In the month of July, a grand embassy came to the king, in Arras, from duke Maximilian of Austria, and the chief towns in Flanders. They were heard by the king in council,—and, after mature deliberation, a truce was agreed on, to last for one whole year, during which a free intercourse was to be allowed to the merchants of France and Flanders with their merchandise. When this was settled the king departed for Paris,—but did not enter the town, as he was told that an epidemical disorder carried off numbers of the inhabitants. He went, therefore, to Vendôme, where he staid some time, and thence went to Behuart, and to other places of pilgrimage[87].
FOOTNOTES:
[86] Sir Charles d'Amboise,—lord of Chaumont.
[87] This year, Louis XI. went to Boulogne-sur-mer, to make homage of his kingdom to the holy Virgin.
CHAP. XXVII.
THE KING OF FRANCE PRESENTS RICH GIFTS TO SEVERAL CHURCHES.—A COUNCIL HELD AT ORLEANS ON THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION.—AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND OF CASTILLE.—A TAME LION ESCAPES IN AUVERGNE, AND DOES MUCH MISCHIEF.—THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF ARTOIS BEHEADED AT TOURS.—A NEW BOMBARD ON TRIAL BURSTS, AND KILLS MANY PEOPLE AT PARIS.—A GASCON CAPTAIN, NAMED ORIOLE, AND HIS LIEUTENANT BEHEADED AT TOURS.—OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR MCCCCLXXVIII.
The king, on his return from Picardy, made many rich presents to divers churches and saints. When he was at the abbey of Nôtre Dame de la Victoire, near Senlis he gave two thousand francs to be employed in procuring silver lamps to hang before the altar of the Virgin. He covered the shrine of St Fiacre with silver, which amounted to the weight of seven or eight score marcs. From his great and singular faith in St Martin, he ordered a handsome trellis of silver to be made round his shrine, in his church at Tours,—which was done, and weighed from sixteen to seventeen thousand marcs, and cost, when finished and put up, full two hundred thousand francs. It should be known, that to furnish silver sufficient for all these great works, commissioners were appointed to seize on all the plate they could find in Paris and other towns, which was reasonably well paid for; but notwithstanding this, great quantities were hidden and no longer seen in those places where they were used to be visible,—and henceforward, on this account, when any weddings or other feasts took place, where much silver plate was wont to be exhibited, nothing was seen but handsome cups of glass and dishes of earthen ware.
About this period, the king held a grand council of prelates, churchmen, and learned men, as well from the universities of Paris and Montpellier as elsewhere, in the town of Orleans, to consult on the best means of recovering the pragmatic sanction, and of preventing the money for the vacant benefices being sent out of the kingdom to Rome. At this assembly the lord de Beaujeu presided, as representative for the king,—and the lord chancellor, with other lords of the council, attended.
The lord chancellor, in the presence of the lord de Beaujeu and the rest, opened the meeting, by declaring the cause of this assembly being held at Orleans, and the reasons which had moved the king to call them together. He was replied to by master John Hue, dean of the faculty of theology, in the name of the university of Paris, who made many remonstrances on the subject, and spoke loudly and boldly, because he was supported by the university. Another learned clerk spoke also, as representative of the university of Montpellier. When this assembly had continued some time, the king came to pay his devotions to our Lady at Clery[88], and thence came to Orleans, where he only staid half a day. The assembly now broke up, without having concluded any thing,—and it was adjourned to Lyon, to be there holden on the first day of May following.
While the king was in Touraine, he sent sealed letters to his good citizens of Paris, to make known to them, that having sent ambassadors to the king of Castille and Leon, respecting some differences that had arisen between them, they had reported, on their return, that the king of Castille was perfectly satisfied with what the ambassadors had said from the king, and had promised and sworn to observe a strict alliance with him. For this the king was desirous that public thanksgivings should be offered up to God and to the blessed Virgin; that a general procession should be made at Paris, with bonfires in all the streets. A procession was, consequently, made from the church of Nôtre Dame to that of St Genevieve, where a sermon was preached by the prior of the carmelite friars, in which he detailed at length the honourable intentions of the king, and the contents of his letter.