the palace is built. The court is 3 tymes as large as the inner court of
the Abbey.[95] Al around the close stand a wast number of Statues
infinitely weill done: only I fand they had not provided weill for the
curiosity of spectateurs in withholding their names and not causing it to
be engraven at their feet. They informed me they ware the statues of the
bravest old Greeks and Romans: as of Alex'r, Epiminondas, Cæsar, Marcellus,
and the rest. By the wertue of powerful money all the gates of the Castle
unlockt themselves. The first chamber we entred into he called the chamber
de Moyse, getting this denomination from the emblem hinging above the
chimly, wheirin was wondrously weill done the story whow Pharoes daughter
caused hir maid draw the cabinet of bulrushes wheirin Moses was exposed
upon the Nile to hir sitting on the land. This room (the same may be
repeated of the rest) was hung wt rich tapistry and furnished wt wery brave
plenishings, as chairs, looking glasses, tables and beds. For the
præserving of the curtains each bed had _tours de lit_ of linnen sheets,
which, causing to be drawen by, we fand some hung wt rich crimson velvet
hingings; others wt red satin; others wt blew; all layd over so richly wt
lace that we could hardly decerne the stuffe. We fand one bed in a chamber
(which they called one of the kings chambers) hung wt dool, which when
occasion offered they made use of. This minded me of Suintones wife, who
when she was in possession of Brunstone[96] had hir allyes and walks so
appropriated to particular uses that she had hir ally wheirin she walked
when she was in mourning, another when she had one such a goune, and so
furth. But to return, in another chamber we was put to the strait of
exercing our _Liberum Arbitrium_. Many pleasant objects offering themselfes
to our wiew at the same tyme, we was at a pusle wt which of them to begin:
for casting up our eyes to the cieling we fand it cut out most artificially
unto sewerall sorts of creatures. Theirs a lion standing ramping ready as
ye would think to devore you; yonder a horse; yonder a dog at the chass;
and all this so glittering by reason that its covered wt gold that it
would dazell any mans eyes. But calling away your eyes from this we
deschended to the walls of the chamber, wheir ye have standing in one broad
Justice, a martiall like woman wt a sword in hir one hand, and the balance
in the other. On her right stands Verity, a woman painted naked to show
that the truth most be naked since it demands no coverture. On the other
stands Magnanimity, a woman of a bravadoing countenance. In another broad
stands Prudence. In a 3d (la chambre de Lucresse) as a emblem of Chastity
we have the story of Lucretias rapture by Tarquinius Superbus sone: first
ye have him standing at hir chamber door wt his men at his back looking
thorow the lock whither she was their or not; in the same broad[97] ye have
represented the violence he used to hir; then as the epiloge of the tragædy
ye have hir killing herselfe. In another broad ye have to the life don the
story of Judith bringing away the head of Holofernes.
[95] Holyrood.
[96] When the Duke of Lauderdale was under forfeiture the estate of
Brunston, belonging to him, was granted to Swinton of Swinton.--
Sir G. Mackenzie's _Memoirs_, p. 48.
[97] Panel.
In another chamber ye have Lewis the 13 portraicts wt those of all the rest
of the royall family and the most part of the courtiers, counsellers and
statesmen of that tyme, togither wt a embleme of the joy of the city of
Paris at the nativity of this King.
Of this chamber goes a pitty but pretty litle cabinet for Devotion. Their
stands a large crucifix of marble wonderously weill done, round about hings
the 12 Apostles wt the sufferings they ware put to. Their may ye sie the
barbarous Indians knocking Bartholemew, who was spreading the gospell among
them, wt clubs to death; and so of the rest.
In another chamber on the cielery we have panted Thetis dipping hir sone
Achilles in the Ocean to render him immortall. She hath him by the foot,
whence in all his parts he becames immortal and impatible, save only in the
sole of his feet, which ware not dippt. Next ye have him slain by Paris
whiles he is busy on his knees at his devotion in the temple; Paris letting
a dart at him thorow a hole of the door, which wounding him in the sole of
his foot slow him. Nixt ye have Achilles dragging Hectors dead body round
about the walls of Troy. Then ye have Priamus coming begging his sones
body. Ye have also Diomedes and Glaucus frendly renconter wt the exambion
they made of their armes.
