 CHAPTER XXI PART X Louis XI rendered to France four centuries ago during a reign of 22 years, three great services, the traces and influence of which exist to this day. He prosecuted steadily the work of Joan of Arc and Charles VII, the expulsion of a foreign kingship and the triumph of national independence and national dignity. By means of the provinces which he successively won, Holy or Partly, Burgundy, Francisconte, Artois, Provence, Anjou, Rossiland and Barois, he caused France to make a great stride towards territorial unity within her natural boundaries. By the defeat he inflicted on the great vassals the favour he showed the middle classes and the use he had the sense to make of this new social force, he contributed powerfully to the formation of the French nation and to its unity under a national government. Feudal society had not an idea of how to form itself into a nation or discipline its forces under one head. Louis XI proved its political weakness, determined its fall and laboured to place in its stead France and Monarchy. Herein are the great facts of his reign and the proofs of his superior mind. But, side by side with these powerful symptoms of a new regimen, appeared also the vices of which that regimen contained the germ and those of the man himself who was labouring to found it. Feudal society perceiving itself to be threatened at one time attacked Louis XI with passion but another entered into violent disputes against him and Louis in order to struggle with it employed all the practices at one time crafty and at another violent that belonged to absolute power. Craft usually predominated in his proceedings violence being often too perilous for him to risk it. He did not consider himself in a condition to say brazen facedly might before right but he disregarded right in the case of his adversaries and he did not deny himself any artifice, any lie, any baseness, however specious in order to trick them or ruin them secretly when he did not feel himself in a position to crush them at a blow. The end justifies the means that was his maxim and the end in his case was sometimes a great and legitimate political object nothing less than the dominant interest of France but far more often his own personal interest something necessary to his own success or his own gratification no loftiness no greatness of soul was natural to him and the more experience of life he had the more he became selfish and devoid of moral sense and of sympathy with other men whether rivals tools or subjects all found out before long not only how little account he made of them but also what cruel pleasure he sometimes took in making them conscious of his disdain and his power he was familiar but by no means vulgar he was in conversation able and agreeable with a mixture however of petulance and indiscretion even when he was meditating some perfidy and there is much need used to say that my tongue should sometimes serve me it has hurt me often enough the most prayer our superstitions as well as those most akin to a blind piety found their way into his mind when he received any bad news he would cast aside forever the dress he was wearing when the news came and of death he had a dread which was carried to the extent of pusillanimity and ridiculousness whilst he was every day says monsieur de bahante becoming more suspicious more absolute more terrible to his children and to the princes of the blood to his old servants and to his wisest counselors there was one man who without any fear of his giraffe treated him with brutal rudeness this was james catier his doctor when the king would sometimes complain of it before certain confidential servants i know very well catier would say that some fine morning you'll send me where you've sent so many others but death you'll not live a week after then the king would coax him overwhelm him with caresses raise his salary to ten thousand crowns a month make him a present of rich lordships and he ended by making him premier president of the court of exchequer all churches and all sanctuaries of any small celebrity were recipients of his oblations and it was not the salvation of his soul but life and health that he asked for in return one day there was being repeated on his accountant in his presence an horizon to st utropius who was implored to grant health to the soul and health to the body the latter will be enough said the king it is not right to bother the saint for too many things at once he showed great devotion for images which had received benediction and often had one of them sewn upon his hat hawkers used to come and bring them to him and one day he gave a 160 lever to a peddler who had in his pack one that had received benediction at aches la chapelle whatever may have been in the middle ages the taste and the custom and respect of such practices they were regarded with less respect in the 15th than in the 12th century and many people scoffed at the trust that louis the 11th placed in them or doubted his sincerity whether they were sincere or assumed the superstitions of louis the 11th did not prevent him from appreciating and promoting the progress of civilization towards which the 15th century saw the first real general impulse he favored the free development of industry and trade he protected printing in his infancy and scientific studies especially the study of medicine by his authorization it is said the operation for the stone was tried for the first time in france upon a criminal under sentence of death who recovered and was pardoned and he welcomed the philological scholars who were at this time laboring to diffuse through western europe the works of greek and roman antiquity he instituted at first for his own and before long for the public surface post horses and the letter post within his kingdom towards intellectual and social movement he had not the mistrust and antipathy of an old one-groove worn out on productive despotism his kingly despotism was new and one might almost say innovational for its sprang and was growing up from the ruins of feudal rights and liberties which had inevitably ended in monarchy but despotism's good services are short-lived it has no need to last long before it generates nicotine and tyranny and that of louis the 11th in the latter part of his reign bore its natural unavoidable fruits his mistrust says monsieur debarrant became horrible and almost insane every year he had surrounded his castle of plusses with more walls ditches and rails on the towers were iron sheds a shelter from arrows and even artillery more than 1800 of those planks bristling with nails called caltrops were distributed over the underside of the ditch there were every day 400 crossbowmen on duty with orders to fire on who so ever approached every suspected passerby was seized and carried off to tristan laire meet the provost marshal no great proofs were required for a swing on the gibbet or for the inside of a sack and a plunge in the loire men who like siod the coming had been the king's servants and who had lived in his confidence had no doubt but that he'd committed cruelties and perpetrated the blackest treachery still they asked themselves whether there had not been a necessity and whether he had not in the first instance been the object of criminal machinations against which he had to defend himself but throughout the kingdom the multitude of his subjects who had not received kindnesses from him nor lived in familiarity with him nor known of the ability displayed in his plans nor enjoyed the wit of his conversation judged only by that which came out before their eyes the imposts had been made much heavier without any consent on the part of the state's general the tallyages under which charles seventh brought in the 1800 thousand leave rose under the louis the eleventh to 3700 thousand the kingdom was ruined and the people were at the last extremity of misery the prisons were full none was secure of life or property the greatest in the land and even the princes of the blood were not safe in their own houses an unexpected event occurred at this time to give a little more heart to louis the eleventh who was now very ill and to mingle with his gloomy broodings a gleam of future prospects mary of burgundy daughter of charles the rash died at bulge on the 27th of march 1482 leaving to her husband maximillium of austria a daughter hardly three years of age princess margarite by name arrest to the burgundy and flamish dominions which had not come into the possession of the king of france louis as soon as he heard the news conceived the idea and the hope of making up for the reverse he had experienced five years previously through the marriage of mary of burgundy he would arrange espousals between his son the dauphin charles 13 years old and the infant princess left by mary and thus recover for the crown of france the beautiful domains he had allowed to slip from him a negotiation was opened at once on the subject between louis maximillium in the estates of flanders and on the 23rd of december 1482 it resulted in a treaty concluded at ara which arranged for the marriage and regulated the mutual conditions in january 1483 the ambassadors from the estates of flanders and from maximillium who then for the first time assumed the title of archduke came to france for the ratification of the treaty having been first received with great marks of satisfaction at paris they repaired to plusi le tour great was their surprise at seeing this melancholy abode this sort of prison into which there was no admittance save after so many formalities and precautions when they had waited a while they were introduced in the evening into a room badly lighted in a dark corner was the king seated in an armchair they moved towards him and then in a weak and trembling voice but still as it seemed in a bantering tone louis asked pardon of the abbot of san peter of gent and of the other ambassadors for not being able to rise and greet them after having heard what they had to say and having held a short conversation with them he sent for the gospels for to make oath he excused himself for being obliged to take the holy volume in his left hand for his right was paralyzed and his arm supported in a sling then holding the volume of the gospels he raised it up painfully and placing upon it the elbow of his right arm he made oath thus appeared in the eyes of the flimmings the king who had done them so much harm and who was obtaining of them so good a treaty by the fear with which he inspired them all dying as he was on the second of june following the infant princess margaret of austria was brought by a solemn embassy to paris first and then on the 23rd of june to amboise where her betrothal to the dauphin charles was celebrated louis the eleventh did not feel fit for removal to amboise and he would not even receive at plus il a tour the new flamish embassy assuredly neither the king nor any of the actors in this regal scene foresaw that this marriage which they with reason looked upon as a triumph of french policy would never be consummated that at the request of the court of france the pope would annul the betrothal and that nine years after its celebration in 1492 the austrian princess after having been brought up at amboise under the guardianship of the duchess of bourbon ann eldest daughter of louis the eleventh would be sent back to her father emperor maximillian by her affianced charles the eighth then king of france who preferred to become the husband of her french princess with a french province for dowry ann duchess of britainy it was in march 1481 that louis the eleventh had his first attack of that apoplexy which after several repeated strokes reduced him to such a state of weakness that in june 1483 he felt himself and declared himself not to be in a fit state to be present at his son's betrothal two months afterwards on the 25th of august st louis day he had a fresh stroke and lost all consciousness and speech he soon recovered them but remained so weak that he could not raise his hand to his mouth and under the conviction that he was a dead man he sent for his son-in-law pete of bourbon cio de bourgeois and go said he to amboise to the king my son i have entrusted him as well as the government of the kingdom to your charge and my daughter's care you know all i have enjoined upon him watch and see that it be observed let him show favour and confidence towards those who have done me good service and whom i have named to him you know too of whom he should beware and who must not be suffered to come near him he sent for the chancellor from paris and made him go and take the seals to the king go to the king he said to the captains of his guards to