MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 
 
 OF THE 
 
 RACE OF VALOIS. 
 
 INTERSPERSED WITH INTERESTING ANECDOTES. 
 
 TO WHICH IS A D D K D, 
 
 A T O U R 
 
 THROUGH THE WESTERN, SOUTHERN, AN 
 INTERIOR PROVINCES OF FRANCE, 
 
 IN A SERIES OF LETTERS. 
 
 By N A T HV W R A X A L L, Jun: Efq; 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR EDWARD AND CHARLES DILLY. 
 
 M.DCC.LXXYU,
 
 ;> >I I O M 
 
 Vi A X. 
 
 ' 
 
 J3/A OKI'i 
 
 * yf-A f -x s an t'^j o 3 ,> H r - 
 
 .
 
 TO THE 
 
 EARL OF HILLSBOROUGH. 
 
 Jff! 
 
 :ij vlnq 
 
 MY LORD, 
 
 - 
 
 F the memoirs and anecdotes of 
 
 I 
 
 illuftrious men have, in all 
 ages, been interefting to mankind 
 in general, how much more fo muft 
 they be to thofe who move in the 
 fame fphere, and feem to be in a 
 manner conne&ed with them by 
 rank, occupation, and character ? 
 
 It was the fenfe of this peculiar 
 propriety, which firft made me de- 
 firous of addrefTmg the following 
 flieets to your Lordfhip. 
 
 What 
 
 DC 
 
 V.I
 
 iv DEDICATION. 
 
 What other motives concurred 
 in fuggefting the wifli, I am with- 
 held from exprefling, by the appre- 
 henfion of offending that delicacy 
 which never fails to charadterife 
 great minds, and which leaves me 
 only the liberty of declaring in ge- 
 neral terms, the fincere refpecl: and 
 admiration, with which I have the 
 honour to be, 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Your Lordfliip's 
 
 moft obedient, 
 
 humble fervantj, 
 
 London, New Bond-flreet, 
 November 22, 1776. 
 
 N. WRAXALL, Jun r .
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIRST. 
 
 Introduction, on the different genius of Engli/J? 
 and French hiftory. Situation of France at 
 the death of 'John, and accejpon of Charles 
 the ffth. Character of Charles the Bad 
 king of Navarre. Declenflon of the Eng- 
 lijh affairs. Death of Charles the fifth. 
 Character. Charles the Jixth fucceeds. -*- 
 Diforders under the regency of the duke of 
 Anjou. Thekingfit 'comes of age. Appear- 
 ance of the fpettre in the wood of Mans* 
 Charles's madnefs. - Characters of the 
 Queen *dnd duke of Orleans. King's relapfe 
 at a mafquerade . Diforders in the State. 
 Affajfination of the duke of Orleans. L&ig 
 anarchy 'which fucceeds. Henry the fftk 
 lays claim to the crown. Louis the dau* 
 phin dies. John, fecond dauphin dies. 
 ' a ttr
 
 vi CONTENTS. 
 
 The Queens intrigues with the duke of 
 Burgundy. His affajfination. Rapid fuc~ 
 ceffes of Henry the fifth. Marriage. 
 Death. Charles the Jixth expires. Re- 
 fetfions. Page i 
 
 CHAPTER THE SECOND. 
 
 Political condition of France. Character of 
 John duke of Bedford. Accejfion and 
 dijireffes of Charles the feventh. Appear- 
 ance of the Maid of Orleans. Character 
 of Agnes Soreille. Deaths of the Queen 
 dowager, and duke of Bedford. Louis 
 the Dauphin s treafonable practices, and 
 fight. Death of Agnes Soreille. Cir- 
 cumjlances of it. Englifi ultimately dri- 
 ven out of France. Dauphin 's dtfobedi- 
 cnce,~OppreJ/ions, and retreat into Bur- 
 gundy. Charles'sfruitlefs attempts to gain 
 pojjeffion of his perfon. The king's illnefs. 
 Death. Character. Page ci 
 
 O J 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRD. 
 
 Louis the eleventh's character, and com- 
 mencement of bis reign. Interview with 
 Henry king of Cajiile. Louis's violence 
 end oppreffions. League of the public 
 good. Accejpon and character of Charles 
 lafi dukt of Burgundy. Interview of 
 5
 
 CONTENTS. vii 
 
 Peronne. Kings imprifonment and ter- 
 rors. Death of Charles duke of Bern. 
 Interview with Edward the fourth at 
 Pecquigni. Louis's infidious policy. The 
 duke of Burgundy s attempts on Switzer- 
 land, Battle of Nancy, and death. 
 Burgundy re-united to France. Conclu- 
 Jion of Louis s reign. Cruelties. Firft 
 Jlroke of an apoplexy. His pilgrimage.' 
 His encreafing Jeverity. Minute circum- 
 Jlances of his illnefs. Death . Character. 
 MlftreJ/es. Page 76 
 
 CHAPTER THE FOURTH. 
 
 AcceJ/ion of Charles the eighth. Character 
 
 of the regent, Anne Lady of Beaujeu.-* 
 
 Her adminlftratlon. Attempts on the 
 
 duchy of Bretagne. The duke of Orleans' s 
 
 intrigues and fight. His imprifonment. 
 
 Marriage of Anne of Bretagne to the 
 
 king. The duchy united to the crown.--" 
 
 Termination of the regency. Charles's 
 
 opening character. He is inflamed with 
 
 fchemes of conqueft. Attack on the 
 
 kingdom of Naples. Romantic expedition. 
 
 - His march Uninterrupted train of 
 
 vicJory Coronation Return . Battle of 
 
 Fornoua. Charles abandons himfelf to 
 
 pleafures. Naples loft. New plans of 
 
 tnvafion. Renounced. The kings change 
 
 andfudden death. Clrcumftances of It. . 
 
 Character. Page 1 16 
 
 aa CHAP-
 
 Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIFTH. 
 
 Louis the twelfth's acceffion and character. 
 His divorce, and marriage with Anne of 
 Bretagne. Conqueft of Milan, and im- 
 prifonment of Ludovico Sforza. Recovery 
 of Naples, and divi/ion of it with Ferdi- 
 nand of Arragon Perfidy of that prince. 
 Gonfalvo de Cordova drives out the 
 French. Magnanimity of Louis. His 
 dangerous illnefs. Death of Ifabella of 
 Caftile. Julius thejecond's acceffion to the 
 papacy. Character. League of Cam- 
 bray.- Death of the Cardinal of Ambaife. 
 - Julius s ambition andfuccej/es.- Gajlon 
 de Foix appears. His victories. Battle 
 ef Ravenna. Death Circumjiances. 
 French driven out of Italy. Julius dies. 
 "-Leo the tenth accedes to the pontificate. 
 Illnefs and death of Anne of Bre- 
 tagne. Her character. The kings grief ". 
 Marriage of Francis Count d" Angoulefme ta 
 the princefs Claude. State of the caurt. 
 Louis's marriage. Illnefs. Death. 
 Character. -7 Page 145 
 
 'CHAPTER THE SIXTH, 
 
 Accejjion and Character of Francis the frft. 
 r- Char after of Louif a Counters d'Angou* 
 
 lefme. -
 
 CONTENTS. ix 
 
 lejme. Battle of Marignano . Death of 
 Ferdinand of Arragon and the 'Emperor 
 Maximilian. Interview of Francis and 
 Henry the eighth. Commencement of the 
 wars between the King and Emperor. 
 Character of Charles of Bourbon. Of 
 Bonnivet. Death of Leo the tmth. 
 Milan loji. Execution of SemblenqaL 
 Confpiracy of the Con/table of Bourbon. 
 Minute circumftances of his treafon and 
 fight. Death of the ^ueen. The Admi- 
 ral Bonnivet enters Italy. Bourbon lays 
 fiege to Marfeilles. Francis purfues him 
 over the Alps. Battle of Pavia. Mi- 
 nute enumeration of the circumftances of 
 the King's imprifonment . Death of Bon- 
 rivet. Francis's confinement, and removal 
 to Madrid. Meafures of the regent.- 
 The King's rigorous captivity. Illnefs. 
 Vijit of the Duchefs of Alen^on, hisjifter. 
 Releafe. Entry into his dominions.- 
 Commencement of the Duchefs ofEftampes 
 favour -, Page 183 
 
 CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. 
 
 Treaty of Madrid violated. War renewed 
 between Francis and the Emperor. Unfuc- 
 cefsful attack of Naples. Death ofLau- 
 trec. Peace of Cambray. Marriage of 
 Francis to Eleanor of Portugal. Magni- 
 ficence
 
 x CONTENTS. 
 
 fcence of the King Death of his mother 
 Loitifa. Interview ofMarfeilles. Mar- 
 riage of the Duke of Orleans to Catherine 
 of Mf diets. War reKeived.^Tbe Emperor 
 enters Provence. Death of Francis the 
 Dauphin. Circvmftances of it. His cha- 
 racter. Reflections. The Emperor re- 
 treats into Italy. Marriage of James the 
 fftb to the Princefs Magdalen. Character 
 cf Anne de Men fmorenci. Interviews of 
 Nice and Aigues-Mortes. Story of the 
 cave in Daupbine.* Francis's amours. 
 Indifpofition, and confeqitent change. 
 Vifo of the Emperor. Alteration of the 
 minifters. Third tear. Defcription of 
 the court. Battle of Cerizoles. The 
 Emperor enters Picardy. Intrigues of the 
 Duchefs ofEJlampes. Peace Concluded. 
 Death of the Duke of Orleans. Circum- 
 ftances. Character. Death of the Csunt 
 a^Enguien. Parties formed in the court. 
 Francis's iHnefs. Circnmftances Dy~ 
 ing admonitions to the Dauphin. Death. 
 *Chara&er. Page 235 
 
 CHAPTER THE EIGHTH. 
 
 Character of Henry the fecond. Changes 
 in the fate. Diana de Poitiers. Her 
 cfara&er. Romantic attachment $f the 
 King. Difgrace oftheDttchefs ofEftampes. 
 
 Duel
 
 CONTENTS. il 
 
 Duel of Jarnac and La Chataigneraie* 
 InfurrecJions in Guyenne. Perfecution. 
 of the P rot eft ants. Death of Margaret 
 of Valois ^ueen of Navarre. Character. 
 War renewed between Henry and the 
 Tamper or. Catherine of Medicis left re- 
 gent. Siege of Metz. War continued. 
 ' The Emperor abdicates. Power of 
 Diana Duchefs of Valentinois.The Duke 
 of Guife fent againft Naples. Battle of 
 St. Quentin. Capture of Calais. Mar- 
 riage of Francis the Dauphin, to Mary of 
 Scotland. r- Circumjiances. Peace con- 
 cluded. Caroufals of the court-. The 
 Kings unexpected death. Enumeration 
 of the circumftances which attended it. 
 Character of Henry the fecond \ Mif- 
 frejes. Reflexions. Page 296 
 
 CHAPTER THE NINTH. 
 
 State of the kingdom at the death of Henry 
 the fecond. Character of the Duke of 
 Guife of the Cardinal of Lor rain of 
 the King of Navarre of the Prince of 
 Conde. Catherine of Medicis. Her cha- 
 racter p erf on political conduct. Dif- 
 grace of the Duchefs of Valentinois. Ac- 
 cejjion of Francis the fecond. Power of 
 the Guifes.The Kings feeble health. 
 Ajjajfination of Minard. Confpiracy of 
 
 Amboife.-
 
 x3 CONTENTS- 
 
 Amboife. Defeated. Horrible execu~ 
 tions. The Prince ofCondefufpetted. 
 Convocation of Fontainbleau. The King 
 of Navarre and Prince of Conde arrive at 
 court. They are arrejied. Trial of the 
 latter. Francis s illnefs. Conde condemn- 
 ed. Intrigues and cabals of Catherine 
 of Medicis. Death of Francis the fe- 
 cond. Circumftances. Character. Fu- 
 nerals. Arrival of Montmorenci. Re- 
 leaf e of Conde. Page 352 
 
 MEMOIRS
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 KINGS OF F R A N G E, &c, 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIRST. 
 
 Introduction, on the different genius of Englifb 
 and French hiftory. Situation of France at 
 'the death of John, and accejjion of Charles 
 the fifth. Character of Charles the Bad, 
 king of Navarre, Dectenfion of the Eng- 
 lijh affairs. Death of Charles the fifth 
 Character. Charles the Jixth fucceeds. 
 Diforders under the regency of the duke of 
 Anjou. ^he king becomes of age. Story 
 of the fpecJre in the wood of Mans. 
 Charles's madnefs. ~ Characters of the 
 queen, and duke of Orleans* King's relapft 
 VOL. I. B at
 
 2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 at a mafquerade. Diforders in the State. 
 Affaffination of the duke of Orleans. Long 
 anarchy which fucceeds. Henry the ffth 
 lays claim to the crown. Louis , the dau- 
 phin , dies. yohn y fecond dauphin, dies.- 
 'The queens intrigues with the duke of 
 Burgundy His affaj/ination . Rapid fuc- 
 cefles of Henry the ffth Marriage 
 Death. Charles thejixth expires. Re- 
 jleftions. 
 
 THE hiftory of France may be con- 
 fidered as abounding more in 
 tliofe interefting fcenes which 
 touch the heart, than any other. 
 
 The annals of England are bolder, and 
 marked with rcronger colours j but, like the 
 genius of the nation, they are auftere and 
 gloomy. Few of thofe pleaiing and ele- 
 gant anecdotes occur, which foften the hor- 
 ror of battles, and open the gentler fources 
 of entertainment. The long wars and al- 
 ternate mafTacres of the two houfes of York 
 and Lancafter, were followed by the ca- 
 pricious tyranny of the family of Tudor. 
 
 Even
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 3 
 
 Even Elizabeth's reign, juftly renowned 
 for policy and wifdom, is not comparable, 
 for refinement and cultivation of man- 
 ners, to the court of Catharine of Me- 
 dicis. The efforts of a paflion for liberty, 
 however noble and juftifiable in them- 
 felves, mingled with the frenzy of fana- 
 ticifm, impeded the entrance of thofe 
 humanizing arts which polilh fociety, 
 during the greater part of the feventeenth 
 century ; and Charles the fecond, edu- 
 cated in foreign countries, and habituated 
 to more courtly climes, firft introduced 
 that fpirit of gallantry, which was un- 
 known before to the nation, or at leaft 
 but faintly characlerifed it. 
 
 The French hiflory, on the contrary, 
 is exuberant in thofe -ftrokes and charac- 
 ters which bring the fovereign immedi- 
 ately to our view, and even diveft him of 
 all that fplendor or dignity, which ufually 
 veils him from obfervation. The little 
 weaknefTes of the heart, the trefpaffes of 
 paffion, how infinitely do they engage ! 
 We contemplate ourfelves, we pity, and we 
 B 2 forgive.
 
 4 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 forgive. Why are Francis the firft, and 
 Henry the fourth, fo peculiarly ob- 
 jects of the attachment of every feeling 
 reader ? Becaufe they were diftinguifhed 
 by thofe amiable and engaging foibles 
 which ferve to contraft the virtues of the 
 warrior and the king, which nature has 
 almofl conftantly and infeparably inter- 
 woven in animated and exalted bofoms. 
 We like to quit the council-board, or the 
 plain of carnage and defolation, to fol- 
 low the man, and behold him in the 
 retirements of private life. 
 
 From this principle it is, that Memoirs, 
 though lefs noble and auguft than Hiftory, 
 are yet generally more juft to nature, 
 and intereft us iu a livelier degree. Con- 
 fined to a narrower fphere, but diffufe 
 and minute, they fatisfy the reftlefs curi- 
 ofity of the mind, to know thofe trivial 
 and unimportant tranfaclions of the indi- 
 vidual, which Hiftory difdains to enume- 
 rate, and paries over in filence. 
 
 In thefe fources of information, the 
 
 French are as profufe, as we feem to have 
 
 3 been
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 5 
 
 been barren and unproductive : nor are 
 the amours and intrigues of the court of 
 James the firft better known than thofe 
 of Francis the firft ? though poflerior by 
 near a century. 
 
 There is, however, a point, beyond 
 which a liberal but corrected curiofity 
 carries not its refearches. The events of 
 the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth cen- 
 turies are wrapped in too grofs a barba- 
 rifm, and obfcured by too profound an 
 ignorance, to merit the pains or- repay 
 the trouble of an elaborate fearch. Scarce 
 any materials are procurable; fcarce any 
 of the great actuating motives which then 
 influenced the princes or people exill in 
 any fhape at prefent ; fcarce any deduc- 
 tions are applicable to thefe times, from 
 the conduct or policy of thofe. As know- 
 ledge and letters broke in upon this dark- 
 nefs, eveiy thing rifes in its effect upon 
 the mind, and becomes of Importance. 
 The objects fwell to the view, and are 
 more intimately difcernable. There is, 
 perhaps, no exact and precife asra at which 
 B 3 to
 
 6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to date this alteration. I cannot extend 
 it higher than the acceflion of Philip de 
 Valois; to bring it down to that of 
 harles the feventh may be too fevere. 
 Let us begin with the reign of Charles 
 the fifth. 
 
 I pretend not to give any accurate pic- 
 ture of kings or governments : I boaft 
 not to throw many new lights on hiftory : 
 I mean not to enter into a chronological 
 narration of facts. My wifh is to place 
 before the reader thofe ftriking qualities 
 of the fucceflive princes, which bring 
 them forward to the eye, and characterize 
 the manners of the age in which they 
 flouriiried ; to make him acquainted with 
 the chief minifters, or miftrefTes, or ge- 
 nerals, who acted the fecond parts under 
 them -, to allow myfelf the fulleft liberty 
 of reflection, of cenfure, of admiration, 
 uninfluenced by prefcription, prejudice, 
 or country. 
 
 If we furvey the fituation of France at 
 
 the period with which I have chofen to 
 
 6 begin,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 7 
 
 begin, it prefents a fcene of defolation, and 
 almoft of anarchy. The unjuft preten- 
 fions of Edward the third of England to 
 the crown, had involved the kingdom in 
 blood and ruin. If he did not attain the 
 complete gratification of his ambition, his 
 glory at leaft was fatiated by the captivity 
 of John j and the peace of Bretigny had 
 reftored to him all thofe provinces which 
 his anceftors had poflefled in Guyenne and 
 Gafcony. His fon, the Black Prince, yet 
 dreadful from the fields of Crecy and of 
 Poitiers, held his court in thefe domi- 
 nions. He was ftill in the prime of man- 
 hood, and his character, adorned with all 
 the mining qualities of a warrior and a 
 fovereign, fpread terror to the remoteft 
 confines of the French monarchy. 
 
 Charles the Bad, king of Navarre, had 
 already been active in all the commotions 
 of the preceding reign ; he had pretenfions 
 to the crown in right of his mother Jane, 
 daughter of Louis the tenth, and his 
 turbulent and difcontented fpirit induced 
 him to form alliances of the clofefl nature 
 B 4 with
 
 8 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 with the Englifh. Nature had endowed 
 him with all thofe talents and qualifica- 
 tions, which, under the guidance of a vi- 
 cious heart, are eminently pernicious* 
 Munificent and generous, he captivated 
 the multitude. Verfed in all the arts of 
 addrefs, and even of eloquence to varnifli 
 over his crimes, he had boldnefs eno_ugh 
 to perpetrate the moft atrocious. An 
 avowed and inveterate enemy to Charles, 
 he had given him poifon when dauphin, 
 and though the effects of it were retarded, 
 they yet terminated in his death fome 
 years afterwards. Fickle and perfidious, 
 he violated even his intereils to gratify his 
 paflions, and trampled on the laws of 
 confanguinity, of patriotifm, and of ho- 
 nour. 
 
 Bands of defperate banditti, to whom 
 the late wars had given biith, and whom 
 the peace had rendered unnecefTary, over- 
 ran the provinces, and added to the gene- 
 ral confufion. The lands lay defert and 
 uncultivated , a plague had fwept away 
 prodigious numbers of the people; and 
 
 the
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &<?. 9 
 
 the taxes, which the ranfom of the late 
 king and the diforders of the flate had 
 encreafed to an unprecedented degree, 
 tended to produce a fpirit of revolt and 
 difaffection among them. 
 
 Charles had only attained his twenty- 
 fixth year when he afcended the throne, 
 but he had been educated in the fchool of 
 great princes, adverfity. Inftructed by 
 the fatal experience of his father and 
 grandfather, he fludioufly avoided thofe 
 errors into which their prefumption and 
 rafhnefs had led them. 
 
 A train of victory and conquefl: had 
 raifed the courage of the Englifh nation, and 
 deprefied the genius of France. Two able 
 and powerful princes commanded them, 
 both in the vigor of their age. Though 
 the ilorm had fpent its force, it was not 
 yet fubfided, ruor did any apparent decline 
 in their affairs mark the moment when they 
 might be attacked with fuccefs. Charles 
 knew how to adopt that wary and tempo- 
 rifing policy, which peculiarly diftinguifhes 
 ftateimen born to retrieve the affairs of 
 
 empires,
 
 10 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 empires, and which almoft always finally 
 attains its ends. It is not fortune, but 
 wifdom, that difpofes of the events of hu^ 
 man life. 
 
 A circumflance which at firft feemed 
 to carry the Englifh glory to the greateft 
 heighth, opened to Charles the occafion 
 he fo much defired, and enabled him from 
 the receffes of the Louvre to regain with- 
 out a battle what both his predecefibrs 
 had loft. Pedro, furnamed the Cruel and 
 the Wicked, reigned in Caftile. He had 
 put his queen to death by poifon, though 
 young and beautiful, and virtuous, to gra- 
 tify a miftrefs to whom he was enflaved. 
 He had murdered one of his brothers, and 
 attempted the lives of the others. Henry 
 de Traftemarc, the eldeft of thefe, weary 
 of the tyrant's excefles, and pufhed by 
 defpair, fled into France. Charles the 
 fifth received him with open arms, lent 
 him a general and troops, with which he 
 returned into Spain, and by whofe aflift- 
 ance he difpoflefled his rival, 
 
 Pedro, detefted and odious even to fo- 
 reigners,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. n 
 
 feigners, endeavoured in vain to find an 
 afylum in Portugal $ and after wandering 
 fome time in Galicia, he embarked for 
 Bourdeaux, to implore the protection and 
 afliftance of the. prince qf Wales, Fond 
 of military fame, and flattered by the 
 title of reflorer or dethroner of kings, in 
 an evil hour the prince confented. He 
 marched acrofs the Pyrenees, and met his 
 antagonift in the plains of Navarette. 
 Victory, which ftill waited on him, de- 
 clared in his favour. He replaced Pedro 
 on the throne, and was repaid with that 
 ingratitude which he ought to have ex- 
 peeled. Scarce could he carry back to 
 France the half of his troops, thinned by 
 diftempers, unrecompenfed, and difcon- 
 tented. He himfelf could not efcape the 
 attacks of a clifeafe, which, though not 
 immediately mortal, incapacitated him for 
 thofe feats of arms, and that exertion of 
 perfonal prowefs, which had rendere4 hirn 
 fo eminent and renowned. 
 
 Bert rand du Guefclin, only the fecond 
 .captain of his age while the Black Prince 
 
 could
 
 12 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 could bear the weight of armour; who 
 had been twice his prifoner, and whom he 
 had fet free from a magnanimous con- 
 tempt of his capacity, now came forward. 
 Charles put into his hand the conflable's 
 fword, and ordered him to unfheath it 
 againft the enemies of France. In vain 
 did the conqueror of Poitiers attempt to 
 fupport the great name which he had ac- 
 quired in war. Vainly, with an indig- 
 nant pride, did he threaten to attend his 
 fovereign lord, who fummoned him as vaf- 
 fal, with fixty ihoufand men, and a helmet 
 on his head. Debilitated, feeble, and der 
 prefled by ficknels, he made only fome in- 
 effectual efforts to flem the torrent of ad- 
 verfe fortune. His death foon followed $ 
 and the minority which took place under 
 his fon, left Charles and du Guefclin an. 
 almoft undifputed conqueft. 
 
 In a few years all the victories of Ed- 
 ward were rendered abortive \ and of the 
 vail dominions which he had acquired, 
 only Calais, Bourdeaux, and Bayonne re- 
 mained to his fucceflbr. France had re-ac- 
 quired
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 13 
 
 quired her natural and ancient afcendant ; 
 a wife and vigorous adminiftration flic- 
 ceeding to the paft convulfions, produced 
 effects the molt beneficial. Order and 
 tranquillity began to relume their feat in 
 the provinces from which they had fo long 
 been banifhed, and the houfe of Valois 
 no longer held a precarious throne j when 
 Charles expired in the prime of his age. 
 Hiflorians attribute it to the effects of that 
 poifon which the king of Navarre had ad-* 
 miniftered to him many years before, and 
 the confequences of which a German phy- 
 fician had protracted in fome degree, by 
 an ifiue in his arm, which he at the fame 
 time predicted mufl be followed by death 
 whenever it clofed. Whether this flory 
 does not carry with it a certain air of the 
 marvellous, or whether poifons can be 
 thus delayed and mitigated, may perhaps 
 appear doubtful *. Whatever was the 
 
 caufe, 
 
 * All the cotemporary writers agree in the tifler- 
 tion, that the king of Navarre adminiftered poifon to 
 the dauphin j and that it was fo violent as to caufe his 
 
 hair,
 
 14 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 caufe, the effecT: was ruinous and deilruc- 
 tive to the kingdom. With the king ex- 
 pired the guardian genius of the monarchy ; 
 and France, refcued by his wifdom, re- 
 lapfed into all the mifeiies fhe had pre-* 
 vioufly experienced. 
 
 It is unneceflary to draw the portrait of 
 Charles the fifth : it is beheld in the epi- 
 tome of his reign. His fagacity, his maf- 
 terly and tempered policy, were fuperior 
 to all the eclat of military ardor. He 
 fbrefaw the evils which muft inevitably 
 
 hair, nails, and the external (kin to come off. The 
 emperor Charles the fourth fent him a phyfician, 
 who in fome degree fufpended the progrefs, and di- 
 minifhsd the mortal tendency of the venom, by open- 
 ing a fiftula in his arm. Charles the Bad himfelf 
 furvived the king of France about feven years, and 
 perifhed by a death equally fingular and deplorable, 
 in a very advanced age. He was attacked with the 
 leprofy, a difeafe, in that century, comriion through 
 all Europe. His phyficians had ordered him to be 
 wrapped in bandages of linen previoufly fleeped in 
 brandy and fulphur. A fpark of fire accidentally fall- 
 ing on him, he was fo miferably burnt, before his 
 attendants could extinguifh it, that he expired at 
 Pampelona only three days after. 
 
 from
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 15 
 
 enfue to the flate front the fituation of 
 affairs, but he forefaw without being able 
 to redrefs them. He had intended to veil 
 the regency in the queen, one of the moft 
 accomplished and virtuous princefTes of her 
 time $ but death deprived the kingdom of 
 this refource; and Bertrand du Guefclin, 
 from whofe valour and conduct the ftate 
 might have drawn infinite advantages, was 
 now no more. Perhaps no death was 
 ever more fatal to France, except that of 
 Henry the fecond, which opened the wars 
 of Calvinifm and of the League ; nor can 
 it be doubted, that if Charles had lived a 
 few years longer, he would have obtained 
 the moil complete fuperiority over the 
 Englifh, whom the vices of Richard the 
 fecond involved in all the confufion of ci- 
 vil difcord. 
 
 Charles the fixth, who fucceeded, wa3 
 only twelve years of age; and as it was 
 therefore neceiTary to appoint a regent, 
 the late king, confcious that his brother 
 the duke of Anjou had the jufteft claim 
 
 to 

 
 :6 MEMOIRS <3F THE: 
 
 from proximity of blood, nominated hini 
 to that charge previous to his death ; and 
 his firft care was to affume the power: 
 "but as the perfon of the prince and the' 
 care of his education were configned to 
 other hands, thefe divided and jarring in- 
 terefts foon broke out into open animofity. 
 The regent feems to be marked by no other 
 qualities than an unbounded rapacity, and 
 an inordinate ambition ; vices too com- 
 mon to perfons of exalted ftations to form 
 any great difcrim mating character I 
 
 The duke of Bern, third fon of John/ 
 was a prince of mean abilities, and whom 
 the fuperior talents of his competitors irt 
 adminiftration ever retained in a fort of 
 fubordination and inferiority. 
 
 Philip the youngeft, duke of Burgun^ 
 dy, was already celebrated by his valoury 
 and powerful from his dominions. The 
 favourite of his father, by whofe fide he 
 was taken prifoner at the battle of Poitiers, 
 when his other fons deferted him ; John 
 had diftinguifhed his courage and attach- 
 .ment by a reward worthy a fovereign, the 
 
 inveftiture
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 17 
 
 inveftiture of Burgundy; the greateft fief 
 dependant on the crown. In this facrifice 
 to affection; he violated the rules of found 
 policy, and laid the foundation of ills 
 which his defendants had caufe to regret. 
 Superadded to a dukedom in poiTeffion; 
 Philip had a vaft territory in expectation 
 by his marriage with the heifefs of the 
 count of Flanders ; and as he was emi- 
 nent for intrepidity* and not defective in 
 capacity, he formed an infuperable barrier 
 to the power which the regent claimed, 
 and attempted to exercife. The authority 
 of this latter was, however, of fhort da- 
 ration, and that luft of dominion which 
 diftinguifhed him, was the immediate 
 caufe of his ignominy and death. 
 
 The difTolute and voluptuous Joan, de- 
 fcended from Charles of Anjou, brother of 
 St. Louis,' reigned in Naples. Charles de 
 Durazzo, her relation, whom fhe had 
 adopted as her fucceffor, and whom fhe 
 had bound by every obligation to gratitude, 
 by an act of the bafefl inhumanity de- 
 pofed and murdered his benefactrefs : pre- 
 
 VoL.I. C vious
 
 i* M'feMOIRS OF 
 
 vious to her death, the unfortunate queen 
 called to her refcue the duke of Anjou,.and 
 instituted him to the fucceffion. 
 
 Inflamed with defire to poilefs the dia- 
 dem devolved to him, the regent redoubled 
 his exactions on the people, feized on all 
 the treafures which the late king had con- 
 cealed in the walls of the caftle of Melun j 
 and encouraged by the Antipope, from 
 whom he received the crown at Avignon, 
 he marched his troops into Italy, confift- 
 ing of thirty thoufand cavalry but the 
 Neapolitan prince, too wife tohazard a bat-^ 
 tie, and {killed in all the duplicity of Ita- 
 lian negotiation, deluded his rival by chal- 
 lenges which he never meant to fulfil, and 
 protracted the execution of them till fa-^ 
 mine and difeafe began to wafte his forces. 
 Surrounded, harrafTed, and continually 
 purfued by a fuperior army, the duke of 
 Anjou was at length reduced to fuch 
 extreme diftrefs, that of 'all the immenfe 
 treafures which he had carried from France, 
 he had only one fuit of arms made of 
 painted fluff, and a (ingle cup of (liver . 
 
 Dejected
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 19 
 
 Dejected with fuch a feries of calamities, 
 forgotten in France, and unaffifted by his 
 brothers, he at length funk under the pref- 
 fure, and died in Calabria in the deepeft 
 want, and almoft abandoned. 
 
 If we turn our view to France, we ihall 
 find all the diforders and oppreffions which 
 ufually attend on minorities. The dukes 
 of Berri and Burgundy, greedy of power, 
 and ufmg it to the injury of the itate, 
 gave rife by their exactions to fedition and 
 tumult. The young king, whom his fa- 
 ther had begun to train in fentiments of 
 virtue and greatnefs, neglected in his edu- 
 cation, ftudiouuy kept from an acquaint- 
 ance with the affairs of his kingdom, and 
 only taught to follow the chace, or im- 
 merfed in debauchery, promifed no redrefs 
 to thefe misfortunes. His heart was gene- 
 rous, beneficent, and friendly > he loved 
 his people, he wifhed, and 1 even endea- 
 voured to give them proofs of this difpo- 
 fition : his underftanding, though much 
 uncultivated, and left to unfold itfelf with- 
 out any aid, yet appears to have been 
 C 2 clear,
 
 20 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 clear, juft, and manly. As he approached 
 to years of maturity, the authority of his 
 uncles dimmifhedj and when he firft af-> 
 fumed the reins of government, he con- 
 ciliated the affections of his people, by 
 depriving the duke of Berri of the govern- 
 ment of Languedoc, which he had greatly 
 abufed, and by the abfolute difmiffion of 
 the duke of Burgundy. 
 
 The kingdom began to recover from the 
 evils of a divided legiflature, when an ac- 
 cident the moft extraordinary and deplo- 
 rable renewed and aggravated them 1 
 
 mean, the king's madnefs, The circum- 
 ftances of it are very curious. We muft 
 go back a little, to trace them to the 
 fource. 
 
 During the extreme diftreffes to which 
 Louis duke of Anjou was reduced, in his 
 unfortunate expedition againft Naples, 
 he difpatched the Seigneur de Craon into 
 France, to procure a fupply of money; 
 but this nobleman, after having raifed a 
 confiderable Aim, inftead of carrying it to 
 his mafter, fquandered it at Venice in en- 
 tertainments
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 21 
 
 tertainments and courtezans. On his re- 
 turn to Paris, the duke of Berri accufed 
 him as the author of his brother's death ; 
 and having afterwards committed an afTaf- 
 lination in the ftreets, he was obliged to 
 take fhelter in Bretagne, where the duke 
 received and protected him. Charles, in- 
 fligated by his minifters, demanded the 
 criminal, and on the duke's refufal, pre- 
 pared to feize him by force ; he fet out in 
 perfon at the head of a confiderable army : 
 as he continued his march through a foreft 
 between Mans and La Fleche, in the day- 
 time, a tall man, black and hideous, came 
 from among the trees, and feizing his 
 horfe's bridle, cried out, " Arrete Roi ! ou 
 
 ' vas tu ? Tu es trahi." then difap- 
 
 peared. The king however purfued his 
 journey, in defiance of this denunciation, 
 when a fecond accident, purely cafual, pro- 
 duced on him effects the moil violent and 
 unhappy. It was in the month of Auguft, 
 and the heats were jnfupportable. A page 
 who carried the king's lance, being fallen 
 afleep on his horfe, let it fall upon a hel- 
 C 3 met 
 
 <
 
 22 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 met which another bore before him ; the 
 noife which this caufed, the fight of the 
 lance, and the words of the phantom re- 
 curring all at once to the king's imagina- 
 tion, he thought they were going to deli- 
 ver him to his enemies, and this appre- 
 henfion acting ftrongly on his fenfes, pro- 
 duced an inftant fit of madnefs. He drew 
 his fword, and ftriking Furioufly at all thofe 
 about him, killed and wounded feveralj, 
 before any one had force or addrefs enough 
 to feize him : they effected it at laft ; the 
 king fpent with his efforts, fell into a fort 
 of lethargic fwoon, and in this condition 
 they carried him, tied down, in a cart, to 
 the city of Mans. 
 
 The ilory cf the man in the wood ap- 
 pears at firft fight fo apparently fictitious, 
 that one fhould certainly be induced to. 
 treat it as fuch, if, fuperadded to the uni- 
 verfal teftimony of the cotemporary wri- 
 ters, fome of them did not give us reafon 
 to believe, that the duke of Burgundy fet 
 on foot this -engine. He was the Uriel ally 
 of the duke of Bretagne ; he had ftrongly 
 
 oppofed
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, fe. 23 
 
 oppofed the king's march ; he was become 
 unneceflary and powerlefs. Charles had 
 only juft recovered from a fever at Amiens, 
 in which he had given fome fymptoms of 
 a difordered understanding, which the 
 phantom and fright were extremely calcu- 
 lated, in that fuperflitious and barbarous 
 age, to heighten into frenzy. 
 
 The miferable prince recovered his fenfes 
 on the third day, but not that clearnefs of 
 perception and underflanding which he 
 had previoufly enjoyed - f and the expedi- 
 tion being rendere4 abprtive, he was car* 
 ried back to Paris by his uncles. 
 
 The incapacity of the king for public 
 affairs reduced him once more to a flate 
 of tutelage ; and the necefiity of veiling 
 the regal power in more able hands, 
 brought into light on this occafion tvyo 
 characters which hitherto lay in a fort of 
 
 obicurity 1 mean the queen, and the 
 
 duke of Orleans. The firfl of thefe, Ifa^ 
 bella of Bavaria, was a princefs of un^ 
 common perfonal beauty : fond of plea- 
 fore, to which flie facrificed without re- 
 C ftraint,
 
 24 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ftraint, her thirft of power was not lefs 
 infatiable : of captivating addrefs, fhe ex- 
 celled in the arts of intrigue. Violent, 
 vindictive, and capable of a6lion$ the moft 
 favage and unnatural in the purfuit of her 
 favourite objecTrs, fhe involved the king- 
 dom in war and tumult ; violated the firft 
 feelings of a parent, by difmheriting her 
 offspring - 3 and lived to become fupremely 
 odious and defpicable, even to that party 
 for whom fhe had facrificed every confi- 
 "deration of honour or humanity. 
 
 The duke of Orleans was the only bro- 
 ther of the king : he had juft attained 
 his twentieth year, when the event which 
 I have related placed him in a fituation 
 to pretend to the pofTefTion of the firft of- 
 fice under the crown. If his unripe youth 
 Teemed to difqualify him for fo high and 
 important a truft, his proximity of blood 
 approached him by one degree nearer to 
 the throne than his competitor the duke 
 of Burgundy. His character refembled 
 in many refpefts that of his uncle the duke 
 'of Anjou, late regent. The fame rapa- 
 city :
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 2$ 
 
 j 
 
 city : equal or greater profufion : more 
 impetuous paffions. Amorous from com- 
 plexion, and formed by nature to fucceed 
 in gallantry, he fet no bounds, he drew 
 no veil before his excefies. Though mar- 
 ried very early to Valentina of Milan, a 
 princefs of genius, beauty and accomplifh- 
 ments, and who was moil tenderly at- 
 tached to him, he indulged himfelf in all 
 the libertinifm of debauchery, and after 
 the madnefs of his brother, entered into 
 conne6tions with the queen, which there is 
 every reaibn to fuppofe were criminal and 
 inceftuous. His ambition was however 
 difappointed for the prefent, u and the ftates, 
 being aflembled in this critical emergency, 
 conferred the admim'ftration of affairs on 
 
 the duke of Burgundy. Meanwhile the 
 
 wretched king recovered in fome degree his 
 health and intellects, when another acci- 
 dent, fcarce lefs extraordinary than thofe 
 which firft deprived him of them, again 
 produced a fatal relapfe. As it mews the 
 nature of the diverfions of the court in that 
 uncultivated age, I fhall relate it. 
 
 At
 
 3$ MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 At a ball which was given in honour of 
 the marriage of one of the queen's atten-r 
 clants, the king danced ; a band of mafques 
 entered the apartment, linked together 
 with chains, and habited as bears. The 
 duke of Orleans, willing to regard them 
 clofely, took a flambeau in his hand, an4 
 holding it too near, unhappily fet fire to 
 their habits, which being covered with 
 pitch were inftantly in a blaze : three of 
 them were burned to death : the room was 
 all in flames - t every one anxious for their 
 own prefervation forgot the king, and he 
 was on the point of being involved in this 
 4ifmal cataftrophe, when the duchefs of 
 BerrijWith infinite prefence of mind, wrapt 
 him in her manteau, and preferved him 
 from the danger. This rude fhock pro- 
 duced a fecond accefs of frenzy, and, as the 
 ideas of magic and forcery were univerfally 
 received in thofe times, the people imputed 
 it to charms and incantations. After all 
 the arts of medicine then known were ex^ 
 haufted, recourfe was had to magicians, 
 
 yroceffions, and fafts but the malady 
 
 was
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 27 
 
 was incurable, and accompanied the un- 
 happy monarch, though with intervals of 
 reafon, to the tomb. 
 
 The government during the fucceeding 
 years prefents a frightful picture. The, 
 difcordant interests and contending parties 
 of the two dukes of Orleans and Bur- 
 gundy, grew up into factions of the moil 
 rancorous and inveterate animofity. The 
 people were loaded with exactions the moft 
 pppreffive. Order, ceconamy, public glory, 
 and internal tranquillity had fled from 
 France. The wife laws and falutary edicts of 
 Charles the fifth were obliterated, or coun- 
 teracted, and the kingdom, involved in ca- 
 lamity, was only preferved from a renewal 
 of the Engliih invafions by fimilar evils, 
 which prevented and retarded them. 
 
 In his intervals of recovery, Charles was 
 carried as a pageant to fpectacles of flate'; he 
 met the Englim prince (Richard the fecond) 
 near Calais, where they formed an unna- 
 tural alliance between this latter and Ifa- 
 bella, daughter to Charles, only feven 
 years of age, an^ which was never con- 
 
 furnmated,
 
 2 8 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fummated. A year or two afterwards, he 
 was brought to Rheims, to receive Wen- 
 ceflaus the emperor. That brutal and 
 defpicable monareh, whom his fubjefts, 
 weary of his excefTes, juftiy depofed, amid 
 the fplendor of his reception, gave proofs 
 of a fubjection to his appetites the moft 
 unreftrained and debafed. When the dukes 
 of Berri and Bourbon came in the morn- 
 ing to carry him to a banquet, to which 
 the king had previoufly invited him, they 
 found him vomiting the wine he had drank, 
 and incapacitated by drunkennefs for the 
 entertainment *. 
 
 * Thefe vifits of foyereign princes to each other^ 
 were common in that age. Charles the fourth, em- 
 peror of Germany, made one to Charles the fifth of 
 France, at Paris, and was magnificently received. - r 
 Wenceflaus being totally incapable, from drunkennefs, 
 of waiting on the king, was regaled by him the follow- 
 ing day, when he exerted the greateft effort of reftraint 
 and felf-denial over his appetites, in not intoxicating 
 himfelf before dinner. The feftivities and debauche- 
 -ries of the two monarchs rekindled Charles's mad- 
 nefs, and neceflitated him to break up the interview, 
 and return to the capital. 
 
 When
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 6tc. 29 
 
 When Charles relapfed into madnefs * he 
 was violent and untractable : he could not 
 fupport the queen's prefence, and often 
 proceeded even to ftrike her. Valentina 
 duchefs of Orleans alone was acceptable to 
 
 * The picture which Jean Juvenal des Urfins, (a 
 cotemporary writer of great credit,) has given of the 
 king's unhappy malady, is fo fimple and touching, that 
 I cannot difpenfe with inferring it. It will excite com- 
 miferation very highly. 
 
 " C'etoit grande pitie de la maladie du Roij et ne 
 " connoiflbit perfonne quelconque. Lui-meme fe de- 
 " connoiflbit, et difoit que ce n'etoit il pas. On 
 " lui arnenoit la Reine, et fembloit qu'il ne 1'eut onc- 
 " ques vue ; et n'en avoit point memoire, ne con- 
 " noiflance, ne d'hommes ou de femmes quelconques, 
 * c excepte de la duchefle d'Orleans j car il la voyoit 
 " er regardoit tres volontiers, et 1'appelloit belle foeur. 
 ct Et comme fouvent il y a de mauvaifes langues, on 
 " difoit, et publioient aucuns, qu'elle 1'avoit enfor- 
 " cele par le rnoyen de fon Pere le due de Milan, qui 
 * c etoit Lombard, et que en fon pays on ufoit de telles 
 " chofes ; et Tune de plus dolentes et couroucees 
 14 qui y fut, c'etoit la duchefle d'Orleans, et n'eft a 
 " croire ou prefumer qu'elle cut voulu faire ou 
 " penfer." 
 
 It appears by this account, with what contempt 
 he treated the popular prejudices againft the duchefs 
 of Orleans. 
 
 3 . him ;
 
 $6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 him j and as her appearance always calmed 
 his agitations, and produced on him thofe 
 effects, of which even lunatics are fufcep- 
 tible towards an object beloved, fhe became 
 deteftable to the people ; who imputed all 
 thefe fymptoms and changes to . magical 
 powers, which (he was fuppofed to havd 
 ufed to deftroy the king. -The admini- 
 ftration mean while fluctuated between the 
 rival factions : that of Orleans gained a 
 fhort afcendant, which was abufed to fuch 
 fevere oppreflionjthattheBurgundian party 
 regained the fuperiority; when the king 
 emerging from one of his long fits of infa- 
 nity, and influenced by the cries of his 
 people, deprived both the dukes of all au-- 
 thority, which he principally veiled in the 
 queen and council. 
 
 The two factions, confirmed by perpe^ 
 tual competition, were tranfmitted to fuc- 
 ceeding generations. Philip duke of Bur- 
 gundy died in Brabant, and his fon John, 
 furnamed " Sans Peur," fucceeded to his 
 ample territories, to his place and preten- 
 fions. He had all that magnificence and 
 
 princely
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 31 
 
 princely fplendor in his character which 
 fo peculiarly diftinguifhed the houfe of 
 Burgundy, and feemed hereditary in the 
 line. His intrepidity and love of power 
 were not inferior to his munificence ; and 
 the turbulent chaos of government in the 
 court, foon gave him an opportunity to 
 renew the fcenes which had been acted 
 vmder his father. 
 
 Charles, felapfed again into the horrors 
 of his former condition, could oppofe no 
 barrier to the oppreilions or malverfations 
 of thofe who pofTefTed themfelv.es of his 
 authority. Ifabella and the duke of Or- 
 leans had entered into connections of the 
 moft intimate nature, and divided be- 
 tween them the regal power. The cla- 
 mours of the Parifians, fcandalized at an 
 union fo apparently perfonal and unjufti- 
 fiable, and driven to defpair by the un- 
 precedented rapacity exercifed over, them, 
 recalled the Burgundian, and he was 
 received with acclamations. He took his 
 feat in the council : the queen and duke 
 9 retired
 
 3 2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 retired to Melun, and left the field tcr 
 their competitor. 
 
 John neglected riot the occafion to con- 
 firm his influence. He affianced hh 
 daughter to the young dauphin Lcruis : 
 he aftefted an attention to the unhappy 
 king, whom his wife and brother had 
 ihamefully abandoned to want and nafti- 
 riefs during his fits *. He gained the peo- 
 ple by an alleviation of the imports: and 
 a mock reconciliation at laft took place, 
 on which the queen returned to Paris, 
 and the two dukes embracing, heard 
 mafs together, and fwore on the facra- 
 
 * Juvenal des Urfms draws a frightful and almoft 
 incredible picture of Charles the fixth's miferable con- 
 dition in his accefTes of frenzy. The governante of 
 the royal children avowed to him in one of his lucid 
 intervals, that (he frequently had not wherewithal to 
 feed or cloath them. " Alas !" anfwered the king, 
 with a figh, " I am myfelf no better treated." ' 
 He held in his hand a golden cup, in which he had 
 juft drank, and this he gave to Her for the fupply of 
 his children's neceffitres. 
 
 merits-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 33 
 
 ihents an eternal oblivion of paft ani- 
 mofitiesi 
 
 Thofe who know human nature well, 
 will not be furprifed to find the duke of Or- 
 leans's afTaffination following almoil im- 
 mediately thefe marks of difTembled friend - 
 fhip. He was returning from the hotel 
 de St. Pol, where he had fpent the even-* 
 ing with Ifabella, who was newly reco- 
 vered from a lying-in. The duke rode 
 on a mule, accompanied only by two or 
 three valets : it was night : a Norman gen- 
 tleman, whom revenge for the lofs of a 
 poft of which he had deprived him, .fti- 
 mulated to the attempt, furrounded him 
 with eighteen aflaflins in the " rue Bar- 
 bette." He cut off his hand with the firft 
 blow of a battle- ax : at the fecond, he 
 tumbled him from his mule -, and with the 
 third, he opened his fcull, leaving him 
 dead on the ground. All the troop then 
 made their efcape, and took refuge in the 
 duke of Burgundy's palace. 
 
 The motives to this deteftable crime are 
 fomewhat ambiguous and obfcure : the 
 
 VOL. I. D French
 
 34 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 French hiftorians fay they were more 
 perfonal than political. The gallantries of 
 the duke of Orleans were notorious -, and 
 it is pretended, that he had not only pro- 
 fited of the duchefs of Burgundy's fa- 
 vours, but had even the temerity and in- 
 folence to brave the unfortunate hufband, 
 by introducing him into a cabinet hung 
 with the portraits of thofe women he had 
 enjoyed, among which his own wife held 
 a diflinguifhed place *. To whatever 
 
 caufc 
 
 * Diihaillan afligns this amour as the caufe of his 
 murder; and Brantome confirms it as the tradition of 
 his time. Thefe are his words : 
 
 " Louis due d'Orleans, aieul de Louis douzc, 
 " s'etant vante tout haut dans un banquet ou etoit 
 " le due Jean de Bourgogne fon coufm, qu'il avoit 
 " en fon cabinet les portraits des plus belles dames 
 *' dont il avoit joui ; par cas fortuit, un jour le due 
 " Jean entrant dans ce cabinet, la premiere dame 
 " qu'il vit pourtraite, et fe prefenta du premier afpedl 
 *' devant fes yeux, ce fut fa noble dame et epoufe, 
 <e qu'on tenoit de ce temps tres belle." 
 
 Yet Olivier de la Marche in his Memoirs declares, 
 that the duke of Burgundy, too credulous, haftily be- 
 lieved an information given him, that Louis duke 
 
 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 35 
 
 caufe it be afcribed, the kingdom long 
 felt its pernicious confequences, and the 
 perpetrator met with an exaft retribution 
 
 of Orleans had plotted to aflaflinate him, and refolv- 
 ing to anticipate the blow, caufed him to be put to 
 death. On that night he had fpertt part of* the even- 
 ing with Ifabella. About (even o'clock, one of the 
 king's valets de chambre came to inform the duke, 
 that his majefty wifhed to fee him immediately on an 
 affair of importance : he went out, accompanied only 
 by two gentlemen, and fome footmen who carried 
 flambeaux. The Norman gentleman's name, who 
 headed the band, and difpatched him, was Raoullet 
 Ocquetouville : he had been one of the duke's re- 
 tainers ; and Louis having caufed his name to be 
 erafed from the lift of the officers of his houfehold, 
 he determined on vengeance. The aflaflins, to elude 
 purfuit, fet on fire a neighbouring houfe, and fcat- 
 tered gins or traps in the ftreets. The duke of Bur- 
 gundy affe&ed at firft the utmoft forrow for his 
 coufin's death ; he attended his funerals, lamented 
 and wept for him but when it was refolved in coun- 
 cil to fearch the houfes of all the princes and nobles, 
 to difcover the murderers, he was fo troubled and 
 terrified that he took the duke of Bourbon afide, and 
 confefled to him that he was himfelf the author of the 
 crime. The enfuing day he fled into Flanders with 
 his aflaflins. Thefe are the chief and moft interefting 
 particulars of that atrocious murder. 
 
 D 2 many
 
 36 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 many years afterwards on the bridge of 
 Montereau. 
 
 To give a picture of the reign of Charles 
 the fixth, from this aera to the battle of 
 Azincourt, is to enumerate a feries of 
 profcriptions, maflacres, and barbarities 
 a-lmoft unparalleled in any century. Ma- 
 rius or Sylla never exercifed more unre- 
 lenting vengeance over their vanquifhed 
 enemies in ancient Rome, than did the 
 Armagnacs and Burgundians, as they tri- 
 umphed by turns in Paris. Two thou- 
 fand citizens perifhed in one carnage. 
 
 The young duke of Orleans, only fix- 
 teen years old, fucceeded to his father's 
 place, and loudly demanded vengeance for 
 his murder. Valentina, his mother/ died 
 of grief and difappointed revenge, in the 
 flower of her age. Ifabella, deprived of 
 her lover and her faithful partizan, re- 
 tired from Paris overcome with terror 
 while the duke of Burgundy, too powerful 
 to be amenable to punifhment, not only 
 avowed his crime? but even attempted to 
 excufe and juflify it. The court, the ca- 
 
 capital,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 37 
 
 pital, the kingdom, and the perfon of the 
 Sovereign, were alternately feized on by 
 the oppofite leaders. Anarchy and uproar, 
 anid all the fcourges of public difcord, 
 lorded it unreprefled and unreflrained. 
 
 The young dauphin, Louis, began to 
 appear amid this fcene of confufion -, but 
 his character, fickle, inconftant, diflblute, 
 and grafping at unlimited power, rather 
 increafed than reprefTed the accumulated 
 evils of ftate. 
 
 The king, as he regained from time to 
 time fome faint gleams of reafon, was 
 rendered fubfervient to every purpofe of 
 the predominant faction ; and was now 
 the protector, and now the avenger of the 
 duke of Burgundy. During his returns 
 of infanity, he was often indecently ne- 
 glected, without table, without neceflary 
 finances, even almoft without changes of 
 habit. As he was generally obftinate like- 
 wife, and difficult to manage at thefe times, 
 a young and beautiful miftrefs was pro- 
 cured for him, of whom he became ena- 
 moured, as he had been of the duchefs 
 D 3 Valentina,
 
 38 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Valentina, and who alone had any influ- 
 ence or command over him *. 
 
 Paris, long opprefTed, became feditious ; 
 and as it had fuffered fo feverely from the 
 abufe of the royal power, attempted to 
 reprefs and reduce it to narrower bounds. 
 
 Such was the deplorable condition of 
 the kingdom, when the ftorm which had 
 long menaced, and which had been pro- 
 
 * Odette de Champdivers was daughter to a dealer 
 in horfes : (he was young, lively, and beautiful. 
 The queen herfclf firft prefented her to Charles the 
 fixth : he was prefently enamoured of this new mif- 
 trcfs. Her authority over him was fo great, in his 
 fits of frenzy, that (he obtained the name of " La 
 " Petite Reine;" under which title fhe is commonly 
 known in hiftory. The unhappy king, when feized 
 with madnefs, would often perfift to keep the fame 
 linen or fheets, how dirty foever ; nor could any 
 perfon except Odette induce hirn to defift from this 
 refolution. Charles cohabited with her, and even 
 had by her a daughter named Margaret de Valois. 
 Charles the feventh acknowledged her as his fifter, 
 gave her a very ample portion, and married her to the. 
 Seigneur de Belleville in Poic~tou. Claude, the laft of 
 their defcendants ? was killed in the battle of Cou.-> 
 tras, in 1587.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 39 
 
 tracled by a chain of incidents, burft at 
 
 length. Henry the fourth of England, 
 
 who held his ufurpation by a tenure too 
 precarious to engage in foreign wars, 
 was dead -, and a young prince to whom 
 the crown defcended by a fort of heredi- 
 tary prefcription, and gifted with all the 
 qualities of a warrior and a general, faw 
 and improved the opportunity. He revived 
 the antiquated and ill-founded pretenfions 
 of Edward to the crown of France : he 
 landed in Normandy; and by the head- 
 flrong impatience of his enemies, renewed 
 at Azincourt the laurels won by his an- 
 ceftors under Philip and John. He re- 
 tired into England, carrying with him the 
 captive princes of the blood. 
 
 Conilernation and affright were fuper- 
 added to all the other convulfions of Hate; 
 and every calamity was heightened by 
 this foreign invafion. At this junclure 
 the dauphin Louis died. He promifed no 
 marks of happier times, nor can his death 
 be regarded as a lofs to the kingdom. A 
 dyfentery, occafioned by his irregularities, 
 probably carried him off, though poifon 
 D 4 was
 
 ^o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 was fufpected and pretended. His fecond 
 brother, John, fucceeded to his rights. 
 
