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six thousand of the populace were sent to Montlehery under the command of the lord de Cohen, sir Walter de Buppes and sir Walter Raillart, with a certain number of men at arms, and store of cannon and ammunition sufficient for a siege. These knights led them to Montlehery, where they made a sharp attack on the Dauphinois within the castle.

The duke of Burgundy, after their departure, arrested several of their accomplices, and the principal movers of the late insurrection, some of whom he caused to be beheaded, others to be hanged or drowned in the Seine; even their leader Cappeluche, the hangman, was I carried to the Parisians who had been sent to Montlehery, they marched back to Paris to raise another rebellion, but the gates were closed against them, so that they were forced to return to the siege.

Monstrelet, vol. v. p. 47. To what is it owing that four centuries have made so little difference in the character of the Parisians?

Page 56.-He will retreat

To distant Dauphiny.

Charles, in despair of collecting an army which should dare to approach the enemy's entrenchments, not only gave the city of Orleans for lost, but began to entertain a very dismal prospect with regard to the general state of his affairs. He saw that the country in which he had hitherto, with great difficulty, sub

sisted, would be laid entirely open to the invasion of a powerful and victorious enemy, and he already entertained thoughts of retiring with the remains of his forces into Languedoc and Dauphiny, and defending himself as long as possible in those remote provinces. But it was fortunate for this good prince, that as he lay under the dominion of the fair, the women whom he consulted had the spirit to support his sinking resolution in this desperate extremity. Mary of Anjou, his queen, a princess of great merit and prudence, vehemently opposed this measure, which she foresaw would discourage all his partizans, and serve as a general signal for deserting a prince who seemed himself to despair of success: his mistress too, the fair Agnes Sorel, who lived in entire amity with the queen, seconded all her

remonstrances.

Hume.

L'on fait honneur à la belle Agnès Sorel, Demoiselle de Touraine, maitresse de ce Prince, d'avoir beaucoup contribué à l'encourager en cette occasion. On lui fait cet honneur principalement au sujet d'un quatrain rapporté par Saint Gelais, comme aiant été fait par le Roi François I. à l'honneur de cette Demoiselle.

Plus de louange et d'honneur tu mérite,

La cause étant de France recouvrer,

Que ce que peut dedans un Cloitre ouvrer
Clausé Nonnain, ou bien dévot Hermite.

P. Daniel,

Page 57.-On a May morning deck'd with flowers. Here in this first race you shall see our kings but once a year, the first day of May, in their chariots deckt with flowres and greene, and drawn by four oxen. Whoso hath occasion to treat with them let him seeke them in their chambers, amidst their delights. Let him talk of any matters of state, he shall be sent to the Maire.

De Serres.

Fuller calls this race te a chain of idle kings well linked together, who gave themselves over to pleasure privately, never coming abroad, but onely on May-day they shewed themselves to the people, riding in a chariot, adorned with flowers, and drawn with oxen, slow cattel, but good enough for so lazy luggage."

Holy Warre.

Ces Rois hideux en longue barbe espesse,
En longs cheveux, ornez presse sur presse,
De chaisnes d'or et de carquans gravez,
Hauts dans un char en triomphe elevez,
Une fois l'an se feront voir en pompe
Enflez d'un fard qui le vulgaire trompe.
Franciade de Ronsard.

Page 57. And these long locks will not disgrace thee then.

Long hair was peculiar to the kings in the first ages of the French monarchy. When Fredegonda had murthered Clovis and thrown him into the river, the fishermen who found his body knew it by the long hair.

Mezeray.

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At a later period the general. Pasquier says,

custom seems to have become "lors de mon jeune aage nul n'estoit tondu, fors le moines. Advint par mesadventure que le roy François premier de ce nom, ayant esté fortuitement blessé à la teste d'un tizon, par le capitaine Lorges, sieur de Montgoumery, les medecins furent d'advis de la tondre. Depuis il ne porta plus longs cheveux, estant le premier de nos roys, qui par un sinistre augure degenera de ceste venerable ancienneté. Sur son exemple, les princes premierement, puis les gentilshommes, et finalement tous les subjects se volourent former, ill ne fut pas que les Prestres ne se meissent de ceste partie. Sur la plus grande partie du regne de François premier, et devant, chacun portoit longue chevelure, et barbe rasé, où maintenant chacun est tondu, et porte longue barbe."

Page 57.-Thy mangled corse waves to the wind of heaven.

Le Viscomte de Narbonne y périt aussi, et porta le peine de sa témérite, qui avoit eté une des principales causes de la perte de la battaille. Le duc de Betfort aiant fait chercher son corps, le fit écartaler et pendre à un gibet, parce qu'il passoit pour avoir été complice de la mort du duc de Bourgogne.

P. Daniel.

Page 57.-Leagues with my foes, and Richemont. Richemont has left an honourable name, though he tied a prime minister up in a sack, and threw him into

the river. For this he had a royal precedent in our king John, but Richemont did openly what the monarch did in the dark, and there is some difference between a murderer and an executioner, even though the executioner be a volunteer. "Il mérita sa grace (says Daniel) par les services qu'il rendit au roi contre les Anglois, malgré ce prince même. Il fut un des principaux auteurs de la réforme de la milice Françoise, qui produisit la tranquillité de la France et les grands victoires dont elle fust suivie. L'autorité qu'il avoit par sa charge de connétable, jointe à sa fermeté naturelle, lui donna moyen de tenir la main à l'observation des ordonnances publiées par le roi pour la discipline militaire; et les examples de sévérité qu'il fit à cet égard, lui firent donner le surnom de justicier. Etant devenu duc de Bretagne, quelques Seigneurs de sa Cour lui conseillérent de se démettre de sa charge de connétable, comme d'une dignité qui etoit au dessous de lui. Il ne la voulut pas, et il faisoit porter devant lui deux épées, l'une la pointe en haut, en qualité de duc de Bretagne, et l'autre dans le fourreau le pointe en bas, comme connétable de France. Son motive pour conserver la charge de connétable, etoit, disoit il, d'honorer dans sa vieillesse une charge qui l'avoit honoré lui-même dans un âge moins avancé. On le peut compter au nombre des plus grands capitaines que la France ait eus à son service. Il avoit beaucoup de religion, il etoit liberal, aumônier, bienfaisant, et on ne peut guères lui reprocher la hauteur et la violence, dont il usa envers les trois

que

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