his arches to his huntsmen to all his household his speech never failed him after it had come back to him says cameen nor his senses he was constantly saying something of great sense and never in all his illness which lasted from monday to saturday evening did he complain as do all sorts of folk when they feel ill notwithstanding all those commands he recovered heart as comeen and had good hope of escaping in conversation at odd times with some of his servants and even with comeen himself he had begged them whenever they saw that he was very ill not to mention that cruel word death he had even made a covenant with them that they should say no more to him than don't talk much which would be sufficient warning but his doctor james catier and his barber oliver the devil whom he had a noble and enriched under the name of oliver le dan did not treat him with so much indulgence they notified his death to him in brief and harsh terms says comeen sir we must do our duty have no longer hope in your holy man of colabria or in other matters for assuredly all is over with you think of your soul there is no help for it i have hoping god that he will aid me answered louis codley per adventure i am not so ill as you think he endured with manly virtue so cruel a sentence says comeen and everything even to death more than any man i ever saw die he spoke as coolly as if he had never been ill he gave my newt orders about his funeral sepulchre and tomb he would be laid at the notre dame de cléry and not like his ancestors at sondigny his statue was to be gilt bronze kneeling faced to the altar head uncovered and hands clasped within his hat as was his ordinary custom not having died on the battlefield and soared in hand he would be dressed in hunting garb with jack boots or hunting horns long over his shoulder his hound lying beside him his order of st michael round his neck and his sword at his side as to the likeness he asked to be represented not as he was in his latter days all bow back and wasted but as he was in his youth and in the vigor of his age face pretty full nose aqua line hair long and falling down behind to his shoulders after having taken all these pains about himself after his death he gave his chief remaining thoughts to france and his son orders must be sent said he to monsieur de escuade philippe de cavaco baron de scald a distinguished warrior who after the death of shells the rash had through the agency of camine gone over to the service of louis the eleventh and was in command of his army to attempt no doings as to calais we had thought to drive out the ingrish from this the last corner they hold in the kingdom but such matters are too weighty all that business ends with me monsieur de scuade must give up such designs and come and guard my son without budging from his side for at least six months let an end be put also to all our disputes with britany and let this juke francis be allowed to live in peace without any more causing him trouble or fear this is the way in which we must now deal with all our neighbors five or six good years of peace are needful for the kingdom my poor people have suffered too much they are in great desolation if god had been pleased to grant me life i should have put it all to rights it was my thought to my desire that my son be strictly charged to remain at peace especially whilst he is so young at a later time when he is older when the kingdom is in good case he shall do as he pleases about it on saturday august the 30th 1483 between seven and eight in the evening louis the eleventh expired saying our lady membre my good mistress have pity upon me the mercies of the lord will i sing forever in latin misericordias domini in iternum cantavo it was a great cause of joy throughout the kingdom says monsieur de barrault with truth and his histoire de due deborgon this moment had been patiently waited for as a deliverance and as the ending of so many woes and fears for a long time passed no king of france had been so heavy on his people or so hated by them this was certainly just and at the same time ungrateful louis the eleventh had rendered france great service but in a manner void of frankness dignity or lustre he had made the contemporary generation paid dearly for it by reason of the spectacle he presented of trickery perfidy and vindictive cruelty and by his arbitrary and tyrannical exercise of kingly power people are not content to have useful service they must admire or love and louis the eleventh inspired france with neither of those sentiments he has had the good fortune to be described and appraised in his own day too by the most distinguished and independent of his counselors philippe de comine and three centuries afterwards by one of the most thoughtful and the soundest intellects amongst the philosophers of the eighteenth century du clo who moreover had the advantage of being historiographer of france and of having studied the history of that reign in authentic documents we reproduce here the two judgments the agreement of which is remarkable god says comine had created our king more wise liberal and full of manly virtue than the princes who reigned with him and in his day and who were his enemies and neighbors in all there was good and evil for they were men but without flattery in him were more things appertaining to the office of king than in any of the rest i saw them nearly all and knew what they could do louis the eleventh says du clo was far from being without reproach few princes have deserved so much but it may be said that he was equally celebrated for his vices and his virtues and that everything being put in the balance he was a king we will be more exacting the comine and du clo we will not consent to apply to louis the eleventh the words liberal virtuous and virtue he had no greatness of soul no uprightness of character no kindness of heart he was neither a great king nor a good king but we may ascend to du clo's last word he was a king end of chapter twenty five chapter twenty six part one of volume three of a popular history of france from the earliest times this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org volume three of a popular history of france from the earliest times by france hua guizot translated by robert black chapter twenty six the wars of italy charles the eighth fourteen eighty three to fourteen ninety eight part one louis the eleventh had by the queen his wife charlotte of savoy six children three of them survived him charles the eighth his successor and his eldest daughter who had espoused peter of bourbonne sire de bourgeois and jone whom he had married to the duke of orléans who became louis the twelfth at their father's death charles was thirteen and twenty two or twenty three and jone nineteen according to charles the fifth decree which had fixed fourteen as the age for the king's majority charles the eighth on his accession was very nearly a major but louis the eleventh with good reason considered him far from capable of reigning as yet on the other hand he had a very high opinion of his daughter an and it was to her far more than to sire de bourgeois her husband that six days before his death and by his last instructions he entrusted the guardianship of his son to whom he already gave the title of king and the government of the realm they were oral instructions not set forth in or confirmed by any regular testament but the words of louis the eleventh had great weight even after his death opposition to his last wishes was not wanting louis duke of orléans was a natural claimant to the regency but and a bourgeois immediately and without consulting anybody took up the position which had been entrusted to her by her father and the fact was accepted without ceasing to be questioned louis the eleventh had not been mistaken in his choice there was none more fitted than his daughter and to continue his policy under the rain and in the name of his successor a shrewd and clever woman if ever there was one says brand home and the true image in everything of king louis her father she began by acts of intelligent discretion she tried not to subdue by force the rivals and malcontents but to put them in the wrong in the eyes of the public and to cause embarrassment to themselves by treating them with fearless favor her brother-in-law the duke of bourbon was vexed at being only in appearance and named the head of his own house and she made him constable of france and lieutenant general of the kingdom the friends of duke louis of orléans amongst others his chief confidant george of emboise bishop of montauban and count du noy son of charles the seventh's hero persistently supported the duke's rights to the regency and madame the tile and a bourgeois had assumed made duke louis governor of ill de france and of champaña and sent du noy as governor to dauphiney she kept those of louis the eleventh's advisors for whom the public had not conceived a perfect hatred like that felt for their master and come in alone was set aside as having received from the late king too many personal favors and as having too much inclination towards independent criticism of the new regency two of louis the eleventh subordinate and detested servants oliver didam and john doiak were prosecuted and one was hanged and the other banished and his doctor james cuttier was condemned to disgorge fifty thousand crowns out of the enormous presence he had received from his patient at the same time that she thus gave some satisfaction to the cravings of popular wrath and de bourgeois through open the prisons were called exiles forgave the people a quarter of the taliage cut down expenses by dismissing six thousand swiss whom the late king had taken into his pay reestablished some sort of order in the administration of the domains of the crown and in fine and in fine whether in general measures or in respective persons displayed impartiality without paying court and firmness without using severity here was in fact a young and gracious woman who gloried solely in signing herself and a france whilst respectfully following out the policy of her father a veteran king able mistrustful and pitiless and discretion was soon put to a great trial a general cry was raised for the complication of the state's general the ambitious hoped thus to open a road to power the public look forward to it for a return to legalized government no doubt and would have preferred to remain more free and less responsible in the exercise of her authority for it was still very far from the time when national assemblies could be considered as a permanent power and a regular means of government but an and her advisors did not waver they were too wise and too weak to oppose a great public wish the state's general were convoked at tour for the fifth of january fourteen eighty four on the fifteenth they met in the great hall of the archbishop's palace around the king's throne sat two hundred and fifty deputies whom the success of arrivals of absentees raised to two hundred and eighty four france in all its entirety says mr picot found itself for the first time represented flanders alone sent no deputies until the end of the session but provance russian burgundy and dofenny were eager to join their commissioners to the delegates from the provinces united from the oldest times to the crown ist war des etats generaux from thirteen fifty five to sixteen fourteen by george picot page three sixty we have the journal of these states general drawn up with precision and detail by one of the chief actors john massalin canon of and deputy for ruin an eminent speaker says a contemporary norman chronicle who delivered on behalf of the common wheel in the presence of kings and princes speeches full of elegance we may agree that compared with the pompous pedantry of most speakers of his day the oratorical style of john massalin is not without a certain elegance but that is not his great and his original distinction what marks him out and gives him so high a place in the history of the fifteenth century is the judicious and firm political spirit displayed in his conduct as deputy and in his narrative as historian the journal written by the author in latin was translated into french and published original and translation by m a bernier in eighteen thirty five in the collection des documents in a deep relative disdouard de france and it is not john massalin only but the very assembly itself in which he sat that appears to us at the end of five centuries seriously moved by a desire for free government and not far from comprehending and following out the essential conditions of it france had no lack of states general full of brilliancy and power between thirteen fifty six and seventeen