In another chamber we found wery delicat weill wrought Tapistry wheirin
ware to be sien, besydes sewerall other stories taken out of Homer, the
funestous and lamentable taking of Troy.
In this same chamber saw we hinging the cardinals oune portraiture to the
full, in his ride robes and his cardinals hat wt a letter in his hand to
tel that he was the Kings secretary: his name is beneath. _Armandus
Richeleus anagrammatized Hercules alter_. Surely the portrait represents a
man of wery grave, wise and reverend aspect. Besydes him hinges the
portraict of his father and mother. His father had bein a souldier; the
cardinal was born in Richeliew.
In another chamber was hinging 3 carts[98] (al done by Sampson), the one
exceeding large of France done by one Sanson, the Kinges Geographer; the
2nd of Italy wt the Iles adiacent of Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, etc.; the
3d of the countryes that lyes on the famous river of Rhein, which runes
thorow Germany, and in the low countries embrasses the sea.
[98] Maps.
At length we came unto a very large gallery, wheir hinges the emblems of al
the things of greatest consequence that happened in France during the tyme
of the Cardinall, as the beseigding of tounes that revolted, and the
stratagemes by whilk some of them were taken. At each end of the gallery
stands a table, but I sal confine my selfe to speak only of the one.
Removing a cover of leather their appeares a considerable large table as
long as etc., the richest beyond controversy of France: it consistes of
precious stones and diamonds, but joined wt such wonderfull artifice that a
man would easily take it for one inteer stone of sewerall colours, the
proportion also of their joinctures, each colour answering to another,
makes much to the commendation of it. Give their be a rid Sardix heir, it
hath direictly of that same very bigness another Sardix answering to it
their; or ye may suppose it to be a blew saphir. In the wery center and
midle of the table is planted about the meikledoom[99] of a truncher[100] a
beautifull green smaradyes; round about it stands a row of blew saphire,
then another of rid diamonds; then followes a joincture of golden
chrysolites, the bigness wheirof renders them wery wonderfull, being
exceeding rare to be found of the halfe of that bigness. Their is not any
coleur which is not to be found amoungs the Stones of that table. They are
joined so marvelously that nothing can be smoother or æequaler. Thus
breifly for the house.
[99] Size.
[100] Trencher.
Of one of the balconies we descryed the garden, which was wery pleasant,
having great resemblance wt that of Chateau Neuf, up and doune it ware
growing Holyhaucks of all colours; but I cannot stay no longer upon the,
for I am hasting to your church, which I find wery rich, as generally all
the churches in France are.
After I had supped I could not but come and wiew the situation and walls
wtout; but fareweil, for the morrow night setts me in Poictiers. On the hy
way as I travelled I mett bothe aples and plumes, which I looked not one as
forbidden fruit, but franckly pulled. As soon as I came wtin sight of
Poictiers I welcomed it heartily as being to be a place of rest to me for a
tyme. Entering into the suburbes of the toune, I easily discovered the
reason of our Buchannans expression, _Pictonum ad scopulos_: for then and
afterwards I discovered it to be environed wt raged rocks and craigs, the
toune it selfe also to be situat on a considerable eminence; and give ye
take in all its circuit it neids not yeeld much to Paris in bigness; only
much of it is filled up wt spatious gardens for the most part belonging to
religious orders, sometymes of men sometymes of women. It hath also wines
that growes within its circumference, as these that grow in the place of
the Scots walk may testify.
Having entred the toune we sought out Mr. Garnier the Apothecaries, for
whom I had a letter from Mr. Doull at Saumurs, who on that accepted us
kindly enough, only they had not such accomodation as I demanded, whence I
took occasion to deliver a letter I brought wt me out of Scotland from
young John Elies to Mr. Daillé, wt whom I entred pensionar about 8 dayes
after I had bein in Poictiers, to wit 28 July 1665.
I cannot bury in silence the moderation of Mr. Garniers wife, so wertous
and sparing a house wife she was that Wine never entred in hir mouth.
Always hir drink was pure water, tho no restraint was laying upon hir to do
it.
As the nature of thir peeple is to be wery frugall, so I fand that they
ware right Athenians loving to tell and to hear news, which may be marked
also in the most part of them that live on the Loier; for I had not bein a
night in Poictiers when all that Street, and in sewerall other places of
the toune, sundry knew that a Scotsman was come to the toune; that he came
from Saumur, that he brought a letter for Mr. Garnier wt whom he quartred.
