it back. She has shown in this matter more courage and generosity than
it would have been thought could come from a woman.'" (1)

Besides writing verses and framing devices, Margaret, as Brantôme tells
us, "often composed comedies and moralities, which were in those days
styled pastorals, and which she had played by the young ladies of her
Court." (2)

1 _OEuvres de Brantôme_, 8vo, vol. vii. p. 567.

2 _Ibid._, 8vo, vol. v. p. 219.

Hilarion de Coste states, moreover, that "she composed a tragi-comic
translation of almost the whole of the New Testament, which she caused
to be played before the King, her husband, having assembled with this
object some of the best actors of Italy; and as these buffoons are only
born to give pleasure and make time pass away, in order to amuse the
company they invariably introduced _rondeaux_ and _virelais_ against the
ecclesiastics, especially the monks and village priests." (1)

1 M. Le Roux de Lincy points out that this statement is
exaggerated, for Margaret, instead of turning the whole of
the New Testament into verse, merely wrote four Mysteries
which mainly dealt with the childhood of Christ.

These performances took place at the Château of Pau, which Margaret and
her husband seem to have preferred to that of Nérac, though political
reasons often compelled them to fix their abode at the latter. Pau,
however, possessed the advantage of a mild climate, necessary for
Margaret's health, besides being delightfully situated on the Bearnese