 This prince had been married to the duke 
 of Burgundy's daughter, and was a zealous 
 partizan of the faction ; and as he too died 
 within a year after the firfl dauphin, it has 
 been with more reafon fuppofed that vio- 
 lent and unnatural means were ufed for 
 that purpofe. The flory of his mother 
 Ifabella having deftroyed him by a poifoned 
 chain of gold which Ihe fent him, is evi- 
 dently falfe but it is not equally clear, 
 that Louis duke of Anjou, and king of Si- 
 cily, fon to the regent who perimed in Ca- 
 labria, was not the author of his death. 
 This prince had married his daughter to 
 Charles duke of Touraine, youngeft of 
 the king's fons, and who afterwards 
 mounted the throne ; and it is faid, that to 
 facilitate the acceffion of his fon-in-law, 
 he had not fcrupled to remove both the 
 elder brothers, who flood between him and 
 the crown*, 
 
 Charles, 
 
 * ^Mezerai feems to declare Louis the firft dauphin 
 poifoned. " II tomba malade," fays he, " d'un 
 
 ' flux
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 4 t 
 
 Charles, born to reinftate the monarchy, 
 attacked on every fide, had been educated 
 in fentiments of the utmoft deteftation for 
 the duke of Burgundy, and of attachment 
 to the houfe of Orleans. The queen his 
 mother, who had now united her interefl 
 with the former, was therefore fent by his 
 approval and permiflion under a guard to 
 Tours, after he had executed a fingular 
 vengeance on one of her lovers, named 
 Louis Bois-Bourdon ; who was tied up in 
 a fack, and precipitated into the Seine, 
 with this label annexed, " Laiflez pafTer 
 f la juftice du roi ! " An outrage which 
 
 <c flux cle ventre, dont il mourut, non fans des marques 
 " apparentcs de poifon." But he does not men- 
 tion the perpetrators of this crime. It feems to be a 
 fa& much more univerfally eftablifhed, that John, 
 duke of Touraine, fecond dauphin, was put to death 
 by unnatural means. Whether the king of Sicily 
 was the author of it, can by no means be afcertained ; 
 but his ambitious character juftified the fufpicion. 
 Even the duke of Burgundy was accufed in the fe- 
 quel, but with much lefs reafon or probability. He 
 expired at the age of eighteen, at Compiegne in Pi- 
 cardy. 
 
 Ifabella
 
 42 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Ifabella never pardoned him, and which 
 fhe feverely revenged ! 
 
 The queen's imprifonment was of fhort 
 duration : fhe was refcued by the duke of 
 Burgundy, and aflumed the regency. It 
 is pretended that fhe had not lefs com- 
 plaifance for the murderer of the duke of 
 Orleans, than fhe had fhewn to the duke 
 himfelf ; nor is there any difficulty in be- 
 lieving, that a princefs ever a flave to paf- 
 fions the moft impetuous, and whofe irre- 
 gularity of manners was notorious, did 
 not hefitate to gratify her protector and 
 deliverer by every compliance with his 
 wifhes. Her age, which was about forty- 
 fix or forty-feven years at this time, forms 
 no objection , fmce fhe is univerfally al- 
 lowed to have pofTefTed a beauty the moft 
 captivating and perfect *. 
 
 Mean- 
 
 * The cotemporary writers in general accufe the 
 duke of Burgundy of criminal connexions with the 
 queen. He carried her off from the church of Mar- 
 moutier near Tours, and conducted her to Chartres. 
 Pontus Heuterus, in his life of John, exprefsly men- 
 tions
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 43 
 
 Meanwhile Henry the fifth landing 
 again in Normandy, reduced all that fer- 
 tile province under his fubjection, unop- 
 pofed by any enemy. The Burgundian 
 party, once more triumphant, re-entered 
 the capital in all the fplendor of con- 
 queft; and took a vengeance the moft 
 fanguinary on their opponents. The 
 wretched king remained in their poflef- 
 fion, and fcarce was the dauphin faved by 
 Tannegui du Chattel. The Englifh mo- 
 narch, at the head of a victorious army, 
 approached. He demanded 'Catherine of 
 France, and the fucceflion to the kingdom, 
 with the immediate inveftiture of the re- 
 gency under his father-in-law. Ifabella, 
 defperate, unnatural, deflitute of every 
 fentiment of a mother or a queen, hefi- 
 tated not to execute thefe ignominious and 
 
 tions Ifabella as one of his miftrefles. Thefe are his 
 words " Mulierofior patre multo fuit j viva enim 
 *' uxore, pel/ices non ignobiles habuit, quorum facile 
 " princeps extremis vitas temporibus, Giaci fuit do- 
 *' mina (de Giac) ipfaque regis Caroli fexti uxor, non 
 *' fatis bene audivit." 
 
 haughty
 
 44 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 haughty demands. She even carried her 
 daughter to Troyes with that intention 
 but the Burgundian prince, fprung from 
 the blood of France ; nor yet loft to the 
 feelings of patriotifm, of duty, and of 
 public glory, paufed at this fatal ftep. 
 He faw its almoft certain and irremediable 
 confequences : he determined to fruftrate 
 them e're too late. An accommodation 
 with the dauphin might yet retrieve the 
 falling ftatej Charles invited and im- 
 plored him to it : Every principle of vir- 
 tue demanded it. 
 
 An interview was agreed on at the 
 bridge of Mantereau-fur-Yonne; in this, 
 a total amnefty of paft crimes, murders, 
 and ardmofities was to take place on both 
 fides, and a coalition of arms and interefts 
 to fucceed. But whether the duke dreaded 
 the vengeance of his coufin's death ; or 
 whether he fufpe&ed the dauphin's fince- 
 rity, he did not come to the place of ren- 
 dezvous till after he had been waited for 
 fifteen days. It is faid his miftrefs, the 
 lady of Gyac, by an ungenerous treachery, 
 3 perfuaded
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 45 
 
 perfuaded him at length to venture. Every 
 precaution was taken to infure his fafety : 
 a barrier was creeled on the bridge; he 
 placed his guard at one end, and ad- 
 vancing with ten attendants, threw himfelf 
 on his knees before the dauphin. At that 
 inflant Tannegui du Chaflel making the 
 lignal, leaped the barrier with fome others, 
 and giving him the firft blow, he was 
 almofl immediately difpatched. Though 
 Charles was only a paffive fpeclator of this 
 aflaffination, yet it cannot be doubted that 
 he was privy to its commiffion ; nor does 
 his unripe age, though it may palliate^ 
 exculpate him from the infamy of fuch a 
 participation, fince he continued his pro- 
 tection and favour to its perpetrators *. 
 
 Never 
 
 * There is a certain veil of uncertainty and dark- 
 nefs drawn over this foul tran faction. The partizans 
 of Charles the feventh pretend, that John had intended 
 to execute as bloody and perfidious a vengeance on 
 him at the bridge of Montereau, as he had done on 
 the duke of Orleans fome years before at Paris : But 
 there is little probability in this aflbrtion. Juvenal 
 
 des
 
 46 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Never was any aftion more fatal to 
 France. Ifabella, loud in her exclamations, 
 and bent on the deftruclion of her fon, 
 called for immediate vengeance. Philip, 
 who fucceeded his father in the dukedom 
 of Burgundy, was compelled to efpoufe 
 her caufe by every principle of filial piety 
 and juft refentment. They refolved on a 
 marriage between Catherine, and the Eng- 
 
 des Urfms exprefsly fays, " Que la dame de Giac, 
 " maitrefle du due, fut celle qui le determina a fe 
 " trouver a cette entrevue." If the felicitations of 
 his miftrefs were requifite to induce him to go to the 
 interview, it is not poffible to fufpet him of a pre- 
 meditated defign to murder the dauphin. Tannegui 
 du Chattel, and John Louvet prefident of Provence, 
 were the duke's inveterate and mortal enemies. To 
 delude him more perfectly, the caftle of Monte- 
 reau was delivered into his pofleflion, but deftitute 
 either, of provifions or engines of defence. The duke 
 came down on the bridge with ten attendants. In 
 the pofture he was, on his knees, it was not difficult 
 to difpatch him. Of the perfons who accompanied 
 him, only Archembaud de Foix, Seigneur de Noailles, 
 attempted to defend his lord. He perifhed with him 
 at the fame moment. It feems impoflible to acquit 
 Charles of a participation in this crime. 
 
 10 lifh
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 5cc. 47 
 
 lifli monarch. It was folemnized at Troyes $ 
 and flie brought the kingdom in dowry to 
 her hufband. 
 
 By an unexampled and aftoniming con- 
 currence of circumftances, a foreign prince 
 was on the point of being feated in the 
 throne of France. The dauphin, unable 
 to refifl fo powerful a combination, retired 
 fouthward, and began to fortify himfelf in 
 die provinces beyond the Loire. Henry 
 was proclaimed regent, and even took upon 
 him the exercife of the regal power, which 
 the maladies of Charles incapacitated him 
 to ufe. The defeat and death of his brother, 
 the duke of Clarence, at Bauge in Anjou, 
 only protracted for a moment the deftruc- 
 tion of the dauphin. The Englifh prince 
 returning from his own kingdom, prepared 
 to pufh him to the laft extremities : he 
 was declared guilty of the duke of Bur- 
 gundy's murder, fummoned to a folemn. 
 trial, and difinherited from, the fuccef- 
 fion. 
 
 Henry himfelf began his march from 
 Paris, armed with the united forces of 
 
 France
 
 48 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 France and Burgundy. The moment ap- 
 proached of young Charles's inevitable 
 ru in when by one of thofe extraordi- 
 nary incidents which decide the fate of na- 
 tions, Henry, the fortunate and the victo- 
 rious, expired in the flower of youth. As 
 far as numan forefight can determine from 
 appearances -, had he lived or even had 
 the fucceffion defcended to' his brother the 
 duke of Bedford the family of Valois 
 would have been overwhelmed by fuch a 1 
 multiplicity of concominant evils, and 
 an Englifh ufurper eflablifhed his autho- 
 rity over France. But by his death the 
 
 miferable kingdom had time to recover. 
 An infant at the breaft fucceeded to the two 
 crowns - 9 and the dauphin, re-afcending by 
 flow degrees the hill of fortune, reftored 
 his declining affairs. 
 
 The death of Henry the fifth was won- 
 droufly critical. The miferable Charles, 
 his father-in-law, furvived him only fix- 
 and-fifty days. He breathed his laft iri the 
 hotel de St. Pol at Paris, attended in his 
 dying moments by a fingle gentleman of 
 
 the
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 49 
 
 the bed-chamber, a confeflbr, and an al- 
 moner. No funeral honours were paid 
 him -, no prince of the blood attended his 
 proceffion ; and the abandoned wretched- 
 fiefs which marked almofl his whole life, 
 attended him to the tomb where he was 
 depofited. 
 
 Here let us paufe a moment ! A mind 
 philofophic and reflective, which views 
 with equal and impartial eye the changes 
 of human affairs, and revolutions of em- 
 pires j which regards all thofe effects or 
 phenomena, imputed by the multitude to 
 fupernatural and extraordinary interpofi- 
 tions, as regularly flowing from fixed and 
 flated caufes ; which, comprehenfive in 
 its furvey, enlarged in its conceptions, 
 forms a juft and folid eftimate of things : 
 fuch a fpeftator will find, at this re- 
 markable aera of the French monarchy, 
 ample field for (peculation ; and will 
 allow the juftice of that obfervation 
 of the Tacitus of the eighteenth cen- 
 VOL. I. E tury,
 
 50 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tury, " That there is in all governments an 
 " ultimate point of depreflion and of ele- 
 " vation, at which affairs revert, and re- 
 " turn in a contrary direction. 
 
 - CHAPTER
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 51 
 
 CHAPTER THE SECOND. 
 
 Political condition of France. Character of 
 Joton ditke of Bedford. Accejflon and 
 dtftrej/es of Charles thefeventh. Appear- 
 ance of the maid of Orleans. Character 
 of Agnes Soreille. Deaths of the queen 
 dowager, and duke of Bedford. - Louis 
 the dauphin s treafonable practices, and 
 flight. Death of Agnes Soreille. CYr- 
 CUfnftances of it. E?2gli/h ultimately dri- 
 ven out of France. Dauphins dif obedi- 
 ence, Qpprejfions, 'and retreat into Bur- 
 gundy. Charles' sfruitlefs attempts to gain, 
 pojjeflion of his perfon. The king's illnefs. 
 Death . Character. 
 
 THERE is perhaps no point of time 
 in the hiftory of France more in- 
 terefting to an Englifh reader, than that 
 where the laft chapter concluded. The 
 death of Henry the fifth, arrefted in the 
 very moment when he prepared to over- 
 E z whelm
 
 52 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 whelm the dauphin -, and that of Charles 
 the fixth, by which the crown devolved to 
 his ion ; feemed to be events fo important, 
 and big with confequences, that a change 
 the moil fudden and rapid was to be ex- 
 pected from them. But though the for- 
 mer of thefe incidents left the reduction 
 of France incomplete and unfiniflied, it 
 did not abfolutely render it abortive. In 
 John duke of Bedford, left regent of the 
 two kingdoms, furvived the fpirit of his 
 brother Henry. Even the colours under 
 which he is depictured to us by the French 
 hiftorians, figure a prince worthy of the 
 great trail repofed in him, and capable of 
 all the toils of empire. He had juit attained 
 the prime of manhood > nor could the tu- 
 telage of his infant nephew, who was ilill 
 at the breail,. have been configned to more 
 virtuous and able hands. Ifabella, the 
 declared enemy of her fon ; and Philip duke 
 of Burgundy 7 reduced by a fatal neceffity 
 to turn his arms againit the protector of 
 Ms father's murderers, encreafed his power: 
 
 all
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 53 
 
 all the northern provinces, and Guyenne, 
 were already reduced under fubjeclion. 
 
 Charles, on the other hand, retired into 
 the fortrefles of the Cevennes, or the 
 mountains of Auvergne ; not yet arrived 
 to years of majority, and only attended 
 by fome princes of the blood, and a few 
 brave adventurers animated by confidera- 
 tions of loyalty and love to their expiring 
 country, could only make a feeble oppo- 
 fition to fuch powerful enemies. On the 
 news of his father's death, he was faluted 
 king by his little band of adherents, and 
 even crowned at Poitiers * j but to fo 
 extreme penury was he reduced, that even 
 the affectionate fidelity of his queen, who 
 fold all her plate and jewels for his fubfift- 
 
 * The dauphin Charles, fays Mezerai, was at 
 the caftle d'Efpailly, near Puy, in Auvergne, when he 
 received the news of his father's death. On the 
 firft day he wore mourning : the enfuing one, he 
 drefied himfeif in fcarlet, and after having heard 
 mafs, he ordered the banner of France to be elevated 
 in the chapel. The nobles who adhered to him, 
 then faluted him fovereign, with loud acclamations 
 <tf " Vive le roi !" 
 
 E 3 ance,
 
 54 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ance, fcarce fufficed to provide for the 
 immediate wants of his drefs and table > 
 and he was driven to diftrefles only equal- 
 led by thofe which Mary of Medicis, and 
 Henrietta queen of England underwent 
 during their exile in the laft century. 
 
 During the firft fix years of his reign, 
 the Englifh arms were almoft uniformly 
 triumphant ; and though he gained over 
 to his party the celebrated Arthur count 
 de Richemont, brother to the duke of 
 Bretagne; yet this imperious chieftain, 
 rough and ferocious in his manners, treat- 
 ed his fovereign with the moft mortifying 
 indignity; and unlheathed the fword of 
 conflable, not only againft his oppo- 
 nents, but againfl his deareft favourites, 
 whom he ftabbed or drowned even in the 
 royal prefence *. 
 
 The 
 
 * The conftable firft compelled the king to re- 
 nounce and banifh Louvet, and Tannegui du Chaftel, 
 to both of whom he was moft warmly attached. 
 The Seigneur de Gyac,- vt'ho fucceeded to their place 
 in Charles's favour and affections, he feized by fores 
 
 afc
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 55 
 
 The little court of Charles was torn by 
 inteftine factions ; and he would doubt- 
 lefs have been himfelf the vi<5lim of fo 
 many calamities, if fimilar or fiercer dif- 
 fentions had not arifen between the two 
 dukes of Burgundy and Glocefler, on 
 the fubject of the beautiful Jacqueline 
 countefs of Hainault. In vain did Bed- 
 ford, animated only by motives of the moft 
 patriotic and glorious nature, implore his 
 brother to defift from his unjufl preten- 
 (ions. In vain did he reprefent to him the 
 interefls of their common prince and ne- 
 phew ; and point out to him that the 
 moment was arrived to extinguifh for 
 ever the race of Valois.^ Glocefter was 
 
 at Iflbudun in Bern, while in bed, and after feme 
 fhort forms of pretended juftice, caufed him to be 
 drowned. Only a few months afterwards, he executed 
 a fimilar vengeance on the Camus de Beaulieu, ano- 
 ther gentleman obnoxious to his difpleafure, and accept- 
 able to the king. The court was at Poi tiers j and 
 the marechal de BoufTac, by order of the count de 
 Richemont, killed the unhappy favourite in the flreet, 
 and almoft under his mafter's eye, 
 
 E 4 deaf
 
 5$ MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 deaf to his entreaties or expostulations 3 
 and that precife juncture in the affairs of 
 human life, which if parted, rarely or 
 never returns, was irrecoverably loft. 
 The regent, notwithstanding, though al- 
 mojft unfupported by his allies, maintain- 
 ed the war : he found refources in his 
 own character, in. his popularity, his 
 affability, his munificence, and clemency 
 of adminiflration, which had attached to, 
 him even the Parifians. 
 
 The Englifh were animated by a long 
 train of fuccefs, commanded by experir 
 enced leaders, and oppofed to troops dif- 
 pirited and linking under adverfe fortune. 
 The memorable liege of Orleans was 
 undertaken. Though Dunois, the immorr 
 tal baftard of Orleans, exerted every effort 
 of valour and conduct againfl the be- 
 fiegers, it was yigoroufly prefled. Charles 
 already began to meditate a retreat intq 
 Dauphine, and all feemed to confpire for 
 his deftruclion -, when an occurrence the 
 moft fmgular in the records of hiftory, 
 turned the current in his favour, and re-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 57 
 
 ilored him to the throne of his anceftors, 
 I mean the appearance of Joan d'Arc. 
 A village girl, either inftigated by an en- 
 thufiallic apprehension of fupernatural 
 afliftance, or instructed to feign fuch a 
 belief, quits her obfcurity in Lorraine, 
 and goes to find the king at Chinon. 
 
 However we may fuppofe Joan herfelf 
 to have been perfuaded of her divine mif- 
 fion, it is fcarce poflible to imagine that 
 Charles and his courtiers accepted her 
 offers from any other motive, than that 
 of trying an extraordinary and defperate 
 remedy, in the prefent diforders of the 
 {rate. The age was ignorant, credulous, 
 barbarous, and fuperflitious to a high 
 degree ; it was exactly adapted to their- 
 apprehenfions and religious terrors ; 
 and while the count de Dunois really 
 commanded, Joan, unfurling the facred 
 ftandard, headed the troops chofen to 
 fuccour the city. It fucceeded even be- 
 yond expectation. Like another Gideon 
 rmed with ethereal prote5lion, ihe at- 
 6
 
 58 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tacked enemies already difmayed with 
 fears, and obtained an eafy conqueft. 
 
 Not content with raifmg the fiege of 
 Orleans, and animated by the fortunate 
 iflue of her firfl eflay in arms, fhe pufhed 
 her views to the greateft length. One 
 combat prepared the way for a fecond; 
 and ftill advancing through provinces 
 which had been totally in the power of 
 the Englifh, fhe led her royal votary to 
 Rheims, and faw him folemnly inaugur- 
 ated. 
 
 The perfidy, or the imprudence of the 
 governor of Compeigne, delivered her at 
 length into the hands of her adverfaries. 
 Even then fhe behaved, though defence- 
 ^lefs, and menaced with death, in a man- 
 ner becoming a heroine. Her enthufiafm 
 and reliance on iuperior aid fupported 
 her courage for Charles, who had de- 
 rived all thofe benefits he wanted from 
 fuch an engine, made no effort to pro- 
 cure her releafe -, and a barbarous refent- 
 ment, unworthy and unbecoming generous 
 *ninds, prompted the Englifh, who had 
 
 fuffered
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 59 
 
 fiiffered fo feverely from her prowefs, to 
 take a cruel and inhuman revenge. 
 
 Meanwhile, though the duke of Bed- 
 ford, in the hope of re-animating his de- 
 prefTed countrymen, caufed young Henry 
 to be crowned at Paris, the war languifhed 
 on both fides, from their incapacity of 
 exerting frefli efforts. Charles, naturally 
 Voluptuous, fond of pleafures^ and a flave 
 to beauty, had gladly quitted the fatigues 
 of a camp to indulge his fofter paflions. 
 Jiis heart, fufceptible of love, had found 
 an object fupremely capable of exciting it, 
 in the celebrated Agnes Soreille. She 
 was born at the village of Fromenteau, 
 near Loches, in Touraine. Her perfonal 
 attractions, which are reprefented by all 
 the cotemporary hiflorians, as the moft 
 touching and feductjve, were equalled 
 by the delicacy and gaiety of her ima- 
 gination. She was worthy the lover fhe 
 pofTefTed, becaufe, during all the un- 
 limited influence which her charms pro- 
 cured her oyer him, fhe never forgot he 
 was a king, nor facrificed his glqry and 
 jnterefts to the effeminate gratifications of 
 
 appetite.
 
 60 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 appetite. On the contrary, when im- 
 merfed in indolent and fupine inaction, 
 fhe is faid to have roufed him from his 
 lethargy, and excited him to atchieve- 
 ments worthy his birth and dignity *. 
 The treaty concluded at Arras between 
 
 * The year of her birth was about 1409. She had 
 attained her twenty- fecond year when fhe firft appear- 
 ed at court, in the fervice of Ifabella queen of Naples 
 and Sicily. From that princefs fhe parted into the 
 train of Mary, Charles's queen. Her favour was 
 during fome time clofely concealed, and only divulged 
 ty the promotion of all her relations to offices and 
 dignities, *' Acceflit ad ftupri fufpicionem propin- 
 * c quorum Agnetis ad dignitates ecclefiafticas repen- 
 <c tina promotio," fays Gaguin, in his life of Charles 
 the feventh. 
 
 Her mind was elevated and noble. She ever at- 
 tempted to infpire the king with a thirft of glory, and 
 a wifh to recover his dominions from the Englifh. 
 Francis the firft honoured and cherifhed her memory, 
 The four elegant lines which that great prince made 
 en her, are well known. 
 
 " Gentille Agnes, plus d'honneur tu merite, 
 " La caufe etant de France recouvrer ! 
 *' Que ce que peut dans un cloitre ouvrer 
 " Claufe Nonain, ou bien devote hermite." 
 
 Charles
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 61 
 
 Charles and the duke of Burgundy, who 
 had long fluctuated in uncertainty, and 
 yielded at length to fentiments of gene- 
 rous forgivenefs, was a mortal wound to 
 the Englifh affairs. Ifabella, who had 
 been long an object of infamy and public 
 deteftation, expired of forrow and con- 
 fternation at this unwelcome news * ; and 
 
 the 
 
 * Ifabella of Bavaria, one of the worft queens who 
 has reigned in France, furvived the unhappy Charles 
 the fixth, her hufband, about thirteen years. John 
 Boucher, a writer not far removed from the time in 
 which flie lived, relates her death very minutely in hig 
 Annales d' Aquitaine. - " Incontinent apres le 
 ** traite d'Arras (fays he) Madame Yfabeau de Ba- 
 " viere, veuve du feu roi Charles 6, qui avoit etc 
 " longuement entre les mains des Anglois en grande 
 " indigence et pauvrete, fut averti du dit accord et 
 11 appointment, et en mourut de douleur en 1'hotel du 
 " roi, pres St. Paul a Paris ; et fut fon corps mene a 
 xc St. Denis, et enterre en la chapelle des rois, pres 
 " du feu Charles 6 fon mari. Elle n'eut que qua- 
 " tres cierges, et quatres perfonnes a fon enterrement. 
 " Ce fut grand' honte aux Anglois, qui 1'avoient en 
 " leurs mains, qu'ils ne lui firent aucun honncur a 
 " fes exeques." 
 
 Her fon, Charles the feventh, being born at the 
 
 time
 
 62 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the regent, whofe mafterly and judicious 
 policy had alone hitherto preferved the 
 declining affairs of his country, in that 
 fwift decay to which they apparently hafl- 
 ened, followed foon after. 
 
 The Parifians received their native prince 
 in^o his capital with acclamations ; and 
 Charles, after long oppofmg a fea of 
 
 time when her intimacy with Louis duke of Orleans 
 was carried to the greateft length, gave foffie proba- 
 bility to the report that he was the offspring of their 
 inceftuous amours. It is faid that even the Englifh, 
 whom fhe had fo highly obliged, at the expence of 
 honour, nature, and affection, were fo ungenerous as 
 to reproach her with this humiliating clrcumftance. 
 Mezerai fays, " Us prenoient plaifir de lui dire en 
 " face que le roi Charles n'etoit pas fils de fon mari." 
 Gaguin ufes nearly the fame words : " Nulla re 
 " magis irritata, quam quod Carolum regem, ejus 
 " filium incefto concubitu natum Anglus diffams- 
 " bat." 
 
 Her funerals were meaner than thofe of an ordi- 
 nary gentlewoman. Her body was carried in a little 
 boat on the Seine to St. Denis, attended only by four 
 pcrfons j and the prior of St. Denis performed the fee- 
 vice, not a prelate being prefent, or any fokmnities 
 paid to her remains. 
 
 troubles,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 63 
 
 troubles, began to tafle the pleafures of 
 conqueft and tranquillity. The condition 
 of France was, notwithstanding, at this 
 period the moft deplorable and wretched. 
 It prefented a renewal of the fad fcenes 
 which had been exhibited under John, and 
 in the firft years of Charles the fifth. A 
 diforder in the provinces, approaching to 
 anarchy. The calamities of war were fol- 
 lowed by the fcourge of peftilence and fa- 
 mine. The foldiery, unemployed during 
 the frequent truces which took place between 
 the two crowns, ravaged the pofleflions of 
 the defencelefs peafants. As yet the regal 
 power was not fufficiently confirmed, to 
 extend any permanent and effectual re- 
 medy to thefe evils; and as Charles ap- 
 pears principally to have refided in the 
 royal chateaus on the Loire, or in Berri, 
 Paris is faid to have been fo depopulated and 
 abandoned, that the wolves ventured even 
 into the middle of the " rue St. Antoine," 
 and carried off the children of the citi- 
 zens. A circumftance, which if true, 
 
 indicates
 
 64 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Indicates a flate of the mofl dreadful and 
 complete mifery ! 
 
 The paffionate defire of redrefling thefe 
 national diflrefles, induced the king to 
 ; hold out terms of pacification to the Eng- 
 lifh, neither inglorious or difadvanta- 
 geous. The two rich provinces of Nor- 
 mandy and Guyenne were offered them, 
 under condition of homage. Sound po- 
 licy mould have induced and dictated 
 a compliance with thefe ceffions but 
 Bedford was no more. Henry, the weak- 
 eft prince who ever held a fceptre, meek 
 and fuperftitious, was ill qualified to guide 
 the helm of ftate, in conjunctures delicate 
 and critical. The factions of Winchefter 
 and Glocefter tore the court ; and the na- 
 tion, accuflomed to triumph in every pre- 
 ceding conteft with France, and ftill fup- 
 ported by the recollection of Henry's and 
 Edward's trophies, knew not how to adopt 
 a temporifmg and more humiliating tone. 
 Though a fufpenfion of arms was accepted 
 for fome years, they did not recede from 
 
 their
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 65 
 
 their ancient and ill-founded pretenfions 
 on the kingdom. 
 
 Meanwhile France faw expire the in- 
 veterate animofity and hereditary hatred of 
 the two houfes of Burgundy and Orleans. 
 The firft of thefe princes, by an effort of 
 magnanimity and greatnefs of foul rarely 
 found among men j defirous to bury in 
 oblivion the unhappy diffentions of his 
 father, reftored the duke of Orleans, who 
 had languifhed in a captivity of five-and- 
 twenty years, ever fince the battle of Azin- 
 court, to liberty, by paying his ranfom, 
 which amounted to the enormous fum 
 of three hundred thoufand ecus. They 
 met at Gravelines, embraced, and inter- 
 changed a mutual forgivenefs; 
 
 During the tranquillity of the peace, 
 Charles, occupied in the purfuits of love, 
 in banquets, gardens, and the pleafures 
 of the chace, indulged his natural incli- 
 nation for thefe gentler recreations, and 
 forgot the toils of war. The beautiful 
 Agnes pofTefTed an unlimited influence 
 over him. But deflined, like his unhappy 
 VOL. I. - F fucceffor,
 
 66 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fuccenbr, Henry the fourth, after 'having 
 vanquifhed his foreign enemies, to find 
 more cruel ones in his own houfehold; 
 fortune had prepared in his fon a fource 
 of difquietude more fharp and afflictive 
 than any external ones could prove. Louis, 
 the deteftable and malignant Louis, his 
 eldeft fon r had already attained his twenty- 
 fecond year, though the king was flill in 
 the vigour of his age. When only fixteen,, 
 he had rebelled againft his, father, who 
 forgave his mifconduft. Such lenity 
 was loft on his obdurate and unfeeling 
 mind. Difcontented, and anxious to anti- 
 cipate his power, he refufed fubjection, 
 and proceeded to infults the moft irritating 
 and criminal. An incident, which, as 
 k peculiarly marks his character, I mall 
 relate, happened at this time. 
 
 A perfon of the court had offended the 
 dauphin : determined on revenge, he bar- 
 gained with the count de Dammartin to 
 aflaffinate him ; but the count, being dif- 
 fuaded from the perpetration of fo mean 
 and daftardly a crime by his brother, 
 
 refufed
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 67 
 
 refufed to execute it. The affair came to 
 the king's knowledge, who feverely repri- 
 manded his fon. Louis, to cover his own 
 guilt, accufed the count of having fug- 
 gefted to him the means ; but Dammartin, 
 jealous of his wounded honour, not only 
 denied the accufation in the royal pre- 
 fence - y but offered, according to the laws 
 of chivalry, to juftify himfelf from the 
 imputation, in fingle combat, againfr. any 
 of the dauphin's train. Charles, whofe 
 character was peculiarly open, generous, 
 and candid, faw and abhorred the malig- 
 nity of his fon : he even ordered him to 
 quit his prefence, and not appear at court 
 for four months. The dauphin obeyed, 
 but not without menaces -, and retired in- 
 to Dauphine, from whence he returned 
 no more till the king's death. 
 
 The war between France and England, 
 which had (lumbered for feveral years, at 
 length waked again > but conqueft, which 
 during the beginning of Charles's reign 
 hung dubious, now declared uniformly 
 in his favour. He attacked Normandy, 
 F 2 undertook
 
 68 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 undertook the fiege of Rouen in perfonv 
 and re-entered it in triumph. The gal- 
 lant count de Dunois feconded his fove- 
 reign's efforts, and in a few months the 
 whole province was finally re-annexed to 
 the crown, from which Henry the fifth 
 had difmembered it. 
 
 The pleafure which Charles felt from 
 this important and victorious campaign, 
 was faddened by the lofs of his beloved 
 miftrefs. She expired of a dyfentery, at 
 the abbey of Jumieges, near, Rouen; to 
 which place fhe had come to meet the 
 king, and to inform him of a confpiracy 
 againft his perfon. Though the eotem- 
 porary authors exprefs themfelves with- 
 a ftudied ambiguity on this event, there 
 is great reafon to believe that the dauphin 
 was concerned in the plot ; and even that 
 Agnes 's death was the effect of poifon 
 adminiftered by his exprefs command. 
 The king tenderly and paflionately la- 
 mented her: fhe was one of the beft an4 
 greateil miftrefles which any of the French 
 princes have poffeffed. Madame de Ville- 
 
 quier*
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 69 
 
 quier, her niece, by a fort of inheritance 
 in gallantry, fucceeded to her place and 
 favour *. 
 
 The reduction of Normandy was only a 
 prelude to new acquifitions : the king, 
 animated by his paft fuccefs, refolved to 
 
 * Agnes Soreille was created by Charles the feventh 
 countefs of Penthievre, and lady of Beaute fur 
 Marne. She was in her fortieth year when {he died } 
 and left three daughters by the king. Charlotte, the 
 cldeft, was married to Jacques de Breze, count de 
 Maulevrier : her death was truly deplorable. She is 
 faid to have equalled her mother in beauty ; but an 
 attachment which her hufband difcovered, proved her 
 ruin. Jean de Troyes has related the circumftances 
 of it : they are fo affecting that I {hall infert them 
 without any alteration : " Elle etoit alle a la chafle 
 " avec lui j a leur retour chacun fe retiroit dans fon 
 " appartemejit ; Breze fut averti que fa femme s'etoit 
 *' retiree avec Pierre de la Vergne, fon veneur : il 
 " prend fon epee, fait brifer la porte, trouve ]a 
 " Vergne en chemife, et le tue. Sa femme s'alla 
 *' cacher fous la couverture d'un lit ou etoient 
 4< couches fes enfans. II la tira du lit, et lui plongea 
 <c fon epee dans le Sein : elle etoit a genoux ; elle 
 *' tomba morte." Louis the eleventh pbUged the 
 count de Maulevrier to purchafe a remiflion of this 
 trime, by an enormous pecuniary amende, 
 
 F 3 improve
 
 7 o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 improve the favourable moment, and to 
 attempt what his grandfather's untimely 
 and lamented death had then prevented 
 the entire rout of the Englilh, and their ex- 
 tirpation from his dominions. All Guienne 
 and Gafcony was flill in their pofleffion : 
 the inhabitants, governed during feveral 
 centuries by them, were affectionate to 
 thefe foreign matters ; and a very vigorous 
 defence might yet have been made but 
 civil and inteftine confufion aided Charles's 
 arms. The bloody quarrel between the 
 contending Rofes, which deluged the king- 
 dom with ilaughter, was already on the 
 point of commencing. No fuccours were 
 fent, no timely aid afforded them. Four 
 armies, commanded by the ableft generals 
 of France, entered thefe provinces, and 
 made a progrefs the mofl fortunate and 
 rapid : only one effort was exerted for their 
 prefervatibn by the great Taibot and his 
 fon, who perifhed in the battle of CaiHl- 
 lon. Bourdeaux and Bayonne opened 
 their gates to the conqueror ; and Charles 
 the feventh, who had acceded to the crown 
 
 under
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 71 
 
 under circumflances the moft diilrefsful 
 and deplorable, yet effected what neither 
 the policy or courage of his ancestors had 
 been able to produce. 
 
 But if the Monarch was victorious and 
 happy, the Father was deilined to expe- 
 rience a different fate. His ungrateful 
 and unnatural fon became his moil impla- 
 cable enemy. Several years had elapfed 
 fmce his departure from court ; the king 
 had frequently commanded him to return^ 
 but in vain. His conquefts over the Eng- 
 lifh had even been impeded, and flopped 
 in the mid-way, by a dangerous infur- 
 recliqn of the dauphin and duke of Savoy. 
 Superadded .to this, his exactions and op- 
 prefTions in Dauphine, where he exercifed 
 a fort of unlimited and royal power, were 
 grown infupportable. Charles, irritated 
 by fuch difobedience, and weary of his 
 continued mifconducl, commiffioned the 
 count de Dammar tin to feize his perfon. 
 That nobleman, whom he had formerly 
 affronted in the tendereft part, proceeded 
 inflantly to the execution of the mandate.; 
 F 4 but
 
 72 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 but Louis, who had received timely intelr 
 ligence of the defign, faved himfelf by a 
 precipitate flight into Franche Comte, 
 from whence he continued his rout into. 
 Brabant. 
 
 The duke of Burgundy, either influent 
 ced by motives of generality and courtefy^ 
 or from policy, received, and afforded him 
 an afylum. He afligned him a penfion of 
 twelve thoufand ecus, and gave him the 
 Chateau de Gueneppe near BrufTels, for 
 his refidence. Here he endeavoured at 
 firft to. amufe and divert his unquiet mind 
 by the ftudy of aftrolog;y, to which he 
 was ever immoderately addicted; but 
 afterwards, with that malevolent du- 
 plicity which fo flrongly marked his cha- 
 racter; and in defpite of all the benefits 
 which the houfe of Burgundy had. heaped 
 upon him, he attempted to fow the feeds 
 of difcontent and quarrel between the 
 duke and his fon, the count de Charolois* 
 in which he fucceeded but too well. 
 
 The king tried in vain by every means 
 to induce the duke of Burgundy to deli- 
 ver
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 73 
 
 ver up the dauphin. By a prediction founded 
 on his knowledge of Louis, and juftified 
 in his future conduct, he warned him 
 that he was nourifhing a ferpent, which 
 when warmed would ftrike his deadly fangs 
 into the bofom of its protestor. He even 
 once was on the point of entering Flan- 
 ders at the head of an army, to feize the 
 rebellious prince ; but renouncing his in- 
 tentions, he determined rather to deprive 
 him of the fucceffion, and to leave the 
 crown to his younger fon Charles duke of 
 Berri. It is highly probable he would 
 have effected this defign, if death had not 
 prevented him. 
 
 During the latter years of his life, Charles 
 had become diftruflful, fufpicious, and un- 
 eafy: he feared the dauphin's vindictive 
 ipirit might pufh him to attempts the 
 moft atrocious. While he refided at 
 Meun-fur-Yeure, in Berri, he received re- 
 peated informations, that his own domef- 
 tics had plotted to deftroy him. The 
 wretched king, terrified at an intimation 
 fo alarming, and not knowing on whofo 
 
 'attachment 

 
 74 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 attachment or fidelity to repofe, refufed 
 obftinately to receive any nourifhment 
 during fome days ; and when at length, 
 vanquifhed by the importunity of his at- 
 tendants, he would have willingly eat, 
 nature was no longer able : he could not 
 fwallow any fuftenance, and foon after 
 expired. 
 
 The character of Charles is infinitely 
 amiable. He poflefTed all thofe qur:" 
 which conciliate affection, and touch the 
 heart. Courteous, gallant, liberal, amo- 
 rous, and brave ; yet finking, from na- 
 tural difpontion, and a fort of yielding 
 incapacity, into an effeminate and ener- 
 vate indolence, which he could not refift ; 
 and again emerging into the exertion of 
 all the virtues which diftinguifh a hero 
 and a prince. Born to experience every 
 viciftitude of fortune, and, after triumph- 
 ing over his political enemies, to find do- 
 meflic ones more cruel and unfeeling, he 
 may be accounted a happy monarch, but 
 a miferable individual. 
 
 Though attached too clofely to his fa- 
 10 vourites,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 75 
 
 vourites, and fometimes led by that at- 
 tachment into errors, he yet never ufed his 
 authority with rigour, or oppref?ed his 
 people by heavy impofitions : and ids reign, 
 diflinguifhed by the entire extirpation of 
 the Englifh from the dominions of France, 
 is one of thofe on which their hiflorians 
 peculiarly delight to dwell. The kingdom, 
 long torn by every fpecies of foreign and 
 internal commotion, began to recover $ 
 and, no longer nourifhing in its vitals a 
 hoftile and powerful enemy, grew more 
 confirmed in its police, more important in 
 the European fcale. By a fimilar progref- 
 fion, the rpyal power, hitherto fhackled 
 and limited from the feudal regulations, 
 acquiring gradually firength, became wi- 
 der in its influence, and more refiftlefs in 
 its fupremacy. In the fubfequent reign, 
 it was carried into a defpotifm the moil 
 extenfive and uncontrouled. 
 
 CHAPTER
 
 76 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER THE THIRD. 
 
 Louts the eleventh's chara5ler y and com-> 
 mencement of his reign. Interview with 
 Henry king of C aft He. Louis s violence 
 and opprej/ions. League of the public 
 good. Accejfion and character of Charles, 
 lajl duke of Burguudy. Interview of 
 Peronne. King's imprifonment, and ter- 
 rors. Death of Charles duke of Bern. 
 Interview with Edward the fourth, at 
 Pecquigni. Louis's infidious policy. The 
 duke of Burgundy's attempts on Switzer- 
 land. Battle of Nancy, and death. 
 Burgundy re-united to France. Conclu- 
 Jion of Louis's reign. Cruelties. Firft 
 Jlroke of an apoplexy. His pilgrimage. 
 His encreajing feverlty. Minute cirtum- 
 Jiances of his lllnefs. Death. Character--* 
 
 WE are about to enter on a reign of 
 a very extraordinary and fmgular 
 ^ature. A prince odious in his character, 
 
 deteltable
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 77 
 
 deteftable in his conduct ; violating every 
 maxim of honourable or virtuous policy ; 
 deviating frequently even from the rules of 
 intereft ; uniformly flagitious, and fyfle- 
 matically bad yet attaining by the mazes 
 of an infidious and eccentric fubtlety, to 
 the completion of almofr. all his views, and 
 acquiring a prerogative and authority un- 
 known to his predeceflbrs. Such is Louis 
 the eleventh ! The detail of his actions 
 as a king, will prove the juflice of the 
 portrait. 
 
 So univerfally abhorred had the rebellion 
 and ingratitude of Louis, while dauphin, 
 rendered him, that a confiderable party 
 was already formed in the court of Charles 
 the feventh, for the young duke of Berri r 
 but the count du Maine having fent intel- 
 ligence to Louis of his father's death, he 
 loft not a moment in profiting of it ; and 
 the duke of Burgundy, long his protestor, 
 and now become his vaflal, mounting on 
 horfeback, attended him, together with 
 his fon the count de Charolois, to Rheims, 
 
 where
 
 7 S MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 where he caufed himfelf to be immediately 
 crowned. 
 
 The opening of his reign was marked 
 With all thofe changes and alterations cuf- 
 tomary on the acceflion of princes ; and pe- 
 culiarly to be expected on that of one 
 who had lived in open difcord with the pre- 
 ceding fovereign Every maxim of go- 
 vernment adopted by Charles, was coun- 
 teracted by Louis ; all his officers or favour- 
 ites degraded with ignominy, and new ones 
 advanced to power ; the duke of Ale^on, 
 who had been committed to prifon for trea- 
 fonable practices, releafed, and the count 
 de Dammartin immured in the Baftile : the 
 nobility difpofTefTed of their charges, and 
 the people loaded with exactions : the 
 duke of Bretagne invaded, and the duke 
 of Berri defrauded of his appennage. 
 
 After a commencement fo ftrongly pre- 
 dictive of his fuure meafures, he haf- 
 tened into Gafcony, to an interview with 
 Henry the Impotent, king of Caftile. The 
 two fovereigns met at Man Icon, on the 
 
 confines
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 79 
 
 confines of Navarre, and formed a con* 
 traft not a little remarkable. Henry, vain, 
 magnificent, haughty, and fumptuous, 
 attended with a fplendid train. Louis, 
 with no external marks of royalty - y mean 
 in his perfon ; clad in coarfe cloth, fhort 
 and unbecoming : a notre dame of lead in 
 his bonnet; and flenderly accompanied. 
 After a fruitlefs conference, they both re- 
 tired, with fentiments of mutual con- 
 tempt. 
 
 As he became confirmed in the throne, 
 his character unfolded and developed it- 
 felf. The labyrinths of a crooked policy 
 in which he trod, made him ever attentive 
 to the means of contracting and dimi- 
 niming the power of all the great valfals 
 of the crown. Among thefe, the duke 
 of Burgundy held the firft place ; the duke 
 of Bretagne the fecond. With the for- 
 mer he exerted the arts of intrigue ; and, 
 by means of a fecret correfpondence which 
 he kept up in his court, procured the ref- 
 titution of thofe towns on the Somme, ce- 
 ded at the treaty of Arras to Philip, and 
 
 which
 
 So MEMOIRS OF* THE 
 
 which made him mailer of all Picarcty.- 
 As this negociation was effected in contra- 
 diction to the fentiments of the count de 
 Charolois, it laid the foundation of that 
 perfonal hatred which he ever bore the 
 king, and which Louis encreafed by the 
 tenor of all his fubfequent conduct. 
 
 With the latter of thefe princes, as lefs 
 powerful, he fcarce obferved any mea- 
 fures -, the mandates he fent him, were of 
 the moft defpotic and imperious nature j 
 they forbad him to levy any taxes in his 
 duchy, to ftrike money, or to term himfelf 
 " duke, by the grace of God." It was, 
 to deprive him at once of all independance/ 
 or fovereignty. Francis the fecond, a weak 
 but generous prince, was at this time duke 
 of Bretagne. Unable to refufe compli- 
 ance with thefe haughty orders, he affected 
 to fubmit to them ; while he privately fet 
 on foot the means to reftrain a powery 
 which threatened the fubverfion or anni- 
 hilation of every other. 
 
 Defirous to ftrengthen his proceedings 
 by the fhadow of a national concurrence, 
 
 the
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE; &c. 81 
 
 the king meanwhile afiembled the flates, 
 and laid before them his pretended reafons 
 for fo unparalleled an acl of defpotifm. 
 Charles, duke of Orleans, firft prince of 
 the blood, refpeclable from his age, and 
 beloved for his virtues, prefumed to op- 
 pofe and difapprove his meafures ; but 
 the unfeeling Louis reproached and repri- 
 manded him in expreflions fo cutting and 
 fevere, that the duke, unable to furvive this 
 humiliating treatment, died of grief and 
 mortification only two days after. His death 
 did not obliterate his conduct, or foften the 
 heart of his obdurate fovereign : it was per- 
 petuated in a breaft which never forgave, 
 and knew no emotions of tendernefs, re- 
 fpected no ties of confanguinity. The fa- 
 mily of Orleans had pretenfions of the 
 jufteft kind on the duchy of Milan, in 
 right of Valentina, mother of the deceafed 
 duke; but Louis, fo far from efpoufmg 
 thefe claims, allied himfelf with Francifco 
 Sforza, who had ufurped the dominions 
 on the extinction of the houfe of Vifcomti, 
 and fecured him in pofTeffion of them, 
 Vol. I. G from
 
 82 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 from motives of hatred to the princes of 
 his own blood. 
 
 Thefe reiterated and increafmg afts of 
 violence and oppreflion, produced in the 
 end a general convulsion. The firfl no- 
 bles, roufed by paft indignities, and ap- 
 prehenfive of future ones more intolerable, 
 took up arms againft the author of them. 
 The count de Dunois, grown grey under 
 the late king, and univerfally revered, ap- 
 peared at the head of his vaflals : the count 
 de St. Pol, and the duke of Nemours, 
 were joined by Dammartin, ejcaped from 
 his imprifonment. The duke of Bretagne 
 prepared to enter France with an army* 
 the duke of Berri fled to him for an afy- 
 lum ; and the count de Charolois, at the 
 head of a confiderable body of forces, di- 
 reeled his march ftrait to the capital. 
 
 In this alarming concurrence of circum- 
 ftances, the genius of Louis, aclive, pe- 
 netrating, and peculiarly calculated to ex- 
 tricate him from difficulties, eminently ap- 
 peared. On the firft news of the confpi- 
 racy, he fell immediately on the weaker!: 
 
 leaders,
 
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, Sec. 83 
 
 leaders, and reduced them to implore his 
 clemency. The apprehenfion that his ene- 
 mies might take pofTeffion of Paris, ob- 
 liged him to grant it > and he was on his 
 way to fecure that city, when the Burgun- 
 dian army meeting him at Montlhery, 
 an action unavoidably enfued. It was in- 
 tlecifive j but the king, anxious for the 
 prefervation of the metropolis, and dif- 
 truftful of the attachment of its citizens, 
 firft diflodged, and re-entered Paris. Com- 
 pelled by the neceflity of his affairs, he 
 bent with all the pliability of addrefs, 
 adopted manners the moil engaging and 
 popular, courted the wives of the mecha- 
 nics, promifed a repeal of every onerous 
 or extraordinary imped-, and extended fe- 
 veral acts of grace to retain them in alle- 
 giance. 
 
 Meanwhile the Breton army having 
 joined the count de Charolois, formed a 
 prodigious affemblage of troops : they af- 
 uimed the title of the League for the 
 public good; and directing their courfe 
 towards the capital, encamped in the fur- 
 G 2 rounding
 
 8 4 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 rounding villages. After vainly attempt- 
 ing to gain pofTeffion of it by blockade, or 
 famine, or -intrigue, and no mfurrection 
 taking place, terms of accommodation 
 were propofed. Louis, who knew that 
 this powerful combination could only be 
 fuccefsfully reduced by effecting its dif- 
 union, complied with all their demands j 
 refolved only to adhere to them, while 
 compelled to it by force. He yielded 
 therefore, though with infinite reluctance, 
 the duchy of Normandy to Charles his 
 brother ; inverted the count de St. Pol 
 with the fword of conflable ; reflored the 
 towns upon the Somme to the count de 
 Charoloisj and replaced the other chiefs 
 of the confederacy in all their lands and 
 offices. The league thus broken, each 
 member of it returned into his own do- 
 minions or caftles -> while the crafty king, 
 only waiting for the favourable moment, 
 held himfelf in readinefs, to improve it 
 to the utmofl. 
 
 The infurrec~tlons of the Flemings a- 
 gainft the houfe of Burgundy, and the 
 
 difcontents
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 85 
 
 difcontents of the Normans with the ad- 
 miniftration of their new duke, who fuf- 
 fered himfelf to be governed by weak 
 counfellors, gave Louis that opportunity 
 which he fo anxiouily defired. Vigorous 
 and rapid in his movements when occafion 
 demanded it, he firft compelled the duke of 
 Bretagne to abandon his brother j and 
 then depriving the defencelefs prince of 
 his newly ceded duchy, forced him to fly 
 a miferable refugee to his ally for fhelter. 
 The duke of Burgundy, broken with years 
 and infirmities, could extend no protec- 
 tion to his friends in perfon ; and his fon 
 was occupied with the rebellious Liegeois, 
 They endeavoured to rouze the king of 
 England in their quarrel; but Edward 
 the fourth was as yet not fufficiently eon- 
 firme4 in the throne, to undertake a fo^ 
 reign war^ and Louis, triumphant over 
 fo many enemies, and rendered flronger 
 by their oppofition, grew more tyrannical 
 in his conduct, more, oppreflive in his go- 
 vernment. 
 
 At this time Philip duke of Burgundy 
 G 3 died
 
 86 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 died in a very advanced age. His juftice* 
 beneficence, and paternal attention to his 
 people, obtained him the furname of "the 
 Good." Superadded to thefe amiable qua- 
 lifications, the extent of territory he pof- 
 fefied, and the fplendid munificence of 
 his temper, ranked him among the greatefl 
 princes of his time. The count de Cha- 
 rolois his fon fucceeded him. Of fiery and 
 impetuous manners, bold even to teme- 
 rity, inflexible in the profecution of de- 
 figns he h^d once adopted, aiming at 
 royalty, anei exhaufting his revenues in 
 vain attempts, to extend his dominions 5 
 Chades, over-reached in policy by the 
 king of France, and unequal to the vaft 
 projects he had conceived, deftroyed the 
 fabric which his three predeceflbrs had 
 creeled, and expired the vi6lim of his im- 
 moderate ambition. 
 
 Though Louis, from the prompt and 
 immediate feizure of the occafion to at- 
 tack the dukes of Bretagne and Berri, 
 had gained the afcendency, yet this ad- 
 vantage was only temporary. Charles of 
 9 Burgundy,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 87 
 
 Burgundy, his inveterate enemy, was re- 
 turned victorious from Flanders, and had 
 reinfpired the oppofition of his two allies, 
 by leading a powerful army to tjieir af- 
 (iflance. 
 
 The king, wary and cautious, trufting 
 no event to fortune which wifdom or 
 fubtlety might regulate ; and like Philip of 
 Macedon, believing no fortrefs impregnable 
 where a mule laden with filver could en- 
 ter, attacked the duke firft with gold, and 
 bought a truce at the price of one hundred 
 and twenty thoufand ecus. As this how- 
 ever procured only a fufpenfion of hoflili- 
 ties, and delirous of detaching him alto- 
 gether from his connexions, he deter- 
 mined on a perfonal interview : relying 
 on his own powers of perfuafion, and 
 duped by his vanity, Louis named Pe- 
 ronne as the place of their meeting. Wil- 
 ling at the fame time to give the duke 
 an inconteftible proof of his perfect con- 
 fidence in his honour, he came without 
 any guards, and only attended by two or 
 three, noblemen of his court. Charles re- 
 G 4 ceived
 
 88 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ceived him with every mark of honorary 
 diftinclion, and lodged him in the town -, 
 but feveral Burgundian and other foreign 
 perfons of rank arriving, who. were his 
 avowed enemies, he began to entertain 
 fome apprehenfions refpefting his fafety, 
 and requefted the duke to affign him a- 
 partments in the caftle, as more fecure 
 from infult or injury. By this flep, ftill 
 more imprudent than the firft, he ren- 
 dered himfelf abfolutely a prifoner. 
 
 Previous to the interview, the king, 
 whofe grand object was ever to keep the 
 duke of Burgundy employed in domeftie 
 wars, had fent agents privately to Liege, 
 to induce them to refume their arms, by 
 3 promife of his protection. He did not 
 expect the confequence of this meflage to 
 be inftantaneous -, but the Liegeois impe- 
 tuous and violent, no fooner received the 
 intimation, than they broke out into open 
 rebellion, mafTacred their governors, and 
 committed a thoufand exceffes. When 
 Charles received this intelligence, he be- 
 came furious with refentment. Perfectly 
 
 confcious
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 89 
 
 confcious at whofe inftigation it had been 
 commenced, he denounced vengeance a- 
 gainft the perfidious monarch, ordered the 
 eaftle gates to be clofed, and even debated 
 whether he ihould not put him to imme- 
 diate death. 
 
 Louis, naturally timid and irrefolute, 
 in the hands of his mortal enemy whom 
 he had deeply offended, furrounded with 
 people who detefted him, and fhut up in 
 a chamber at the foot of that very tower 
 where Hebert, count de Vermandois, 
 had formerly caufed Charles the Simple to 
 be murdered, underwent by anticipation 
 all the horrors of death. The duke kept 
 him three days in this painful fufpence ; 
 during which time, the king, whofe fub- 
 tlety forfook him not in fo dangerous a 
 crifis, found means to engage fome of his 
 attendants in his interefts. He was re- 
 leafed -, but under conditions the moft ig- 
 nominious and humiliating. Charles ob- 
 liged the king to accompany him with 
 three hundred men at arms to the fiege of 
 Liege, which he took by florm, punifhed 
 
 with
 
 go MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 with extreme feverity their difobedienee 5 
 and then difmifling his fovereign, whom 
 he had compelled to be a witnefs of all 
 thefe tranfactions, he fcarce deigned ta 
 accompany him half a league on his 
 way, and bid him adieu with a fort of 
 tiaughty civility. 
 
 There is no incident of Louis's reign* 
 no action in his conduct, fo apparently 
 contradictory ta his character, as his be- 
 haviour in this celebrated interview : his 
 fagacity and his cautious temper border- 
 ing on, fear> feem equally ta have forfaken 
 him ; and the prince of his age the moft 
 crafty and political, fuffered himfelf to be 
 over-reached by one the leaft endowed 
 with thofe qualities. 
 
 Among the articles to which, the king 
 was reduced to fubmit while at Peronne, 
 he had promifed to cede Champagne and 
 Brie to his brother j but as the vicinity 
 of thefe provinces to the Burgundian do- 
 minions rendered it highly hazardous, 
 and would have infallibly fecured the al- 
 liance between the two dukes j Louis no. 
 '"** fooner
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 91 
 
 fooner effected his efcape, than he exerted 
 every engine of dexterity to prevail on hia 
 brother to accept Guyenne in exchange. 
 The young prince, weak, and yielding to 
 the affected demonflrations of kindnefs 
 fhewn him, complied with the propofal $ 
 but convinced when too late of the error 
 he had committed, and allured by the 
 hopes of a marriage with Mary of Bur- 
 gundy, Charles's only daughter, and 
 heirefs of his vaft poffeflions, he began 
 to renew his confederacy with him, and 
 to raife troops, His death, marked with 
 every appearance of poifon, and the evi- 
 dent intereft which Louis had to perpe-i 
 trate this crime, fuperadded to the per- 
 fonal hatred he bore the duke, confpired 
 to render him juftly and univerfally fuf- 
 pecled of the fact *. Guyenne was im- 
 mediately 
 
 * The duke of Berri appears to have been an 
 amiable prince, but of flender capacity. Alter- 
 nately the flave of devotion and of love, he was 
 governed by his confefTor or his miftrefs, according 
 to his predominant weaknefs. The latter prevailed ; 
 
 and
 
 92 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 mediately feized, and re-united to the 
 erown. 
 
