heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

384 THE HERALDRY OF YORK MINSTER.
with her to
the court of Philip III., where they were generously received,
the child carefully educated, and in due time married to the Dauphin,
afterwards Philip IV.*
Miss Sewell, in her Popular History of France, p. 132, says: "His
" evil tendencies were aggravated by those of his wife Jeanne of Navarre,
" who was as vindictive and cruel as himself." If so, that would account
for the character of their daughter, Queen Isabella, who has been called,
and not unjustly,
" the she-wolf of France ;
"
but as far as I can see,
history does not bear this out. Her husband was prodigal in his testimony
of esteem for his wife, in whom he had great confidence. He not only,
when King, increased her territories of Brie and Champagne in 1288,
but a few years later, when attacked by a dangerous malady, made a
will in which he declared her the guardian of his children, and regent
of the kingdom as long as she should remain a widow. She was herself
highly cultured, and an enthusiastic patroness of the fine arts. She founded
the celebrated college of Navarre, at Paris, and munificently remunerated
the professors whom she established in it. She also built the town of
Puente-la-Regna, in Navarre, an almshouse at Chateau Thierry, and
several other places of public utility. Perhaps, like her fellow-mortals of
all ages and stations, she was liable to gusts of temper, and failed always
to control them in public one instance at least of which is recorded. In
;
1300, when Philip had succeeded in his projects against Guy, Count of
Flanders, by pouring an army into Flanders and compelling him to
surrender himself as prisoner, he made a progress through the chief
towns of the province, attended by a brilliant court. The Flemings, glad
to be delivered from their late unpopular lord, welcomed them with
festivities, at one of which, at Bruges, the ladies of the nobility and
municipality appeared radiant with gay clothing and jewels ;
perhaps they
eclipsed Her Majesty and her surroundings, for she somewhat tartly
exclaimed :
" I thought that I was the only queen here, but I find myself
"surrounded by queens!"
By the wish of Philip III. she retained the government of Navarre,
in which she shewed both energy and wisdom for soon after her
;
marriage
she succeeded in expelling the Aragonese and Castilians from that
kingdom, and established sub-governors to act under her directions both
there and in Champagne; and when in 1297 the Count of Bar made an
irruption into Champagne, she placed herself at the head of her troops,
and marching to the attack, took the Count prisoner, and conveyed him
in triumph to Paris. Judging from outward appearances
her domestic
life could not have been very happy, as Philip must have been a singularly
overbearing and disagreeable person indeed. Dante calls him "the
*
Queens of France, Mrs. Forbes Bush.