both sexes, such as hermits, and others of holy lives, to pray incessantly to God that his days might be prolonged *. In the months of October and November, an embassy arrived from Flanders ; and the king referred them to master John de la Vacquerie, a native of Picardy, and who had lately been appointed first president of the court of parliament, the lord des Cordes, and others. They held frequent conferences, and at length agreed to a treaty of peace between the king and the Flemings; and by one of the articles, the dauphin was to marry the daughter of the duke of Austria, then under the guardianship of the town of Ghent. The king was much rejoiced at this, and was very willing to sign the treaty. Te Deums were chaunted throughout the realm, for joy of this event, and bonfires made in all the streets of Tours †. It was now reported, that the Flemish ambassadors were gone to Ghent, to bring back to Paris their countess; and that the king had ordered the lady of Beaujeu, his eldest daughter, the countess of Dunois ‡, sister to the queen, the lady of Thouars, the lady of the lord admiral, and other ladies and damsels, to be ready to receive her, as it was expected she would arrive at Paris about the 8th of December: but her arrival was postponed until some trifling matters of dispute, that had arisen on the part of the Flemings, should be settled. In this year, a war broke out between the kings of England and Scotland; and the Scots advanced very far into England, where they did much mischief: but notwithstanding the Scots were one hundred thousand men more than the English, a treaty was entered into by means of the duke of Albany, brother to the king of Scotland. The duke of Albany had laid claim to the crown of Scotland, which he said his brother had usurped from him; for that they were twin-children, and he had been the first that was delivered on earth, and therefore, by right of seniority, the crown was his. The duke of Albany had concluded a treaty with the English, which had prevented any battle being fought: and the Scots army returned to their country, and the English to their garrisons §. In the month of January, the Flemish ambassadors, who had concluded a peace by means of the marriage of the dauphin with the lady Margaret of Austria, returned to France. By orders from the king, the principal persons of Paris went out to meet them, having at their head the bishop of Marseilles, the king's lieutenant in Paris, the provost of marchands, and the sheriffs. A doctor in divinity, named Scourable, made the ambassadors a fine harangue, which pleased them greatly. On the morrow, which was Sunday, the 4th of January, they attended high mass at the church of Notre-Dame, whither a general procession was made; and the doctor, Scourable, preached an excellent sermon, which gave much satisfaction. Te Deum was sung, and bonfires were made, and public tables were spread in the principal streets. When the church-service was over, the ambassadors were grandly entertained by the city of Paris in the town-hall. : The lord cardinal of Bourbon was as much, if not more, rejoiced than any one, on peace being restored and in honour of it had a splendid morality, or farce, exhibited at his hôtel of Bourbon, which numbers of the Parisians went to see, and were much delighted with their entertainment. It would have been more brilliant, but the weather was very rainy and wet, which damaged the tapestry and other decorations that adorned the court of the hôtel, for it was covered and hung with tapestry, of which the cardinal had very great abundance. The ambassadors, having been spectators of this entertainment, departed from Paris, on the ensuing day, to wait on the king at Amboise. They had a most gracious reception, and saw the dauphin twice, who treated them very kindly. On their quitting Tours, whither they had afterward gone, the king ordered thirty thousand crowns, stamped with the sun, to be given them to defray their expenses, besides a handsome service of plate which he presented to them. On the return of the ambassadors to Paris, they had all the articles of the peace * Among others he sent for Francis of Paule, afterwards St. Francis, and the founder of the order of Minimes in France. For particulars relative to the treaty of Arras, see number 369 of Proofs to Comines. Agnes, daughter to Louis duke of Savoy, wife to Francis I. count of Dunois. § Mr. Pinkerton attributes to Richard duke of Glou cester the rebellion of the duke of Albany, and his as sumption of the title of Alexander King of Scotland. Albany joins Gloucester on his march against Berwick; but the Scottish king is forced to return on account of a revolt of his nobles, who destroy his favourites. See Pinkerton's History of Scotland,—for the account in the text is very erroneous. publicly read, with open doors, in the court of parliament, and then enregistered. After this act, master William Picard, bailiff of Rouen, conducted them from the court of parliament to his house, in the Rue de Quinquempoix, where he entertained them, and a large company, with a most plentiful dinner. The king wrote letters, addressed to all ranks in Paris, by which he earnestly besought them instantly to go to the church of St. Denis, and pray to him to make intercession with our Lord Jesus Christ that the north wind might not blow; because, according to the opinions of physicians, the north wind did much harm to the health of mankind, and to the fruits of the earth. By the king's orders, numerous processions were made at divers times from Paris to St. Denis, where public prayers were offered up for his recovery, and many masses chaunted. CHAPTER CLXXXIV.