large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_05_yonge_64kb_36
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_05_yonge_64kb
English
12344
The Bourbons likewise headed the party among the nobles who hoped to profit by the king's youth to recover the privileges of which they had been gradually deprived, while the house of Guise were ready to maintain the power of the crown, as long as that meant their own power. THE BOURBON LIKEWISE HEADED THE PARTY AMONG THE NOBLES WHO HOPED TO PROFIT BY THE KING'S YOUTH TO RECOVER THE PRIVILEGES OF WHICH THEY HAD BEEN GRADUALLY DEPRIVED WHILE THE HOUSE OF GEESE WERE READY TO MAINTAIN THE POWER OF THE CROWN AS LONG AS THAT MEANT THEIR OWN POWER
 was divided by two great factions--one headed by the Guise family, an offshoot of the house of Lorraine; the other by the Bourbons, who, being descended in a direct male line from a younger son of St. Louis, were the next heirs to the throne in case the house of Valois should become extinct. Antony, the head of the Bourbon family, was called King of Navarre, because of his marriage with Jeanne d'Albrêt, the queen, in her own right, of this Pyrenean kingdom, which was in fact entirely in the hands of the Spaniards, so that her only actual possession consisted of the little French counties of Foix and Béarn. Antony himself was dull and indolent, but his wife was a woman of much ability; and his brother, Louis, Prince of Condé, was full of spirit and fire, and little inclined to brook the ascendancy which the Duke of Guise and his brothers enjoyed at court, partly in consequence of his exploit at Calais, and partly from being uncle to the young Queen Mary of Scotland, wife of Francis II. EARS OLD AND THE COUNTRY WAS DIVIDED BY TWO GREAT FACTIONS ONE HEADED BY THE GEESE FAMILY AN OFFSHOOT OF THE HOUSE OF LORNINE THE OTHER BY THE BOURBON WHO BEING DESCENDED IN A DIRECT LINE FROM A YOUNGER SON OF SAINT LOUIS WERE THE NEXT HEIRS TO THE THRONE IN CASE THE HOUSE OF VALOIS SHOULD BECOME EXTINCT ANTONY THE HEAD OF THE BOUBON FAMILY WAS CALLED KING OF NAVARRE BECAUSE OF HIS MARRIAGE WITH JEANNE D'ELBRAY THE QUEEN IN HER OWN RIGHT OF THIS PYRENEAN KINGDOM WHICH WAS IN FACT ENTIRELY IN THE HANDS OF THE SPANIARDS SO THAT HER ONLY ACTUAL POSSESSION CONSISTED OF THE LITTLE FRENCH COUNTIES OF FOIX AND BIERGENE ANTONY HIMSELF WAS DULL AND INDOLENT BUT HIS WIFE WAS A WOMAN OF MUCH ABITY AND HIS BROTHER LOUIS PRINCE OF CONDE WAS FULL OF SPIRIT AND FIRE AND LITTLE INCLINED TO BROOK THE ASCENDANCY WHICH THE DUKE OF GEIS AND HIS BROTHERS ENJOYED AT COURT PARTLY IN CONSEQUENCE OF HIS EXPLOIT AT GELLET AND PARTLY FROM BEING UNCLE TO THE YOUNG QUEEN MARY OF SCOTLAND WIFE OF FRANCIS THE SECOND
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