voltaire xxvi

8/20/2019 Voltaire XXVI

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E D I T I O N D E L A P A C I F I C A T I O N

T H E W O R K S O F

VOLTAIRE A CONTEMPORARY VERSION

W ITH NOTES BY TOBIAS SMOLLETT, R EVISED AND MODERNIZED

NEW TRANSLATIONS BY W ILLIAM F. FLEMING, AND AN

INTRODUCTION BY OLIVER H. G. LEIGH

A CRITIQUE AND BIOGRAPHY

BY

T H E R T . H O N . J O H N M O R L E Y

F O R T Y - T H R E E V O L U M E S

ONE HUNDRED ANS SIXTY-EIGHT DESIGNS, COMPRISINGS REPRODUCTIONS

OF RARE OLD ENGRAVINGS, STEEL PLATES, PHOTOGRAVURES,

AND CURIOUS FAC-SIMILES

VOLUME XXVI

AKRON, OHIO

THE WERNER COMPANY

1!"


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I am a heritage, because I

brin you years of tboupbt


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arzl tbe lore of time *~~

I impart yet I can pot speaks

I have traveled amoio^ tbe

peoples of tbe eartb - I

am a rover Oft- tiroes

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of tbe one! "bo loves and

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n?e bon#e-an#oi#^ n?y

brothers -on tbe book-

shelves of -

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&he /O0( of 1O&%I'

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imited to one thousand sets

for %merica and 4reat 5ritain!

65et"een t"o servants of 7umanity, "ho appeared

eighteen hundred years apart, the6 89 a mysterious relation!

* * * * et us say it "ith a sentiment of

profound respect: ;'(


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father, %lphonso A, had had seven bastards by his

mistress, 'leonora de 4usman! &hese bastards had

such po"erful settlements left them that they deMed

the royal authority $ and their mother, "ho had

still more po"er than they, insulted the Nueen-do"-

G

C %ncient and =odern 7istory!

ager! In short, the kingdom of 3astile "as divided

into t"o parties, one of "hich sided "ith the Nueen-

mother, and the other "ith 'leonora de 4usman$

so that "hen the young king came of age, he found

himself obliged to maintain a civil "ar against the

faction of the bastards! 7e engaged them in sev-

eral battles, proved victorious, and at last put 'leo-

nora to death, to satisfy his mothers revenge! &hus

far he might be termed valiant but too severe! 7e

after"ards espoused 5lanche of 5ourbon, and the

Mrst ne"s he heard concerning his "ife, upon her

arrival at 1alladolid, "as that she had fallen in love

"ith the grand master of (t! ;ago, one of those very

bastards "ho had "aged "ar against him! I am


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sensible that intrigues of this nature are seldom

authenticated by proofs, and that a prudent king

ought rather to pretend ignorance in such matters,

than blindly follo" the dictates of revenge$ but,

after all, the king "as eDcusable, since there is to

this day a family in (pain "hich boasts of being

descended from this adulterous commerce!

@ueen 5lanche had at least the imprudence to

enter into too close connection "ith the faction of

the bastards, her husbands enemies! 3an "e then

be surprised that the king left her in a castle, and

consoled himself "ith other amours?

2on +edro, therefore, had, at the same time, the

king of %ragon and his rebellious brothers to

encounter! 1ictory ho"ever still follo"ed him, and

it must be confessed, he made a cruel use of it!

&he 5lack +rince! F

7e seldom forgave, and his relatives, "ho "ere

found in arms against him, "ere sacriMced to his

resentment! In short, he ordered the grand master


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of (t! ;ago to be put to death! &his action pro-

cured him the name of 6 3ruel,6 "hile ;ohn, king

of .rance, "ho had assassinated his constable and

four )orman lords, "as called ;ohn the 4ood!

2uring these troubles, his "ife, 5lanche, died!

(he had been Kudged culpable, and, of course, it

"as said she died by poison! 5ut let me once more

observe that "e should be cautious ho" "e give

credit to a charge of this nature, "ithout suLcient

proof!

It "as, doubtless, the interest of the kings ene-

mies to spread a report about 'urope of his having

poisoned his "ife! 7enry de &ranstamare, one of

the bastards, "ho had the death of a mother and

a brother to revenge, and "hat "as still more, his

o"n interest to support, took ad vantage of this oppor-

tunity! .rance "as at that time infested by those

united banditti called =alandrini, "ho did all the

mischief "hich 'd"ard of 'ngland had not been

able to do! &his 7enry de &ranstamare entered into

a treaty "ith 3harles 1! to rid .rance of those

freebooters, by taking them into his service! &he

king of %ragon, al"ays an enemy to the sovereign

of 3astile, promised to grant them a free passage


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through his dominions! 5ertrand 2u 4uesclin, a

knight of great reputation, "ho had only fought

for an opportunity to signalize himself, engaged

%ncient and =odern 7istory!

the =alandrins to ackno"ledge him as their chief,

and follo" him into 3astile! &his enterprise of 2u

4uesclin had been considered as a holy action, "hich

he performed, as he himself ackno"ledged, for the

good of his soul! &he holiness of this action con-

sisted in leading a band of robbers, to assist a rebel

against his la"ful, though cruel, sovereign!

It is "ell kno"n that 2u 4uesclin, in passing by

%vignon, being in "ant of money to pay his troops,

obliged the pope to give him a large sum for the

safety of himself and his court! &his "as at that

time a necessary eDtortion, but I dare not mention

the name "hich "ould have been given it had it not

been done by one "ho commanded a troop that might

pass for a little army!