 The news of this deplorable and unex- 
 pected event no fooner reached the duke 
 of Burgundy, than all his indignation 
 and refentment revived. He entered Pi- 
 
 and the lady of Montforeau triumphed ovt r the abbot 
 9f St. John d'Angeli. Jealous of this pre-eminence, 
 3.nd bent on revenge, the monk caufed a peach to be 
 poifoned, which he prefented to the Jady. She divided 
 it with a knife, and giving half to her lover, eat the 
 reft herfelf: the confequence was immediately fatal, 
 and flie expired in great agonies. The duke, from 
 the ftrength of his conftitution, refifted the poifon, 
 during fome time ; though he loft his hair and nails 
 which came off, yet he lingered near fix months, and 
 then died at Bourdeaux. The abbot fled ; but being 
 feized in Bretagne by order of Francis the fecond, 
 the reigning duke, he was carried to Nantes ; it was 
 intended to bring him to a public trial, in the hope 
 and expectation of his accufing Louis the eleventh, 
 as hi-s accomplice or abettor but on the morning 
 appointed to condudt him before the judges, he was 
 found dead in his cejlj ftrangled and lying on the 
 floor. As by this cataftrophe, a veil was drawn be- 
 fore the whole affair, it was commonly believed that 
 the king had not hefitated to conceal the firft crime 
 by the perpetration of a fecond. 
 
 cardy
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 93 
 
 cardy with an army, determined to re- 
 venge his unhappy ally, to whofe manes 
 he facrificed every inhabitant who fell into 
 his power; but having failed in an attempt 
 on Beauvais, and exhaufting his forces 
 by efforts of a vain and impotent frenzy, 
 rather than of a manly vengeance, he was 
 foon under a neceflity of accepting the 
 truce which Louis offered him. This 
 latter prince, uniform and fyftematical in 
 his movements; ever attaining his ends 
 by thofe means which feemed moil re- 
 mote from their object, grew every year 
 more defpotic, and added fome new ac- 
 quifition to the regal prerogative or au- 
 thority : he feized on the territories of the 
 count d'Armagnac, committed the duke 
 of Alenon to prifon, and retained the 
 duke of Bretagne in his fubjeftion. 
 
 While Louis thus aggrandized his 
 houfe, the duke of Burgundy, whom a 
 fatal paflion for extending his dominions 
 had intoxicated, began that train of errors 
 and mifconduct which terminated in his 
 fall. Inftead of watching with circum- 
 
 fpeclion
 
 94 MEMOIRS OF THE --\. 
 
 fpeftion the minutefl a6lions of his per^ 
 fidious and powerful neighbour ; he en- 
 gaged in a quarrel with the whole Ger^ 
 manic body, by laying fiege to Nuiz on 
 the Rhine, under pretexts the moft in- 
 fafficient, and even periifted in it to the 
 deflruclion of his whole army> without 
 fuccefs. 
 
 In the mean time, Edward the fourth, 
 having vanquifhed all the partizans of the 
 houfe "of Lancafter, and eflablimed him* 
 felf in the throne, began to turn his view 
 to the recovery of thofe pofTeflions, to 
 which every king of England fmce Edward 
 the third had laid claim. Endowed with 
 martial qualities, fuccefsful in every war 
 where he had perfonally commanded, 
 and yet in the vigour of his age, he feem* 
 ed capable of renewing the laurels won 
 at Azincourt. Invited by the preffing 
 and repeated importunities of the duke of 
 Burgundy, he landed at Calais; but his 
 ally, engaged in the fiege of Nuiz, and 
 pertinacioufly adhering to his defign, after 
 detaining him fome time, appeared unat- 
 tended
 
 OF FRANCE, &c. 9$ 
 
 tended and fmgle, inflead of bringing, 
 according to promife, a powerful body of 
 troops, Edward however advanced into 
 Picardy, in the expectation that the con* 
 flable St. Pol would, as he had promifed, 
 furrender into their hands the town of 
 St. Quintin -, but the count, by a double 
 piece of treachery, deceived his allies, and 
 gave Louis time to avert the ftorm. 
 
 The fubtle king had recourfe to artifice 
 and negotiatioii, his ufual engines ; he 
 knew that the decifion of arms was ever 
 hazardous and uncertain ; that of intrigue* 
 more fure and unfailing. Edward, vo- 
 luptuous 'and indolent, lent an eafy ear 
 to thefe propofals $ an accommodation was 
 foon managed, and a peace figned, not- 
 withftanding Charles's oppofition, at 
 Amiens* The two monarchs in confe- 
 quence agreed on an interview at the 
 bridge of Pecquigni, near that city. A 
 grated barrier was creeled on the middle, 
 and two boxes raifed for the purpofe. 
 Louis, whofe pliant genius accommodated 
 itfelf to every lituation of politics, and 
 
 who 

 
 $6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 who thought no fubmiflions too mean for 
 the attainment of his views ; nattered the 
 Englifh prince, invited him with all the 
 apparent cordiality of friendfhip to his 
 capital, and at the fame time fecured by 
 prefents the principal nobles in his in- 
 tereils. 
 
 Edward returned to England ; the Bur- 
 gundian, compelled by neceflity and weak- 
 nefs, accepted a fufpenfion of arms ; and 
 the conftable, whofe perfidy had rendered 
 him obnoxious to every party, was given 
 up by Charles into the king's hands, who 
 after a hafty trial, caufed him to be con- 
 demned for treafon, and initantly be- 
 headed. 
 
 Untaught by the ill fuccefs which had 
 attended all his plans of ambition and 
 greatnefs, the duke of Burgundy perfifted 
 in the purfuit of them. He engaged in 
 a difpute with the Swifs cantons, nor 
 would hearken to the humble and repeated 
 inftances they made to him for peace. 
 Thefe virtuous and hardy people, who had 
 purchafed their freedom by the boldefl 
 i o oppofition
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 97 
 
 oppofition to Auftrian tyranny, and who 
 cherifhed amid their lakes and moun- 
 tains the warmeft attachment . to it, re- 
 fitted his invafion with determined cou- 
 rage j and after having defeated him in two 
 engagements, obliged him to renounce his 
 enterprize with ignominy. 
 
 Still bent on conquefts, and driven al- 
 moft to madnefs by his repeated difgraces, 
 he laid fiege to Nancy in Lorrain, though 
 with only three thoufand men, and amid 
 the rigours of winter. Rene duke of Lor- 
 rain attacked him with fuperior forces. At 
 the firft fhock, the count de Campobafib, 
 a Neapolitan, on whom he had confer- 
 red unnumbered favours, bafely withdrew 
 with fodr hundred horfe which he com- 
 manded; and at the fame time, by an act 
 of unparalleled ingratitude and villainy, 
 left twelve or fifteen men about his per- 
 fon, with ftricl command to afTaffinatC 
 him in his flight. They executed the de- 
 teftable commiffion but too faithfully ; 
 and the unhappy duke was found dead, 
 pierced with three wounds. It is not 
 
 VOL. I. H certain
 
 9* MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 certain what motive influenced Campcn 
 baflo to perpetrate fo foul a crime on his 
 benefactor. It is faid, that Charles had 
 once ftruck him, and that revenge flimu- 
 lated him to it; but hiftory has not clearly 
 elucidated this point *. 
 
 Thus 
 
 * Campobaflb had been banifhed from Naples, on 
 account of his adherence to the Angevine faction in 
 that kingdom. From whatever fource his hatred to 
 the duke of Burgundy originated, he carried it to the 
 moft flagitious pitch, fince he certainly offered Louis 
 the eleventh, repeatedly, to deliver up to him his mafter 
 alive or dead. The king, how little fcrupulous foever 
 to circumvent his, enemies, abhorred fo black a 
 treachery, and even fent Charles intimation of the 
 defign but the infamous opinion which he enter-' 
 tained of the perfon from whom this information 
 came, made him neglect and defpife it. " If," 
 .faid fie,- " it were true, the king would never have 
 *' imparted to me fo important a fecret." He even 
 redoubled his marks of confidence and attachment tq 
 the perfidious Neapolitan. 
 
 His body, though carefully fought for, could not 
 be difcovered, after the a&ion, till Campobaflb fent 
 an Italian page, who pointed out the fpot where he 
 fell, which was at fome diftance from the fcene of 
 |>attle. The duke was entirely naked, lying on his 
 ~" belly,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 99 
 
 Thus fell the lafl male of the great 
 houfe of Burgundy. Mary, his only 
 
 daughter, 
 
 belly, and his face clofe to a piece of ice of the 
 marfh where he haii expired. He was wounded in three 
 places : one, by a halberd, which had fplit his jaw ; 
 the two others were made by a pike j the firft having 
 pierced both his thighs from fide to fide, and the laft 
 entered a little higher. The duke of Lorrain caufed 
 him to be tranfported to Nancy, and laid on a bed of 
 Hate, in an apartment hung with black velvet. He 
 afterwards paid him the cuftomary funeral honours, 
 which were of a moft fingular nature. Rene wore on 
 that occafion a golden beard reaching to his middle. 
 Previous to his fcattering holy water on the corpfe, 
 he advanced up to the deceafed prince, and taking 
 him by the hand, addrefled him in thefe words 
 " God reft thy foul ; thou haft given us much 
 * c trouble and grief !" 
 
 Charles's errors and vices feem to have been more 
 pernicious to himfelf, than injurious to others. He 
 poflefled many fublime and fliining qualities j among 
 "which his undaunted intrepidity, liberality, applica- 
 tion, and magnificence were peculiarly eminent. He 
 was of a middle ftature, and vigorous frame of body, 
 capable of great fatigue. The lineaments of his 
 countenance were harm and unpleafing ; his phyfi-* 
 Ognomy appearing to indicate the fiercenefs of his 
 
 jiatural difpofition. Thefe circumftances of the 
 
 H 2 duke'?
 
 ioo MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 daughter, who had not yet attained her 
 twentieth year, was unable to aflert her 
 title to the ample pofTeffions which devolv- 
 ed to her. The imprudence and misfor- 
 tunes of her father had left the Hate 
 exhaufted and impotent ; the treafury 
 empty ; a council difmayed and feeble ; 
 troops almoft exterminated. In this dif- 
 
 duke's character and death are chiefly borrowed from 
 Comines. 
 
 The " Chronique fcandaleufe," written by John 
 de Troyes, agrees with the laft-mentioned hiftorian 
 in almoft every particular, and adds fome others not 
 lefs curious. " Charles's body," fays he, " was 
 " diftinguifhed from the others that lay near it in 
 " the fame ftate of nakednefs, by fix marks, which 
 " infallibly afcertained his identity. The firft was, 
 " the want of his upper teeth, which had been 
 " beaten out by a fall ; the fecond was r a fear on 
 " his throat, occafioned by a wound he received at 
 " the battle of Montlheryj the third, his. great 
 " nails, which he always wore longer than any of 
 " his courtiers ; fourthly, another fear on his left 
 " (houlder; the fifth was, a fiftula on his right 
 " groin ; and laftly, a nail of his foot that grew 
 44 into his little toe. His phyfician, chaplain, and 
 " gentlemen of his bed-chamber recognized their 
 " mafter by thefe marks." 
 
 trefied
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 101 
 
 treffed fituation, me implored the protec- 
 tion of Louis ; fhe fubmitted herfelf and 
 her dominions to his pleafure; fhe even 
 preffingly requefted, that by a marriage 
 with a prince of France, her territories 
 might be re-united to the crown in all 
 their branches. The conduct of the king 
 to the young princefs, on this occafion, 
 was equally deftitute of magnanimity, as 
 of true policy. To the former fentiment 
 he was ever a ftranger ; but nothing, ex- 
 cept his unrelenting deteftation of the 
 Burgundian race, and that eccentric, pe- 
 culiar path in which he delighted to tread, 
 could have induced him to prefer the hoftile 
 feizure of a part of her dominions, to 
 the tranquil and undilputed poffeffion of 
 the whole. Such was however the alter- 
 native he chofe ! His army immediately 
 rendered themfelves matters of Burgundy 
 almoft without oppofition. 
 
 The unprotected duchefs, whofe condi- 
 tion, fo juftlyexcitive of companion, could 
 not foften the malignant heart of Louis, 
 was neceflitated, after a number of delays 
 H 3 and
 
 102 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and irrefolutions, to accept the hand of 
 Maximilian, fon to the emperor Frederic ; 
 who was by no means capable of recover- 
 ing her difmembered territories from fo 
 powerful an antagonift. The king of 
 England was bound by every principle of 
 generofity and wifdom, to affift and fup- 
 port her declining fortunes > but Louis, 
 fubtle and provident, had precluded this 
 channel of fuccour, by a promife of the 
 dauphin to Edward's eldefl daughter, tho' 
 without any intention of fulfilling it : 
 and after fome feeble and ineffectual efforts 
 on the part of Maximilian, all Burgundy 
 and Artois remained to France. 
 
 As Louis advanced in years, the vices of 
 his nature growing inveterate, obtained the 
 fulleft command over him. The defpo- 
 tifm which he had eftablifhed, leaving no 
 barrier to his authoiity, unveiled and gave 
 full fcope to that implacable cruelty which 
 chara6lerifed him through every ftage of 
 life. He had preferved an unceafing de^ 
 fire of vengeance againft the duke of Ne- 
 mours ever fince the war of the Public 
 
 Good;
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, & c . 103 
 
 Cood -, and was now determined to gratify 
 it. That unfortunate nobleman, dreading 
 his fovereign's refentment, had retired to 
 the fortrefs of Caiiat, among the moun- 
 tains of Auvergne. Louis fent the Seig- 
 neur de Beaujeu, to whom he had married 
 his daughter Anne, with orders to invert 
 him in it; but the inacceffible fituation 
 of the caftle rendering it very difficult to 
 gain pofTelllon by force, the duke received 
 the moft folemn afTurances of fafety, if 
 he would furrender. Repofing on the 
 honour of his enemy, he complied : but 
 the king, who fported with all the ties of 
 virtue and fociety, caufed him, in violation 
 pf his compact, to be carried to the Baftile ; 
 he then compelled, though with difficulty, 
 the reluctant judges to condemn him, and 
 ordered him to l>e beheaded. Nor did his 
 revenge flop there ; but, by a refinement 
 jn cruelty unexampled, he commanded the 
 two fons qf the duke, yet in early child- 
 hood, and of confequence incapable of any 
 participation in treafon, to be placed di~ 
 redly under the fcaffold, and covered with 
 H 4 the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the blood of their miferable father, which 
 defcended on their heads. 
 
 Thefe are recitals at which humanity 
 fhudders ; but what fhail we fay to the 
 univerfal teftimony of the French hifto- 
 rians, and even of Comines himfelf; who 
 aflure, that during his reign, he put to 
 death more than four thoufand perfons by 
 various fpecies of torture, without even the 
 forms of trial -, and that he ufually was 
 prefent himfelf at their executions, in 
 which fpectacle he tafted a barbarous fa- 
 tisfaction ? Scarce do the frantic excefles 
 of Caligula furpafs thofe of Louis in atro- 
 city or number. Happily we draw towards 
 the termination of this tragic drama. 
 
 While every public and private profpe- 
 rity feemed to attend on the king, and no 
 foreign or internal commotion difturbed 
 his fchemes, death prepared to arreft him. 
 He was at a village near Chinon in Tou- 
 raine, when a ftroke of an apoplexy feized 
 him : he lay two days motionlefs and 
 fpeechlefs ; at the end of which time, his 
 voice and intellects returned, but not the 
 
 health
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 10$ 
 
 health he had previoufly enjoyed. Ren- 
 dered more diftruftful by this fymptom of 
 approaching diffolution, and jealous left 
 from any perfonal incapacity, attempts 
 iliould be made to infringe his authority 5 
 he redoubled his vigilance and timid cir- 
 cumfpection. As the duke of Bourbon 
 appeared to be the only prince who pof- 
 fefled the qualities requilite for fuch a pre- 
 tenfion, he feized, without accufal or pre* 
 text, on all his lands; and even endea- 
 voured to invent crimes by which he might 
 ultimately ruin and put him to death. 
 
 Amid thefe occupations, a fecond apo^ 
 plectic feizure again warned him of his 
 end. To avert the impending calamity, 
 he made a pilgrimage to St. Claude in 
 Franche Comte : his devotion and his 
 cruelty both increafed ; he was attended 
 in this mock pilgrimage by fix thoufand 
 men at arms, and left bloody traces of 
 his rout in almoft eveiy place through 
 which he pafTed. 
 
 So far from relaxing his accuftomed fe- 
 yerity, as he approached the verge of life, 
 
 his
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 his temper hardened into a ilerner bajba* 
 rity. His wife, whofe patient and en^ 
 during attachment, whofe mild and filent 
 virtues, merited a Better treatment, hp 
 banifhed into Savoy, after having kept 
 her during many years fhut up in fome 
 one of the royal callles s v/here he rarely 
 vifited her, and in which fhe refided as a 
 fimple individual, without ftate, and al- 
 moft without attendants. By his lafl 
 will, he expreily precluded her from any 
 fhare in the government, and endeavoured 
 to infpire his fon with fentlments of dif- 
 truft and averiion to his mother. 
 
 The young dauphin he held as a fort of 
 prifoner in the caftle of Amboife, where 
 he faw none except valets and perfons of 
 the meaneft condition. No education, 
 no mftru.clions were infufed into, his early 
 mind, from a dread, that fuch informa- 
 tion might awaken his dormant qualities, 
 and induce him to make attempts againfi; 
 ^he government. 
 
 His treatment of Louis duke of Or- 
 leans, firft prince of the biood was
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 107 
 
 |ar. He carried him with him a captive; 
 wherever he moved > and, by one of thofe 
 abominable flrokes of unnatural policy 
 which difcriminate Louis the eleventh 
 from any other monarch, he obliged him 
 to marry the princefs Jane, his younger^ 
 daughter; though fhe was deformed in 
 a great degree, and had not even recei- 
 ved a decent education. She was befides. 
 only twelve years of age, and the duke 
 only fourteen. This union of force aru} 
 compulfion was afterwards broken by 
 Louis, when he afcended the throne *. 
 
 Befides 
 
 * There are feme circumftances fo curious and ex- 
 traordinary, relative to this marriage, that I cannot 
 difpenfe with mentioning them. It feems that the 
 king was fully convinced his daughter could bear no 
 children, fince, in a letter of his to the count de 
 Dammartin ftill extant, he fays, fpeaking of the fu- 
 ture bride and her hufband, " Qu'ils n'auroient pas 
 " beaucoup d'embarras a nourrir les enfans qui nai- 
 " troient de leur union ; mais cependant, elle aurg, 
 * s lieu, quelque chofe qu'on en puifle dire." 
 
 Louis the twelfth pretended that he never confum- 
 mated the nuptials ; but this, on mnry accounts, is 
 Jiighly improbable, though admitted by pope Alexan- 
 der
 
 i.o8 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Betides thefe inftances of domeftic ty^. 
 ranny, the people groaned under his op- 
 preffions. Numbers of the nobility were 
 carried about as wild beafts, confined in 
 iron cages > a horrid invention, unknown 
 before this reign, and the frequency of 
 which increafed with the progrefs of his 
 diforder. A third ftroke, of a iimilar na- 
 ture with the two former, feemed to pro- 
 mife his kingdom a termination of its 
 evils ; yet he flill Survived for new feveri- 
 ties. 
 
 The death of Charles of Anjou at this 
 juncture added Provence to the crown; 
 and that of Mary of Burgundy, who pe- 
 
 tier the fixth, at the fubfequent diflblution of them. 
 St. Gelais de Montlieu, in his hiftory, exprefsly aflerts 
 the contrary: thefe are his words " C'eft grand 
 " merveille de ce qu'on faifoit au due d'Orleans, et 
 " les menaces qu'on lui faifoit s'il ne s'acquittoit de 
 " coucher avec la ditc dame Jehanne. On ne le 
 * c menacoit de rien moins quedelavie; et j'aurois 
 " grand honte de reciter la facon comme on ufoient 
 " ceuxquietoient autour, tanthommes que femmes." 
 All this plainly befpeaks the confummation of theit 
 marriage. 
 
 rimed
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, Src. 109 
 
 rimed by a fall from her horfe in hunt- 
 ing, during her pregnancy *, opened the 
 way to a pacification between Louis and 
 Maximilian, by the affiance of his infant 
 daughter Margaret with the dauphin 
 Charles. 
 
 Edward the fourth expired much about 
 the fame time; and England by that 
 event, was once more plunged into all 
 thofe convulfions and civil broils, from, 
 which fhe had hardly begun to recover. 
 
 The concluding fcenes of Louis's life 
 hold up one of the mofl awful pictures 
 
 * Comines fays, fhe died of a fever confequent to, 
 and occafioned by her accident. The cotemporary au- 
 thors aflert, that her exquffite modefty and delicacy 
 alone made the fall fatal j fince fhe preferred death to 
 the permitting a furgeon to fet her thigh, which was 
 broke. 
 
 Her fubjecls deeply regretted her lofs. She had 
 rendered herfelf univerfally beloved for her affability, 
 liberality, and faithful attachment to her hufband. 
 i,ord Rivers, brother to Elizabeth Woodville, Ed- 
 xvard the fourth's queen, had been among the number 
 of her fuitors j but was refufed, as of a rank too much 
 ieneath the princefs. 
 
 which
 
 iio MEMOIRS OF 
 
 which can be prefented to the imagination* 
 That of Pygmalion, though heightened by 
 the colours of Fenelon's rich and defcrip- 
 tive pen, is not more tremendous, or 
 more affecting. He exhaufted every power 
 of medicine, or devotion, or artifice, to 
 prolong a miferable and hateful exiftence. 
 To infpire him with gaiety, the mofl 
 beautiful country girls were brought to 
 dance round his houfe, and bands of men 
 who played on lutes accompanied them; 
 To intercede with Heaven in his behalf, 
 proceffions were ordered throughout the 
 whole kingdom for his recovery; and 
 public prayers offered, to avert the Bize, 
 a cold, piercing wind which incommoded 
 him extremely. A vaft collection of re^ 
 lies was brought, as if to fecure him by 
 their influence from the ftroke of death : 
 while his phyfician treated him with in- 
 fult, and extorted from him vaft fums of 
 money ; which the king dared not to re- 
 fufe him in thofe circumftances. It is 
 even pretended, that a bath of infant's. 
 blood was prepared for him, in the ex-, 
 
 pe&ation
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. m 
 
 peftation that it would foften the acri- 
 mony of his fcorbutic humours ; but to 
 this we may lend a very flender faith. 
 
 After changing his place of refidence 
 many times, he fat down at the caflle of 
 Plefliz-les-Tours. The walls were covered 
 with iron fpikes - y a guard of crofs-bow^ 
 men watched night and day, as if to f- J 
 cure him from invafion. He heard enemies 
 in the palling wind : every thing terrified 
 and alarmed his guilty mind. Only one 
 wicket admitted into the caflle ; and fcarce 
 any one approached his perfon, except the 
 lady of Beaujeu his daughter, and her 
 hufband. During thefe difmal circum- 
 flances, he yet tried to perfuade himfelf 
 and others that he might live. In this 
 flattering delufion, he fent to feek a Ca- 
 labrian hermit, eminent for fanclrity, named 
 Francifco de Paolo. He threw himfelf 
 on his knees before this monk; befought 
 with humble fupplications his intererr. 
 with the Deity for the prolongation of his 
 life ; built him two convents, as proofs of 
 his zeal j and knew no bounds to his adu- 
 9 lation
 
 Ii2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 lation and refpect for the fuppofed mini- 
 fter of Heaven. 
 
 Finding however the inevitable hour of 
 .fate advance, and unable longer to turn 
 his eyes from the furvey of it , he fent 
 for Charles, his fon, from Amboife, and 
 gave him fome falutary advice, exactly 
 oppofite to the uniform tenor of all his 
 own conduct to cherifh the princes of 
 the blood ; to govern by the advice of his 
 nobles; not to controvert the eftabliflied 
 laws j and to diminifh the exorbitant im- 
 pofts with which he had burdened his fub- 
 je6ls. This was the concluding a<5l of 
 his life : he expired fome days after. 
 
 Thofe who are eonverfant in the great 
 works of antiquity, will be ftrikingly re- 
 minded, on the perufal of this ftory, of 
 the defcription of Tiberius's exit, as re- 
 lated by Tacitus. It feems marked with 
 
 all the fame flrokes of character. 
 
 " Jam Tiberium corpus, jam vires, non- 
 " dum diflimulatio deferebat. Idem a- 
 " nimi rigor, fermone ac vultu intentus, 
 *' qusefita interdum comitate, quamvis 
 3 " manifeflam
 
 ICINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 ** manifeftam defeftionem tegebat; mu- 
 " tatifque fsepius locis, tandem apud pro- 
 " montorium Mifeni confedit." 
 
 After fo minute and diffufe a narration 
 of Louis the eleventh's conduct and death, 
 it will be needlefs to draw the character 
 of the king with equal accuracy* The 
 principal ftrokes of it cannot be miflaken. 
 His virtues, if he can be faid to have pof- 
 fefled any, were thofe of policy and arti- 
 fice : his vices, of difpofition and the 
 heart. Even his underftanding, though 
 clear, fagacious, and difcerning, was fre- 
 quently fo fine and fubtle, that it mifled 
 him by its own cunning, and overfhot his 
 purpofes. France however continued to 
 rife in the fcale of empire. Charles the 
 feventh laid the foundation of this ag- 
 grandifement, by his expulfion of the 
 Englifh. Louis added Burgundy, Artois, 
 and Provence to the crown. Only Bre- 
 tagne remained, of the great fiefs, unan- 
 nexed. 
 
 The malignant and unamiable character 
 of Louis did not prevent him from fome 
 
 VOL, I. I gallant-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 gallanrtries. Hiflory has preferred the 
 names of feveral fucceffive miureffes to 
 whom he was attached. Margaret de 
 Saffenage is the moft known and cele- 
 brated: fhe died before his acceflion to 
 the crown : but we never find that any of 
 them influenced the king, or affumed the 
 teaft command over affairs of frate. By 
 his firft wife, the princefs Margaret of 
 Scotland, he had no iflue ; nor does it ap- 
 pear that he even confummated the mar- 
 riage, or cohabited with her, on account 
 trf fome fecret defect in her perfon *. His 
 queen, Charlotte of Savoy, an amiable 
 woman, only furvived him three months. 
 
 I have 
 
 She was daughter to 'James the firft, and only 
 eleven years old when married to Louis, then dauphin, 
 at Tours. What the peculiar object of her hufband's 
 difguft and averfion was, feems covered up very myf- 
 terioufiy, and is hard to afcertain. Moft of the co- 
 temporary authors aflert, that her breath was very 
 difagreeable, and that from that caufe arofe his ef- 
 trangement to 'her. Comines only fays, Louis never 
 loved her ; without afligning the reafon. She was an 
 accomplilhcd princefs in otrrer refpefts, and prote^ed 
 9 letters*
 
 ICINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 115 
 
 I have permitted myfelf to run into a 
 greater prolixity on this reign, than I ge- 
 nerally intend pofTibly greater than was 
 requifite. I mean to intereft, rather than 
 inftrucl: 5 and this end can only be attain- 
 ed by an enumeration of thofe feemingly 
 trifling circumftances ; which yet often 
 difplay the picture of human nature with 
 more fidelity, than the greater actions of 
 the monarch, obfcured by the veil of 
 policy. 
 
 letters. A fingular anecdote is related of her, ftrongly 
 corroborating this. 
 
 Faffing accidentally through an apartment where 
 Alain Chartier, the moft brilliant genius but the ugliefl 
 man of his age, lay afleep, (he advanced up to him 
 and luffed him Her ladies reproaching her by their 
 looks for this feeming violation of female modefty ; 
 " It was not the man," faid fhe, " whom I luffed, 
 <c but the mouth from whence have proceeded ib 
 ** many elevated fentiments." 
 
 She died at Chalons-fur-Mane, about five years 
 after her marriage, without iffue j and, as the French 
 authors inform us, of grief for the calumnious im- 
 putatious affixed on her honour, 
 
 I 2 CHAP-
 
 n6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER THE FOURTH. 
 
 AcceJJion of Charles the eighth. Character 
 of the regent, Anne, lady of Beaujeu. 
 Her adminiftration. Attempts on the 
 duchy ofBretagne. 'The duke of Or leans' s 
 intrigues and flight. His imprifonment. 
 Marriage of Anne of Bretagne to the 
 king. The duchy united to the crown. 
 Termination of the regency. Charles's 
 opening character. He is inflamed 'with 
 fcbemes of conqueft. Attack on the 
 kingdom of Naples. Romantic expedition. 
 His march Uninterrupted train of 
 uittory Coronation Return. Battle of 
 Fornoua. Charles abandons himfelf to 
 pleafares. Naples loft. New plans of 
 itroafion. Renounced. *I be kings change, 
 andfudden death. Circumftances of if. 
 Character. 
 
 *"TpHE age of Charles the eighth, at his 
 
 JL acceflion to the crown, was of that 
 
 critical nature, which rendered it difficult 
 
 to provkie for the regulation of the flate. 
 
 H e
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 117 
 
 He might be reputed a major without any 
 confiderable violence to the forms of the 
 monarchy, fince he had nearly completed 
 his fourteenth year ; but the meannefs of 
 his education, the confinement to which 
 he had always been fubjefted, and his 
 feeble conflitution, delicate and (ickly, 
 feemed to demand fome abler and more 
 experienced conductor. The late king, 
 whofe views ever piercing and active fore- 
 faw this neceflity, had not failed to apply 
 to it a remedy. In his expiring moments 
 he nominated Anne, his eldeft daughter, 
 to the firft charge of the government, 
 though with the title, not of regent, but 
 of governefs. 
 
 The princefs had received from nature 
 all the qualities requiiite for this high 
 office. A genius equal to her father's : 
 more uniformity of conducl, and greater 
 magnanimity of mind. Her judgment 
 was found, without any mixture of that 
 perfidious duplicity which debafed the un- 
 derflanding of Louis. Though vindic- 
 tive, not cruel ; though tenacious of her 
 J 3 dignity,
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 dignity, not violent or imperious. Led 
 by no inferior paffions, fhe felt her capa- 
 cities for adminiirration, and facrinced fo- 
 vereignly to this purfuit. Miftrefs of 
 eloquence, and addrefs the moil refined, 
 ihe knew how to pofiefs, and to retain the 
 authority delegated to her. Such are the 
 bold and vivid colours under which the 
 cotcmporary writers have tranfmitted to 
 us her character ; and we find them fully 
 expanded and difplayed during the fhort 
 but vigorous period, when fhe poflefledl 
 the fupreme command of affairs. 
 
 But though talents fo various and ex- 
 alted appeared to juftify the confidence 
 repofed in her by Louis the eleventh, equity 
 and uniform preicription feemed to call 
 Louis duke of Orleans to the helm of 
 ftate. His ramk, as firft prince of the 
 blood, and even prefurnptive heir to the 
 crown, rendered his claim incontrovertible; 
 if his unripe age, which exceeded not 
 twenty years, did not diminifh the force 
 of this plea. Anne knew how to avail 
 hcrfclf of the defe&$ and, by an exertion 
 K* of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 119 
 
 of that dexterity and management which 
 ihe fo eminently pofTefTed, fecured to her- 
 felf, notwithstanding the duke's oppofi- 
 tion, the poft with which fhe had been 
 inverted. 
 
 Her firft a6ls were of the mofl ingra- 
 tiating and popular nature. Several crea- 
 tures, rather than minifters, of the kfce 
 king, who had abufed their favour, by 
 the commiflion of crimes the moft enor- 
 mous, flie furrendered up to public pu~ 
 nimment. She revoked the donations 
 which his fuperftition and terrors of 
 approaching death had induced him to 
 make to feveral convents and monaftic 
 orders ; and conciliated univerfal favour 
 by a mild and equal government. Thefe 
 were however only the inferior operations 
 of the cabinet. Anne, more daring aod 
 intrepid than her father, faw that the fa- 
 vourable moment was at hand, to *s- 
 unke Bretagne to the crown of France ; 
 n.or was deterred from the profecution of 
 her plan, by the obftacles which environ- 
 ed it. 
 
 I 4, Francis
 
 120 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Francis the fecond, funk into years and 
 imbecility, had refigned all power in- 
 to the hands of Landais ; whom an in- 
 fmuating and flexible genius, calculated 
 to rife in courts, had promoted from a 
 mechanical occupation, to the difpofal of 
 all his matter's favour. The Breton no^ 
 bility, incenfed at fo unworthy a choice, 
 and irritated by the acts of oppreflion and 
 violence which he committed, endeavour- 
 ed to effect his fall -, but the duke, attached 
 to his favourite, flickered him from their 
 indignation. Landais, not content with 
 an efcape, was delirous pf revenge : he 
 menaced his enemies, and even proceeded 
 to the execution of his threats. Necef- 
 fity, united to the defire of vengeance, 
 forced them to recur for protection to 
 the French miniftryj and Anne, who 
 only waited for the application, was ready 
 to grant their requefts of afliftarice 5 when 
 fome oppofition which fhe met with from, 
 another quarter, compelled her to turn 
 her views that way, and relinquifh for 
 an inflant her project,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 121 
 
 Though the fuperior addrefs and policy 
 of his rival, had obliged the duke of Or- 
 leans to acquiefce in her nomination to 
 the firft poft of ftate 5 yet his difappointed 
 ambition, in fo important a ftruggle, had 
 tended to nourifh in his bofom an ani- 
 mofity to her , and his temper, open, and 
 incapable of difguife, made him carelefs or 
 inattentive to its concealment. An inci- 
 dent fmall in itfelf, but attended with 
 very important confequences, diiplayed 
 his refentment, and haftened the reduction 
 of Bretagne. 
 
 The court was at Melun. The duke of 
 Orleans and Ibme other young noblemen 
 were engaged in a party at tennis, of which 
 the king and his fitter were fpectators : a 
 difpute arifing relative to a ftroke which 
 involved the decilion of the game, it was 
 referred to them. Madame de Beaujeu he- 
 fitated not to pronounce in the duke's 
 disfavour -, who, incenfed at what he appre- 
 hended to be an act of flagrant injuftice, 
 and the refult of perfonal enmity, was fo 
 imprudent as to fay, in a tone of voice by 
 
 no
 
 If* MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 no means inaudible, cc Que quiconque 
 1'avoit condamne, fi c'etoit un homme, 
 U en avpit menti ; et fi c'etoit une 
 *< femme, que c'etoit une putaine." This 
 affront, which was of die grafted nature, 
 became unpardonable, when offered to fo 
 great a peonage, and in the royal pre- 
 fence,, Anne, miftrefs of her indignation, 
 retrained it fo far as not to order his im- 
 mediate arrefl : but fhe procured from the 
 council an order for that purpofe, which 
 would have been carried into prompt exe-. 
 cution, if the duke had not fecured himr- 
 ieif by flight, and aflembled his partizans 
 and vafials for his defence. Jt was vain. 
 She befieged him in JBeaugency on the 
 Loire ; reduced him to terms of abfolute 
 fubmilEon i and left him no other autho- 
 rity than that which his rank alone pro- 
 cured. 
 
 Louis, though impatient of a yoke fo 
 galling, was not in a condition to fhake it 
 off; he even affected an entire acquief- 
 cencc : but Anne, jealous and vigilant, hav- 
 ing received informajtion that he had en- 
 tered
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 123 
 
 tered into fome negociations with the duke 
 of Bretagne, fent him an order to repair 
 inftantly to the king \ and, on his attempt- 
 ing by a mefienger to excufe himfelf lender 
 frivolous pretexts, commanded the ma- 
 rechal de Gie to conduft him to her. The 
 duke obeyed, and began his journey : but 
 having gone out next morning, under pre- 
 tence of trying fome new falcons, he ef~ 
 caped a fecond time, and gained the terri- 
 tories of his ally Francis ; who promifed 
 him his daughter Anne, heirefs to the du- 
 chy, in marriage, and entered into the 
 clofeil connections with him. 
 
 The nobility of Bretagne, who had in- 
 cenfed their prince by the deftruction and 
 death of his favourite Landais ; apprehen- 
 five of a fevere chaftifement by this accef- 
 fion of flrength, implored protection from 
 the lady of Beaujeu. She marched in- 
 ftantly a confiderable army to their refcue ; 
 and, after feveral inferior advantages, gained 
 the celebrated battle of St. Aubin du Cor- 
 mier, which decided the contefi. The 
 of Orleans, who fought on foot, 
 
 and
 
 124 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and behaved with diftinguifhed courage, 
 was taken prifoner. After a fhort confine- 
 ment at the cattle of Lufignan in Poictou, 
 he was conducted to Bourges, where he 
 remained a captive in the great tower above 
 two years. 
 
 ThefuccefTes of the French arms obli- 
 ged Madame de Beaujeu to unmalk, and 
 declare openly to the Breton nobility, 
 who prefled her to withdraw her troops, 
 that it was now no longer time. An 
 avowal fo declaratory of the intention to 
 annex the duchy for ever to the crown, 
 re-united every difaffecled perfon, and 
 reftored to the duke his rebellious nobi- 
 lity. But Francis, overcome with infir- 
 mities, and hurt by a fall from his horfe, 
 expired at this juncture >, and left his 
 daughter Anne, fcarce thirteen years of age, 
 furrounded with dangers and enemies. 
 
 New factions, and new competitors 
 arofe for this rich alliance. The Seigneur 
 d'Albret had feveral partizans. Maximi- 
 lian, who had been married to Mary of 
 Burgundy, afpired to. her hand : nor was 
 
 til*
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 125 
 
 the duke of Orleans's party, if he had not 
 been detained a prifoner, yet extinL 
 The young princefs decided in favour of 
 the archduke; and the marriage was not 
 only folemnized by proxy, but attended 
 with a fingular and curious ceremony j 
 that of the count de NafTau's introducing 
 his naked leg into the bed of the bride, as 
 rcprefenting the perfon of Maximilian. 
 Had he come himfelf in perfon, as every 
 principle of policy dictated, the union 
 would have been rendered indiflbluble j but 
 the abject, and almoft incredible parlimony 
 of the emperor Frederic, his father, who 
 refufed him the inconiiderable fum of two 
 thoufand ecus, on this great occafion, de- 
 prived him of an acquifition fo impor- 
 tant. 
 
 The French council, fearful left the 
 prize mould be loft amid fo many in- 
 trigues and delays, determined to fend 
 back the princefs Margaret of Auftria, 
 to whom the king had been long be- 
 trothed, and to demand Anne of Bre- 
 tagne for Charles the eighth ; but though 
 5 prefled
 
 i 2 6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 prefTed by the moft urgent neceflity, and 
 inverted by the forces of the fovereign 
 who courted her alliance, fhe difdained to 
 violate the faith fhe had once pledged ; 
 and refufed, with a noble perfeverance, to 
 accept any hufband except the one fhe had 
 already chofen. Attacked however on 
 every fide, and even entreated by the duke 
 of Orleans, whom Charles took from pri- 
 fon, and lent to urge his fuit; and on 
 the other hand, difgufted by the coldnefs 
 and tardinefs of the archduke, who did 
 not manifeft the anxiety or impatience 
 which fuch a match might jufily excite ; 
 the young duchefs yielded at length, and 
 the nuptials were celebrated at Langeais 
 in Touraine. Maximilian exclaimed loudly 
 againft this double infringement of the 
 moft folemn and binding inftitutions j but 
 the evil was irremediable, and the laft 
 great fief fwallowed up in the dominions 
 of France. 
 
 Henry the feventh of England, who 
 liad acted, from motives of avarice, a 
 part fimilfcr to that which Edward the 
 
 fourth
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 127 
 
 fourth had taken in the affairs of Mary 
 of Burgundy, rather affected to make, 
 than really made, an effort for the prefer* 
 vation of the duchy. He landed at Ca- 
 lais ; but was foon induced to retire into 
 his own dominions, by an argument irre- 
 fiftible with a prince of his charafter-^I 
 mean gold. 
 
 With the important acquifltion of 
 Bretagne, may be faid to have termi- 
 nated the authority of Anne de Beau- 
 jeu. Her credit and influence had be- 
 gun previoufly to diminim. The young 
 king, who approached to years of man- 
 hood, manifefted too great an impatience 
 of controul, to be longer held in tutelage ; 
 and his character expanding with his age, 
 rendered him known to his people. No 
 refemblance of his father appeared in 
 Charles. Lively and brilliant, but of 
 feeble judgment, he poifefTed a temper the 
 moft amiable and gentle ; a heart which 
 even power could not corrupt to the com- 
 million of a crime. Fond of pleafure, 
 though eafily inflamed with the love of 
 
 glory,
 
 128 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 glory, he facrificed alternately to both; 
 and refembled his grandfather, Charles the 
 feventh, in the rapid tranfitions he made 
 from one to the other. 
 
 During the interval of tranquillity and 
 repofe which fucceeded to the reduction 
 or union of Bretagne j the courtiers, de- 
 firous of ingratiating themfelves with 
 their fovereign, began firft to dazzle his ima- 
 gination with ideas of fame and conqueft. 
 The pretenfions which, as fucceffor to the 
 houfe of Anjou, he had on the kingdom 
 of Naples, formed a plaufible and flatter- 
 ing theme to a youthful mind. Charles 
 pofTefled the perfonal courage requilite for 
 military exploits. Ludovico Sforza, fur- 
 named the Moor, brother to the cele- 
 brated Francifco, and uncle to the reign- 
 ing duke of Milan, Galeazzo, invited and 
 importuned him, from interefted motives, 
 to come and take pofleflion of his right. 
 Upon the firft report of fuch an intention, 
 Ferdinand, who reigned in Naples, and 
 who had patted his feventieth year, fent an 
 embafly to the king, of the moft fubmif- 
 
 five
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 129 
 
 five nature, offering to pay homage, and 
 ah annual tribute. Thefe propofals, which 
 ought to have been accepted, were in- 
 ilantly refafea; and trie old king, terri- 
 fied at the impending invafion, and unable 
 to avert if, expired foon after of grief and 
 terror. 
 
 The rage for foreign war having once 
 gained pofTeflion of the young monarch, no 
 arguments or motives of policy could in- 
 duce him to relinquifh it. In vain did 
 the lady of Beaujeu oppbfe fo rafh and ill- 
 concerted an enterprize. She had lafr. her 
 former influence, and was no longer heard. 
 With fuch warmth was this injudicious de- 
 termination adopted, that even the moft 
 important and certain acquifitions were re- 
 nounced; for a contingent and diftant 
 crown. Roufillon and Cerdagne, of which' 
 Louis the eleventh had' poflefled himfelf 
 during the troubles' of Spam, by an un- 
 wearied and mafterly policy,' were ceded' 
 to Ferdinand of Arragon, only to obtaiii : 
 his neutrality in the attack on Naples. 
 None of the abfurd and legendary adven- 
 
 VOL. I, K tures-
 
 j 3 o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tures of chivalry were ever more roman- 
 tic, or undertaken in greater contradic- 
 tion to reafon, than this of Charles. 
 Without money, without any certain or 
 honourable ally, and with a handful of 
 troops courageous and gallant, but unac- 
 cuftomed to the fatigues of long or difaf- 
 trous campaigns -, he undertook to march 
 over the Alps and Apennines, to the extre- 
 mity of Italy, through the dominions of 
 the pope and Florence, who were openly 
 declared againft him; 
 
 After a number of delays and procraf- 
 tinations, unavoidable at the commence- 
 ment of fuch an enterprize, Charles be- 
 gan his march. While he waited at Aft 
 in Piedmont for his artillery, which was 
 obliged to be dragged over the mountains, 
 he was feized with the fmall-pox ; from 
 which he recovered after the moft immi- 
 nent danger of his life. At Turin he 
 was neceffitated to borrow all the rings 
 and jewels of the duchefs of Savoy, as he 
 did at Cafal thofe of the marchionefs of 
 Montferrat, to fupply the neceflkry charges 
 
 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 131 
 
 of the war. Ludovico Sforza met him at 
 Vigeve j but quitted him in a few days, to 
 take pofiefiioii of the duchy of Milan, 
 which he feized on the death of Galeazzo ; 
 his nephew, though he had left an infant 
 fon. If Charles had purfued the dictates 
 of found policy, he fhould himfelf have- 
 conquered Milan, which belonged of right 
 to the family of Orleans ; but, intoxicated, 
 with his Neapolitan fchemes, he continued, 
 his progrefs. 
 
 The Florentines, who pafiionatelyafpired 
 to freedom, expelled Pietro de Medecis on 
 the king's approach to Tufcany j and re- 
 ceived him in military triumph into the 
 city. Clad in complete armour, mounted 
 on horfeback, his lance couched, and his 
 vizor lowered, he entered Florence as a 
 conqueror. Alexander the fixth, the reign- 
 ing pontiff, retired, at this tremendous 
 intelligence, into the caflle of St. Angelo, 
 after he had commanded the gates of 
 Rome to be thrown open > and Charles, 
 victorious without a blow, took pofTeflion 
 of the city as by right of conquer! , and dif- 
 K 2 pofed
 
 i 3 a MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pofed of his troops in the different quarters' 
 of it. Thepope fox>n capitulated; and after 
 a treaty fuch as the neceffity of his affairs 
 reduced him to conclude,- the French army 
 quitted Rome, and refumed its march. 
 Meanwhile all was confternation and af- 
 fright at Naples. Alfonfo, who hadfucceed- 
 ed to his father in the throne,- yielding to 
 terrors the moft unmanly, and aliiioft in- 
 conceivable, religned the fceptre to young 
 Ferdinand his fon, and fled into a mona- 
 ftery at Meflina in Sicily** The new 
 
 king 
 
 * If we may credit the hiftorkms, Alfonfo's panic 
 rofe to a degree approaching frenzy. Such were his 
 fears, that though the French army was fixty leagues 
 diftant, he apprehended he faw them in the ftreets 
 of Naples, and that the very walls, trees,- ar.d ftones, 
 cried out, "France!" The queen-dowager implor- 
 ing him only to remain three days, which were want- 
 ing to complete a year frbm his acceflion to the 
 crown, he refufed j and even threatened, if he was 
 longer detained againft his inclination, to precipitate 
 himfelf from the windows of the palace. After hav- 
 ing caufed his fon Ferdinand to be folemnly crowned 
 and inaugurated, he embarked on board a veflel ; car- 
 rying with him all forts of wines, and feeds for" his ' 
 
 gardens,.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. I33 
 
 king was defeated in a fort of engagement 
 which he hazarded, aiifj. obliged to fhelter 
 himfelf in the iile of Ifchia. Naples inftantly 
 received the victory the caftles held out a 
 
 gardens, to both which pleafures he was immoderately 
 attached. Landing in -Sicily, he retired into a con- 
 vent at Meflina ; and abandoning himfelf to fuperfti- 
 tious ?.nd monaftic aufterities, foon contracted by 
 thofe rigors an excoriation and gravel, which termi- 
 nated his exiftence, within a year from Charles the 
 eighth's invafion. 
 
 Comines defcribes him as a monfter of impiety 
 and cruelty. Some circumftances of his oppreffions 
 and enormities, which he enumerates, are very fingular. 
 " Both himfelf and his father Ferdinand," fays he, 
 cc were accuftomed to deliver out hogs to the people 
 " to fatten, and if any of them died, they were 
 < obliged to repay the king. He indulged himfelf in 
 * c the commiflion of every fpecies of lafcivioufnefs and 
 " barbarity : fold the buTiopric of Tarento to a Jew 
 " for thirteen thoufand ducats; and gave abbies to his 
 " falconers." Comines, with a fort of facred hor- 
 ror, fums up the lift of his iniquities, by declaring, 
 that " he never kept Lent, or even pretended to do 
 " it ; and would neither go to confeffion, nor re- 
 * c ceive the facrament." Thefe were the moft flagi- 
 tious excefTes of which the human mind could con- 
 ceive an idea, in the fifteenth century, and feemed to 
 cclipfe all his other vices. 
 
 K 3 very
 
 I 3 4 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 very fhort time ; and of the whole king- 
 dom, only Brindul continued to declare 
 for Ferdinand. 
 
 Dazzled with fo extraordinary a blaze 
 of glory, Charles already meditated the 
 fack of Conftantinople, and the fubver- 
 fion of the Ottoman empire. Every thing 
 yielded to his arms ; and during fo long 
 and difficult a march, fcarce an enemy 
 had appeared to oppofe his paffage. But 
 amid this train of profperity, he did not 
 advert to the gathering ftorm. Plunged 
 in the feftive excefles of youth, and flulhed 
 with conqueft, no fleps were taken to fe-- 
 cure the dominions he had acquired. Ban- 
 quets and mafquerades fucceeded each 
 other ; and to fo great a degree of neglect 
 was their mifconducl carried, that troops 
 were not even fent to receive the places 
 which fubmitted, and acknowledged the 
 French monarch. 
 
 The great powers of Europe, who had 
 looked on, during this rapid fubverfion of 
 Italy, unmoved, began to awake from 
 their fupine inaction. A league was made 
 
 between
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 135 
 
 between the pope, the emperor Maximi- 
 lian, the archduke Philip his fon, and 
 Ferdinand of Arragon : even the perfidi- 
 ous Sforza, violating the ties of gratitude 
 and honour, acceded to this powerful con- 
 federacy. 
 
 It became necefTary for Charles to me- 
 ditate a retreat. He determined on it, af- 
 ter having previoufly made a triumphal 
 entry into the capital of his new king- 
 dom, clad in the imperial ornaments, a 
 globe in his right hand, and a fceptre in 
 his left ; while a canopy was fupported 
 over him by the firfl nobles of the coun- 
 try, and all the people cried, " Long live 
 " the moft auguft emperor !" This often- 
 tatious ceremony performed, he quitted 
 Naples $ and pafling again through the pa- 
 pal territories, was fo imprudent as to lofe 
 twelve or fifteen days at Pifa and Sienna, 
 during which time the great confederate 
 army afTembled. Louis duke of Orleans, 
 who ought to have led eight or nine 
 fhoufand men to the affiftance of his fove- 
 reign, had engaged in an attempt againft 
 K 4 Ludovico
 
 136 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Ludovico Sforza; and having furprifed the 
 city of Noyarra, was afterwards blocked 
 up in it. 
 
 The allied army, though four times 
 more numerous than that of the king, 
 did not venture to attack him among the 
 mountains ; but waited for him near the 
 village of Fornoua, nine miles from Pla- 
 cenzia, in an open plain. The courage 
 ojf the French, animated by the prefence of 
 their prince, was fuperior to all oppofition : 
 they gained the day, purfued their march 
 towards France, and reached the city of 
 Aft with laurels unwithered. The duke 
 of Orleans continued ftill Ihut up in 
 Novarra -, but Charles at length marching 
 to his relief, extricated him with diffi- 
 culty from his perilous fituation, the 
 garrifpn having fuftained the extremefl 
 prelTures of famine. 
 
 The king had not fufficient patience 
 to attend the conclusion of a treaty in 
 Agitation with Sforza; but, quitting the 
 fatigues of a camp, returned in hafte to 
 
 Lyons, and once more abandoned him- 
 
 .-.-.. 
 
 felf
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. ttf 
 
 felf to love and pleafures. All the hafty 
 and imperfect trophies he had acquired, 
 were foon forgotten. A decay in the af- 
 fairs of Naples, as rapid as the conqueft 
 of it, rendered abortive all his labours. 
 Ferdinand, more worthy of a diadem, 
 than his father pr grandfather, returned 
 to ;fche kingdom from which he had been 
 driven. The duke of Montpenlier, left 
 viceroy, after a long and obftinate attempt 
 to retain pofTeffion of it, was not only 
 obliged to furrender himfelf and his troops 
 prifoners of war, but to capitulate for 
 the complete evacuation of the whole 
 kingdom in a month : and the other com- 
 manders refufmg to acknowledge or exe- 
 cute fo ignominious a treaty, he was fent, 
 together with the forces which he com- 
 manded, to Puzzoli; where a malignant 
 diftemper deftroyed both himfelf and the 
 greater part of his unhappy countrymen. 
 Ferdinand, a prince of high expectations, 
 died likewife at this critical juncture, before 
 the reduction of his dominions was ef- 
 fected ;
 
 J3 3 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fected; and his uncle Frederic fucceeded 
 to the throne *. 
 
 Meanwhile new plans of invafion were 
 fet on foot in the court of France. The 
 king, in compliance with the fuperftition 
 of the age, went to St. Denis, tb take leave 
 of the holy faints and martyrs who repofe 
 there. The cavalry even patted the moun- 
 tains, and the duchy of Milan was fixed 
 for the fcene of their firfl attack ; when all 
 thefe preparations were fuddenly ftopt and 
 laid afide. It is pretended, that Charles's 
 attachment to one of the queen's maids 
 of honour, occafioned this extraordinary 
 change: but it is more natural to attri- 
 bute it to the decay of his health ; which, 
 impaired by his excefles with women, and 
 
 * Ferdinand had only juft married his own aunt, 
 a beautiful young lady of fourteen years, as Comi- 
 HCS affures us. She was the legitimate daughter of his 
 grandfather Ferdinand, and of confequence fifter to 
 the late king Alfonfo, his father. He expired of a 
 dyfentery and heftic fever, in a little town at the foot 
 of mount Vcfuvius. 
 
 originally
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 priginally delicate, began to fail. The 
 duke of Orleans was fo fenfible of this 
 apparent decline, which left the fucceflion 
 open to him, that he refufed to take upon 
 him the command of the army deftined 
 againft Milan ; and every appearance of 
 war was totally relinquifhed. 
 
 The king, whether confcious that his 
 pleafures had been productive of very in- 
 jurious confequences to him - y or whether, 
 from motives of confcientious fcruple, re- 
 nounced all his paft irregularities ; and re- 
 tiring with the queen, to whom he was 
 exceedingly attached, to the caftle of Am- 
 boife, amufed himfelf with making fome 
 additions, and creeling new apartments 
 there. Refigning the ideas of foreign 
 conqueft, he began to provide for the in- 
 ternal tranquillity of his kingdom -, and 
 was occupied in thefe regulations, when a 
 death equally fudden and fmgular, put an 
 end to his intentions. 
 
 He was in an old gallery at Amboife, 
 from whence he furveyed a game of tennis, 
 
 >vhich
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 which was played in the fofles of the caf- 
 tie. Willing to gratify the queen with 
 the fame entertainment, he went to her 
 chamber, and taking her by the hand, con- 
 ducted her to the gallery - t but in pafling 
 through the door which opened into it, 
 he iiruck his head with violence againft 
 the tqp, which was .very low : he felt no 
 immediate bad confequences from the ac- 
 cident, but entered. He even had entirely 
 forgotten the blow, and was engaged in 
 deep converfation with Jacques de Refli, 
 bifhop of. Angers. It turned on religious 
 fubjects ; and the king, who had entirely 
 renounced the debauches in which he had 
 indulged during, the firfl years of his mar- 
 riage, was profefling his determined refo- 
 lution? to guard facredly the fidelity he 
 owed to the queen, when he fuddenly fell 
 backwards in an apoplectic fit. The cour- 
 tiers and attendants, terrified at fo alarm- 
 ing a feizure, immediately laid him on a. 
 fmall pallet-bed, which by accident was in 
 a corner of the gallery ; and on which, not-, 
 
 withftanding
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 141 
 
 ^ithftanding every effort of medicine, 
 he expired at eleven o'clock the fame 
 night *. 
 