The first night on my arrivall after I had supped came in my Hosts brother,
a marchand, who amongs others enquired if I might know Mr. Douglas. I
replied, yes; he added that he had left a child behind him, which tho Mr.
Daillé owned for his, yet it had wholly a Scots cry not a French.
The morning after my arrivall they chanced to have sermon in the
Protestants church at Quatre Picket, wheir I fand Colinton,[101] who a
little before had returned from the Rochell, wheir he had bein also on the
Isle of Rhee and that of Oleron. He after dinner took me to Mr. Alex'rs,
wheir I found all our Countrymen convened, only Alex'r Hume was at that
tyme out in the Campaigne some leagues. Their I fand my right reverend good
Sir Mr. Patrick Hume,[102] for whom I had two letters, one from
Pighog,[103] another from John Suty at London, David Hume, for whom I had a
letter from Saumur, Mr. Scot, Ardrosses sone, and Mr. Grahame, Morphees
sone. Shortly after I saw both the 2 Alex'rs, Alexander the professour, to
whom I delivred a letter from young J. Elies and Alex'r Hume: them all one
night I took in to a Hostellery called le Chappeau d'Or and gav them their
supper, which cost me about 17 livres 10 souse.
[101] Probably James Foulis, son of Sir James Foulis, Lord Colinton,
advocate 1669, a lord of Session 1674, with the title of Lord
Reidford.
[102] The friend thus playfully described may be Sir Patrick Hume,
advocate, who often appears as a litigant in Fountainhall's
_Decisions_.
[103] See page 145, note 2.
About 8 dayes after I had bein in Poictiers was keipt be the Jesuits
Ignatius Loyola their founders day, whence in the Jesuits Church their was
preaching a fellow that usualy preaches, extolling their patron above the
wery skies; evicting whow that he utstripped infinitly the founders of all
other orders, let it be St. François, St. Dominick, or be who he will, by
reason that he founded a order to the universal good of Christendome; the
order not being tyed to one place, as other religious are, but much given
to travelling up and doune the world for the conversion of souls, which
truly may be given as a reason whey all that order are usually so
experimented and learned; for their are of them in Americk itselfe. From
all this he concluded that Ignatius was and might deservedly be named the
universall Apostle of the Christian World. He showed also the manner of his
conversion to that manner of life; whow he had bein a soger (he was a
Spaniard by nation) til his 36 or 40 year of age. One tyme in a battell he
had receaved a wound right dangerous, during the cure of this wound one
tyme being some what veary and pained he called for a Story or Romance.
They having none their, some brought a devot book termed the Saints Rest,
not that of Baxters; in which he began to read wt a sort of pleasure, but
wtout any touch. At lenth continuing he began to feel himselfe sensibly
touched, which wrought so that he wholly became a new man; and wt the
permission and confirmation of the Pope then instituted the order.
A litle after followed St. Dominicks day observed by the Jacobins, wheir I
went to hear his panegyrick preached. Their preached a fat-looged[104]
fellow of the order. His text was out of the 36 of Ecclesiasticus, _Vas
auroeum[105] repletum omni lapide proetioso_: all his sermon ran to make
Dominick this vessell. He deduced all that a man might be praised for from
the 3 fold sort of dueties: 1, these we ow to God; 2, these towards our
neighbours; and 3, these towards himselfe. For the vertues that are
relative to God, he numbered them up to 13, and that out of Thomas, whom
they follow in all things; amongs which were piety, sanctité, zeal for
Religion, which broke out to that hieght that he caused sundry of the poor
Albingenses, over the inquisition of whom he was sett, to be brunt; but
this he mentioned _no_. For duties of the 2nd sort he numbered up out of
the same Thomas amongs others thir, Chastité. Of Dominicks chastity he sayd
he was as sure as of one thats new borne. Charité, which was so great one
tyme that having nothing to give to the poor, he would have given himselfe
to a poor widow woman; at which we could not but laugh, tho' his meaning
was that he would have bein content to sell himselfe that the woman might
get the money. He forgot not also his strictness of life and discipline, so
that after his death their was found a cord in wtin his wery flech he
girded him selfe so strait wt it. Heir he recknoned upe his prudence and
magnanimity. Amongs theduties a man owes to himselfe amongs others he
reckned up Temperance; in which he would gladly have us beleiving that St.
