Page:The Queens of England.djvu/195

 JOANNA OF NAVARRE. 163 coins of the kings of France, and 6,000 livres due to him on the lands of the Viscount d'Avranches. Joanna had also assigned to her the cities of Nantes and Guerrande, the barony of Rais, of Chatellenic de Touffon, and that of Guerche. The nuptial ceremony was performed at Saille, near Guer- rande, in Navarre, on the nth of September, 1386, and many knights, nobles and squires from Brittany were present. This joyous occasion was succeeded by 'numerous splendid feasts and pageants given by the duke, at Nantes, in honor of his youthful bride. In February of 1387 an exchange of gifts took place between the duke and duchess, as a testimony of their mutual affection, consisting of gold, sapphires, pearls and other costly gems, with horses, falcons and. various sorts of wines. John "the Valiant," Duke of Brittany, although one of the most warlike princes of his age, was also one of the most quar- relsome ; it is therefore still more creditable on his part, that, although the King of Navarre never entirely fulfilled his prom- ises respecting the dower he had settled upon his daughter, the bridegroom did not resent his conduct, and that no estrange- ment between him and his young wife was produced by it. He regarded her with the utmost fondness, and in spite of the dis- appointment of his hopes of an heir to the dukedom, by the birth of two daughters in succession, John "le Valiant" never forgot the respect and affection due to his duchess, and it may be said, that, as tender an attachment succeeded their union as could exist under the disparity of their years. Charles "le Mauvais," ever occupied in mischief, had infused into the mind of his son-in-law suspicions against his mortal enemy, Oliver de Clisson, Constable of France, and such a thirst for vengeance was awakened in his breast that it had nearly involved him in ruin. But the flame of jealousy thus lighted up against De Clisson, and which led to the most ex- traordinary and unjustifiable conduct on the part of John "le Valiant," did not cause Joanna to suffer in the least; an un- doubted proof of her prudent and discreet conduct. To the day of his death her irritable husband continued to regard the young and lovely duchess with the most unalterable confidence and regard. In the course of her husband's rule, this princess had on many occasions to exercise her beneficial influence, which was great, and Joanna never failed to exert herself in the cause of