eighty nine from the reign of charles the fifth to that of louis the sixteenth but in the majority of these assemblies for all the ambitious soaring of liberty it was at one time religious party spirit and at another the spirit of revolution that ruled and determined both acts and events nothing of that kind appeared in the states general assembled at tour in fourteen eighty four the assembly was profoundly monarchical not only on general principles but in respect of the reigning house and the young king seated on the throne there was no fear struggle either between the aristocracy and the democracy of the day between the ecclesiastical body and the secular body although widely differing and widely separated the clergy the nobility and the third estate were not at war even in their hearts between themselves one in the same idea one and the same desire animated the three orders to such a degree that as has been well pointed out by mr. picoe in the majority of the towns they proceeded in common to the choice of deputies the clergy nobles and commons who arrived at tour were not the representatives exclusively of the clergy the nobles or the third estate they combined in their persons a triple commission and when after having examined together their different memorials by the agency of a committee of thirty six members taken in equal numbers from the three orders they came to a conclusion to bring their grievances and their wishes before the government of charles the eighth they decided that a single spokesman should be commissioned to sum up in a speech delivered in a solemn session the report of the committee of thirty six and it was the cannon master john meslin who received the commission to speak in the name of all they had at heart one in the same idea they desired to turn the old and undisputed monarchy into a legalized and free government clergy nobles and third estate there was not in any of their minds any revolutionary yearning or any thought of social war it is the peculiar and the beautiful characteristic of the state's general of 1484 that they had an eye to nothing but a great political reform a regiment of legality and freedom two men one a norman and the other a burgundian the cannon john meslin and philip pot lord of roche a former counselor of philip the good duke of burgundy where the exponents of this political spirit at once bold and prudent conservative and reformative the nation's sovereignty and the right of the estates not only to vote in posts but to exercise a real influence over the choice and conduct of the officers of the crown this was what they affirmed in principle and what in fact they labored to get established i should like said philip de la roche to see you quite convinced that the government of the state is the people's affair and by the people i mean not only the multitude of those who are simply subjects of this crown but indeed all persons of each estate including the princes also since you consider yourself deputies from all the estates of the kingdom why are you afraid to conclude that you have been especially summoned to direct by your consuls the commonwealth during its quasi interregnum caused by the king's minority far be it from me to say that the reigning properly so-called the dominion in fact passes into any hands but those of the king it is only the administration the guardianship of the kingdom which is conferred for a time upon the people or their elect why tremble at the idea of taking in hand the regulation arrangement and nomination of the council of the crown you are here to say and to advise freely that which by inspiration of god and your conscience you believe to be useful for the realm what is the obstacle that prevents you from accomplishing so excellent and meritorious a work i can find none unless it be your own weakness and the pusillanimity which causes fear in your minds come then most illustrious lords have great confidence in yourselves have great hopes have great manly virtue and let not this liberty of the estates that your ancestors were so zealous in defending be imperiled by reason of your softheartedness this speech says madeline was listened to by the whole assembly very attentively and very favorably massalan being called upon to give the king in his privy chamber before the dukes of or leon and the rain and a numerous company of nobles an exact account of the estates first deliberations held in his turn language more reserved than but similar to that of lord philip de la roche whose views he shared in whose profound openness he admired the question touching the composition of the king's council and the part to be taken in it by the estates was for five weeks the absorbing idea with the government and with the assembly there were made on both sides concessions which satisfied neither the estates nor the court for their object was always on the part of the estates to exercise a real influence on the government and on the part of the court to escape being under any real influence of the estates side by side with the question of the king's council was ranged that of the imposts and here it was no easier to affect an understanding the crown asked more than the estates thought they ought or were able to vote and after a long and obscure controversy about expenses and receipts massalan was again commissioned to set before the king's council the views of the assembly and its ultimate resolution when we saw said he that the aforesaid accounts or estimates contained elements of extreme difficulty and that to balance and verify them would subject us to interminable discussions and longer labor than would be to our and the people's advantage we hasten to adopt by way of expedient but nevertheless resolutely the decision i am about to declare to you wishing to meet liberally the kings and your desires we offered to pay the sum that king charles the seventh used to take for the imposts of tally edges provided however that this sum be equally and proportionately distributed between the provinces of the kingdom and that in the shape of an aid and this contribution be only for two years after which the estates shall be assembled as they are today to discuss the public needs and if at that time or previously they see the advantage thereof the said some shall be diminished or augmented further the said my lords the deputies do demand that their next meeting be now appointed and declared and that an irrevocable decision do fix and decree that assembly this was providing at one in the same time for the wants of the present and the rights of the future the imposts of tally edge was indeed voted just as it has stood under charles the seventh but it became a temporary aid granted for two years only at the end of them the estates were to be convoked and the tax augmented or diminished according to the public wants the great question appeared decided by means of the vote necessary and at the same time temporary in the case of the impost the state's general entered into real possession of a decisive influence in the government but the behavior and language of the officers of the crown and of the great lords of the court rendered the situation as difficult as ever in a long and confused harangue the chancellor william de Rochefort did not confine himself to declaring the sum voted twelve hundred thousand leavers to be insufficient and demanded three hundred thousand leavers more he passed over in complete silence the limitation of two years of the tax voted and the requirement that at the end of that time the state's general should be convoked whilst the chancellor was thus speaking says mazaline many deputies of a more independent spirit kept groaning and all the hall resounded with a slight murmuring because it seemed that he was not expressing himself well as to the power and liberty of the people the deputies asked leave to deliberate in the afternoon promising a speedy answer as you wish to deliberate do so but briefly said the chancellor it would be better for you to hold counsel now so as to answer in the afternoon the deputies took their time and the discussion was a long and hot one we see quite well how it is said the princes and the majority of the great lords to curtail the king's power and pair down his nails to the quick is the object of your efforts you forbid the subjects to pay their prince as much as the wants of the state require are they masters pray and no longer subjects you would set up the laws of some fanciful monarchy and abolish the old ones i know the rascals said one of the great lords according to one historian it was the duke of bourbon and a bogey's brother-in-law if they are not kept down by over waiting them they will soon become insolent for my part i consider this tax the surest curve for holding them in strange words says mazaline unworthy of utterance from the mouth of a man so eminent but in his soul as in that of all old men covetousness had increased with age and he appeared to fear a diminution of his pension after having deliberated upon it the state's general persisted in their vote of attacks of twelve hundred thousand levers at which figure it had stood under charles the seventh but for two years only and as a gift or grant not as a permanent tallyage anymore and on condition that at the end of that time the state should be necessarily convoked at the same time however over and above this the set of states who do desire the well-being honor prosperity and augmentation of the lord king and of his kingdom and in order to obey him and please him in all the ways possible do grant him the sum of three hundred thousand levers of tours for this once only and without being a precedent on account of his late joyful accession to the throne of france and four to aid and support the outlay which it is suitable to make for his holy consecration coronation and entry into paris on this fresh vote full of fidelity to the monarchy and at the same time of patriotic independence negotiations began between the estates and the court they lasted from the twenty-eighth of february to the twelfth of march but without result at bottom the question lay between absolute power and free government between arbitrariness and legality and on this field both parties were determined not to accept a serious and final defeat unmoved by the loyal concessions and assurances they received the advisors of the crown thought no longer of anything but getting speedily rid of the presence of the estates so as to be free from the trouble of maintaining the discussion with them the deputies saw through the device their speeches were stifled and the necessity replying was alluded my lord chancellor said they at an interview on the second of march fourteen eighty-four if we are not to have a hearing why are we here why have you summoned us let us withdraw if you behave thus you do not require our presence we did not at all expect to see the fruits of our vigils and the decisions adopted after so much trouble by so illustrious and assembly rejected so carelessly the complaints were not always so temperate a theologian whom mazelan quotes without giving his name a bold and fiery partisan of the people says he added these almost insulting words as soon as our consent had been obtained for raising the money there is no doubt but that we have been cajoled that everything has been treated with contempt the demands set down in our memorials our final resolutions and the limits we fixed speak we have the money on this point our decisions have been conformed to only so far as to tell us this impulse shall no longer be called tally edge it shall be a free grant is it in words pray and not in things that our labor and the well-being of the state consists fairly we would rather still call this impulse tally edge and even blackmail maltoed or give it a still vile or name if there be any then see it increasing immeasurably and crushing the people the curse of god and the execration of men upon those whose deeds and plots have caused such woes they are the most dangerous foes of the people and of the commonwealth the theologian burned with a desire to continue adds mazelan but though he had not wandered far from the truth many deputies chid him and constrained him to be silent already lethargy had fallen upon the most notable amongst us glutted with favors and promises they no longer possessed that order of will which had animated them at first when we were prosecuting our business they remained motionless at home when we spoke before them they held their peace or added but a few feeble words we were wasting our time on the twelfth of march fourteen eighty four the deputies from normandy twenty five in number happened to hold