—THE LORD AND LADY DE BEAUJEU, AND OTHERS, COME TO PARIS, TO On Saturday, the 19th day of April, after Easter, the lord and lady de Beaujeu arrived at Paris, on their way to Picardy, to receive the dauphiness from the hands of the Flemings, who, by the late treaty of peace, were to deliver her into the hands of the lord de Beaujeu, as representative of the king. The lady of Beaujeu made her entry into Paris, as the king's daughter, and created some new corporations of trades. She and her lord were handsomely accompanied by great barons and their consorts; such as the lord d'Albret *, the lord de St. Valier, and others, the lady of the lord high admiral, and many more ladies and damsels, who staid three days in Paris, during which they were magnificently entertained by the cardinal of Bourbon. In this month of April, Edward, king of England, died,—as some said, of an apoplexy, and others, that he was poisoned by drinking too much of the good wine of Challuau, which he had received as a present from the king of France. It was said, however, that he was not carried off immediately, but lived long enough to secure the crown to his eldest son. In this same month died also the lady Margaret of Bourbon, countess of Bresse, wife to Philip of Savoy, of a lingering illness, which her physicians could not check: it was a pity, for she was a good lady, full of virtue, and much beloved. On the 3d of May, by orders from the king, all ranks in Paris, from the highest to the lowest, went in solemn procession to St. Denis, to pray for the prosperity of the king, the queen, the dauphin, and all the princes of the blood, and also to return thanks for the flourishing appearance of the fruits of the earth. Monday, the 2d of June, the dauphiness made her public entry into Paris about five o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by the lady of Beaujeu, and many others. She entered by the gate of St. Denis, where three stages were erected on the uppermost was a representation of the king as sovereign; on the second were two beautiful children, dressed in white damask, to represent the dauphin and the lady Margaret of Flanders; on the lower one were representations of the lord and lady of Beaujeu. On each side of the different personages were hung escutcheons of their arms emblazoned. There were likewise four figures, to represent the peasantry, the clergy, the tradesmen, and the nobility; each of whom addressed a couplet to her as she passed. All the streets were hung with tapestry, and there were other pageants allegorical to the dauphin and dauphiness. In honour of her arrival, all the prisoners in the different jails were set at liberty, and several new corporations of trades were made. On the 7th of June was a great thunder-storm at Paris between eight and nine at night. A flash of lightning set fire to the steeple of the church of St. Genevieve, burned all the wood-work, which had lasted nine hundred years, and melted all the covering of lead, and * Alan, lord of Albret, father of John, who was afterwards king of Navarre. the bells within the steeple. It was supposed that one hundred weight of lead on the steeple was destroyed, so that it was pitiful to see the damages done. During the month of July, the marriage-feast of the dauphin and the lady Margaret of Flanders was celebrated in the town of Amboise; at which were present the most noble persons of the kingdom, who had come thither by the king's orders, from the cities and principal towns of his realm. CHAPTER CLXXXV.-THE HOLY AMPULLA IS BROUGHT FROM THE CHURCH OF SAINT REMY AT RHEIMS TO THE KING OF FRANCE, WHEN DANGEROUSLY ILL, AT PLESSIS LE PARC. -THE DEVOUT DEATH OF LOUIS XI. HE IS BURIED IN THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY AT CLERY.-MAY GOD PARDON HIS SOUL! : In the course of this year, the king determined to have the holy ampulla brought to him from Rheims which had descended filled with oil, by the Divine grace, by means of a white dove, in the year 500, to good St. Remy of Rheims, to anoint and consecrate king Clovis of France, the first Christian king, who died in the same year, and his body is interred in the church of St. Genevieve at Paris. THE HOLY AMPULLA BROUGHT TO LOUIS XI. AT RHEIMS. An Archbishop is represented in the act of removing the sacred vessel from the jewelled case in which it was preserved. The relic drawn from a plate in Montfaucon, and the costume from contemporary authorities. This sacred ampulla had remained in the church of St. Remy for 983 years, when it was taken thence by Claude de Montfaulcon, governor of Auvergne, whom the king had especially commissioned for the purpose. It was brought to Paris on the last day of July, and was carried with much reverence, and in procession, to repose in the holy chapel of the palace, where it remained until the morrow, and was then conveyed to the king at Plessis le Parc. It was accompanied by the rods of Moses and Aaron, and the cross of victory, which had been sent to the good king St. Charlemagne, that he might obtain a conquest over the infidels. They had remained undisturbed in the holy chapel, with other relics, until they were removed, on this first day of August, by the bishop of Sees, and others appointed by the king to bring them to him at Plessis. In The 25th of August the king's illness so much increased that he lost his speech and senses. News was brought to Paris on the 27th that he was dead, by letters from master John Briçonnet, which obtained belief, from the writer being a man of honesty and credit. consequence of this intelligence, the provosts and sheriffs, to provide against accidents, ordered a strong guard at each of the gates, to prevent any persons from entering into or going out of the town. This caused it to be currently rumoured that the king was dead; but the report was unfounded, for he recovered his speech and senses, ate and drank, and lingered on until the 30th of August, when, between six and seven in the evening, he gave up the ghost; and his corpse was instantly abandoned by those who had been so obsequious to him during his life. His body was dressed as usual in such cases, and carried from Plessis to the church of Our Lady at Clery for interment, as he had thus ordered it before his decease; for he would not be buried with the noble kings of France, his predecessors, in the habitual church of St. Denis; but would never give any reason that induced him to refuse