THE KING'S ILLNESS CONTINUING, HE COMES FROM TOURS TO AMBOISE, TO
RECOMMEND TO HIS SON OLIVIER LE DAIM.--OF THE MARRIAGE OF THE DAUPHIN
WITH THE COUNTESS MARGARET OF FLANDERS.--A PEACE CONCLUDED BETWEEN
THE KINGS OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND, WHICH INCLUDES THE GOOD DUKE OF
ALBANY.--THE KING RECOMMENDS HIS HEALTH TO THE DEVOTIONS OF THE MONKS
OF THE CHURCH OF ST DENIS.
The king was again so dangerously ill, at Plessis le Parc, that he was
much afraid of dying, and, for this reason, was carried to Amboise,
to see his son. He made many wise remonstrances to him on the state
of his kingdom,--and as he thought his was an incurable disorder, he
exhorted him, after his decease, to have some of his most faithful
servants, whom he would name, in his good remembrance. He mentioned
first master Olivier le Diable, called le Daim, his barber, and John
de Doyac, governor of Auvergne, as having served him loyally,--and
that Olivier had done him most essential services which he could
never have accomplished himself without his aid: that Olivier was a
foreigner,--and he advised him to make use of him and keep him in those
offices which he had given him. The king recommended also the lord du
Bocage, and sir Guyot Pot, bailiff of the Vermandois, charging the
dauphin to follow their counsels, which he had always found good and
prudent. He desired of his son that he would not dismiss any from their
offices, and that he would pay every attention to his poor people, whom
he had reduced to great distress and poverty. He remonstrated with him
on many other subjects, which were afterward made public in the court
of parliament, and in the principal of towns of the realm.[102]
The king advised the dauphin to give the command of his troops to the
lord des Cordes, whom he had always found able and trusty, of excellent
conduct, and a notable knight. Having held this discourse the king
then returned to Plessis near Tours.
At this time, the king sent for a number of musicians, who played on
low-toned instruments, whom he lodged at St Côme near to Tours. They
were about six score in number, and, with some shepherds from Poitou
that played on their pipes, assembled before the king's apartments,
but never saw him, and there played for his amusement and to prevent
him from falling asleep. On the other hand, he collected a great many
devout people of both sexes, such as hermits and others of holy lives,
to pray incessantly to God that his days might be prolonged[103].
In the months of October and November, an embassy arrived from
Flanders,--and the king referred them to master John de la Vacquerie,
a native of Picardy, and who had lately been appointed first president
of the court of parliament, the lord des Cordes, and others. They
held frequent conferences, and at length agreed to a treaty of peace
between the king and the Flemings,--and by one of the articles, the
dauphin was to marry the daughter of the duke of Austria, then under
the guardianship of the town of Ghent. The king was much rejoiced at
this, and was very willing to sign the treaty. Te Deums were chaunted
throughout the realm, for joy of this event, and bonfires made in all
the streets of Tours.[104]
It was now reported, that the flemish ambassadors were gone to Ghent,
to bring back to Paris their countess, and that the king had ordered
the lady of Beaujeu his eldest daughter, the countess of Dunois,[105]
sister to the queen, the lady of Thouars, the lady of the lord admiral,
and other ladies and damsels to be ready to receive her, as it was
expected she would arrive at Paris about the 8th of December: but her
arrival was postponed until some trifling matters of dispute, that had
arisen on the part of the Flemings, should be settled.
In this year, a war broke out between the kings of England and
Scotland; and the Scots advanced very far into England, where they did
much mischief: but notwithstanding the Scots were one hundred thousand
men more than the English, a treaty was entered into by means of the
duke of Albany, brother to the king of Scotland. The duke of Albany
had laid claim to the crown of Scotland, which he said his brother
had usurped from him; for that they were twin-children, and he had
been the first that was delivered on earth, and therefore, by right
of seniority, the crown was his. The duke of Albany had concluded a
treaty with the English, which had prevented any battle being fought:
and the scots army returned to their country, and the English to their
garrisons[106].
In the month of January, the flemish ambassadors, who had concluded a
peace by means of the marriage of the dauphin with the lady Margaret of
Austria, returned to France. By orders from the king, the principal
persons of Paris went out to meet them, having at their head the
bishop of Marseilles, the king's lieutenant in Paris, the provost of
marchands, and the sheriffs. A doctor in divinity, named Scourable,
made the ambassadors a fine harangue, which pleased them greatly.
On the morrow, which was Sunday, the 4th of January, they attended
high mass at the church of Nôtre Dame, whither a general procession
was made,--and the doctor, Scourable, preached an excellent sermon,
which gave much satisfaction. Te Deum was sung, and bonfires were
made, and public tables were spread in the principal streets. When the
church-service was over, the ambassadors were grandly entertained by
the city of Paris in the town-hall.
The lord cardinal of Bourbon was as much, if not more, rejoiced than
any one, on peace being restored: and in honour of it, had a splendid
morality, or farce, exhibited at his hôtel of Bourbon, which numbers
of the Parisians went to see, and were much delighted with their
entertainment. It would have been more brilliant; but the weather was
very rainy and wet, which damaged the tapestry and other decorations
that adorned the court of the hôtel, for it was covered and hung
with tapestry, of which the cardinal had very great abundance. The
ambassadors, having been spectators of this entertainment, departed
from Paris, on the ensuing day, to wait on the king at Amboise. They
had a most gracious reception, and saw the dauphin twice, who treated
them very kindly. On their quitting Tours, whither they had afterward
gone, the king ordered thirty thousand crowns, stamped with the sun, to
be given them to defray their expenses, besides a handsome service of
plate which he presented to them. On the return of the ambassadors to
Paris, they had all the articles of the peace publicly read, with open
doors, in the court of parliament, and then enregistered. After this
act, master William Picard, bailiff of Rouen, conducted them from the
court of parliament to his house, in the rue de Quinquempoix, where he
entertained them, and a large company, with a most plentiful dinner.
The king wrote letters addressed to all ranks in Paris, by which he
earnestly besought them instantly to go to the church of St Denis,
and pray to him to make intercession with our Lord Jesus Christ, that
the north wind might not blow,--because, according to the opinions of
physicians, the north wind did much harm to the health of mankind, and
to the fruits of the earth. By the king's orders, numerous processions
were made at divers times from Paris to St Denis, where public prayers
were offered up for his recovery, and many masses chaunted.