>HCC &he bastard 7enry, assisted by these


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troops, "hich had increased in their march, and

like"ise supported by the king of %ragon, began

by causing himself to be proclaimed king in the

to"n of 5urgos! 2on +edro, Mnding himself thus

attacked by the .rench, applied for assistance to the

5lack +rince, their conNueror! &his prince, "ho "as

sovereign of 4uienne, and conseNuently must have

beheld "ith a Kealous eye any success of the .rench

arms in (pain, determined by interest and honor,

espoused the Kuster side, and marched to the assist-

ance of +edro, "ith his 4ascons and some 'ng-

lish$ and soon after "as fought, on the banks of

the 'bro, near the village of )avarrete, the bloody

battle "hich is called by that name, bet"een 2on

&he 5lack +rince! #

+edro and the 5lack +rince on one side, and 7enry

de &ranstamare and the constable 2u 4uesclin on

the other! &his battle proved more glorious to the

5lack +rince than even those of 3recy and +oitiers

had done$ because here the Meld "as longer dis-

puted! In a "ord, his victory "as complete $ for he

took 5ertrand 2u 4uesclin and =arshal d%n-


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drehen prisoners, "ho "ould surrender to no one but

him!

7enry de &ranstamare, after the loss of this battle,

"as obliged to Py into %ragon$ and the 5lack

+rince resettled 2on +edro on the throne! 2on

+edro, on this occasion, eDerted the unhappy right

of revenge to its full eDtent, and treated several of

the rebels "ith all that severity "hich the la"s of

government authorize under the name of Kustice!

&he 5lack +rince, "ho had the glory of restoring

him to his cro"n, had also that of putting a stop

to his cruelties: and indeed this prince is, neDt to

%lfred, the hero "hom the 'nglish hold most in

veneration!

%s soon as the supporter of 2on +edro "as "ith-

dra"n, and 5ertrand 2u 4uesclin had paid his ran-

som, the bastard of &ranstamare revived the party

of the malcontents, and 2u 4uesclin, at the private

instigation of the .rench king, 3harles 1!, began to

raise ne" troops!

&he count de &ranstamare had on his side %ragon,

the rebels of 3astile, and the aid of .rance $ "hile

not only the greater part of the 3astilians, but also


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io %ncient and =odern 7istory!

+ortugal and the =oors of (pain, declared for 2on

+edro, "ho only gained fresh odium by these ne"

allies, "ithout reaping much real service from them!

7enry and 2u 4uesclin, having no longer the

superior genius and fortune of the 5lack +rince to

encounter, gained a complete victory over +edro in

the neighborhood of &oledo, in >HC$ "ho, after

this defeat, retired for safety to a castle, "here he

"as soon besieged by the victors, and, endeavoring

to make his escape, "as taken prisoner by a .rench

gentleman, named le 5egue de 1ilaines! 5eing

conducted to this knights tent, the Mrst obKect "hich

met his eyes "as the count de &ranstamare! It is

said that, transported "ith rage at this sight, he

Pe", disarmed as he "as, upon him, and this

brother so far is the truth "ith a poniard he

held in his hand, instantly put an end to his life!

&hus perished 2on +edro, at the age of thirty-

four$ and "ith him ended the 3astilian race! 7is


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mortal foe succeeded him on the throne, "ithout

any other right than that of murder : and from him

descended the kings of 3astile, "ho after"ard

reigned in (pain till the sceptre of that kingdom

"as transferred to the house of %ustria, by the mar-

riage of @ueen ;oan of 3astile "ith +hilip the

7andsome, father of the famous 3harles 1!

.rance and 'ngland! > >

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bet"een the 5lack +rince, sovereign of 4uienne,

and his vassals $ he eluded the performance of his

treaties, and refused to pay the remainder of his

fathers ransom, under various plausible pretences!

7e entered into connection "ith the king of )avarre,

3harles the 5ad, "ho had so many large posses-

sions in .rance $ he like"ise stirred up the ne" king

of (cotland, obert (tuart, against 'ngland$ he

restored order and regularity in the Mnances, and

made the people contribute to the necessary supplies

"ithout murmuring $ in Mne, "ithout stirring out of

his cabinet, he found means to have as much success

as 0ing 'd"ard, "ho had crossed the sea, and

gained such signal victories!

%s soon as he perceived all the springs of his

political machine "ell secured, and in readiness for

action, he made one of those bold strokes "hich

might pass for rashness in politics, if not KustiMed

>E %ncient and =odern 7istory!

by "ell-concerted measures and a successful issue!

In >HC# he sent a knight and a Kudge of &oulouse


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to summon the 5lack +rince to appear before him

in the court of peers, to give an account of his con-

duct!

&his "as acting as sovereign Kudge of the con-

Nueror of his father and grandfather, "ho "as still

in possession of 4uienne and the surrounding terri-

tories, in absolute sovereignty, by right of con-

Nuest and the most solemn treaty! .or he not only

summoned the prince as his subKect, but an arret

of the parliament "as like"ise issued in >HFB, con-

Mscating the province of 4uienne and all the places

that appertained to the 'nglish in .rance! &he

custom of those times "as to declare "ar by a herald

at arms$ but on this occasion one of the kings

domestic servants "as sent to ondon to perform

the ceremony a plain proof that 'd"ard "as no

longer in a situation to be feared!