being there interred. It was, however, generally thought that it was owing to his attachment to the church of Our Lady at Clery, to which he had been a very great benefactor. During his reign there were some low persons always about him, such as Olivier le Diable, called le Daim, John de Doyac, and others, who had committed very many acts of injustice, in whom he had greater confidence than in all his ministers or kindred. They had so overloaded the people with taxes that, at the time of his death, they were almost in despair; for the wealth he gained from his subjects he expended upon churches, in bestowing great pensions among ambassadors, and people of low degree, to whom he could not resist making great gifts, insomuch that he had alienated the greater part of the domain of the crown. Notwithstanding the many serious affairs he had had upon his hands during his reign, he brought all his enemies under subjection; and he was so feared and redoubted that there were none so great in France, not even those of his blood, who slept in safety in their houses. Before his decease he was sorely afflicted with different disorders, for the cure of which his physicians prescribed many extraordinary remedies. May these afflictions be the means of preserving his soul, and gain him admittance into paradise, through the mercy of Him who reigns for ever and ever! Amen*. CHAPTER CLXXXVI. THE GREAT CHRONICLES OF THE MOST CHRISTIAN, MAGNANIMOUS, AND VICTORIOUS KING OF FRANCE, CHARLES VIII., COLLECTED AND PUT TOGETHER BY ME, PIERRE DESREY, SIMPLE ORATOR OF TROYES IN CHAMPAGNE. PROLOGUE. I CANNOT sufficiently wonder when I consider the extraordinary mutability of fortune in this transitory life, nor hinder the tears from filling my eyes. I had determined to write a chronicle of the life of that most illustrious king, prince Charles VIII. of France, in the The only surviving children of Louis XI. were Charles VIII, Anne, the wife of Peter de Bourbon lord of Beaujeu, and Jane the wife of Louis, duke of Orleans, afterwards Louis XII. expectation that it might have been of great length; but although he was a magnanimous prince, full of prowess and victorious, the fickleness of Dame Fortune, having allowed him several praiseworthy and triumphant conquests, resigned him into the hands of Atropos in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and in the prime of manhood. As a commencement to this chronicle, I must say that king Louis XI. departed this life in the month of August, in the year 1483, and that his only son, king Charles VIII., succeeded him; who, in his youth, was somewhat tender and of delicate health; but, as he grew up, he gave signs of a good understanding, that could distinguish between vice and virtue, and, in the course of a few years, he became a man of greater ability by putting a check to his voluptuousness. From this it may easily be foreseen how worthy he would probably have become if death had not carried him off so early. His father, the late king, would not allow him to learn the Latin tongue, as he thought polite literature would prove a hindrance to his attending to the well-governing of his kingdom; more especially as the father perceived that his son had quick parts, and, being well informed in some things, he thought applying to letters would also prove dangerous in his delicate state of health; for, in his early years, he would have been unable to have gone through any laborious course of study. However, not long after the death of his father, he willingly began to read books in the French language, and also made an attempt to learn the Latin. He commenced his reign, like a pious prince, by paying his devotions toward his God, and by listening to the counsels of wise men, that he might be instructed how to govern his kingdom with uprightness. He was naturally affectionate to all his kindred, and earnest that they might unite with him for the general welfare of his people and kingdom. CHAPTER CLXXXVII.-KING CHARLES VIII. CROWNED AT RHEIMS.-HE AFTERWARDS VISITS SEVERAL TOWNS IN FRANCE. HE MAKES HIS ENTRY INTO PARIS.-MASTER OLIVIER LE DAIM AND HIS SERVANT DANIEL EXECUTED THERE.-JOHN DE DOYAC HAS HIS EARS CUT OFF, AND HIS TONGUE BORED WITH A HOT IRON. [A. D. 1484.] In the year 1484, king Charles, being fourteen years of age, was conducted by the noble princes of his blood, namely, the duke of Orleans, the count of Angoulême, the count of Foix, the count of Vendôme, the lord of Beaujeu, the lord of Dunois, the duke of Lorraine, and numbers of other princes, barons, and gentlemen, to the city of Rheims, to be consecrated and anointed with the holy oil. He was also attended by the twelve peers of France, or their substitutes, who all appeared to serve him in their different functions, according to ancient usage in such cases established. After the ceremony of the consecration he departed from Rheims, to visit some of the adjoining towns, where he was received with all due honours the streets were hung with tapestries,—and the clergy, with all ranks of people, came out to meet him,-and bonfires and every demonstration of joy at his arrival were displayed in every town he came to. About this time, one Daniel, a native of Flanders, and servant to master Olivier le Daim, was condemned for certain crimes by him committed, to be hanged on the gibbet at Paris*, which was done. And not long after, his master Olivier, who had been in the confidence of the late king, was sentenced to a similar punishment for having acted criminally, and been too bold in his wickedness. Another of the late king's favourites, John de Doyac, was, within a short time, condemned by the court of parliament to be publicly whipped by the hangman, and to have one of his ears cut off, and his tongue bored with a hot iron in the pillory, at the market-place of Paris, for having made too free with the effects of some of the princes, and for having insulted them. He was afterward carried from Paris to Montferrant, where he was again whipped, and had the other ear cut off. * See a preceding note. |