imprisoned by the court of parliament, in consequence of several informations laid against him, and especially on the complaint of Marion, the wife of Colin Panier, and another dissolute woman, who charged the said Daniel with having forced them, and with having committed upon them the beastly and abomninable sin of sodomy. When the parliament and the provost began to examine more minutely into these charges, the women contradicted themselves, and denied the facts, confessing that they had been induced to make such accusations at the instance of Panier, the husband of Marion, and of another called Janvier, enemies of the said Daniel, in order to be revenged on him. The two women were therefore sentenced by the provost to be whipped naked, and banished the realm; and their effects were to be confiscated to the king, out of which sufficient damages should first be taken for the said Daniel, as an indemnification for these false charges. This sentence was executed in all the squares of Paris, on Wednesday, the 11th day of March. In this month, the king came from Tours toward Paris, and staid two days at Ablon-surSeine, at the house of Marc Senamy, assessor of Paris; whence he came to his palace of the Tournelles, and on the morrow morning paid his devotions at the cathedral to the blessed virgin Mary. This done, he went to Louvres, and places in that neighbourhood, where he staid some time, and then proceeded to Hêdin, Amiens, and other towns in Picardy. While he was there, the lord Howard came to him from the king of England, to endeavour to conclude a peace between him and the Flemings. The king appointed the lord de St. Pierre to confer with him on the subject; and in the interval, the king marched the whole of his army and artillery into Picardy. A. D. MCCCCLXXVIII. After Low Sunday, in the month of March of the above year, the duchess of Orleans arrived at Paris, in company with the duke of Orleans,--a young son of the duke of Cleves, nephew to the duchess,-madame de Narbonne, daughter to the late duke of Orleans, and wife to the viscount of Narbonne, son to the count of Foix,-the son of the count of Vendôme, and a number of lords, gentlemen, ladies, and damsels, who were twice most magnificently feasted in the city of Paris. The first entertainment was given by the cardinal of Foix, in the hôtel d'Estampes, near the Bastile; and the second, by the lord cardinal of Bourbon, at his hôtel, where he gave a the river; for then his enemies would be satisfied, and his wife, by avoiding the infamy of a public execution, would likewise be contented, and this would be the means of gratifying all parties. "Having fixed on their plan, master Olivier solicited the lady to come that night to his lodgings, which she complied with, assuring herself that on the morrow she should obtain her husband's liberty; but she was deceived: for while Master Olivier was caressing her in bed, his valet-de-chambre Daniel, with another called Oyar, strangled the miserable gentleman in the provost's prison, and then dragged the body to the Seine. The corpse floated on the water, as they were unable to sink it. The boatmen drew it to the bank, where it lay the whole day, and was viewed by numbers, who immediately recognised it for the body of such a gentleman. The wife, who had risen early, in the expectation of meeting her husband, was told that he had been drowned, and was then lying on the bank of the river. Thither she hastened and found the report but too true. "This unfortunate lady flung herself on the corpse, and, with bitter tears, cursed Olivier le Daim, who had deceived her, and ravished her honour, under promise of procuring her husband's liberty. Her lamentations excited the pity of the populace in so great a degree that they informed the officers of justice of what had happened. On this, master Olivier was arrested, and sentenced to the torture; but without suffering much, he confessed the fact, imagining his judges would not dare to condemn him, and, if they should, he trusted to his favour with the king. He was, however, completely mistaken; for, being hated for his abuse of authority under Louis XI., he was sentenced to be hanged and strangled. His servant Daniel was condemned to make a pecuniary restitu tion to the widow. With regard to Oyac, he was not hanged, because it had appeared on the trial that he would not assist to strangle the gentleman in prison, although he had aided to throw him into the river; for which he was condemned to have his ears cut off, his tongue pierced, and to be banished the realm. "Master Olivier was pitied by none: and it may be shown, from an infinity of examples, that a disgraceful or an unfortunate death is commonly the lot of such as put their trust in the favour of princes, abuse their authority, and only make use of their great riches in the commission of the most enormous crimes. God becomes tired of their iniquities, and commences even in this world to punish them for their wickednesses." There is a similar story told in 491 of the Spectator; but it is not mentioned by Comines, or by any other historian of that period that I am acquainted with. Heuterus relates a story, something similar, of a governor of a town under Charles duke of Burgundy, upon whom that prince afterwards caused exemplary punishment to be inflicted for his crime. The story of Colonel Kirke, which, if true, was attended with circumstances of even greater barbarity than the crime of Olivier, is now believed to be a fiction, grounded probably on the Burgundian anecdote by some Jacobite writer. grand supper on Wednesday the last day in March. At this supper there was the greatest plenty of every delicacy that could be procured, with music and singing, mummeries, farces, and other gallant amusements. This supper was served up in the gilt gallery, where all the guests attended but madame de Narbonne, who, on account of her being far gone with child, and to be more at her ease, supped with her husband and seven more, in the lower apartments of the said hôtel, belonging to John Roye, secretary to the duke of Bourbon, who had the care of his hôtel. CHAPTER CLXXVII.