&he irregularity of these proceedings "as in some

measure digniMed by the valor and abilities of 5er-

trand 2u 4uesclin, no" constable of .rance, and

more especially by the good order "hich 3harles

had established throughout his "hole kingdom,

"hich proved the truth of this maDim in public

aRairs, that 6 "here the proMt is, there is the glory!6


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&he 5lack +rince, "ho "as every day declining in

his health, "as no longer able to take the Meld : his

father could send him but very "eak supplies, and

the 'nglish, "ho had before been every"here vie-

.rance and 'ngland! >H

torious, "ere no" beaten on all sides! 5ertrand 2u

4uesclin, though he did not obtain such signal vic-

tories as those of 3recy and +oitiers, made eDactly

such a campaign, as that by "hich in these latter

times =arshal &urenne gained the character of

the greatest general in 'urope! 7e fell upon the

'nglish settled about =aine and %vignon, defeated

all their parties, one after the other, and "ith his o"n

hand took their general, 4randison, prisoner! 7e

added +oitou and (aintonge to the .rench domin-

ions, and took all the to"ns belonging to the 'ng-

lish, either by force of arms, or intrigues! &he very

seasons themselves seemed to Mght for 3harles! %

formidable Peet of 'nglish ships, "hich "as des-

tined to make a descent upon the coasts of .rance,

"as several times put back by contrary "inds $ and


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temporary truces, artfully managed, prepared the

"ay for future successes!

3harles 1! "ho, t"enty years before, had not

money suLcient to pay his guards, no" sa" himself

master of Mve armies, and a Mne Peet! 7is ships of

"ar insulted the 'nglish on their o"n coasts, land-

ing troops and ravaging the country, "hile 'ng-

land, "ho had no" lost her "arrior king, sat, a

tame spectator of these insults! (he had no" noth-

ing left in .rance but the city of 5ordeauD, 3alais,

and a fe" other fortiMed to"ns!

.rance lost her 5ertrand 2u 4uesclin in >HB!

'veryone kno"s "hat honors his sovereign paid to

his memory! 7e "as the Mrst, I think, that had

>J %ncient and =odern 7istory!

a funeral oration pronounced in his praise, and none

but himself and =arshal &urenne "ere ever

interred in the church designed for the burying-

place of the kings of .rance! 7is body "as carried

to the grave "ith the same ceremonies as those of


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cro"ned heads, and "as follo"ed by four princes

of the blood$ his horses, agreeably to the customs

of those times, "ere presented, in the church, to the

bishop "ho performed the funeral service, "ho laid

his hand upon them and blessed them! &hese cir-

cumstances are of no further importance than that

they serve to sho" the spirit of chivalry, since the

regard and veneration paid to great knights "ho

had rendered themselves famous by their feats in

arms, eDtended even to the horses "ho fought under

them in battle!

3harles 1! did not long survive 2u 4uesclin! 7e

is said to have died by a slo" poison, "hich had been

given him ten years before, and ended his life at the

age of forty-four! &he real poison "hich despatched

3harles 1! "as a bad constitution!

)o one is ignorant of the "ise ordinance published

by this prince, "herein the time of a king of .rance

coming of age "as MDed at fourteen! &his "ise

ordinance, "hich, ho"ever, proved insuLcient to

prevent the subseNuent troubles, "as enrolled at a

bed of Kustice held in >HFJ!

3harles desired, by this ordinance, to eradicate the


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ancient abuse of private "ars bet"een the lords,

an abuse "hich had hitherto passed as a la" of

.rance and 'ngland! >G

the state, and "hich, as soon as he came to be

master, he took care to prohibit, and even forbade

the "earing of arms $ but this "as one of those la"s

"hich it "as impossible at that time to put in eDecu-

tion!

&he treasures "hich he amassed during his reign

are said to have amounted to the sum of seventeen

million livres of the money then current! It is cer-

tain that he had accumulated great riches, and that

all the fruits of his economy "ere dissipated by his

brother, the duke of %nKou, in the unfortunate eDpe-

dition to )aples, of "hich I have already spoken!

%fter the decease of 'd"ard III!, the conNueror

of .rance, and of 3harles 1!, the restorer of that

kingdom, it "as plainly seen that the superiority of

a nation depends "holly upon those "ho are at the

helm of government!


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ichard II!, son of the 5lack +rince, succeeded

his grandfather, 'd"ard III!, at the age of eleven$

and, some time after, 3harles 1I! came to the cro"n

of .rance, at the age of t"elve! &hese t"o minor-

ities proved unhappy $ but 'ngland had the Mrst and

greatest reason to complain!

/e have seen the frenzy and madness "hich pos-

sessed the peasants of .rance under 0ing ;ohn, and

ho" cruelly they revenged themselves for the state of

slavery they had been in, and the miseries they had

suRered, upon those gentlemen "ho had been their

oppressors! &he same madness seized the 'nglish $

and the "ar of ome "ith the (lavs seemed revived

> C %ncient and =odern 7istory!

in this country! % tiler and a priest did as much

mischief to 'ngland as the Nuarrels bet"een the king

and parliament are capable of producing in that

kingdom! &hese t"o incendiaries assembled the

people of three counties, and easily found means to

persuade them that the rich had long enough enKoyed


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the goods of this "orld, and that it "as no" time for

the poor to take their revenge! &hey led them directly

to ondon, plundered a part of the city, and caused

the archbishop of 3anterbury and the high treas-

urer to be beheaded! It is true that this madness

ended in the death of their chiefs and the total dis-

persion of the mutineers: but these storms, "hich

"ere common in 'urope, suLciently sho"ed "hat

kind of government prevailed at that time! &hey

"ere as yet unacNuainted "ith the true end of poli-

tics, "hich consists in subKecting all degrees and

orders, in a state, to the public good!

It may be said also, that the 'nglish at that time

did not better understand the limits of their kings

prerogatives, nor of the privileges of their parlia-

ments! ichard II!, at the age of eighteen, aimed

at being despotic, and his subKects "anted to be free!

