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.

After king Charles had been consecrated at Rheims, he was conducted to the abbey of St. Denis to be crowned, and to perform the accustomed ceremonies. Thence he was carried by the aforesaid lords to Paris, and made his entry as follows:-On the 6th of July all ranks in Paris issued out in handsome order, each person well dressed, and according to his estate, to wait on the king at St. Denis, and to do him the honour and reverence belonging to him. The bishop of Paris and all his clergy were among them, together with the whole court of parliament, the provost of Paris, all the officers of the courts of justice and of accounts, the provost of marchands, the sheriffs, dressed in their robes of state. This procession advanced a little beyond the chapel of St. Ladre, where it met the king, accompanied by the duke of Orleans and the lords before named. The provost and sheriffs having paid due obeisance, presented to the king the keys of the gate of St. Denis, through which he was to make his entry into Paris. Each company having paid their respects, and made offers of all appertaining to their different professions, withdrew to the rear, to follow the king according to their rank.

Thus accompanied, the king entered Paris on a courser, having rich trappings of cloth of gold, armed in brilliant armour, excepting his helmet of parade, which was triumphantly borne before, on a courser of great value, and caparisoned in the same manner as that he rode on. Instead of a helmet, he wore a most brilliant crown, adorned with precious stones, to show that he was king, and a rich canopy of cloth of gold was carried over him. The princes and the other lords were richly armed, and their horses were superbly decorated in divers manners, to do honour to the king on his entrance into the capital of his realm. The gentlemen and pages of honour were likewise superbly dressed, and so numerous that it is impossible to notice them. Many pageants, mysteries, and other devices, were displayed by the town, having an allegorical allusion to the king's name of Charles. The streets were all hung with tapestries: and there were persons appointed in the principal ones to offer meat and wine to all passengers. In short, every one exerted himself to show his loyalty, and his cordial love to the king. He was conducted by the clergy in their robes, many bearing relics and rich jewels, to the church of Notre-Dame. At the corner of the rue Neuve de Notre-Dame, he was met by the rector of the university of Paris, attended by all the doctors and other persons of science, who, having made his reverence, delivered an eloquent oration. The king then proceeded to the cathedral, and offered up his thanksgivings; which being done, he was conducted to the palace, where a magnificent and plentiful supper was served up in the great hall to the king, the princes of the blood, and other great lords. He lay that night at the palace, and remained in Paris some days.

After this entry the king held a royal session in his court of parliament; and he sojourned several days in the city of Paris, where he daily displayed the great love he had for his people, and for the general welfare of his kingdom. He had been well instructed in his youth as to religion, and ever remained a good Catholic, beloved by his subjects. Many councils were held during the king's stay at Paris, of the princes of the blood and great lords, on the most effectual means for the relief of his subjects; and when the conduct of the late king in granting such prodigal pensions, in the profusion he was accustomed to do, was laid before them, it was considered that the revocation of these grants, and applying them to the use of the state, would be the best and speediest mode of affording ease to the people. These affairs being settled, sumptuous jousts and tournaments took place, on the joyful arrival of King Charles in his town of Paris.

The king, on quitting Paris, went to visit other towns, such as Rouen, Troyes, and Orleans, into which he made his public entry attended by his princes and nobility. These and other towns which he visited received him most honourably, and tried to rival each other in their exertions to display greater magnificence and more splendid entertainments on the king's coming among them, so much was he respected and beloved throughout his kingdom.

CHAPTER

CLXXXVIII.-THE DEATH OF POPE SIXTUS IV.-HE IS SUCCEEDED BY POPE INNOCENT VIII.-OF THE VICTORIOUS WAR OF KING CHARLES IN BRITTANY.-HE MARRIES THE PRINCESS ANNE DAUGHTER TO THE NOBLE DUKE FRANCIS OF BRITTANY. -OTHER EVENTS.