 The inftant he had breathed his laft, 
 every one quitted his body ; and leaving 
 him in the place where he died, galloped 
 in hafte to Blois, to announce to the duke 
 of Orleans his acceflion to the crown: 
 while Anne of Bretagne, overcome with 
 grief, and very ftrongly attached to her 
 hufband, abandoned herfelf to all the dif- 
 tra&ion of forrow. It is- faid fhe fat in 
 
 * Philip de Comines fays, the king thrice recovered 
 his voice, but quickly loft it again, as the confeflbr 
 who waited by his majefty aflured him. He calls the 
 diftemper of which Charles expired, a catarrh or apo- 
 plexy; and adds, that the indications of his approach- 
 ing end were apparent to the phyficians for three or 
 four days before his feizure. Yet they entertained' 
 hopes that the difeafo would only fall on his arms, of 
 which he would probably lofe the ufe. Some of the 
 French hiftorians have notwithftanding pretended, 
 though without any fhadow of proof, or probability, 
 that he was poifoned with an orange. It is more na- 
 tural to apprehend that his irregularities enfeebled his 
 conftitution, and accelerated his end, 
 
 a corner
 
 14* MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 a corner of her chamber during two days, 
 conflantly refilling any nourifhment, and 
 loft in derpair. Perhaps her mortified 
 ambition might, in fome degree, caufe fo 
 immoderate a diftrefs j as by Charles's death 
 (he faw herfelf again reduced from queen 
 of France to duchefs of Bretagne , the two 
 fons which fhe had borne him having both 
 lived a very fhort time. 
 
 The ftrokes of Charles's character are 
 few and fimple. He was furnamed the 
 Affable and the Courteous , nor is it known 
 that in his whole life, he ever offended or 
 difgufted any one of his fervants or fub- 
 jects. His temper was fweet, and yield- 
 ing to excefs ; open to generofity, huma- 
 nity, and benevolence. In perfon he 
 was little, and ungraceful } his fhoulders 
 high, his face plain, and his fpeech flow 
 and interrupted * : his eyes alone were 
 lively and expreffive. Comines's defcrip- 
 
 tion 
 
 * Braritomc takes fome pains to contradift this idea 
 of Charles the eighth, and even produces the tefti- 
 mony of his grandmother, the fcnechale of Poidlou, 
 
 who
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 6cc. 143 
 
 tion of him is wondroufly forcible, though 
 laconic. " Petit homme de corps, et peii 
 " entendu $ mais fi bon, qu'il n'eft point 
 poflible de voir meilleure creature." 
 There is a certain unadorned naivete in 
 the picture, which charms and affects. 
 
 Though Charles's paffion for women 
 was exceilive, and is even fuppofed to 
 have conduced to haften his death; yet 
 we do not find any particular miftrefs who 
 appears to have attached him long, or 
 obtained any extraordinary afcendency 
 
 who had been a lady of honour under the duchefs of 
 Bourbon (Anne de Beaujea) and confequently knew 
 the king's perfon perfectly. She defcribed him as 
 having a handfome and engaging face, and though 
 low and {lender in his perfon, yet well made and 
 agreeable. 
 
 If the effigy in bronze at St. Denis, where he is in a 
 kneeling attitude, may be fuppofed to refemble the 
 king, it confirms Brantome's aflertion ; who accufes 
 Guichiardini of malignancy, in belying and depre- 
 ciating his perfon, in revenge for the calamities he had 
 introduced into Italy. Francis the firft cherifhed a 
 peculiar veneration for, and affection to the memory of 
 Charles the eighth. 
 
 over
 
 144- MEMOIRS OF THE 
 Over him. His capacity was limited, and 
 tendered more fo by the mean and con- 
 fined education which he received in the 
 cattle of Amboife during his father's life ; 
 "but the virtues of his heart, his obfervance 
 of juftice, and unbounded benignity of dif-' 
 pofition, rendered him the moft amiable 
 of princes. Two of his domeftics are faid 
 to have died 'of grief for the lofs of their 
 beloved mafter. He had not completed 
 his twenty-eighth year, when death de- 
 prived his people of fo good a king 1 . 
 
 In him ended the dire6t race of Valois ; 
 Louis duke of Orleans, who afcended 
 the throne, being of a collateral branch, 
 and grandfon to the firft duke of Orleans, 
 brother to Charles the fixth, affaffinated 
 in the rue Barbette at Paris. 
 
 CHAPTER
 
 ICINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 145 
 
 CHAPTER THE FIFTH. 
 
 Louis the twelfth's accejjion and character. 
 His divorce, and marriage with Anne of 
 Bretagne. Conquejl of Milan , and im- 
 prifonment of Ludovico Sforza. Recovery 
 of Naples, and divifion of it with Ferdi- 
 nand of Arragon Perfidy of that prince. 
 Gonfalvo de Cordova drives out the 
 French. ^-Magnanimity of Louis. His 
 dangerous illmfs. Death of Ifabella of 
 Caftile. Julius thefecond's accej/ion to the 
 papacy. Character. League of Cam- 
 bray. Death of the cardinal of Amboife. 
 Julius' 's ambition andfucce/es. Gafton 
 de Foix appears. His victories. Battle 
 of Ravenna. Death Gircumftances. 
 French driven out of Italy. Julius dies. 
 Leo the tenth accedes to the pontificate. 
 IHnefs and death of Anne of Bre- 
 tagne. Her character. The king's grief. 
 Marriage of Francis count d ' Angoulefme to 
 theprincefs Claude. State of the court. 
 I. L Louis's *
 
 J4 6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Louis's marriage* IHnefs. Death . 
 Chat-after* 
 
 LOUIS the twelfth had attained 
 his thirty-fixth year at the time 
 when he acceded to the crown of France. 
 His judgment, naturally clear anddifcern- 
 ing, was ripened by experience ; and his 
 heart, full of every gentle and beneficent 
 fentiment, was rendered fuplremely cap- 
 able of feeling the calamities of others* 
 by thofe which he had undergone himfelf. 
 Under Louis the eleventh he had been 
 treated with cruel and unmerited feverity^ 
 compelled to a marriage the moft odious, 
 and denied all the privileges of his rank. 
 'Under the fucceding regency, fortune per- 
 fecuted him with even greater rigour 3 and 
 the error he committed in appearing in 
 arms againft his fovereign at the battle 
 of St. Aubin du Cormier,- was fully ex- 
 piated by a long and rigorous imprifon- 
 ment, which fucceeded. The forgiving 
 and clement temper of Charles the eighth 
 had releafed him from this captivity, but 
 
 he
 
 JUNGS OF FRANCE, &c. 147 
 
 lie was notwithflandiiig ever regarded with 
 a fort of jealous attention; and was in dif- 
 grace with the late king at the time of 
 his deceafe, on account of an unintended 
 affront which Anne of Bretagne refented 
 highly *. 
 
 The firft afts of his admimnration were 
 confident with his character, and unveiled 
 fully that virtuous integrity, and mag- 
 nanimous *fuperiority to revenge and reta- 
 liation of injury, which uniformly ap- 
 
 * The nature of this undeiigned injury was very 
 extraordinary. The young dauphin Charles was dead ; 
 and the phyficians finding that the king's mind was 
 much affe&ed by fo melancholy an event, advifed 
 fome recreation to divert his grief, which might 
 otherwife prey on his feeble conftitution* The duke 
 of Orleans, in this defign, appeared at a mafquerade 
 in the caftle of Amboife ; and exerted himfelf to an 
 \mufual degree, in a dance, with a lady, which he 
 carried to a pitch of gay extravagance. It produced 
 the very oppofite effeft to that which he expected ; 
 for the queen interpreting all thefe marks of levity 
 and mirth to his pleafure at the dauphin's death, 
 which rendered him again prefumptive fucceflbr, was 
 exceedingly offended, and obliged him to leave the 
 -court, and retire to the caftle of Blois. 
 
 L 2 peared
 
 148 MEMOIRS OF TH 
 
 peared in his conduct. He lightened the 
 imports from off his people ; and when 
 preffed by the courtiers to punifh thofe 
 who had been his enemies arid avowed 
 opponents, he made that glorious reply 
 woithy of eternal remembrance; " It be- 
 " comes not a king of France, to revenge 
 " the quarrels of a duke of Orleans." 
 
 Though bent to recover the kingdom 
 of Naples from Frederick the View fove- 
 reign, and equally determined to afiert 
 his title to the duchy of Milan, ufurped 
 by Ludovico Sforza ; a domeftic concern, 
 which entailed with it very important 
 confequences, claimed his early attention. 
 The princefs Jane, to whom he had been 
 married more than twenty years, though 
 endowed with the moft eftimable and 
 amiable qualities, was not only incapable 
 of producing children -, but the deformity 
 of her perfon rendered her an object of 
 diilafle and averfion. On the other hand, 
 Anne of Bretagne had retired into her 
 duchy ; and though the articles of her 
 marriage with Charles the eighth, were 
 6 fuch
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 149 
 
 fuch as precluded her from the difpofal 
 of her hand in cafe of his death, to the 
 injury of the ftate ; yet policy required 
 the ftrifteft regard to thofe meafures which 
 might fecure to the crown fo rich an 
 acquifition. She was beautiful in her 
 perfon, though a little lame in one foot ; 
 yet in early youth, and had not only 
 been beloved by Louis during the lifetime 
 of her fatlier Francis the fecond, but it 
 was fuppofed had not been infenfiblc 
 to, or unaffected by his paffion. Thefe 
 conjoined motives of the monarch and the 
 man, induced Louis to apply to Alexander 
 the lixth for a diffolution of his marriage : 
 and the pope, whom political principles 
 rendered fubfervient to any purpofes or 
 views, immediately appointed commiffion- 
 ers, and fent his fon Caefar Borgia into 
 France, to decide the affair. They pro- 
 nounced the union void and illegal, as 
 having been effected by force ; and the 
 king, haftening to Nantes, at which city 
 Anne refided, efpoufed her folemnly, and 
 eonducled her to Blois, where he com- 
 L 3 monly
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 monly held his court. Jane, fubmiffivd 
 jn her difgrace, and humble from a confci- 
 oufnefs of her perfonal demerits, fcarce 
 attempted any refinance to the mandate 
 which deprived her of a crown -, but retir- 
 ing to Bourges, devoted her remaining 
 days to piety, and having founded an or- 
 der of monadic feclufion, took the veil in. 
 the nunnery (he had creeled. 
 
 This affair tranfafted, the king directed 
 his whole attention to Italy, and princi-* 
 pally to the Milaneze. His claim was in- 
 controvertible, in right of Valentina his 
 grandmother j and this was rendered more 
 apparent by the crimes and ufurpation of 
 Ludovico Sforza. After having concluded 
 an alliance with the Venetians, his forces 
 entered Piedmont -, and meeting fcarce any 
 refiftance, made a rapid conquefl of the 
 whole duchy, only the caftle of Milan hold- 
 ing out a few days. Louis, on this prof- 
 perous intelligence, haflened acrofs the 
 mountains, entered the capital of his new 
 dominions habited in the ducal robes, and 
 remained there near three months. 
 
 Sforza,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 151 
 
 Sforza, who bent beneath the ftorm, and 
 had early retired into Germany, waited 
 only the favourable moment to return ; 
 at his approach, every city opened to him 
 its gates, and he was received again into 
 Milan, from whence he had fled. This 
 faint gleam of fuccefs was quickly followed 
 by a fad reverfe. The Switzers whom he 
 entertained in his fervice, by a perfidy 
 which even Sforza's character could not 
 juftify, delivered him up to the French ge- 
 neral, difguifed as a common foldier, un- 
 der which appearance he had hoped to ef- 
 fect his efcape. He was conducted to Ly- 
 ons, where Louis then refided : but Sforza's 
 repeated and flagitious enormities ha4 fteel- 
 ed his bofom to the impreffions of commi- 
 feration or pardon j and without deigning 
 to admit him to his prefence, the king re- 
 moved him immediately to the caftle of 
 Loches in T ouraine. At firft, his confine- 
 ment was very rigorous, and it is pretend- 
 ed, that he was fhut up in an iron cage ; 
 but during the latter years of his life, this 
 feverity was mitigated , he had permiflion 
 L, to
 
 152 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to hunt, and a degree of liberty allowed 
 him. 
 
 The complete reduction of all the Mi- 
 laneze which followed Sforza's captivity, 
 and the terror which Louis's arms fpread 
 through Italy, rendered the conqueft of 
 Naples almoft certain : but his weaknefs 
 in admitting Ferdinand the catholic to di- 
 vide the fpoils which he might have en- 
 tirely appropriated, was eventually fub- 
 yerfive of all his acquifitions. Previous to 
 the attack, a convention was made be- 
 tween the two princes, by which Naples 
 and the northern half of the kingdom was 
 affigned to France ; Ferdinand had Apulia 
 and Calabria. Frederic, the reigning king, 
 made no abler defence than his predecef- 
 fors : after a timid and irrefolute oppofi- 
 tion, finding himfelf reduced from royalty 
 to the condition of an individual -, and 
 abandoned by all his fubjects or adherents, 
 he took the refolution to throw himfelf on 
 Louis's bounty. He demanded a fafe con- 
 duft into France, which was granted him ; 
 and the king, with that generofity which 
 
 Eminently
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 6cc. 153 
 
 eminently fhone in his conduct, afforded 
 him an afylum, and an annual penfion of 
 thirty thoufand ecus, which was continued 
 even after the expulfion of the French from 
 Naples. 
 
 Meanwhile Ferdinand was not lefs dili- 
 gent in fecuring his fhare of the Neapoli- 
 tan territories. Gonfalvo de Cordova, the 
 celebrated general, whom hiftory has dig- 
 nified with the title of " the Great Cap- 
 " tain," made an eafy conquefl of the 
 two provinces decreed to his matter. Ta- 
 rentuin only made refinance. Alfonfo, 
 the heir to the crown, and fon of Frederic, 
 was fliut up in it. His father, fuppofing 
 it impregnable, had fent him to this for- 
 trefs under the care of two nobles attached 
 to his interefts : they apprehending every 
 thing loft, and repofing on the folemn pro- 
 mifes of Gonfalvo, who fwore on the fa- 
 craments, to leave the young prince his 
 perfect liberty, capitulated, and furrendered 
 the place : but the perfidious Spaniard, who 
 fported with oaths, and difregarded the 
 jnoft binding compacts, detained Alfonfo 
 
 prifoner.
 
 154 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 prifoner, and fent him to Ferdinand, who 
 though he treated him with lenity, never 
 would releafe him. 
 
 Scarce was Naples reduced under its 
 new mailers, when difTentions arofe be- 
 tween them, on the fubjecl: of a fmall tract 
 of country claimed by both. The Spa- 
 niards firft infringed the peace by acts of 
 open hoftility ; but the king having com- 
 manded to repel force by force, his ge- 
 neral the duke of Nemours took the field, 
 and pufhed his advantages over the Spa- 
 niard to fuch a length, that he was re- 
 duced to retire into Baiietta, where the 
 want of ammunition had nearly compelled 
 him to furrender. At this juncture, when 
 Louis was on the point of difpofleflmg 
 Ferdinand of all his divifion, and fortune 
 had uniformly attended on his arms, Phi- 
 lip the archduke, who had married Jane 
 the daughter of Ferdinand and Ifabel, 
 pafled through France : he faw the king 
 at Lyons, and concluded a treaty with him 
 in the name of his father-in-law. By the 
 conditions of it, the two monarchs were 
 
 bound
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 bound to a cefTation of arms; the provinces 
 originally ceded to each were confirmed, 
 and the lands in difpute were to be fequef- 
 tered into the hands of the archduke. 
 
 In the conduct of the princes after this 
 event, we trace in the ftrongeft manner 
 their oppofite genius and character. The 
 ambafTadors of Ferdinand who attended 
 Philip, having fworn to the execution of 
 the agreement, under pain of excommu-? 
 nication if violated or infringed, the he- 
 raids announced it to the two command- 
 ers in Naples, The duke of Nemours, 
 who knew the uprightnefs and integrity 
 of his king, hefitated not a moment to 
 withdraw his forces : but Gonfalvo, har- 
 dened himfelf to the commiffion of crimes, 
 and repofing with full fecurity on the 
 bafe and treacherous perfidy of Ferdinand, 
 refufed to act in compliance with the or- 
 ders ; he demanded an exprefs command 
 to that purpofe. Having received a rein- 
 forcement of Germans, he in turn attacked 
 the French, routed them in two actions, 
 killed the duke of Nemours, and not only 
 
 made
 
 156 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 made himfelf matter of the city of Naples; 
 but totally fubdued the whole kingdom. 
 
 The archduke was in Savoy when he 
 received the news of fo notorious a 
 breach of that public faith, for which he 
 had pledged his own honour. Shocked 
 at a conduct which marked its author 
 with indelible infamy, he returned in- 
 ftantly into France to put himfelf into 
 Louis's power -, while he difpatched mef- 
 fengers to remonilrate with his father-in- 
 law on his treacherous connivance and 
 approval of Gonfalvo's mifconducl, and 
 demanded the reflitution of all he had 
 conquered. Ferdinand, wrapping himfelf 
 in the duplicity of an equivocating and 
 Brooked policy, one time difowned his 
 ambafladprs, and at another his general j 
 offered to reftore the kingdom to the cap- 
 tive Frederic, but fecretly fent orders to 
 pufh the war in Naples to the abfolute, 
 Extermination of the French, 
 
 Louis, great in his own virtue, and 
 fcorning thefe defpicable fubterfuges, or- 
 the miniflers of the king of Arra-. 
 
 gon
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &fc. 157 
 
 gon to quit his dominions ; and while, 
 incapable himfelf of mean retaliation, he 
 permitted the archduke, unmolefted, to 
 return into Flanders, though he might 
 have detained him, he made that animating 
 fpeech to him at his departure. " If," 
 faid he, " your father-in-law has been 
 " guilty of a perfidy, I will not refemble 
 *' him ; and I am infinitely happier in 
 " the lofs of a kingdom which I know 
 how to reconquer, than to have ftained 
 " my honour, which I could never re- 
 " trieve." 
 
 Irritated by a treatment fo unkingly and 
 deteftable, Louis made new, but ineffec- 
 tual efforts to regain his rights in Naples. 
 Gonfalvo, the ableft commander of his 
 age, defeated all his attempts; and retained 
 by military ikill and fuperior parts, the 
 poiTeflions which he had acquired by a 
 breach of every principle of faith. 
 
 The death of Alexander the fixth, and 
 the acceffion of Julius the fecond to the 
 pontificate, was likewife unfavourable to 
 the affairs of France ; and the ill fuccefs 
 
 which
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 which from .every quarter feemed to over- 
 whelm him, threw the king into a violent 
 fever, produced by anxiety and mortifica- 
 tion. During the heighth of his diftem- 
 per, as his death was apprehended to be 
 imminent and inevitable, Anne of Bre- 
 tagne, provident for her own fafety, be- 
 gan to prepare for a retreat into her 
 duchy; and in that intention, embarked 
 a number of rich moveables in boats upon 
 the Loire. The marechal de Gie meeting 
 them between Saumur and Nantes, gave 
 orders to flop their progrefs ; thinking it 
 an act contradictory to the interefls of the 
 flate, that the queen fhbuld remove at 
 pleafure all her jewels and effects out of 
 
 the kingdom. Louis recovered; and 
 
 Anne, enraged at what fhe deemed an 
 action of the moft prefumptuous infolence> 
 vindictive to excefs, and in a capacity to 
 revenge feverely the marechal's conduct, 
 not only procured his exile from the 
 court, and deprivation of every poft he 
 held; but pufhing her vengeance to a 
 'length the moft unjuftifiable and cruel, 
 3' .reduced
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 159 
 
 reduced him to extreme poverty, and left 
 him to terminate his miferable days amid 
 difgrace and indigence. 
 
 Frederic* the unfortunate king of Na- 
 ples, expired about this time at Tours, in 
 a mild and honourable captivity. His 
 death was followed by that of the great 
 queen of Caftile, Ifabella ; and her domi- 
 nions devolving to the archduke Philip 
 in right of Jane his wife, changed the 
 'whole fcale and fyftem of European poli- 
 tics. Ferdinand, who after feveral vain and 
 fruitlefs efforts to retain the regency, was 
 again reduced to his original kingdom ot 
 Arragon* reconciled himfelf with the king 
 of France -> and married his niece Germana 
 -de FoiXj in hopes of hTue which might 
 exclude his grandchildren from the poffef- 
 fion of the two thrones. 
 
 Julius the fecond's character* who had 
 afcended the papal chair* though lefs fla- 
 gitious * than that of his predeceflbr, was 
 hot lefs oppofite to the genius of that 
 religion under which lie held the higheft 
 place. Haughty, ambitious, warlike, (plen-
 
 160 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 did, and enterprizing, nature had defigned 
 him for the helmet, not the tiara, and 
 formed him to fhine in camps, rather 
 than in conclaves. Politically ungrateful, 
 and finking the prieft and the individual 
 in the prince, he forgot the protection 
 which Louis had extended to him under 
 Alexander's pontificate, when he found a 
 refuge from his generofity. Jealous of 
 his retaining a power in Italy which, might 
 be fatal to the little potentates among 
 whom it was divided, he exerted all the 
 powers of his turbulent and reftlefs ge- 
 nius, in exciting enemies to the French; 
 and unreftrained either by the fanctity of 
 his character, or advanced period of life, 
 he did not fcruple to appear in arms, and 
 lead on his troops in perfon. 
 
 The archduke Philip's fudden and un- 
 expected death again reftored to Ferdinand 
 the adminiftration he had loft. As he 
 was in Italy when this event happened, 
 an interview took place at Savona be- 
 tween him and Louis the twelfth. The 
 former's terrors left the king of France 
 
 fhould
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 161 
 
 mould oppofe his defigns on the regency 
 of Caftile, was his concealed motive to it. 
 They again renewed their alliance, and 
 fwore to the frricT: obfervance of the ar- 
 ticles of peace , but Ferdinand, who knew 
 no principle of public or private fidelity, 
 and only facrificed to his interefted views, 
 difregarded and violated every condition 
 on his return into Spain. 
 
 The great league of Cambray followed 
 foon after. One cannot but confider 
 with aftonimment mingled with indigna- 
 tion, an union of the two greateft kings 
 in Europe, the emperor, and the pope, 
 againft a fin all, though opulent repub- 
 lic. Louis was guilty of a flill greater 
 error, in allying himfelf with his three 
 inveterate and natural enemies, Ferdi- 
 nand, Maximilian, and Julius, againft 
 the Venetians, his only fure and firm 
 ally beyond the mountains. The battle 
 of Ghiera-d'Adda, gained over Alviano 
 their general, reduced the Hate to the 
 verge of ruin ; and had the emperor im- 
 proved the deplorable circumitances of 
 
 VOL. I. . M their
 
 162 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 their defeat with celerity, Venice herfelf 
 had probably been fwallowed up by this 
 prodigious confederacy. She averted the 
 final blow, but could never retrieve her 
 former luftre or extent of territory > and 
 Louis, who was rather influenced by re- 
 fentment than political motives in this af- 
 fair, had but too much reafon to repent 
 the error he had committed, during the 
 future part of his reign. 
 
 The death of the cardinal of Amboife, 
 firft minifter of flate, was another lofs to 
 the kingdom. He was one of the moft vir- 
 tuous and difmterefled ftatefmen, of whom 
 any hiftory has made mention. Equally a 
 ftranger to pride and to avarice ; a cardinal, 
 with only one ecclefiaftical benefice, and 
 folely occupied by the interefts of his fove- 
 reign and his country, he was lamented 
 with their grateful tears. 
 
 Julius the fecond, bent on the aggran- 
 dizement of the papacy, and the expul- 
 fion of the French from Italy, no longer 
 obferved any meafures with Louis : while 
 the king, actuated by fcruples of a timid 
 4 fuperflition,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 163 
 
 iuperftition, forbad his generals to make 
 incurlions on the lands of the church, 
 and fpared the pontiff from reverence to 
 his character. Emboldened by this treat- 
 ment, he proceeded to the greater! lengths 
 of tyranny and inordinate ambition. De- 
 firous of annexing Ferrara to the patri- 
 mony of St. Peter* he ordered his general 
 to lay fiege to Mirandola, though in the 
 midft of a moft fevere winter, and though 
 by no fhadow of equity could he juftify 
 the attempt. The advances not being 
 made with that rapidity he expected, he 
 repaired thither himfelf ; appeared in the 
 trenches at feventy years of age, encou- 
 raged and exhorted his troops to the at- 
 tack y and on its furrender, caufed himfelf 
 to be carried into the city in military 
 triumph, through the breach in the wall. 
 Roufed by thefe acts of violence and 
 hoftility, the king at length fent orders 
 to Chamont to fpare the pope no longer. 
 The commander, in confequence, prefled 
 his holinefs fo vigorously, that he obliged 
 him to retire to Ravenna $ and would 
 M 2 have
 
 164 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 have compelled him to terms of pacifica- 
 tion, had he not been feized at this junc- 
 ture with a mortal diftemper. Touched 
 with horror at the crime he had com- 
 mitted in bearing arms againft the holy 
 father; and yielding under the prefTures 
 of approaching death, to all the weaknefs 
 of abject fuperflition, he fent to implore 
 his forgivenefs and abfolution. The 
 operations of war flood ftill, and Julius 
 had time to recover. Fortune, which was 
 not fo favourable to him as the influence 
 of religious prejudice, foon however re- 
 duced him again to a fituation the moil 
 perilous and critical : he apprehended his 
 degradation from the papacy; and faw 
 Rome itfelf expofed to the army of the 
 king, without any capacity of defence. 
 He was even on the verge of recurring 
 to Louis's generofity, and opening a treaty 
 with him ; when having received advice, 
 that, tired with the fcruples and impor- 
 tunities of the queen, he had forbid his 
 general to attack the territories of the 
 church ; he refumed his wonted haughti- 
 2 nefs,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 165 
 
 nefs, revoked his intentions of peace, 
 and prepared himfelf for new campaigns. 
 
 In this century, when the minds of 
 men, cultivated and enlarged by learning, 
 expanded by philofophy, and divefled of 
 prejudice or the flavery of prefcription, 
 prefume to view objecls as they are by 
 the fleady light of reafon ; we are amazed 
 at the weaknefs of our anceftors : and 
 furvey with mingled wonder and indig- 
 nation, an Alexander or a Julius, revered 
 amid a thoufand enormities 3 and exerting 
 a tyrannical fway over the cabinets of 
 princes, or conduct of generals, by the 
 fole terrors of their facerdotal office, un- 
 accompanied with any virtues, or even 
 the appearances of morality and de- 
 corum. 
 
 UnreprefTed by age and ill fuccefs, the 
 pope meditated frefh fchemes of conqueft. 
 Louis, the virtuous, the merciful, and 
 the good, was the conftant objecl: of his 
 animofity. He entered into an alliance 
 with Ferdinand the moft faithlefs of prin- 
 ces, againft him ; and Venice acceded to 
 M 3 the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the league, which was named by a 
 mockery of religion, " the holy." They 
 took Brefcia, and befieged Bologna 
 when Gafton de Foix appeared. This 
 young hero, nephew to the king, had 
 fcarce attained his twentieth year. Louis 
 fondly loved him ; and difcerning all the 
 fire of military genius in him, entrufled 
 to his fupreme command the army in 
 Italy. His firft exploits not only juftified 
 the choice his uncle made, but elevated 
 him to a rank above all the captains of 
 his age. During the heighth of the fiege 
 of Bologna, he entered the city amid a pro- 
 digious fall of mow unperceived by the 
 aflailants, who covered with confufion, 
 milantly retired from before it. He loft 
 not a moment in pufhing his advantage ; 
 defeated the Venetian commander who 
 oppofed his march towards Brefcia; and 
 attacking their entrenchments with only 
 fix thoufand chofen foldiers, put eight 
 thoufand of the enemy to the fword, and 
 totally drove them from the furrounding 
 country. Thefe fplendid fuccefles were 
 
 foon
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 167 
 
 ibon followed by the great battle of Ra- 
 venna. Gafton triumphed over the army 
 of the confederates ; but, like Guftavus 
 Adolphus, he expired in the arms of vic- 
 tory. His own ardour and youthful im- 
 petuofity of valour were the caufes of his 
 lamented death. Defirous to render the 
 glory of the day complete, he purfued with 
 a fmall troop, a body of four thoufand 
 Spaniards, who retreated in good order. 
 They furrounded him ; and he was killed 
 after having combated with the moil he- 
 roic courage, pierced with twenty-two 
 wounds. The Italians regarded him as a 
 prodigy, and he was furnamed " the thun- 
 ft der-bolt of Italy," from the violence of 
 his movement, the rapidity of his progrefs, 
 and the fuddennefs of his extinction *. 
 
 Louis 
 
 * Brantome enumerates feveral minute circum- 
 ftances, preceding and accompanying his death. The 
 action was already gained, when the celebrated Che- 
 valier Bayard, feeing the young prince covered with 
 the blood and brains of a foldier who had been killed 
 clofe to him, rode up, and demanded, if he was 
 " No," replied Gafton, " but I have 
 M 4, " wounded
 
 168 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Louis was greatly affe<5led at his ne- 
 phew's untimely fate; and the fequel 
 
 proved 
 
 *f wounded many of the enemy." Bayard implored 
 him on no confideration to quit the main body of the 
 army ; and to prevent his troops from pillaging, while 
 he purfued himfclf the flying fquadrons. This 
 wholefomc and wife advice was overborn by the young 
 hero's martial fury. A Gafcon runaway having in- 
 formed him, that a body of Spaniards not only main- 
 tained their ground, but had repulfed fome of his 
 own forces ; he inftantly charged them in perfon, 
 crying out, ll \Vho loves me, follows me." This 
 body of veterans were advantageoufly pofted, near a 
 piece of water : they difcharged their harquebufles, 
 and then lowering their pikes, received firmly the 
 attack. Gafton's horfe was firft killed, and he him- 
 felf overborn by numbers ; only about twenty gen- 
 tlemen had accompanied him, among whom was 
 Lautrec, afterwards fa renowned under Francis the 
 firft, in the wars of Italy. He was of the houfe of 
 Foix, and nearly allied by blood to Gafton, whom 
 he defended with the moft heroic bravery crying 
 out, when no longer able to ward off the blows 
 aimed at him, tc Spare the general, brother to your 
 " queen Gerrnana, and you fhall have immenfe ran- 
 '.' fom !"- No exclamations or intreaties could how- 
 ever fave the prince j and Lautrec himfelf fell by 
 his fide, covered with wounds, and left upon the plain 
 
 SS
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 169 
 
 proved how much the affairs of war de- 
 pend on one man. The animating fpirit 
 which diffufed life and vigour, was ex- 
 tinct : diffentions arofe in the victorious 
 army, no longer united under one great 
 chieftain. Julius, who overcome with 
 difmay, was ready to implore the clemency 
 of the king, was re-encouraged by Fer- 
 dinand and the Venetians. A feries of 
 difaftrous circumflances fucceeded each 
 other, and ruined the French affairs : in- 
 ftead of giving law to all Italy, as might 
 have been expected, they experienced a 
 fad reverfe. 
 
 The Switzers breaking in upon the 
 Milanefe, almoft deftitute of defence, re- 
 conquered it, after a fubjeclion of twelve 
 years, and replaced Maximilian Sforza 
 in the duchy. Genoa revolted, and created 
 
 as dead. Bayard was almoft driven to madnefs when 
 on his return he learned his general's fate : and in- 
 to fo great a confternation were the French thrown 
 l?y this unexpected difafler, that, had the enemy ral- 
 lied and returned to the charge, they would infallibly 
 have been defeated. 
 
 a new
 
 j 7 o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 a new duke. Henry the eighth of Eng- 
 land, excited by the artifices of his father- 
 in-law Ferdinand, fent to declare war 
 againfl France; and Maximilian bafely 
 deferting all his engagements, went over 
 to the oppofite party, and even formed 
 a new alliance with the pope. The king 
 of Arragon, improving the opportunity 
 which this union of fo many powers af- 
 forded him againft Louis, attacked the 
 little kingdom of Navarre, and foon re- 
 duced it to fubjeclion. Superior force, 
 and a bull of Julius pofterior to the con- 
 queft, were the only pretexts which Fer-> 
 dinand could employ, for this cruel out- 
 rage on a prince unarmed, and who had 
 never rendered himfelf obnoxious to his 
 difpleafure. The king of France made 
 every effort to replace him on the throne, 
 and even fent an army into Navarre, but 
 without fuccefs : he was engaged with 
 too many enemies, who attempted to 
 overpower him on all hands. 
 
 The death of Julius feemed to promife 
 better fortune in Italy. Leo the tenth, 
 \ a name
 
 JCINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 171 
 
 a name renowned in arts arjd liberal fci- 
 .cncc, opened his fhort, but memorable 
 reign. New efforts were made upon the 
 JVlilanefe in alliance with the Venetians. 
 Sforza was driven to the laft extremities 
 by the French forces - f only Como aruj. 
 Novarra perfifled to hold out but all 
 thefe laurels withered in lefs time than 
 they had been gathered ; and after the lofs 
 of an engagement, where all the Gaf- 
 con infantry was hewn in pieces, fcarce 
 could la Tremouille, wounded in the leg, 
 conduct the cavalry in fafety back to 
 Savoy. 
 
 Meanwhile, Henry and Maximilian 
 uniting againfl Louis, joined to attack 
 Picardy ; and the Switzers, elate with the 
 advantages they had gained, entered Bur- 
 gundy, and laid fiege to Dijon, with two- 
 and- twenty thoufand men. By means of 
 a treaty humiliating though neceflary to 
 France, thefe latter enemies were induced 
 to return into their own country : but the 
 king of England and the emperor gained 
 the battle of Guinegate, took Tournay, 
 
 and
 
 x 7 2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and fpread terror through all the neigh- 
 bouring provinces. Louis, though fhaken 
 by fuch a concurrence of calamitous acci- 
 dents, fupported with magnanimity the 
 ihock: but wearied by the fupplications 
 of the queen, and hoping that Leo might 
 aid his arms which he had hitherto op- 
 pofed, he fent two prelates to make his fub- 
 miflions to the fee of Rome, and to tefti- 
 fy his contrition and penitence for his paft 
 offences. This acl, which may be intirely 
 attributed to the influence of Anne of Bre- 
 tagne over his mind, was the laft of her 
 life. She died at the caftle of Blois, of a 
 diftemper caufed by the improper treat- 
 ment me received in her laft lying-in, and 
 only thirty-feven years of age. 
 
 The French hiftorians, biafTed by the 
 dowry which me brought to the kingdom, 
 have exhaufted themfelves in panegyrics 
 on this princefs. Her piety, her chaftity, 
 her liberality, her attachment to the two 
 fucceflive kings her hufbands; her capa- 
 city, and fpirit, have all been fubjefts of 
 eulogium. Imaginary and ideal qualities 
 
 have
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 173 
 
 have been added to complete the picture. 
 I muft confefs, her conduct as a queen 
 does not appear to juftify thefe extrava- 
 gant encomiums. Force and neceffity 
 alone reduced her to give her hand to 
 Charles the eighth ; nor though blamelefs 
 as a wife, did fhe ever love the people or 
 country over which fhe reigned. On the 
 contrary, Ihe ever cherifhed the mofl 
 avowed predilection for the houfe of Auf- 
 tria 5 and endeavoured by every exertion 
 of addrefs or perfuafion, to induce^ the 
 king to marry his eldeft daughter Claude 
 to the young archduke, who was after- 
 wards Charles the fifth. Difappointed in 
 this intention by Louis's better principles, 
 and attentive regard to France, fhe at- 
 tempted to transfer the fucceflion of Bre- 
 tagne to her youngefl daughter, and to 
 marry her to the fame prince. Though 
 both thefe fchemes, fo big with ruinous 
 confequencesj were rendered abortive ; Ihe 
 yet had fufficient influence over Louis, to 
 retard and even totally prevent during her 
 life, the coafummation of the princefs 
 
 Claude's
 
 i 74 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Claude's nuptials with Francis counf: 
 d'Angoulefme, to vvhohi the united voice 
 of the nation had defined her, as pre- 
 fumptive heir of the crown : and her 
 death, which only preceded that of the 
 king by a fingle year, may be regarded as 
 happy to the ftate, in every point of view. 
 Her bigotted veneration, and blind fub.- 
 miflion to popes or priefts, was highly 
 detrimental to the king's affairs ; whofe 
 fuccefTes were always checked in the mid- 
 way, 4>y her import unateentreaties in their 
 favour. Unforgiving and vindictive, (he 
 never pardoned an injury, or knew any 
 limits to her refentment of it. Notwith- 
 ftanding thefe incontestable defecls, flie 
 was infinitely dear to her hufband, who 
 was during fome time inconfolable for her 
 lofs. He remained feveral days (hut up 
 in his chamber, entirely devoted to grief; 
 ordered all the comedians or muficians to 
 quit the court, and refufed audience to 
 every minifter or ambatfador who did not 
 appear in deep mourning. Yielding how- 
 ever to motives of public good, which 
 
 eyer
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 175 
 
 ever formed the line of his aclions, he 
 conferred his eldeft daughter on the count 
 d' Angoulefme ; and the nuptials were fo- 
 lemnized at St. Germain-en Laye *. 
 
 The death of the queen, together with 
 Francis's marriage, gave a new face to 
 affairs. Louifa of Savoy, mother to the 
 heir of the crown, began to difplay her 
 {hming, but dangerous character : and 
 Louis, grown wife by experience, tender 
 of his people, and frugal of the revenues, 
 viewed with a melancholy forefight, the 
 profufion and expenfive munificence, which 
 the count d'Angoulefme's character pre- 
 
 * Several conjoined motives, not totally void of 
 weight, privately conildered, rendered Anne of Bre- 
 tagne peculiarly averfe to this union. She always 
 flattered herfelf with hopes of male iflue by the king. 
 She detefted madame Louifa, Francis's mother, whofe 
 unfubmitting fpirit never bent beneath her. Above all, 
 fhe feared and forefaw her child's unhappy days with 
 Francis. This was too much verified in the refult. 
 She was by no means beautiful ; and her hufband, amo- 
 rous and inconftant, never laved her : and if he 
 treated her with refpecl: himfelf, could not, or did not % 
 exadl the fame behaviour from his mother. 
 
 difted :
 
 176 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 diled. In this anticipation of the evils 
 which fuch qualities would probably en- 
 tail on his kingdom, he ufed frequently 
 to exclaim, " Ce gros gars-la gatera tout ! r> 
 It is even highly to be fufpected, that 
 this formed one of the great motives to 
 his ihird marriage ; though the defire of 
 effecting a clofe union and alliance with 
 England, formed a more oftenlible pre- 
 text. 
 
 Henry the eighth had a fitter of un- 
 common beauty. The duke de Longueville, 
 who had been taken prifoner at the battle 
 of Guinegate, being fent over to negotiate 
 a treaty of peace, firft opened the over- 
 tures for this match, which were imme- 
 diately accepted. The princefs was con- 
 dueled into France ; received at Boulogne 
 by a fplendid train, at the head of which 
 was the count d'Angoulefme, and married 
 at Abbeville to the king. She was in early 
 youth, gay, and fond of pleafure : her 
 heart, fufceptible of the impreffions of 
 tendernefs and paflion, had already en- 
 gaged itfelf to a young Englifh lord, 
 
 whom
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 whom Henry had created duke of Suffolk, 
 and to whom he had even intended to 
 give his fitter's hand* Under thefe cir- 
 cumftances, it cannot be fuppofed that 
 Louis, a valetudinarian finking into years, 
 worn by the fatigues of war, tormented 
 with the gout, and occupied continually 
 with the recollection of his late queen, 
 could be a very acceptable hufband. Fran- 
 cis, amorous and gallant to excefs, was 
 captivated with her charms : and it is 
 pretended that he might and would have 
 pufhed his good fortune to the utmoft 
 length y if political confiderations, and his 
 mother's reprehenfions, had not, though 
 with difficulty, impofed a reflraint on hisi 
 defires *. 
 
 Meanwhile 
 
 * I find it impoffiblft hot to enter a little into thi* 
 ftory, curious and interefting in itfelf, and on which 
 the French writers have been very inquiiitive and dif- 
 fufc. Moft of the cotemporary authors relate very 
 circumftantially an anecdote, which, if true, puts it 
 beyond all doubt, that Francis had gained the moft 
 complete and tender intereft in the young queen's af- 
 fections. Prefled by the importunities of her lover, 
 
 VOL. I. N *
 
 178 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Meanwhile Louis touched the verge of 
 life. His nuptial pleafures conduced him 
 
 to 
 
 and yielding to his entreaties, fee at length granted 
 him a rendezvous in the palace of the Tournelles ; 
 and there can be little qaeftion that fuch an interview 
 would have been decifive. The count habited him- 
 felf in the moft gallant manner, and was haftening 
 to the queen's apartment, when he was met by Grig- 
 riaux, an ancient gentleman who had been in the fer- 
 vice of Anne of Bretagne. Struck with the more 
 than common magnificence of his drefs, knowing 
 his predominant weaknefs, and miftruftful of his. in- 
 tentions, Grignaux rudely ftopt him ; and addreflmg 
 him, demanded whither he was going fo haftily. 
 Francis refufed to aafwer fatisfactorily to this quef- 
 tron " Donnea vous en bieo garde, Monfeigneur," 
 faid he frowning ; " pafques Dieu ! vous vous jouea. 
 ** a vous donner uu maitre ; il ne faut qu'un accident 
 *' pour que vous reftiez Comte d'Angoulefme toute 
 ** votre vie." This bold and peremptory remon- 
 France was not loft on the perfon to whom it was di- 
 re&cd. Francis paufed on the very threfhold of hrs 
 miftref-'s chamber : love and empire difputed for an 
 inftant lu his boiom. The latter triumphed ; and 
 fulwniaing to Grignaux's counfel, he had either the 
 magnanimity or the weaknefs to fuffer himfelf to be 
 led away from the temptation, and conducted out of- 
 jhe palace. - % 
 
 Notwithftanding
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 179 
 
 to the tomb. Forgetting his rh'axim which 
 he ufed frequently to repeat, that " Love 
 * f is the king of young perfons, but the 
 *' tyrant of old men," lie abandoned him- 
 felf to his immoderate fondnefs for the 
 new queen* His conftitution, already 
 fhaken, and debilitated by a flow fevery 
 could not long fuftain thefe unufual ef- 
 forts. While elated with hope of future 
 conquefts, and fecure on the fide of Eng- 
 land, he determined again to attack the 
 Milanefe, and prepared confiderable 
 army to pafs the Alps^ he was feized 
 
 Notwithflandin'g the air of the marvellous fpread 
 through this adventure, it mirft be confefled that there 
 is nothing in it either unnatural or improbable. Bran- 
 tome not only relates it, but adds, " that Mary aN 
 *' tempted to counterfeit pregnancy on the death of the 
 a king." Madame Lottifa was not to be fo over-reached, 
 when a crown depended on the far, and foon difco- 
 vered the deceit, To this laft part, however, no faith 
 is due, nor does any other author aflert it. Befides, it 
 J3 univeifally allowed that fhe was exceedingly attached 
 to Charles Brandon, du-ke of Suffolk. Her conduct 
 towards him, and marriage, put this beyond a doubt. 
 Scarce three months elapfed between Louis's death, 
 and her fecond nuptials. 
 
 N 2 With
 
 i8o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 with a dyfentery at the palace of the 
 Tournelles in Paris ; which reduced him 
 fo low, that he breathed his laft a few 
 days after, at fifty- three years of age. 
 
 He was the moft virtuous prince that 
 France ever faw reign ; perhaps who has 
 reigned in Europe. It was proclaimed 
 in the hall of the palace at his death, 
 *' Le bon roi Louis douze, Pere du 
 " peuple, eft inort !" The tears of for- 
 row and commiferation whkh he ufed to 
 fried, when the neceflities of war or flate 
 obliged him to levy an additional fubfidy, 
 however fmall, on his people, prove how 
 juftly he merited the appellation of their 
 parent. His clemency, his benevolence, 
 and unbounded philanthropy, were not 
 inferior to Henry the fourth's : nor were 
 thefe benign qualities obfcured and dimi- 
 rtifhed by that unhappy and frantic paf- 
 fion for women, by thofe pernicious foi- 
 bles which accompanied the founder of 
 the houfe of Bourbon to the grave. He 
 was himfelf a pattern of conjugal fidelity ; 
 sfcd his court, decent and retrained, nei- 
 ther
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 181 
 
 ther knew the elegant politenefs, or the 
 luxurious gallantry, which Francis the firft 
 introduced on his acceffion to the throne. 
 His valour and military capacity had been 
 diftinguifhed in many campaigns. His 
 temper open, candid, and chearful, made 
 him eafy of accefs, and gracious to the 
 higheft degree. He loved letters, and 
 protected their authors ; but did not ex- 
 tend to them that princely liberality, which 
 has immortalized his fucceflbr. Through 
 his whole character, we trace none of 
 thofe fplendid and glittering vices, which 
 in kings, are too apt to dazzle and even 
 delight ; which carry in them that delufive 
 magic, fo calculated to impofe on the 
 human mind. His encomiafts were not 
 poets and men of genius, prone to pro- 
 ftitute their talents. The voice of a whole 
 people, their fimple and unembellifhed 
 lamentations, were his beft panegyric. 
 His perfon refembled the mind which ani- 
 mated it. Not elegant or beautiful, but 
 amiable, interefting, and agreeable. 
 For his vices I fearch in vain. The 
 
 fhades
 
 iS2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fhades of his character I mean not to hide, 
 His attachment to the queen fometimes, 
 degenerated into uxorioufnefs, and caufed 
 him to commit errors very injurious to 
 his affairs. He was duped by Ferdinand, 
 and infulted by Julius. In him expired 
 the elder branch of the houfe of 
 and that of Angoulefme fucceeded. 
 
 CHAPTER
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 183 
 
 CHAPTER THE SIXTH. 
 
 Acceflion and Character of Francis the firft. 
 Character of Louifa count efs d* Angou- 
 lefrne. Battle of Marignano. Death of 
 Ferdinand of Arragon and the emperor 
 Maximilian. Interview of Francis and 
 Henry the eighth. Commencement of the 
 wars between the king and emperor. 
 Character of Charles of Bourbon. Of 
 Bonnivet. Death of Leo the tenth. 
 Milan lojl. Execution of Semti/encai. 
 Confpiracy of the conftable of Bourbon. 
 Minute circumftances of his treafon and 
 
 fight. Death of the Queen. The admi- 
 ral Bonnie et enters Italy.** Bourbon lays 
 
 Jiege to MarfeilL's. Francis purfucs him 
 over the Alps. Battle of Pavia. Mi- 
 nute enumeration of the circumjlances of 
 the kings imprifonment. Death of Bon- 
 nii'ct. Francis's confinement y and removal 
 to Madrid. Meafures of the regent.* 
 'The kings rigorous captivity. Illncfs. 
 N 4 Vijit
 
 184 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Vifit of the duchcfs of Akn$on, hisjijler* 
 Re/eafe. En fry into his dominions. 
 Commencement of the duchefs of Eftampes' 
 favour. 
 
 THE acceffion of Francis the firfl to 
 the crown ? was accompanied with 
 all thofe circumftances which could dif- 
 fufe over it a particular luftre. Nature 
 had lavifhly endowed him with every qua- 
 lity of mind and perfon, formed to intoxi- 
 cate both his people and himfelf. He 
 had only patted his twentieth year a few 
 months. Finely formed, with the mien 
 and appearance of a hero, his bodily ac- 
 compliihments were not inferior to his 
 external figure. He excelled in the exer- 
 cifes of a cavalier, and pufhed the lance 
 with diftinguimed vigour and addrefs. 
 Courteous in his manners, bounteous in 
 his temper even to prodigality j the nobility, 
 whom Louis the twelfth's ceconomical fru- 
 gality, and more referved deportment, had 
 kept at greater diftance, crowded rouncl 
 their youthful fovereign with mingled plea- 
 
 furc
 
 ICINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 185 
 
 fure and admiration. Eloquent in the ca- 
 binet, and courageous in the field, he 
 fhone alike in arts or arms 3 and while he 
 extended his generofity to fcience and ge- 
 nius, impatiently panted for the occafion 
 of fignalizing his prowefs, and acquiring 
 the glory of a warrior *. 
 
 The iituation of affairs at the death of 
 the late king, gave immediate field to this 
 martial fpirit. Francis, equally deter- 
 mined to conquer the Milanefe as his pre- 
 decefTor had been, laid inftant and open: 
 claim to that duchy 5 nor did he either 
 
 * We may judge of the eclat with which Francis 
 opened his reign, and how high was his reputation' 
 through all Europe, by the brilliant colours, with 
 vhich Guichiardini has drawn his chara&er. The 
 portrait is wondroufly flattering. " Delle vir- 
 " tu, della magnanimita, dello ingegno, et fpirito 
 " generofo di coftui, s'haveva univerfalmente tanta 
 " fperanzza, che ciafcuno confefTava non efTere gia 
 ** per moltiflimi anni pervenuto alcuno, con maggiore 
 *' efpettatione alia corona. Perche gli conciliava 
 f fomma gratia il fiore dell'eta, che era di 22 anni, 
 < c la bellezza egregia del corpo, la liberalita grandif- 
 <c fima, la humanita fomma con tutti, et la notitisi 
 ** piena di molte cofe." 
 
 withdraw
 
 i86 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 withdraw his pretenfions, or fufpend his 
 preparations, in confequence of the for- 
 midable alliance, which Ferdinand, Maxi- 
 milian, Sforza, the Switzers, and foon af- 
 ter Leo the tenth, formed for its prefer- 
 vation. While he repaired himfelf to 
 Lyons, a part of his army crofTed the 
 mountains. After having furmounted in- 
 finite difficulties in the carriage of the ar- 
 tillery over rocks and precipices, they ef- 
 fected their pafiage -, and ufed fuch extra- 
 ordinary celerity as to furprize Profper 
 Colonna, who lay encamped with a thou- 
 fand cavalry upon the Po, juft as he was 
 about to fit down to table, totally unap- 
 prehenfive of their approach. 
 
 At this news, the king fet forward to 
 join his forces ; having firft deferred the 
 , regency during his abfence, to the countefs 
 d'Angoulefme his mother. She acted too 
 high and important a part under the reign 
 of Francis, not to enter minutely into 
 her character. She connected all the great 
 qualities and defects of an elevated, but 
 ill-regulated mind. The beauty of her 
 
 perfon
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 187 
 
 perfon was fcarce exceeded by that of any 
 woman in the courts and, like her fon, me 
 furpafTed in all thofe accomplishments of 
 body, which confer elegance and grace. 
 During the years of retirement which fhe 
 had fpent at the caftle of Cognac in An-, 
 goumois after her hufband's death, the 
 education of her fon had conflituted her 
 fole occupation : and to her care on this 
 important point, the nation was indebted 
 for the greater part of thofe mature and 
 manly qualifications which rendered their 
 fovereign an objecl: of love and homage. 
 Her ambition and thirft of power were in 
 fome meafure juftified by her talents for 
 government. She pofTefled courage per- 
 fonal and political ; a magnanimity of foul 
 undepreiTed even in adverfity ; uncommon 
 penetration, firmnefs, and capacity. But 
 thefe endowments were fullied and con- 
 "trafled by yet fuperior faults. Not lefs 
 vindictive than Anne of Bretagne, fhe 
 trampled on public or private feelings of 
 whatever nature, to gratify her refent- 
 ment -, and borne away by the impetuofity 
 
 of
 
 i88 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of her paflions, abufed the influence which 
 fhe poffefied over the king, to purpofes 
 the moil pernicious and criminal. Rapa- 
 cious of the national treafures, and ava- 
 ritious in the 'accumulation of her own ; 
 with all the little foibles of her fex, and 
 a Have to more than female- vanity ~, her 
 bofom was yet fufceptible of, and open 
 to, all that ftorm of violent and contra- 
 dictory emotions, which love and jealoufy 
 occafion in the human heart. Such was 
 the celebrated Louifa of Savoy. 
 
 Meanwhile Francis having put himfelf 
 at the head of his army, marched for- 
 ward into the Milanefe. All the cities 
 opened their gates to him without a blow ; 
 and the Switzers, uncertain whether to 
 treat or give battle, retiring before him, 
 he encamped at Marignano, only a league 
 diftant from Milan. A reinforcement of 
 ten thoufand men arriving to their aid, 
 determined them to the latter ; and actu- 
 ated by a fort of military frenzy, which 
 the exhortations of the cardinal of Sion 
 had inlpired, they came furioufly to at* 
 
 tack
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 189 
 
 tack the French in their lines. Hiftory 
 fcarce affords any inftance of an action, 
 difputed with fo enraged an animofity. 
 It began about four in the afternoon in 
 the month of Oclober, and lafted more 
 than three hours after the night clofed 
 in. Laffitude and darknefs interpofed a 
 ceflation of arms, without diminifhing 
 the ardour of the combatants, or deciding 
 the fortune of the day ; and fo intimately 
 were they mingled during the heat of 
 the contefl, that many fquadrons re- 
 pofed among thofe of the enemy, Fran- 
 cis himfelf, after having difplayed the 
 higheft intrepidity, laid himfelf down up- 
 on the carnage of a piece of artillery , and, 
 like Darius after the battle of Arbela, is 
 faid to have feized with eagernefs a little 
 water mixed with dirt and blood, which 
 one of his foldiers brought him in a cafque, 
 to afTuage his thirft. With the dawn 
 of light, the Switzers renewed the charge; 
 but at length were repulfed with prodigi- 
 ous carnage : and a part of them being cut 
 to pieces in a wood where they attempted 
 
 to
 
 rgo MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to fhelter themfelves, the reft retreated in 
 good order. Ten thoufand remained upon 
 the field. 
 
 The terror which this vi&ory infpired, 
 together with the return of the Swifs 
 troops into their own country, left Sforza 
 almoft deftitute of any affirmance. He re- 
 tired however into the caftle of Milan, 
 and endeavoured to defend himfelf in that 
 fortrefs : but finding it impracticable, he 
 furrendered it to the conflable Charles of 
 Bourbon, on honorary conditions j and a 
 very ample penfion being ailigned him 
 in Frince, was conducted into that king- 
 dom. All the duchy immediately received 
 the French. 
 
 This conquefh was followed by an in- 
 terview between Francis and Leo. It took 
 place at Bologna. The aitful pontiff flat- 
 tered the young monarch, and dextroufly 
 bent him to the purpofes he wifhed : their 
 conference ended, the king returned in 
 haftc to Lyons, where his mother waited 
 for him, and his arrival was fignalized by 
 acclamations of triumph, 
 
 2 Ferdinand
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 191 
 
 Ferdinand king of Arragon expired at 
 this time of a dropfy and atrophy, occa- 
 fioned by the incentives which his queen 
 Germana of Foix had adminiflered to him, 
 in hopes of ifTue. His own hereditary 
 dominions, together with thofe of Ifabella, 
 defcended to young Charles the archduke. 
 This event did not prevent the emperor 
 from making a great effort on Italy. He 
 broke in upon the Milanefe with near forty 
 thoufand Switzers and Germans, and even 
 laid fiege to Milan : but the tardy irrefo- 
 lution which ever characterized all Maxi- 
 milian's enterprizes, giving time to the 
 conilable to approach the city, though 
 with inferior forces, he retired; and his 
 troops ill paid, were with difficulty kept 
 together, and at length diibanded. 
 