Dominick never eated any in his dayes, so great was his abstinence. Then he
came to compare him wt the cælestial powers, which he divided out of
Dionysius pseudareopagita into the Hierarchies receaved in the Romish
Church, of Angels, Archangels, Powere, Dominations, Cherubins, Seraphines,
etc., and then showed his Dominick to excell them all. Many stories he told
us which are to be seen in his legends, but never a word of the zeal he had
when he sat doune and preached to the birds (and seing a frier kissing a
nun he thanked God that their was so much charité left in the world). His
epiloge was that St. Dominick was worth all the Saincts of them. And to
speak the truth, beleiving him he made him on of the perfectest men of the
world, subject to no imperfection. I could discover no difference he made
betuixt him and Christ.
[104] See p. 17, note 2.
[105] _For aureum._
The forme of their preaching is thus. After they are come unto their pulpit
they signe their foorfront and breast with the signe of the cross wt that
in nomine patris, filij, and S.S., as a means to chass away Satan; then
they go to their knees for a wery short space as our bischops do; then
raising they read their text; after which they have a short prayer direct
to Christ and his mother, or even the Sainct, if they be to speak of any,
for their aid and assistance. Then they preach; after which thess that
please to walk may do it. The rest stay out the Vespres.
The forme of the protestant churches differs not much from ours. On the
Sabath morning during the gathering of the congregation they sing a psalme;
the minister coming up by a short sett forme of exhortation, stirring them
up to ioin wt him in prayers, he reads a sett forme of confession of sines
out of their priers ecclesiastiques or Liturgie; which being ended they
singes a psalme, which the minister nominats, reading the first 2 or 3
lines of that to be sung, after which they read no more the line, as we do,
but the peaple follows it out as we do in Glory to the Father, The psalme
being ended, the minister has a conceaved prayer of himselfe adapted for
the most part to what he'es to discourse on. This being ended he reads his
text. Having preached, then reads a prayer out of their Liturgy, then sings
a psalme, and then the blissing.
About a 4 night after I had bein their some 2 chanced to be taken in the
order of the Capuchins, of which order this is strange that the poorest yet
they are numerousest, their being dailly some or other incorporating
themselfes, Their poverty is such that they have nothing to sustein them
but others charité when they come begging, and that every 24 hours. They
having nothing layd up against tomorrow, if their be any day amongs others
wheirin they have gotten litle or nothing, notwtstanding of this they come
al to the Table, tho' nothing to eat. Each man sayes his grace to himselfe,
their they sit looking on one another, poor creatures, as long as give they
had had something to eat. They fast all that day, but if their be any that
cannot fast it out, then he may go doune to the yard and houck out 2, 3
carrots to himselfe, or 'stow some likes some sibows, beets or such like
things, and this is their delicates. If their be any day wheirin they have
gotten more then suffices them all, the superplus they give to the poor.
The convent hath no more rent than will defray their charges in keiping up
their house about their ears. Al this do thir misers under the hopes of
meriting by the samen: yet I would be a Capuchin before any other order I
have sein yet.
To sie the ceremony of their matriculation unto the order I went wt my good
sire, wheir the principal ceremony was that they cast of their cloathes
wheirwt they ware formerly cloathed and receaves the Capuchines broun weid,
as also they get the clerical tonsure, the cord about their west, and the
clogs of wood on their bare feet. A great number of speaches being used in
the intervalls containing as is probable their dueties, but we could not
understand them for the bruit. At the point of each of them all the peaple
cried Amen. Finaly we saw them take all the rest of ther brethren by the
hand, all of them having burning torches in their hands.
After this, on August 14, came about Ste. Radegondes daye, wheiron I saw
sewerall things: first wt Mr. Bouquiet we went doune to the church of Ste.
Radegonde, which stands almost on the bord of the river Sein, which runes
by Poictiers; and their visited hir tomb; but we had a difficulty of accez,
such multitude was their dronning over their prayers, _Sainte Radegonde,
Radegonde, priez pour nous et nos ames_, and this a 100 tymes over, at each
tyme kissing the sepulchre stone which standes reasonable hy.
From this we went to hir Chappell that stands besydes the Church of St.