&his soon produced a civil "ar! In other countries

a civil "ar almost al"ays proves fatal to the malcon-

tents, but in 'ngland the king generally smarts for

it! ichard, after having maintained a ten years con-

test "ith his subKects about authority, sa" himself

at length abandoned even by his o"n party! 7is

cousin, the duke of ancaster, grandson of the late


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.rance and 'ngland! >F

'd"ard III!, and "ho had for a long time been

banished out of the kingdom, returned "ith only

three ships! Indeed he stood in need of no greater

assistance$ for, the instant he arrived, the "hole

nation declared for him $ and ichard reNuested only

that they "ould grants him his life and a pension!

% parliament "as called, in "hich this prince "as

solemnly deposed and conMned in the &o"er, in >H##,

"hence he sent the duke of ancaster the ensigns

of royalty, together "ith a "riting, signed by his

o"n hand, in "hich he ackno"ledged himself alto-

gether unNualiMed to reign, as indeed he "as, since

"eak enough to sign such a declaration!

&hus did this one century behold t"o kings of

'ngland, 'd"ard II! and ichard II!, the emperor

/enceslaus, and +ope ;ohn AAIII!, all four tried,

condemned, and deposed, in the most solemn manner

and "ith all the formalities of Kustice!

&he 'nglish +arliament, having deposed their


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king, issued a decree, importing that, in case of any

attempt being made to restore him, he should be

adKudged "orthy of death! %ccordingly, upon the

Mrst rising that "as made in his favor, eight ruLans

"ent and assassinated the unhappy monarch in his

prison in >JBB! 5ut ichard defended his life far

better than he had his throne! 7e "rested a pole-aDe

from one of the assassins, "ith "hich he laid four

of the number dead at his feet before he fell him-

self! &he duke of ancaster no" ascended the

throne under the name of 7enry I1!, during "hose

> %ncient and =odern 7istory!

reign 'ngland neither enKoyed tranNuillity, nor "as

in a condition to undertake anything against .rance :

but his son, 7enry 1!, brought about the greatest

revolution since the time of 3harlemagne!

37%+&' A1II!

37%'( 1I! O. .%)3', %)2 &7' I)1%(IO) O. &7%&

0I)42O= 5 7') 1! O. ')4%)2!


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+%& of the care "hich 3harles 1! had taken to

re-establish .rance proved the means of hastening

its subversion! &he immense treasures he had

amassed "ere dissipated, and the taDes he imposed

had alienated the minds of his people! It has been

observed that this prince eDpended Mfteen hundred

marks of gold annually for the maintenance of his

household$ and his brothers, "ho "ere regents of

the kingdom during the minority of 3harles 1I!,

"ho came to the cro"n before he "as thirteen,

eDpended more than seven thousand, and yet that

prince "as almost in "ant of common necessaries!

&hese minute details are not to be slighted, since they

freNuently prove the secret springs of ruin in most

states, as "ell as in private families!

ouis of %nKou, one of the uncles of 3harles 1I!,

and the same "ho had been adopted by ;oan I!, Nueen

of )aples, not satisMed "ith having embezzled his

pupils treasure, loaded the people "ith eDactions!

+aris, ouen, and most of the cities rose up in arms $

and the same fury "hich after"ard destroyed +aris

3harles 1I! >#


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in the time of the eague in the minority of ouis

AI1! appeared under 3harles 1I! &he public and

private punishments inPicted on this occasion "ere

as cruel as the insurrection had been outrageous!

&he great papal schism "hich prevailed at that time,

and of "hich "e have already treated, contributed

to increase their disorders! &he popes of %vignon,

"ho "ere ackno"ledged by the .rench court, com-

pleted the impoverishment of this kingdom by all

the arts "hich avarice could invent, under the dis-

guise of religion! &he people, ho"ever, Pattered

themselves, that "hen the king came of age he

"ould make amends for all these evils by a more

happy government!

7e had in person, in >HJ, avenged the count of

.landers, his vassal, on the rebellious .lemings,

"hom the 'nglish still continued to support$ and

took advantage of the troubles "hich distracted that

unhappy island during the reign of ichard II! 7e

also Mtted out a Peet of t"elve hundred ships, to

make a descent on the 'nglish coast! &his prodig-

ious number of ships is by no means incredible $ (t!

ouis had a much larger Peet! It is true they "ere

only vessels for transporting troops, but the ease


30/458

"ith "hich they eNuipped these large Peets plainly

sho"s that they had a much greater Nuantity of

timber for building than "e have at present, and that

they "ere not deMcient in point of industry! &he

Kealousy "hich prevailed bet"een the kings uncles

put a stop to the sailing of this Peet$ and at last

Eo %ncient and =odern 7istory!

it only served as a proof of the resources .rance

might have been provided "ith under a good admin-

istration, since, not"ithstanding the great Nuantity

of money "hich the duke of %nKou carried out of

the kingdom "ith him in his unhappy eDpedition

to )aples, it "as still able to undertake such great

enterprises!

%t length there seemed to be some respite from the

confusion "hich had perpleDed the kingdom! &he

king set out for 5rittany to chastise the duke, of

"hom .rance had so much reason to complain $

"hen, unfortunately, at this very Kuncture, he "as

seized "ith a terrible frenzy! &his distemper began

"ith a dro"siness, follo"ed by a loss of understand-


31/458

ing, and ending at length in a Mt of madness! /hen

he "as Mrst seized "ith this Mt, he killed four men,

and continued striking everyone about him, till at

length, eDhausted by these convulsive motions, he

fell into a deep lethargy!