In the course of the latter end of this year pope Sixtus IV. died at Rome: he had been general of the Franciscans, and had well and catholicly ruled the holy see during the space of nearly thirteen years. He had been very solicitous about the public welfare in the reparation of churches, and in embellishing the city of Rome, without sparing his private purse where he thought the honour of God was any way interested *. On the 13th of August, he was succeeded in the papal dignity by Innocent VIII +. He was from Genoa, of parents in the middle ranks, but much respected and beloved. His father's name was Aaron, but his own was John Baptista; and he was a cardinal-priest, under the title of Cardinal of St. Cecilia, but commonly called the cardinal of Melfe. He was the poorest and most humane of the whole college of cardinals, and was deserving of his election to the papal chair for his benignity and humility. He was magnanimous, and very prudent in all his actions; and from his conduct during his legation at Sienna, he gave a good example to his brothercardinals, and of what might be expected from him if raised to the popedom. On that event taking place, he opened the treasures of the church to all faithful Christians for the remission of their sins. He lived in good union with the Romans and all other people in Christendom. At this period, king Charles, with the advice of his council, made arrangements for the war in Picardy. The command of that army was given to sir Philip de Crevecœur, lord des Cordes; for Maximilian duke of Austria, who had married the heiress of the late duke of Burgundy, had raised a powerful army, to enable him to demand with success the country of Artois, and other parts in Burgundy, although they had been occupied by the late king, Louis XI., and were since peaceably possessed by his son, the present king. The lord des Cordes was therefore ordered into Picardy, to resist any hostile attempts that should be there made, and to oppose Maximilian. According to the chronicle of master Robert Gaguin, a severe war broke out in the year 1485, in Brittany, which was so prudently conducted on the part of king Charles that he victoriously gained almost the whole of that duchy. During this war, duke Francis of Brittany died, leaving two daughters: the one called Anne succeeded shortly after to the duchy, on the death of her sister. The king now took the field in person, and, attended by many great lords and valiant captains, made several attacks on the town of Nantes, to prevent these daughters of the late duke of Brittany from marrying without his consent. This campaign, however, was not very successful: for king Henry VII. of England had sent a large force to the assistance of the Bretons, although, a short time before this, Henry had fled from that country as a fugitive, and sought an asylum with king Charles. He remained with him some time, as he was liberally aided with money and men, with whom he crossed the sea to England, where, after the death of king Richard, he peaceably enjoyed that kingdom, by means of the aid he had received from king Charles, which clearly shows the ingratitude of the English monarch ‡.

The before-mentioned master Robert Gaguin was sent on an embassy on this subject to England, in company with the lord Francis de Luxembourg and Charles de Marigny §. However, after all, the French army, under their king, was victorious, more especially at the battle of St. Aubin |, while the king was at Laval, when the Bretons and English were

In a note, p. 135 of Mr. Andrews' History of Great Britain, a very different character is given of this pope : "As ignorant as turbulent." "He received without respect or hospitality the learned Greeks who fled from Constantinople, and gave so trifling a reward to Theo. Gaza for a translation, that the angry sage flung it away, and, leaving the audience, repeated a Greek proverb, that "thistles only could delight the palate of an ass." Luckily the pope did not understand the language of the sarcasın.

totally routed, with very great slaughter. The French gained the field of battle; and for two leagues around, nothing was to be seen but dead bodies. Near to where the battle was fought was a wood in which the Bretons had lodged a great deal of gunpowder; and thinking that the French would attempt posting an ambuscade therein they played their artillery, which set fire to this powder, and it blew up to the great astonishment of the French, who, by Divine Providence (the true protector of the French blood) had not entered this wood. The explosion alarmed a stag, who ran out of the wood, with eyes full of tears, and made for the French army as for a place of refuge. It should be noticed, that, prior to the engagement, large flocks of pies and jays were seen to fight with such obstinacy in the air, at a place called La Croix de Malere, that when victory declared for one party, the roads and fields were covered with the vanquished, which seemed to the French a very extraordinary circumstance.

After the battle of St. Aubin, a pursuit took place, when many prisoners were madc, and others driven to seek shelter in some of their strong places, to save their lives. The French in consequence of their victory conquered the greater part of Brittany. The principal lords of Brittany now began to consider on the means of establishing a lasting peace with the king of France; and as they thought his projected union with the lady Margaret of Flanders was not agreeable to him, since war with Maximilian her father had hitherto been the only fruits of it, they proposed that he should marry the duchess Anne of Brittany; and by this means that duchy would be firmly united to the crown of France, and would form an alliance of the utmost utility to all parties.

CHAPTER CLXXXIX.-KING CHARLES GENEROUSLY RESTORES ROUSSILLON TO KING FERDINAND OF ARRAGON.-THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF FILLES REPENTIES AT PARIS.-THE TOWN OF ST. OMER IS TAKEN BY THE LORD DES CORDES.-A TREATY OF PEACE CONCLUDED WITH THE KING OF ENGLAND AFTER THE SIEGE OF BOULOGNE-THE TREASON COMMITTED BY CARQUELEVANT IN THE TOWN OF ARRAS.-AMIENS WELL GUARDED. THE TREATY BETWEEN THE KING OF FRANCE AND THE ARCHDUKE OF AUSTRIA.

WHEN the king was returned from his expedition into Brittany, and had concluded a treaty with the Bretons on the terms before mentioned, he generously restored to Ferdinand king of Arragon the county of Roussillon, and gave him a free acquittance of the sums of money this county had been mortgaged for ; and for the accomplishment of this, he sent thither, as his ambassador, the lord Louis d'Ambois, bishop of Alby. There were some, however, who thought that this county should not have been restored; and to appease all murmurings on the subject, the king had it published that he had only acted in conformity to the orders given by his late father, king Louis, when dying. It was therefore the opinion of many, that a perpetual friendship should now be established between the kings of France and of Arragon.