 If the perfonal character of Francis, 
 and the uniform fuccefs which had hi* 
 therto attended on him, might with rea- 
 fon give umbrage to the little powers of 
 Italy; that of Charles was yet more alarm- 
 ing, as more ample and extenlive. To 
 the united realms of Caftile and Arragon, 
 
 he
 
 I 9 2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 he joined Naples, the Netherlands, and 
 the Indies; and fuperadded to thefe was 
 the expectation of the imperial crown, 
 which Maximilian's age and infirmities 
 feemed to render near at hand. Francis 
 himfelf forefaw the gathering florm, and 
 attempted to diffipate or delay it by a 
 treaty concluded at Montpelier, which was 
 foon after followed by another with Henry 
 the eighth of England : but the death of 
 Maximilian broke down thefe infufficient 
 barriers ; and opening a field of competi- 
 tion fo important and uncommon, laid 
 the bails of private animoiity and public 
 wars, which though fometimes fufpended, 
 were never terminated or adjufted, during 
 the lives of the two rivals. 
 
 The emperor died at Lintz upon the 
 Danube, while he was employed in at- 
 tempts to gain the electoral fuffrages, for 
 his grandfon's nomination as king of the 
 Romans. Charles and Francis inftantly 
 declared themfelves candidates for the 
 empire, though without any external or 
 apparent marks of mutual antipathy :
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 193 
 
 it was foon decided, and the fo mer 
 afcended the imperial throne. 
 
 This increafe of fplendour and of 
 power yet farther alarmed the king -, and 
 his difappointed ambition confpiring with 
 his political terrors, from the union of fo 
 many ftates under one fovereign, con- 
 duced to haften an interview previoufly 
 agreed on between him and Henry. It 
 took place between Ardres and Guifnes in 
 the month of June. A magnificence 
 unequalled, and which refulted from the 
 temper of the two princes, fplendid, pro- 
 fufe, and vain, made the fpot retain the 
 name of " the field of the cloth of gold." 
 It lafted ten or twelve days , tournaments, 
 banquets, and every fpecies of diverfion 
 were exhibited. The queens of either 
 monarch honoured it with their prefence ; 
 and Francis expended in this empty ipec- 
 tacle, ufelefs to his kingdom, a greater 
 fum than Charles had distributed to ac- 
 quire the imperial crown. It was attend- 
 ed with no durable or folid friend/hip be- 
 tween the kings. By a ftroke of policy 
 VOL, I. O without
 
 i 9 4 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 without eclat, but more fage r and effec- 
 tual, the young emperor had pafled into 
 England previous to the vifit ', and entered 
 into connections with Henry, which ex- 
 perience proved to be much more perma- 
 nent and binding. 
 
 While the cererrioriy of Charles's coro- 
 nation was performed at Aix-la-Chapelle, 
 Francis made an unfuccefsful effort to re- 
 conquer the little kingdom of Navarre. 
 Thofe extraordinary and fudden reverfes 
 of fortune which mark this whole reign, 
 were equally vifible here. Pampelona 
 was taken, and the whole furrounding 
 country reduced to fubjection ; but the 
 rafhnefs and imprudence of the French 
 commander foon reftored to Spain all (lie 
 had loft, and obliged him to evacuate his 
 new conqueft. 
 
 Numbeiiefs fources of difcord fomented 
 the natural rivalfhip of the two monarchs * 
 and Charles, more cautious, and carrying 
 his views farther into futurity than the 
 king of France, had already entered into 
 a ftricl: alliance with Leo the tenth, and 
 
 fixed
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 195 
 
 fixed the wavering pontiff in his interefts. 
 The re-eftablifhment of Francifco Sforza, 
 Maximilian's brother, in the duchy of Mi- 
 lan, was the grand connecting tie of this 
 confederacy. So vifibly replete with fu- 
 ture woes did it appear, that Ghievres, the 
 emperor's governor and preceptor, when 
 lie received the news, expired of forrow, 
 in the fad anticipation of the calamities 
 which rriuft refult front it ; often repeat- 
 ing, " Ah ! how many evils !" His pre- 
 diction was but too exactly verified. 
 
 A fingular accident befel Francis at 
 this time. He was at 'Romorantin iri 
 Berri during tlie winter : according to 
 the manners of the age, when an exertion 
 of vigour or activity charaelerifed and 
 conflituted almoft every diverfion, the 
 king, with a fmall band, of nobles attacked 
 the count de St. Pol's houfe, who de- 
 fended it with another party. Snow-balls 
 were ufed by the afFailants : the feigneur 
 de Lotges, one of the oppofite fide, un- 
 fortunately threw down a torch of wood, 
 which ftruck the king upon the head; 
 O 2 and 

 
 J9 6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and wounded him feverely. He was 
 long confined by this blow ; and as it 
 became neceflary to cut off his hair, he 
 never would fuiFer it to grow again, but 
 introduced the fafliion of wearing the 
 beard long, and the hair ftiort; which 
 fubfifted generally in Europe till the reign 
 of Louis the thirteenth, when the ancient 
 cuftom was refumed. 
 
 The war which had long menaced, at 
 length began. Both princes, concealing 
 in fome degree their animofity, and pre- 
 {erving the laft appearances, only abetted 
 and fupported their refpective vafials. 
 The defire, common to each, of gaining 
 the king of England, who profeffed him- 
 felf the arbiter of their difputes, obliged 
 to a certain moderation and delicacy ; 
 but this veil was foon with drawn j and 
 Francis, at the head of a gallant army, 
 impatient to fignalize his valour, and 
 renew the laurels won at Marignano, 
 faced his antagonift on the banks of the 
 Schelde. Here began the fatal train of 
 errors, which in the event. reduced France 
 
 to- 
 \
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 197 
 
 to the moil calamitous condition. The 
 command of the tan belonged to Charles 
 of Bourbon, in right of his office as con- 
 ftable : but the king, who never loved 
 him, and whom the refentment of his 
 mother had ftill farther prepoflefTed in 
 his disfavour, chofe to confide this im- 
 portant truft to the duke of Alen^on, firft 
 prince of the blood. Not fatisfied with 
 this cruel and unjuft affront, he added 
 to it another not lefs injurious to his own 
 fame. The emperor, defirous of avoidV 
 ing an engagement, and fearful that from 
 the vicinity of their forces, he might be 
 unavoidably compelled to it, diflodged 
 with fome confufion, and retired under 
 cover of a thick fog to a greater diftance. 
 Bourbon faw the opportunity, and im- 
 plored his fovereign to profit of it ; but 
 Francis, jealous of a participation which 
 murt deprive him of part of the honour, 
 and preferring the gratification of his 
 own pique to more glorious and falu- 
 tary principles, rejected with a cold con- 
 tempt the conftable's advice ; and refufed 
 O 3 to
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to feize the occafion, which never return-*- 
 <ed, of cpmbating his rival in perfon. 
 
 Thefe repeated infults funjc deep into 
 Bourbon's mind, though as yet they pro- 
 duced no apparent effeft, Stung however 
 with the preference given to the duke of 
 AlenOB, fo contrary to equity or reafon ; 
 he could not prevent himfelf from faying, 
 confcious of the quarter from whence he 
 was attacked, " That the king had fol- 
 f lowed the impreffions of a woman, who 
 " had no more regard to juftice, than fhe 
 *' had honour." The great lines of his 
 character, which form a contraft to thofe 
 of Francis, contributed to encreafe their 
 mutual diflike. Of a fteady courage, at- 
 tempered, and ever mafter of itfelf, he 
 was calculated to command, and capable 
 of the mpft arduous military atchieve- 
 ments. Jo general of his age p-oiFefled 
 in fo extended a degree, the capacity of 
 conciliating the affections of the foldiery, 
 and moulding them to all his purpofes. 
 Magnanimous, and liberal where pru- 
 dence required it, he was naturally ceca- 
 
 nomical.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 199 
 
 nomical. Silent, reflective, and inclined 
 to taciturnity, he did not cultivate the 
 arts of ingratiating himfelf : but wrapped 
 in a haughty virtue, which difdained to 
 floop even to the honourable means of 
 acquiring favour or popularity, he refufed 
 to owe any thing except to his own me- 
 rits *. 
 
 Qualities, 
 
 * Charles of Bourbon was the fecond fon of Gil- 
 bert de Montpenfier, who died at Puzzoli, after an 
 wnfuccefsful attempt to preferve the kingdom of Na- 
 ples, under Charles the eighth. His elder brother, 
 by the moft wonderful and unexampled inftance of 
 filial piety, which hiftory has ever preferved, expired 
 on the tomb of his father, from the pungent and ex- 
 quifite feelings of diftrefs. His younger brother fell 
 at the battle of Marignano. The French writers feem 
 generally to insinuate or aflert, in terms more or lefs 
 pofitive, that the countefs d'Angoulefme had given 
 him proofs the moft undifguifed, of her attachment; 
 and that the indifference he firft exprefied, and the 
 difdain with which he afterwards treated this paflion, 
 proved the fource of all his future indignities and ca- 
 lamities. 
 
 By his marriage with Sufanna of Bourbon, he in- 
 herited the immenfe pofleffions of that houfej his 
 O 4 ew
 
 200 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Qualities, fuch as thofe I have depict 
 tured, are not framed to raife their poflef- 
 fors in courts, and leaft of all in that of 
 Francis the firft. Bonnivet,who engroffed 
 the royal grace and patronage j and whofe 
 afeendancy over his matter's mind, pro- 
 duced the mod deplorable confequences 
 to France, is an evincing proof of my af- 
 lertion. He refembled the firft Villiers, 
 
 <6wn paternal fortunes being limited and {lender* 
 Louis the twelfth had chiefly conduced to form this 
 union, by his authority and perfonal interpofition* 
 When the nuptials were fclemnized, the young du- 
 chefs made a folemn and formal contract, by which, 
 in cafe of her deceafe, fhe called to her fucceflion 
 Charles her hufband, and endowed him with all her 
 Jands, rights, and pretenftons. The nature of this 
 (donation in prefence of the reigning fovereign, and 
 confirmed by his exprefs confent and approval, feemed 
 to fecure it from any doubts relative to its validity- 
 but as Sufanna, at the time of the requeft, wanted 
 two or three months to be of age ; this unimportant 
 and unneceflary form became eventually the pretext, 
 on which Louifa and the chancellor du Prat founded 
 their infamous and unjuft pretenfions. She died in 
 childbed about eight years after her marriage, leaving 
 no iffuc. 
 
 dukq
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c, 201 
 
 .duke of Buckingham, in many points of 
 view. The handfomeft cavalier of the 
 court, he was likewife the mofl arrogant, 
 vain, and prefumptuous : born with no 
 talents for war, except courage, he yet had 
 the command of armies entrufted to his 
 care. Gallant and amorous, he was ac- 
 ceptable to women; and peculiarly fo to 
 Louifa of Savoy, under whofe protection 
 he rofe. Pertinacious in his fchemes or 
 determinations, and blinded by his opinion 
 of himfelf, he never yielded to the advice of 
 others, however difinterefted or judicious ; 
 yet fubfervient to the purpofes of great- 
 nefs, and miniftering with addrefs to his 
 fovereign's paflion for pleafures and dim*- 
 pation, he acquired, and retained an al- 
 mofl unlimited influence over him. Be- 
 ing fent into Navarre at the head of a 
 confiderable body of forces, he belieged 
 and took Fontarabia. True policy would 
 have dictated the demolition of the for- 
 tifications ; but Bonnivet proud of his 
 conqueil, and defirous of perpetuating its 
 renown, would not hearken to the duke 
 
 of
 
 202 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of Guife's remonftrances on that head. 
 The place was garrifoned, and foon after 
 retaken by the Spaniards. 
 
 But in Italy, where the emperor and 
 Leo had openly declared hoftilities, the 
 grand operations of war drew Francis's 
 chief attention. He had committed the 
 government of the Milanefe to Odet de 
 Foix, vifcount of Lautrec, and brother to 
 his celebrated miflrefs, madame de Cha- 
 teau-Briant *. This nobleman, to whom 
 fo important a charge was confided, had 
 fcarce any thing to juflify the choice, ex- 
 cept his fitter's favour. He furpafTed even 
 
 Bonnivet in haughtinefs, and had already 
 
 ~M,;;) feojj i -,,/ . ..:i v. .; ; -jjBrt 
 
 * We know very little with certainty relative to 
 this lady, or the manner of her firft becoming con- 
 nected with the king. Her name was Fran^oife de 
 Foix. She was married to the feigneur de Laval in 
 Bretagne. Her influence appears to have lafted till 
 the king's campaign into Italy, which was followed 
 by the battle of Pavia. Mademoifelle de Heilly fuc- 
 ceeded to her place on Francis's return. Her death 
 has been the fubjec} of much inquiry and romance. It 
 is pretended, probably without reafon, that her veins 
 were opened, by her hufband's command. 
 
 difgufted
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 203 
 
 difgufted the great feudatory lords of the 
 duchy, by his infupportable demeanour. 
 
 At the time when the papal and impe- 
 rial armies entered the Milanefe, Lautrec 
 was in France, having left his brother 
 Lefcun to fupply his place. The king, 
 anxious for the prefervation of his Italian 
 dominions, would have inflantly fent him 
 thither -, but he, confcious of the diforder 
 which Francis's profufion, and his mo- 
 ther's unfatisfied rapacity, had introduced 
 into the finances, abfolutely refufed to go, 
 till the necefTary fums for the payment of 
 his troops were provided : nor was it be- 
 fore he had received the moft folemn and 
 reiterated aflurances from Louifa, and thofe 
 who fuperintended the public treafures, 
 that the money fhould follow him, that 
 lie began his journey. On his arrival, 
 the enemy retired before him in con- 
 fufioiij but by a neglecT: of thofe ad- 
 vantages which their fituation and muti- 
 nous fpirit, ready to revolt, repeatedly of- 
 ferred him, he was reduced in turn to re- 
 treat, after having loft the city and cattle 
 
 of
 
 $04 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of Milan, befides Parma, Placenzia, and 
 feveral inferior places. The joy which Leo 
 the tenth felt at this profperous intelli- 
 gence, produced an agitation of fpirits fo 
 violent, that itVas followed by a fever, 
 of which he died the fifth day. 
 
 This event, fo unexpected, and fo in- 
 jurious to the emperor's affairs, ought to 
 have reftored thofe of Francis : but the 
 very evil which Lautrec had dreaded, and 
 even in fome degree predicted, ruined 
 thefe flattering appearances. The countefs 
 d'Angoulefme, by a procedure the moil 
 pernicious to her fon, the moft derogatory 
 to her own honour, and the interefls of 
 the ftate, had diverted the funds deflined 
 to maintain the troops in Italy, to her 
 own ufe. The precife motive which in- 
 duced her to this violation of the promifes 
 fhe had made, is fomewhat ambiguous 
 and doubtful. Hatred to the countefs de 
 Chateau-Briant and her brother, is the 
 moft probable, and commonly affigned. 
 The money, amounting to three hundred 
 thoufand ecus, had been depofited with 
 
 Semblenc.ai ;
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, c. 205 
 
 Sembler^ai; but Madame d'Angoulefme 
 demanded them with fuch earneflnefs, and 
 threatened the fuperintendant with fo fe- 
 vere a vengeance in cafe of refufal, that, 
 overcome by the menaces fhe ufed, and 
 repofing on her affurances of protection 
 in cafe of the king's difpleafure, he yielded. 
 The total lofs of the Milanefe was the re- 
 fult of this iniquitous and inexcufable 
 abufe of her authority. Lautrec, unaf- 
 fifted with the fums which had been pro- 
 inifed him, could ijcarcely maintain him- 
 felf in the duchy : whilft Francifco Sforza, 
 received into Milan, and fupported by 
 Colonna and his fubjech, ftrengthened 
 himfelf in his new acquifitions. Lefcun, 
 whom his brother had difpatched into 
 France with the account of his diftrefs, 
 arrived at length, but arrived too late. 
 That favourable occafion, which prefenta 
 itfelf in the affairs of war, was paft. 
 
 Repeated and unfuccefsful efforts de- 
 fh-oyed the army of Lautrec. After hav- 
 ing been compelled by the feditious mur- 
 murs of his Swifs auxiliaries, to give 
 3 battle
 
 206 'MEMOIRS OF 
 
 battle where a defeat was inevitable, and 
 having vainly befieged Panda, he funk 
 beneath the torrent of adverfe fortune. 
 Every refource being exhaufted, and win- 
 ter haflening on, he quitted his govern- 
 ment, and returned into France, only at- 
 tended by two domeftics. Lefcuri was 
 immediately inverted in Cremona, and 
 neceflitated to capitulate : all the other 
 places received the imperialifts, and even 
 Genoa revolting, expelled the French; 
 
 When Lautrcc arrived at court, Fran^ 
 cis refufed to admit him to his prefence, 
 or hear his j unification : but having, by 
 means of the conftable, obtained the oc- 
 cafion of fpeaking to his majefty, he ac- 
 cufed the fuperintendants of the finances, 
 with having oCcafioned all the difaflers 
 of the campaign, by, withholding the fup- 
 plies. Semblengai, terrified, and incap- 
 able of other defence, threw the' blame 
 upon the king's mother : but Louifa, 
 adding the bafeft inhumanity to her other 
 faults* found means to exculpate herfelf, 
 and to perfuade her fon, .that only Sem-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 207 
 
 fclenc^i was criminal. Judges were ap- 
 pointed to exarhine into this dark affair. 
 The chancellor du Prat was among the 
 number. This man, without integrity, 
 fwayed by no principle of juftice or ho- 
 nour, was devoted to the countefs's in- 
 terefts or paffions, and procured Semblen- 
 ai's condemnation. The good old man, 
 who had grown grey under four princes, 
 and whom Francis ufed to honour with the 
 endearing and refpe6lful appellation of 
 his father, was led out to punifhment 
 and ignominioufly executed. Lautrec, 
 difgraced, was ordered to his government 
 of Guenne *. 
 
 .Notwith- 
 
 * The moft candid and Impartial furvey muft ac- 
 quit Lautrec of blame, or any imputation refpe&ing 
 the lofs of the Milaneze. He remained with -his, 
 troops till they became fo mutinous and difcontented, 
 that he was in imminent danger of being feized by 
 them, as a pledge for the payment of their arrears 4 
 and was obliged to pafs difguifed through Switzerland, 
 in his return to France. The conftable of Bourbon, 
 not without great difficulty, procured him at length 
 an audience of the king in council, by declaring to 
 
 hi*
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Notwithftanding his paft misfortunes, 
 and in defiance of almofl all tlie great 
 
 powers 
 
 his majefty, that he could fully juftify himfelf ; and 
 would unfold fome extraordinary fecrets, with which 
 it imported him deeply to be made acquainted. 
 
 Lautrec, when introduced into the royal prefence, 
 preferred undiminifhed his native haughtinefs of de- 
 portment ; and even prefumed to complain highly to 
 his mafter, of the ungracious reception he gave hirru 
 Francis was covered with aftonifhment at the recital 
 made him. He ordered Semblcncai to be inftantly 
 fent for ; but in the interval which elapfed between 
 this order and his appearance, he yet reproached 
 Lautrec with incapacity and precipitancy in aban- 
 doning the Milaneze, notwithftanding the difap- 
 pointment in his remittances ; and added infultingly, 
 that Colonna and Pefcara, the imperial commanders, 
 had been no better fupplied, or punctually fuccoured. 
 To thefe charges Lautrec modeftly replied ; and was 
 engaged in his exculpation, when Semblencai arrived* 
 The king regarded him with a look of furious indig- 
 nation at his entrance, and demanded if the facts- 
 alledged againft him were true. On the accu- 
 fal of his mother as the origin of all thefe evils, 
 his amazement and fury were heightened. Lou- 
 ifa was fummoned, and appeared. Semblencai re- 
 peated before her his juftification. The countefs, 
 imawed either by her own confcioufnefs of its vera- 
 city,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 209 
 
 powers of Europe combined againft him, 
 the king perfifled in his refolution to re- 
 cover the Milanefe. He fent his favourite 
 Bonnivet, lately created admiral, over the 
 mountains, and had intended to command 
 the army in perfon deftined to this enter- 
 prize ; when a confpiracy the moll alarm- 
 ing and important checked his defigns, 
 and compelled him to watch over the 
 tranquillity of his kingdom. I mean the 
 conftable's defection and revolt. 
 
 If ever treafon was palliated by the cir- 
 cumftances which attended or produced 
 it if a crime fo fligmatized and degrad- 
 ing, admits of apology or defence, it 
 muft be in the perfon of Charles of Bour- 
 bon. This nobleman, whom his birth,. 
 his qualities, his power and offices under 
 
 city, or by the prefence of the king, gave a loofe to 
 the moft unbounded refentment againft the unfortu- 
 nate treafurer, and fcrupled not to accufe him of a lie, 
 and to demand vengeance as of a traitor, who had 
 afperfed her honour. Semblen^ai's ruin and execu- 
 tion were the confequence of this iniquitous and foul 
 tran faction. 
 
 VOL. I. P the
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the crown, ought to have raifed above the 
 perfecution of any individual, had been 
 marked out by the countefs d'Angou- 
 lefme's unrelenting and inceflfant deftre of 
 vengeance. It is laid, that the contempt 
 with which he had refufed her hand and 
 perfon, which me offered him, fuperadded 
 to the unconcealed fentiments of detefta- 
 tion wliich he avowed for her character, 
 had inflamed her to a pitch of refentment, 
 which could only be fatiated by his ruin. 
 Bonnivet, thirfting for the fvvord of con- 
 ftable, and hoping to obtain it by his 
 difgrace, joined the countefs ; and du Prat, 
 the moft corrupt and vicious minifler to 
 whom the feals were ever confided, lent 
 Ms aid to complete the fcheme. 
 
 Not content to have prevented his mar- 
 riage with the princefs Renee, youngeft 
 daughter to Louis the twelfth, and ftfter 
 of the queen ; Louifa determined to ftrike 
 at the root of his greatnefs,. by laying 
 claim to the vaft pofFerTions which he had 
 inherited in right of his wife Sufanna of 
 Bourbon, daughter to the famous lady of 
 
 Beaujeau,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 6cc. tu 
 
 Beaujeu, regent under Charles the eighth. 
 She fucceeded, though in contradiction 
 to apparent equity, and by a perverfion 
 of every facred or binding inftitution. 
 
 The unhappy conftable, opprefTed by 
 unmerited feverity, and driven to defpair 
 by a feries of unparalleled infults, facrificed 
 his loyalty to his defire of revenge; and 
 entered into a treaty with the emperor. 
 Charles, who knew his value, and the 
 important confequences which might en- 
 fue from fuch a chieftain gained, accord- 
 ed, and exceeded all his demands *. 
 
 Francis 
 
 * Adrian de Croy, Count de Rieux, and firft gen- 
 tleman of the bedchamber, was the perfon employed 
 by the emperor to carry on the negotiation with 
 Bourbon. He pafied through France difguifed as a 
 peafant, and arrived by night at Chantelle, the con- 
 Itable's feat in Auvergne, where he lay in an ad- 
 joining apartment to him, and fettled the terms pre- 
 vious to his revolt. Charles, not Satisfied with the 
 powers granted to the count de Rieux, and defirous 
 of entering into more exa<5l conditions with the 
 emperor, difpatched La Mothe de Noyers, a gentle- 
 man in his fervice, into Spain. He returned, bring- 
 P 2 ing
 
 212 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Francis received advice of this danger- 
 ous conspiracy as he was on his rout to 
 Lyons, in the intent of crofling the Alps ; 
 and 'he inftantly took the refolution of 
 coming to an explanation with the con- 
 ftable in perfon. He went to him at Mou* 
 lins, and informed him candidly of the 
 imputation laid to his charge. Bourbon 
 
 ing with him the moft ample and general ratification 
 of his demands. Bourhon buried the papers in a box 
 under ground, at the foot of a tree ; and began to 
 ailemble his partizans and vafials, in the pretence 
 of accompanying the king into Italy. Matignon 
 and d'Argouges, two gentlemen of that number, and 
 who were privy to their lord's eonfpiracy, having 
 confcffed at Eafter to a prieft, and enumerated, among 
 their other tranfgreffions, a plot againft the ftate in 
 which they were engaged ; he commanded them in- 
 ftantly to avow it to their fovereign, and fet out im- 
 mediately himfelf to impart this interesting intelli- 
 gence to Breze, fenechal of Normandy. The 
 gentlemen believing themfelves loft, and confcious 
 that their confeflion could alone preferve their lives, 
 mounted on horfeback j and meeting Francis at St. 
 Pierre-le-Moutier in the Bourbonnois, threw them- 
 felves at his feet, and made an ingenuous difclofure 
 of the whole tranfadtion.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 213 
 
 denied his having accepted the emperor's 
 offers, though he confeffed overtures had 
 been made to fhake his allegiance. As 
 this confeffion was fufficient to jufHfy his 
 feizure, it was either owing to the king's 
 gencrofity, and confcioufnefs how unwor- 
 thily he had been treated ; or to his inca- 
 pacity of arrefting fo powerful a lord, 
 environed by vaifals who adored him ; that 
 he was not committed to cuftody, Fran- 
 cis only commanded him, to follow him 
 to Lyons, Bourbon affecled to -obey ; 
 and being ibmewhat indifpofed, began 
 his journey in a litter. While he was 
 on the way, intelligence was brought him 
 that the parliament, in purfuance of the 
 fentence pafTed againft him,, had ordered 
 all his lands to be fequeftered. Wounded 
 anew by this information, he yet attempted 
 to ward the blow ; and hoping from Fran- 
 cis's generous magnanimity what Louifa 
 refufed, he difpatched the biihop of Au- 
 tun, to implore that this decree might at 
 Jeaft be fafpended ; and afiurjng the king 
 that fuch an aft of grace and tendernefs 
 P would
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 would bind him for ever to his fervice. 
 Had his requefl been granted, there is the 
 higheft reafon to fuppofe, it would have 
 retained him in his duty ; but by the in- 
 veterate animofity of his enemies, who 
 had refolved his deftru&ion, the bifhop 
 was arrefted at only two leagues diftance*. 
 
 Lofmg 
 
 * The minuteft circumftanees rcfpefting the flight 
 of fo great a man become interefting. When the 
 bifhop of Autun was feized by the marechal de 
 Chabannes, a footman galloped in all hafte to give 
 the conftable information of it. He was then at 
 Chantelle. The inftant he received this news, he 
 fet out by night for Herman, a town of Auvergne, 
 where Henry Arnauld, a gentleman attached to him, 
 was governor. He arrived during the darknefs, and 
 awoke Pomperant and Montagnac-Tenzane imme- 
 diately. The former of thefe owed his life to him ; 
 for having killed Chifay, a celebrated gallant of the 
 court, Bourbon flickered him, and afterwards procured 
 his pardon. Tenzane, aged near eighty years at this 
 time, remained inviolably attached to him in hismif- 
 fortunes, though he had ever oppofed and been averfe 
 to his treaty with the emperor. It was requifite that 
 one fhould accompany him, while the other favoured 
 his flight. As the latter employment was by far the 
 hazardous, it became a fubjed of conteft, both 
 
 defiring
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 215 
 
 Lofmg all expectation of foothing Fran- 
 cis's anger, after fo manifcft a declaration 
 tff it, he returned to his caftle of Chan- 
 telle ; and hearing that four thoufand men 
 were on their march to inveft him in it, 
 he quitted it hy night with torches. Af- 
 ter having walked fome way, he contrived 
 to deceive his attendants, and withdrew 
 from them unobferved. They, attached 
 to their lord in his misfortunes, would 
 not abandon him ; and continued to fol- 
 low Francis de Montagnac-Tenzane, who 
 had taken his horfe and habit, in the ap- 
 prehenfion that it was the conftable. Day- 
 break fhewed them their miftake ; and 
 Tenzane, addreffing them with tears, in- 
 formed them, that their mafter had taker* 
 another road ; that he thanked them for 
 
 defiring ardently this defperate commiflion. Chance 
 alone decided it in favour of Tenzane. He executed 
 it with the moil confummate addrefs, and afterwards 
 rejoined his mafter in Italy. The conftable and Pom- 
 pcrant crofled all the county of Burgundy, having 
 only made ufe of one precaution, tl\at of (hoeing 
 their horfes backwards. 
 
 P 4 their
 
 2i6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 their unfhaken fidelity and affection ; and 
 befought them to repair to their own 
 houfes till farther order. Meanwhile 
 Bourbon continued his flight. Only one 
 gentleman accompanied him, named Pom- 
 perant. He foon gained the Tranche 
 Comte, and from thence pafling through 
 Trent to Mantua, arrived fafe at Genoa. 
 No revolt or rebellion fucceeded -, nor did 
 the king make any minute refearches 
 into the accomplices or abettors of the 
 conftable's intrigues. Shame and genero- 
 fity pleading in his bofom for his injured 
 fubjecl, probably prevented him. 
 
 Amid thefe convulfions of the ftate, died 
 Claude queen of France. Hiftorians, loft 
 among the crowd of battles and public 
 tranfaclions which diverfify this reign, 
 have fcarce deigned to mark her death. 
 She was called, " The good Queen," from 
 her many amiable qualities and virtues 3 
 but her perfon correfponded not to the 
 beauty of her mind. She was fomewhat 
 lame like her mother, Anne of Bretagne ; 
 and in other refpefts little calculated to 
 
 retain
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, & e . 217 
 
 retain the affections of a hufband, gallant, 
 inconlant, and fond of pleafure. She 
 neither interfered in affairs of policy, or 
 pofTefled any afcendancy over the king. 
 Madame d'Angoulefme retained the whole 
 authority. Her end was accelerated, if 
 not abfolutely produced, by a difeafe which 
 Francis cpmmanicated to her, and which 
 was the refult of his irregular and pro- 
 mifcuous intercourfe . with women. She 
 expired at the caftle of Blois, only twenty- 
 four years old, and after having borne fe-r 
 yen children *. 
 
 Though the dread of fome interline 
 commotion prevented the king from en- 
 
 ^ Anne of Brctagne predicted her daughter's for- 
 tune, if married to the count d'Angoulefme; but Louis 
 the twelfth, with that goodnefs fo uniformly vifible in 
 his character, replied to her remonftrances, " Vous 
 " vous trompez ; ellc n'eft pas belle, mau fa vertu 
 " touchera le Comfq, et il ne pourra s'empecher de lui 
 " rendre juftice." Francis hardiy juftificd this fa- 
 vourable opinion of him. Brantome does not fcruple 
 to fay, in terms the moft exprefs, that he gave her a 
 venereal diftemper of the worft kind, which terminated 
 in her death. 
 
 tering
 
 2i8 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tering Italy in perfon at this time, yet 
 Bonnivet continued his inarch, and reach- 
 ed the Milanefe, unoppofed. Had he 
 purfued the advantages which his unex- 
 pected appearance, and the diforder among 
 the imperial troops, afforded him, the 
 whole duchy might have been regained to 
 France : but he neglected them, till the 
 approach of winter, and the plague, which 
 made a rapid progrefs among his foldiery, 
 neceffitated him to retire. Bourbon, to 
 whom Charles had confided the fupreme 
 command of his armies, in conjunction 
 with Lannoy, viceroy of Naples, and the 
 marquis of Pefcara, followed the admiral 
 with that impetuous and eager hafte, which 
 the wim, of vengeance on his declared and 
 mortal enemy lent him, Bonnivet, wound- 
 ed in the arm, and dreading more than 
 death to fall into the conftable's hands, 
 left Bayard, fo renowned in the annals of 
 chivalry, to cover the retreat of his forces ; 
 and putting himfelf into a litter, arrived 
 fafe at Lyons. Bayard executed the charge 
 committed to him with that noble intre- 
 pidity
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, *c. 219 
 
 pidity which has immortalized his name, 
 but fell in the execution of it ; and after 
 his death, the French having totally eva- 
 cuated Italy, every place in the Milanefe 
 returned to the emperor. 
 
 Thefe fuccefTes emboldened Bourbon to 
 enter Provence. His own intentions were 
 to have pufhed on without delay into the 
 interior provinces of the kingdom, where 
 he expe6led to have been joined by all his 
 vaftals ; but Charles's generals, attentive 
 only to their matter's interefts, compelled 
 him to adopt other counfels, and laid 
 fiege to Marfeilles. It was gallantly and 
 obftinately defended ; and after a blockade 
 of fix weeks, the Imperial commanders, 
 alarmed at Francis's approach with a con^ 
 fiderable army, diflodged in confufion; 
 and re-embarking the greater part of their 
 artillery, retreated with expedition acrofs 
 the mountains. 
 
 The king, naturally fanguine, and eafily 
 elated by the favours of fortune, deter- 
 mined to follow the conilable by great 
 marches. Bonnivet urged him to this 
 
 rafh
 
 220 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 rafh projecl, and reprefented the condi* 
 tion of the Milanefe defencelefs and un- 
 protected* the precipitate retreat of the 
 Imperialifts, dejecled and difmayed. Su- 
 peradded to thefe public motives, it is 
 faid a private one, not inconfiftent with 
 Francis's character his defire to vifit a 
 beautiful lady of Milan, whom the admi- 
 ral had depictured to him in colours the 
 moft animated and flattering, ftill far- 
 ther induced him to it *. His oldeft 
 and wifeft generals oppofed the ftrongeft 
 reafons to difluade him. They reprefented 
 the ftate of his kingdom left open to the 
 Jnvafions of Charles and Henry $ the- 
 
 * This ftory is not fo improbable, or illrfounded, 
 as at firft we may be inclined to fuppofe. Brantome, 
 who was well acquainted with the intrigues of 
 Francis'? court, declares this in the moft pofitive 
 manner, r;s a fecret known to few, He fays, tha| 
 her name was, ?' La Signora Clerice," a noble lady 
 of Milan, and efteemed one of the fineft women in 
 Italy 5 that Bonnivet had obtained from her the laft 
 favours feme years before, and inflamed the king 
 with the fame defire. The more we confider the char 
 rafters of the admiral and his prince, the more ar$ 
 we inclined to \rreclit this narration. 
 
 near
 
 ICINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 near approach of winter, arid advanced 
 feafon. Louifa, as if from a prefenti- 
 ment of the calamities which her fon's 
 conduct would entail on France, ufed 
 every method to prevent it. As foon as 
 fhe received notice of his intention to en* 
 ter Italy, (lie difpatched three fucceflive 
 couriers to flop his march ; or, if that 
 could not be, at leafl to implore him to 
 wait till fhe had embraced, and bid him a 
 laft adieu. The king was deaf to her en- 
 treaties or remonftrances , and ordered her 
 to be informed by the laft mefTenger, that 
 he was too far advanced to think of fuf- 
 pending his progrefs, but that he inverted 
 her with the regency during his abfence. 
 
 Francis's entry into the Milanefe fpread 
 equal or greater terror, than Bonnivet's 
 and Lautrec's had done in former cam- 
 paigns. Bourbon, purfued in turn by; 
 his adverfary, and flying before thofe 
 whom he had fo lately driven, fcarce 
 could avoid being overtaken. The French 
 followed fo clofe upon his fteps, that their 
 
 troops
 
 222 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 troops even entered one of the gates of 
 Milan, only half an hour after he had ef- 
 caped by another ; and had the king per- 
 filled not to allow them time for recovery, 
 from the confirmation into which he had 
 thrown them, no exertion of military Ikill 
 in Charles's commanders could have pre- 
 vented their defeat, or mutiny and fepara- 
 tion. Unhappily, the admiral's advice, 
 and afcendancy over his matter, prevent- 
 ed him from embracing this falutary con- 
 duit; and prevailed on him, in oppofi- 
 tion to the univerfal voice of his captains, 
 to undertake the fiege of Pavia. The 
 fequel is fo well known to all Europe, 
 that it is a needlefs tafk to recite it. The 
 fatal day when Francis became the em- 
 peror's prifoner, has been related by fo 
 many hiftorians, and with fuch a minute 
 enumeration of the facls which accom- 
 panied and followed it, that I fhall not 
 enter on the narration. Some circum- 
 ftances rather relating to the Individual 
 than the Monarch, and which Hiftory has 
 I 3 confidered
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 223 
 
 confidered as beneath its dignity to re- 
 count, .1 (hall mention. 
 
 The king gave in that celebrated en- 
 gagement the moft diftinguifhed proofs of 
 courage and prowefs j nor was it to any 
 want of military virtue, that his misfor- 
 tunes are to be imputed. The number 
 and the quality of thofe whom he killed 
 with his own hand, are inconteftable evi- 
 dences of this affertion. His armour ren- 
 dered him diftinguifiied in the field, by 
 its richnefs and fplendour ; whereas Bour- 
 bon, more cautious and circumfpecl:, 
 combated in the habit of a private ca- 
 valier, having given Pomperant his troop 
 to lead. Thrown from his horfe, wound- 
 ed, fpent with fatigue, and almoft deferted 
 by his followers, Francis continued to de- 
 fend himfel.( with a valour the moft ob- 
 ftinate. Two Spanifh gentlemen, Diego 
 d'Avila, and Juan d'Orbieta, put their 
 fvvords to his throat. In this exigency, a 
 follower of Bourbon's, named La Mothe 
 de Noyers ; came up, and knowing the 
 king, though his face was covered with 
 
 blood,
 
 224 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 blood, called out to him to furrender to 
 the conftable, who was not far off : but 
 difdaining to deliver up his fword to a 
 man whom he regarded as a traitor, he 
 refufed, and demanded Lannoy. While 
 La Mothe ran every where in hope to dif- 
 cover his lord, the viceroy of Naples ar- 
 rived at the fpot, and received Francis's 
 fubmiflions. This was a peculiar good 
 fortune, as Bourbon would certainly have 
 taken him by force from any perfon of in- 
 ferior authority or diflinction. 
 
 Diego d' Avila firft pulled off his gaunt- 
 lets, and the furrounding crowd defpoiled 
 him of his coat of mail, his belt, and 
 fpurs. -Meanwhile the marquis del Guaf- 
 to approached the king, and faliited him 
 with great refpect -, and, as he requefted 
 with peculiar earneflnefs, that he might 
 not be led into the city of Pa via for a 
 mockery to the inhabitants, the marquis 
 conducted him to his own tent. The 
 wounds he had received in the aftion 
 were infpefted, and carefully dreffed. One 
 was near die eyebrow, another in the arm, 
 
 and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 225 
 
 and a third in his right hand. Befides 
 thefe, he had received feveral balls from a 
 harquebufTe in his cuirafs. The marquis 
 del Guafto had the honour to fup with 
 him j and Bourbon prefented the napkin 
 to his majefty. The Spanifh hiflorians de- 
 clare that he received it very gracioufly, 
 and even permitted the conftable to kifs his 
 hand on the knee ; but the French writ-* 
 ers afTert the contrary, and fay he turned 
 his back on him with contempt, and 
 would not take the napkin from him; 
 During his repaft, the difcourfe naturally 
 turned on the paft action j and Francis, 
 with infinite modeily, propriety, and elo- 
 quence, pointed out the caufes which con-* 
 duced to its lofs, and chiefly blamed the 
 cowardice of theSwitzers and Italians in his 
 army. When he retired to reft, none of 
 his valets being near to aid him to un- 
 drefs, a certain fieur de Montpezat, who 
 had been made prifoner by a Spanifh fol- 
 dier, prefented himfelf for that purpofe; 
 and the king, pleafed with his humble 
 afliduity and attention, redeemed, and 
 VOL. J. Q elevated
 
 226 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 elevated him to the dignity of a marechal 
 of France. 
 
 Many renowned commanders periflied 
 on that day : Lefcun and Bonnivet were 
 among the chief. The latter expiated, 
 in fome meafure, his fatal advice, by the 
 gallantry and courage with which he de- 
 voted himfelf to death. Seeing the for- 
 tune of the battle waver, and the troops 
 difpofed to fly, he attempted to rally the 
 Switzers, and fome cavalry : but not being 
 able to fucceed, and no hope remaining 
 of victory, he raifed the vizor of his hel- 
 met, that he might be univerfally known; 
 and rufhing into the thickeft ranks of 
 the enemy, oppofed his breaft to their 
 fwords, and fell, covered with honour- 
 able wounds. Bourbon had given exprefs 
 orders to take him alive if poflible; and, 
 in cafe that was not pofiible, to kill him ; 
 in no cafe to let him efcape. After the 
 engagement, his body was found ; and 
 the conftable Handing over it, and having 
 confidered it long in filence, only exclaim- 
 ed, "Mil malheureux ! Tu es caufe de 
 
 " la
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 5cc. 227 
 
 " la ruine de la France, et de la mienne!" 
 The duke of Aler^on, who had been 
 married to the celebrated Margaret of 
 Valois, fitter of Francis, behaved unwor- 
 thy his rank as prince of the blood. He 
 fled among the firft, and retired to Lyons 
 with a number of the nobility, where he 
 died in a few days of grief and mame. 
 The king of Navarre, Henry d'Albret, 
 remained a prifoner. 
 
 Lannoy was meanwhile in the utmoft 
 anxiety how to difpofe of his royal cap- 
 tive. The day after the aclion, he con- 
 ducted him to the caftle of Pizzhigitone, 
 where he remained two months under the 
 care of Don Fernand Alar9on. No po- 
 fitive orders arriving from the emperor's 
 council in Spain, for his removal to ano- 
 ther fortrefs, the viceroy of Naples be- 
 came more apprehenfive of fome accident, 
 which might procure or terminate in his 
 enlargement. The Imperial troops, who 
 had fcarcely received any pay, were dif- 
 pofed to mutiny, and might eaiily feize 
 on his perfon to enfure their arrears. 
 2 To
 
 228 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 To carry him to the cattle of Naples, 
 where he might have been fecurely de- 
 tained, was a much more eligible plan $ 
 but they dreaded left the pope or the Ve- 
 netians might attempt to refcue him on 
 the road. It was ftill more hazardous 
 to transfer him into Spain by fea, becaufe 
 the gallies of Andrea Doria, and of France, 
 were ftationed to intercept his paflage. 
 Lannoy's addrefs extricated him from 
 thefe numerous difficulties. He, found 
 means to engage the king to embrace 
 thofe meafures, of his own accord, which 
 otherwife it would have been impoffible 
 to execute; and perfuaded him that a 
 perfonal interview with Charles, was the 
 fpeediefl method of adjufting fo weighty 
 an affair, and reftoring him to freedom. 
 Francis, who, generous himfelf, fuppofed 
 others to have hearts equally magnani- 
 mous and enlarged, eagerly caught at the 
 infidious propofal, and fell into the fnare. 
 To fuch a pitch of punctilious honour 
 did he carry his fentiments, that he even 
 oppofed himfelf to a fedition among the 
 
 Imperial
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 229 
 
 Imperial foldiery, of which he might have 
 profited ; and not only commanded Doria 
 to make no attempt on the Spanifh vef- 
 fels which conducted him from Italy, but 
 caufed the regent to lend fix gallies to 
 Lannoy. About the middle of June they 
 fet fail from Portofiero, and arrived hap- 
 pily at Alicant. The king was brought 
 under a ftrong guard to Madrid, and 
 lodged in the caftle *. 
 
 The conflernation and public affright 
 which Francis's defeat and captivity fpread 
 throughout the whole kingdom, is equal- 
 led by nothing in the French annals, 
 except the capture of John at the battle 
 of Poitiers. Louifa, his mother, exclaimed 
 at the fad news, in the recollection of her 
 reiterated, but ineffectual efforts to flop 
 
 * I muft own myfelf more indebted to Brantome, 
 than to any other author, for moft of the particulars 
 I have enumerated, relative to the battle of Pavia. 
 The memoirs of Du Bellay, and thofe of De 
 Thou, contain many curious remarks. " Les anec- 
 " dotes des reines et regentes de France," together 
 with Mezeray, furnifh likewife matter of entertain- 
 ment and information. 
 
 0.3 to
 
 230 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 his march over the mountains, " Helas ! 
 " il ne m'a voulu croire j ha ! que je lui 
 " avois tant dit !" Though opprefled by 
 every feeling of parental woej though ori- 
 ginally the author of thefe calamities, by 
 her malevolent and unjuft perfecution of 
 Bourbon 3 though unpopular, and hokU 
 ing the regency, in this convulfion of the 
 flate, by a tenure the moft precarious; (he 
 neverthelefs fuftained her courage. She did 
 more, and even effaced, in a great mea- 
 fure, her paft offences, by the wifdom, 
 vigour, and uniformity of her conduct. 
 Henry the eighth of England, the Vene- 
 tian republic, and the reigning pontiff, 
 Clement the feventh, wre all induced to 
 quit the emperor's party by her folicita- 
 tions. She negotiated in every court, and 
 moved all the fprings which can actuate 
 ftatefmen or politicians, to effect her foil's 
 releafe, 
 
 During thefe endeavours of the regent, 
 Francis had time to difcover and rq^ent 
 the error, into which his romantic gene- 
 rpfity and honour had led him. Inflead 
 
 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 231 
 
 of the interview with which he had been 
 flattered; inftead of treating with his 
 conqueror, as from gentleman to gentle- 
 man ; inftead of that courteous and noble 
 reception which he had expected, and 
 which every part of his own behaviour 
 intitled him to receive; he found a folitary 
 prifon, guards inexorable and vigilant, a 
 confinement unufually fevere and ftri<5l.- 
 Charles did not deign to fee him in this 
 rigorous captivity ; and the only recreation 
 permitted him, was to take the air on a 
 mule, furrounded with foldiers. This 
 unworthy and unkingly ufage, continued 
 for fix months, produced a fever, the ef- 
 fect of difappointment and vexation. The 
 arrival of the duchefs of Alencon, his be- 
 loved fifter, to whom the emperor had 
 granted permiffion to vifit him in this 
 diftrefsful fituation, conduced principally 
 to his recovery : and Charles himfelf, 
 afhamed of his cruel infenfibility, and 
 terrified left his prifoner's death might 
 rob him of the vaft advantages he 
 doubted not to derive from his releafe, 
 
 conde-
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 condefcended to make him a fhort, but 
 confolatory vifit - y in which he affected the 
 utmofl commiferation, and gave him pro- 
 fpecls of fpeedy freedom. Thefe falla- 
 cious expectations vanifhed with the king's 
 return of health; and, in the defpair of 
 regaining his liberty, except on condi- 
 tions fo humiliating and ignominious as 
 to preclude any acceptance of them, he 
 entrufled to his fitter, on her return, a 
 deed, by which he refigned his kingdom 
 to the dauphin Francis, his eldeft fon. 
 Margaret carried tliis act of refignation in- 
 to France, 
 
 Charles, touched at length, not by mo- 
 tives of generofity or greatnefs of foul, 
 but by apprehenfions of intereft and nar- 
 row policy ; viewing the ftate of the Mi- 
 lanefe, left -defencele/s by the marquis de 
 Pefcara's death, and a great league formed 
 for the releafe of Francis entered into a 
 treaty with him. Even then he did not 
 relax the rigor of his demands j though 
 Gattinara, his chancellor, predicted their 
 certain violation, and refufed, with un- 
 
 fubmitting
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 233 
 
 Hibmitting firmnefs, to affix to them the 
 feals. The marriage of the emperor's 
 lifter, Eleanor of Portugal, with the king, 
 formed the cement of this famous treaty : 
 but the reftitution of Burgundy was an 
 article fo injurious to the ftate, fo ruinous 
 and fatal in its nature, that the king pro- 
 tefted againft it in private, previous to his 
 departure from Madrid. 
 
 After a captivity of near thirteen months 
 from the battle of Pavia, he was recon^ 
 ducted by his two keepers, Lannoy and 
 Alar9on, to the bank of the river Bi- 
 dafiba, near Fontarabia : while Lautrec 
 brought the two young fons of France, the 
 dauphin and his brother Henry, who were 
 to be delivered up as hoftages for their 
 father, to the oppofite fide. The ex- 
 change was made, and Francis once more 
 entered his kingdom. At Bayonne he found 
 Louifa and Margaret, who attended his 
 arrival. The interview between them was 
 touching and lively, in the higheft degree. 
 The countefs d'Angoulefme, who knew 
 the conftitution of her fon, and his dif- 
 
 polition
 
 334 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pofttion to gallantry, had prepared for 
 him fetters of a fofter nature than thofe 
 he had experienced at Madrid. She pre- 
 fented to him the celebrated Mademoifelle 
 de Heiily, better known under the title of 
 duchefs of Eftampes. Her age at this 
 time did not exceed eighteen years. A 
 beauty of perfon the moft delicate and 
 perfect, fuperadded to wit, and an under- 
 Handing improved by all the cultivation 
 of the age, enfured her conqueil over the 
 king, He became paifionately attached to 
 her j and their connection lafted in its full 
 force during the remainder of his life. 
 
 Here let us paufe a moment ! The re- 
 entry of Francis into his dominions forms 
 a new epocha in his reign. 
 
 CHAPTER
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 235 
 
 CHAPTER THE SEVENTH. 
 
 treaty of Madrid violated. War renewed^ 
 between Francis and the Emperor. Unfuc-* 
 cefsful attack of Naples. Death of Lau-, 
 tree. -Peace of Cambray. Marriage of 
 Francis to Eleanor of Portugal. Magni* 
 Jicence of the king. Death of his mother, 
 Loulfa. Interview of Marfellles . Mar- 
 riage of the duke of Orleans to Catherine 
 of Me die Is. War renewed. The Emperor 
 enters Provence. Death of Francis, tht 
 Dauphin. Clrcumftances of It. His cha- 
 r after , Reflections. The Emperor re- 
 treats into Italy. Marriage of James the 
 ffth to theprincefs Magdalen. Character 
 of Anne de Montmorenci. Interviews of 
 Nice and Algues-Mortes.-- Story of the 
 cave in Daufhine. Francis's amours.- 
 Indifpofition, and confequtnt change. 
 Vifit of the Emperor. - Alteration of the 
 mlnlflers. Third war. Defcription of 
 the court. Battle of Ccrizoles. The 
 I o Emperor
 
 236 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 "Emperor enters Picardy. Intrigues of the 
 duchefs of Eftampes. Peace concluded. 
 Death of the duke of Orleans. Circum- 
 jlances. Character. Death of the Count 
 d'Enguien. Parties formed in the court. 
 Francis's illnefs . Circumjiances. Dy- 
 
 , tng admonitions to the dauphin. Death. 
 
 . Character. 
 
 FRANCIS the mil was ftill in the 
 prime of life when his imprifonment 
 terminated, and he faw himfelf again re- 
 jftored to his throne and people. His mif- 
 fortunes, and confequent captivity, though 
 they had not made fo deep an impreffion 
 on him, as to alter efTentially his charac- 
 ter, yet rendered him more circumfpect 
 and cautious in his conduct. The rafh 
 and impetuous valour which had diflin- 
 guifhed him hitherto, was calmed, and at- 
 tempered into a ferener courage : and po- 
 licy, or interefls of flate, compelled him to 
 adopt meafures lefs difinterefted, and bet- 
 ter adapted to the temper of the emperor, 
 
 his
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, 6cc. 237 
 
 his antagonift. But thefe were only par- 
 tial changes : his magnificence, ever ac- 
 companied with profufion; his unreftrain- 
 ed attachment and liberality to favourites j 
 his paffion for women, and all the luxu- 
 rious diffipations of a court ; thefe errors 
 yet characlerifed him in the moft extended 
 degree : and, by introducing confuiion into 
 his finances, and a diforder through every 
 department of government, gave Charles 
 a fuperiority in the affairs of war, and in- 
 volved his kingdom in numberlefs evils. 
 
 So oppreffive and fevere were the con- 
 ditions of the treaty of Madrid, that the 
 king, confcious his infringement of them 
 would be approved and defended through 
 all Europe, no fooner recovered his free- 
 dom, than he declared to Lannoy, who 
 had accompanied him to demand their 
 execution; that Burgundy, being a part, 
 not of the royal domain, but of the king- 
 dom, could not be alienated or difmem- 
 bered by any exertion of the regal autho- 
 rity. He diljpenfed himfelf from his 
 
 oaths,
 
 238 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 oaths, as compulfory, and the effect of 
 neceffity ; and, having tendered other cef- 
 fions and offers for the releafe of his chil- 
 dren, and for a final peace, prepared him- 
 felf to exert new military efforts to com- 
 pel the emperor to the acceptance of them. 
 In this defign, a great league was con- 
 cluded at the caftle of Cognac in Angou- 
 mois, whither he had retired, during the 
 fummer, to enjoy the pleafures of the 
 chace. The powers confederated were, 
 Francis, the pope, Sforza, the Venetians, 
 and Florentines. 
 
 Had their combined forces attacked the 
 Milanefe, deftitute either of troops or 
 commanders, without delay, it muft have 
 been inevitably re-conquered : but a negli- 
 gence and inattention to thefe manifeft ad- 
 vantages, equally extraordinary and blame- 
 able, gave Bourbon time to arrive, and 
 Lannoy to provide for the fafety of Naples. 
 The former, to whom Charles had pro- 
 mi fed the inveftiture of the duchy; after 
 having forced Sforza to furrender the caftle 
 
 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 239 
 
 of Milan, and having exhaufted every art 
 to fatisfy the murmurs of his foldiery, dif- 
 contented from the want of pay, took the 
 daring and defperate refolution of march- 
 ing to Rome. He executed it ; and, though 
 killed on the attack by a mufket-fhot un- 
 der the walls, his victorious army entered, 
 and pillaged that celebrated city. Cle- 
 ment, who had retired to the caftle of St. 
 Angelo, was neceflitated to capitulate from 
 famine, and remained a prifoner in the 
 emperor's hands. 
 
 An outrage fo violent, and even deemed 
 facrilegious, as that of Charles on the com- 
 mon father of Chriftendom, produced a 
 new league between Henry the eighth and 
 Francis. Jealoufy and terror cemented 
 this alliance. Lautrec, who had long lan 
 guifhed under the difpleafure of his prince, 
 was recalled, and placed at the head of the 
 army deftined agamft Italy. Grown dif- 
 truftful by his paft misfortunes, and fore- 
 feeing, in the character of the king, f refh 
 fources of future difafter and defeat, he 
 
 would
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 would have declined the honour tendered 
 him : but being obliged to fubmit to the 
 royal mandate, he prepared to pafs the 
 mountains. 
 
 The two kings fent their heralds to defy 
 the emperor; who returned thefe infults 
 by reproaches and invectives againft Fran- 
 cis, whom he branded with epithets the 
 moft opprobrious, and challenged to fingle 
 combat. In the impotence of his refent- 
 ment, he even violated the facred duties 
 of humanity and clemency, by revenging 
 in fome degree the errors of the father on 
 his blamelefs children. He not only ren- 
 dered the confinement of the young dau- 
 phin and the duke of Orleans unufuafly 
 ftricl: ; but fhut them up in apartments 
 darkened, and did not permit them any 
 fort of diverfion or amufement. His vifits 
 and notice of them were fhort, cold, and 
 unfrequent ; and, by a barbarity unworthy 
 his character, he deprived them of their 
 moft faithful and beloved domeftics, whom 
 he fent, to work chained in his gallies. 
 5 Mean-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 24* 
 
 Meanwhile Lautrec again entered the 
 Milanefe, fo often conquered, and fo often 
 loft. With the fortune conftantly attend- 
 ant on the French arms at their firft ar- 
 rival, he rapidly reduced it to fubjediom 
 On the news of his approach, the Im- 
 perial generals releafed the fovereign pon- 
 tiff, and haftily evacuated Rome* Lau- 
 trec purfued them by great marches ; and, 
 prefenting battle to their troops, enervated 
 by plunder, and thinned by peftilential 
 difeafes, the effects of their intemperance 
 and licentioufnefs, drove them before him 
 in confufion. Naples afforded them an 
 afylum. It is faid, that had he improved 
 their panic, and laid inftant fiege to the 
 place, he might have hoped every thing 
 from their general diforder and difmay : 
 but he loft that favourable juncture, in 
 the attack of feveral inferior towns, and at 
 length fat down before it. 
 
