2 M. Lacroix thinks that this lady may be Jane de Hochberg, only daughter of Philip, sovereign Count of Neufchatel.  According to the custom of the time, she was commonly called Madame de Neufchatel, despite her marriage with Louis d’Orleans, Duke of Longueville.  She died in 1543, after a lengthy widowhood.  We consider the accuracy of M. Lacroix’s surmise to be extremely doubtful, for the names of both the men figuring in the story are obviously altered so as to conceal their identity, and it is therefore not likely that Queen Margaret would designate the lady by her real name, and thus publish her shame to the world.  The Madame de Neufchatel she speaks of may really have been a Madame de Chateauneuf, Chateauvieux or Maisonneuve; or we may again be in presence of Margaret’s lady of honour, the widowed Blanche de Chastillon, nee de Tournon, to whom frequent reference has been made.—­Ed.

This affection lasted for a great while, the Prince of Belhoste caring for all the lady’s affairs as though they were his own, and his wife doing no less.  By reason, however, of her beauty many great lords and gentlemen earnestly sought the lady’s favour, some only for love’s sake, others for sake of the ring, for, besides being beautiful, she was also very rich.

Among the rest was a young gentleman, called the Lord des Cheriots, (3) who wooed her so ardently that he was never absent from her levee and couchee, and was also with her as much as possible during the day.  This did not please the Prince of Belhoste, who thought that a man of such poor estate, and so lacking in grace, did not deserve an honourable and gracious reception, and he often made remonstrances about it to the lady.  She, however, being one of Eve’s daughters, (4) excused herself by saying that she spoke with every one in general, and that their own affection was the better concealed, since she never spoke more with one than with another.

3 “Des Cheriots” (occasionally Des Cheriotz in the MS.) may be a play upon the name of D’Escars, sometimes written Des Cars.  According to La Curne de Ste. Palaye car as well as char signified chariot.  The D’Escars dukedom is modern, dating from 1815, and in the time of Francis I. the family was of small estate.  Some members of it may well have filled inferior offices about the court, as in 1536 a Demoiselle Suzanne d’Escars married Geoffrey de Pompadour, who was both a prothonotary and cupbearer to Francis I., and lived to become Governor of the Limousin under Charles IX.—­M. and Ed.

     4 We take this expression from MS. 1520.  Ours says, “a
     daughter of the Duke,” which is evidently an error.—­L.

Albeit, after some time, this Lord des Cheriots so pressed her that, more through his importunity than through love, she promised to marry him, begging him, however, not to urge her to reveal the marriage until her daughters were wedded.  After this the gentleman was wont to go with untroubled conscience to her chamber at whatsoever hour he chose, and none but a waiting-woman and a serving-man had knowledge of the matter.