and as her motto, "Non inferior a sequor," hardly appropriate to the compiler of the Heptameron.
A pretty story is told of her by Brantôme. She had as one of her ladies-in-waiting Mlle, de la Roche, who had been the mistress of Captain Bourdeille, but whom he had cast aside and forgotten. Mlle, de la Roche died in the Queen's service at Pau, and was buried in the church of S. Martin. Three months later Bourdeille came to Pau, and was received by the Queen, who invited him to attend her to the church. When there, standing in a certain place, Marguerite said to him, "Do you feel the ground heave under your feet?" "Not in the least," he replied. "Surely you do?" "Madame, I assure you that I do not." "That is strange," said the Queen, "for beneath your feet lies your poor, deserted Mademoiselle de la Roche, sighing because that above her stands the man who deceived her. I leave you now alone to your reflections."
Marguerite entertained a horror of death, but on hearing that her dearly-loved brother Francis was no more, her joy of life, her spirits left her, her health failed, and she died at Odos in Bigorre in 1549.
Her daughter, Jeanne d'Albret, was left heiress of Navarre, Béarn, Bigorre, Foix, and Armagnac, which had been part of her mother's dower. Jeanne was born in the Castle of Pau in 1528. At an early age she was removed to the Court of the King of France, and was betrothed at the age of twelve, and married in 1546, when eighteen years old, to the Duke of Cleves, who was twelve years her senior. She was so burdened with pearls and embroidery over brocade and gold lace at her wedding that she was unable to walk, and had to be carried into the church from the carriage in the arms of the Constable of France. But she did not relish the union, and
