She rather prided herself upon her conversational powers, indeed, writers of her day assert that nobody could talk better, either in society or on State affairs. The King, who liked to have her opinion about everything that went on, always sent the ambassadors to her after an audience with him.
One day she was going to receive the Spanish ambassador, and not understanding Spanish she asked her chamberlain, the Prince de Chalais, who understood several languages, to teach her some sentences to say to him. Chalais, who had a mania for playing practical jokes, without considering whether the Queen was a proper subject for one, taught her some words not possible in any decent society. Fortunately for himself he was so delighted with his trick or so doubtful of the result of it that, just before the audience, he told it to the King. He laughed but hastened to warn the Queen, who was, of course, exceedingly angry, would not receive Chalais for some days, and would have dismissed him had not the King dissuaded her, assuring her that he would never have allowed her to say the words to the ambassador.[344]
In 1510 Louis and Anne sustained an irreparable loss by the death of the Cardinal d’Amboise.
As usual, the French successes in Italy had been short lived. The Venetians under their famous Doge, Loredan, had reconquered nearly all their territory, and the members of the league of Cambrai had turned against France, the Milanese was lost, and the King of Spain seized the Spanish side of Navarre including Pampeluna. Catherine de Foix, heiress of the gallant Princes of Navarre and Queen in her own right, remarked to her husband, Jean d’Albret, “Dom Jean, if you had been born Catherine and I Dom Jean, we should never have lost Navarre.”[345]
The Queen had so dangerous an illness in March, 1511, that her life was despaired of; but after receiving the Communion she revived and by the middle of April was tolerably well. In the following January she had another son, who died like all his brothers, and the doctors managed the Queen so badly that her health was permanently injured. Late in March the Austrian ambassador, who went to take leave of her, found her still in bed but brave, cheerful, and taking her usual interest in public affairs. She did not get up until May, when she appeared much better, but never really regained her strength, and just then many circumstances combined to depress and trouble her.