a meeting at montille le tour the bishop of kutans told them that there was no occasion for the estates to hold any more meetings that it would be enough if each of the six sections appointed three or four delegates to follow the course of affairs and that moreover the compensation granted to all the deputies of the estates would cease on the fourteenth of march and after that would be granted only to their delegates this compensation had already amongst the estates been a subject of a long discussion the clergy and the nobility had attempted to throw the whole burden of it upon the third estate the third estate had very properly claimed that each of the three orders should share proportionately in this expense and the chancellor had with some difficulty got it decided that the matter should stand so on the fourteenth of march accordingly the six sections of the estates met and elected three or four deputies of peace the deputies were a little surprised on entering their sessions hall to find it completely dismantled carpets hangings benches table all had been removed so certainly did the government consider the session over some members in disgust thought and maintained that the estates ought not to separate without carrying away with them the resolution set down in their general memorial formally approved and accompanied by an order to the judges to have them executed but a much larger number says mazalan were afraid of remaining too long and many of our colleagues in spite of the zeal which they had once shown had a burning desire to depart according to the prince's good pleasure and orders as for us we enjoined upon the three deputies of our norman nationality not to devote themselves solely to certain special affairs which had not yet been terminated but to use redoubled care and diligence and all that concerned the general memorial and the aggregate of the estates and having thus left our commissioners at tour and put matters to rights we went away well content and we pray god that our labors and all that has been done may be useful for the people's welfare neither mazalan nor his descendants for more than three centuries were destined to see the labors of the state's general of 1484 obtained substantial and durable results the work they had conceived and attempted was premature the establishment of a free government demands either spontaneous and simple virtue such as may be found in a young and small community or the lights the scientific method and the wisdom painfully acquired and still so imperfect of great civilized nations france of the 15th century was in neither of these conditions but it is a crown of glory to have felt that honest and patriotic ambition which animated mazalan and his friends at their exodus from the corrupt and corrupting despotism of louis the 11th who would dare to say that their attempt vain as it was for them was so also for generations separated from them by centuries time and space are as nothing in the mysterious development of god's designs towards men and it is the privilege of mankind to get instruction and example from far off memories of their own history it is a duty to render the state's general of 1484 the homage to which they have a right by reason of their intentions and their efforts on behalf of the good cause and in spite of their unsuccessful end of chapter 26 part 1 chapter 26 part 2 of volume 3 of a popular history of france from the earliest times this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org volume 3 of a popular history of france from the earliest times by france hua guizot translated by robert black chapter 26 the wars of italy charles the 8th 1483 to 1498 part 2 when the state's general had separated and de bourgeois without difficulty or up for resumed as she had assumed on her father's death the government of france and she kept it yet for seven years from 1484 to 1491 during all this time she had a rival and foe in louis duke of or leon who was one day to be louis the twelfth i have heard tell says brandt home how that at the first she showed affection towards him nay even love in such sort that if monsieur do leon had been minded to give heed there too he might have done well as i know from a good source but he could not bring himself to it especially as he found her too ambitious and he would that she should be dependent on him as premier prince and nearest to the throne and not he on her whereas she desired the contrary for she was minded to have the high place and rule everything they used to have adds brandt home prickings of jealousy love and ambition if brandt home's anecdote is true as one is inclined to believe though several historians have cast doubts upon it and de bourgeois had in their prickings of jealousy love and ambition a great advantage over louis of or leon they were both young and exactly of the same age but louis had all the defects of youth whilst and had all the qualities of mature age he was handsome volatile inconsiderate impudent brave and of a generous open nature combined with kindness she was thoughtful judicious persistent and probably a little cold and hard such in fact as she must need to become in the school of her father louis the eleventh as soon as the struggle between them began the diversity of their characters appeared in bore fruit the duke of or leon plunged into all sorts of intrigues and ventures against the fair regent exciting civil war and when he was too much compromised or too hard pressed withdrawn to the court of frances the second duke of britney an unruly vassal of the king of france louis of or leon even made alliance at need with foreign princes henry the seventh king of england ferdinand the catholic king of aragon and maximillion arch duke of austria without much regard for the interests of his own kingly house and his own country and on the contrary in possession of official and legal authority wielded it and guarded it with prudence and moderation in the interests of france and of the crown never taking the initiative in war but having the wit to foresee maintain and after victory and it she encountered from time to time at her own court and in her own immediate circle a serious difficulty the young king charles was charmed by the duke of or leon's brilliant qualities especially by the skill and bravery that louis displayed at tournaments one day interrupting the bishop of montalvin george of an boys who was reading the brevery to him send word to the duke of or leon said the king to go on with his enterprise and that i would feign be with him another day he said to count dunoy take me away uncle i'm longing to be out of this company dunoy and george of an boys both of them partisans of the duke of or leon carefully encouraged the king and sentiments so favorable to the fair regents rival incidents of another sort occurred to still further embarrass the physician for an deposition the eldest daughter of francis the second duke of britney herself also named an would inherit his duchy and on this ground she was ardently wooed by many competitors she was born in fourteen seventy seven and at four years of age in fourteen she had been promised in marriage to edward prince of wales son of edward the fourth king of england but two years afterwards in fourteen eighty three this young prince was murdered or according to other accounts imprisoned by his uncle richard the third who seized the crown and the britain promise vanished with him the number of claimants to the hand of an of britney increased rapidly and the policy of the duke her father consisted it was said in making for himself five or six sons-in-law by means of one daughter towards the end of fourteen eighty-four the duke of or leon having embroiled himself with and a bourgeois sought refuge in britney and many historians have said that he not only at that time aspired to the hand of an of britney but that he paid her a seduous court and obtained from her her marks of tender interest count darn in his history to britanya page eighty two has put the falsehood of this assertion beyond a doubt the britain princess was then only seven and the duke of or leon had been eight years married to jonah france younger daughter of louis the eleventh but in succeeding years and amidst the continual alterations of war and negotiation between the king of france and the duke of britney and a bourgeois and the duke of or leon competition and strife between the various claimants to the hand of an of britney became very active alan sire da bray called the great because of his reputation for being the richest lord of the realm by count james de rohan and archduke maximillion of austria all three believed themselves to have hopes of success and prosecuted them assiduously sire da bray a widower and the father of eight children already was forty five with a pimply face a hard eye a horse voice and a quarrel summon gloomy temper and an being pressed to answer his suit finally declared that she would turn none rather than marry him james de rohan in spite of his powerful backers at the court of ren was likewise dismissed his father by count jon the second was in the service of the king of france archduke maximillion remained the only claimant with any pretensions he was nine and twenty a gigantic stature justly renowned for valor and ability in war and of more literary culture than any of the princes his contemporaries a trait he had in common with princess ann whose education had been very carefully attended to she showed herself to be favorably disposed towards him and the duke of or leon whose name married though he was was still sometimes associated with that of the britain princess formally declared on the twenty sixth of january fourteen eighty six that when he came to the duke of britney's it was solely to visit him and advise him on certain points touching the defense of his duchy and not to talk to him of marriage with the princesses his daughters but whilst the negotiation was thus inclining towards the austrian prince and debauchee ever farsighted and energetic was vigorously pushing on the war against the duke of britney and his allies she had found in louis de la tramoye an able and a bold warrior whom giac carini calls the greatest captain in the world in july fourteen eighty eight he came suddenly down upon britney took one after the other the chateau brian on sinise and fougures and on the twenty eighth gained cent album de chromier near ren over the army of the duke of britney and his english german and gascon allies a victory which decided the campaign six thousand of the britain army were killed and duke louis of or leon the prince of orange and several french lords his friends were made prisoners on receiving at ange the news of his victory charles the eighth gave orders that the two captive princes should be brought to him but and debauchee fearing some abolition on his part of a two prompt and two gratuitous generosity caused delay in their arrival and the duke of or leon who was taken first to the castle of sable and then to leucinion went ultimately to the tower of bourge where he was to await the king's decision it was a great success for and debauchee she had beaten her united foes and the most formidable of them all the duke of or leon was her prisoner two incidents that supervened one a little before and the other a little after the battle of saint abendue chromier occurred to both embarrass the position and at the same time call forth all the energy of an her brother-in-law duke john of bourbon the head of his house died on the first of april fourteen eighty eight leaving to his younger brother peter his title and domains having thus become duchess of bourbon and being well content with his elevation in rank and fortune madame the great as and debauchee was properly called was somewhat less eagerly occupied with the business of the realm was less constant at the king's council and went occasionally with her husband to stay a while in their own territories charles the eighth moreover having nearly arrived at man's estate made more frequent manifestations of his own personal well and an clear sided and discreet though ambitious was little by little changing her dominion into influence but some weeks after the battle of saint abendue chromier on the seventh or ninth of september fourteen eighty eight the death of francis the second duke of britney rendered the active intervention of the duchess of bourbon natural and necessary for he left his daughter the princess and barely eighteen years old exposed to all the difficulties attendant upon the government of her inheritance and to all the intrigues of the claimants who were hand in the summer fourteen eighty nine