In the year 1494 was established the order of repentant women and girls, who had been public strumpets at Paris. The institution of this order, in honour of the blessed Mary Magdalen, was commenced by a devout sermon preached by friar John Tisserant, a Franciscan monk; and a house that belonged to the family of Orleans was granted to them, wherein reside many devout women.

After the restoration of the county of Roussillon, the lord des Cordes was so active with his army, in Picardy, that he gained by force of arms, for the king, the town of St. Omer. He valiantly passed the breach into the town, his battle-axe hanging on his wrist, and followed by numbers of gallant men-at-arms, shouting out, "Vive le roi!" which so astonished the inhabitants that they submitted to his pleasure. Some days after this, the king of England, ungrateful for the services he had received from the king of France, as has been mentioned, landed a large force at Calais, and marched it to lay siege to Boulogne. The lord des Cordes, imagining that the English would make great efforts to gain Boulogne, he

being governor of Artois, left St. Omer, having well garrisoned it and other towns, in company with the bastard Cardon captain of Arras, and hastened, with a body of French, to throw himself into Boulogne, to oppose the English, and force them to raise their siege. In consequence of this, only Carquelevant, a Breton, remained in the castle of Arras,—and that town was given up traitorously to the archduke, as shall be more amply detailed hereafter. When the lord des Cordes* and Cardon had shown their resistance to the king of England's troops before Boulogne, they found means to conclude a peace which was very advantageous to the kingdom of France: for the English were to recross the sea without interfering more in the quarrel with the archduke.

Master Gaguin tells us, in his chronicle, that this peace was very agreeable to the king of England; for he loved the French in his heart, but had been constrained by his subjects to send this armament to Boulogne,--and by his advice and remonstrances he had prevented its advancing farther into the kingdom; but that he had been obliged to dissemble, to avoid being suspected by the English of having too strong an inclination to king Charles, whose former kindnesses he could never forget, and this treaty of peace was not long in being ratified by the two kings. Within two or three days after this peace had been concluded, the town of Arras was won by a party from Maximilian's army during the night, owing to the treason or neglect of Carquelevant. He had entrusted the keys of the gates to some of his people,- -so that the enemy entered the place without meeting any resistance whatever, while he was asleep in bed. They first plundered all the principal persons, and then the churches; and according to Gaguin, these Germans committed such destruction that it seemed as if they were come not to take possession of the town but utterly to destroy it.

After some months, Maximilian demolished a large tower in the market-place, and several other fortifications, which Louis XI. had erected to defend the city against the town of Arras. He also caused the walls of the city to be destroyed, and fortified the town against it, which was not displeasing to several of the inhabitants, as they hated even the French name, although, from the remotest antiquity, they had been always dependent on the kings of France, as their sovereign lords. Shortly after Maximilian found means to obtain a truce, that he might again employ his army on similar expeditions,—for the truce on his side was only a pretence. It was not long before a party from the garrison of Arras appeared under the walls of Amiens at midnight, thinking to take it by surprise; but the French garrison and townsmen were too well on their guard, and made such good use of their bows and artillery that they repulsed the enemy with vigour, so that they were glad to retreat from the suburbs of St. Pierre, where they had formed a lodgement, and return in all haste to Arras, whence they had come. Had the lord de Rubempré been allowed to follow his inclinations, he would have sallied out after them, for he was very eager to defeat them; but sir Anthony Clabaut, then mayor of the town, and the council would not permit him, saying, that in their opinion it was fully sufficient to defend the town well when attacked.

The principal lords of France, in conjunction with those of Picardy, solicited the king to conclude a lasting peace with the archduke: terms were, in consequence, agreed on,—and the county of Artois was restored to Maximilian; by which means all Picardy was in perfect union with France, and remains so to this day, which is of very great advantage to the whole realm.

CHAPTER CXC.-KING CHARLES MARRIES ANNE DUCHESS OF BRITTANY.-SHE IS CROWNED QUEEN OF FRANCE IN THE CHURCH OF SAINT DENIS, AND MAKES HER PUBLIC ENTRY INTO PARIS.-THE KING VISITS HIS PROVINCE OF PICARDY.-A PRIEST EXECUTED AND BURNED AT PARIS.-THE DEATH OF POPE INNOCENT VIII.-HE IS SUCCEEDED BY POPE ALEXANDER VI.

WHEN king Charles had espoused Anne duchess of Brittany, as a proof of his affection and love, he willed that she should be crowned queen of France with every magnificence.

*The lord des Cordes was used to say, that he would willingly pass seven years in hell to recover Calais from the English.