—THE KING OF FRANCE'S SOLDIERS SEIZE THE MONEY THAT WAS SENT TO PAY THE FLEMISH TROOPS, AND GAIN ALSO THE TOWN OF CONDÉ FROM THEM.A CORDELIER FRIAR, NAMED ANTHONY FRADIN, PREACHES AT PARIS, AND IS AFTERWARDS BANISHED.—THE POPE SENDS A LEGATE TO THE KING OF FRANCE AND TO THE DUKE OF AUSTRIA.- THE DECEIT OF THE LAST TOWARD THE KING.-A TREATY CONCLUDED BETWEEN THEM.-SIR CHARLES D'AMBOISE REGAINS MANY TOWNS FOR THE KING IN THE DUCHY OF BURGUNDY. In the month of April, Guerin le Groin, bailiff of St. Pierre-le-Monstier, and Robinet du Quesnoy, who had each the command of one hundred lances for the king, received information, while cantoned in Picardy, that the Flemings were sending a large sum of money to Douay for the pay of their troops and the support of the town. These captains took the field to intercept this money, which they did, killing many, and making prisoners of others of the escort. Intelligence of this was instantly carried to the garrisons in Lille and Douay, who made all haste to recover the money and prisoners; but, although they were in great numbers, the French not only saved themselves, but slew four-score or better, and carried off the money in safety; their loss not amounting to more than twenty-six or twenty-seven men. The king arrived in Picardy during the month of May; but nothing of consequence passed except gaining from the Burgundians the little town of Condé, which was inconveniently situated for sending provisions and stores to Tournay. A garrison for the duke of Austria was in the place, who defended it for a short time; but when they saw the great army that was advancing to besiege it, they surrendered the town and castle to the king, on being allowed to march away in safety with their arms and baggage. In this year, a Cordelier friar, a native of Ville-Franche, in the Beaujolois, came to preach against the profligate manners of the times at Paris. He preached long and strongly on the vices which blemished the creatures of God, and with such good effect, that many women who had abandoned themselves to carnal pleasures and other debaucheries changed their course of life. Some gave themselves up to religious pursuits, abandoning those pleasures they had of late so wildly followed. He blamed all ranks, and preached on the justice and government of the king, the princes, and great lords of the realm; adding, that the king was ill-served; that he had about his person servants who were traitors; and that, if he did not discard them, they would destroy him and the kingdom also. The king, when told of this, ordered that the friar should be forbidden to preach; and for this purpose, master Olivier le Daim, the king's barber, came to Paris to see that he was put under an interdict. This was very displeasing to several of both sexes, who were much inclined to follow him, for the sake of his sermons; and, for fear any insult should be offered him, they had him watched night and day in the convent of the Cordeliers in Paris. It was said that numbers of women went to him secretly, by day and night, with knives and staves hidden under their clothes, to spike such as should endeavour to hurt him, or hinder him from preaching: telling him not to be afraid, for that they would perish sooner than any mischief should befal him. During this time, a legate from the pope came to the king in Picardy, to remonstrate with him on the enormous evils the infidels were doing to Christendom, and to exhort him to make peace with the duke of Austria, and unite in opposing the further progress of the Turks. By this means the war against the Burgundians was somewhat relaxed, in the hope of establishing a peace; but, although the war ceased on the part of the king, it was still continued by the enemy in the county and duchy of Burgundy, where several towns were recovered from the king, and numbers of his troops killed. On Tuesday the 26th day of May, a public proclamation was made by sound of trumpet, which was the ancient custom, in all the squares of Paris, to forbid all persons, whatever might be their rank, to cause any assemblies of the people in Paris without the express leave and licence of the king; for that, of late, many persons had assembled, under pretence of hearing certain sermons preached in the said town by friar Anthony Fradin, of the order of Cordeliers; and that numbers had also assembled at the convent of the Cordeliers to guard the said friar, to whom no insult whatever had been offered by the officers of his majesty's justice, but to whom some of the king's counsellors had been sent to interrogate him on certain secret matters of which the king was desirous to know the truth; that persons had remained for nights in the said convent, under pretext of guarding, as they said, the above friar, which was matter of great scandal. In consequence thereof, and by the advice of the court of parliament and of the provost of Paris, all persons, of whatever rank or condition, were henceforward forbidden to hold such assemblies in the convent of the Cordeliers, or elsewhere, under pain of corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. In