charles the eighth and his advisors learned that the count of nasa having arrived in britney with the proxy of archduke maximillion had by a mox ceremony espoused the britain princess in his master's name this strange mode of celebration could not give the marriage a real and indissoluble character but the concern in the court of france was profound in britney there was no mystery any longer made about the young duchess's engagement she already took the title of queen of the romans charles the eighth loudly protested against this pretended marriage and to give still more weight to his protest he sent henry the seventh king of england who was much mixed up with the affairs of britney ambassadors charged to explain to him the right ambassadors charged to explain to him the right which france had to oppose the marriage of the young duchess with archduke maximillion at the same time taking care not to give occasion for thinking that charles had any views on his own account in that quarter the king my master said the ambassador does propose to assert by arms his plain rights over the kingdom of naples now occupied by some usurper or other a bastard of the house of aragon he doth consider more over the conquest of naples only as a bridge thrown down before him to take into greece there he is resolved to lavish his blood in his treasure though he should have to pawn his crown and drain his kingdom for to overthrow the tyranny of the ottomans and open to himself in this way the kingdom of heaven the king of england gave a somewhat ironical reply to this chivalrous address merely asking whether the king of france would consent not to dispose of the eras of britney's hand save on the condition of not marrying her himself the ambassadors shuffled out of the question by saying that their master was so far from any such idea that it had not been foreseen in their instructions whether it had or had not been foreseen and meditated upon so soon as the reunion of britney with france by the marriage of the young duchess and with king charles the eighth appeared on the horizon as a possible and peradventure probable fact it became the common desire aim and labor of all the french politicians who up to that time had been opposed persecuted and prescribed since the battle of saint abin du cormier duke louis of or leon had been a prisoner in the tower of bourge and so strictly guarded that he was confined at night in an iron cage like cardinal ballos for fear he should escape in vain had his wife jonah france an unhappy and virtuous princess ugly and deformed who had never been able to gain her husband's affections implored her all-powerful sister ann of bourbon to set him at liberty as i am incessantly thinking she wrote to her about my husband's release i have conceived the idea of setting down and writing the fashion in which peace might be had and my said husband be released i am writing it out for the king and you will see it all i pray you sister to look to it that i may get a few words in answer it has been a very sad thing for me that i never see you now there is no trace of any answer from ann to her sister charles the eighth had a heart more easily touched when jon in mourning came and threw herself at his feet saying brother my husband is dragging on his life in prison and i am in such trouble that i know not what i ought to say in his defense if he has had ought wherewith to approach himself i am the only one whom he has outraged pardon him brother you will never have so happy a chance of being generous you shall have him sister said charles kissing her grant heaven that you may not repent one day of that which you are doing for him today some days after this interview in may fourteen ninety-one charles without saying anything about it to the duchess and a bourbon set off one evening from plesistu power on pretensive going a hunting and on reaching berry sent for the duke of or leon from the tower of bourge louis in raptures at breathing the air of freedom at the farthest glimpse he caught of the king lept down from his horse and knelt weeping on the ground charles says the chronicler sprang upon his neck and knew not what cheer reception to give him to make it understood that he was acting of his own motion and free will charles ill understood his sister and and could scarcely make her out but two convictions had found their way into that straightforward and steady mind of hers one that a favorable time had arrived for uniting britney with france and must be seized the other that the period of her personal dominion was over and that all she had to do was to get herself well established in her new position she wrote to the king her brother to warn him against the accusations and wicked rumors of which she might possibly be the object he replied to her on the twenty first of june fourteen ninety-one my good sister my dear louis de pesclan has informed me that you have knowledge that certain matters have been reported to me against you whereupon i answered him that not of the kind had been reported to me and i assure you that none would dare so speak to me for in whatsoever fashion it might i would not put faith therein as i hope to tell you when we are together bidding you adieu my good sister my dear after having reassured his sister charles said about reconciling her as well as her husband the duke of bourbon with her brother-in-law the duke of or leon louis who was of a frank and by no means ranker's disposition as he himself said and proved at a later period submitted with a good grace and on the fourteenth of september fourteen ninety-one at la flesh the princes jointly made oath by their baptism and with their hands on the book of the gospels to hold one another once more in perpetual affection and to forget all old ranker hatred and ill will for to well and loyally serve king charles guard his person and authority and help him to comfort the people and set in order his household in his kingdom counselors and servants were included in this reconciliation of the masters and philip de comat and the bishop of montauban ere long archbishop of ruan governor of normandy and cardinal them boys went out of disgrace took their places again in the king's councils set themselves loyally to the work of accomplishing that union between charles the eighth and anna britney whereby france was to achieve the pacific conquest of britney pacific as it was this conquest cost some pains and gave some trouble in person charles the eighth was far from charming he was short and badly built he had an enormous head great blank-looking eyes an aquiline nose bigger and thicker than was becoming thick lips to and everlastingly open nervous twitchings disagreeable to see and slow speech in my judgment says the ambassador from venice zachery con tornini who had come to paris in may 1492 i should hold that body and mind he is not worth much however they all sing his praises in paris as a right lusty gallant at playing of tennis and at hunting and at jousting exercises to the witch in season and out of season he doth devote a great deal of time the same ambassador says of anna britney who had been for four months queen of france the queen is short also thin lame of one foot and perceptibly so though she does what she can for herself by means of boots with high heels a brunette and very pretty in the face and for her age very knowing in such sort that what she has once taken into her head she will obtain somehow or other whether it be smiles or tears that be needed for it knowing as she was an was at the same time proud and headstrong she had a cultivated mind she was fond of the arts of poetry and of ancient literature she knew latin and even a little greek and having been united though by proxy and at a distance to a prince whom she had never seen but whom she knew to be tall well made and a friend to the sciences she revolted at the idea of giving him up for a prince without beauty and to such an extant without education that it is said charles the eighth when he ascended the throne was unable to read when he was spoken up to the young princess i am engaged in the bonds of matrimony to arch shoot max million said an and the king of france on his side is a fiance to the princess margaret of austria we are not free either of us she went so far as to say that she would set out and go and join max million her advisors who had nearly all of them become advocates of the french marriage did their best to combat this obstinacy on the part of their princess and they proposed to her other marriages an answered i will marry none but a king or king's son whilst the question was thus being disputed at the little court of ren the army of charles the eighth was pressing the city more closely every day parlies took place between the leaders of the two hosts and the duke of or leon made his way into ren had an interview with the duchess an succeeded in shaking her in her refusal of any french marriage many maintain says count philippe de sigur that charles the eighth himself entered alone and without escort into the town he was besieging had a conversation with the young duchess and left to her the decision of their common fate declaring to her that she was free and he her captive that all roads would be open to her to go to england or to germany and that for himself he would go to torrain to await the decision where on depended together with the happiness of his own future that of all the kingdom whatever may be the truth about these chivalrous traditions there was concluded on the fifteenth of september fourteen ninety one a treaty whereby the two parties submitted themselves for an examination of all questions that concerned them to twenty four commissioners taken half and half from the two hosts and in order to give the preconceited resolution and appearance of mutual liberty authority was given to the young duchess and to go if she pleased and joined maximillion in germany charles the eighth accompanied by a hundred men at arms and fifty archers of his guard again entered ren and three days afterwards the king of france and the duchess of britney were secretly affianced in the chapel of notre dame the duke of or leon the duchess of bourbon the prince of orange count denoy and some brenton lords were the sole witnesses of the ceremony next day charles the eighth left ren and repaired to the castle of langaise and torrain there the duchess and joined him a fortnight afterwards the young princess margarite of austria who had for eight years been under guardianship and education at am boys as the future wife of the king of france was removed from france and taken back to flanders to her father archduke maximillion with all the external honors that could alleviate such an insult on the thirteenth of december fourteen ninety one the contract of marriage between charles the eighth and anna britney was drawn up in the great hall of the castle of langaise in two drafts one in french and the other in britain the bishop of albie celebrated the nuptial ceremony by that deed if my lady anne were to die before king charles and his children issue of their marriage she seated and transferred irrevocably to him and his successors kings of france all her rights to the duchy of britney king charles seated in like manner to my lady anne his rights to the possession of the said duchy if he were to die before her without children born of their marriage my lady anne could not in case of widowhood contract the second marriage saved with the future king if it were his pleasure and were possible or with other near and presumptive future successor to the throne who should be bound to make the king regnant on account of the said duchy the same acknowledgments that the predecessors of the said lady anne had made on the seventh of february fourteen ninety two anne was crowned at sainteny and next day the eighth of february she made her entry in state into paris amidst the joyful and earnest acclimations of the public a sensible and illegitimate joy for the reunion of britney to france was the consolidation of the peace which in this same century on the seventeenth of september fourteen fifty three had put an end to the hundred years war between france and england and was the greatest act that remained to be accomplished to ensure the definitive victory and the territorial constitution of french nationality end of chapter twenty six part two chapter twenty six part three of volume three of a popular history of france from the earliest times this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org volume three of a popular history of france from the earliest times by france hua guizot translated by robert chapter twenty six the wars of