 By that unhappy fatality which feemed 
 to accompany the enterprizes of Francis 
 beyond the Alps, but which was really the 
 
 VOL, I. R neceffary
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 neceflary confequence of his own negli- 
 gent remiflhefs, and defultory refolutions, 
 or unequal meafures, all thefe promifing 
 appearances were overclouded, and ren- 
 dered finally abortive. Lautrec, anxious 
 for his own and his fovereign's glory"; and 
 though defective as a commander, ani- 
 mated with the warmeft enthufiafm for 
 his country, exerted all his endeavours to 
 avert the deftruclion which he had early 
 predicted. He implored the king to fa- 
 tisfy, and conciliate the celebrated Doria, 
 whofe concurrence and aid to block up 
 the port of Naples, was indifpenfably re- 
 quifite to the capture of the city. It was 
 debated in the cabinet council to comply 
 with this advice : but Du Prat and Mont- 
 morenci having flrongly oppofed it, from 
 fome little motives of private intereil and 
 emolument, this wholefome and falutary 
 counfel was rejected . The fiege was un- 
 avoidably protracted ; fummer advanced, 
 and diftempers began to fpread themfelves 
 among the French : the hopes of fuccefs 
 
 grew
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 243 
 
 grew fainter every day, and the army, 
 almoft rendered incapable of action by its 
 lofles, funk into univerfal dejection. Lau- 
 trec long fuftained his courage unfhaken ; 
 but feized at length with a mortal difeafe, 
 he became unable to perform the func- 
 tions of a general. His officers endea- 
 voured to induce him to retire to Capua : 
 but he had fworn to enter Naples vic- 
 torious, or die; and, finking under the 
 preflure rather of intellectual difquietude 
 and pain, than bodily infirmity, he ex- 
 pired in the camp. With him the poor 
 remains of vigour and firrnnefs, which 
 yet animated his troops, became extinct. 
 The marquis de Saluzzo, on whom the 
 fupreme command devolved, capitulated 
 foon after, and died in imprifonment. 
 All Naples was evacuated by the French - t 
 and thefe vaft preparations, like fo many 
 which had preceded them, produced no 
 advantage to the kingdom. 
 
 Tired with war, and exhaufted by fuch 
 
 continual efforts, the various princes of 
 
 R 2 Europe
 
 244 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Europe fufpended, from common weak- 
 nefs, their mutual hoftilities. This vo- 
 luntary truce was followed by a final 
 pacification. Margaret of Burgundy*, 
 aunt to the emperor, and Louifa, mother 
 of Francis, were the mediators of an ac- 
 commodation fo defirable. It was con- 
 cluded~at Cambray ; and the terms, though 
 burthenfome and fevere to France, were 
 yet fubmitted to, in the paflionate wifh 
 to refcue the dauphin and his brother 
 
 * She was a princefs of infinite wit and capacity. 
 Her affiance to Charles the eighth having been dif- 
 folved from political motives, Margaret was fent back 
 into the Low Countries, She was afterwards de- 
 manded by Ferdinand and Ifabella, for their only font 
 Don Juan. On her voyage from Flanders into Spain, 
 a violent ftorm attacked them near the coaft of Eng- 
 land. The veffel was expected to fink. Amid fuch a 
 icene of terror and confufion, fhe had the calmnefs 
 and prefence of mind, to tie all her jewels round her 
 arm in a waxed cloth ; annexing thefe two humorous 
 lines of poetry, defcriptive of her peculiar for- 
 tune, 
 
 " Cy git Margot, la gente Dernoifelle, 
 
 " Qu'eut deux Maris,, et fi mourut Pucelle." 
 
 from
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 245 
 
 from their captivity, which formed one 
 of the mofl important articles. 
 
 The marechal de Montmorenci was 
 fent to Andaye, on the frontier of Spain, 
 with the ranfom : while Velafco, confta- 
 ble of Caftile, conducted the two princes, 
 and Eleanor, the fifter of Charles, to the 
 oppofite fide of the river. The exchange 
 being reciprocally made, they proceeded 
 towards Bourdeaux, Francis advanced to 
 meet them as far as the abby of Veien in 
 Gafcony, and the nuptial ceremonies were 
 performed there the fame day, Eleanor 
 was at this time thirty years of age ; her 
 perfon had very few charms ; and the king, 
 already enflaved to his miftrefs, the du- 
 chefs of Eftampes, never regarded her 
 with affection, and confidered the union 
 as merely political. She received, notwith- 
 Handing, all the external honours of roy~ 
 alty, and was ever treated by her hufband 
 with great refpeft. As Montmorenci be-* 
 gan likewife about this time to acquire a 
 R 3 prodigious
 
 246 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 prodigious intereft and afcendant over his 
 mailer ; the queen, confcious of her lit- 
 tle intrinfic confequence, attached him 
 to her, and fupported herfelf hy his in- 
 fluence and credit. 
 
 During the interval of tranquillity 
 and repefe which fucceeded to the at- 
 moft continual wars fmce Francis's ac- 
 ceffion, he mixed the patronage of let- 
 ters, and munificent protection of all 
 the liberal arts, with the fplendour and 
 luxury which eminently diftinguifhed his 
 court. The fimplicity of Louis the 
 twelfth's manners was forgotten , and 
 the introduction of ladies conflantly 
 about the perfon of the fovereign, a 
 cuftom unknown before in Europe, 
 breathed a fpirit of gallantry, which the 
 king's character and converfation were 
 calculated to encourage. " Une cour 
 " fans dames," faid he frequently, " eft 
 " une annee fans printemps ; une prin- 
 temps fans rofes." His fifter Mar- 
 garet,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 247 
 
 garet, afterwards queen of Navarre, was 
 one of the moft accomplifhed princefles 
 of whom we read in ftory. Though the 
 martial {pint of chivalry ftill gave an air 
 of rudenefs and ferocity to the diverfions 
 and entertainments exhibited ; yet an ele- 
 gance and refinement infenfibly mixed itfelf 
 with them, and began to take off the edge 
 of this remaining barbarifm. Fontain- 
 bleau, Chambord, and St. Germain-en- 
 Laye fucceffively appeared : and genius, 
 waking at the encouragement extended 
 to it by fo great a monarch, exerted its 
 firft attempts in eulogiums to his ho- 
 nour. 
 
 The death of the duchefs of Angou- 
 lefme followed foon after the peace, which 
 her endeavours had contributed chiefly 
 to produce. Paris being ravaged by the 
 plague, fhe retired to Fontainbleau ; but 
 the environs being infecled, obliged her 
 to take the rout of Romorantin in Berri. 
 Sicknefs compelled her to flop at Grez, a 
 little village in the Gatinois -, and flie ex- 
 R 4 pire4
 
 348 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pired there after a few days illnefs/ at 
 fifty-four years of age *. 
 
 l^hough 
 
 * Brantome relates a circumftance of her death, 
 ftrongly indicative of the fuperftitious terrors, to which 
 even princes were not fuperior, in the fixteenth century, 
 nor was genius, however elevated, exempt from them. 
 
 Three days before fhe expired, fays he, being awake 
 during the night, ihe was furprized at an extraordi- 
 nary brightnefs, which illuminated the chamber. 
 Apprehending it to be the fire which her women made, 
 Ihe reprimanded them ; but they replied, that it was 
 caufed by the moon. The dqchefs ordered her cur- 
 tains to be undrawn ; and difcovered that a comet pro- 
 duced this unufual light. " Ah !" exclaimed ftie, 
 ^ c this is. a phenomenon that appears not for perfons 
 * e of common condition ! Shut the window; it is a 
 <c cornet, which announces my departure : I muft 
 4< prepare myfelf for it." The enfuing morning (he 
 fent for her confeflbr, in the certainty of her ap- 
 proaching diffolution. The phyficians affured her, 
 that her apprehenfions were ill-founded and prema- 
 ture. " If I had not feen," replied Louifa, u the fig- 
 <c nal for my death, I could believe it ; for I do not 
 ". feel myfelf exhaufted or fpent." She expired on 
 the third day from this event. 
 
 It is faid fhe had always extremely dreaded the ter- 
 mination of life, and could never fupport the men- 
 tion
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 Though her mafterly and unwearied ef- 
 forts to procure the king's releafe, feem 
 in fome meafure to efface the criminal 
 conduct which preceded it j yet cannot it 
 obliterate the ftain of Bourbon's exile, 
 and Semblan9ai's execution. She was 
 more lamented by her fon, than by his 
 people 3 and feems to have been quickly 
 forgotten by both, Francis folemnizecl 
 her funerals with his accuftomed magnifi- 
 cence, and interred her at St. Denis, among 
 the fovereigns of France -, and Adulation, 
 ever ready to celebrate even the imagi-. 
 nary virtues of the great, crowned her 
 tomb with laurels and panegyrics. 
 
 The alliance between France and Eng- 
 land ftill fubfifted. The two kings, mu- 
 tually defirous of cementing it, met at St. 
 
 tion of mortality, even from the pulpit. Long after 
 {his period, and even late in the laft century, all the 
 appearances of the celeftial bodies, not perfectly com- 
 prehended by the multitude, were fuppofed to indi- 
 cate and foretel the deaths of fovereigns, or changes 
 and revolutions of empires. 
 
 Joquelvert,
 
 250 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Joquelvert, a little village between Calais 
 and Boulogne. Every mark of mutual 
 confidence, honour, and friendmip, was 
 fhewn by each in turn, and all the ap- 
 pearances of a perfect union difplayed in 
 their behaviour. We find no period of 
 hiftory, when the interviews of monarchs 
 were fo common and frequent as in the 
 fixteenth century, and more peculiarly un- 
 der this reign ; yet none, where the com- 
 pacls entered into were fo foon violated, 
 and the wars fo obflinate, and continually 
 renewed. 
 
 This conference was followed, in the 
 enfuing year, by another of higher confe- 
 quence, and greater {plendor : I mean the 
 famous interview of ]\larfeilles. Francis, 
 Intoxicated with the wifh to reconquer the 
 Milanefe, adapted all his meafures to that 
 great purpofe. He courted all the Italian 
 princes, and efpecially the houfe of Me- 
 dicis, as capable of being made eminently 
 fubfervient to his views on the duchy, 
 Thefe motives determined him to enter 
 
 into
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 251 
 
 into the clofeft connexions with Clement, 
 the reigning pope, by demanding Cathe- 
 rine, his niece, in marriage for Henry duke 
 of Orleans. The pontiff, flattered by this 
 condefcenfion in fo great a monarch, and 
 paffionately anxious to aggrandife his fa- 
 mily, accepted the offer with a pleafure 
 he did not affect to conceal. The king's 
 gallies conducted him and the princefs into 
 France. Francis, attended by the queen and 
 his whole court, made his entry into Mar- 
 feilles the day following that of his holi- 
 nefs. The nuptials were celebrated with 
 uncommon magnificence, and the feftivi- 
 ties continued during five weeks. Henry 
 and Catherine were both in very early 
 youth. Their ages only differed by thirteen 
 days, nor had either of them completed 
 their fourteenth year : yet Clement, fear- 
 ful left from the change of political cir- 
 cumftances, the marriage, if not com- 
 pleted, might be liable to a diflblution, 
 demanded its inftantconfummationj which 
 was performed the fame night. The king 
 
 founded
 
 252 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 founded vaft expectations on this alliance, 
 in cafe of future hoflilities with the empe- 
 ror 5 but the untimely death of the pope, 
 which happened only eleven months after- 
 wards, diffipated, and rendered them inef* 
 ft&uaJL 
 
 New caufes of difcontent between thefe 
 powerful and inveterate rivals increafed 
 continually, and portended the renewal of 
 thofe convullions which had already in- 
 terefted and diflurbed all Europe. Fran- 
 cis firft openly appeared in arms. The 
 execution of his agent at Milan, whom 
 Francifco Sforza, in the intention of gra- 
 tifying Charles, had caufed to be pri- 
 vately put to death in prifon, formed a 
 pretext for the rupture : and as the duke 
 of Savoy had likewife given many caufes 
 of umbrage and diflatisfaclion, befides the 
 refufal of permiffion to his troops to pafs 
 through Piedmont, he no longer preferved 
 any meafures with that prince. Brion, 
 lately created admiral, entered, and fub- 
 jecled, almofl without a blow, his whole 
 
 dominions i
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 dominions; while he vainly implored the 
 emperor's prote&ion. Sforza died at this 
 time j and it is faid that terror at the ap- 
 proach of the French, from whom his fa- 
 mily and himfelf had undergone fo many 
 evils, haftened or produced the diftemper 
 of which he expired. 
 
 Meanwhile Charles, victorious from, 
 the capture of Tunis, and crowned with 
 trophies gained over the Moors, prepared 
 to revenge the injuries done to the duke 
 of Savoy. After having given vent to his 
 indignation againft Francis, by an ha- 
 rangue in the conclave, filled with accu- 
 fations and complaints of his perfidy and 
 ambition, he joined his general Antonio 
 de Leyva, fo renowned for his great mi- 
 litary exploits, and began the campaign. 
 His victory in Africa - 3 the fervile flatteries 
 of his courtiers and parafites ; joined to 
 the predictions of aftrologers and fortune- 
 tellers, who v\*ere then in no fmall efti- 
 mation even with the wifeft princes; had 
 fo inflated his vanity, and perverted an 
 
 under-
 
 54 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 underflanding naturally cool, fagacious, 
 and difcerning, that, in oppofition to the 
 entreaties of his oldeft captains, he deter- 
 mined to enter Provence. Every argu- 
 ment and motive urged to difluade him, 
 were ineffectual. Blinded to reafons the 
 moft cogent and forcible ; untaught by 
 Bourbon's experience and ill fuccefs ; he 
 parTed the river Var, and continued his 
 march. 
 
 The king's wifdom and provident care 
 were never more ably exerted, than in this 
 imminent neceflity. Diftruftful of for- 
 tune, and cautious from the remembrance 
 of paft difafters, he refolved to truft no 
 event to the uncertain fate of battle; but 
 to embrace a plan more circumfpecl and 
 prudent. To enfure the fafety of his 
 kingdom, he facrificed a fingle province $ 
 and anticipated the ravages of the Impe- 
 rial forces, by laying wafte, and totally 
 deftroying the country through which he 
 knew they muft pafs. Himfelf encamped 
 at Valence, and prepared to try the ifTue 
 6 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 255 
 
 of a fecond combat, in cafe Montmorenci, 
 vanquished in a firft, rendered it necef- 
 fary for the general fafety. 
 
 But while thefe public duties engrofled 
 the attention of the King, a flroke of the 
 moft calamitous nature befel the Parent. 
 The dauphin, his eldefl fon, a prince of 
 the higheft expectations, and peculiarly 
 dear to his father, and to France, expired 
 at nineteen years of age. The circum- 
 fiances of his death, fufpicious, and in- 
 dicative of poifon, encreafed his forrow 
 and affliction. He had been engaged 
 at tennis, in the meadow of Ainay near 
 Lyons ; and having violently heated him- 
 felf by the exercife, difpatched one of his 
 pages to draw him fome water. Donna 
 Agnes Beatrix Pacheco, a lady of honour 
 in the fervice of the queen, had prefented 
 him with a curious cup made of earth, 
 which gave a remarkable coolnefs to any 
 liquor poured into it. While the page 
 laid down this cup on the fide of the well, 
 and was employed in pulling up the 
 
 bucket,
 
 256 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 bucket, a certain Italian of Ferrara, by 
 birth a nobleman, named Sebaftian Mon- 
 tecuculi, approached, and unperceived 
 mixed poifon in the vafej which the 
 dauphin immediately drank* He was feized 
 with inftant and moft excruciating pains j 
 but being warmly defirous to embrace his 
 father before his . death, and to breathe 
 his lafl in his arms, he caufed himfelf to 
 be put into a boat on the Rhone, in 
 hopes of reaching the city of Valence 
 alive : but even this little confolation was 
 not referved for his unhappy parent. The 
 dauphin died, before he could reach him, 
 at Tournon. Francis's magnanimity and 
 fortitude funk beneath fo cruel and difaf- 
 trous a trial -, and it was long before he re- 
 covered in any degree his wonted ferenity, 
 Henry, his fecond fon, was not equally 
 dear to him with the one he had loft. 
 If we may credit the cotemporary hifto- 
 rians, he porTefTed many of thofe qua- 
 lities which conciliate admiration and 
 love. In his perfon, he was handfome, 
 Z and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 and formed with fymmetry. His temper, 
 ferious, fteady, and referred, feemed to 
 indicate an understanding more ripe and 
 mature than his years gave reafon to ex- 
 pect : and his deportment at the inter- 
 view of Marfeilles, imprefled with refpe6l 
 and wonder, that numerous and auguft 
 aflembly. 
 
 Montecuculi was arrefted, and confefTed 
 the crime. Under the violence of torture^ 
 he even accufed Antonio de Leyva of be- 
 ing his accomplice, and threw out fome 
 dark and enigmatical infmuatiohs againft 
 the emperor himfelf : but thefe imputa- 
 tions are too palpably falfe and unworthy 
 to admit of a moment's belief, and were 
 merely extorted from the agony of pain. 
 He was himfelf executed, and torn in 
 pieces by wild horfes* at Lyons. The duke 
 of Orleans fucceeded to the title of 
 dauphin, and left his own to Charles, 
 the king's youngeft fon ** 
 
 Charles 
 
 * Notwithftanding the general teftimony of hifto- 
 fians, there appears to be a great uncertainty fpread 
 
 VOL. L S vr
 
 2 5 S MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Charles purfuing his rout through Pro* 
 vence, during this fad catailrophe, plun- 
 dered the city of Aix, and fat down before 
 Marfeilles. At the end of a few weeks he 
 found, when too late, the juftice of thofe re- 
 monftrances which had been made him pre- 
 vious to his expedition. Antonio de Leyva 
 had already breathed his laft, killed by the 
 fame diftemper which had carried off Lau- 
 trec before Naples. His troops became 
 the prey of a thoufand difeafes incident to 
 camps, and no profpecl appeared of the 
 fur render of. Marfeilles. Yielding to ne- 
 ceility, and compelled by thefe accumu- 
 
 over this whole tranfacHon. Montecuculi impeached 
 the Imperial generals : the French writers have not 
 ferapled to name, and with more probability, Cathe- 
 rine of Medicis, as the perpetrator of the dauphin's 
 murder, in the view of advancing her hufband to 
 the throne : but even this fuppofition ought not to be 
 embraced without ftronger reafons. Poifon is ufually 
 attributed to the fudden exits of diftinguifhed per- 
 fonages ; and the fymptoms of the dauphin's difeafe 
 and death might have all been produced by drinking 
 cold water, after an exercife which had exceedingly 
 heated his blood. 
 
 latecT
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 259 
 
 lated difafters which every day encreafed, 
 lie began his march back into Savoy. 
 All the roads were filled with his expiring 
 foldiers ; who, unable to fupport the fa- 
 tigue of fo unfortunate and painful a 
 retreat, and incapable of accompanying 
 their commander, dropped under the 
 weight of their arms, and fell into the 
 hands of the enemy. Montmorenci, car- 
 rying his maxims of timid circumfpectiort 
 to an unjuftifiable length, remained ftill 
 in his camp near Avignon; and, inftead 
 of following an army difmayed and bro- 
 ken by toils, fuffered them to efcape, and 
 repafs the mountains. 
 
 Charles, covered with confufion, and 
 defirous to hide his fliame, remained only 
 a fhort time in Italy. He embarked on 
 his- gallies at Genoa ; and arriving, after 
 a dreadful tempeft, in Spain, buried him- 
 felf in the receffes of his palace. 
 
 Mindful of the ancient alliances be- 
 tween the two crowns, and moved by the 
 critical fituation of France, menaced with 
 S 2. fo
 
 z6o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fo terrible an invafion, James the fifth, 
 king of Scotland, flew to the afli fiance 
 of Francis. He came too late for any 
 actual fervice, the emperor being already 
 on his retreat. This proof of generous and 
 e'nthufiaftic attachment fo deeply touched 
 the king, that he could not rcfufe him 
 the boon he demanded; his daughter 
 Magdalen. The princefs was in the 
 bloom of youth, beautiful, and accom- 
 plifhed : her ambition, gratified by a 
 throne, induced her to accept with joy the 
 propofal, though every endeavour was 
 vifed to inftil into her an averfion to it. 
 The nuptials were celebrated at Paris,, 
 and the young queen accompanied her 
 huftand into his kingdom ; but a hectic 
 fever, with which (he was feized foon after 
 her arrival, put an end to her life, with- 
 in a year from the marriage*. James, 
 
 become 
 
 * Brarttome plainly indicates that her death was 
 caufed by forrow and mortification, at having facri- 
 ned her own delicious country to the ambition of 
 
 reigning
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. ? 6j 
 
 become a widower, and perfifting in his 
 defire of being connected with France, 
 received from the king, Mary of Guife 
 in fecond marriage. 
 
 The war was ftiil continued with air- 
 ternate fuccefs in Flanders and Piedmont: 
 but the apparent intereft which Francis 
 took in the affairs of Scotland, and the 
 two fucceflive unions with its fovereign, 
 gave a jealoufy to Henry the eighth, and 
 gradually detached him from the flrift 
 cordiality he had long profefTed for him. 
 
 Montmorenci poflefled at this time aij 
 influence the moft extenfive and unbound- 
 ed : he concentered in himfelf almoft all 
 
 reigning In a rude and barbarous kingdom. When con- 
 vinced by fad experience of this truth, and confcious 
 that her deftiny permitted her to return no more, (lie 
 funk under it, frequently exclaiming, " Hclas ! j'ai 
 voulu etre reine !"" Ronfard, the famous poet, has 
 celebrated the nuptials, and very minutely defcribed 
 them in a fort of epithalamium, not inelegant. He 
 was at that time a page to the duke of Orleans, who 
 prefented him to the queen at her departure, and he 
 accompanied her into Scotland. 
 
 S 3 the
 
 2 6a MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the great powers of the royalty. To the 
 iword of con liable, and grand matter of 
 the houfehold, was fuperadded the fove- 
 reign difpofal of the finances. Neither 
 his talents or amiable qualities feem to 
 have been fuch, as rendered him worthy 
 of thefe unparalleled and diflinguifhed 
 favours ; and we are furprifed to find a 
 man uniformly unfortunate in war, and 
 interefted or partial in the cabinet, the mi- 
 nifter and moil beloved companion of two 
 kings. His ignorance was extreme, in 
 an age and court where letters were pe- 
 culiarly honoured and cultivated. His 
 manners, brutal and ferocious, difgufled 
 all who approached him. A temper 
 ilern, imperious, unfeeling, rendered him 
 generally odious and dreaded. Courage, 
 loyalty, and adulation cannot be denied 
 him. Francis, naturally difcerning, and 
 capable, when not biaffed by paffion, of 
 forming a juil eflimate of the human 
 heart and mind, did not always continue 
 to him that friendfhip and confidence. 
 
 He
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 263 
 
 He difgraced, and never would recall or 
 employ him - y but neither his conduft or 
 advice could prevent his fon from extending 
 to him the fame, or even greater honours, 
 which continued without diminution till 
 his death. 
 
 In the wifh or pretence of inducing 
 Charles and Francis to a final peace, 
 Paul the third, who had fucceeded to the 
 pontificate, prevailed on both monarchs to 
 agree to an interview at Nice. They 
 came; but from uncertain motives, either 
 perfonal or political, did not fee each 
 other. The pope, who affected to per- 
 form the office of a mediator, could only 
 procure a truce of nine years : but the 
 emperor, at his departure, promifed to 
 meet the king at Aigues-Mortes in Lan- 
 guedoc. He came, at the inftances of his 
 fitter Eleanor -, and landing without guards 
 or precaution, waited on his rival, and 
 dined in his tent. The enfuing day Fran- 
 cis returned this mark of confidence by a 
 vifit to Charles ; and was regaled on board 
 S 4 his
 
 264 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 his galley. Every demonftration of mu- 
 tual efteem and friendfhip was interchan- 
 ged. They embraced, and appeared to 
 have obliterated all their pail animofities. 
 -r-But the emperor, deeply fkilled in the 
 fubtle mazes of policy, and well acquainted 
 with the character of the king, generous, 
 and, when piqued on his honour, cany- 
 ing his punctilio to an extreme, forefaw 
 that he fhould have occafion to requeft a 
 pafTage through his dominions ; and only 
 wore the femblance of amity and concord, 
 to deceive the more eafily and effectually. 
 On his return from this interview, Fran- 
 cis, who paflionately loved the ftudy of 
 nature, and pofTefTe.d a curiofity of the 
 moft elegant and liberal kind, gratified 
 himfelf by feveral refearches which mark 
 his turn pf mind, and are not ufual in 
 princes, fie made a journey into Dau-? 
 phine, a province rich in romantic and 
 fmgular beauties - y in phenomena of vari-. 
 ous fpecies. He even caufed a boat to be 
 CQnflructed for the purpofe of exploring a 
 
 fubterranean.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 265 
 
 fubterranean lake, near a village called 
 Notre Dame de la Baulme, on the road 
 from Grenoble to Lyons -, and having ven- 
 tured into it, proceeded a confiderable dif- 
 tance on the water : but a Jftrong current, 
 which grew more rapid as they advanced, 
 attended with a noife indicative of a whirl- 
 pool, obliged his guides to defift from a 
 farther progrefs, and to reconduft him to 
 the entrance of the grotto *. 
 
 Francis, who had already facrificed his 
 firft queen to his irregular pleafures, ex- 
 perienced in turn the fatal effects of his 
 indifcretion ; and was eventually a martyr 
 to the mofl cruel of all difeafes. He be- 
 came enamoured of a woman, known un- 
 
 * This ftory is inconteftably authentic, and occurs 
 in almoft all the French hiftorians. I have omitted 
 many circumftances of it, as being too minute. The 
 remains of a boat, faid to be that of Fraricis the firfr, 
 were yet to be feen fome few years fmce, in the 
 cavern, through which is the paflage to the lake. The 
 *' Sept merveilles de Dauphine," are well known, and 
 are yet vifited by the curious. 
 
 der
 
 266 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 der the name of " La .belle Feroniere," 
 in. hiflory. Her rank and condition are 
 fbmewhat uncertain. Confcious how dan- 
 gerous it is to oppofe the paffions or de- 
 fires of princes, her hufband pretended to 
 fubmit to his own difhonour : but nou- 
 rifliing the refolution of vengeance, and 
 unable to devife any other expedient, he 
 voluntarily contracted a diflemper, which 
 he communicated to his unhappy wife, 
 and ilie, unknowingly, to the king. The 
 hufband adminiftered quick and effectual 
 remedies to his complaint; but " La Fe- 
 ' roniere" furvived it only a fhort time. 
 Even Francis, whether from unfkilful 
 treatment in his phyficians, or neglect, 
 never perfectly recovered this fmgular pu- 
 nifhment. He underwent extreme pain 
 from its effects -, and, after dragging on 
 feven or eight years of life, under a conti- 
 nual return of fymptoms more and more 
 alarming, expired in the vigour of his 
 age ; a melancholy leflbn of the dreadful 
 xonfequences of debauchery, and a proof 
 
 that
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 267 
 
 "that no exaltation of dignity can preclude 
 revenge, or ihield from jealous indigna- 
 tion *. 
 
 But though thefe were the perni- 
 cious attendants on his incontinence, 
 yet was it productive of certain inter- 
 mediate benefits to the kingdom. Pain 
 and mental anxiety acting conflantly on 
 him, gradually affected and changed his 
 difpofition. No longer capable of pur- 
 fuing, as formerly, his appetites, unre- 
 {Irained, and compelled to a life more 
 temperate and prudent ; he renounced his 
 profufion, and became fparing of the re- 
 
 * Every writer of Francis's reign relates this extra- 
 ordinary anecdote ; and it is found, though with fome 
 uneflential variation in minute particulars, in Meze- 
 rai, Varillas, Le Calendrier du Pere L'Enfant, Louis 
 Gtiyon, Buffieres, Bayle, and many others. The 
 portrait of " La belle Feroniere" is yet to be feen in 
 cabinets, and forms one of the beauties in the famous 
 collection of Odieuvre. The moft common opinion 
 Is, that her hufband was a lawyer ; but that is not cer- 
 tain. 1 think Dr. Burnet relates a fimilar ftory of 
 
 James the fccoiul, when duke of York. 
 
 venues.
 
 263 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 venues. Favourites, ufed to the abufe of 
 liis bounty, loft their command over him. 
 He applied more ferioufly to the great 
 bufmefs of flate - f and, becoming fplenetic, 
 inacceflible, and referved, introduced order 
 through all the departments of government. 
 The rebellion of the inhabitants of 
 Ghent, which took place at this time, 
 ferved to oppofe, in the moft ftriking and 
 eminent point of view, the different ge- 
 jiius and character of Charles and Fran- 
 cis. So far was the latter from taking 
 advantage of their infurreclion, and offers 
 of fubmiflion to .him, that he even gave 
 Advice of it to the emperor -, and granted 
 him a paffage through his dominions, 
 without laying him, as he might have 
 done, under any conditions, except thofe 
 of gratitude and honour. Every atten- 
 tion of the moft profound refpeft, of the 
 moft difinterefted friendfhip, was lavifhly 
 heaped upon him. The dauphin and duke 
 of Orleans, accompanied by the conftable, 
 went to receive him at Bayonne, and even 
 
 offered
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 269 
 
 offered to go as hoftages into Spain for the 
 fecurity of his perfon. The king himfelf, 
 though exceedingly indifpofed by illnefs, 
 advanced as far as Chatelleraud in Poic- 
 tou, where they gave each .other all the 
 marks of efteem and amity at their ren- 
 contre. Honours more than regal were 
 fhewn him -, all orders of the ftate vied in 
 their endeavours to welcome his arrival, 
 and to heighten the fplendor of his entry 
 into the capital. 
 
 It was debated in the cabinet, to im* 
 prove the occafion, and to compel the em- 
 peror by force, if not by benefits, to the 
 reflitution of the Milanefe, which he had 
 engaged himfelf by a verbal promife to do, 
 previous to his entry into the kingdom. 
 Montmorenci alone declared againft the 
 general fentiment : and, whether influenced 
 by Charles's applaufes, who flattered and 
 careffed him to the greateft degree ; whe- 
 ther induced to give this counfel from an 
 attachment to the queen Eleanor, or from 
 motives yet more uncertain and concealed ; 
 ^ prevailed
 
 270 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 prevailed on Francis, eafiry led to comply 
 with the dictates of his native dignity of 
 foul, and fcorning the arts of a fordid 
 policy, to lay him under no reftriclion. 
 He even conducted himfelf towards the 
 emperor with a delicacy unexampled -, ac- 
 companied him, on his departure, to St. 
 Quintin, and fent his two fons to attend 
 him to Valenciennes. Thefe accumulated 
 favours were repaid with the meaner! 
 breach of his word, with fubterfuges and 
 evasions too low for repetition. Charles, 
 who never meant to reiign the rich duchy 
 of Milan, and only fought to deceive a 
 rival too honourable for the crooked line 
 of princely conduct, avowed his intention 
 when he no longer feared reprifals > and, 
 like his grandfather Ferdinand, did not 
 blufti at a fuccefsful perfidy *. 
 
 The 
 
 * There is a curious anecdote on the fubjecl: of 
 
 Charles's pafiage" through France, and efcape, in 
 
 DupUixj who attributes- k almoft entirely to the 
 
 duchefs of Eftarpes. Francis, in preferring his mif- 
 
 2 trefs
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 271 
 
 The indignation, mixed with fliame, 
 which the king felt at being thus egre- 
 gioufly the dupe of his too fcrupulous 
 and unfufpecting honour, roufed him 
 from that fupine reliance on the counfel 
 of others, which he had hitherto indulg- 
 ed. His penetration made him fee, that 
 treachery in his own fervants, had been 
 added to the emperor's duplicity, and 
 
 trefs to the emperor, faid, " Mon frere, cette belle dame 
 ** me confeille de vous obliger a detrui're a Paris 1'ou- 
 " vrage de Madrid ;" to which, he coldly replied, " Si 
 " le confeil en eft bon, il faut le fuivre." Alarmed 
 however at this intimation of the duchefs's fentiments, 
 and confcious of her power over the king, he deter- 
 mined to exert his whole addrefs to detach her from 
 him. On the enfuing day, when water was offered 
 him to wafh, Madame d'Eftampes held the napkin. In 
 pulling off a diamond of prodigious value, which he 
 wore on his finger, he purpofely let it drop ; and (he 
 having taken it up, Charles refufed to accept it, add- 
 ing gallantly, that it too well became the hand when? 
 fortune had placed it, to take it away. The duchefe 
 
 was too grateful for the prefcnt. There is an air of 
 
 fi&ion. and romance in all this, nor can it be much- 
 relied on ; though it is but too clear that fhe had intel- 
 ligence with Charles, in the fequel, 
 
 jointly
 
 MEMOIR SOP THE 
 
 jointly impofed on his understanding. Ad 
 he carried his infpection deeper into the 
 arcana of adminiftration, new proofs of 
 the pernicious abufe which his favourites 
 had made of the royal ear or affection, 
 crouded upon him. Pleafure, feductive 
 and fafcinating, had ceafed to delude his 
 ripened judgment $ the cares and duties of 
 a great monarch, anxious for the public 
 weal, fucceeded to their empire in his bo- 
 fbm ; and the fhining virtues which na- 
 ture had early planted there, but whofe 
 growth had been retarded, and luflre 
 dimmed, by a too early acceflion to the 
 crown, rekindled in an age lefs fufcepti- 
 ble of flattery. 
 
 This alteration of fentiment Was fol^ 
 lowed by as total a change of aftion. The 
 perfons to whom t^ie fir ft offices and charges 
 had been confided, were difgraced. Brion, 
 admiral of France, was degraded from 
 his high poft; and though the intercef- 
 iion of the duchefs of Eftampes, to whom 
 he was allied by blood, alleviated the fe- 
 
 veritj
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 273 
 
 verity of his profecntioh and fentence, 
 ' yet he died the victim of his mortified 
 pride, and humbled fortunes. Poyet, the 
 chancellor, was the fecond facrifice ; and 
 his puniihment, more rigorous and ex- 
 tenfive, reduced him to penury and ex- 
 treme diftrefs. His conduct while he held 
 the feals, no lefs reproachable than Du 
 Prat's, his predeceflbr, deprived him, in 
 this calamitous condition, of the popular 
 commiferation; Thefe two confpicuous 
 removals only ferved to prepare a yet 
 greater fall, that of the conftable, fo long 
 unrivalled in Francis's love. The eaufe 
 cannot be exactly afcertained, nor can 
 we even pofitively know whether it was 
 more political, or perfonaL It is faid, 
 that a jealoufy of the dauphin's growing 
 attachment to him, gave umbrage' to his 
 father^ and ferved to corroborate the other 
 reafons I have enumerated. Montmo- 
 renci retired from court, and amufed 
 himfelf in the erection of the caftle of 
 Ecoiien, near St. Denis, during his exile; 
 VOL. I. T nor
 
 274 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 nor could the king ever be perfuaded to 
 recal or employ him, by any inftances 
 or endeavours for that purpofe. The 
 cardinal of Tournon, a man of medio- 
 crity of talents, but pofTerfing application, 
 and capacity for bufmefs, was invefled 
 with the highefl employment of ftate ; 
 and the marechal d'Annebaut, who fuc- 
 ceeded Brion as admiral, divided with him 
 the king's confidence. 
 
 After near two years of intrigue, ne- 
 gociation, and infidious propofals on the 
 part of the emperor, relative to the pre- 
 tended, resignation of the Milanefe in fa- 
 vour of Charles duke of Orleans ; Fran- 
 cis, confcious that thefe meafures would 
 never produce the end intended, and ir- 
 ritated by the marquis del Guafto's mur- 
 der of his two ambailadors to the re- 
 public of Venice and Solyman emperor of 
 the Turks, openly took up arms, and 
 renewed the war. He even made efforts 
 of a nature more extraordinary than any 
 during his whole reign. Henry, the dau- 
 phin, 

 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 275 
 
 phin, was placed at the head of a fine 
 army in the Roufillon, and laid fiege to 
 Perpignan ; but after a vain attempt, was 
 necefiitated to retire without fuccefs. His 
 brother Charles, after a much more prof- 
 perous campaign in Flanders, abandoned 
 his triumphs in the midway ; and, in- 
 flamed with the vvifli to combat the em- 
 peror, who was expected to come to the 
 refcue of Perpignan, quitted his troops, 
 and crofTed all France to Montpelier, 
 where his father had remained, to wait 
 the event. Scarce any advantageous con- 
 fequences refulted from thefe great arma- 
 ments. 
 
 Francis gave at this time an inflance 
 of the rAoft amiable clemency, in his treat- 
 ment of the inhabitants of La Rochelle, 
 who had revolted. After having entered 
 with a great military train into the city, 
 which was incapable of defence, and ex- 
 pofed to his refentraent ; he firifc pointed 
 out to them, in an eloquent harangue, 
 the enormity of their crime, and then 
 T 2 pardoned
 
 276 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pardoned it, without reftriclion, in the moft 
 ample manner. 
 
 The king of England, capricious, and 
 the fport of his tumultuous paflions, had 
 once more broke with Francis, and re- 
 newed his ancient alliance with his rival. 
 The Netherlands became the fcene of hof- 
 tilities -, and, though incommoded from 
 illnefs, he was neceflitated to command 
 his forces in perfon. Luxembourg was- 
 taken, but no conqueft of importance at- 
 chieved. 
 
 Induced by the preffing felicitations of 
 the king, Solyman the magnificent dif- 
 patched the renowned pirate Barbarofla, 
 with a hundred and thirty gallies, to his 
 aid : in conjunction with the Frerfch fleet, 
 he faid fiege to Nice, but raifed it difho- 
 fiourably ; and Francis, covered with the 
 reproaches of a 1 !! the chriftian princes, for 
 this union with their common enemy, 
 derived from it fcarce any benefit or uti- 
 lity. In Flanders' he was more' fuccefs- 
 ful : Charles, who had led a formidable 
 3 army
 
 KINGS OR FRANCE, &c. 277 
 
 army into the field, was repulfed before 
 Landrecy, by the valour of the garrifon ; 
 and after having feized on Cambray, an 
 imperial city, retired into winter quar- 
 ters. 
 
 After ten years of fterility, Catherine 
 of Medecis was at length delivered of a 
 fon, who was named Francis, and after- 
 wards afcended the throne. Her cha- 
 racter had not yet unveiled and difplayed . 
 itfelf : the genius of Francis, and the 
 circumflances of the times, repreffed and 
 concealed it. She pofTefled no political 
 influence, had no feat in the cabinet. Her 
 barrennefs contributed to diminifh her 
 confequence, and even gave room to fome 
 propofals for a difTolution of the marriage, 
 but which were relinquifhed. Even in 
 this fituation, her addrefs was vifible : fhe 
 made the moil affiduous and fuccefsful 
 court to the king, who began to decline, 
 from his indifpofitions : fhe accompanied 
 him to the chace ; formed one of that ce- 
 lebrated party, known by the title of 
 T 3 "La
 
 278 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 " La petite bande de dames de la cour ;" 
 and attended him on his private excur~ 
 lions to Chambord, Fontainbleau, and 
 Madrid, where he laid afide the cares of 
 ftate, and unbent himfelf in the company 
 of a felect number of his favourites. Thefe 
 complaifant and winning attentions, ren- 
 dered her infinitely dear to Francis. To 
 her hufband, the dauphin, fhe was no lefs 
 fubmiflive : he was already enflaved to 
 Diana de Poitiers, whofe faction, oppofed 
 to that of madame d'Eftampes, divided 
 the court. In this moft delicate and cri- 
 tical condition, fhe yet rendered herfelf 
 acceptable by a humility and flexibility of 
 conduct rarely found -, and, referving the 
 latent capacities with which fhe was en- 
 dowed for more favourable times, was con- 
 tent to remain in comparative obfcu- 
 rity * 
 
 The 
 
 * Though certain authors have fpoken of the c< Pe- 
 * l ti.te bande de dames de la cour," as a moft difib- 
 liUe and voluptuous afTociation, yet there can be no 
 
 doubt
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 279 
 
 The war between the two monarchs 
 was carried on with redoubled violence. 
 Francis had confided the fupreme com- 
 mand in Piedmont to the count d'Enguien. 
 This young hero, only twenty-one years 
 of age, had already raifed the higheft ex- 
 pectations : in him revived the genius of 
 Gaflon de Foix ; and, like him, his glories 
 were fwallowed up by a hafty extinction. 
 Brother to Anthony duke of Vendome, 
 and to Louis prince of Conde fo re- 
 nowned in the unhappy wars of Charles 
 the ninth, his rank entitled him to the 
 higheft employments, and his capacity 
 
 doubt of the falfity of fuch an accufation. It is like- 
 wife faid, that Catherine prevented a divorce between 
 Henry and herfelf, by the intereft of Diana de Poi- 
 tiers, his miftrefs, of which fhe did not fcruplc to 
 make ufe ; but this is very problematical, and much 
 to be difputed. Uniform tradition, and fcveral co- 
 temporary writers, attribute to Fernel, firft phyfician 
 to the king, the merit of rendering her capable of 
 bearing children, by fome medical afiiftance given 
 to her conftitution ; and there feems every reafon to 
 believe it. 
 
 T 4 made
 
 aSo MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 made him worthy of them. The battle 
 of Gerizoles, which he gained over the 
 marquis del Guafto, who fled, wounded 
 in the knee, renewed the remembrance of 
 Ravenna's day. All the Milanefe would 
 have been the inevitable confequence of 
 this important victory, if urgent neceflity 
 had not compelled the king to renounce 
 Italian conquefts, in the more prefling 
 exigence of domeftic invafion. Charles 
 and Henry entering Picardy with two 
 great armies, menaced France with cala- 
 mities fuperior to any fhe had yet expe- 
 rienced. Had the junction been made 
 which was originally ftipulated, the king- 
 dom would probably have been reduced 
 to the verge of ruin : but the emperor's 
 error in laying fiege to St. Difier, which 
 detained him more than fix weeks and 
 the king of England's refufal to join him, 
 or delift from his attempt on Boulogne- 
 gave Francis time to provide for the fafety 
 of his capital and dominions. He was him- 
 felf too much enfeebled by his complaints, 
 
 to
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 to head the army in perfon ; which was 
 intruded to the dauphin. The emperor 
 advancing, fpread terror and confterna- 
 tion. Paris, abandoned by its inhabi- 
 tants, was left almoft unpeopled, and pre- 
 fented a fcene the mofl diftrefsful : fcarce 
 could the king's arrival calm their agita- 
 tions, and reftore any fort of tran- 
 quillity. 
 
 Meanwhile his fon Henry, active, mar- 
 tial, and warmed with enthufiafm in fo 
 great a caufe, had reduced Charles, in 
 turn, to the greateft difficulties for want 
 of forage and provifions. He muft even, 
 it is probable, have fued for a cefTation 
 of arms, or made a difficult and mame- 
 ful retreat; if the intrigues of the duchefs 
 of Eftampes had not extricated him from 
 his perilous fituation, by a private in- 
 formation of thofe places where maga- 
 zines were provided. The motive to this 
 infamous and treafonable conduct in 
 the king's miftrefs, was her jealoufy of 
 the daupjiin's glory, and partiality for 
 
 the
 
 282 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the duke of Orleans ; to whom fhe hoped 
 Charles would refign the Milanefe, and 
 under whofe protection fhe flattered her- 
 felf with a fecure afylum after Francis's 
 death. Though her fuccour had prevent* 
 ed his troops from being deftroyed by fa- 
 mine, yet many circumflances hung the 
 fortune of the campaign in fufpence : and 
 Henry, panting to fignalize his prowefs, 
 and fhew himfelf worthy the crown he 
 was deftined to inherit, might flill have 
 fnatched from him the trophies he had 
 gained. Thefe confiderations prevailed on 
 the emperor to propofe, or permit the 
 propofal, of a final peace. Two Domini- 
 can friars, Diegos Chiavez, and Gabriel 
 de Gufman, were the conductors of this 
 negotiation, which was warmly feconded 
 by Eleanor, Francis's queen. The dau- 
 phin, on the other hand, ftrongly and 
 violently oppofed it, as inglorious, unne- 
 ceffary, and a facrifice of the national 
 honour to the aggrandifement of his bro- 
 ther, the only objecl: intended by the con- 
 trary
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 283 
 
 trary faclion. The king, after fome ir- 
 refolution, ranged himfelf on the fide of 
 his youngeft fon, for whom he indulged a 
 partial fondnefs. The treaty was, in con- 
 fequence, lefs calculated .for public bene- 
 fit, than that of the duke of Orleans, 
 to whom the emperor promifed his 
 daughter, with the Low Countries or Mi- 
 lanefe in dowry, within two years. A 
 contingent and future advantage ; in re- 
 turn for which Francis reflgned almoft 
 all his conquefts in Savoy or Piedmont; 
 and which Charles never accomplifhed ! 
 Henry the dauphin protefted publicly 
 againfl this treaty, fo injurious to his 
 interefls. 
 
 The capture of Boulogne, which had 
 fallen into the king of England's hands, 
 had ferved to haften its conclufion ; and 
 Francis, anxious for the recovery of fo 
 important a place, not only fent his eldeft 
 fon to form the fiege of it, but advanced 
 in perfon, accompanied by his youngefl, 
 to the abbey of Foret-Mouftier, ten 
 
 leagues
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 leagues diftant, between Abbeville and 
 Montreuil. Here he was again over- 
 whelmed by a new affliction, to which he 
 was infinitely fenfible ; the death of the 
 duke of Orleans. This prince was the un- 
 happy victim of his own puerile temerity 
 and want of cohfideration. The plague 
 had appeared in the environs of the village 
 where the king was lodged : his fon, not- 
 withftanding the entreaties and remon- 
 ftrances of his attendants, perfifted to 
 fleep in a houfe faid to be infected ; al- 
 ledging, that in the annals of the mo- 
 narchy was there no inftance of a fon of 
 France who had died of the plague. He 
 even carried his fatal indifcretion to a yet 
 more extraordinary length; and having 
 pulled out the bedding faid to be tainted, 
 ran up and down covered with the fea- 
 thers. He was feized almoft immediately 
 with the diflemper predicted, and expired 
 foon after. His unfortunate parent fainted 
 at the mournful news of the lofs of this 
 favourite child, for whom he had with 
 
 fo
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 285 
 
 fo much care provided a rich inhe* 
 ritance. 
 
 The duke of Orleans was only twenty- 
 three years old : in perfon he refembled 
 Francis more than either of his elder 
 fons, and was the handfomeft of his three 
 children. He had no bodily defect, except 
 that the fmall-pox had injured one of his 
 eyes; but even this was not difcernible. 
 As the features of his face bore a pecu- 
 liar fimilarity to thofe of his father, fo 
 did the leading ftrokes of his character. 
 Lively, animated, courageous, active, and 
 incapable of difguife or referve : but with 
 thofe errors and foibles which commonly 
 characterize youth ; prefumption, warmth, 
 and vanity. He was doubtlefs a prince 
 X)f high expectations, if the rivalfhip and 
 avowed animofity between him and the 
 dauphin had not rendered it too proba- 
 ble, that after Francis's death the -bro- 
 thers would no longer preferve any mea- 
 fures. The emperor fomented this dif- 
 unionj and, by an affected predilection
 
 286 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 for, and preference of him, inftilled deeper 
 fufpicions into Henry's bofom; fo that 
 perhaps his untimely end was not injuri- 
 ous to the ftate, however calamitous and 
 oppreffive to the father. Charles imme- 
 diately declared, that by this accident he 
 held himfelf acquitted from his promife 
 relative to the Milanefe - y and refufed any 
 reiignation or inveititure of it. 
 
 The death of the count d'Enguien, who 
 had fo lately acquired an immortal re- 
 nown in Italy, and whofe age was almoft 
 exactly the fame with that of the prince 
 deceafed, renewed the grief of Francis, 
 who wept his lofs in the deepeft forrow. 
 There is an ambiguity fpread over this 
 event, hard to penetrate. The count was 
 engaged at play with the youth of tlie 
 court. It was at La Roche-fur- Yonne : 
 a coffer thrown purpofely from a window- 
 on his head, killed him on the fpot. 
 Cornclio Bentivoglio, an Italian noble- 
 man, with whom he previously had fome 
 difpute, was accufed of this deteflable 
 
 and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 287 
 
 and cowardly a<5lion : but the king would 
 not permit the affair to be minutely exa- 
 mined, or any difquifition entered into, 
 "from the fear of finding that the dau- 
 phin was privy to, or involved in the 
 crime. 
 
 A peace, long wiflied for by the two 
 kings of France and England, at length 
 took place. Plenry promifed to reftore 
 Boulogne in eight years, on condition of 
 a certain annual fum -, and Francis, re- 
 leafed from this object of attention, bent 
 all his cares to the empire, where Charles 
 had openly attempted to eftabliih an unli- 
 mited power. 
 
 As he approached the termination of his 
 life, the violence of the two parties, which 
 divided the court, redoubled. The duchefs 
 of Eftampes had endeavoured to fpread a 
 report, that Diana de Poitiers was the 
 caufe of the duke of Orleans's death, by 
 the admimnration of poifon. To this 
 cruel imputation, fhe had added many 
 contemptuous exprelfions on the decay of 
 her perfonal charms ; and openly declared, 
 2 that
 
 288 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 that the year of Diana's marriage was that 
 .of her own birth < The dauphin, in re- 
 venge for thefe afperfions on his miftrefs's 
 fame, had indulged himfelf in fome very 
 fevere and pointed farcafms on the duchefs's 
 fidelity. He even prefumed to aflert, that 
 flie confoled herfelf for his father's ficknefs 
 in the arms of another - 3 and he named 
 the celebrated Guy Chabot, Seigneur de 
 Jarnac, as the perfon, tho' he was nearly 
 allied to heo having married her fitter. 
 This accufation reached the king's ear, who 
 highly refented it, and would have ri- 
 ^oroufly punifhed the author, had not 
 his name been concealed. Jarnac denied 
 the facl: -, which La Chataigneraye, a fa- 
 vourite of the dauphin's, protefted he 
 had communicated to him ; and from 
 this fource originated, the famous duel 
 which took place on Henry the fecond's 
 acceffion *. 
 
 We 
 
 * It was not only with Jarnac, that madame d'Ef- 
 iampes has been accufed of infidelity. The count de
 
 RINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 289 
 
 We draw towards the clofe of this great 
 reign. Henry the eighth of England's 
 death alarmed and difquieted the king $ 
 he had long known him* and a degree of 
 diflant analogy and refemblance in their 
 characters, had united them to each other, 
 in defiance of their frequent wars and 
 jarring interefts. Francis caufed a re- 
 
 Boflu, and the Seigneur de Dampierre, have been 
 likewife named ; but none of thefe are proved, and 
 probably only originated from the dauphin and his 
 jniftrefs's hatred. Even Brantome, partial to his 
 uncle La Chataigneraie, only infmuates, that the 
 duchefs was not ftri&ly faithful to Francis, as he did 
 not pique himfelf ori his fidelity to her. It was not 
 her perfonal, but political conduct) which rendered her 
 obnoxious to Henry ; who, after his father's death, 
 protefted againft the abufe which fhe had made of her 
 influence over him, and aided publicly the profecution 
 againft her. There have been authors fo abfurd as to 
 pretend, that Francis never had any other connections 
 with her than thofe of mind, during two^and-twenty 
 years : it would be ridiculous to attempt to difprove 
 this formally. The complexion of the king, amo- 
 rous and warm ; the beauty, and many attractions of 
 the duchefs, refute it fufficiently. 
 
 VOL, I. U quiem
 
 29 o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 quiem and fervice to be faid for the repofe 
 of his foul, though he died excommuni- 
 cated, and without the pale of the church. 
 He confidered it as a prognoftic of his own 
 approaching end, and was deeply affected 
 by it. No effectual remedies could be ad- 
 miniftered to his difeafe, which was grown 
 inveterate : his uneafmefs and anxiety of 
 mind encreafed its virulence. He wan- 
 dered from one palace to another, depreff- 
 ed and languid. A flow fever, produced 
 by corporal and intellectual pain, began 
 to wafte his already exhaufled conftitu- 
 tion j and at length, becoming more vio- 
 lent and continued, forced him to ftop at 
 the little chateau of Rambouillet. Here, 
 finding himfelf worfe, and refigning the 
 hope of life, he fent for his fon Henry, 
 that he might addrefs to him his dying 
 words. They were worthy a great king 
 expiring. = He admonifhed him, that 
 children fhould imitate the virtues, and 
 not the vices of their parents -, that the 
 French people, as the moil loyal and li- 
 beral
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 291 
 
 beral of any in the world to their fove- 
 reigns, merited in return to be protected, 
 not opprefled by them. He recommended 
 to him, in terms the moft forcible and 
 perfuafive, the diminution of the imports 
 and taxes, which continual wars had 
 forced him to encreafe to an unprece- 
 dented heighth. He requefted him never 
 to recall Montmorenci ; and to continue 
 the cardinal of Tournon, and the ma- 
 rechal d'Annebaut in the miniftry, as vir- 
 tuous and difmterefted ftatefmen. Henry 
 ihewed little deference to thefe counfels, 
 when he afcended the throne. His fa- 
 ther did not furvive much longer : the 
 perfect pofTeflion of his underftanding 
 and fpeech accompanied him to the lail 
 moment : he expired at length, aged only 
 fifty- two years, of which he had reigned 
 thirty-two. The magnificence which had 
 diftinguifhed him through life, did not 
 forfake him even in death : his funeral 
 obfequies were performed with unufual 
 U 2 pomp,
 
 292 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pomp, and attended by eleven cardinals : 
 a thing unprecedented in France ! 
 
 I have been irrefiftibly and infenfibly 
 drawn into too minute a narration of 
 Francis's reign, to render it necelTary to 
 be equally diffufe in the defcription of 
 his character. Such are the principal 
 ftrokes of it, that they cannot be mif- 
 taken. We (hall love and admire his 
 magnanimity, his clemency, his munifi- 
 cence, his romantic and fcrupulous ho- 
 nour. We (hall confeis and refpect his 
 capacity, his courage, his protection of 
 genius and. the arts, his heroifm and for- 
 titude. We fhall pity, and hide beneath 
 the veil of candour and humanity, his 
 profufion, his want of application, his 
 too great fubferviency to minifters, fa- 
 vourites, and miftrefTes, who abufed his 
 bounty. No prince of the age in which 
 he lived, interefls fo deeply; none was 
 fo much celebrated, and the fubjecl: of 
 fuch univerfal panegyric. Though ufu- 
 ally unfuccefsful in his wars, he yet ac- 
 5 quired
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 293 
 
 quired more glory than the emperor his, 
 competitor; and Francis is more truly 
 great after the defeat of Pavia, or in the 
 caftle of Madrid, than Charles trium- 
 phant, and impofing conditions on his 
 prifoner. His largefles, his princely li- 
 berality, his condefcending attentions to 
 men diftinguifhed by their fuperior me- 
 rit, acquired him a fame not inferior to 
 Leo the tenth, and lefs oftentatious than 
 that of Louis the fourteenth. We all 
 know that Leonardo-da- Vinci expired in 
 his arms, from the effort he made to ex- 
 prefs his fenfe of the 'honours done r^im by 
 fo auguil a monarch. 
 