I am not in the least surprised that all .rance

thought him poisoned and be"itched! &here have

been instances even in this present age, not"ith-

standing its improvement in kno"ledge, of popular

preKudices altogether as unKust! 7is brother, the

duke of Orleans, had married 1alentine of =ilan,

and she "as accused of having been the cause of

the kings misfortune, "hich proves that the .rench,

"ho "ere at that time very ignorant, thought the

Italians had more kno"ledge than themselves!

&his suspicion "as some time after"ard increased

3harles 1I! E>

by an adventure entirely agreeable to the rudeness

of those times!

>H#H &here "as a masNuerade at court, in "hich


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the king appeared in the dress of a satyr, dragging

four other satyrs after him in chains! &heir dresses

"ere made of linen, daubed over "ith rosin, to "hich

they had fastened cords of PaD and hemp! &he duke

of Orleans unfortunately thrust his torch against

one of those habits, "hich took Mre in an instant!

&he four lords, "ho "ere the four satyrs in the

masNue, "ere burned, and the kings life "as "ith

great diLculty preserved by the happy presence

of mind of his sister-in-la", the duchess of 5erry,

"ho "rapped him all over in her mantua! &his

accident caused a return of one of his Mts$ from

"hich he might probably have been relieved by

immediate bleeding, bathing, and a proper regimen $

but, instead of that, they sent for a sorcerer from

=ontpellier! &he sorcerer came, and the king

appeared a little better, "hich "as instantly ascribed

to the po"er of magic! 5ut, by freNuent relapses,

the disorder "as rendered so inveterate as to become

incurable! &o complete the misfortunes of .rance,

the king had some intervals of sanity, other"ise they

might have provided for the government of the

kingdom $ thus the little share of reason he enKoyed

proved more fatal than even his Mts: the estates

"ere never assembled, nor "as the least regulation

made in the public administration! &he king still


33/458

continued king, intrusting his despised authority

FE %ncient and =odern 7istory!

and the care of his person sometimes to his brother,

and at other times to his uncles, the dukes of 5ur-

gundy and 5erry! It "as still a further addition

to the misfortunes of the state, that these princes

had considerable inheritances in the kingdom $ in

due course +aris became the theatre of a civil "ar,

sometimes privately, sometimes openly carried on!

.actions prevailed every"here, and even the univer-

sity pretended to a share in the government!

>JBF 'verybody kno"s that ;ohn, duke of 5ur-

gundy, caused his cousin, the duke of Orleans, to

be assassinated in the ue 5arbette! &he king had

neither understanding nor po"er enough to bring

the aggressor to Kustice! 7o"ever, the duke of

5urgundy thought it necessary to take out letters of

grace, after "hich he came to court and triumphed

in his crime! 7e assembled all the princes and

grandees $ and, in the presence of them all, 2r! ;ohn

+etit not only KustiMed the murder of the duke of


34/458

Orleans, but also established the doctrine of homi-

cide, "hich he founded upon the eDample of those

assassinations "e read of in the historical books of

the holy "rit! &hus did this preacher impudently

erect into a doctrine "hat those books only deliver

to us as an event, instead of acting agreeably to the

duties of his calling, by telling men that a murder

related in the 7oly (cripture is as truly detestable

as if it "as found in the annals of savages, or in the

times of "hich I am speaking! &his evil doctrine

3harles 1I! EH

"as condemned, as "e have seen, at the 3ouncil of

3onstance, but has nevertheless been since revived!

It "as at this time that the marshal de 5oucicaut

suRered 4enoa to be lost, "hich had put itself under

the protection of .rance! &he .rench "ere all mas-

sacred there, as they had been before in (icily! &he

Po"er of the nobility, "ho had gone to signalize

themselves in 7ungary against the &urkish emperor,

5aKazet, "ere all cut oR in the fatal battle lost by

the 3hristians! 5ut these misfortunes abroad "ere


35/458

small in comparison "ith those "hich befell the

state at home!

Isabella of 5avaria, 3harless Nueen, had a party

in +aris, the duke of 5urgundy had his, and the

children of the late duke of Orleans had another,

"hich "as very considerable! &he poor king alone

had no party! 5ut "hat "ill serve to sho" us ho"

important the city of +aris "as at that time, and

"hat inPuence it had on the other parts of the king-

dom is, that the duke of 5urgundy, "ho to the

province of "hich he bore the title, added all .lan-

ders and %rtois, made it the principal obKect of his

ambition to become master of +aris! 7is faction

"as called the 5urgundians, and that of Orleans

"ent by the name of the %rmagnacs, from the count

of %rmagnac, father-in-la" to the duke of Orleans,

son to him "ho had been assassinated in +aris!

/hichever of these t"o factions had the upper

hand never let slip any opportunity of hanging,

murdering, or burning all of the opposite party$

EJ %ncient and =odern 7istory!


36/458

so that no person "as sure of his life for a day

together! &hey fought in the streets, in the houses,

in the Melds, and even in the churches!

>J>G 7ere "as a very favorable opportunity

for 'ngland to recover her ancient patrimony in

.rance, as "ell as those ceded to her by treaties$

and 7enry 1!, "ho "as a prince of eNual courage

and prudence, did not suRer it to pass unnoticed,

but negotiated and made preparations for "ar at

the same time! 7e made a descent into )ormandy

"ith an army of nearly Mfty thousand men, took

7arPeur, and advanced into the midst of a country

torn in pieces by factions, and unable to resist him $

but three-fourths of his army "ere carried oR by

contagious dysentery! )evertheless, this great

invasion served to unite all parties against the 'ng-

lish $ even 5urgundy himself, though he had already

been treating privately "ith the king of 'ngland,

sent Mve hundred men in arms, "ith some cross-

bo" men, to the assistance of his country! %ll the

nobility mounted on horseback, and the commoners

marched under their banners: so that 3onstable

d%lbret soon sa" himself at the head of siDty thou-

sand Mghting men!


