BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF JOINVILLE. T n family of Joinville was, in the thirteenth century, one of the roost distinguished in Champagne. About the middle of the preceding century, Etienne, surnamed Devaux, an ancestor of the author of these memoirs, became very powerful. He espoused the countess de Joigny, who brought him the fief so named, together with aererai other manors, as a marriage portion ; and he was the first who built the castle of Join ville. The uncle and father of Joinville covered themselves with glory ; the first, during the reign of Philip Augustus, when in attendance upon the count of Flanders, at the conquest of Constantinople : the second, during the minority of St. Louis, in defending the town of Toyes against the joint efforts of almost all the lords of France. John lord of Joinville, author of the following memoirs, was eldest son to Simon lord of Joinville, by Beatrice of Burgundy, his second wife. Biographers differ as to the date of his birth. Du Cange places it in 1220 ; De la Ravaliere in 1224 ; and De la Bastie as late as 1228. The authors of the " Biographie Universelle " decide in favour of the middle period. He was betrothed during the life of his parents to Alicia, daughter of Henry count de Grand Pré, by Marie de Garlande. The articles of marriage were agreed to in the month of June, 1231, in the presence of Thibaud count of Champagne, the principal conditions of which were, that the countess and her son Henry should give, in consideration of this alliance, three hundred livres yearly, in land, and that in return Alicia should renounce all claim to the succession of her father and mother. It was likewise stipulated that Simon lord of Joinville, father to John, should so manage that Geoffry de Joinville, his son, should approve of and ratify the sentence of separation which the archbishop of Rheims had pronounced between him and the countess of Grand Pré ; from which we may conjecture, that this marriage was concluded to appease the quarrel which this divorce bad caused between the two families. The articles were only signed by the countess of Grand Pré*, in the absence of her son ; but the count of Champagne pledged himself for his duly executing them. This was not, however, so soon accomplished, nor was the marriage completed until after the year 1239 $ at which period John lord of Joinville having succeeded bis father in his estates, and in the seneschalahip of Champagne, was unmarried ; for in this year he promised Count Thibaud, king of Navarre, not to ally himself with the count de Bar, nor take his daughter to wife. Beatrice, mother to John, made the count a similar promise for her son. His marriage with Alicia must have taken place instantly afterward ; for, in a deed of the year 1240, the lady of Joinville is styled sister to Henry count de Grand Pré. It had probably been deferred until then on account of the youth of the lord de Joinville, who thus speaks of himself: " That when the treaty between the king, Saint Louis, and the