regard to those who might at that time be assembled at the Cordeliers, they were ordered instantly, on this proclamation being made, to depart thence to their own homes, under pain of the aforesaid penalties. All husbands were strictly charged to forbid their wives going thither, and to hold similar assemblies in future. When this proclamation was read, many of the auditors, by way of derision, said that it was all nonsense; that the king was ignorant of the business; and that it was very ill-judged to issue so foolish a proclamation. Monday, the 2nd of June, the first president of the parliament and others, who said they were so charged by the king, declared to friar Anthony Fradin, that he was banished the kingdom of France, ordering him instantly to quit the realm. This he did on the following day; but when he left his convent, great crowds of the populace sighed and cried on account of his departure. They were so much angered thereat that, in their rage, they uttered many marvellous and scandalous things. Numbers of both sexes followed him far beyond Paris, and then returned. The king remained in Picardy, with the intent of reducing to his obedience such towns and places as the duke of Burgundy was possessed of at the time of his death, and which he had acquired by his rebellious conduct. For this purpose, he had with him the handsomest train of artillery, and finest body of men-at-arms, franc-archers, and other soldiers, that had been seen in France. He was long inactive, in the expectation of receiving some propositions from the Flemings and Maximilian duke of Austria, who, by his marriage with the princess Mary of Burgundy, was their lord. Ambassadors at length came from the duke of Austria to the king, while at Arras and at Cambray, who proposed to restore peaceably to the king the counties of Artois and of Boulogne, with the towns of Lille, Douay, Orchies, St. Omer, and others, together with the entire duchy of Burgundy. In return for these, the king was to give up the possession of Cambray, Quesnoy le Comte, Bouchain, and some other towns. For the more ready communication on the above matters, the duke of Austria marched his army, which was said to consist of twenty thousand combatants, between Douay and Arras, where he encamped. Under pretence of these exchanges, the duke amused the king with fine promises until the end of June, when the king did not gain any one thing that had been promised, although he had liberally restored to Maximilian all the towns on his part, thinking that the duke would as liberally keep the engagements on his side; but he had been completely deceived throughout. The army which the king had sent to upper Burgundy, to recover the towns in that district, under the command of sir Charles d'Amboise, governor of Champagne, had been very successful. He reduced to the king's obedience the towns of Verdun, Monsavion, and Semur-en-Auxois, by assault or capitulation. He laid siege to the town of Beaune, which lasted some time; but in the month of July, its inhabitants surrendered on condition that *Sir Charles d'Amboise,-lord of Chaumont, they should have their lives and fortunes spared, on payment of a fine of forty thousand crowns for their rebellion. They were also condemned to make restitution to the merchants of Paris and other towns in the kingdom for all wines sold, but not delivered, and for all the sums of money they had borrowed. The garrison were allowed to march, with their baggage, whithersoever they pleased. In the month of July, a grand embassy came to the king, in Arras, from duke Maximilian of Austria, and the chief towns in Flanders. They were heard by the king in council; and, after mature deliberation, a truce was agreed on, to last for one whole year, during which a free intercourse was to be allowed to the merchants of France and Flanders, with their merchandise. When this was settled, the king departed for Paris; but did not enter the town, as he was told that an epidemical disorder carried off numbers of the inhabitants. He went, therefore, to Vendôme, where he staid some time, and thence went to Behuart, and to other places of pilgrimage *. CHAPTER CLXXVIII.-THE KING OF FRANCE PRESENTS RICH GIFTS TO SEVERAL CHURCHES, THE king, on his return from Picardy, made many rich presents to divers churches and saints. When he was at the abbey of Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire, near Senlis, he gave two thousand francs to be employed in procuring silver lamps to hang before the altar of the Virgin. He covered the shrine of St. Fiacre with silver, which amounted to the weight of seven or eight-score marcs. From his great and singular faith in St. Martin, he ordered a handsome trellis of silver to be made round his shrine, in his church at Tours, which was done, and weighed from sixteen to seventeen thousand marcs, and cost, when finished and put up, full two hundred thousand francs. It should be known, that to furnish silver sufficient for all these great works, commissioners were appointed to seize on all the plate they could find in Paris and other towns, which was reasonably well paid for; but, notwithstanding this, great quantities were hidden and no longer seen in those places where they were used to be visible; and henceforward, on this account, when any weddings or other feasts took place, where much silver plate was wont to be exhibited, nothing was seen but handsome cups of glass and dishes of earthenware. About this period, the king held a grand council of prelates, churchmen, and learned men, as well from the universities of Paris and Montpellier as