Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 5.6-10

Chapter 7 : The Sixth Star or Splendour of the Crown of Goodness of the MOTHER OF GOD

She is a true model of generosity towards her children

Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).

Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020)

§ 5. The Gratitude of the Mother of God towards certain Kings, Queens and other Rulers

Louis XI

 6   The memory of Louis XI has been immortalised by many actions worthy of a Prince with a fine mind and great courage. He was especially devoted to the Queen of Heaven whose image was on a medallion which he always wore on the brim of his hat. He offered her by way of homage the County of Boulogne[1] with a heart of gold worth 2000 écus, calling upon his successors to continue this gift in perpetuity. He introduced throughout his kingdom the holy custom of praying to the Virgin three times each day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening. All this served him wondrously well, as is noted by the wise Philippe de Commines[2], one of his most faithful servants and an eye-witness of what he describes. Our Lady strengthened his heart in an extraordinary manner so that he could deal with the trials and tribulations God sent him before his death.  From her he obtained feelings of repentance and devotion which brought tears to the eyes of those who served him; she ordained that he would leave this life on a Saturday, as she had himself predicted several days previously, so that everyone might understand that he was rendering his soul into the hands of her in whom he had always placed his hope. In the end, to show his dependency upon her even after his death, he made it known that he wanted to be buried in the Church of Notre-Dame de Cléry near Orleans. There he had established an honourable Chapter which would render to God and His most immaculate Mother hymns of praise in perpetuity.   

Footnotes

[1] Belleforestius, in Annal. Franciæ.

[2] In Gestis Ludovici undecimi, c. 136.

Charles VIII

 7   Charles VIII, a Prince endowed with many fine qualities, gave proof of the love he had towards the Queen of Heaven by building the Monastery of Notre-Dame des Anges next to the river Saône for the Franciscan Cordeliers[1]. His devotion is shown even more by something he did worthy of eternal memory which has been recorded by Italian and French historians.  

The King and his army had forced an entry into the town of Toscanella[2] which had barred its gates against him on his return from Naples. A young lady of good family and extraordinary beauty came to his chamber seeking sanctuary for the preservation of her modesty and threw herself into his arms. Her action stirred the blood in the veins of this young Prince who was so taken by passionate feelings that he was momentarily lost for words. It seems, however, that through a special providence of God he looked up and noticed a picture of Our Lady by the side of his bed. The young lady also saw the image and, kneeling at the feet of the King, she clasped his knees and called upon him, by the holiness of the immaculate Virgin in whose presence they found themselves, as also by the love he bore her, to preserve her inviolate for her fiancé and not to defile her honour. The look alone of the Queen of Chastity as well as the words of this young lady so touched the heart of Charles that not only did he do her no harm but he made a gift towards her dowry and freed her fiancé and family members who had been made prisoners of war. 

The kind heart of the Princess of Heaven could not but recognise the action prompted by the King’s virtuous heart. She granted him many favours at different times but especially in helping him prepare for death – which is the time when she normally offers her help to those who have rendered her some service in their lives. It would in fact be difficult to find a King who died with more praiseworthy intentions, whether for the administration of justice, or the reform of all the Orders in his kingdom or of his own household. One day whilst he was in his château at Amboise, he was escorting the Queen his wife to a gallery so that they could watch a game of real tennis being played on the court below. Although he was short in stature, he accidentally struck his head on the lintel of a doorway and injured himself slightly. This did not however interfere with his enjoyment of the game and he was happy to converse with several people. It was the eve of Palm Sunday and because he had already been to Confession twice during the week, most of his conversation related to the salvation of the human soul. The last words he spoke expressed his hope that he would thenceforth so order his life in accordance with the commandments of God that, by means of His holy grace, he would never again offend his sovereign Majesty by even a single venial sin. Having uttered this solemn pronouncement, which is the most Christian thing a man could say at such a time no matter how pure his soul, he suffered a haemorrhage and fell to the ground. They placed him on a straw mattress which happened to be nearby and there he died, with all the pious feelings he was able to muster. Several times he invoked the glorious Virgin, his dear and beloved Queen and Mother, and she did not fail to come unto his aid at such an important moment.

Footnotes

[1] Cordelier: A Franciscan friar of the strict rule, so called from the knotted cord which they wear round the waist.

[2] Toscanella : a town known since the 19th century as Tuscania.

François I

 8   François I Showed his zeal for the Holy Virgin’s honour in the following manner:

This august Prince learned that in the middle of his dear city of Paris a Huguenot, impelled by a spirit no less wicked than frenzied, had allowed his anger and desperation to reach such a point that he attacked the head of a statue representing the MOTHER OF GOD. François was firmly of the view that the future of his kingdom could be assured only through making a fitting satisfaction for this outrage. Accordingly, he gave orders for a public procession and he himself took part in person, barefoot and bare-headed. He carried a flaming torch and was followed by the Princes of the blood royal, Ambassadors, foreign Princes and members of the national Parliament. When they arrived at the place where the outrage had occurred, he placed with his own hands a beautiful statue of the Virgin on the spot of the one which had been decapitated. This was then borne to the Church of Saint-Gervais, known as Our Lady of Suffering. All the great nobles of the Realm were later invited by the King into the great hall of the Episcopal Palace. There he made a speech so full of Majesty and feelings worthy of a truly Christian Prince that there was scarcely anyone without tears in their eyes and hearts profoundly touched – so much so that they publicly proclaimed their determination to live and die in the Catholic Religion. Even if the only favour this truly pious Prince had received from the Holy Virgin in recognition of his actions had been to evade the snares of these wicked heretics with their insidious flatteries, this would have been enough for him to storm the altars of her Churches with prayers of praise and thanksgiving in perpetuity.

    

Charles IX  

 9   Charles IX used to visit the Church of Notre-Dame de Liesse[1] and his devotion was such that the great Cardinal of Lorraine, who was also Archbishop of Reims, bought some land in nearby Marchais. There he constructed a fine building about a quarter of an hour away from Notre-Dame de Liesse to provide a suitable dwelling for his Majesty when he came to offer his customary devotions. The courageous zeal showed by this Prince when protecting the Catholic Religion shows clearly how the Church’s Sovereign Lady took great care of his royal person.

Footnotes

[1] liesse: joy, gladness.

Charles IX  

 10   We shall be speaking later about Philippe-Auguste, Philippe the Handsome and Philippe de Valois.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

© Peter Bloor