The Power and Patronage of Marguerite de Navarre (review)

Marguerite de Navarre's life and literary works have received less attention than those of Christine de Pizan, the French woman writer closest to her in time. But in sixteenth-century France, 'a society in crisis', as J. H. Salmon described it, Marguerite also had a very significant political role by virtue of both her position as the king's sister and the titles and authority she possessed. She actively assisted the interests of political and religious clients, served and supported François I, and defended and protected her family and household, as revealed in her correspondence (1516-1549). Barbara Stephenson has based her timely study on the 886 letters, written by and to Marguerite, which survive in the original or as a copy (p. 2, n. 4). The total number of correspondents is 146, of whom 116 are classed as clientage correspondents (p. 18). Some of the correspondence has been published, but manuscript sources are generally cited in the footnotes.

Becoming a ducal peer in 1517 when the king gave her the duchy of Berry, Marguerite had unique status for there were then only six secular peerages, held by princes of the blood. Married firstly to Charles d'Alençon, then after his death to Henri d'Albret, king of Navarre, she had very extensive connections and held territories in her own name and right. Her keen intelligence, robust character and deep spirituality complete the profile of this extraordinary woman.

The Introduction describes Marguerite's person, her power as duchess, peer and queen and her multiple social and patronage networks. Having set her subject in the context of recent studies of Early Modern patronage and their models, Stephenson discusses in chapter one the tie between patron and client, network links, short-term relationships, five groups of correspondents, and the importance of honour, status and reciprocity. She examines Marguerite's power to act as patron and broker for nobility in her own lands and as part of the king's network, analysing her correspondence (205 letters) with Anne de Montmorency, Grand Master and later Constable of France. A quasi-official scheme of clientage (the term Stephenson prefers) thus existed at a time when seigneurial power was yielding to administrative bureaucracy dependent on the transfer of offices to the higher nobility who, in turn, distributed them to clients. By participating in clientage, women of the higher nobility acted politically, and none more so than Marguerite de Navarre.

The second chapter deals with the language of salutations and signatures as recognition of correspondents' status and indicators of interpretation and purpose of the letter. Linguistic manipulation of relationship and of request or recommendation occurred. Current debate on language and meaning in early modern correspondence, strategic choice of formulaic and deferential language, and specific examples are discussed, leading to an excellent résumé of interesting findings (pp. 76-77).

The following chapter concentrates on Marguerite's political authority in her territories where in her own name she exercised full power. There is no evidence that her authority was challenged on the basis of gender (p. 111), her formal status being recognized as equivalent to that of a high-ranking male noble. In the fourth chapter her fluctuating patronage relationship with her brother the king is examined. Her list of titles beginning 'sœur unique du roy' acknowledged the pre-eminence of this relationship.

The final chapter concerns Marguerite's élite religious patronage, which extended beyond that usually practised by noble women. She moved easily between orthodox Catholicism and the reforming ideas of what is here designated 'French evangelicism' (p. 13), the movement for reform from within the Church. Marguerite advocated reform within the Church of certain practices and translation of Scripture. Her religious network was the most complex as the bulk of 235 letters testifies. She both supported orthodox clients and defended threatened evangelicals.

The Conclusion re-assembles and reflects on the chapter findings, all previously summarized. The correspondence...