Character Sketch of Jeanne D' Albret Part 2

Here is the rest of the character sketch :

When Jeanne made a short stop at her husband's  family home in Vendome on 14 May to break her lengthy homeward journey, she failed to prevent a 400-strong Huguenot force from invading the town. The soldiers marched through the streets of Vendome, ransacked all the churches, maltreated the inhabitants, and pillaged the ducal chapel, which housed the tombs of Antoine's ancestors. In consequence, her husband adopted a aggressive stance with her. He issued orders to Blaise de Lasseran, to have her arrested and returned to Paris where she would subsequently be sent to a Catholic convent.  She resumed her journey after leaving Vendome and managed to elude her captors, safely passing over the frontier into Béarn before she could be intercepted by the Blaise de Lasseran and his troops.

At the end of the year, Antoine was fatally wounded in battle, and died before Jeanne could obtain the necessary permission to cross over enemy lines, in order to be at his bedside where she had wished to nurse him. Jeanne henceforth ruled Navarre as the sole queen ruler. Jeanne refused an offer of matrimony issued by King Phillip II of Spain (the same Philip to whom her father had hoped to marry Jeanne), who had hoped to marry her to his son, on the condition that she return to the Catholic faith. Sending an ambassador, Philip demanded she cast aside her religious policy, calling it evil and threatening that he would not tolerate Calvinism "so near to his subjects." The ambassador related Jeanne's reply, characteristically sharp when she was provoked. "Although I am just a little Princess, God has given me the government of this country so I may rule it according to His Gospel and teach it His Laws. I rely on God, who is more powerful than the King of Spain."  Philip's reply is menacing. "This is quite too much of a woman to have as a daughter-in-law. I would much prefer to destroy her and treat her as such an evil woman deserves."

The Pope, too sought Jeanne. Pious IV sent his own ambassador and his own set of threats. She was warned that her subjects would not stand for reform, that Spain would not stand for it. She was ordered to restore the churches and to cast off the heresies ". She was implored "with tears to return to the true fold." Her reply did little to hide her annoyance, "You appeal to your authority as the Pope's legate ( an ambassador or messenger ) . The authority of the Pope's legate is not recognized in Bearn. Keep your tears for yourself. Out of charity I might contribute a few." There followed a plot to kidnap her and deliver her to the Inquisition in Spain. She was summoned to appear in Rome upon penalty of excommunication, confiscation of goods, and a declaration that her lands would be open to the first taker.

This last claim troubled Philip of Spain who did not want just anyone to take over Navarre. It made Catherine De Medici furious. She resented the Papacy's presumption in disciplining Jeanne over the head of France.  Meanwhile, Jeanne  continued with her reform. There were plans to carry out "the total suppression of idolatry." The Calvinist Academy became a reality and Catholic wealth was confiscated and given to the poor.

Spain and the Papacy were up in arms. "It was disturbing enough that John Knox had created a Calvinist establishment in Scotland, but if it were allowed to develop in Bearn, it might spread throughout France, a far more serious challenge to the church."  They put pressure on Catherine, Catherine put pressure on Jeanne, Jeanne was evasive. She had returned to court for a time to appease Catherine who was confident of her powers to control people near her, and also to try to get her son Henry who was 13 at the time, away from the court in France. She was afraid that he would become a Roman Catholic since he was in the midst of them. She was given permission to have Henry accompany her as far as Vendome. She planned to have him escape from France. They safely arrived to her own capital, Pau. She finally had him under her own control, and had him trained carefully.

There had already been two great wars against the Huguenots and the Roman Catholics in France, but there was still more.

 Although Navarre was not involved with the war, Jeanne saw that the defeat of Protestantism in France would mean the downfall of her kingdom, because it was Reformed.  So she and her son went to La Rochelle, where the Huguenots of France had gathered. The people were astonished and beside themselves with joy at the new and unexpected reinforcement that had appeared.  It is in La Rochelle that the strength of Jeanne's service to her God is best seen. While staying in touch as best she could be with Bearn, she also proved invaluable to the Huguenot cause. As Minister of Propaganda, she wrote manifestoes and requests for aid to foreign princes. Under her direction fell such concerns in La Rochelle as "finances, fortifications, discipline (except in the army), and, in part, intelligence."  She contributed her wealth, even offering her jewels as security in foreign loans. She supervised the care of the tens of thousands of refugees that poured into the city. She did not confine herself within the city's walls, however. At even critical points in the fighting, she would accompany Coligny, inspecting the defenses and rallying troops.

A college was established in La Rochelle under direction, to be "a seminary of piety and a center for the education of the holy ministry."  She brought to it some of the most learned men of the Reform. The better part of their salaries was paid by Jeanne herself. She was working at such a frenzied pace, perhaps realizing that she did not have long to live. Her body grew weaker, but her determination was stronger than ever.

Jeanne was at her height; the Huguenot cause was at its height. It offered its terms of peace. Jeanne wrote to both the King and the Queen Mother, but when the terms were denied and the Huguenots were told that the condition of peace was that they lay down absolutely all their arms, Jeanne answered, "We have come to the determination to die, all of us, rather than to abandon our God, and our religion, the which we cannot maintain unless permitted to worship publicly, any more than a human body can live without meat and drink." Eventually the king signed the terms, which were "freedom of worship except in Paris or near the court, full eligibility to public office, and, as guarantee that these terms would be honored in practice, the right to hold four cities under their independent rule for two years."  The Catholics were outraged. As the King was trying to unify his people, Catherine had her own ideas. She proposed that the young Henry, the new king of Navarre, should marry Princess Margaret, sister of Charles IX, king of France. Jeanne objected. She didn't want her son to marry a Roman Catholic. But her counselors, forced her to consent to the marriage. They thought that if a Huguenot and a Catholic would join together, that it would end the bitter rivalry. The Catholics were so eager for the marriage, that they agreed that it would be according to the Reformed marriage form. The Huguenots had no idea that this was a trap. Jeanne traveled to Paris to make the necessary preparations. She disagreed with the French on many points, but they agreed to all that she proposed, and she finally signed the marriage proposal. She wasn't satisfied; she felt that all this was going to be a blow to the protestants.

Jeanne became sick before the wedding, which was August 18.  She lay in ever-increasing pain for four days. Her ministers were permitted to attend her, constantly in prayer, reading at her request Psalm 31 and John, chapters 14 through 18, exhorting her, and reminding her of God's mercy to the faithful. Having fought all her life, she did not have the strength to fight any longer. She resigned herself and prayed, "O God, my Father, deliver me from this body of death and from the miseries of this life, that I may commit no further offenses against Thee and that I may enjoy the felicity Thou hast promised me." She died on June 9, 1572.

She gave all to her God -- her wealth, health, kingdom, and life, her heart, soul, strength, and mind -- for the furtherance of His gospel.  And she left behind a great legacy, first to her own kingdom, where, she would say, "God has always granted me the grace to preserve this little corner of Bearn, where, little by little, good increases and evil diminishes." Her legislation and reform in Bearn outlived her by many, many years. All this that she did, not for herself, but for her Lord. She has left behind a legacy to all those of the reformed faith who find in the memory of her service to God the sufficiency of His strength.

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 Sources : Wikipedia (at our church, we call this website with much fondness, ' Our Beloved Wikipedia'),Center for Reformed Theology, and a book, but I don't really remember the name. When I find it, I'll add it on to the list.