AGNES SOREL 



with the charming story told of this girl-wife 

 of the Dauphin Louis. Betrothed to Louis 

 when she was a child of three, and sent to 

 France to be brought up at the Court, she was 

 married at twelve to this boy of thirteen, who 

 could not possibly appreciate her simple, sweet 

 nature which endeared her to all others. One 

 day as she was passing with her ladies through 

 a room in the castle, she saw Alain Chartier 

 lying on a bench asleep. She approached 

 quietly, and kissed him, much to the surprise of 

 her attendants that she should " kiss so ugly a 

 man." And she made answer : " I did not 

 kiss the man, but the precious mouth whence 

 so many beautiful and fair words have issued." 

 Poor little poetess ! Fortunately her life was 

 a short one. She died when she was just 

 twenty-one, with these words on her lips : " Fi 

 de la vie de ce monde, ne m'en parlez plus." 

 The scientific historian of to-day is inclined to 

 dismiss this story as a pleasing though rather 

 foolish romance. But even so, Alain Chartier 

 may be remembered as a poet and philosopher, 

 as well as a brave and wise patriot during some 

 of France's darkest hours a worthy contem- 

 porary of Agnes Sorel and Joan of Arc. Fearing 

 neither the nobles nor the people, he blames 

 the former for their love of luxury and personal 

 indulgence, and exhorts both to think of the 

 public good, and to aid in their country's 

 defence, instead of allowing themselves to be 

 engrossed with their private affairs. Then, 



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