Anne chose to be married at Nantes in January, and this time the contract secured her entire control of the government and revenues of Bretagne, with power to leave it to her own heirs after the death of the King if they had no children. Besides her dowry from Charles she had one of equal amount for her life from Louis.
The King and Queen spent most of the winter in Bretagne, hunting and amusing themselves, and in April travelled slowly to Blois, great festivities attending their progress.
The Queen’s second marriage was much happier than the first. In appearance, intellect, and character Louis was far superior to Charles. The intrigues and dissipations of his former life disappeared before the higher, nobler love of which Charles was incapable. No suspicion of unfaithfulness ever arose between Anne and Louis;[310] she had regained her beloved duchy, the management of which was her chief interest and occupation, besides the share she took in the government of France. Though she had no better luck with the sons of her second than of her first marriage her two daughters lived, and upon them she lavished the passionate affection she had given to the first Dauphin. Louis was the idol of France; since the days of St. Louis there had been no such king. To the virtues of Charles V. he united the gallant grace and charm of the Valois, and the people called him “le père du peuple.”
Inheriting also the warlike spirit of his house, he resolved to make an expedition to conquer the duchy of Milan, now seized by Ludovico Sforza, but which he claimed as heir of his grandmother, Valentine Visconti.
The Queen, in her anxiety about the child she was expecting, instead of accompanying him to the frontier waited at Romorantin as the plague was at Blois. Even there some of her household had it, and when it abated she proceeded to Blois where her daughter was born and named after Ste. Claude, to whose shrine she had just made a pilgrimage.
LADY OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
Notwithstanding his desire to have a son, Louis received the news with great joy just as he was entering Milan, and both he and the Queen were always devoted to this child, which though small and delicate lived to grow up. Not long afterwards Louis returned with his victorious army, and the court resumed its wonted gaiety, the Queen being anxious that it should be the most magnificent in Europe. She was very rich, exceedingly generous, and always ready to pay any expenses that Louis, who was more economical, thought too great. She held many tournaments, at which she gave splendid prizes; she was a great benefactress to the religious orders, especially to the Cordeliers and Minimes, to whom she gave convents,[311] and crowds of poor people waited for alms at her gates.
The hôtel St. Paul, the favourite palace of Charles V. and Charles VI., was now deserted. It was considered unhealthy because of the malaria arising from its many moats and ponds, and Louis XI. gave away most of the splendid hôtels belonging to it.[312]
Louis XII. and Anne, when in Paris, lived at Les Tournelles, a most picturesque and delightful old château near St. Paul, but more healthy. It was built in 1380, and had belonged to Jean Duc de Berry, Charles VI., and Louis d’Orléans. It was named from being a mass of little towers and turrets, was very large and convenient, stood in a wood like a country house, had chapels, galleries and gardens with fountains and seats of turf. The Duke of Bedford lived there during the English rule, and his beautiful wife, Anne of Burgundy; they kept flocks of peacocks and other rare birds.