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Margaret, Queen of Navarre, 1492-1549

"The Tales Of The Heptameron, Vol. I. (of V.)"

--L.
To this end he went in disguise to Paris with his wife. She, finding
that he used to shut himself up for a great while in a room with Gallery
without acquainting her with the reason thereof, spied upon him one
morning, and perceived Gallery showing him five wooden images, three of
which had their hands hanging down, whilst two had them lifted up.(13)
"We must make waxen images like these," said Gallery, speaking to the
Proctor. "Such as have their arms hanging down will be for those whom
we shall cause to die, and the others with their arms raised will be for
the persons from whom you would fain have love and favour."
"This one," said the Proctor, "shall be for the King by whom I would
fain be loved, and this one for Monseigneur Brinon, Chancellor of
Alencon." (14)
13 This refers to the superstitious practice called
_envoutement_, which, according to M. Leon de Laborde, was
well known in France in 1316, and subsisted until the
sixteenth century. In 1330 the famous Robert d'Artois, upon
retiring to Brabant, occupied himself with pricking waxen
images which represented King Philip VI.


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