She delighted in flowers and gardening, her favourite gardens being those of Amboise, given her by Charles VIII., and of Blois by Louis XII. She was also extremely fond of books, and had a splendid library, for, besides all she inherited from her father and the French kings, Charles VIII. brought her eleven hundred and forty from Naples and Louis XII. a thousand manuscripts from the library of the Visconti at Milan. She employed a colony of painters, sculptors, scribes, and architects brought from Italy and established at Tours by Charles VIII., and consequently possessed numbers of artistic treasures, including that wonderful illuminated book containing the psalms, prayers, and offices of the Church richly adorned with flowers, animals, landscapes, portraits and scenes in miniature well known as the “Livre d’Heures d’Anne de Bretagne,” and one of the most perfect examples of French art of that day.[319]
She had a little room with boxes and drawers full of costly jewels to give as presents. For dress personally she cared little, although especially on state occasions she was always magnificent in her toilette. The fashions in her reign were exceedingly graceful and artistic. Fine linen, velvet or satin shoes, long trailing dresses open in front, made of cloth of gold and crimson silk or velvet, with a golden girdle and chaplet of pearls, chains and jewels round the neck, headdress of white silk embroidered with gold and pearls, hoods of cloth, satin, or velvet, scarlet for bourgeoises, black for nobles. Sometimes long dresses of black velvet. These were purely French till late in this reign when Italian and Flemish costumes began to be copied.[320] Charles VIII., being short and ill-made, re-introduced the long robes of former times, but Louis XII., who was tall and graceful, usually wore short clothes. The Queen created an order for the ladies of the court, called the Cordelière, from the cords that bound Christ: the badge was a jewelled necklace in the form of a cord.
{1502}
Before the Princess Claude was two years old proposals came from the Emperor Maximilian to marry her to his grandson, the Duke of Luxemburg, son of the Archduke Philip of Austria. In France the general desire was that she should become the wife of the Comte d’Angoulême, heir-presumptive to the throne of that country, but the Queen strongly favoured the Austrian alliance. In November, 1501, the Archduke and Archduchess arrived on a visit. They were mounted on mules covered with trappings of crimson velvet, next rode a long train of ladies, and six hundred horses carried litters and drew waggons after them. The procession entered Blois at night; as it wound up the steep street torches blazed on every house, and the grand staircase of the castle was lined with hundreds of archers of the guard in gilded armour. The King, sitting in a great carved chair by the fire, welcomed them, and asked the Archduchess if it was her pleasure to bestow a kiss upon him, which she did, after asking permission of the Bishop of Cordova. Louis then saying that he knew the ladies would like to be alone together, she was taken to the Queen’s rooms, where Anne sat by the fire surrounded by her ladies, who, it may here be remarked generally sat on the floor or on cushions, not many chairs being usual in the rooms. Later, she retired to her bedchamber, where, escorted by six pages in red and yellow with wax candles in gold candlesticks, quantities of all kinds of sweetmeats were carried to her by ladies and gentlemen, with gold and silver boxes of knives, forks, serviettes, &c., which were all placed on buffets and on the bed. The Queen’s apothecary followed, and afterwards came silver warming-pans and washing basins, velvet coffers of brushes, combs, sponges, mirrors, and fine linen.[321]
{1503}
The Princess Claude had been brought down, but directly she saw her proposed mother-in-law she cried so loud that she had to be removed by her governess.[322]
The Archduke had supper downstairs, but the King did not join him as he was keeping the fast of Notre Dame des Avents on bread and water. They stayed five days, and the betrothal of the Princess was concluded.
January 21, 1503, was born a Dauphin, who, however, died immediately, to the general grief and disappointment.
Next came news of reverses in Italy and the loss of two battles, soon after which the King became very ill. The Queen nursed him untiringly, scarcely ever leaving his room; every one was in consternation, and the doctors gave up all hope of his recovery. Anne was in despair. Added to her grief for him was the dread of what would be the position of herself and her daughter in the event of his death and the triumph of Louise de Savoie and the hostile party, at the head of which was Pierre de Rohan, Maréchal de Gié, a Breton who had taken the side of France against Bretagne.
She therefore ordered the officers of her household to load two or three great barges on the Loire with all her treasure and take them down to Nantes. Then, if the King died, she could retreat with her child to Bretagne, where they would be safe among their own subjects.