italy charles the eighth fourteen eighty three to fourteen ninety eight part three charles the eighth was pleased with and proud of himself he had achieved a brilliant and a difficult marriage in europe and within his own household he had made a display of power and independence in order to espouse anna britney he had sent back margherite of austria to her father he had gone in person and withdrawn from prison his cousin louis of or leon whom his sister and debauchus had put there and so far from having got embroiled with her he saw all the royal family reconciled around him this was no little success for a young prince of twenty one he thereupon devoted himself with ardor and confidence to his desire of winning back the kingdom of naples which alfonso the first king of aragon had rested from the house of france and of thereby reopening for himself in the east and against islam re that career of christian glory which had made a saint of his ancestor louis the ninth mediocre men are not safe from the great dreams which have more than once seduced and ruined the greatest men the very mediocre son of louis the eleventh on renouncing his father's prudent and by no means chivalrous policy had no chance of becoming a great warrior and a saint but not the less did he take the initiative as to those wars in italy which were to be so costly to his successors and to france by two treaties concluded in fourteen ninety three one at barcelona on the nineteenth of january and the other at senlis on the twenty-third of may he gave up russian and ser dania to ferdinand the catholic king of aragon and french camp artois and charlie to the house of austria and after having at such a lamentable price purchased freedom of movement he went and took up his quarters at leon to prepare for his neapolitan venture in his council he found loyal and able opponents on the undertaking of this trip says philip to come in one of those present there was many a discussion for it seemed to all folks of wisdom and experience very dangerous all things necessary for so great a purpose were wanting the king was very young a poor creature willful and with but a small attendance of wise folk and good leaders no ready money neither tense nor pavilions for wintering and lombardy one thing good they had a lusty company full of young men and family but little under control the chiefest warrior france at this time philip decrieve core marshal deskar threw into the opposition the weight of his age and of his recognized ability the greatness and tranquility of the realm said he depend on possession of the low countries that is the direction in which we must use all our exertions rather than against a state the possession of which so far from being advantageous to us could not but weaken us unhappily says the latest learned historian of charles the 8th the veteran marshal died on the 22nd of april 1494 in a small town some few leagues from leon and thenceforth all hope of checking the current became visionary on the 8th of september 1494 charles the 8th started from granobal crossed mount genev and went and slept at alps which was territory of piedmont in the evening a peasant who was accused of being a master of votary was brought before him the king gave him audience and then handed him over to the provost who had him hanged on a tree by such an act of severity perpetrated in a foreign country and on the person of one who was not his subject did charles the 8th distinguished his first entry into italy it were out of place to follow out here in all its details a war which belongs to the history of italy far more than to that of france it will suffice to point out with precision the positions of the principal italian states at this period and the different shares of influence they exercised on the fate of the french expedition six principal states piedmont the kingdom of the dukes of savoy the duchy of malan the republic of venice the republic of florins roam and the pope and the kingdom of naples coexisted in italy at the end of the 15th century in august 1494 when charles the 8th started from leon on his italian expedition piedmont was governed by blanche of mont ferrata widow of charles the warrior duke of savoy in the name of her son charles john amadeo a child only six years old in the duchy of malan the power was in the hands of ludovix forza called the more who being ambitious faithless lawless unscrupulous employed it in banishing to pavia the lawful duke his own nephew john galleus mario sforza of whom the florentine ambassadors said to ludovic himself this young man seems to be a good young man and animated by good sentiments but very deficient in wits he was destined to die air long probably by poison the republic of venice had at this period for its doge august barbarygo and it was to the council of ten that in respect of foreign affairs as well as of the home department the power really belonged peter de medici son of lorenzo de medici the father of the muses was feebly and stupidly though with all the airs and pretensions of a despot governing the republic of florence roam had for pope alexander the six paderigo borja a prince who was covetous lisentious and brazen facedly fickle and disloyal in his policy and who would be regarded as one of the most utterly demoralized men of the fifteenth century only that he had for a son a cesar borja finally at naples in fourteen ninety-four three months before the day on which charles the eighth entered italy king alfonso the second ascended the throne no man says come in was ever more cruel than he or more wicked or more vicious and tainted or more gluttonous dangerous however than his father king ferdinand the witch did take in and betray folks whilst giving them good cheer kindly welcome as hath been told to me by his relatives and friends and who did never have any pity or compassion for his poor people such in italy whether in her kingdoms or her republics were the heads with whom charles the eighth had to deal when he went in the name of a disputed right three hundred leagues away from his own kingdom in quest of a bootless and ephemeral conquest the reception he met with at the outset of his enterprise could not but confirm him in his illusory hopes while he was at leon engaged in preparations for his departure duke charles of savoy whose territories were the first he would have to cross came to see him on a personal matter cousin my good friend said the king to him i am delighted to see you at leon for if you had delayed your coming i had intended to go myself to see you with a very numerous company in your own dominions where it is likely such a visit could not but have caused you loss my lord answer the duke my only regret at your revival in my dominions would be that i should be unable to give you such welcome there is as due to so great a prince however whether here or elsewhere i shall be always ready to beg that you will dispose of me and all that pertains to me just as of all that might belong to your own subjects duke charles of savoy had scarcely exaggerated he was no longer living in september fourteen ninety four when charles the eighth demanded of his widow blanche regent in the name of her infant son a free passage for the french army over her territory and she not only granted his request but when he entered turin she had him received exactly as he might have been in the greatest cities of france he admired the magnificent jewel she wore and she offered to lend them to him he accepted them and soon afterwards borrowed on the strength of them twelve thousand golden dukes so ill provided was he with money the fair regent besides made him a present of a fine black horse which common calls the best in the world and which ten months later charles rode at the battle of fornovo the only victory he was to gain on retiring from this sorry campaign on entering the country of the milanese he did not experience the same feeling of confidence that piedmont had inspired him with not that ludivic the more hesitated to lavish upon him assurances of devotion sir said he i have no fear for this enterprise there are in italy three powers which we consider great and of which you have one which is milan another which is the venetians does not stir so you have only to do with that of naples and many of your predecessors have beaten us when we were all united if you will trust me i will help to make you greater than ever was charlemagne and when you have in your hands this kingdom of naples we shall easily drive yawn turk out of the empire of constantinople these words please charles the eighth mightily and he would have readily pinned his faith to them but he had at his side some persons more clear-sided and ludivic had enemies who did not deny themselves the pleasure of enlightening the king concerning him he invited charles to visit milan he desired to parade before the eyes of the people his alliance and intimate friendship with the powerful king of france but charles who had at first treated him as a friend all at once changed his demeanor and refused to go to milan so as not to lose time ludivic was too good a judge to make any mistake in the matter but he did not press the point charles resumed his road to piacenza where his army awaited him at pavia vows harangues felicitations protestations of devotion were lavished upon him without restoring his confidence quarters had been assigned to him within the city he determined to occupy the castle which was in a state of defense his own guard took possession of the guard posts and the watch was doubled during the night ludivic appeared to take no notice and continued to accompany the king as far as piacenza the last town in the state of milan into it charles entered with seventy eight hundred horse many swiss foot and many artillery men and bombardiers the italian population regarded this army with an admiration tinged with timidity and anxiety news was heard there to the effect that young john gallius nephew of ludivic the more and lawful duke of milan was dead he left a son five years old for whom he had at pavia implored the king's protection i will look upon him as my own king charles had answered as he fondled the child ludivic sat out in haste for milan and it was not long before it was known that he had been proclaimed duke and put in possession of the duchy distrust became general throughout the army those who ought to have known best told me says common that several who had at first commended the trip now found fault with it and that there was a great inclination to turn back however the march was continued forward and on the 29th of october fourteen ninety four the french army and camped before sarzana a florentine town ludivic the more suddenly arrived in the camp with new proposals of alliance on new conditions charles accepted some of them and rejected the principal ones ludivic went away again on the third of november never to return from this day the king of france might reckon him amongst his enemies with the republic of florans was henceforth to be charles's business its head peter de medici went to the camp at sarzana and philip de comans started on an embassy to go and negotiate with the doge and senate of venice which was the chiefest of the italian powers and the territory of which lay far out of the line of march of the king of france and his army in the presence of the king of france and in the midst of his troops peter de medici grew embarrassed and confused he had gone to meet the king without the knowledge of the florentines and was already alarmed at the gravity of his situation and he offered more concession and submission than was demanded of him those who treated with him says coman told me turning him to scorn and ridicule that they were dumbfounded at his so readily granting so great a matter and what they were not prepared for feelings were raised to the highest pitch at florans when his weaknesses were known there was a numerous and powerful party consisting of the republicans and the envias hostile to the medici's and they eagerly seize the opportunity of attacking them a deputation comprising the most considerable men of the city was sent on the fifth of november to the king of france with a commission to obtain from him more favorable conditions the dominican gerome savonarola at that time popular oracle of florans was one of them with a pious hot tour that was natural and habitual to him he adopted the same tone towards charles as towards the people of florans harken that of my word said he and grave them upon thy heart i warn thee in god's name that thou must show thyself merciful and forbearing to the people of florans if thou wouldest that he should aid thee and i