Croix, to sy the impression that Christ left wt his foot (so sottish is
their delusion) on a hard great stone when he appeared to Ste. Radegonde as
she was praying at that stone. The impression is as deip in the stone as a
mans foot will make in the snow; and its wonderfull to sy whow thir zealots
hath worn the print much deiper in severall parts wt their continuall and
frequent touching of it thorow the iron grate wt which it is covered, and
kissing it on Ste. Radegondes day when the iron grate is removed; according
to that, _gutta cavat lapidem_, etc. All this they do thinking it the least
reverence they can do to the place wheir our Saviours foot was. For
immediatly upon the notification of that by Ste. Radegonde they caused
erect a chappel above the stone, and hath set up Christ upon the right of
the impression wt Capuchin shoes on his feet: and on the left Ste.
Radegonde on hir knees wt hir hands folded praying to him. On the wall
besydes they have this engraven, _Apparuit Dominus Jesus sanctae beatae
Radegundae et dixit ei, tu es speciosa gemma, noverim te praetiosam in
capite meo_ (and wt that they have Christ putting his fingers to his head)
_gemmam_.
Out of this we came to the Church of St. Croix, wheir just as we were
entring ware coming out 2 women leading a young lass about the Age of 18
who appeared evidently to be distracted or possessed by some Dewill, by hir
horrid looks, hir antick gestures, and hir strange gapes: hir they had had
in the Church and had caused hir kneell, they praying before the Altar for
hir to Ste. Radegonde, whom they beleived had the power to cure hir. The
priests knaveries are wery palpable to the world in this point, who usually
by conjurations, magicall exorcismes as their holy water, consecrated oill,
take upon them to dispossess or cure sick persones, but so far from having
any effect, that the Devill rather gets great advantage by it. Having
entred the Church, standing and looking earnestly about to al the corners
of the church, and particularly to the Altar, which was wery fine, wt as
great gravity as at any tyme, a woman of faschion on hir knees (for indeed
all that ware in the Church ware on their knees but my selfe) fixing hir
eyes upon me and observing that I nether had gone to the font for water,
nether kneelled, in a great heat of zeal she told me, _ne venez icy pour
prophaner ce sainct lieu_. I suddenly replied, _Vous estez bien devotieuse,
Madame; mais peut estre Vostre ignorance prophane ce sainct lieu d'avantage
que ma presence_. This being spoken in the audience of severals, and amongs
others of a preist, I conceived it would not be my worst to retire, which I
did.
That same afternoon I went to Mr. Alex'rs to seik Patrick Hume, wheir I
faud them hearing him explaine some paragraphe of the Institutes: wheir Mr.
Alex'r and I falling on some controverted points betuixt us and them, I
using a great deall of liberty citing frome his oune authors as Bellarmine,
etc., I angred him exceedingly. Then Patrick Hume, David, Mr. Grahame and I
went to walk: and particularly to the pierre levé or stone erected a litle
way from the city. The story or fable wheirof is this: once as Ste.
Radegonde was praying the Devil thought to have smoored[106] or crushed her
wt a great meikle stone greater than 2 milstones, which God knows whence he
brought, but she miraculously supported it wt hir head, as the woman heir
carries the courds and whey on their head. Surly she had a gay burden; and
never rested till she came to that place wheir its standing even now. They
talk also that she brought the 5 pillars on which its erected till above a
mans hight in hir lap wt hir. I mocking at this fable, I fell in inquiry
whence it might have come their, but could get no information; only it
seimed probable to me that it might have bein found in the river and
brought their. On the top of this stone I monted, and metted[107] it thorow
the Diametrum and found it 24 foot; then metted it round about and found it
about 60 foot. Coming doune and going beneath it we discovered the place
wheir hir head had bein (_nugae_).
[106] Smothered.
[107] Measured.
We went and saw a stately convent the Benedictines ware building, the
oldest and richest order of France. To them it is that Nostre Dame at
Saumur belongs; to them belongs the brave bastiments we saw at Tours, in
which city as I was on the Loier I told 16 considerable steeples. We saw
the relicts of a old Convent, wheirupon enquiring whow it came to be
demolished, he replied it was in Calvines tyme, who studied his Law in
Poictiers; and then turning preacher he preached in the same very hall
wheir we hear our lessons of Law. His chamber also is to be sein wheir he
studied on the river syde.