37/458

&he success that formerly "aited on 'd"ard III!

no" follo"ed 7enry 1!, but the principal resem-

blance "as in the battle of %gincourt, "hich "as

in every respect like that of 3recy! &he 'nglish

"on it almost as soon as it began! &heir tall bo"s,

"hich "ere almost the height of a man, and "hich

3harles 1I! EG

they made use of "ith surprising strength and skill,

soon determined the victory in their favor $ but they

had neither cannons nor fusils, "hich is another

corroborating proof that there "ere none used at

the battle of 3recy! +erhaps these bo"s are much

more formidable "eapons! I have seen some of

them that "ould carry farther than a fusil $ and they

may be used "ith much more despatch, and last

longer! 7o"ever, they are no" entirely out of

use! It may be further observed that the gendarm-

erie of .rance fought on foot at the battles of %gin-

court, 3recy, and +oitiers $ /hereas, had they been

mounted, they "ould in all probability have formed

an invincible corps! &here happened on this mem-

orable day a thing most horrible even in "ar! /hile


38/458

the armies "ere still engaged, some militia of

+icardy came behind the 'nglish to plunder their

camp$ upon "hich 7enry ordered his men to kill

all the prisoners they had taken! &hey "ere

accordingly put to the s"ord$ and after this the

'nglish took fourteen thousand men, "hose lives

they spared! (even princes of .rance "ere slain

this day, together "ith the constable! .ive princes

"ere taken prisoners, and above ten thousand

.renchmen "ere left on the Meld of battle!

It "ould seem that after so decisive a victory,

7enry had nothing to do but to march to +aris, and

complete the conNuest of a divided, eDhausted, and

ruined kingdom! 5ut these very ruins "ere some-

"hat fortiMed$ for it is a certain fact that from

EC %ncient and =odern 7istory!

this battle of %gincourt, "hich thre" all .rance

into mourning, and "hich cost the 'nglish only

three persons of any note, the victors reaped no other

fruit than glory! 7enry "as obliged to return to

'ngland, in order to raise money and fresh troops!


39/458

&he spirit of giddiness and inconstancy, "hich

had seized the .rench nation as "ell as their king,

did "hat the defeat of %gincourt had not been able

to do! &"o dauphins "ere already dead, and the

third, "ho "as after"ard 3harles 1II!, and at that

time "as only siDteen years of age, endeavored to

save the remains of this great "reck! &he Nueen,

his mother, had eDtorted letters patent from her

husband, by "hich she "as intrusted "ith the reins

of government! (he "as a covetous and ambitious

"oman, and greatly addicted to gallantry! &he

treasure of "hich she had plundered the kingdom

and her husband, she had carefully deposited in

several places, particularly in the churches! &he

dauphin and the %rmagnac faction, "ho had dis-

covered this money, made use of it for the pressing

"ants of the public! &o this aRront "hich she

received from her son, the king added another of

a more sensible nature! One evening as he "as

going to pay a visit to the Nueen in her o"n apart-

ment, he met the lord of 5oisbourdon coming out$

he instantly ordered him to be apprehended, put to

the torture, and after"ard se"n up in a sack and

thro"n into the (eine! &he Nueen "as sent

prisoner to 5lois, and thence to &ours, "ithout


40/458

3harles 1I! EF

being suRered to speak "ith her husband! It "as

this accident, and not the battle of %gincourt "hich

placed the cro"n of .rance on the king of 'ng-

lands head! &he Nueen implored the assistance

of the duke of 5urgundy, "ho embraced this oppor-

tunity of establishing his o"n authority on these

ne" disasters of his country!

&he duke released the Nueen from her conMne-

ment at &ours, ravaged the country all the "ay he

marched, and at length concluded a league "ith the

king of 'ngland! /ithout this alliance there "ould

have been no revolution! 7enry 1! at length assem-

bled an army of t"enty-Mve thousand men, and

landed a second time in )ormandy! 7e advanced

to"ard +aris, "hile ;ohn, duke of 5urgundy, pre-

sented himself before the gates of this city, "here a

poor senseless king remained shut up, a prey to every

kind of sedition! &he duke of 5urgundys faction in

one day massacred 3onstable d%rmagnac, the arch-

bishops of heims and &ours, Mve prelates, the abbot

of (t! 2enis, and forty magistrates! &he Nueen and


41/458

the duke of 5urgundy made their triumphal entry

into +aris in the midst of all this blood and

slaughter! &he dauphin "as obliged to Py beyond

the oire, and 7enry 1! "as already master of all

)ormandy! In >J> the kings party, as "ell as

those of the Nueen, the duke of 5urgundy, and

the dauphin, "ere all in treaty at the same time

"ith the king of 'ngland $ treachery and dissimu-

lation "ere eNual on all sides! &he young dauphin,

E %ncient and =odern 7istory!

"ho "as at that time governed by &anguy du 3ha-

tel, at length, in >J>#, contrived that unhappy inter-

vie" "ith the duke of 5urgundy on the bridge of

=ontereau! 'ach of them came attended by ten

knights$ and &anguy du 3hatel sle" the duke of

5urgundy in the presence of the dauphin : thus "as

the murder of the duke of Orleans avenged by

another murder, "hich "as the more detestable

because accompanied by violation of public faith!

