_, p. 176.
2 Henri Martin's _Histoire de France_. The marriage,
however, was not really consummated (_Nouvelles Lettres,
&c._, pp. 236, 237), and it was eventually annulled by Pope
Paul III., to whom Francis applied for a divorce when the
Duke of Cleves deserted his cause for that of Charles V.
It was at Chatelherault on this occasion that Margaret triumphed over
the Constable de Montmorency, who in earlier years had been her
close friend, and with whom she had carried on such a voluminous
correspondence. Montmorency had requited her good services with
ingratitude, repeatedly endeavouring to estrange Francis from her.
Brantome gives an instance of this in the following passage:--"I have
heard related," he says, "by a person of good faith that the Constable
de Montmorency, then in the highest favour, speaking of this matter
of religion one day with the King, made no difficulty or scruple about
telling him, that 'if he really wished to exterminate the heretics
of his kingdom, he ought to begin at his Court and with his nearest
relatives, mentioning the Queen his sister,' to which the King replied,
'Do not speak of her; she loves me too much.
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