elsewhere, in the town of Orleans, to consult on the best means of recovering the Pragmatic Sanction, and of preventing the money for the vacant benefices being sent out of the kingdom to Rome. At this assembly the lord de Beaujeu presided as representative for the king; and the lord chancellor, with other lords of the council, attended. The lord chancellor, in the presence of the lord de Beaujeu and the rest, opened the meeting, by declaring the cause of this assembly being held at Orleans, and the reasons which had moved the king to call them together. He was replied to by master John Hue, dean of the faculty of theology, in the name of the university of Paris, who made many remonstrances on the subject, and spoke loudly and boldly, because he was supported by the university. Another learned clerk spoke also, as representative of the university of Montpellier. When this assembly had continued some time, the king came to pay his devotions to Our Lady at Clery †, and thence came to Orleans, where he only staid half a day. The assembly now broke up, without This year Louis XI. went to Boulogne-sur-mer, to make homage of his kingdom to the Holy Virgin. having concluded anything,—and it was adjourned to Lyon, to be there holden on the first day of May following. While the king was in Touraine, he sent sealed letters to his good citizens of Paris, to make known to them, that, having sent ambassadors to the king of Castille and Leon, respecting some differences that had arisen between them, they had reported, on their return, that the king of Castille was perfectly satisfied with what the ambassadors had said from the king, and had promised and sworn to observe a strict alliance with him. For this the king was desirous that public thanksgivings should be offered up to GoD and to the Blessed Virgin; that a general procession should be made at Paris, with bonfires in all the streets. A procession was, consequently, made from the church of Notre-Dame to that of St. Genevieve, where a sermon was preached by the prior of the Carmelite friars, in which he detailed at length the honourable intentions of the king, and the contents of his letter. A gentleman in Auvergne having kept a tame lion, he, after some time, escaped, and was the terror of the country; for he devoured men, women, and children, whenever he chanced to meet them. The country people rose against him to kill him, and his master accompanied them. On meeting the lion, he recognised his master, and came up to him, when he was instantly put to death. Another extraordinary event happened also in Auvergne, by a spring bursting forth where no water had been before, which event was preceded by an earthquake. In the month of November of this year, Simon Courtois, whom the king had made his attorney-general for the county of Artois, taking advantage of the truce, left Arras, under pretence of looking after his concerns in Flanders; instead of which, he went to the princess of Flanders, consort to Maximilian of Austria, and, unmindful of the honour the king had just conferred on him by making him his attorney-general, told the princess that he was her very humble servant, as all his family had been. He added, that if she would accept of his allegiance, and make him her attorney-general, Artois should be restored to her; for he would rather that it was in her hands than in the king's. This was told to the king's governor in Arras, who had Simon Courtois arrested and sent to Tours, where, having confessed the above, he was beheaded. A great bombard, that had been cast at Tours, was brought to Paris the Monday before Epiphany to be proved, and was, for this purpose, drawn out into the fields in front of the Bastile of St. Anthony. It was pointed toward Charenton, and when first fired, threw the ball as far as the gallows on the bridge of Charenton; but as those present did not think it had discharged all the powder that had been put into the chamber, they ordered it to be recharged, and the chamber perfectly cleaned of all that remained within it, which was done, and an iron ball, weighing five hundred weight, put into its mouth, before which stood John Maugué, the founder of it. As the ball rolled down the bombard, by some unknown accident the powder in the chamber took fire before the match was put to it, and by its discharge tore in pieces John Maugué and fourteen other persons, whose heads, legs, arms, and bodies, were blown into the air. The ball killed a poor innocent bird-catcher that was attending his nets in the fields; and the bursting of the bombard maimed fifteen or sixteen others, several of whom died; so that by this accident twenty-two or twenty-three persons lost their lives. The remains of John Maugué were collected, put on a bier, and carried to St. Mery for interment; and proclamation was made through the streets of Paris, that all people should pray for the soul of John Maugué, who had lost his life in the king's service. The 22nd of May, the body of Laurence Garnier, of the town of Provins*, which, by sentence of the court of parliament, had been hanged on the gibbet a year and a half, for his having murdered a receiver of taxes in the town of Provins (but for which a pardon had been granted, though not confirmed by the court), was taken down, at the request of his brother, by Henry Cousin, the executioner at Paris. The body was put on a bier, covered with a pall, and from the gibbet carried into Paris by the gate of St. Denis; four of the town-criers preceded the body, ringing their bells, and having the arms of Garnier emblazoned • Provins, an ancient town in Bric, diocese of Sens. |