The second daughter of Charles and Isabeau, the Princess Jeanne, was married to the son of the Duc de Bretagne; and the third, the Princess Marie, who had been dedicated from her infancy to the religious life, was now received into the convent of Poissy.
THE PRIORESS OF POISSY.
On the day of the Nativity of the Virgin, the King and Queen, with a brilliant company, arrived at Poissy. There was a grand procession, the Bishop of Bayeux bearing a splendid jewel presented by the King, who with the Queen and a brilliant cortège of nobles and ladies formed part of the procession, the Sire d’Albret carrying in his arms the Princess Marie, who wore a gold crown and long robe and mantle of cloth of gold, and whom he placed before the chapter, where the spiritual director of the convent addressed the novice, who, it must be remembered, was not yet five years old, and explained to her the rules of the order and the vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience, to which the child “answered humbly that she submitted herself.” The Prioress, who was a sister of the Duc de Bourbon, and had taken the veil at this convent at about the age of the Princess Marie, then dressed her in the habit of the order, after which she was conducted to the church by all the nuns, singing hymns to the Holy Spirit. After mass she received the episcopal benediction, and then there was a splendid banquet given by the King. At the close of the proceedings a dispute arose between the Prioress and the Abbot and monks of St. Denis respecting the crown worn by the little princess which was of gold set with jewels of great price, and which, with the robes, jewels, &c., worn by her, the Prioress claimed according, as she said, to the usual custom, for the convent. But it appeared that this crown belonged to the abbey of St. Denis, and had been only lent for the occasion; therefore the monks would by no means give it up. The King, being appealed to, declared the crown had been borrowed by his orders, and settled the matter by paying the convent 600 gold crowns to redeem it, and sending it back to St. Denis.[170]
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The King and Queen arranged the household of the young princess, appointing certain nuns to be her ladies, and then returned to Paris.
CHAPTER V
1398–1400
Illness of the King—Execution of sorcerers—Birth of Jean de France—Death of Queen Blanche de Navarre—Household of Isabeau—Ludwig of Bavaria—Ancient Paris—The Queen’s châteaux—Burgundy and Orléans—Henry of Lancaster—The plague—Revolution in England—The Dauphin Charles.