enterprise charles who scarcely knew savonarola by name answered simply that he did not wish to do the florantines any harm but that he demanded a free passage and all that had been promised to him i wish to be received at florans he added to sign there a definitive treaty which shall settle everything at these cold expressions the ambassadors withdrew in some disquietude peter de medici who was lightly confident returned to florans on the eighth of november and attempted again to seize the supreme power a violent outbreak took place peter was as weak before the florantine populace as he had been before the king of france and having been harried in his very palace which was given up to pillage it was only in the disguise of a monk that he was able on the ninth of november to get out of the city and company with his two brothers julian and cardinal john de medici of whom the latter was to be ten years later pope leo the tenth peter and his brothers having been driven out the florantines were anxious to be reconciled with charles the eighth both by political tradition and popular bias the florantine republic was favorable to france charles annoyed at what had just taken place showed but slight inclination to enter into negotiation with them but his wisest advisors represented to him that in order to accomplish his enterprise and march securely on naples he needed the goodwill of florans and the new florantine authorities promised him the best of receptions in their city into it charles entered on the 17th of november 1494 at the head of all his army his reception on the part of officials and populace was really magnificent negotiation was resumed charles was at first very exacting the florantine negotiators protested one of them peter caponi a man of great wits and great courage says giocardini highly esteemed for those qualities in florans and issue of a family which had been very powerful in the republic when he heard read the exorbitant conditions proposed to them on the king's behalf started up suddenly took the paper from the secretary's hands and tore it up before the king's eyes saying since you impose upon us things so dishonorable have your trumpets sounded and we will have our bells run and he went forth from the chamber together with his comrades charles and his advisors thought better of it mutual concessions were made a treaty concluded on the 25th of november secured to the king of france a free passage through the whole extent of the republic and a sum of 120 thousand golden florans to help towards the success of the expedition against naples the commune of florans engaged to revoke the order putting a price upon the head of peter de medici as well as confiscating his goods and not to enforce against him any penalty beyond prescription from the territory and the honor as well as the security of both the contracting parties having thus been provided for charles the eighth left florans and took with his army the road towards the roman states having on the 7th of december 1494 entered aqua pedente and on the 10th the turbo he there received on the following day a message from pope alexander the sixth who in his own name and that of alfonso the second king of naples made him an offer of a million duke's to defray the expenses of the war and a hundred thousand levers annually on condition that he would abandon his enterprise against the kingdom of naples i have no mind to make terms with the aragonese usurper answered charles i will treat directly with the pope when i'm in roam which i reckon upon entering about christmas i have already made known to him my intentions i will forthwith send him ambassadors commissioned to repeat them to him and he did send to him the most valiant of his warriors louis de la tramoye the which was there says the contemporary chronicler john boucher with certain speakers who after having pompously reminded the pope of the whole history of the french kingship in its relations with the papacy ended up in the following strain pray if you then our sovereign lord the king not to give him occasion to be to his great sorrow the first of his lineage who ever had war and discord with the roman church whereof he and the christian kings of france his predecessors have been protectors and augmenters more briefly and with an affection of sorrowful graciousness the pope made answer to the ambassador if it please king charles my eldest spiritual son to enter into my city without arms in all humility he will be most welcome but much would it annoy me if the army of thy king should enter because that under shadow of it which is said to be great and riotous the factions and bands of roam might rise up and cause uproar and scandal wherefrom great discomforts might happen to the citizens for three weeks the king and the pope offered the spectacle only too common in history of the hypocrisy of might pitted against the hypocrisy of religion at last the pope saw the necessity of yielding he sent for prince ferdinand son of the king of naples and told him that he must no longer remain at roam with the neapolitan troops for that the king of france was absolute about entering and he at the same time handed him a safe conduct under charles his own hand ferdinand refused the safe conduct and threw himself upon his knees before the pope asking him for his blessing rise my dear son said the pope go and have good hope god will come to our aid the neapolitan's departed and on the first of january 1495 charles the eighth entered roam with his army saying gentle wise according to brandt home that a while ago and he had made a vow to my lord saint peter of roam and that of necessity he must accomplish it at the peril of his life behold him then entered into roam continues brandt home in bravery and triumph himself armed at all points with lance on thigh as if he would feign pick forward to the charge marching in this fine and furious order of battle with trumpets is sounding and drums a beating he enters in and takes his lodging by the means of his harbingers wheresoever it seems to him good has his bodies of guards set post his sentinels about the place and districts of the noble city with no end of rounds and patrols has his tribunals and his gallows planted in five or six different spots his edicts and ordinances being published and proclaimed by sound of trumpet as if he had been in paris go find me ever a king of france who did such things save charlemagne yet tro I he did not bear himself with authority so superb and imperious what remained then more for this great king if not to make himself full master of this glorious city which had subdued all the world in days of yore as it was in his power to do and as he perchance would feign have done in accordance with his ambition and with some of his counsel who urged him mightily there too if it were only for to keep himself secure but far from this violation of holy religion gave him pause and the reproach that might have been brought against him of having done offense to his holiness though reason enough had been given him on the contrary he rendered him all honor and obedience even kissing in all humility his slipper no excuse is required for quoting this fragment of brand tome for it gives the truest and most striking picture of the conditions of facts and sentiments during this transitory encounter between a madly adventurous king and a brazen facedly dishonest pope thus they passed four weeks at Rome the pope having retired at first to the Vatican and afterwards to the castle of st. angelo and charles remaining master of the city which in a fit of mutual ill humor and mistrust was for one day given over to pillage and the violence of the soldiery at last on the 15th of january a treaty was concluded which regulated pacific relations between the two sovereigns and secured to the french army a free passage through the states of the church both going to naples and also returning and provisional possession of the town of citiva betia on condition that it should be restored to the pope when the king returned to france on the 16th and 19th of january the pope and the king had two interviews one private and the other public at which they renewed their engagements and paid one another the stipulated honors it was announced that on the 23rd of january the aragonese king of naples alfonso the second had abdicated in favor of his son ferdinand the second and on the 28th of january charles the eighth took solemn leave of the pope received his blessing and left Rome as he had entered it at the head of his army and more confident than ever in the success of the expedition he was going to carry out end of chapter 26 part 3 chapter 26 part 4 of volume 3 of a popular history of france from the earliest times this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox.org volume 3 of a popular history of france from the earliest times by france waguisot translated by robert black chapter 26 the wars of italy charles the eighth 1483 to 1498 part 4 ferdinand the second the new king of naples who had no lack of energy or courage was looking everywhere at home and abroad for forces and allies to oppose the imminent invasion to the duke of milan he wrote remember that we too are of the same blood it is much to be desired that a league should at once be formed between the pope the kings of the romans and spain you and venice if these powers are united italy would have not to fear from any give me your support i have the greatest need of it if you back me i shall owe you the preservation of my throne and i will honor you as my father he ordered the neapolitan envoy at constantanople to remind sultan bajaze of the reinforcements he had promised his father king alfonso time passes the king of france is advancing in person on naples be instant in solicitation be importunate if necessary so that the turkish army crossed the sea without delay be present yourself at the embarkation of the troops be active run fly he himself ran through all his kingdom striving to resuscitate some little spark of affection and hope he had no success anywhere the memory of the king his father was hateful he was himself young and without influence his ardor cost fear instead of sympathy charles kept advancing along the kingdom through the midst of people that remained impassive when they did not give him a warm reception the garrison of montezan giovanni the strongest place on the frontier determined to resist the place was carried by assault in a few hours and the assailants says a french chronicler without pity or compassion made short work of all those plunderers and malpractors whose bodies they hurled down from the walls the carnage lasted eight whole hours a few days afterwards charles with his guard arrived in front of san germano the clergy awaited him at the gate with cross and banner men of note carried a dais under which he took his place behind him followed men women and children chanting this versicle from the Psalms benedictus chi venet in nomine domini blessed be he that cometh in the name of the lord the town of capua was supposed to be very much attached to the house of aragon john james travolzio a valiant millenese captain who had found asylum and fortune in naples had the command there and the other king ferdinand hurried i am going to naples for troops said he to the inhabitants wait for me confidently and if by tomorrow evening you do not see me return make your own terms with king charles you have my full authority on arriving at naples he said to the neapolitan's hold out for a fortnight i will not expose the capital of my kingdom to be stormed by barbarians if within a fortnight hence i have not prevented the enemy from crossing the voltuno you may ask him for terms of capitulation and he went back to capua when he was within side of the ramparts he heard that on the previous evening before it was night the french had been admitted into the town travolzio had been to visit king charles at tiano and had offered in the name of his troops and of the capuans to surrender capua he had even added says giarcadini that he did not despair of bringing king ferdinand himself to an arrangement if a suitable provision were guaranteed to him i willingly accept the offer you make me in the name of your troops and of the capuans answered charles as for the erganese prince he shall be well received if he come to me but let him understand that not an inch of ground shall be left to him in this kingdom in france he shall have honors and beautiful domains on the 18th of february charles entered capua amidst the cheers of the people and on the same day travolzio went over to his service with a hundred lances on returning to naples ferdinand found