act of faith Margaret felt relieved, and she had scarcely arrived at
her lodgings when the Bishop of Mende came to announce to her that her
daughter was in the way of recovery." (2)

1 Brantôme's grandmother.

2 Oraison funèbre, &c, p. 38.

When Jane was barely twelve years old Charles V. asked her in marriage
for his son Philip, but Francis, who was by no means anxious to see the
Spaniards established on the northern side of the Pyrenees, preferred
that the girl should marry William III., Duke of Cleves. It has
frequently been asserted that Francis on this occasion exercised
compulsion not only upon his niece, but also upon the King and Queen of
Navarre, who vainly protested against this abuse of power. The truth
is, that Margaret not only favoured the marriage, but threatened to have
Jane whipped if she persisted in her refusal. Moreover, the little bride
having declared to Francis I. that she protested against the alliance,
Margaret wrote to her brother as follows:--

"My Lord, in my extreme desolation, I have only one single comfort, it
is that of knowing with certainty that neither the King of Navarre nor
myself have ever had any other wish or intention than that of obeying
you, not only as regards a marriage, but in whatever you might order.
But now, my lord, having heard that my daughter, neither recognising the
great honour you do her in deigning to visit her, nor the obedience that
she owes you, nor that a girl should have no will of her own, has spoken
to you so madly as to say to you that she begged of you she might not be
married to M. de Cleves, I do not know, my lord, either what I ought to
think of it, or what I ought to say to you about it, for I am grieved to