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Leader (1850-1860), 17th September 1859, Edition 2 of 3, Page 19

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      Some Memorials Of Rekke Of France, Ductl...

      Las of purpose with generosity of Jieart . ^ ' ^ JSitiGs flowed both fr eely to the needy , the desoffand the oppressed . -She loved the luxury of ^ nSff eood / The candour of her disposition was ^ rJt thkt it soon prepared her to admit convict 2 , S adverse to many a , long-revered dogma , whilst iSSidSS ' . her accessible t * the influences of real Lnrtancient truths . . As for her deportment , it was 'StJtaSS ^ Respite herpersonal deformity ) it wJ ^ maiestic ; sh e knew how to preserve the -Secrdulto ' her rank , whilstshe won all . . heart . w the o-raciousness of her address , the modesty of her bearing , and the charm of her conversational powers . " - •• ' - ¦ -i [ The bio ^ ap her then goes on to relate , in eloquent language , ' the numerous acts of _ pious charity by which the new duchess endeared herself to her husband ' s subjects . She soon became famous for her encouragement of literature and the fine arts , and in her men of genius found a faithful friend aiid liberal patroness . But the stream of light ,- which , at this progressive period was fast dispelling the mental darkness which for ages had enveloped the doctrines of the Church of IJome , had penetrated deeply into the heart of this re-• mart-able woman ; and Renee was soon suspected of c herishing in secret the tenets of the " reformed faith . " She , in fact , received at her court . of Ferrara that world-renowned and indefatigable reforiner , John Calvin , who , under an assumed name , enjoyed for a time both ease and tranquillity in the palace of the sympathising Duchess . One of the chief protegees of this princess was Olympia Morata , so celebrated afterwards for her high literary aspirations and patriotic adherence to the Protestant reh ' gion . By permission of the Duchess she shared and assisted the studies of her daughter Anna d'Egte . A short extract here might be interesting to the reader . " This bright genius who adorned an age that yet wanted not ornaments- ^ this true woman , whose history may be pondered in silent compassion , yet in profound admiration—this saint so tried in life , so blessed in death , has formed a favourite subject for the pen of the biographer . She was five years older than the young princess whose studies she lightened and whose recreation she shared . But notwithstanding the difference of age , a friendship soon sprung up between them , with the harmony of which there is no ground for supposing that any intellectual jealousies ever interfered . Olympia was daughter to Fulvio Peregrino Morata , whose name was one of mark in the celebrated universities of Northern Italy , and she had enjoyed from her childood the rarest advantages of education in her refined though humble home . The learning of her father , the piety of her mother , the society of the gifted friends of both , aud the affectionate interest which she awakened iu all around her , left ' the marvellous child' nothing to wish for under the parental roof , except leisure to pursue the taste for study with which these favourable circumstances had naturally imbued her . To cultivate her mental powers to thsir full extent seemed impossible as long as the narrow means of her family required the young Olympia to share with her mother the distasteful labours of the household , * and we can easily imagine the reluctance with which the book was laid aside for the spinning-wheel with perhaps the indignant murmur— 'My time for this—and this ?' " The Estense Palace was a very temple of the Muses , and it was a welcome refuge to Olympia from the lincongenial occupations which had retarded her progress in knowledge hitherto . The kind-heiirted duchess filled a mother ' s place to the child whom she had almost adopted as her own . From her father , Olympia was not separated . Fulvio retained the privilege of instructing his daughter even in the ducal palace , f and there , in the society of Anna d'Este , she advanced rapidly in classical learning $ whilst her native talents of improvisation , composition and recitation were likewise developed . It followed , as a matter of course , that one so richly endowed by nature and education became an object of great attraction to the learned who thronged the court of Eerrara , and that they did not conceal their admiration . Olyrapia ' s example failed not to supply the required excitement to the Princess Anna , who followed in her friend ' s steps-Hihough , it may he , far behind . ^ : A dangerous illness interrupted the young enthusiast ' s enjoyments for a time , and banished her to the quiet of her own home , from whence she returned , as soon as she recovered , to the palace , amidst the exultation of its inmates , and to those scenes of intellectual display which still enthralled her heart "with their fascinations , JEPor as yet Olyinpia knew ' — - |— | | | .

