A gentleman in Auvergne having kept a tame lion, he, after some time, escaped, and was the terror of the country,—for he devoured men, women, and children, whenever he chanced to meet them. The country people rose against him, to kill him, and his master accompanied them. On meeting the lion, he recognised his master, and came up to him, when he was instantly put to death. Another extraordinary event happened also in Auvergne, by a spring bursting forth where no water had been before, which event was preceded by an earthquake.
In the month of November of this year, Simon Courtois, whom the king had made his attorney-general for the county of Artois, taking advantage of the truce, left Arras, under pretence of looking after his concerns in Flanders; instead of which, he went to the princess of Flanders, consort to Maximilian of Austria, and, unmindful of the honour the king had just conferred on him, by making him his attorney-general, told the princess that he was her very humble servant, as all his family had been. He added, that if she would accept of his allegiance, and make him her attorney-general, Artois should be restored to her,—for he would rather that it was in her hands than in the king's. This was told to the king's governor in Arras, who had Simon Courtois arrested and sent to Tours, where, having confessed the above, he was beheaded.
A great bombard, that had been cast at Tours, was brought to Paris the Monday before Epiphany to be proved, and was, for this purpose, drawn out into the fields in front of the bastile of St Anthony. It was pointed toward Charenton, and when first fired threw the ball as far as the gallows on the bridge of Charenton; but as those present did not think it had discharged all the powder that had been put into the chamber, they ordered it to be recharged, and the chamber perfectly cleaned of all that remained within it, which was done, and an iron ball, weighing five hundred weight, put into its mouth, before which stood John Maugué the founder of it. As the ball rolled down the bombard, by some unknown accident the powder in the chamber took fire before the match was put to it, and by its discharge tore in pieces John Maugué and fourteen other persons, whose heads, legs, arms and bodies, were blown into the air. The ball killed a poor innocent bird-catcher that was attending his nets in the fields; and the bursting of the bombard maimed fifteen or sixteen others, several of whom died; so that by this accident twenty-two or twenty-three persons lost their lives. The remains of John Maugué were collected, put on a bier, and carried to St Merry for interment; and proclamation was made through the streets of Paris, that all people should pray for the soul of John Maugué, who had lost his life in the king's service.
The 22d of May, the body of Laurence Garnier, of the town of Provins[89], which, by sentence of the court of parliament, had been hanged on the gibbet a year and half, for his having murdered a receiver of taxes in the town of Provins (but for which a pardon had been granted, though not confirmed by the court,) was taken down, at the request of his brother, by Henry Cousin, the executioner at Paris. The body was put on a bier, covered with a pall, and from the gibbet carried into Paris by the gate of St Denis; four of the town-criers preceded the body, ringing their bells, and having the arms of Garnier emblazoned on their breasts. Round the bier were four wax-tapers, and eight lighted torches, borne by men in mourning, having on their breasts similar arms to the criers. In this state was the body carried through Paris to the gate of St Anthony, when it was placed on a mourning car, to be conveyed for interment at Provins. One of the before named criers went first, crying aloud, 'Good people, say your Pater-nosters for the soul of Laurence Garnier, who, while living, resided at Provins, and whose body has been lately found dead under an oak, that God may have mercy on his soul!'
On the 18th of March, a gentleman of Gascony, named Oriole, was brought prisoner to Tours. He had commanded a company of one hundred lances for the king: but his company having been lately broken with some others, he was disgusted,—and it was reported to the king that he had used threatening language, and that he was plotting with his lieutenant to quit the service and attach himself to the duke of Austria. He was convicted of high treason, and, for this and other offences, was beheaded at Tours, in company with his lieutenant. After the execution, master Henry Cousin, who had beheaded them, carried their heads and part of their members to be fastened to the gates of Bethune and Arras.
The lord de Mauves, whose company of a hundred lances had been broken, was also confined a prisoner in Paris. He was arrested at the hôtel du Cornet, near to St Jean en Gréve, by Philip L'Huillier, governor of the bastile, and was afterward carried by him or others to the king at Tours, where he was set at liberty, as innocent of the crimes laid to his charge.
FOOTNOTES:
[88] Clery—is two or three leagues from Orleans.
[89] Provins,—an ancient town in Brie, diocese of Sens.