 No European court vied with that of 
 Francis in brilliance and luftre. He was 
 him f elf the animating foul, which diffufed 
 a radiance over it. During the laft ten 
 years of his life, his character rifes upon 
 the view. Notwithflanding all the pre- 
 vious diforder in the finances, notwith- 
 landing the numerous and fplendid pa- 
 Jaces he erefted, the donations he made, 
 U 3 the
 
 294 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the collections of paintings and other mo- 
 numents of art which he purchafed, the 
 inceflant wars he fuftained ; yet at his death 
 the royal domain was free, a vaft fum in 
 the treafury, and a quarter of his revenues 
 ready to enter it. His very foibles and 
 errors were fuch as mark a feeling and ge- 
 nerous bofom ; fuch as we pardon while 
 we cenfure. His promifcuous amours 
 carried with them their own punifh- 
 ment, and conducted him to the tomb 
 untimely, before age had diminimed his 
 faculties or powers. To Henry the fourth 
 he bears a flriking refemblance ; and this 
 latter prince, fo worthy of immortal praife, 
 was flattered and charmed with the com- 
 parifon of himfelf to Francis, whom he 
 imitated and emulated. The proclamation 
 in the hall of the palace, which announced 
 his death, was couched in thefe words: 
 " Prince clement en paix, viftorieux en 
 " guerre, pere et reftaurateur des bonnes 
 *' lettres, et des arts liberaux." An eu- 
 logium great and dazzling, but yet far 
 
 unequal,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 295 
 
 unequal, in real and intrinfic dignity, to 
 that conferred on his predecefibr ! 
 
 By Eleanor, his fecond wife, he never 
 had any ifliie -, and on his deceafe fhe re- 
 tired firft into the Netherlands, and af- 
 terwards into Spain ; in which country 
 fhe died, at Talavera, near Badajox, eleven 
 years after her hufband. We know not 
 that Francis had any children by either 
 of his moil celebrated miftrefies, madame 
 de Chateau-Briand, and the duchefs of 
 Eftampes *. 
 
 * Brajitome has mentioned a certain " Villecou- 
 " vin," as his illegitimate fon ; but this is very 
 dubious. It is curious to find in the Jefuit GarafTe, 
 and in Sanderus, that Anne Boleyn is accufed of 
 having been one of Francis's miftrefies. They not 
 only vilify her character by invectives the moft illi- 
 beral ; but defcribe her perfon in language fo extra- 
 ordinary, that I cannot help copying it from the lat- 
 ter of thefe writers. " Anne de Boleyn avoit fix 
 " doigts a la main droite; le vifage long, jaune, 
 " comme fi elle eut eu les pales couleurs ; et une 
 " loupe fous la gorge." Is this the beautiful Anne 
 Boleyn ? It is at leaft impoflible to recognize hei 
 ur.dcr thefe frightful and ridiculous colours. 
 
 U4 CHAP-
 
 296 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER THE EIGHTH. 
 
 Character of Henry the fecond. Changes 
 in the Jlate. Diana de Poitiers, Her 
 character. Romantic attachment of the 
 king. Dif grace of the duchefs ofEJlamfes. 
 - Duel of Jarnac and La Chataigneraie. 
 *Infurretiions in Guyenne. Perfecution 
 of the prot eft ants. Death of Margaret 
 of Valois, queen of Navarre, Character. 
 War renewed between Henry and the 
 JLmperor. Catherine of Medicis left re- 
 gent. Siege of Metz. War continued. 
 ''The Emperor abdicates, Power of 
 J)iana duchefs of Valentinoh. The duke 
 of Guife fent again/I Naples. Battle of 
 St. Quentin . Capture of Calais. Mar- 
 riage of Francis the dauphin, to Mary of 
 Scotland. Circumftances. Peace con- 
 cluded. Caroufals of the court. The 
 fangs unexpected death. Enumeration
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 297 
 
 of the circumflances which attended it. 
 Character of Henry the fecond. Mif- 
 tre/es. -Reflexions, 
 
 THOUGH the death of fo great a 
 prince as Francis the firft, at a 
 period of life when his character promifed 
 happinefs and tranquillity to his people, 
 was an event deeply to be lamented by 
 thofe to whom the interefls of the flate 
 were dear; yet as his fucceflbr had at- 
 tained to years of manhood, and did not 
 appear to be deficient in the qualities re- 
 quifite for government, his lofs might be 
 deemed not irreparable. 
 
 Henry the fecond, who afcended the 
 throne, was the handfomeft monarch of 
 his age, and the moft accomplifhed cava- 
 lier in his dominions. He furpafled in 
 all the martial exercifes where vigour and 
 addrefs are neceflary > and bore away the 
 prize in tournaments with diftinguifhed 
 grace. His heart was beneficent and hu- 
 jnane; his temper courteous, open, and 
 
 liberal.
 
 298 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 liberal. His intentions were ever honour- 
 able, and directed to the public good ; 
 but he neither pofTefled the capacity or 
 difcernment which Francis eminently dif- 
 covered : and, naturally tractable, and 
 yielding to others, was formed to .be un- 
 der the guidance of favourites. 
 
 His father's dying exhortations had made 
 no imprefllon on his heart, produced no 
 effect on his conduct. Scarce were his 
 funeral rites performed, when he violated 
 them in every point. Montmorenci, who 
 had been during feveral years in difgrace, 
 was recalled, and loaded with honours. 
 The admiral d'Annebaut was difmifTed, 
 and the cardinal of Tournon only retained 
 a, fhadow of authority. In their place, 
 Francis duke of Guife, fo celebrated in 
 the fubfequent reigns, and the marechal 
 de St. Andre, were fiibftituted. That 
 pernicious profunon, which had cha- 
 racterifed the commencement of the 
 late king's government, was carried to 
 a more unjuftifiabie length j and the trea- 
 
 fures
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c, 299 
 
 fares amafTed during his concluding years, 
 were diffipated with a wanton extra- 
 vagance. 
 
 Diana de Poitiers, who may be faid to 
 have divided the crown with her lover; and 
 who carried her influence, perfonal and 
 political, to a pitch which madame d'Ef- 
 tampes never could attain, was the direct- 
 ing principle of Henry's councils, the 
 object of his tenderer!: attachment, and 
 unlimited homage. This extraordinary 
 woman, unparalleled in the annals of hif- 
 tory, retained her beauty undiminiihed 
 even in the autumn of life, and preferved 
 her powers of enflaving, of fafcinating, 
 in defiance of time and natural decay. 
 She was already forty-eight, while Heniy 
 had fcarce attained his twenty-ninth year. 
 Her father, John de Poitiers, Seigneur dc 
 St. Vallier, had been condemned to die 
 as an accomplice in the revolt of the con- 
 ftable Charles of Bourbon; and though 
 he efcaped with life, yet he was degraded 
 from the nobility, and all his fortunes 
 6 confifcated.
 
 300 MEMOIRS OFTHE 
 
 confifcated *. She was married, in the 
 laft year of Louis the twelfth's reign, to 
 Louis de Breze, count de Maulevrier, and 
 grand fenechal of Normandy; by whom 
 ihe had two daughters ftill alive. It is 
 not certain when i her connections with 
 the dauphin firft commenced - 3 but it ap- 
 pears, that before he had completed his 
 eighteenth year, her afcendancy over him 
 was well eftablifhed. All the cotemporary 
 authors agree in their aflurances, that her 
 
 * Mezerai, the proficient Renault, and many other 
 writers, have aflerted, that (he was the inftrument of 
 her father's prefervation, by the facrifice of her chaf- 
 tity to Francis the firft ; from whofe embraces fhe 
 pafled into thofc of his fon : but this is very dubious, 
 not to fay certainly miftaken. She had been married 
 near ten years at that time, and confeque^tly had 
 not, as thofe authors feem to imagine, her virgin ho- 
 nour to give. Befides, though her father's life was 
 not taken, his punifhment was commuted for an- 
 other, worfe than death ; that of being immured per- 
 petually between four walls, in which there fhould 
 be only one little window, through which his provi- 
 fions might be given him. St. Vallier died of a fever, 
 produced by terror, in a very Ihort time afterwards.' 
 
 charms
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 charms were of the moil captivating kind, 
 and worthy a monarch's love. To thefc 
 corporal endowments, fhe united a cul- 
 tivated and jufl understanding, wit, and 
 an animated converfation. Warmly de- 
 voted to her friends and partizans, fhe 
 was a dangerous and implacable enemy : 
 of high and unfubmitting fpirit, fhe tranf- 
 fufed thofe fentiments into the royal bo- 
 fom, and impelled him to aftions of vi- 
 gour and firmnefs. Fond of power, fhe 
 was yet more fo of .flattery and fubmif- 
 fion. The nobles crouded to exprefs their 
 dutiful attentions to this idol ; and even 
 the conflable, rude, haughty, and more 
 accuftomed to infult than flatter, bent 
 beneath her, and condefcended to ingra- 
 tiate himfelf by the meaner! adulation. 
 
 The tyes which chiefly bound Henry to 
 her, were probably firfl thofe of pleafure 
 and voluptuous enjoyment j and afterwards 
 habit, tafte, and prefcription. In vain 
 did the duchefs of Eftampes exert every 
 art of female rivalry and hatred, to feparate 
 
 and
 
 302 MEMOIRS OF THE . 
 
 and difunite them : in vain did fhe pub- 
 lifh, that Diana was married in the fame 
 year which gave herfelf birth. Thefe 
 efforts only encreafed the paffion they were 
 defigned to extinguifh. The king carried 
 it to an incredible and romantic length ; 
 he gave her every public, as well as private 
 proof of her empire over him. The fur- 
 niture of his palaces, his armour, the public 
 edifices, were all diftinguifhed with her 
 device and emblems ; a moon, bow, and 
 arrows. Every favour or preferment was 
 obtained thro' her intereftj and Briflac, 
 the moft amiable and gallant nobleman of 
 the court, faid to be peculiarly acceptable 
 to her, was created grand matter of the 
 artillery, at her particular requeft. The 
 Count de BofTu, who had been intimately 
 connected with the late king's miftrefs, and 
 was accufed of treafonable practices with 
 the emperor, could only fhelter himfelf 
 from punifhment by a refignation of his 
 palace at Marchez to the cardinal of Lo- 
 rain. The duchefs of Eftampes, unfup- 
 
 ported
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 303 
 
 ported by the croud of flatterers who at- 
 tended on her in Francis's reign, was rie- 
 ceflitated to quit the court $ but Diana, 
 whether from motives of prudence or mag- 
 nanimity, did not attempt to defpoil her 
 of the pofleflions me had acquired from the 
 late king's generofity. Difgraced, and 
 forfaken, me retired to one of her country 
 houfes, where fhe lived many years in 
 total obfcurity *. 
 
 Henry having returned from a vifit 
 which he made to the frontier of Picardy, 
 not only permitted, but was prefent with 
 all his courtiers at the celebrated duel 
 between Jarnac and La Chataigneraie. 
 It was decided at St. Germain-en-Laye. 
 The quarrel had originated from the ac- 
 
 * It is fomewhat extraordinary, that the year of 
 Madame d'Eftampes's death is not mentioned by any 
 cotemporary author. AH we know is, that fhe -was 
 yet alive in 1575, as fhe did homage at that time for 
 pne of her eftates. She became a prote&refs ta the 
 Lutherans or Hugonots, for whom fhe had always a 
 concealed affection ; and this is the only circumftance 
 we are acquainted with of her retreat. 
 
 cufation
 
 304 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 cnfation of the latter refpecling Madame 
 d'Eftampes's infidelity; and was increafed 
 by a fecond imputation, ftill more difho- 
 nourable to Jarnac, that of having been 
 criminally intimate with his father's fecond 
 wife. La Chataigneraie was one of the 
 moft accomplifhed cavaliers, and moft ac- 
 ceptable to the king, of any in his do- 
 minions. Skilled in the practice of arms, 
 vain of his acknowledged addrefs, relying 
 on the royal favour, and elated with fo 
 many advantages, he defpifed his anta- 
 gonift ; and vaunted to his miftrefs, that 
 he would prefent her a " Tete de 
 ' Chabot," alluding to Jarnac's family 
 name. He, more cautious, and neither 
 fupported by fuperior force, or ftimu- 
 lated by the regal patronage, endea- 
 voured to fupply thefe defects by artificial 
 aid. A fever had diminifhed even his 
 ufual ftrength and activity ; but the pre- 
 fumptuous negligence of La Chataigneraie 
 decided the duel in his honour. By a 
 ftroke totally unexpected, he wounded 
 
 him
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 305 
 
 him in the ham, and threw him to the 
 ground. Henry inflantly flung down his 
 baton, to fufpend the engagement : Jar- 
 nac, as the law of arms required, defifled ; 
 but his competitor, flung with difap- 
 pointment, covered with fhame, and in- 
 capable of furviying thefe accumulated 
 mortifications, would not accept of a 
 life which he deemed ignominious -, and 
 having torn off the bandages applied to 
 his wounds, expired foon after. The 
 king \vas fo deeply touched with this 
 combat, and its event, fo oppofite to 
 his wifhes and expectations, that he made 
 a folemn vow, never, during his reign, to 
 permit a fecond, on whatever pretext. 
 
 The fources of future wars, unextin- 
 guilhed by the death of Francis, began 
 to generate between the emperor and 
 Henry -, though as yet many circum fiances 
 conduced tc retard and protract an open 
 rupture. This latter prince made a pro- 
 grefs through part of his dominions, at- 
 tended with fplendid entries into the prin- 
 
 VOL. I. X cipal
 
 306 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 cipal cities ; and on his return he cele-* 
 "brated the nuptials of Anthony duke of 
 Vendome with Jane d'Albret, heirefs of 
 the kingdom of Navarre, at the city of 
 Moulin s *. 
 
 A dan- 
 
 * The young princefs had been efpoufcd feveral 
 years before to the duke of Cleves. Francis the 
 firft was prefent at this ceremony, which was per- 
 formed with great fplendor at Chatelleraud in Poi&ou : 
 but the marriage was not confummated, on account 
 of her extreme youth, me being at that time little more 
 than twelve years old. The day was rendered remarkable 
 bythe difmiflion and difgrace of the conftable Montmo- 
 renci; which was preceded by a very fmgular cir- 
 cumftance, fuppofed to foretel his approaching fall. 
 The bride, according to the manners of the age, 
 was habited in robes fo weighty, and charged with 
 many pearls and jewels, that not being able to move, 
 Francis commanded the conftable to take her in his 
 arms, and carry her to the church. Though this 
 cuftom was ufual at the nuptials of great perfons, 
 yet Montmorenci was deeply hurt by being feledted 
 for fuch an office ; and regarding it as an inconteftible 
 proof of his ruin, hefitated not to declare to his 
 friends, that his favour was at an end. The event 
 JHftified his fufpicion ; for immediately after the 
 banquet, the king difmified him from his fervice, 
 
 and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, Sec. 307 
 
 A dangerous infurredlion, which broke 
 out at this time in Guienne, rendering it 
 neceflary to fend into the province fome 
 general of rank and experience, the duke 
 of Guife, and the conilable were both 
 
 and he quitted the court difecStly. Margaret of Va* 
 lois, queen of Navarre, and mother to Jane d'Albret, 
 was fuppofed, by her intereft with her brother, to 
 have accelerated his downfall. The conftable had 
 not fcrupled to accufe her to Francis, of being at-* 
 tached to, and protecting the Hugonots. By this 
 imputation ac;ainft his beloved fifter, he offended the 
 king, and raifed up an implacable and powerful ene- 
 my in Margaret herfelf. 
 
 The marriage of Jane with the duke of Cleves, 
 which had been chiefly made in compliance with the 
 wifhes of Francis the firft, was afterwards broken 
 from motives of policy, on his death. But Bran- 
 tome fays, that Anthony duke of Vendome had great 
 fcruples of delicacy relative to efpoufing the princefs ; 
 and had recourfe to the fenechale of Poi&ou, who 
 was at the time of her- firft nuptials a lady of ho- 
 nour to the queen o Navarre, to clear up his fufpi- 
 cions. She did fo; and gave him the moft folemn 
 and fatisfa&ory proofs, that her fir ft marriage had 
 been merely a ceremony" j to whichj as reafons of 
 ftate gave rife, fo oppofitc ' ones might equally dif- 
 folve it at pteafure. 
 
 X 2 charged
 
 308 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 charged with that commiflion. The 
 former, courteous, humane, and paflion- 
 ately defirous to conciliate popular favour, 
 entered Saintonge and Angoumois, dif- 
 penfing pardon, or only punilhing with 
 lenity and gentlenefs; but Montmorenci, 
 ftern, inexorable, and with a feverity of 
 temper which approached to cruelty, 
 marked his courfe along the Garonne with 
 blood; and, deaf to the fupplications of the 
 inhabitants, who had recourfe to fubmif- 
 fions and deprecations, put to death above 
 a hundred of the principal citizens of Bour- 
 deaux, and deprived the city of all its 
 municipal rites and privileges. A conduct 
 fo oppofite, produced fentiments equally 
 diflimilar in refpecl to the two command- 
 ers ; and from this cera the family of Guife 
 began to date that popularity, which in 
 the fequel they carried to fo prodigious 
 and dangerous a length againft the crown 
 itfelf. 
 
 The court meanwhile was immeried in 
 caroufals and feftivities. A gallant and 
 
 martial
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 309 
 
 martial prince, who delighted in ex- 
 ertions of prowefs and dexterity, was na- 
 turally followed in thofe diverfions by his 
 nobility. Diana de Poitiers, created 
 duchefs of Valentinois, prefided at thefe 
 entertainments, defigned in her honour; 
 and the queen, tho' young and beautiful, 
 tho' of uncommon capacity, and endowed 
 with diffimulation, and manners the moft 
 temporifing, yet afted only an inferior and 
 fubfervient part. She had however the 
 fktisfaclion of being crowned at St. Denis, 
 and of making afterwards a triumphal 
 entry with her hufband into the capital : 
 but thefe were only pageantries of ftate ; 
 and Henry, who never admitted her to a 
 participation of his authority, feems to 
 have been aware, that her character and 
 genius were more calculated to embroil, 
 than adminifter any remedy to the affairs 
 of government. 
 
 By a tranfition wondrous a,nd inexplica- 
 ble, if any thing in human nature can be 
 efteemed fo, thefe tournaments and enter- 
 X 3 tainmentsv
 
 3io MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tainments were immediately fucceeded by 
 exhibitions of a very different nature, but 
 not lefs frequented. Miftaken piety, a 
 principle the molt pernicious, and ever in-* 
 eluding a favage and intemperate zeal 
 which delights in blood, was fubftituted 
 in the place of gallantry and pleafure. A 
 number of prolelytes to the doclrines of 
 Luther and Calvin were burnt, as an 
 example to their companions. The king 
 and his courtiers were prefent at thefe in- 
 human facrirkes, which were performed 
 with a refinement of merciiefs cruelty, and 
 varied in many fpecies : but it is faid he 
 was fo affe&ed by the dreadful cries of 
 one of his valets de chambre, at whofe 
 execution he attended, that he quitted the 
 place, overcome with horror 5 and, during 
 his whole remaining life, fo ftrongly were 
 the torments imprinted on his imagina- 
 tion, that he trembled at the recollection, 
 and was feized with remorfe of the moil 
 poignant nature. 
 
 Margaret of Yalois, queen of Navarre, 
 
 died
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 3 u 
 
 died nearly about this time, at the cattle 
 of Odos in Bigorre. She had never re- 
 covered the affecting news of her beloved 
 brother's death. If Francis the firfl was 
 the greater* monarch of his age, Margaret 
 was indifputably the moft accomplifhed 
 princefs. Devoted to the love of letters, 
 flie encouraged and patronized their au- 
 thors; from whom (he received the flatter- 
 ing epithets of, " the Tenth Mufe," and 
 " the Fourth Grace." Herfelf an author, 
 (lie has left us proofs the moft incontefti- 
 ble of her elegant genius, her wit, and 
 negligent ilyle, full of beauty. Sufpecled 
 of Hugonotifm, fhe was fufpefted of gal- 
 lantry likewife ; and perhaps might have 
 been equally fenfible in turn to thofe grand 
 movements of elevated minds, devotion and 
 love. Her Tales, fcarce inferior to thofe of 
 Boccacio, feem to confirm this fentiment ; 
 and tho' they ever inculcate and commend 
 the virtues of chaftity and female fidelity, 
 yet contain in certain parts an animation, 
 and warmth of colouring, which give room 
 X to
 
 312 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to fuppofe the writer of them fully fenfible 
 to the delights of the paffion fhe cenfiired 
 and condemned *. 
 
 Boulogne, 
 
 * Bonnivet, prefuming on his perfonal attractions, 
 concealed himfelf under her bed, and attempted te 
 violate her honour. She repulfed him, tore off the 
 fkiri from his face with her nails, and afterwards com- 
 plained to the king her brother of this daring attempt ; 
 but he only laughed at it. She has related this adven- 
 ture, fomewhat enigmatically, among herTales. Tho' 
 fometimes fo devout as to compofe hymns, yet fhe 
 was certainly an " Efprit fort j" fince fhe had great 
 doubts concerning the immortality of the foul. Bran- 
 tome has preferved a very curious ftory relative to the 
 .death of one of her maids of honour, at which fhe was 
 prefcnt. The queen was much attached to her, and 
 could not be induced by any entreaties to quit her 
 bed-fide, when expiring. On the contrary, fhe con- 
 tinued to fix her eyes on the dying perfon with un- 
 common eagernefs and perfeverance, till fhe had 
 breathed her laft. The ladies of her court exprefled to 
 her majefty their aftonifhment and furprife at this 
 conduct j and requefted to know, what fatisfaction fhe 
 .could derive from fo clofe an infpe&ion of the agonies 
 of death ? Her anfwer marked a moft daring and in- 
 quilltive mind. She laid, *' that having often heard 
 
 44 the
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 313 
 
 Boulogne, long befieged, was at length 
 furrendered to France, from the weaknefs 
 
 '* the moft learned do&ors and ecclefiaftics aflert, that 
 " on the extinction of the body, the immortal part 
 w was fet at liberty, and unloofed ; {he could not 
 " reftrain her anxious curiofity to obferve if any 
 " fymptoms or indications of fuch a feparation were 
 " vifible or difcernible : that none fuch file had been 
 " able in any degree to difcover ; and that, if fhe was 
 " not happily very firm in her faith and adherence to 
 *' the catholic religion, fhe fhould not know what t 
 " think of this pretended departure of the foul." 
 
 Francis the firft took a pleafure in publicly declar- 
 ing, that to her tendernefs, care, and attentions, he 
 was indebted for his life, during the fevere illnefs he 
 underwent in his confinement at Madrid. She had 
 the boldnefs and fpirit to reproach the emperor and 
 his council, in terms the moft animated, for their un- 
 manly and cruel treatment of the king. It is faid, 
 that Charles was fo much irritated by thefe reprehen- 
 fions, which he was confcious he merited, that he had 
 intended to feize on her perfon, and detain her prifoner, 
 if fhe had outftaycd the time granted her to remain in 
 the Spanifh dominions. Margaret received intima- 
 tion of this defign ; and, without being in the leaft dif- 
 mayed, mounted on horfeback, crofied the provinces 
 between Madrid and France, and arrived on the 
 
 frondef
 
 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and diflentions common to a minority ; 
 Edward the fixth, king of England, being 
 in very early youth, and his uncle the 
 protector's authority precarious and ill 
 eftablifhed. -The houfe of Guife, firmly 
 united with Diana duchefs of Valentinois, 
 Continued to aggrandife itfelf, and gained 
 every year fome new eflablifhment. The 
 genius and great qualities of the duke and 
 cardinal, widely oppofite, but equally pre- 
 
 frontier a very few hours before the expiration of her 
 fafe-condudt. 
 
 She was feized, fays Brantome, with a catarrh^ of 
 which fhe died, while fhe was intently gazing on a 
 comet, fuppofed to predict pope Paul the third's exit. 
 Her illnefs lafted eight days. She feems to have had 
 the fame conftitutional dread and terror of death, 
 which characlerifed her mother Louifa. The ladies 
 who attended her announcing to her, when in extre- 
 mity, that fhe muft prepare herfelf for her end, and fix 
 her thoughts on the joys of a celeftial ftate ; " Tout 
 * 6 cela eft vrai," replied the expiring queen ; " mais 
 " nous demeurons fi long temps en terre avant que 
 " venir la." She was above two years older than 
 Francis the firfr. j and fifty-eight at the time of her 
 deceafe. 
 
 eminent
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, & c . 315 
 
 eminent and diftinguifhed, eclipfed all 
 other merit : even the conftable, tho' fu- 
 perior to any rival in the royal favour, and 
 poifeffing unlimited influence, yet could 
 not regard unmoved the rapid progrefs 
 they made in univerfal admiration, and 
 beheld with jealoufy thefe new competitors 
 for fame and glory. 
 
 Italy, deftmed during more than half 
 a century to be the principal fcene of war, 
 again exhibited indications of approaching 
 hostilities* The grandfons of the late 
 pontiff Paul the third, againft whom Julius 
 the third, newly elecled, had taken up 
 arms, and endeavoured to difpofiefs them 
 of the duchy of Parma - y claimed the pro- 
 tection of Henry, who gladly afforded it 
 to them. He was charmed to find an oc- 
 cafion for again interfering in the affairs 
 beyond the Alps, and of confequence re- 
 newing his attempts on the Milanefe, fo 
 long and fo unfortunately contefted by 
 the French. Briflac was fent into Pied- 
 mont, and inftrufted to affift the. duke of 
 
 Parma,
 
 3 i6 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Parma, tho' without any open denuncia- 
 tion againft the emperor. Julius, after an 
 ineffectual attempt to induce the king to 
 refign his allies, made as unfuccefsful an 
 effort upon the city, the fiege of which his 
 general was obliged to raife. 
 
 Charles, though he had fcarce pafled 
 his fiftieth year, was already opprefled 
 with all the maladies and infirmities of 
 age. Solyman, his great and conftant an- 
 tagonift, menaced the Hungarian domi- 
 nions. He had alarmed all the princes 
 of the empire, by his imprifonment of 
 the landgrave of Hefle, and his open 
 infringement of the Germanic rights and 
 liberties. Even his brother Ferdinand 
 was juftly irritated, by his endeavours to 
 compel him to refign the fucceflion of the 
 Imperial crown to Philip prince of Spain, 
 his fon. Thefe united confiderations in- 
 duced Henry no longer to diflemble, or 
 delay a rupture with him. Briflac began 
 the campaign in Piedmont, while An- 
 jftony duke of Veri<Jome entered Artois
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 317 
 
 and Hainault. The king ftrengthened 
 himfelf by a fecret alliance with Maurice 
 duke of Saxony, head of the proteftant 
 league ; whom he promifed to a/fift with 
 troops and money againft Charles, who 
 evidently aimed at defpotifm. 
 
 The effects of this confederacy were 
 foon vifible, in the extraordinary and rapid 
 march of Maurice j who had nearly taken 
 the emperor prifoner in Infpruck, while 
 he amufed him with propofals of peace^ 
 Charles, terrified, amazed, and on the 
 brink of a fhameful captivity, fled in a 
 litter by torch-light over the mountains, 
 meanly accompanied ; and fcarce imagined 
 himfelf in fecurity at Villach in Caiin- 
 thia, upon the frontier of the Venetian 
 territories. Henry, improving this favour- 
 able juncture, marched in perfon into 
 Lorrain; and having firft pofleffed him- 
 felf of the young duke's perfon, feiz^d 
 on the cities of Metz, Toul, and Verdun, 
 which, as depending of the empire, were 
 vmapprehenfive of, and unprepared for 
 6 fuch
 
 318 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fuch an attack. Thefe important acqiu- 
 fltions have remained unalterably to 
 France. 
 
 Previous to his departure, he vefted the 
 regency in the queen, though he at the fame 
 time almoft aflbciated with her Bertrandi, 
 keeper of the feals, and implicitly devoted 
 to the duchefs of Valentinois. Catherine, 
 during the fhort time in which the ad-t 
 miniftration was entrufted to her, was 
 not guilty of any aft injurious ^to her 
 own character, or the interefts of ftate* 
 That complicated and intriguing genius, 
 that perplexed and pernicious policy, thofe 
 flattering but ruinous artifices, which fo 
 eminently marked her under the reigns 
 of her three children, were as yet un- 
 exerted, or unobferved. Accommodating, 
 and miflrefs of her feelings, fhe bent be- 
 neath madame de Valentinois's fuperior 
 power ; and, fo far from making any ef- 
 forts to diminifh or invalidate it, profefled 
 for her the moft flrift and difinterefted 
 friendfhip. 
 
 Maurice's
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 
 
 Maurice's fuccefs and mafterly conduct 
 foon reduced the emperor to a necefllty 
 of complying with his offers of peace : 
 and a treaty was figned, which for ever 
 guaranteed and fecured the independence 
 of the German princes, ecclefiaftical and 
 civil. Charles haflened, and gladly ac- 
 cepted thefe overtures, from the defire of 
 revenge on the king of France. The in- 
 Cult and indignity offered him, in the full 
 zenith of his profperity, by the capture 
 of three great cities under the Imperial 
 protection, flung him with the acutefl: 
 fenfations ; and, liftening only to his an- 
 ger, he levied a prodigious army, in the 
 refolution of laying immediate fiegeno 
 Metz. The feafon was already far ad- 
 vanced, and it was on the eighteenth day 
 of October when he commenced his at- 
 tack of it. As the place was however 
 of vaft circuit, and furrounded with for- 
 tifications weak and ruinous, he would 
 probably have rendered, himfelf matter of 
 it, if the uncommon exertion of military 
 
 (kill
 
 3 2o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 ikill and virtue in the duke of Guife had 
 not frustrated his efforts. This great 
 prince, endowed with every talent of a 
 courtier and a warrior, had thrown hirn- 
 felf into it ; and withftood the emperor's 
 a/Faults with undifmayed intrepidity, and 
 unfliaken perfeverance. Winter, accom- 
 panied with fnows and the rigours of 
 cold, aided his valour, and conduced to 
 deftroy the Imperial forces. On the firft 
 of January Charles diflodged, after having 
 loft thirty thoufand foldiers, and began 
 his retreat if fuch it could be denomi- 
 nated. That acrofs the Alps, after the 
 unfortunate campaign of Provence, was 
 inriBitely lefs difaftrous and miferable than 
 the preient : and the duke of Guife's hu- 
 manity and care towards the numbers of 
 unhappy wretches who fell into his hands, 
 from the incapacity of accompanying their 
 commander in Iiis flight, llione as con- 
 fpkuouity as iiis courage had done during 
 the fiege, and rendered .his fame im- 
 aapitak
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c 3** 
 
 In Piedmont the war was feebly fup- 
 ported between BrifTac and Ferdinand de 
 Gonzague: Solyman, the firm ally of 
 Henry, as he had been of Francis, aided 
 him with his fleets; and by intrigue he 
 gained pofleffion of Sienna - y a place which,- 
 had it been preferved, would have aided 
 and facilitated, in the great eft degree, any 
 attempts on the Milanefe, or the king- 
 dom of Naples\ 
 
 The fpring faw the emperor again in the 
 field. Animated with fhame, and an- 
 xious to repair his paft defeats, he re-en- 
 tered France. Terouenne, which refitted 
 his attacks, firft felt the weight of his 
 vengeance. He took, and utterly demo- 
 limed it : Francis de Montmorenci, the 
 conftable's eldeft foil, who had gallantly 
 defended it, remained a prifoner. Ema- 
 nuel Philibert, the young duke of Savoy/ 
 commanded Charles's forces, and began- 
 already to difplay that heroinn and mar- 
 tial capacity, which, afterwards fo emi- 
 nently diftinguiflied him. He b'efieged 
 
 VOL. I, Y Hcfdin,
 
 322 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Hefdin, which capitulated ; but while the 
 articles were under agitation, a grenade 
 thrown by a priefl into the town, fet 
 fire to a mine, under the ruins of which, 
 Horace Farnefe, duke of Caftro, grandfon 
 to Paul the third, and who had married 
 Diana *, the king's natural daughter, was 
 deftroyed with fifty others. On the other 
 hand, the conflable, to whom Henry had 
 committed all his army, performed fcarce 
 any exploits worthy an enumeration ; and 
 his illnefs, which followed, put an end 
 to . the campaign, and carried his troops 
 into winter quarters. 
 
 The death of young Edward, king of Eng- 
 land, interrupted the harmony between the 
 
 * She was one of the rhoft amiable, accomplished, 
 and beautiful princefTes who have appeared in France. 
 Her mother's name was Philippa Due, of Montcail- 
 lier in Piedmont. She was infinitely dear to Henry 
 her father, and not lefs fo to the three fucccecling 
 kings her brothers. When left a widow by the duke 
 of Caftro's death, fhe was only fourteen years oldT 
 Her name occurs frequently in the narration of Henry 
 the third's life and reign* 
 
 fwa
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 323 
 
 two crowns. Mary, who fucceeded, in 
 oppofltion equally to the wifhes of her 
 people, and of Henry, efpoufed Philip, 
 the emperor's fon. This union, as it 
 encreafed the influence and power of 
 Charles's houfe, was little calculated to 
 cUminim the king of France's jealoufy, 
 or accelerate a peace. On the contrary, 
 both fides prepared anew for war. The 
 emperor, though difabled by the gout, 
 which had contracted the finews of one 
 of his legs, and rendered him incapable 
 of ufnig an arm, appeared once more in 
 the field. Henry, who had ever fhidi- 
 oufly fought the occafion of combating 
 in perfon his great antagonift, endea- 
 voured to provoke him to a general en- 
 gagement. He ravaged Hainault, Bra* 
 bant, and the Cambrefis ; demolifhed 
 Mariemont, a palace of pleafure belong- 
 ing to Mary queen of Hungary, and go- 
 vernefs of the Low Countries ; and razed 
 the magnificent caftle of Bins, which me 
 had lately creeled. Charles marched to 
 Y 2 the
 
 324 MEMOLRS OF THE 
 
 the relief of Renty, befieged by the French; 
 and a rude fkirmifh enfued, in which the 
 Imperial forces were obliged to retreat, 
 after a confiderable lofs of men and ar- 
 tillery. The place refifted notwithftand- 
 ing ; and the king, leaving part of his ar- 
 ray to the duke of Vendome, difmifTed the 
 remainder, and returned to Paris. Some 
 inconfiderable conquefls which Charles 
 effected, terminated his military exploits, 
 and put an end to all his campaigns. 
 
 In Italy, Sienna was loft, after a long 
 and obftinate defence againft the Spaniards ; 
 but BriiFac maintained the national honour 
 in Piedmont, though ill fupported by the 
 court, and oppofed by the duke of Alva, 
 who vainly and impotently menaced to 
 drive him over the mountains. This gal- 
 lant commander would even have relieved 
 Sienna, and forced the enemy to raife the 
 fiege, if the oppolition of Montmorenci 
 and the Guifes, jealous of his glory, had 
 not fruftrated his intentions. Mary, Queen 
 : ef England, attempted to mediate an ac- 
 commodation
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 325 
 
 commodation between the contending 
 princes, and a congrefs was held in a fplen- 
 did tent near Calais for that purpofe; 
 but it produced no beneficial confe- 
 quences. 
 
 The death of Henry d'Albret, king of 
 Navarre, who expired at Hagetmau in 
 Beam, left his crown and little dominions 
 expofed to the feizure of the French mo- 
 narch ; but the diligence of Anthony duke 
 of Vendome, who had married Jane, heirefs 
 to the kingdom, preferved it entire. The 
 king, who had intended to re-unite this 
 fmall domain to France, by a donation of 
 other lands to Anthony, was highly of- 
 fended at his conduct ; and refufmg the 
 government of Picardy to his brother 
 Louis, prince of Conde, conferred it on 
 Coligny. 
 
 The emperor, chagrined and mortified 
 
 at the decline of his luftre, and the fuc- 
 
 cefles of Henry; opprefled with difeafes, 
 
 and perhaps tindured with fome of his 
 
 y ? mother's
 
 326' MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 mother's * more deplorable and remedilefs 
 diforders ; determined to refign all his vaft 
 porTeflions to Philip his fon. He executed 
 this extraordinary renunciation at Bruf-r 
 fels, with the; referve of the imperial dig- 
 nity, which he retained a year longer. 
 
 The profufion and magnificence of the 
 court, fuperadded to the wars fuftained 
 againft enemies fo powerful, rendered \t 
 neceffary to encreafe the revenues, by ad- 
 ditional taxes burdenfome and oppreflive 
 to the people. Madame de Valentinois. 
 
 * This miferable princefs only finifhed her life fix 
 months before the emperor's abdication. She furvive4 
 her hufband, the archduke Philip, forty-nine years, and 
 was above feventy at her own deceafe. Her- attach T 
 ment to him, and his untimely death, chiefly contri- 
 buted to deprive her of her intellects. She was Ibut 
 up in the caftle of Tordefillas, almoft abandoned^ 
 fleeping upon flraw, which (he fometirnes wanted. 
 Her only recreation was to fight with cats, and to 
 crawl up the tapeftry with which her aparments were 
 hung. Such was the lamentable deftiny of Ferdinand 
 and Ifabclla's daughter; of the mother of two empe- 
 rors, and four cjuecns ! 
 
 was
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 327 
 
 was chiefly -accufed as the fource of thefe 
 exactions. So far was her influence from 
 any decline, that every year confirmed and 
 extended it. Henry, flexible and eafily 
 led by thofe he loved, only acted through 
 his miftrefs. She erected the fuperb pa^ 
 lace of Anet *, to which the two lovers 
 frequently retired, and which was the chief 
 fcene of their amorous pleafures. Unable 
 to account for fo wondrous and unexam- 
 pled an attachment, in perfons of fuch un- 
 equal ages, the nation attribijted it to 
 
 * Anet yet exhibits the remains of fplendor and 
 elegance, It is fituated near Dreux, in the Ifle of 
 France. The emblems and devices of the duchefs of 
 Valentinois are vifible in every part of the building, 
 Voltaire has immortalifed it, in thefe beautiful lines of 
 the ninth canto of his Henriade. Love is defcribed 
 as on his way to the plain of Ivry. 
 
 " II voit les murs d'Anet batis aux bords de 1'Eure 
 *' Lui-meme en ordonna la fuperbe ftru&ure j 
 " Par fes adroites Mains, avec art enlaces, 
 *< Les Chiffres de Diane y font encore traces ; 
 " Sur fa tombe, en pafiant, les plaifirs et les graces 
 *' Repandirent les fleurs qui naiflbient fur leurs 
 '. traces." 
 
 Y 4 forcery,
 
 3^8 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 forcery, and fupernatural caufes. It was 
 reported that the duchefs wore magical 
 rings, which equally prevented the decay 
 and diminution of her own beauty, or of 
 the monarch's paffion. Catherine of Me- 
 dicis fupported and confirmed this abfurd 
 affertion, which foothed her vanity, by 
 accounting for her rival's triumph *. 
 
 The 
 
 * Monfieur de Thou, though fo judicious and able 
 an hiftorian, was not fuperior to this weaknefs, cha- 
 ra&eriftic of the age in which he lived ; and very 
 gravely mentions as a fail, the magic powers of 
 which Diana availed herfelf, to perpetuate and 
 
 fupport her afcendancy over Henry. Brantome 
 
 knew her pcrfonally, and has given a minute defcrip- 
 tioh of her beauty, in its moft advanced period. The 
 paflage is too curious and extraordinary to pafs 
 over. 
 
 " I faw that lady 1 ," fay's he, * c only fix months be- 
 *' fore flie died. She was fo lovely at that time, that 
 " the moft infenfible perfon could not have regarded 
 " her without emotion. She was then on her reco- 
 <c very from a very fevere indifpofition, confequent to 
 *? a fraclure of her leg, which me had broke by a fall 
 " from her horfe, in riding through the ftreets of Or- 
 f* leans. Yet neither the accident, nor the intenfe 
 
 '< pairi
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 329 
 
 The death of pope Julius the third, 
 and the election of Paul the fourth to the 
 pontifical chair, gave another face to the 
 affairs of Italy. The new pontiff, though 
 more than eighty years of age, and of 
 manners the moft auftere, no fooner at- 
 tained his new dignity, than afTuming a 
 conduct the reverfe of that which he had 
 hitherto held, he joined a luxury and 
 pomp unexampled, to projects of the moil 
 irregular ambition. Irritated by his ne- 
 phews againft the emperor, for fome pre- 
 tended infractions of which his generals 
 had been guilty, and inflamed with im- 
 
 ?t pain fhe underwent from it, had in any degree dimi- 
 *' niflied her charms." 
 
 Though Bran tome does not abfolutely account for 
 this unparalleled beauty, by any magic influence, 
 yet he endeavours to explain the caufe of it, by fome- 
 what fimilar means. " Mais, on dit bien," adds he, 
 " que tous les matins elle ufoit de quelques bouillons 
 " compofez d'or potable, et autres drogues que je ne 
 " fcai pas." At the period of life when he fpeaks of 
 the duchcfs in thefe terms, fhe was full fixty-five years 
 old. 
 
 potent
 
 330 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 potent refentment, he demanded the pro- 
 tection of France, offered the invefliture 
 of Naples to the king, and endeavoured 
 to negotiate a ftricl alliance for their mu- 
 tual advantage. The wifeft and mofl 
 difinterefted of the council were averfe to 
 thefe dangerous and chimerical propofi- 
 tions. They forefaw only difgrace and 
 ruin, in the renewal of the antiquated 
 and remote pretenfions on the crown of 
 Naples > they knew no confidence ought 
 to be repofed on the honour or engage- 
 ments of Italian politicians, of a man 
 finking under the weight of extreme old 
 age, and actuated by two perfidious and 
 violent nephews. They coniidered the 
 ftate of the kingdom, exhaufled by her 
 long and inceflant wars with the emperor, 
 and beholding future ones in profpecl 
 againfl Philip his fon. They recalled 
 the "numerous and ever unfortunate at- 
 tempts under Louis the twelfth, and 
 Francis the firft, upon the Neapolitan 
 dominions. Thefe confiderations fo truly 
 
 weighty,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 33 t 
 
 weighty, ought to have prevented any 
 union or connection with the court of 
 Rome; but the fubferviency of all the 
 cabinet to the duke of Guife and his 
 brother, precluded fo falutary an advice 
 from Henry's ear. The cardinal of Lor- 
 rain, eloquent, impetuous, and vain, em- 
 braced the papal overtures with his ac- 
 cuftomed enthufiafm, in the intention of 
 placing the duke at the head of the ar- 
 mies deftined againft Italy. He was im- 
 mediately difpatched in perfon to ratify 
 and conclude the treaty; but during his 
 abfence, by the intervention of the queen 
 of England, a truce was agreed on for five 
 years between the emperor and France. 
 
 To refcind and violate this fufpenfion 
 of hoftilities, the cardinal Caraffa was 
 fent, on the part of his uncle the pope, to 
 Paris, with a fuperb train. He faluted the 
 king at Fontainbleau, prefented his ma- 
 jetty a hat and fword, blefled by the fove- 
 reign pontiff, and made a magnificent 
 entry into the capital. Intriguing and 
 
 artful,
 
 
 
 332 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 j* 
 
 artful, he moved every fpring, and 
 availed himfelf of every means. Cathe- 
 rine and Diana were both rendered fub- 
 fervient to his views. Flattery, prefents, 
 vanity, ambition, were by turns exerted 
 or extended to gain their fuffrages. Hen- 
 ry, irrefolute, unwilling, and after long 
 hefitation, in contradiction to the dic- 
 tates of his own judgment, fuffering 
 himfelf to be borne away by the torrent, 
 confented to the league. 
 
 Francis duke of Guife, nominated to 
 the fupreme command, paffed the moun-. 
 tains, carrying with him the flower of 
 the nobility, whom the fplendor of his 
 character, illuftrious for courtefy, cou- 
 rage, and liberality, allured to follow him. 
 None of the Italian powers could be in- 
 duced to afford him affiilance. The pope 
 received him with every mark of exter- 
 nal fatisfaction, and celebrated his ar- 
 rival by public feftivities and honours ; 
 but neither the pecuniary or military aids 
 he }iad promifed, were ready. The duke 
 2 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 333 
 
 of Alva, with an army, ravaged the ter- 
 ritories of the Church ; and the French 
 commander, after an unfuccefsful attempt 
 upon the frontier of Naples, was ne- 
 ceffitated to return for the protection of 
 his allies. No progrefs was made, no 
 conqueits atchieved ; and every thing 
 feemed to portend a termination inglo- 
 rious and ignominious to his arms, whert 
 an event equally difaftrous and unex- 
 pected to the kingdom, recalled him from 
 this critical fituation, and extricated him 
 from fo perilous a condition. 
 
 Charles, who for near half a century 
 had fpread terror through Europe, no 
 longer acted upon the great political the- 
 atre : retired to the monaftery of St. 
 Juftus in Eftremadoura, he was forgotten 
 while yet alive. Philip, lefs courageous, 
 but not lefs ambitious, aflifted by the 
 queen of England, and defirous on his 
 acceffion to imprefs the European princes 
 with ideas of his extenfive power, af- 
 iembled a prodigious army; but equally 
 
 deficient
 
 334 MEMOIRS OF THfi 
 
 ' 
 deficient in the bravery and conduct 
 
 cefTary to command it, he v entrufted that 
 important commiflion to the young duke 
 of Savoy. The new general, after a 
 number of feints, attacked the town of 
 St. Quentin in Picardy, Coligny had 
 thrown himfelf into it, and his obftinate 
 valour ferved as a rampart to the place; 
 otherwife ill calculated for defence. The 
 conftable Montmorenci, his uncle, ad- 
 vanced at the head of his troops, with 
 intent to fuccour it -, but with infinite 
 difficulty did d'Andelot, brother to Co- 
 ligny, find means to enter with five hun- 
 dred foldiers. This being effected, he 
 would have retired at noon-day, and in 
 fight of the enemy, fuperior in numbers, 
 and particularly in cavalry. The duke, 
 confcious of the temerity of the attempt, 
 and feizing inftantiy the occafion, charged 
 the conftable furiouflyj before he had 
 time to ifliie the neceflary orders, or draw 
 up his forces. The horfe were routed, 
 and thrown into confufion ; but the in- 
 fantry
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 335 
 
 fantry flood firm, and were almoft all 
 cut to pieces. Montmorenci himfelf, 
 with a number of inferior commanders, 
 remained a captive. Philip, who had not 
 in any degree conduced to this great vic- 
 tory, prevented the decifive effects it 
 might have produced, by his jealoufy of 
 the duke of Savoy. Inftead of marching 
 without delay to the capital, which was 
 already covered with confternation, and 
 ready to be left defart at his approach, he 
 compelled his general to continue the 
 fiege of St. Quentin j which Coligny yet 
 defended fome days, and in which he was 
 at length taken prifoner. 
 
 Henry meanwhile, in this critical emer- 
 gency, neglected no meafures for the fafety 
 of his dominions. Levies of Germans 
 and Switzers were made with all pofiible 
 expedition ; Paris was fortified towards 
 Picardy -, the cluke of Guife recalled to 
 the defence of France j and even the moft 
 preffing felicitations made to Solyman for 
 fuccour, againll the Spanifh monarch. 
 , Thefe
 
 336 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Thefe vigorous efforts were attended with 
 a proportionate fuccefs. Re-animated by 
 their prince's firmnefs and intrepidity, and 
 recovering from the firft impreffions of 
 difmay, the Parifians gave the moft dif- 
 tinguifhed proofs of their loyalty and li- 
 berality. The duke of Guife's arrival, 
 the luftre of his name, and reliance upon 
 his great abilities, completed the general 
 tranquillity. Philip, during the remain- 
 der of the campaign, had performed na 
 atchievements, made no acquifitions pro^ 
 portionateto the importance of thebattle he 
 had gained. The capture of Ham, Catelet, 
 and Noyon were feeble advantages, and 
 unattended with any decifive confequences. 
 On the contrary, the duke of Guife, 
 though amid the extreme rigours of winter, 
 loft not a moment to fuccour the drooping 
 genius of his country. After having been 
 declared lieutenant-general within and 
 without the kingdom, he undertook the 
 fiege of Calais, deemed almoft impregna- 
 ble, and made himfelf mafter of that city, 
 
 fo-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 337 
 
 Jo long held by the Englifh, in eight 
 days, tho' it had coil Edward the third 
 above a year's blockade. This fignai 
 fuccefs was followed by the capture of 
 Thionville : but the marechal de Termes, 
 altho' an able and experienced commander, 
 was routed near Gravelines by the young 
 Count d'Egmont 3 and he himfelf fell into 
 the enemy's hands ^ 
 
 So aftonifhing a reverfe of fortune 
 ferved only to heighten and add additional 
 fplendor to the reputation of the defender 
 of Metz and conqueror of Calais. He 
 alone, amid the calamities of the flate, 
 could command the events of war, and 
 uniformly attach victory to him; On 
 him alone the public confidence refted, as 
 the protecting guardian of France. By a 
 combination of events uniting to the 
 aggrandifement of the houfe of Guife, 
 their power was ftill farther confirmed and 
 extended at this juncture, from an alli- 
 ance which approached them even to the 
 crown. Francis the dauphin, enamoured 
 . I. Z of
 
 338 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 of the young queen of Scotland, who had 
 been fent, after her father's death, to the 
 court of Henry for an afylum, obtained the 
 king's confent to his efpoufals. Mary, fo 
 renowned for her .beauty, her talents, and 
 her misfortunes, was at this time in her 
 fixteenth year. Her charms, not yet fully 
 expanded, are yet defcribed by all the 
 French hiilorians, as fo touching and 
 irrefiflible, that a prince of fenfibility, 
 however languid, could not fail to pay 
 homage to them. Their nuptials were 
 folemnifed with unufual luftre at the 
 church of " Notre Dame," and confum- 
 mated the fame day, at the " Palais," amid 
 the greateft feilivities. A triumphal entry 
 into the city fucceeded. The dauphin was 
 on horfeback, the young bride in a magni- 
 ficent litter. They aiTumed the titles of 
 king and queen of England and Scotland, 
 after the death of Mary, which took place 
 the fame year. The court was immerfed 
 in all the gallant entertainments and di- 
 verfions natural at fuch a time ; and the 
 
 duke
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 339 
 
 .duke of Guife, together with the cardinal 
 of Lorrain, found themfelves at the zenith 
 of glory and authority. 
 
 Two vaft armies, commanded by their 
 refpeftive monarchs in perfon, menaced 
 each other on the approach of fpring. 
 Henry and Philip feemed to be on the 
 verge of a decifive engagement -, but mu- 
 tual dread retrained them, and peace, long 
 delayed, at length was concluded. The 
 conftable, weary of his confinement, anxi- 
 ous for the prefervation of his favour, 
 jealous of the Guifes, and dreading left ab- 
 fence fhould efface and obliterate that 
 attachment the king had borne him, re- 
 quefted and obtained perrnifTion to go to 
 him in perfon, in the defign of procuring a 
 general pacification. He was received with 
 tefti-monies of the warmeil affection, and 
 moft unabated friendship, by his mailer; 
 who carried his condefcenfion and fondnefs 
 to fo great a pitch, as to make him lie in 
 his own bed. It was determined to put 
 an end to the war, at whatever price, or by 
 Z 2 what-
 
 3 4o MEMOIRS OF f HE' 
 
 whatever facrifices. After feveral confer- 
 ences at Cercamp, the preliminaries were 
 finally adjufted, and figned at Cateau in 
 Cambrefis. All the Italian acquifitions, 
 gained in the late and prefent reign, in 
 Piedmont, Tufcany, and Corfica, were 
 ceded, to procure the reflitution of three 
 inconfiderable towns in Picardy. Calais, 
 Metz, Toul, and Verdun remained to 
 France. The princefs Margaret, fitter to 
 the king, was affianced to the duke of 
 Savoy j and Ifabella, his eldeft daughter* 
 taken from Don Carlos, Philip's foil, for 
 whom flie was firft defigned, and given to 
 Philip himfelf, become a widower by the 
 queen of England's death. 
 
 Thefe terms, humiliating and ignomini- 
 ous to France, were attributed to the 
 conftable ; who from interefled motives, 
 and the defire of terminating his captivity, 
 had counfelled the king to accept them. 
 The Guifes loudly decried and arraigned 
 them, as unworthy and unbecoming the 
 national honour, and depriving the king- 
 
 don*
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 341 
 
 dom in a moment of the conquefts of near 
 thirty years -, but Henry was immoveable, 
 and adhered to his refolution. 
 
 During the reign of Francis the firft, 
 and more peculiarly fo fince his deceafe, 
 the reformed religion had made a moft 
 alarming and univerfal progrefs. All 
 ranks of people had imbibed the new 
 doctrines ; and perfecution unhappily be- 
 ing fuperadded, haftened and promoted 
 their influence. D'Andelot, nephew to 
 the conftable, and brother to Coligny, was 
 juftly fufpefted, and even accufed of being 
 a profelyte to thefe opinions. Henry, de- 
 firous to be fatisfied of the truth or falf- 
 hood of the imputation, queftioned him 
 perfonally, what he thought of the Mafs; 
 and d'Andelot, with imprudent zeal, made 
 him fo bold and undifguifed a reply, that, 
 irritated to a pitch of frantic indignation, 
 he was about to have put him to death 
 with his own hand. It required all his 
 uncle's intereft to procure his pardon, and 
 refti^ution to his poft of colonel in the 
 3 infantry,
 
 342 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 infantry. The molt fevere penalties were 
 denounced againft the profeflbrs of Cal- 
 vinifm ; and feveral members of the par- 
 liament, having prefumed to declare againft 
 the rigour of the punifhments enacled and 
 executed on them, the king himfelf went 
 in perfon, and ordered five of them to be 
 arrefted and carried to the Baftile immedi- 
 ately, who had avowed that fentiment in 
 his prefence. Orders were ifTued for their 
 prompt and rigorous profecution. 
 
 With the return of tranquillity and 
 peace, every fpecies of luxurious diffipa- 
 tion revived. Henry's court, the moft 
 effeminate, debauched, and polifhed in 
 Europe, was rendered unufually fplendid 
 by the different entertainments exhibited 
 on occafion of the marriage of Ifabella to 
 Philip. It was celebrated by proxy at 
 Paris. Tournaments and caroufah ad- 
 ded a martial magnificence to the other 
 amufements of a gentler nature. The 
 duke of Savoy arriving, accompanied by 
 the duke of Jjrqnfwic, the prince of 
 
 Orange,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 343 
 
 Orange, and a hundred gentlemen, was 
 received with every demonftration of re- 
 fpecl and attention by Henry; who met 
 and embraced him at the foot of the 
 great flair-cafe of the Louvre. This inci- 
 dent redoubled the feftivities. Only three 
 days after, they were interrupted by the 
 tragical cataftrophe of the king's death. 
 
 The lifts extended from the palace of 
 the Tournelles to the Baftile, acrofs the 
 ftreet St. Antoine. Henry himfelf had 
 broken feveral lances with different lords 
 of the court, in all of which he had (hewn 
 unufual vigour and addrefs. On that 
 day he wore the colours of his miftrefs, the 
 duchefs of Valentinois, in token of his 
 homage, and in compliance with the laws 
 of chivalry, where gallantry was ever 
 mingled. Thofe colours were black and 
 white, in allufion to her ftate of widow- 
 hood. Towards the clofe of the evening, 
 and previous to the conclufion of the 
 tournament, he was feized with the incli- 
 nation of trying his prowefs againft the 
 Z count
 
 344 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 count de Montgomeri, captain in his. 
 guards. He was fon tq that feigneur de 
 Lorges, who had wounded Francis the 
 firft fo dangeroufly on the head at Ro- 
 morentin in Berri ; and was diflinguifhed 
 for his fuperiority in thefe combats above 
 any nobleman of the kingdom. Cathe- 
 rine of Medicis, as if by a fecret pre- 
 fage of the event, befought him not] to 
 re-enter the lifts ; Henry refitted her 
 felicitations ; adding, that he would break 
 one more lance in her honour. Mont- 
 gomeri himfelf accepted the defiance with 
 extreme reluftance, and endeavoured by 
 every argument and entreaty to prevail 
 on his fovereign to excufe him ; but in 
 vain. Henry commanded him to obey, 
 He even fought with his vizor raifed. 
 The (hock was rude on both fides ; but 
 the count's lance breaking againft the 
 king's helmet, he attacked him with 
 the fhmip, which remained in his hand. 
 It entered under the eyebrow of his right 
 eye. The blow was fo violent, as to 
 ^ tumble
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 345 
 
 tumble him to the ground, and to de- 
 prive him inflantly both of his fpeech and 
 underflanding. He never more recover- 
 ed them, though he furvived the acci- 
 dent near eleven days. The queen ordered 
 him to be carried immediately to the 
 Tournelles : every medical afliilance was 
 procured, and the divine mercy imploreci 
 by proceffions and public prayers : but 
 the wound was beyond a cure -, and he at 
 length expired, having only pafled his ! 
 fortieth year four months. 
 