      not that the' highest aspirations of an immortal being are spiritual rather than intellectual . To her mind the bright lights of . classic literature had not yet * paled their ineffectual fires before the true light of an assured Christian faith . In her ardent pursuit of studies purely secular , she had hitherto neglected that knowledge which « it is not good for the soul to be without . ' She was applauded as * the pride of Eerrara , ' and was not yet alive to the superior excellence of ' the honour which cometh from . God only . ' " The subsequent disgrace of this " bright particular star" that shone so brightly even in ^ the midst of so many surrounding luminaries is a lasting dishonour to the memory of Renee of France . Olympia afterwards married Andrew Gruhthler , a German medical student , ' ^ w ho admired her genius and appreciated her virtues , and also shared her faith . " She soon afterwards retired to Germany with her husband , Italy being no longer a safe asylum for one whose opinions were known to be so inimical to the doctrines of the Church of Rome . In another part of the book , the author thus records the death of this highminded and heroic girl . ; " During the short remainder of Olympia Morata ' s earthly existence the literary character of her life was almost entirely merged in the moral and the spiritual . As one wha was well aware of her precarious state of health , she gave more earnest heed than ever to preparation for eternity . Not that her household duties , once so irksome , . were neglected under the clear sense of a still higher femmme obligation to which she had been awakened . ; not that she ceased to instruct her young brother Emilio in those classical studies which once were her sole delight : but the word of God was now the subject of her mediation . All her own aspirations were heavenward . And as to things temporal , she had learned that it was < far better to endure all with Jesus Christ than to possess the whole world without Him . ' Though she still loved with faithful affection ^ those Mends who , amidst the storm of persecution / liad never forsaken her , her letters to them reveal the gradual weaning of her soul from all human ties , and her ever-growing 'desire to depart , and to be with Christ . ' A little while , and her desire was granted . The mortal disease under which she labour ^ increased during the summer of 1555 , and claimed Olympia as its prey on the 7 th of November following :. When < all but expiring , having awoke from sleep a little while before , she appeared to me , ' wrote her bereaved husband to Cunone , ' under the influence of some joyful sensation , to be laughing as it were by stealth . I approached her , and asked what she saw that was so sweet . « I saw , ' said , 'in my sleep just now a spot . full of the most beautiful and the brightest light . ' More she could not utter through her weakness . ' Well , my wife , ' I said , « thou wilt dwell in that beautiful light . ' Smiling again , she nodded with her head , and soon after said , * I am all gladness . ' Nor did see speak again , except that just .. as her eyes were growing dim , she said , ' I scarcely distinguish you any longer , but all beside seems full of the loveliest flowers . ' These were her very last words . Eor not long afterward , as one sinking into a sweet sleep , she breathed her last . ' . . . ... She was in her twenty-ninth year when she died . But to return to t he Duchess , whose words , and actions form the principal topic of the present memoir . It was not to be supposed that the Catholic powers of Europe would long allow a " heretic " of such illustrious station to enjoy her new faith without remonstrance and disturbance . The consequence was that her husband , a bigoted Catholic , after seeking in yain , b y mild means to change the tenoiar of his wife ' s opinions , at length forced her , by bitter and unrelenting persecution , to make a false recantation , and return once more into the body of the Romish faith . Upon the death of her spouse , however , Renee , trusting in her maternal influence over the mind of the young Duke , at once threw off the mask , and boldly declared her continued adherence to the Calvinistic creed . Alas ! she knew not that in that bigotted and persecuting ago , tolerance in religious matters was not to be obtained even from those nearest and dearest to our hearts ; and she soon received from her son the " stern alternative ' to renounce her religious opinions or withdraw from Ferrara . She clxoso the latter . Thus , after an absence of thirty-two years , the soil of 1 ; ranee again became the home of its native princess . She retired to her little dependency of Montargis , which , together with other ' places had formed a portion of her marriage dowry . Here she was loon made to acknowledge in bitterness of amnt that the struggle between the contending ftutna