One "ould be almost tempted to believe that this

murder "as not premeditated, so very badly had they


42/458

taken their measures for supporting the conse-

Nuences! +hilip the 4ood, the ne" duke of 5ur-

gundy, "ho succeeded his father, became of course

an enemy to the dauphin, through duty as "ell as

politics! &he Nueen, his mother, "hom he had

incensed, became as implacable as a step-mother$

"hile the king of 'ngland, taking advantage of these

horrid circumstances, proclaimed that 4od led him

by the hand to punish the iniNuitous .rench! In

>JEB @ueen Isabella and the ne" duke of 5ur-

gundy, +hilip, concluded a peace "ith 7enry at

&royes, "hich proved more fatal to .rance than

all the preceding "ars had done $ and by "hich they

gave 3atherine, daughter of 3harles 1I!, in mar-

riage to the king of 'ngland, together "ith .rance

for her do"ry!

It "as at the same time agreed that 7enry should

be ackno"ledged king, but that he should bear only

the title of regent during the remainder of the

3harles 1I! E#

unhappy life of the king of .rance, "ho "as no"


43/458

altogether childish! In Mne, it "as determined

by the contract, that the person styling him-

self dauphin, should be pursued "ith the utmost

vigor! @ueen Isabella conducted her "retched

husband and her daughter to &royes, "here the

marriage "as consummated! 7enry, no" king of

.rance, made his entry peaceably into +aris, and

governed "ithout opposition $ "hile 3harles 1I!

continued shut up "ith a fe" domestics in the 7otel

de (t! +aul, and @ueen Isabella began already to

drink deep of the cup of repentance!

+hilip, duke of 5urgundy, appeared before the

t"o kings at the 7otel de (t! +aul, "hen the fe"

remaining grandees of the kingdom "ere assembled,

and solemnly demanded Kustice for the murder of his

father! &he procurator-general of 5urgundy, )ich-

olas aulin, and a doctor of the university of +aris,

named ;ohn archer, preferred articles of accusa-

tion against the dauphin! &he Mrst president of

+aris, "ith some fe" deputies of his body, assisted

at this assembly!

&he advocate-general, =arigni, made a speech

against the dauphin, not as a presumptive heir and

defender of the cro"n, but as against a common


44/458

assassin!


45/458

proves that he "as informed of all the circumstances

upon the spot$ and in our time 3zar +eter the

4reat condemned one of his sons to death! 2readful

eDamples S but in "hich the sons inheritance "as

not given a"ay to a foreigner!

&he dauphin retired into %nKou, "here he led the

life of an eDile! 7enry 1!, king of .rance and

'ngland, returned to ondon in order to raise fresh

supplies and ne" troops! It "as not to the interest

of the people of 'ngland, "ho have a strong passion

for liberty, that their king should be master of

.rance, as in this case their country "ould be in

danger of becoming a province to a foreign king-

dom$ and, after draining itself to establish its

prince in +aris, "ould have seen itself reduced to

3harles 1I! H>

slavery by the forces of that very country "hich it

had conNuered, and "hich its king had in his hands!

7o"ever, 7enry 1! soon returned to +aris "ith

more authority than ever: he had treasures and


46/458

armies at his command, and "as moreover in the

prime of his life $ from all of "hich it "as probable

that the cro"n of .rance "as likely to be trans-

ferred forever to the house of ancaster! 5ut death

cut short these mighty hopes and successes! 7enry

"as seized "ith a Mstula! In these days of greater

kno"ledge he might possibly have been cured, but

the ignorance of the times "as the cause of his

death$ and he eDpired, in >JEE, at the castle of

1incennes, in the thirty-fourth year of his age! 7is

body lay in state at (t! 2enis, after "hich it "as

carried to 'ngland and deposited at /estminster

among the kings of 'ngland!

(oon after 3harles 1I!, "ho had been suRered,

out of compassion, to enKoy the empty title of king,

ended his "retched days, after having passed nearly

thirty years in almost continual Mts of madness, the

unhappiest of kings, and king of the unhappiest

people of 'urope!

&he duke of 5edford, brother of 7enry 1!, "as

the only person "ho attended his funeral! &here

"as not one of the great lords present at the cere-

mony : some of them had been slain at the battle of

%gincourt, the remainder "ere prisoners in 'ng-


47/458

land $ and the duke of 5urgundy "ould not yield

precedency to the duke of 5edford : but he "as soon

HE %ncient and =odern 7istory!

after obliged to give "ay in everything, for 5ed-

ford "as declared regent of .rance : and 7enry 1I!,

son of 7enry 1!, a minor only nine months old,

"as proclaimed king at +aris, and at ondon! &he

city of +aris even sent deputies to ondon to take

the oath of allegiance to this infant!

37%+&' A1III!

.%)3' I) &7' &I=' O. 37%'( 1II!

&7I( inundation "hich overspread .rance from

'ngland "as much the same as that "hich hap-

pened to 'ngland from the .rench, in the time of

ouis 1III!, but it "as of longer duration, and more

violent! 3harles 1II! had his kingdom to recover,

inch by inch! 7e had to Mght against the duke of

5edford, "ho "as as absolute as 7enry 1!, and

against the duke of 5urgundy, no" one of the most


48/458

po"erful princes in 'urope, by having anneDed

7ainault, 5rabant, and 7olland to his former

domains! 5esides, 3harles had as much to fear from

his friends as his foes$ most of them insulting his

misfortunes to such a degree that the count de iche-

mont, his constable, and brother of the duke of 5rit-

tany, caused t"o of his favorites to be strangled!

/e may Kudge of the deplorable situation to "hich

3harles "as reduced, from the necessity he "as

under of making the silver mark pass for ninety

livres in the places subKect to his obedience, instead

of a half livre, as in the time of 3harlemagne!

