montmorency she begs for the release of some
imprisoned heretic.

1 One of these letters, written by her either to Philiberta
of Savoy, Duchess of Nemours, or to Charlotte d'Orleans,
Duchess of Nemours, both of whom were her aunts, may be thus
rendered in English: "My aunt, on leaving Paris to escort
the King, Monsieur de Meaux (Bishop Briconnet), sent me the
Gospels in French, translated by Fabry, word for word, which
he says we should read with as much reverence and as much
preparation to receive the Spirit of God, such as He has
left it us in His Holy Scriptures, as when we go to receive
it in the form of Sacrament. And inasmuch as Monsieur de
Villeroy has promised to deliver them to you, I have
requested him to do so, for these words (the Gospels) must
not fall into evil hands. I beg, my aunt, that if by their
means God grants you some grace, you will not forget her who
is above all else your good niece and sister, Margaret."
Fabry's translation of the Gospels was made in 1523-24.

Margaret's religious views frequently caused dissension between her and
her husband, in whose presence she abstained from giving expression to
them. Hilarion de Coste mentions that "King Henry having one day been
informed that a form of prayer and instruction contrary to that of
his fathers was held in the chamber of the Queen, his wife, entered it
intending to chastise the minister, and finding that he had been hurried
away, the remains of his anger fell upon his wife, who received a blow
fr