Part III : The Crown of Goodness : Chapter 7 : § 5.47-51

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

St Bathilde

 47   Amongst those Queens who were specially devoted to the MOTHER OF GOD St Bathilde, wife of Clovis II, stands out and evidence of this may be found in her decision to establish the Royal Monastery in Chelles. She did not have to wait long before reaping the fruits of her devotion because, after the death of her husband the King, she entered the Monastery to become a living Temple of His divine Majesty[1]. Sometime before she died, the date of her death was revealed to her and she saw a ladder surrounded by Blessed Spirits which stretched up from the altar of Our Lady to Heaven. She was told that this was the ladder she would ascend to the place of her eternal happiness and rest. 

Footnotes

[1] In Vita ipsius apud Sur., 26 Januarii.

St. Margaret of Hungary

 48   The incomparable devotion of St Margaret[1], (daughter of Béla, King of Hungary), would deserve a chapter to itself. This Saint began at the age of three to recite daily the Little Office of Our Lady. When she was not much older, she could never see an image of the Virgin without kneeling down and saying an Ave Maria. She would do this a thousand times each day in the Octave preceding her principal Feasts.  She derived such help and strength from her devotion that nothing seemed impossible to her and I would find it difficult to describe in a few words the remarkable progress she made. Those curious to learn more need only look in her Life. 

Footnotes

[1] In ejus Vita, 28 Januarii.

St Joanna, Princess of Portugal

 49   Princess Joanna of Portugal deserves to be considered here amongst Queens not only for possessing all the Regal qualities but also for having ruled the Kingdom whilst her father Alfonso V and her brother John II were out of the country waging war against Berber forces. This Princess was accomplished in everything that can contribute to the éclat of a Queen and make her admired in the world; but she was even more accomplished in those perfections which bring joy to Heaven and win the affection of God. The devotion she had towards the most blessed Virgin was one of the most beautiful pearls in her Crown and the benefits she derived from this became clear in various different ways but most notably in the way the Virgin protected her chastity.   

She was considered to be the most beautiful Princess under Heaven and those fortunate enough to see her in person confessed that nothing in men’s imagination nor in the skills of painters could come anywhere near reproducing her beauty. This was accompanied by all sorts of outstanding qualities and so enraptured the eyes and the hearts of three of the great Princes in the world that it seemed a miracle would be needed for her to escape their pursuit of her hand in marriage. The Queen of Virgins herself, however, caused Joanna’s love to be so strongly attached to the beauty of chastity that nothing could shake it.  

Before we move on to consider the adventures of this valiant Princess, picture her now as she appeared when her father returned victorious from Africa. She was dressed for this occasion as though it were her wedding day and the gemstones she wore so set off her face with their lustre that all those looking upon her thought she was an Angel come down from Heaven rather than a mere creature of the earth. The King her father was so dazzled and overwhelmed that I think he would have been unable to deny her anything she asked. She was aware of this and she had prepared herself in this way so that she might ask him for something no one might ever have anticipated who did not have a perfect knowledge of her incomparable virtue. Who could ever have imagined that a Princess so striking and worthy of marriage to the noblest Prince in the world would on a day of public rejoicing ask her triumphant father, who loved her as much as himself, to give his permission for her to consecrate herself entirely to the service of God?  If someone had pierced the heart of this poor King with a deadly arrow the blow would not have been more painful than what he felt on hearing this unexpected request. Nevertheless, motivated by a fear of the Lord, he could not bring himself to refuse what she asked ; but he seemed for a moment as though paralysed and was unable to say a single word. The Princess, interpreting her father’s silence as tacit permission, put all her affairs in order as best she could and from that moment on strove to bring about her entry into the Religious life. When this day finally arrived, she was escorted by Prince John her brother, by several Prelates and by senior members of the Court who wore mourning black as though accompanying her to the tomb. 

 50   The Princess had been in her Monastery at Aveiro as in a place of refuge, confident that not only she could not be removed but that such a thing could not even be thought about. She was to be put to the test by two surprises almost one after the other, both of which would have shaken the firmest of hearts. 

The first came during the lifetime of Alfonso her father when Maximilian, King of the Romans, and son of the Emperor Frederick III, sought to make her his wife several months after her entry into the Monastery. Her brother Prince John served as an intermediary for him, using attempts at persuasion which would have melted a heart less steady than Joanna’s.  The wise Princess, however, seeing that there was no other way of escape, modestly begged her brother not to take this matter any further if he wished to preserve their friendship and to remain a good brother to her as he had been up until then. 