the gates closed and could not get into castel nuovo saved by a poster at that very moment the mob was pillaging his stables he went down from the fortress addressed the crowd collected beneath the ramparts in a few sad and bitter words into which he tried to infuse some leaven of hope took certain measures to enable the two forts of naples castel nuovo and castel da uvo to defend themselves for a few days longer and on the 23rd of february went for refuge to the island of ishia repeating out loud as long as he had naples in his sight this versical from the psalms except the lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain at ishia itself he had a fresh trial to make says jikardini of his courage and of the ungrateful faithlessness displayed towards those whom fortune deserts the governor of the island refused to admit him accompanied by more than one man the prince so soon as he got in flung himself upon him panyard in hand with such fury and such an outburst of kingly authority that all the garrison astounded submitted to him and gave up to him the fort and its rock on the very eve of the day on which king ferdinand the second was thus seeking his last refuge in the island of ishia charles the eighth was entering naples and triumph at the head of his troops on horseback beneath a pal of cloth of gold borne by four great neapolitan lords and received says jikardini with cheers and a joy of which it would be vain to attempt a description the incredible exultation of a crowd of both sexes of every age of every condition of every quality of every party as if he had been the father and first founder of the city and the great french historian bears similar witness to that of the great italian historian never says coman did people show so much affection to king or nation as they showed to the king and thought all of them to be free of tyranny at the news hereof the disquietude and vexation of the principal italian powers were displayed at venice as well as at Milan and at Rome the venetian senate as prudent as it was vigilant had hitherto maintained a demeanor of expectancy and almost of goodwill towards france they hoped that charles the eighth would be stopped or would stop himself in his mad enterprise without there being obliged to interfere the doge augustin barbari go lived on very good terms with coman who was as desirous as he was that the king should recover his senses coman was destined to learn how difficult and sorry a thing it is to have to promote a policy of which you disapprove when he perceived that a league was near to being formed in italy against the king of france he at once informed his master of it and attempted to dissuade the venetians from it they denied that they had any such design and showed a disposition to form in concert with the kings of france spain and the romans and with the whole of italy a league against the turks provided that charles the eighth would consent to leave the king of naples in possession of his kingdom at the same time keeping for himself three places therein and accepting a summon ready money which venus would advance what to god says coman that the king had been pleased to listen then of all i did give him notice and i got their answer when the venetians heard that the king was in naples and that the strong fort which they had great hopes would hold out was surrendering they sent for me one morning and i found them in great number about fifty or sixty in the apartment of the prince the doge who was ill some were sitting upon a staircase leading to the benches and had their heads resting upon their hands others otherwise all showing that they had great sadness at heart and i throw that when news came to room of the battle lost at canne against hannibal the senators who had remained there were not more dumbfounded and dismayed than these were for not a single one made sign of seeing me or spoke to me one word save the duke the doge who asked me if the king would keep to that of which he had constantly sent them word and which i had said to them i assured them stoutly that he would and i opened up ways for it to remain at sound peace hoping to remove their suspicions and then i did get me gone the league was concluded on the thirty-first of march fourteen ninety-five between pope alexander the sixth emperor maximillion the first as king of the romans the king of spain the venetians and the duke of milan to three ends says common for to defend christendom against the turks for the defense of italy and for the preservation of their estates there was nothing in it against the king they told me but it was to secure themselves from him they did not like his so deluding the world with words by saying that all he wanted was the kingdom and then to march against the turk and all the while he was showing quite the contrary i remained in the city about a month after that being as well treated as before and then i went my way having been summoned by the king and being conducted in perfect security at their expense to ferrara once i went to florans to await the king when ferdinand the second took refuge in the island of isia and castel nuovo and castel del uvo had surrendered at naples charles the eighth considering himself in possession of the kingdom announced his intention and there is reason to believe actually harbored the design of returning to france without asserting any further his pretensions as a conqueror on the 20th of march before the italian league had been definitively concluded briccane cardinal of saint malo who had attended the king throughout his expedition wrote to the queen and of britney his majesty is using diligence as best he can to return over yonder and has expressly charged me for my part to hasten his affairs i hope he will be able to start hence about the eighth of april he will leave over here as lieutenant my lord demont pensier with a thousand or twelve hundred lances partly french and partly of this country 1500 swiss and a thousand french crossbowmen charles himself wrote on the 28th of march to his brother-in-law the duke of bourbon that he would mount his horse immediately after quazimodo the first sunday after easter to return to france without halting or staying in any place but charles whilst so speaking and projecting was forgetful of his giddy insolence his frivolous tastes and his passion for theatrical display and lizenches pleasure the climate the country the customs of naples charmed him you would never believe he wrote to the duke of bourbon what beautiful gardens i have in this city on my faith they seem to lack only adam and eve to make of them an earthly paradise so beautiful are they and full of nice and curious things as i hope to tell you soon to add to that i have found in this country the best of painters and i will send you some of them to make the most beautiful ceilings possible the ceilings at buse leon and other places in france do not approach those of this place in beauty and richness wherefore i shall provide myself with them and bring them with me for to have some done it and boys politics were forgotten in the presence of these royal fancies charles the eighth remained nearly two months at naples after the italian league had been concluded and whilst it was making its preparations against him was solely concerned about enjoying in his beautiful but precarious kingdom all sorts of mundane pleasances as his counselor the cardinal of sent malo says and giving entertainments to his new subjects as much disposed as himself to forget everything in amusement on the 12th of may 1495 all the population of naples and of the neighboring country was afoot early to see their new king make his entry in state as king of naples sicily and jerusalem with his neapolitan court and his french army charles was on horseback beneath a rich dais borne by great neapolitan lords he had a close crown on his head the scepter in his right hand and a golden globe in his left in front of this brilliant train he took his way through the principal streets of the city halting at the five knots of the noblesse where the gentlemen and their wives who had assembled there detained him a long while requesting him to be pleased to confer with his own hand the order of knighthood on their sons which he willingly did at last he reached the cathedral church of saint generius which had recently been rebuilt by alfonso the first of aragon after the earthquake of 1456 the archbishop at the head of his clergy came out to meet him and conducted him to the front of the high altar where the head of saint generius was exhibited when all these solemnities had been accomplished to the great satisfaction of the populace bonfires were lighted up for three days the city was illuminated and only a week afterwards on the 20th of may 1495 charles the eighth started from naples to return to france with an army at the most from 12 to 15 000 strong leaving for guardian of his new kingdom his cousin gilbert of borbonne count de montpuncier a brave but indolent knight who never rose it was said until noon with eight or 10 000 men scattered for the most part throughout the provinces during the months of april and may thus wasted by charles the eighth the italian league and especially the venetians and the duke of milan ludovic the more had vigorously pushed forward their preparations for war and had already collected an army more numerous than that which the king of france in order to return home would have to traverse the whole of italy he took more than six weeks to traverse it passing three days at roam four at sienna the same number at pizza and three at luca though he had declared that he would not halt anywhere he evaded entering florins where he had made promises which he could neither retract nor fulfill the dominicans of onorola who had always preached greatly in the king's favor says coman and by his words had kept the florantines from turning against us came to see him on his way at pogibonsi i asked him said coman whether the king would be able to cross without danger to his person seeing the great muster that was being made by the venetians he answered me that the king would have trouble on the road but that the honor would remain his though he had but a hundred men at his back but seeing that he had not done well for the reformation of the church as he ought and had suffered his men to plunder and rob the people god had given a sentence against him and in short he would have a touch of the scourge several contemporary historians affirm that if the italian army formed by the venetians and the duke of milan had opposed the march of the french army they might have put it in great peril but nothing of the kind was attempted it was at the passage of the apanines so as to cross them and to descend into the duchy of parma that charles the eighth had for the first time to overcome resistance not from men but from nature he had in his train a numerous and powerful artillery from which he promised himself a great deal when the day of battle came and he had to get it up and down by steep paths he or never says the chronicle of latrimoy had car or carriage gone the king knowing that the lord of latrimoy such was his boldness and his strong will thought nothing impossible gave to him this duty which he willingly undertook and to the end that the footman swiss german and others might labor there at without fearing the heat he addressed them as follows the proper nature of us galls is strength boldness and ferocity we triumphed at our coming better would it be for us to die than to lose by cowardice the delight of such praise we are all in the flower of our age in the vigor of our years let each lend a hand to the work of dragging the gun carriages and carrying the cannonballs ten crowns to the first man that reaches the top of the mountain before me throwing off his armor latrimoy and hose and shirt himself lent a hand to the work by dentive pulling and pushing the artillery was got to the brow of the mountain it was then harder still to get it down the other side along a very narrow and rugged incline and five whole days were spent on this rough work which luckily the generals of the enemy did not attempt to molest latrimoy black as a more says the chronicle by reason of the murderous heat he had endured made his report to the king who said by the light of this day cousin you have done more than ever could Hannibal of Carthage or Caesar have done to the peril of your person whereof you have not been seen sparing to serve me me and mine I vow to God that if I may only see you back in france the recompense I hope to make you shall be so great that others shall conceive fresh desire to serve me end of chapter 26 part 4