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you。 Take courage。 She is going now to speak to the king about you。〃



Love had already given strength and wiliness to the countess。 Her

laughter was part of the heroism which women display in the great

crises of life。



In spite of the singular fancy which possessed the author of 〃Quentin

Durward〃 to place the royal castle of Plessis…lez…Tours upon a height;

we must content ourselves by leaving it where it really was; namely on

low land; protected on either side by the Cher and the Loire; also by

the canal Sainte…Anne; so named by Louis XI。 in honor of his beloved

daughter; Madame de Beaujeu。 By uniting the two rivers between the

city of Tours and Plessis this canal not only served as a formidable

protection to the castle; but it offered a most precious road to

commerce。 On the side towards Brehemont; a vast and fertile plain; the

park was defended by a moat; the remains of which still show its

enormous breadth and depth。 At a period when the power of artillery

was still in embryo; the position of Plessis; long since chosen by

Louis XI。 for his favorite retreat; might be considered impregnable。

The castle; built of brick and stone; had nothing remarkable about it;

but it was surrounded by noble trees; and from its windows could be

seen; through vistas cut in the park (plexitium); the finest points of

view in the world。 No rival mansion rose near this solitary castle;

standing in the very centre of the little plain reserved for the king

and guarded by four streams of water。



If we may believe tradition; Louis XI。 occupied the west wing; and

from his chamber he could see; at a glance the course of the Loire;

the opposite bank of the river; the pretty valley which the Croisille

waters; and part of the slopes of Saint…Cyr。 Also; from the windows

that opened on the courtyard; he saw the entrance to his fortress and

the embankment by which he had connected his favorite residence with

the city of Tours。 If Louis XI。 had bestowed upon the building of his

castle the luxury of architecture which Francois I。 displayed

afterwards at Chambord; the dwelling of the kings of France would ever

have remained in Touraine。 It is enough to see this splendid position

and its magical effects to be convinced of its superiority over the

sites of all other royal residences。



Louis XI。; now in the fifty…seventh year of his age; had scarcely more

than three years longer to live; already he felt the coming on of

death in the attacks of his mortal malady。 Delivered from his enemies;

on the point of increasing the territory of France by the possessions

of the Dukes of Burgundy through the marriage of the Dauphin with

Marguerite; heiress of Burgundy (brought about by means of Desquerdes;

