Présentation de l'éditeur
Pyrenees, and which alone at the present day retains the name of Navarre, he annexed to Spain, leaving the smaller portion lying north of the Pyrenees to the legitimate sovereign, Catharine de Foix, the wife of Jean d Albret, a French noble. The kingdom of (N avarre thus reduced, was inherited by her son, Henry d Albret, wh formed a matririiionial alliance with Margaret, the favourite sister of Francis I. king tif France. The only issue of this mairi.ge -was a dau-hter, Jeanne d Albret, a lady of great beauty, and possessed of extraordinary spirit and strength of character. When of age, the heiress of Navarre married Antony de Bourbon, a relation of the royal family of France, a frank and courageous soldier, but not distinguished by any uncommon abilities. The old king of Navarre, Henry d Albret, looked anxiously for the fruit of this union, praying that God would send him a grandson to inherit his honours, and to avenge the family wrongs upon Spain. It appeared as if he would be disappointed, for two sons, to whom his daughter gave birth successively, died in infancy. At lengfth, however, the long-desired grandson came into the world in our hero, Henry IV. Some curious particulars are related respecting Henry sbirth, The old king being desirous that the heir of Navarre should be bom within the dominions to which he was to succeed, his daughter, Jeanne d Albret, in compliance with his wishes, traversed the whole of France, and arrived at Pau only a few days before her son was born. As the time approached, her father made her promise that, in the hour of trial, she would sing him a song, in order, as he said, that the child she was to bring him might neither weep nor make vry faces. The princess had fortitude enough, in the midst of her pains, to keep her word, and sang a song in Bearnois, her own country language. As soon as Henry entered the chamber, the ch
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)
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