The Portuguese historians describe a second attempt, saying that after the death of Alfonso, his son John II was asked by King Charles VIII of France for his sister’s hand in marriage. This love was deeply rooted in the heart of Charles[1], since King Louis XI, his father, had requested a portrait of the Princess, as I mentioned earlier in passing. Once he saw the portrait, he knelt on the ground to worship the original of created beauty who had brought into being such an excellent model in his own days. From then onwards, this passion had grown in Charles and finally it burst forth as soon as he inherited the Crown. We should note that Charles had developed such a close friendship with John II, King of Portugal, that he was often heard to say that even if all the Princes in Europe were to go up against him, nevertheless he and the King of Portugal, like loyal brothers, were capable of withstanding all of them. Nevertheless, when it came to the question of marriage to Princess Joanna, he displayed such passion that in addition to prayers and references to their sworn friendship, he began to add threats of going to war with John if the marriage did not come to pass.  

As soon as the French Ambassadors arrived, King John betook himself to Aveiro to discuss the proposal in person with his sister the Princess, but he found her as unyielding as ever.  He then sought to persuade her by explaining how he did not wish to endanger his fine alliance with Charles, how he was most keen to grant the honourable request of a great King who had sworn him friendship, and how he was anxious to avoid an angry rupture with him. He asked her a thousand times what he had done to make her risk his downfall and the ruin of his realm, putting forward so many arguments that the poor Princess finally asked to postpone her decision until the following day, so that she might consult with the Virgin of Virgins, her dear Mother, and with her beloved Son, whom she had chosen for her Spouse a long time previously. Joanna thereupon withdrew to her chamber and knelt down on the ground in front of an image of the Virgin which she had there in her Oratory. With tears coursing down her cheeks, she prayed in a wondrously fervent way to the Mother of fair Love. She spoke with her eyes, her hands, her tongue and her heart, calling upon the Holy Virgin by all that she loved in Heaven and on Earth to come unto her aid and rescue her. Then a wonderful thing happened! Her countenance suddenly lightened up like a summer’s day and her heart was entirely at peace. The next day King John, not without feelings of apprehension, returned to the fray ; he did not doubt her opposition would continue and he was preparing to launch a second attack. He was therefore taken by surprise when he saw his sister’s face so sweet and joyful, thinking that this portended a favourable reply. This is how it seemed on the outside, but it was not difficult to see that Heaven had played a part in this change. Joanna told her brother that if King Charles, who was doing her the honour of seeking her hand in marriage, was at that moment alive, she was willing to accede to his request.  

Nothing more was necessary for the satisfaction of both parties. The King, accordingly, expressed his most sincere gratitude to her and made his way back to the Court. He had scarcely arrived however, when he received the sad news of the death of Charles VIII, his close friend, who had already gone to his Maker by the time his sister gave the assent he had been seeking so ardently.

Footnotes

[1] Vasconcellius, in Joann.

 51   That is how the Portuguese historians relate the story but their version does not accord with what all the French historians say and it seems more reasonable to believe the latter. They state that when Charles died he was actually married to Anne of Brittany and she then, having been left a widow, later married King Louis XII, his successor. Let us therefore set aside the story involving Charles and now consider another suitor.

Richard III, King of England, made an offer of peace which was very advantageous to the King of Portugal – but on condition that he give his sister to Richard in marriage. This was a proposal not to be refused and everyone thought the Princess ought to give her consent for the good and peace of the whole Kingdom. The Portuguese King, however, found himself placed in a difficult situation since on the one hand was fully aware of his sister’s firm resolution about this matter, but on the other he saw very clearly that he might be criticised, and there might even be danger to the Kingdom if he allowed such a wonderful opportunity to pass by. He decided to test her reaction once more and leave no stone unturned in an effort to win over his sister’s heart. With this in mind, he made his way to Alcobaça to ask the Infanta Philippa his aunt to join him and support what he was doing. From there he went to the city of Oporto where the Princess had gone out of fear of the plague. He did everything that he could, personally and making use of his aunt’s good offices, to win over his sister and overcome her saintly opposition to the proposal. Seeing that he was making no progress and fearing lest the sisters in the Monastery would encourage her to remain firm in her stance, he forbade them from communicating with her in any way whatsoever.

The poor Princess was so afflicted to learn this news that in weariness and distress she knelt before the image of Our Lady. She fell into a gentle slumber during which she saw a handsome man whose face shone brightly (it was an Angel) who told her that she should cease to trouble herself since the man who was proposing marriage had in fact died. On hearing this word, she awoke and, just as though she had come back to life from the dead, she let out a loving sigh to her who was the Guardian of her chastity, thanking her from the bottom of her heart for the care she was taking of her. When she first saw her brother again, she declared to him that if the King of England was still alive, she was willing to marry him. In her pursuit of holiness, she asked him never to speak to her again about marriage in the event that Heaven did not sanction this one. Eight days later, King John learned of Richard’s death. This threw him into such a state of astonishment that he did not know which was the greater source of wonder : the incredible care that God had taken to protect the Prince’s sister, or her love and devotion which had merited this protection.

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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