commander of his troops in Flanders); having established his authority

everywhere; and now meditating ameliorations in his kingdom of all

kinds; he saw time slipping past him rapidly with no further troubles

than those of old age。 Deceived by every one; even by the minions

about him; experience had intensified his natural distrust。 The desire

to live became in him the egotism of a king who has incarnated himself

in his people; he wished to prolong his life in order to carry out his

vast designs。



All that the common…sense of publicists and the genius of revolutions

has since introduced of change in the character of monarchy; Louis XI。

had thought of and devised。 Unity of taxation; equality of subjects

before the law (the prince being then the law) were the objects of his

bold endeavors。 On All…Saints' eve he had gathered together the

learned goldsmiths of his kingdom for the purpose of establishing in

France a unity of weights and measures; as he had already established

the unity of power。 Thus; his vast spirit hovered like an eagle over

his empire; joining in a singular manner the prudence of a king to the

natural idiosyncracies of a man of lofty aims。 At no period in our

history has the great figure of Monarchy been finer or more poetic。

Amazing assemblages of contrasts! a great power in a feeble body; a

spirit unbelieving as to all things here below; devoutly believing in

the practices of religion; a man struggling with two powers greater

than his ownthe present and the future; the future in which he

feared eternal punishment; a fear which led him to make so many

sacrifices to the Church; the present; namely his life itself; for the

saving of which he blindly obeyed Coyctier。 This king; who crushed

down all about him; was himself crushed down by remorse; and by

disease in the midst of the great poem of defiant monarchy in which

all power was concentrated。 It was once more the gigantic and ever

magnificent combat of Man in the highest manifestation of his forces

tilting against Nature。



While awaiting his dinner; a repast which was taken in those days

between eleven o'clock and mid…day; Louis XI。; returning from a short

promenade; sat down in a huge tapestried chair near the fireplace in

his chamber。 Olivier de Daim; and his doctor; Coyctier; looked at each

other without a word; standing in the recess of a window and watching

their master; who presently seemed asleep。 The only sound that was

heard were the steps of the two chamberlains on service; the Sire de

Montresor; and Jean Dufou; Sire de Montbazon; who were walking up and

down the adjoining hall。 These two Tourainean seigneurs looked at the

captain of the Scottish guard; who was sleeping in his chair;

according to his usual custom。 The king himself appeared to be dozing。

His head had drooped upon his breast; his cap; pulled forward on his

forehead; hid his eyes。 Thus seated in his high chair; surmounted by

the royal crown; he seemed crouched together like a man who had fallen

asleep in the midst of some deep meditation。



At this moment Tristan and his cortege crossed the canal by the bridge

of Sainte…Anne; about two hundred feet from the entrance to Plessis。



〃Who is that?〃 said the king。



The two courtiers questioned each other with a look of surprise。



〃He is dreaming;〃 said Coyctier; in a low voice。



〃Pasques…Dieu!〃 cried Louis XI。; 〃do you think me mad? People are

crossing the bridge。 It is true I am near the chimney; and I may hear

sounds more easily than you。 That effect of nature might be utilized;〃

he added thoughtfully。



〃What a man!〃 said de Daim。



Louis XI。 rose and went toward one of the windows that looked on the

town。 He saw the grand provost; and exclaimed:



〃Ha; ha! here's my crony and his thief。 And here comes my little Marie

de Saint…Vallier; I'd forgotten all about it。 Olivier;〃 he said;

addressing the barber; 〃go and tell Monsieur de Montbazon to serve

some good Bourgeuil wine at dinner; and see that the cook doesn't

forget the lampreys; Madame le comtesse likes both those things。 Can I

eat lampreys?〃 he added; after a pause; looking anxiously at Coyctier。



For all answer the physician began to examine his master's face。 The

two men were a picture in themselves。



History and romance…writers have consecrated the brown camlet coat;

and the breeches of the same stuff; worn by Louis XI。 His cap;

decorated with leaden medallions; and his collar of the order of

Saint…Michel; are not less celebrated; but no writer; no painter has

represented the face of that terrible monarch in his last years;a

sickly; hollow; yellow and brown face; all the features of which

expressed a sour craftiness; a cold sarcasm。 In that mask was the

forehead of a great man; a brow furrowed with wrinkles; and weighty

with high thoughts; but in his cheeks and on his lips there was

something indescribably vulgar and common。 Looking at certain details

of that countenance you would have thought him a debauched husbandman;

or a miserly pedler; and yet; above these vague resemblances and the

decrepitude of a dying old man; the king; the man of power; rose

supreme。 His eyes; of a light yellow; seemed at first sight extinct;

but a spark of courage and of anger lurked there; and at the slightest

touch it could burst into flames and cast fire about him。 The doctor

was a stout burgher; with a florid face; dressed in black; peremptory;

greedy of gain; and self…important。 These two personages were framed;

as it were; in that panelled chamber; hung with high…warped tapestries

of Flanders; the ceiling of which; made of carved beams; was blackened

by smoke。 The furniture; the bed; all inlaid with arabesques in

pewter; would seem to…day more precious than they were at that period

when the arts were beginning to produce their choicest masterpieces。



〃Lampreys are not good for you;〃 replied the physician。



That title; recently substituted for the former term of 〃myrrh…

master;〃 is still applied to the faculty in England。 The name was at

this period given to doctors everywhere。



〃Then what may I eat?〃 asked the king; humbly。



〃Salt mackerel。 Otherwise; you have so much bile in motion that you

may die on

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