 Confternation and affright, mingled 
 with intrigue and artifice, divided the 
 court: and the number of contending 
 factions, headed by chiefs of the higheft 
 capacity, whom the late king's vigour 
 had reftrained within fubjeclion, now de- 
 clared their various pretenfions without 
 difguife. The duke of Savoy, finding his 
 life defpaired of, folicited fo prefiingly the 
 accomplifhment of his marriage with the 
 princeis Margaret, that it was celebrated 
 at " Notre-Dame," without any pomp, 
 
 and
 
 346 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and in the greateft privacy. The duchefs 
 of Valentinois received an order from the 
 queen to retire to her own hotel, and not 
 to prefume to enter the chamber f the 
 dying king. She obeyed. Catherine fol- 
 lowed this mandate by a fecond, enjoin- 
 ing her to deliver up the jewels of the 
 crown, and other rich effects then in 
 her pofiefHon. She demanded, if Henry 
 was dead 5 the meflenger replied, that 
 he yet breathed; but could not poflibly 
 remain long alive, " Know," faid Diana, 
 with undaunted intrepidity, " that fo 
 " long as he mail retain the leaft appear- 
 ** ance of life, I neither fear my enemies, 
 " however powerful, nor will fhew any 
 *' deference to their menaces or com- 
 *' mands. Carry this anfwer to the 
 " queen." 
 
 Jf Henry was not a great, he was an 
 amiable and accomplimed prince. Gene- 
 rous to his domeftics, bounteous to his 
 followers, he was adored by his courtiers 
 ;md attendants. His converfation was 
 
 amufive
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, & c . 347' 
 
 amufive and lively; his manner of ex- 
 preffion eloquent, flowing, and graceful. 
 An affectionate father, a polite and decent 
 hufband, a warm and animated friend, 
 he was, in all the walks of private life, 
 peculiarly an object of refpeft and attach^ 
 ment. Neither deflitute of capacity or 
 firmnefs, though governed by his miftrefs, 
 and fubfervient to favourites, he could 
 exert himfelf on important occafions^, and 
 enforce obedience. Fon<i of polite let- 
 ters, as from hereditary right, he encou- 
 raged them in his court, where they made 
 a rapid prpgrefs. In the prime of life, 
 and with fuch qualities, his death muft 
 at any time have been confidered as a lofs 
 to his kingdom $ but in the critical junc- 
 ture when he expired, it was a calamity 
 of the moft dreadful nature, replete with 
 future miferies, with mafiacres, crimes, 
 and civil difcord. He only could reprefs 
 the daring fpirit and intemperate zeal of 
 the new religions : he only could reftrain 
 the intriguing genius of Catherine, and 
 
 fet
 
 348 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fet bounds to the wild ambition of the 
 princes of the houfe of Lorrain. His 
 untimely end, and the fucceeding circum^ 
 ftances of his Tons' reigns, unveiled and 
 gave a loofe to every fource of public evil 
 and diftrefs, 
 
 By the queen he left a numerous iflue $ 
 four fons and three daughters. They 
 will be all mentioned frequently here- 
 after. He never had any children by 
 madame de Valentinois > ^but befides 
 Diana, married to the duke of Caftro, 
 of whom I have already fpoken, he left 
 a fon by a Scotch lady *, named Henry ; 
 
 who 
 
 * Her name is faid to have been Fleming ; and (he 
 was in the fervice of Mary queen of Scotland, whom 
 fhe had accompanied from her own country into 
 France : yet others of the cotemporary writers call her 
 ** Mademoifelle d'Amilton ;" and pretend, that fhe was 
 related to Mary by blood. They add, that motives 
 of policy and intrigue gave rife to the connec"tion 
 between this lady and the king. The Guifes, jea- 
 lous of the defpotic afcendant which Diana de 
 Poitiers had obtained and preferred over him, de- 
 termined
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 349 
 
 who was grand prior of France, governor 
 of Provence, and admiral of the Levant 
 feas* 
 
 We 
 
 termined to detach hirrt from her; as they found Hie 
 no longer treated them with her accuftomed confi- 
 dence ; and that Montmorenci had fupplanted them 
 in her affections. To this end, they artfully praifed 
 " Mademoifelled'Amilton," and extolled her to Henry 
 with extravagant eulogiums. He faw and loved 
 her. She did not fcruple to gratify his paffionj 
 but their intimacy was concealed, even after fhe had 
 borne a fon, with the extremeft care, to prevent its 
 becoming known to the duchefs of Valcntinois. 
 Henry d'Angouleme, her fon, was a generous, brave, 
 and accomplished prince, though unhappily led, by 
 the prejudices and madnefs of the times, to be emi- 
 nently active in the dreadful night of St. Bartholo- 
 mew* His death was tragical and fingular. It hap- 
 pened at Aix in Provence. Philip Altoviti, baron 
 de Caftelane, was his mortal enemy ; Henry entered 
 his houfe, and, after having reproached him with his 
 many a&s of malignant hatred towards him, patted 
 his fword through his body. Altoviti expiring, had 
 yet fufficient force to fnatch a poniard from the head 
 -of the bed on which he fell, with which he (tabbed 
 Henry in the belly. He did not apprehend his wound 
 4p be mortal j but the friar who con fe fled him, an-
 
 350 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 We are now about to enter on a me- 
 lancholy period of the French hiftory. 
 Wars of religion, more fanguinary, more 
 cruel, more obftinate and ruinous, than 
 thofe of Henry the fifth and Edward 
 the third, rife in awful fucceffion under 
 the three laft princes of the race of Valois. 
 The bright days of Francis and Henry, 
 the noble and animating contefts with 
 Charles and Philip, are fucceeded by in- 
 terline confufion, by the ftandard of re- 
 bellion and revolt. The kingdom, inun- 
 dated with foreign auxiliaries, torn by 
 her own children, drenched in noble 
 blood, becomes a field of contention and 
 defolatiori . Catherine, like its evil ge- 
 nius, mingles and embroils all ranks and 
 parties. The fpirit of civil and religious 
 frenzy fwallows up and extinguifhes 
 every fentiment of humanity, patriotifm, 
 
 nouncing to him his deftiny, he replied, without emo- 
 tion, " II ne faut plus penfer a vivre ? Eh bien, pen- 
 "/ons done a mourir !" He died twenty-four hours 
 afterwards. 
 
 6 and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 351 
 
 and even virtue till at length a ftranger 
 prince, defcended from the blood of their 
 ancient kings, appears; and, as if fent 
 from Heaven to heal the wounds of his 
 bleeding country, reftores peace, and dif- 
 fufes univerfal ferenity. 
 
 CHAPTER
 
 35 2 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Xi. - 13V3 tofi* 
 
 CHAPTER THE NINTH. 
 
 State of the kingdom at the death of Henry 
 the fecond. Character of the duke of 
 Guife of the cardinal of Lorrain of 
 the king of Navarre of the prince of 
 Conde. Catherine of Medicis. Her cha- 
 racter per/on political conduct. Dif- 
 grace of the duchefs of Valentinou .* Ac- 
 cejfion of Francis the fecond. Power of 
 the Guifes. The kings feeble health. 
 AJjaJjination of Minard. Confpiracy of 
 Amboife. -Defeated. Horrible execu- 
 tions. The prince of Conde fufpefled. 
 Convocation of Fontainbleau. The king 
 of Navarre and prince of Conde ^ arrive at 
 court. They are arrejied. Trial of the 
 latter i. Francis sillnefs. Conde condemn- 
 ed. Intrigues and cabals of Catherine 
 de Medic is. Death of Francis the fe- 
 
 * cond.'~-Circumftances. Character. Fu- 
 nerals. Arrival of Montmorenci. Re- 
 leafe of Conde* 
 
 A1 PREVI-
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE &c. 353 
 
 PREVIOUS to our entry upon this 
 fhort but unhappy reign, which fiiil 
 gave birth to the wars of Calvinifm, and 
 faw the fword of France unfheathed 
 againft herfelf; it is requifite to take a 
 view of the great perfonages who will 
 appear upon the fcene, and behold the 
 elements of future calamities yet latent 
 and concealed, or only faintly unfolding 
 the fatal principles of deftrucrion with 
 which they were impregnated. The un- 
 forefeen and fad cataftrophe of Henry 
 the fecond's death, awoke thefe dormant 
 feeds, which might otherwife have flept 
 in tranquillity. That fuperior and coer- 
 cive power being removed, that had hi- 
 therto over-ruled the many jarring and 
 difcordant fpirits with which the court 
 was filled, a tumultuous adminirlration 
 fucceeded, precarious in its bafis, uncer- 
 tain in its duration, and only fupported 
 by an extraordinary exertion of vigilance, 
 circumfpeftion, and authority. 
 
 VOL. I. A a Amiu
 
 354 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Amid the confufion incident to the de- 
 ceafe of the late king, the Guifes had 
 feized upon the perfon of Francis the fe- 
 cond, the young fovereign. Their alli- 
 ance by blood to the queen, Mary of Scot- 
 land, afforded them a plaufible pretext to 
 juftify their conduct ; and the characters of 
 the two brothers, Francis duke of Guife and 
 the cardinal of Lorrain, feemed to render 
 them intitled to the firft pofts of ftate. 
 
 The former poflefTed eminently all thofe 
 dazzling qualities which are formed to 
 procure an unlimited afcendancy over man- 
 kind. Liberal even to munificence, cour- 
 teous to condefcenfion in his manners 
 and addrefs, he captivated the multitude. 
 His renown in arms procured him the 
 adoration of the foldiery, and attachment 
 of the braveft captains, who deemed them- 
 felves certain of fuccefs under his aufpices. 
 Naturally moderate, equitable, and averfe 
 to cruelty, he yet zealoufly maintained 
 the ancient religion, and oppofed every 
 innovation. Intrepid in the article of dan- 
 ger,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 355 
 
 ger, either personal or political, he "furveye'd 
 it without trouble or difmay,- and applied 
 to it the moft prompt and efficacious re- 
 medies. Gonfcious of his own capacities 
 for government, favoured by the peculiar 
 circumftances of the times, and hurried 
 away by his ambition, he gave the reins to 
 this paflion, and fet no limits to his third 
 of power. 
 
 Talents of an oppofite nature, but no 
 lefs feduclive and impofing, characterifed 
 his brother the cardinal. Eloquent, and 
 animated with unbounded zeal in the 
 caufe of the catholic religion* he was ve- 
 nerated by the clergy, as the guardian of 
 the ecclefiaftical immunities and privileges. 
 Inferior to the duke in clemency and tem- 
 pered courage, he was more enterprizing, 
 prefumptuous, and vain. Elated to arro- 
 gance with fuccefs, he funk into pufilla- 
 nimity and unmanly terror, when opprefled 
 by adverfe fortune. Violent, irafcible, 
 and vindiaive, he could not reftrain or 
 diflemble his feelings. Diffolute, and 
 A a 2 fond
 
 356 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 fond of pleafure, he gave offence by the 
 libertinifm of his conduct. Greedy of 
 power, rapacious of wealth, facrificing 
 every meaner confideration of tendernefs 
 or affection to the dictates of a flern and 
 unrelenting policy, he knew no move- 
 ments, nor purfued any objects, except 
 thofe of elevation and aggrandifement. 
 
 Anthony, king of Navarre, firft prince 
 of the blood, was ill calculated to oppofe 
 thefe afpiring and turbulent fpirits. Of 
 a temper gentle, humane, and flexible, 
 nature feemed to have defigned him for 
 times of harmony and tranquillity. Equal 
 to the duke of Guife in perfonal bravery, 
 he was far beneath him in every other 
 point of competition. Politically timidy 
 inconftant, irrefolute, he wanted that firm- 
 nefs fo indifpenfable in great emergencies. 
 Fluctuating in endlefs uncertainty between 
 the two religions, he neither could be 
 deemed a Catholic or Hugonot. Volup- 
 tuous, and fond of women, he was eafily 
 induced to break his conventions of po^ 
 
 licy,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 357 
 
 licy, in the weaknefs of private attach- 
 ment. 
 
 Far other was his brother the prince of 
 Conde. His perfon little and ungrace- 
 ful, inclofed a foul the moft heroic. Amo- 
 rous from complexion, and of an addrefs 
 the moft perfuafive, he was beloved by 
 women, and received from them proofs of 
 their affection the moft unbounded and 
 intoxicating. Of high and determined 
 courage, he was formed to fhine in camps 
 as much as courts. Indigent in his for- 
 tunes almoft to penury, he had yet the li- 
 berality becoming his high birth. Pro- 
 fefling with zeal the doctrines of Calvin, 
 but little inclined to the rigorous manners 
 of the Reformation, he made religion the 
 pretext of thofe wars, which ambition, and 
 hatred to the Guifes, really produced. Not 
 inferior to the celebrated Charles of Bour- 
 bon in the arts of retaining a licentious fol- 
 diery in fubjeftion, nature had intended him 
 for war, and vefted him with all her capa- 
 cities for the attainment of military glory. 
 A a 3 With
 
 358 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 With qualities fuch as I have defcribed, 
 he formed no unequal antagonift to the 
 duke of Guife j whom he ever confidered 
 as his mortal enemy, and boldly oppofed 
 on all occafions. 
 
 The conftable Montmorenci, long ae- 
 cuftomed to occupy the firft poft of ftate, 
 and too haughty to fill an inferior one, 
 did not at once declare for either faction ; 
 but the prefllng inftances of Henry d' Am- 
 ville his fecond fon, and his natural aver- 
 fion to Hugonotifm, induced him at length 
 to join the princes of the houfe of Lorrain. 
 
 The marechal de St. Andre, one of the 
 moil accomplimed noblemen of the court, 
 brave, polite, and elegant, but immerfed 
 in pleafures, and ruined by his debts, ran- 
 ged himfelf under the fame banner, and 
 devoted himfeif implicitly to the duke of 
 
 Guile's fervice. On the contrary, Co- 
 
 ligni, and d'Andelot his brother, both a- 
 vowed profelytes to Calvinifm, embraced 
 the party of the princes of the blood, and 
 adhered to it invariably. 
 
 Catherine
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 359 
 
 Catherine of Medicis, whom we have fo 
 long beheld obfcured by the fuperior in- 
 fluence of the two fucceilive miftrefTes to 
 Francis and Henry, now firft came for- 
 ward, and rofe into importance. Her 
 rank, as mother to the young king, made 
 her friendfhip eagerly fought by every 
 party. Her talents and capacity rendered 
 her equal to, and capable of the moft 
 arduous offices of government. A cha- 
 racter too complicated, and containing 
 movements too numerous and intricate 
 for a common defcription, I fcarce dare 
 to attempt this difficult picture. 
 
 Endowed by nature with a thoufand 
 qualities great and fhining, fhe only wanted 
 virtue to direct them to honourable and 
 falutary ends. Fond of pleafure, of let- 
 ters, of magnificence, thefe were yet only 
 inferior movements : ambition predomi- 
 nated, and fwallowed up all other paiTions 
 in her bofom. Born with a force of 
 mind, a calmnefs and felf-pofTeffion which 
 might have done honour to the boldefl 
 A a 4 man,
 
 360 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 nan, flie feemed to look down as from an 
 eminence on human occurrences. Never 
 alarmed even in circumflances the moft 
 unexpected and diflrefsful, (he knew how 
 to bend and accommodate herfelf to them. 
 Of confummate diffimulation, her man- 
 ners, where fhe wifhed to fucceed in any 
 attempt, were ingratiating beyond the 
 powers of female feduclion. Sprung from 
 the blood of Cofmo de Medecis, and emu- 
 lative of the fame which Francis the firfl 
 had acquired by his protection of learn- 
 ing, fhe cultivated poetry, and all the hu- 
 manizing arts, amid the horrors of civil 
 war y and extended her generofity to men 
 of genius, even in the moft exhaufted ftate 
 of the finances. Expenfive even to prodi- 
 gality in the entertainments and diverfions 
 fhe exhibited, and covering her defigns 
 under the deceitful mafk of diffipation, fhe 
 planned a maflacre amid the feftivities of 
 a banquet, and carefled with the moft 
 winning blandifhments the victim fhe had 
 deftined to deftruction. Cruel from po- 
 licy,
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 361 
 
 licy, not from temper, avaricious from 
 necefTity, profufe from tafte, me united 
 in herfelf qualities the moft difcordant and 
 contradictory. 
 
 Her perfon was noble, and correlpond- 
 ed with her dignity : the beauty of her 
 countenance was blended with majefty. 
 She knew how to improve her natural 
 charms by all the magic of drefs, and car- 
 ried her magnificence on this article to a 
 prodigious length. Expert in every ex- 
 ercife of the body, me fhone equally dif- 
 tinguifhed in the dance, and in the chace. 
 Her attractions were not fugitive and 
 frail, but accompanied her even into age, 
 and hardly quitted her in her molt ad- 
 vanced period of life *. 
 
 Thefc 
 
 * Her complexion was unufually fine, her eyes 
 large, full of vivacity and fire. She had, when young, 
 a faultlefs fliape ; but grew afterwards large and cor- 
 pulent. Her head was difproportionatcly big j nor 
 could fhe walk any confiderable diftance, without be*- 
 ing fubjecl: to a dizzinefs and fwimming. The ex- 
 tream fymmetry and admirable fhape of her legs, 
 
 made
 
 362 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Thefe are only faint and imperfect out- 
 lines of a portrait, which muft be known 
 by ftudy, not defcription - y and which the 
 events of the three fucceeding reigns will 
 afford me continual opportunity to re- 
 touch and correct. 
 
 While Henry, mortally wounded, lay 
 expiring, Catherine, though externally 
 
 made her take a particular pleafure in wearing filk 
 ftockings drawn very tight, the ufe of which were 
 firft introduced in her time ; and the defire of ihew- 
 ing them more confpicuoufly, induced her to change 
 the mode of riding on horfeback, which was by refting 
 the feet on a fmall board, to that of placing one leg 
 upon the pommel of the faddle". Catherine piqued 
 herfelf on the addrefs with which (he rode j and tho* 
 by her boldnefs in hunting (he once broke a leg, and 
 at another time received fo fevere a blow on the head, 
 as to be obliged to undergo the trepan, fhe continued 
 this exercife to her flxtieth year. Her hands and arms 
 excelled any lady's of the court, both as to form and 
 whitenefs. All habits became her, from the refined 
 tafte with which fhe adjufted every ornament to her 
 figure ; and her wardrobe was equally varied and 
 fplendid. Her neck and breaft were of the moft 
 matchlefs and dazzling white. Brantome fpeaks of 
 them with enthufiaftic praife and pleafure. 
 
 agitated
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 363 
 
 agitated with the deepeft forrow, yet pro- 
 vident of futurity, and forefeeing the na- 
 tural confequence of her fon's acceflion, 
 hefitated in fufpence what meafures to 
 embrace. Though fhe dreaded the ca- 
 pacity, the ambition, the influence of the 
 Guifes, yet the conftable was more per- 
 fonally and immediately obnoxious to her. 
 He had lately united himfelf clofely with 
 madame de Valentinois -, and had likewife 
 flarted fufpicions the moft injurious to 
 her honour and fidelity, by afTerting, that 
 of all the children which fhe had brought 
 her hulband, not one refembled him. On 
 the contrary, the princes of Lorrain 
 courted her friendfhip, and promifed her 
 the facrifice of the late king's miftrefs, as 
 the cement of their common union. This 
 tempting condition, fo grateful to a wo- 
 man's vengeance, determined the queen. 
 Diana, abandoned by the croud of para- 
 fites and courtiers, who had furrounded 
 her in Henry's reign, underwent in turn 
 the humiliation of the duchefs of Ef- 
 
 tampes ;
 
 364 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 tampesj and retired immediately from a 
 theatre, where her prefence was grown 
 hateful, and her power become extinct. 
 She fpent the remainder of her days at 
 Anet : and Catherine, fatisfied with a po- 
 litical victory, and repreffing, from regard 
 to her hufband's memory, any further pur- 
 fuit, permitted her to retain all the fplen- 
 did donations fhe had gained from the 
 bounty of her lover, without diminu- 
 tion *. 
 
 The 
 
 * It cannot be denied that the queen acted with the 
 Kigheft magnanimity and clemency on this occafion } 
 fhe might have taken a bloody and exemplary revenge 
 on her hateful rival. The marechal de Tavannes of- 
 fered to cut off her nofe ; but Catherine would not 
 permit or confent to it. The Guifes, though inti- 
 mately connected with her, and though principally 
 indebted to her for their elevation and favour, yet 
 were fo bafe as to become her open enemies on Henry's 
 death. The cardinal of Lorrain would have been 
 her bittereft perfecutor, if his brother, the duke of 
 Aumale, who had married her daughter, had not re- 
 ftrained, and reminded him, " That it would cover 
 " himfelf with infamy, to become the executioner 
 
 of
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 365 
 
 The young king, Francis the fecond, 
 who afcended the throne, was only fixteen 
 years and fix months old. A weaknefs 
 both corporal and intellectual, approach-* 
 ing to debility, incapacitated him, even 
 more than his unripe age, for the con- 
 duel of ftate affairs. Merely actuated by 
 his mother, and by the two princes, un- 
 cles to the queen confort ; he had neither 
 judgment or paflions to direct himfelf, or 
 withftand their advice and fuggeflions. 
 When the deputies of the parliament 
 waited on him, to e'xprefs their devotion 
 and duties, he therefore informed them, 
 that he had thought proper to inveft the 
 duke and cardinal with the fupreme ad- 
 miniflration, affigning to the" former the 
 
 " of his mother-in-law. The conftable would not 
 defert her, from refpecl to the memory of his bene- 
 fadtor Henry the fecond, though urged to that pur- 
 pofe. Diana exprefTed her gratitude to the queen, by 
 a prefent of the fiiperb palace of Chaumont, iituated 
 in the midft of thofe lands affigned her for dowry ; and 
 received from her in return the caftle of Chenrui- 
 ceaux. 
 
 3 military
 
 366 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 military department, and the finances ta 
 the latter. 
 
 The confiable, who early faw this ine- 
 vitable triumph of his enemies, had ad- 
 vertifed the king of Navarre, and be- 
 fought him to repair immediately to court, 
 and claim the authority to which his 
 high rank and birth eminently entitled 
 him ; but Anthony, flow, incapable of a 
 bold and decifive refolution, and diftrunS 
 ful of Montmorenci's attachment, ad- 
 vanced by fhort journies, and flopt at 
 Vendome. This ill-judged and tardy 
 conduct, gave the Guifes time to confirm 
 their acquifition, and ftrengthen their 
 power. Montmorenci, remanded into a 
 fecond exile, was ordered to retire to his 
 own houfe. The cardinal of Tournon 
 was recalled, and admitted to an apparent 
 affociation in the government. Bertrandi, 
 to whom Diana de Poitiers had caufed the 
 feals to be entrufted, was difmifTed $ and 
 Olivier, a man renowned for probity and 
 honour, created chancellor. 
 
 Meanwhile
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 367 
 
 Meanwhile Anthony, ftimulated by his ' 
 brother the prince of Conde, arrived at 
 length. His reception was cold even to 
 indignity : the lodging afligned him was 
 unworthy his quality, and he would have 
 remained deftitute of any, if the marechal 
 de St. Andre had not lent him the one he 
 occupied. When prefented to the new 
 king, Francis made him the fame decla- 
 ration he had already done to his parlia- 
 ment. His friends ftill exhorted him to 
 remain unfhaken, and wait the oppor- 
 tunity of regaining his mtereft and credit : 
 but the Guifes acting on his terrors, by 
 indirect menaces of the king of Spain's 
 refentment, if he prefumed to controvert 
 the queen mother's or her fon's choice of 
 minifters -, and Catherine, on the other 
 hand, alluring him with a promife of 
 procuring the reftitution of his ancient 
 kingdom of Navarre, he fubmitted. Af- 
 ter the ceremony of the coronation, he 
 was fent to conduct the young queen Ifa- 
 bella to her hufband, Philip the fecond. 
 2 Confcious
 
 368 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Confcious of the precarious foundation 
 on which their authority refted, and dread- 
 ing fome attempt upon it, the new mini- 
 fters publifhed an edict, forbidding to carry 
 fire-arms, or even any drefs favourable to 
 the concealment of fuch weapons. This 
 order, calculated for their perfonal fafety, 
 and indicative of diftruft and terror, 
 was followed by a fecond, which their 
 intereft dictated. The king declared, that 
 he would permit no perfon to hold two 
 pofts at the fame time. Coligni, who to 
 the high charge of admiral, joined the go- 
 vernment of Pieardy, refigned chearfully 
 the latter, in the expectation that it would 
 be conferred on the prince of Conde -, but 
 BrifTac, recalled from his command in 
 Piedmont, was inverted with it. The 
 eonftable reluctantly, and after many 
 delays, laid down his office of grand 
 mafter of the houfhold, beftowed on him 
 by his late fovereign's bounty; and the 
 duke of Guife fucceeded to it. 
 
 Animated by an intemperate zeal, the 
 
 minifters
 
 RINGS OF FRANCE, &c, 369 
 
 minifters perfuaded their weak prince, that 
 he only adhered to his father's maxims and 
 Conduct, in commencing a perfecution. 
 againft the Hugonots. Courts of ecclefi- 
 aftical judicature, armed with inquifitorial 
 powers, were creeled, which took cogni- 
 zance of herefy; they were denominated 
 the " Chambres ardentes," from the feve- 
 rity of the punifnments they inflicted. 
 The moft rigorous fearch was made to 
 difcover offenders ; crimes of the moft im- 
 probable and flagitious nature imputed to 
 them, in their nocturnal affemblies 3 and 
 a death accompanied with ignominy, 
 heightened by cruelty, was decreed for 
 their adherence to Calvinifm. It was 
 not confined to the capital. The pro- 
 vinces imitated the example; and thefe 
 Unhappy people, forced into oppofition, 
 and emboldened by religious defpair, be- 
 gan to attempt a defence againft their op- 
 preflbrs. 
 
 The prodigious number of troops dif- 
 banded in confequence of the late peace ; 
 
 VOL. I. B b the
 
 3 7 o MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 the fwarms of military adventurers whom 
 the ceflion of the Luxembourg and Pied- 
 mont left unemployed, added to the fources 
 of intefline commotion, and difclofed to 
 the Calvinifts the means of raifing forces 
 in cafe of neceflity. The court was 
 crouded with foldiers of fortune, who im- 
 portunately demanded fome recompence 
 for their fervices. The cardinal of Lor- 
 rain> to whom they principally addrefled 
 their petitions, unable to fatisfy them, and 
 apprehenfive of fome confpiracy in this 
 multitude, publifhed a rafli edict, which 
 commanded every perfon, who had any 
 favour to afk of the king, inftantly to 
 withdraw themfelves, on pain of being 
 hung uj> on a gibbet, which was creeled 
 for that purpofe in the public fquare. A 
 treatment fo unworthy and unprecedented, 
 irritated extremely all thofe againft whom 
 it was directed, and alienated from him 
 and the duke many brave officers, who 
 were before devotedly attached to the houfe 
 of Guife. 
 
 Francis's
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 371 
 
 Francis's health meanwhile, debilitated 
 and enfeebled by diftempers, gave alarm- 
 ing tokens of decay. A quartan ague, 
 with which he had been indifpofed during 
 feveral months, totally incapacitated him 
 for any application to bufmefs of ftate. 
 When this diforder left him, his face was 
 covered with puftules, which evinced the 
 malignant nature of his humours. He 
 was therefore carried to Blois, in hopes of 
 benefit from the change of air. The ufual 
 methods practifed to diminifh or abate 
 the acrimony of fcorbutic habits, were 
 tried. A report prevailed, and even was 
 univerfally credited in the environs of 
 Blois, that the blood of infants was 
 procured, to make him a bath. The 
 fame had been afferted of Louis the 
 eleventh, in his lafl illnefs, though pro- 
 bably without foundation. From the 
 remedies adminiftered, of whatever kind, 
 he however derived fome temporary benefit 
 and relief. 
 
 Meanwhile the. feveritics againft the 
 B b 2 pro-
 
 372 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 profeflbrs of the Reformed religion were 1 
 redoubled at Paris. Anne du Bourg, one 
 .of the five rhembers of the parliament, 
 whom Henry the fecond had committed 
 to the Baftile a few weeks before his 
 death, was tried ; and continuing pertina- 
 cioufly in his opinions, was capitally con- 
 demned. His execution was accelerated 
 ; by the afTaflmation of the prefident 
 Minard, one of his judges ; to whom he 
 had peculiarly objected, and who had 
 been zealoufly active in the feizure and 
 conviction of the Calvinifts. The au- 
 thors of this crime were never difcovered. 
 Robert Stuart, a native of Scotland, and 
 who was afterwards in the battle of St. 
 Denis, where he mortally wounded the 
 conflable, was fufpected and feized. He 
 .claimed the young queen's protection, to 
 .whom he declared himfelf related by 
 blood. Mary difowned his alliance, and 
 would extend no mark of favour towards 
 him. Stuart found refources in his own 
 .firmnefs and intrepidity : he underwent 
 
 the
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, Sec. 373 
 
 the moft excruciating pains of torture 
 without any confeflion ; and was therefore 
 abiblved and difmifled. 
 
 Puflied to refolutions of the moft defpe- 
 rate nature, by the ill-judged tyranny of 
 their perfecutors, and oppofmg the un- 
 daunted fpirit of religious conviction, 
 to the fuperior power of their enemies, 
 the Calvinifts began fecretly to unite for 
 their common prefervation. Neither 
 Louis prince of Conde, nor Coligni, 
 though notorioufly profelytes to the new 
 opinions, had yet declared themfelves their 
 chieftains. A gentleman of Angoumois, 
 named John de Bary la Renaudie, was 
 commifTioncd,notwithftanding,bytheprm- 
 cipal perfons among them, to collect a 
 number under proper leaders, who, by 
 different roads, (hould meet at Blois ; and, 
 having prefented a petition to the king, 
 fhould feize on the perfons of the duke of 
 Guife and cardinal of Lorrain, as ene- 
 mies to the kingdom and public tran- 
 quillity. The fecret, ill kept, was divulged, 
 B b i and
 
 374 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 and information fent of the confpirators' 
 intentions, to court, from many quarters. 
 The Guifes, warned of the coming ftorm, 
 took every meafure neceflary to avert it. 
 Francis was removed from Blois to the 
 caftle of Amboife, as more tenable, and 
 capable of defence. He iffued letters, com- 
 manding the prince of Conde's and admi- 
 ral's attendance j who obeyed. The duke's 
 title of lieutenant-general of the king- 
 dom was confirmed; bodies of foldiery 
 were ftationed on all the furrounding 
 roads ; and a company of mufqueteers, 
 mounted on horfeback, was raifed to 
 guard the perfon of the king. 
 
 Notwithstanding thefe judicious and 
 mafterly precautions, the confpirators, in 
 fmall bands, and marching only during 
 the night, appeared at the gates of Am- 
 boife, unexpectedly. The cardinal of 
 JLorrain, terrified at this approach of 
 danger, betrayed the timidity which was 
 natural to him -, but his brother the duke, 
 undifmayed, and mailer of himfelf, in- 
 
 ftantly
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 375 
 
 ftantly prepared to meet it with courage. 
 His cool difcernment appeared eminently 
 confpicuous in this hour of triaL He af- 
 fembled the guards, the nqbility, and in- 
 habitants. Cautious, and fufpec"ling the 
 prince of Conde, he gave him the poft of 
 one of the gates to defend 3 but took care 
 to accompany him with the grand-prior, 
 one of his own brothers, who watched all 
 his movements, and prevented him from 
 lending the moft indirect affiftance. 
 
 The Calvinifls were difperfed, taken, 
 or cut in pieces. La R'enaudie, with a 
 few aflbciates, was met in the foreft of 
 Chateau- Renaud by the baron de Pardil- 
 lan, at the head of two hundred cavalry. 
 He defended himfelf, notwithstanding the 
 difparity of numbers, with a bravery 
 heightened by defpair. His followers be- 
 ing almoil all flain, and no chance re- 
 maining either of victory or retreat, he 
 fpurred his horfe up to Pardillan, and 
 thrufting a poniard through his vizor, 
 laid him dead upon the ground. He him- 
 B b 4 fclf
 
 376 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 felf fell foon after by a ball from a liar* 
 quebufTe. When killed, his body was 
 brought to Amboife, and hung during 
 fbrne hours on a gallows erected upon the 
 bridge. All the inferior perfons who fell, 
 were treated with the fame ignominy, 
 Their bodies, dragged at the tails of the 
 horfes, were afterwards placed on iron 
 hooks round the walls of the caftle, com- 
 pletely habited, booted, and fpurred. 
 
 Some clemency might yet have been 
 fhewn towards the chiefs. Olivier, the 
 chancellor, warmly advifed lenient and 
 conciliating meafures. Even the Guifes 
 hung in fufpence whether to pardon or 
 punifh; when a new, but impotent at-^ 
 tempt to furprife the town, gave a loofe 
 to the lail feverity. All who were taken 
 in arms, even though on their return 
 home, were put to death. A number not 
 lefs than twelve hundred expired under 
 the executioner's hands. The flreets of 
 Amboife ran purple with blood ; the 
 Loire was covered with floating carcafes ; 
 JQ ami
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 377 
 
 and the public fquares were crowded with 
 gibbets, on which hung thefe unhappy 
 wretches, who infected the air with a pef- 
 tilential fmell. 
 
 The principal leaders were laft led out 
 to die. The queen-mother, with her 
 three young fons, and all the principal 
 ladies of the court, beheld this horrid 
 fpeclacle from the windows, as a diver- 
 fion, Two of them, under the agony of 
 the Queflion, accufed the prince of Conde 
 as their accomplice, though concealed ; 
 but the baron de Caftelnau, confronted 
 with the.m, denied it highly, and in the 
 moment previous to his head being fevered 
 from his body, attefted and confirmed the 
 prince's innocence, 
 
 Some fufpicions remaining againft him, 
 notwithftanding thefe favourable depofi- 
 tions, he demanded permifllon to clear 
 himfelf in full council before the king, 
 Catherine, ever endeavouring to fupport 
 the balance between the grandees, as moil 
 beneficial to her own interefts, granted his 
 
 demand.
 
 37 & MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 demand. The prince, with that generous 
 intrepidity which fhone in all his actions, 
 vindicated his honour from the treafon- 
 able imputations caft upon it > and, after 
 having given the lye to whoever dared to 
 maintain or affert them, offered to en- 
 gage in fingle combat, as the moft con- 
 vincing proof of his adverfary's falfehood. 
 The cardinal of Lorrain, who clearly faw 
 at whom this defiance was levelled, made 
 a fign to the young monarch to rife with- 
 out reply ; but his brother the duke, con- 
 cealing his indignation with diffembled 
 friendfhip, praifed with warmth the prince's 
 noble conduct, and offered likewife to 
 maintain his caufe againfl whatever anta- 
 gonift. Yet in private, he advifed to ar- 
 reft him ; but the queen-mother, who 
 forefaw the utter annihilation of her power 
 by fuch an act, oppofed and prevented its 
 execution. 
 
 The chancellor died at this time, of grief 
 and horror, excited by the cruel and fan- 
 guinary fcenes to which he had been a 
 
 witnefs.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 379 
 
 witnefs. He was fucceeded by Michael 
 de FHopital, an able minifter, and devoted 
 to the queen-mother. His advice con- 
 firmed her yet more in that temporizing 
 and intricate policy, in that perfidious 
 hypocrify, in thofe arts of divifion and 
 oppofition, which mark her character. 
 She trembled left the Guifes mould ob- 
 tain a complete victory over the princes 
 of the blood, and therefore fecretly fup- 
 ported Coligni and the Hugonots. A con- 
 vocation was fummoned in this view at 
 Fontainbleau, whither the king was tranf- 
 ferred. It was held in her own cabinet, 
 Francis being prefent. The admiral ad- 
 vancing, threw himfelf on his knees be- 
 fore his fovereign, and prefented a requeft 
 unfigned, in favour of his own feel ; add- 
 ing, that though no names were affixed 
 to it, yet, whenever his majefty pleafed, it 
 would be inftantly fubfcribed by an hun- 
 dred and fifty thoufand perfons. The 
 cardinal of Lorrain oppofed it, with that 
 floury, impetuous, and commanding elo- 
 quence,
 
 3 So MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 quence, which diftinguifhed him. No 
 clecifive refolution was taken ; but the 
 flates were ordered to aflemble, and a 
 national council propofed, in hopes of 
 finally adjufling tjiefe religious differ- 
 ences. 
 
 Neither Anthony or Louis were prefent 
 at this conference. They had retired into 
 Guyenne, where they were engaged in 
 concerting meafures to difpofTefs the Guifes 
 of their power and offices. The pqrfon 
 whom they employed as their confidant 
 and mefienger, named La Sague, was fei- 
 zed at Eftampes, on his return into Gaf- 
 cony, charged with a number of letters. 
 The terror of the torture made him con- 
 fefs the method of difcovering their con- 
 tents. Thofe of the vidame of Chartres 
 were regarded as peculiarly criminal. He 
 was one of the moil brave and gallant 
 lords of the court, and had been fo par- 
 ticularly acceptable to, and favoured by 
 Catherine, as to give rife to fufpicions 
 and accufations very injurious to her ho-*
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &cc. 381 
 
 Hour. As he was however now become 
 equally an objedt of her hatred, fhe caufed 
 him to be carried to the Baflile. He 
 was transferred fome time after to his 
 own houfe, where he died either of cha- 
 grin, or the confequences of his debauche- 
 ries *. 
 
 Bouchard, chancellor to the king of 
 Navarre, being feized, and actuated by 
 the fame timidity as La Sague, accufed 
 the prince of Conde with endeavours to 
 
 * The proteftant writers, who detefted Catherine, 
 have not failed to accufe her of gallantries, among 
 her other crimes. Jufieu particularly names the duke 
 of Nemours, the vidame of Chartres, and the marquis 
 de Mefcouet, as her lovers j and declares her to have 
 been criminally intimate with all thefe. Impartial 
 juftice muft, however, acquit her from thefe imputa- 
 tions. Ambition, not love, was her predominant 
 movement. Her conduct towards mademoifelle de 
 Limeuil, of which I fhall have occafion to fpeak mi- 
 nutely, was highly oppofed to any fuch libertinifm. 
 Mezerai, and " Le Laboureur," only blame her love 
 of pleafures, without any reflexions on her honour ; 
 which are certainly to be diftrufted as falfe afper- 
 
 feduce
 
 382 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 feduce his brother to treafonable pra6tice$. 
 Notwithftanding this aft of undifguifed 
 hoftility, they both remained unfhaken 
 in their refolution of attending the flates 
 -at Orleans *. Their friends advifed them 
 
 to 
 
 * Davila, the great directing hiftorian of thefo 
 times, beautifully lays open the manoeuvres of the 
 Guifes to draw the brothers into the fnare. Louis, 
 fays he, confcious that his co-operation in the late 
 confpiracies and commotions might be afcertained 
 from the papers and perfons lately feized, perempto- 
 rily refirfed to truft himfelf in the power of his ene- 
 mies : but Anthony, either more innocent, or more 
 credulous j and deeming it impoffible, that an Italian 
 woman, and two ftrangers, would venture to arreft 
 and punifh the princes of the blood, inclined to at- 
 tend the ftates. The count de Cruflbl, and the 
 piarechal de St. Andre, were difpatched by the king, 
 to induce them, by diflembled aflurances of amity,not 
 to delay their journey. Conde ftill remained firm in 
 his determination. This being reported, the marechal 
 de Termes was fent into Gafcony, and ordered to 
 levy a body of troops, which might inveft them in 
 Beam, where they were unprepared for defence. At 
 *the fame time, the queen-mother, ever effe&ing her 
 fchemes by diffimulation, prevailed on the cardinal 
 of Bourbon, brother tQ Anthony and Louis, to add 
 
 bis
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 3 B 3 
 
 to appear well armed, and humeroufly 
 accompanied : but the mandate which the 
 Guifes, ifTued in the king's name, for- 
 bidding any other followers than their 
 own houfehold ; and the confidence which 
 they repofed on their high rank, and 're- 
 lation to the royal blood, made them 
 defpife and neglect thefe falutary precau- 
 tions. New informations and intima- 
 tions the moft alarming, met them on 
 their way. They were allured, that Fran- 
 cis and his mother, intimidated by the 
 impetuous counfels of the duke and car- 
 dinal, had been induced or compelled to 
 adopt meafures the moft fanguinary. The 
 two princes, notwithftanding, continued 
 their journey. On their arrival, they 
 entered the royal prefence, and faluted 
 the king, who gave them a cold and un- 
 
 his inftances to hers ; and aflured him of the good ia- 
 tentions of Francis. Thefe united efforts were at 
 length fuccefsful. The princes reluctantly left 
 Pau, and with a ilender train proceeded towards 
 Orleans, 
 
 gracious
 
 384 MEMOIRS OF THfi 
 
 gracious reception* The inftant of theii* 
 departure, two captains of the guard took 
 them into cuftody, Anthony was only 
 carefully watched ; but the prince of 
 Conde was conducted to a houfe creeled 
 purpofely in a public fquare, and defend- 
 ed by fome pieces of cannon *. 
 
 The admiral was in Orleans at this 
 time 5 but d'Andelot, more circumfpe6l, 
 
 * The marechal de Brifiac firft propofed in councif 
 tlie prince's arreft. Francis figned the order, which 
 was reluctantly counterfigned by the chancellor.- 
 
 " I faw the two brothers, Anthony and Louis," 
 fays Brantome, " when they arrived. The king 
 " entered the court of the palace on horfeback ; the 
 ** prince, on foot. Never did I fee a man exhibit 
 ** a more bold and fearlefs fnieh than did the lat- 
 " ter ; but on his return, when arrefted, he appeared 
 * 6 covered with aftonifhment. Anthony, who had 
 " thought to difcoacert and terrify his enemies by 
 ^ his menaces, and appearance at court, was not lefs 
 " confounded and amazed." 
 
 Davila very minutely defcribes their arrival at Or-. 
 leans, the circumftances of the king's behaviour, and 
 the queen-mother's pretended forrow on tfieir arreft- 
 He fays, both the princes were obliged to difmount 
 without the gate* 
 
 and
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 385 
 
 and confcious of the danger, had retired 
 into Bretagne. The lady of Roye, mo- 
 ther to the princefs of Conde, was ar- 
 refted at her own chateau j and Grollot j 
 bailiff of Orleans, was taken into cuf- 
 tody. 
 
 Five judges, nominated to interrogate 
 the prince, waited on him in prifon for 
 that purpofe. In no degree difmayed by 
 the violence exercifed againft him, he re- 
 fufed to plead before fuch a tribunal -, and 
 demanded a public trial by the whole 
 parliament, peers, and king, as his dig- 
 nity entitled him. This fpirited and 
 intrepid behaviour did not difconcert or 
 delay his procefs. It was purfued unin- 
 terruptedly. He flood on the extreme 
 verge of fate. The Guifes, already antici- 
 pating the fure deftruction of this power- 
 ful rival, arrogant, and intoxicated with 
 fuccefs, "obferved fcarce any deference or 
 decorum towards the queen -mother, 
 whom they fecretly fufpecled, and meant 
 to diveft of all influence or authority. 
 
 VOL. I. C c Catherine
 
 386 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Catherine faw the fatal error fhe had 
 committed, in joining the princes of Lor- 
 rain, to her own injury, againft, Anthony 
 and Louis but it was too late to retracl:. 
 The evil was beyond a cure. Grollot's 
 condemnation and execution was univer- 
 fally regarded as preparatory to, and indi- 
 cative of that of the prince : when an un- 
 expected and great event, big with the mofl 
 important confequences, fnatched him from 
 the imminent and impending deftruction . 
 The king, to avoid the neceffity of 
 being prefent at the fpedlacle of Grollot's 
 death, had gone out to the chace. On 
 his return, he was attacked with a hea- 
 vinefs in the head, which at the end of 
 fome days produced a fuppuratjng abfcefs, 
 with an impoflhume or fiftula in his 
 ear*. The fymptoms did not at firft 
 
 appear 
 
 , * Davila fays, that: " Prancis, being under his 
 ;*' barber's hands, was fuddenly feiza! with an apo- 
 " plelic or fainting fit. His fervants immediately 
 " laid him on the couch, without figns of life. He 
 
 " returned 
 
 H k 
 \.
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 387 
 
 appear alarming, or mortal; but the 
 Guifes, apprehenfive of the event, and 
 dreading left their prey fhould efcape, 
 pufhed on the trial with unprecedented 
 and indecent hafte. The cuftomary for- 
 malities, obferved in capital cafes, were 
 omitted; and the prince finally condemned 
 to lofe his head. 
 
 The chancellor, ever averfe to the vio- 
 lent meafures purfued, and feeing that 
 Francis's malady grew more dangerous, 
 artfully protracted his fignature to the 
 arret for his execution. Of all the nobles 
 and great perfonages with which the 
 court was crowded fo defpotic was the 
 influence of the princes of Lorrain; fo 
 abjecl: the devotion paid them that only 
 the count de Sancerre had the courage 
 to refufe to fign it, though three repeated 
 orders of the king were brought him 
 
 " returned to his fenfcs after fome time ; but it was 
 " evident from the nature of the attack, and the 
 " effefts it left on him, that he could not lonf 
 " furvive." 
 
 C C 2 t*
 
 5 88 .MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 to that purpofe. Whether Francis him- 
 felf had fixed to it his fign manual or not r 
 is a fecret of ftate hidden, and never di- 
 vulged. 
 
 Meanwhile the phyficians, compelled 
 by the nature of the fymptoms they ob- 
 ferved in the young king, declared him 
 near his end. The Guifes, confcious of the 
 defperate and critical fituation in which 
 their conduct had involved them -, and 
 believing their own fafety infeparably 
 connected with a fteady adherence to the 
 principles whicli they had hitherto pur- 
 fue.d, flood firm. Placing their reliance 
 only in the profecution of them, they 
 endeavoured to induce Catherine to join 
 them in arrefting the king of Navarre * > 
 
 but 
 : 
 
 * Morifieur de Thou, that great hiftorian, relates, 
 that" the duke of Guife had determined to put An- 
 thony to death in Francis's prefence, and had induced 
 the deluded prince to confent to it. Though the 
 >krng of Navarre received information of this infamous- 
 cefolution, he had intrepidity enough to: enter the 
 apartment mjp-hicjv he was to be-aflaffiuated. 4< If 
 ' ' "they
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, c. 389 
 
 but fhe, too wife to be rendered fubfer- 
 vient to their purpofes and freed from 
 the tyranny they had exercifed over her, 
 by the profpecl of Francis's death re- 
 fufed to confent to, or permit his feizure. 
 She faw herfelf exaftly in that fitua- 
 tion to which {he fondly afpired. The 
 approaching minority left the regency 
 open to her ambition. Both parties paid 
 her the moft affiduous court, as to the 
 arbitrefs of their lives and fortunes. In 
 the anticipation of her fon's end, flie 
 took, with the moft cool perfpicuity and 
 maflerly addrefs, the neceflary precau- 
 tions for fecuring to herfelf the firft 
 place in the government under Charles, 
 immediate heir to the crown, and who 
 
 c they kill me," faid he to Reinfy, one of his gen- 
 tlemen, " carry my fliirt, all bloody, to my wife am 1 
 *' fon : they will read in my blood what they ought 
 " to do to revenge it !" Francis, fhocked at the 
 enormity of fuch a crime, did not dare to give the 
 fign previoufly agreed on; and the duke of Guift,v 
 quitting the chamber, could not help excla;:?. 
 " Le pauvre roi que nous avons !" 
 
 C c 3 was
 
 390 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 was only ten years and five months old. 
 Anthony promifed in writing to cede to 
 her the regency, which belonged to him 
 of right, as firft prince of the blood ; and 
 the Guifes fwore to ferve her in every 
 manner, for and againft whomever fhe 
 commanded. 
 
 Amid thefe intrigues and cabals, Francis 
 tiie fecond breathed his laft, on the eigh- 
 teenth day from his feizure, and aged only 
 feventeen years ten months and a half. 
 His reign was about a year and five 
 months *. 
 
 We ' 
 
 * The critical nature of his death, fo opportune for 
 the prefervation of the prince of Conde, fo fortunate 
 to Catherine of Medecis, whom the Guifes had de- 
 prived of all influence, gave rife to reports of poifon. 
 * c Le Laboureur," and feveral other writers, have ac- 
 cufed Ambrofe Pare, the king's furgeon, and a Scotch 
 valet de chambre, who was a Hugonot, with having 
 f oifoned his night-cap exactly at the place which an- 
 fwered to, and covered the fiftula in his ear : but De 
 Thou, infinitely more worthy of credit, denies and 
 difprovcs this affertion. He exprcfly attributes his 
 
 death
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 391 
 
 We know not what qualities he pofTef- 
 fed, or might have difcovered, had he at- 
 tained to manhood. His capacity ap- 
 
 death to the weaknefs of his confutation, and maladies 
 derived from his mother. 
 
 Davila feems to incline likewife to the belief, that 
 he died a natural death ; yet he mentions the general K - 
 received opinion of his having been poifoned. *' The 
 " young king," fays he, " had always been troubled 
 " with pains and defluxions in his head, from his iu- 
 " fancy. An impofthurae formed itfelf over his right 
 " ear j and that burfting, fo great a quantity of mat- 
 " tcr fell into his throat, that it (topped up the paf- 
 " fage, and prevented him either from fpcaking, or 
 " receiving any fort of nourifhment. Moft peo- 
 " pie," continues Davila, " believed at the time, that 
 " his barber had conveyed poifon into his ear j and it 
 " was even reported, that the pbyficians had dlfco- 
 " vered evident figns of it. The fuddeunefs of 
 *' Francis's feizure, and the extraordinary crifis ia 
 ** which he expired, would have given univerfal cre- 
 " dit to the accufation, if the diforder which temri- 
 4< nated his life had not been known to have grown 
 " up with him from his cradle." 
 
 From the teftimonies of thefe two laft historians, 
 we cannot hefitate to believe the king's death natur.u, 
 and almoft inevitable from his hereditary weaknefs and 
 complaints. 
 
 pears
 
 392 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 pears to have been very mean, and little 
 fuperior to imbecillity, and his bodily in- 
 firmities added to thefe mental defects. 
 Some French hiftorians have abfurdly 
 given him the epithet of " The king 
 " without vice." Voltaire has drawn his 
 portrait more fpiritedly, and more mftiy> 
 in his Henriade. 
 
 " Foible enfant, qui de Guife adorait les ca- 
 " prices, 
 
 *' Et dont on ignorait les fertus et les vices.'* 
 
 . 
 
 His chaftity has been made the fubjecr. of 
 encomium ; but to the feeblenefs of his 
 complexion, and early youth, this virtue 
 may be chiefly attributed ; belides that his 
 attachment to his confort was extreme, 
 and her beauty fuch as to challenge 
 warmeft homage of the heart. 
 
 Francis's funerals were indecent!) ; e~ 
 glected. Ambition and intrigue occupied 
 the whole court. Catherine, who had 
 been oftentaticufly magnificent in the ob- 
 fequies of her hufband, was equally re- 
 mifs in thofe of her fon. The Guifes, 
 
 on
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, &c. 393 
 
 on whom he had heaped fo many favours, 
 to whom he had confided fuch unlimited 
 power, by a conduft which marked them 
 with the bafeft ingratitude, did not fhew 
 him this laft and poor token of refpecl. 
 They excufed themfelves under the fri- 
 volous pretext of remaining to confolc 
 the young queen, their niece. 
 
 Among fo many lords and bifhops as 
 were at Orleans, only Sanfac and La Brofle, 
 who had been his governors, and Guil- 
 lard biihop of Senlis, who was blind, fol- 
 lowed his corpfe to St. Denis. Upon the 
 cloth which covered his coffin, a billet 
 was found, containing this fevere and 
 pointed farcafm. " Tanneguy du Chatel, 
 " ou es tu?" It alluded to the funeral 
 rites of Charles the feventh. Du Chatel 
 had been that monarch's favourite, but 
 was baniftied from court. At his death, 
 he generoufly returned, and, as a mark of 
 his gratitude and affection to a matter he 
 had loved, performed his funerals at his 
 private expence, with a royal pomp. 
 
 Francis 
 
 5
 
 394 MEMOIRS OF THE 
 
 Francis the fecond left no iffue, legiti-. 
 mate or illegitimate, and the crown de- 
 
 fcended to Charles his brother. Mary, 
 
 queen of France and Scotland, makes no 
 figure in her hufband's reign. Subfer- 
 vient to, and awed by the daring genius 
 of her uncles, fhe performed only an 
 inferior part. They made ufe of her 
 charms and influence over the young king, 
 to bend him to their wiflies and meafures. 
 Jn a court of fuch gallantry, where her 
 beauty was adored, me could not efcape 
 fome malignant and falfe reflections on 
 her conduft; but they do not deferve to be 
 mentioned, much lefs to be refuted. 
 
 The conflable, who had been repeatedly 
 ordered to Orleans, but whofe diftrufl 
 and caution rendered him flow, accele- 
 rated his march on the news of the king's 
 death *. He arrived on the third day 
 
 after 
 
 * Davila, ufually fo exa&, and on whofe autho- 
 rity we may rely with an almoft implicit faith, e?c- 
 prefly afferts, lc That the prince of Conde was con- 
 ** demned to be beheaded before the royal palace, 
 
 " pieviaui
 
 KINGS OF FRANCE, fcc. 39$ 
 
 after that event, accompanied by fix hun- 
 dred horfe ; and, making ufe of the autho- 
 rity which his charge gave him, drove the 
 guards from the gates of the city ; threat- 
 ening to hang them up, if they kept the 
 king inverted, in full peace, and in the 
 centre of his kingdom. 
 
 Meanwhile the prince of Conde ef- 
 caped, amid thefe unexpected changes. 
 Francis's death unloofed his fetters. With 
 a magnanimity and courage becoming 
 himfelf, he notwithftanding refufed to 
 quit his prifon, till he knew who had 
 been his profecutors and accufers. No 
 
 " previous to Francis the fecond's fcizure ; and that 
 " the execution of the fentence was only delayed, in 
 " hopes to draw tylontmorenci and his fons into the 
 " net, and to involve the king of Navarre in the fame 
 *' common dcftruclion." So that the conftablc's de- 
 lays were chiefly inftrumental to Comic's prcfervation. 
 It is impoflible not to be amazed at the bold and 
 nearly fuccefsful plan of the duke and cardinal, thus 
 at one blow to cut off, by a folemn and public trial, 
 two princes of the blood, and the firft officer of the 
 crown. 
 
 8 perfon
 
 396 MEMOIRS OF THE, &c. 
 
 perfon dared avow himfelf as fuch. The 
 Guifes declared that every flep had been 
 taken by the late king's exprefs and parti- 
 cular command; but they did not pro- 
 duce the royal order, in confequence of 
 which meafures fo violent had been pur- 
 fued. Thirteen days afterwards the prince 
 quitted Orleans, accompanied, as a mark 
 of honour, by thofe very foldiers who 
 had ferved as his guard, and retired to 
 Ham in Picardy. 
 
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