      * was raging us Tviblently in - 'France as in Italy ; , an instance of this may be deduced from the following account of the conspiracy of Amboise : — * ' The plan proposed by La Renaudie wa 3 ~ as follows . A large number of Huguenots were to present themselves unarmed before the king at Blois , With a petition imploring him to withdraw the persecuting edicts , and to grant the Keformed the free exercise of their religion . And , since their secret assemblies by night had afforded to their enemies a pretext for calumniating their conduct , they were to beseech the king to grant permission for their assembling in temples open to the public , and underlie , eye of authority . JVIeanwhile , when the royal attention was attracted to this crowd of unarmed petitioners at the foot of the throne five hundred horsemen , and a thousand infantry , chosen from amongst gentlemen , the most devoted to the cause of the Huguenots and Bourbons , were to meet froin the different provinces , to advance m silence B ™ 2 ££ ? the town of Blois , seize the persons of the Gmses , bring them to trial , engage Erancis II . to follow from henceforth the counsels of the Bourbon princes , and to convoke the States-General . * * w » , ,, t , " The conspiracy failed-being divulged through terror or remorse , by a partisan named Avenelles , in whose house i / a Renaudie lodged , whihst wajtog in Paris the time for its execution . The Guises being forewarned , were of course forearmed . Measuref were craftily taken to lull the Huguenots into a false security , and thus to insure theu-after-destruction . The court removed from Blois to Ambowe . It was known that the secret had transpired , but La Renaudie , judging that matters had gone too tar to admit of a ' retreat ? pushed the affair to extremity . The precautions of the Guises were , however , too well taken . La Renaudie , at the head of *** * £ ? % being encountered by a royal / orce m the forest , oi Chateau Renaud , was slain in the combat . Another of the leaders , Castelneau , had previously ^ rendered himself to the Duke of Nemours at Noizai ; Mazere and Raunai were , also ^ P ^^ ers . Jhen began those executions which have blackened ^ for ever the names of those who ordered them , and ot those who witnessed them . Not less than twelve hundred victims perished to glut the vengeance of the brothers of Guise . < The executions proceeded , says L * Planche . < with the greatest diligence , for not a day nor night passed in which a great number were not put to death , and all of them personages of distinction . Some were drowned , others hanged , others beheaded . But what was strange to see , and a thing that had never happened under any form ot government , was their being led to execution with-Sut any sentence publicly pronounced upon them , or any declaration made of the reason of their deaths , or even of their names .... One thing observed ... was that the executions were reserved until after dinner , contrary to custom , but the Guises did this expressly to afford some pastime for the ladies , who had become weary of being so long in this place . And in truth they botfx ^ eux et eiles ) took station at the windows of the castle , as it there had been some momeries to be played betore them , being moved neither with pity nor compassion , —at least there was no appearance ot any ra them . And what is worse , the king and his young brothers appeared at these spectacles , and the sutferers were pointed out to them hy the . cardinal , with the signs of a man who rejoiced greatly to animate the prince against his own subjects ; tor when they died with the greatest constancy , Jie woulld say , < Behold , sire , these audacious wtoates ! The fear of death cannot abate their pride a id ^ malice : what would they then do if they had you m their hands ? ' "f . „ The subsequent life of Renc-e was composed of s ^ sssii upon herself much vexatoon and turmoil from the ° rwo ?& py too much space . . enumerate SeSSS 3 £ ? Bg ? he horrible massacre of St . Bartho omew , and the JSSvflS horror with which intelligence of that event was received by thy ; w ^ roto- ^ t twrij tho nrinooss Ronee , daughter of Louis XUtn , ana DucC of Ferrari breathed her lust , deeply lawnThv her own family , and the , remnants ot T ^ Uee & ZeX / U with which her name 19 % ? 2 Z £ ffi £ d much information . and considerable amusement from . the perusal of th » welldigested , and el egantly-written volume . ' " ¦ " ' ' mi ii of tlUfl brhmhwum

      A*B 495. ¦¦ ***: M, 1859.1 Tihfe Leapeb....

      a * b 495 . ¦¦ *** : M , 1859 . 1 TiHfE LEAPEB . 1063

      * Vlo D'Olymnln, Morat». Pp. 21, 23. F I...

      * Vlo d'Olymnln , Morat » . pp . 21 , 23 . f Ibid , pp . 83 , 8 £ 9 Tie d'Olymplt * Moratn , p . 20 .

      ^ Vov All The Particulars Conspiracy, Oo...

      ^ Vov all the particulars conspiracy , oo t # r &?? w ac 7 J 1 pianoW , p . m Quoted by Smraondl , t , xvill ? pp . H 8 , 149 .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 17, 1859, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17091859/page/19/