same time that he strengthened it. Yet this prince, who rendered religion contemptible, and royalty disgraceful, assumed the title of majesty, and most christian, since given to his successors, and formerly not claimed by the kings of France.*-It is an awful lesson to wicked ambition, and the cruel abuse of power, that human happiness is always decreased in stood how to use it to his own behoof. "To this man," says de Comines, "in five months time he had given 54,000 crowns ready money, besides the bishoprick of Amiens for his nephew, and other good offices and lands for him and his friends. Yet this doctor used him so rudely, one would not have given his servants such language as he gave the king; who stood in such awe of him, he durst not command him to be gone. Tis true, he complained of him after; but he durst not change him, as he had done all the rest of his servants, because he told him most impudently, one day, 'I know some time or other you will turn me away, as you have done the rest; but be sure (and he seconded it with an oath) you shall not live eight days after it.' With which expression he was so frightened, that ever after he did nothing but flatter and present (make presents) to him: which must needs be a great torment to a man who had been obeyed all along by so many brave men, much above the doctor's quality.-De Comines, 401. * Hist. Modern Europe, v. ii. 93. proportion to the violations of the sanctions of humanity and justice. Such was the case with Louis the XIth; whose history de Comines winds up with this melancholy declaration: "I believe, from his infancy to his death, his whole life was nothing but trouble and turmoil; and am of opinion, that if all the days of his life were computed, in which his pleasure out-balanced his pain, they would be found so few that there would be found twenty for one on the other side. He lived about sixty-one years, yet he had always a fancy he should never outlive sixty; alleging that, since the time of Charles le Grand, there had not any king of France lived beyond that age; but he was well gone in his sixty-one."* It is some relief to the mind, nauseated by the recital of such atrocities as we find Louis and his execrable instruments of cruelty to have committed, to be assured that these fiends of darkness were brought to a sense of suffering, if not of guilt, before they went to their final account. We have seen the terrific terminaPage 408. tion of Louis's career: nor did Oliver le Dain, Tristan l'Hermit, Trois Eschelles, or Petit Andrè, escape the merited legal retribution of their accumulated crimes. The first of these worthies was executed at Paris, (as we shall shortly see more particularly,) in the year 1484; and the others paid the temporal penalty of their violations of law, justice, and humanity, at different places, soon after Charles the VIIIth had ascended the throne of France. CHARLES THE BOLD, The brother-in-law of Edward IVth, by his marriage with Margaret, sister of that king. Striking as the difference was between the character of Louis the XIth and the Duke of Burgundy, the villany of the one, was not contrasted by any thing like virtue in the other. Less crafty, but more passionate, than the French king, Charles's ungovernable fury often led to the same atrocious results, which the cold, calculating cruelty of Louis more cautiously effected: and the restless ambition, which at last deprived Charles of his life and dominions, was perpetually impelling him, during his tempestuous reign, into those violations of justice and humanity, which this inordinate passion too frequently demands, for its unjust gratification. Philip de Comines, who had been in his service, and always retained a regard for his memory, has given us an outline of his character; which, though drawn with a somewhat partial hand, still impresses us with nothing like esteem or respect for the original. "I have seen him," says he, "a great and an honourable prince, as much esteemed, and as much courted by his neighbours, (when time was,) as any prince in christendom, and perhaps more; and I cannot see what it was should run him so far into the displeasure of God, unless it was that he arrogated to himself (that is, to his own wisdom. and conduct) all the success and all the honour he acquired, without attributing any thing to God. Yet, to speak truth, he had several good qualities in him. No prince had a greater desire to entertain young noblemen than he; nor was more careful of their education. His presents and bounty were never extraordinary, because he gave to many, and had a mind every body should taste of it. No prince was ever more accessible to his servants, or his subjects. Whilst I lived with him, he was never cruel; but, a little before his death, he took up that humour, which was a sign his own life would not be long. He was very splendid and neat in his clothes and in every thing else; and, indeed, a little too much. He paid great civility to all the ambassadors and strangers, and they were always feasted and made very welcome. His desire of honour was insatiable, and that was it which engaged him in war more than any thing else. He had a great ambition to be like the` old kings and princes, who are still so much talked of in the world; and his courage was as great as any man's in his time.* He was overthrown and slain in a battle fought between himself and the Duke of Lorraine, near Nancy, the 5th of January, *De Comines 291. |