7e "as like"ise soon obliged to have recourse to

3harles 1II! HH

another much stranger eDpedient, namely, to a

miracle! % gentleman upon the frontiers of or-

raine, "hose name "as 5audricourt, happened to

meet "ith a young servant "ench at an inn in the

to"n of 1aucouleurs, "hom he thought a Mt person

to act the character of a female "arrior and a proph-


49/458

etess! ;oan of %rc "hich "as the name of this

heroine "hom the vulgar look upon as a shep-

herdess, "as in fact only a tavern girl $ 6of a robust

make,6 as =onstrelet says, 6 and "ho could ride

"ithout a saddle, and perform other manly eDer-

cises "hich young maidens are unaccustomed to!6

(he "as made to pass for a young shepherdess

of eighteen $ and yet it is evident from her confes-

sion that she "as at that time t"enty-seven! (he had

courage and "it suLcient to engage in this delicate

enterprise, "hich after"ard became a heroic one, and

suRered herself to be carried before the king at

5ourges, "here she "as eDamined by matrons, "ho

took care to Mnd her a virgin, and by certain doctors

of the university, and some members of the parlia-

ment, "ho all "ithout hesitation declared her

inspired! /hether they "ere really imposed upon,

or "ere crafty enough to adopt the proKect, the vul-

gar s"allo"ed the bait, and that "as suLcient!

&he 'nglish "ere at that time, in >JE, besieging

Orleans, 3harless last resource, and "ere upon the

point of making themselves masters of the to"n,

"hen this amazon in mans dress, directed by able

oLcers, undertook to thro" reinforcements into the


50/458

1ol! ECH

HJ %ncient and =odern 7istory!

to"n! +revious to her attempt she harangued the

soldiers, as one sent from 4od, and inspired them

"ith that enthusiastic courage peculiar to all "ho

imagine they behold the 2eity 7imself Mghting their

cause! %fter this she put herself at their head, deliv-

ered Orleans, beat the 'nglish, foretold to 3harles

that she "ould see him consecrated at heims, ful-

Mlled her promise, s"ord in hand, and assisted at

the coronation, holding the standard "ith "hich she

had so bravely fought!

&hese rapid victories obtained by a girl, "ith all

the appearances of a miracle, and the kings corona-

tion, "hich conciliated the public respect to his per-

son, had almost restored the la"ful prince, and

eDpelled the foreign pretender, "hen the instrument

of all these "onders, ;oan of %rc, "as "ounded and

taken prisoner in >JHB, "hile defending 3ompiegne!

(uch a person as the 5lack +rince "ould have hon-

ored and respected her courage $ but the regent, 5ed-


51/458

ford, thought it necesary to detract from it, in order

to revive the drooping spirits of the 'nglish! (he

had pretended to perform a miracle, and 5edford

pretended to believe her a "itch!

=y principal end is al"ays to observe the spirit

of the times, since it is that "hich directs the great

events of the "orld!

&he university of +aris presented a complaint

against ;oan, accusing her of heresy and "itchcraft!

&herefore this university either believed "hat the

regent "ould have it believe $ or if it did not believe

3harles 1II! HG

it, it "as guilty of most infamous baseness! &his

heroine, "ho "as "orthy of that miracle "hich she

had feigned, "as tried at ouen by 3auchon, bishop

of 5eauvais, by Mve other .rench bishops, and one

'nglish bishop, assisted by a 2ominican monk, vicar

to the InNuisition, and by the doctors to the uni-

versity $ "ho declared her 6 a superstitious prophet-

ess of the devil, a blasphemer against 4od and 7is


52/458

saints, and one "ho had been guilty of numberless

errors against the faith of 3hrist!6 %s such she "as

condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and to fast

on bread and "ater! (he made a reply to her Kudges,

"hich, in my opinion, is "orthy of eternal memory!

(he "as asked "hy she dared to assist at the conse-

cration of 3harles, as his standard-bearer! 6 5e-

cause,6 ans"ered she, 6 it is but Kust that the person

"ho shared in the toil should partake like"ise of the

honor!6

(ome time after this, being accused of having

again put on mens clothes, "hich had been left in

her "ay purposely to tempt her, her Kudges, "ho cer-

tainly had no right to try her, as she "as a prisoner

of "ar, declared her a relapsed heretic, in >JH> $ and

"ithout further ceremony condemned to the Pames

a person "ho, for the services she had rendered her

king, "ould have had altars erected to her in those

heroic times "hen mankind "ere "ont to decree such

honors to their deliverers! 3harles 1II! after"ard

restored her memory "ith honor, "hich indeed had

been suLciently honored by her punishment!


53/458

HC %ncient and =odern 7istory!

3ruelty alone is not suLcient to carry men to such

eDecutions $ there must like"ise be a certain fanati-

cism, composed of superstition and ignorance, "hich

has been the common malady of almost all ages!

(ome time before this the 'nglish had condemned

a princess of 4loucester to do penance in (t! +auls

church, and a female friend of hers "as burned

alive, upon pretence of certain magic practices

against the kings life! &hey had also burned ord

3obham for a heretic : and in 5rittany had inPicted

the same punishment on =arshal de etz, "ho "as

accused of sorcery, and "ith having butchered young

children for the sake of making use of their blood

in his pretended incantations!

In these unhappy times, the communication be-

t"een the provinces "as so interrupted, and the

people bordering upon each other "ere so much

strangers, that an enterprising "oman, a fe" years

after the death of the =aid of Orleans had the bold-

ness to assume her name in orraine, resolutely

averring that she had escaped the punishment in-

tended her, and that a substitute had been burned in

her stead! 5ut "hat is more strange than all the


54/458

rest is that the people believed this idle story! &he

impostor "as loaded "ith honors and "ealth $ and

a person of the family of %rmoises publicly espoused

her, in >JHC, thinking to marry a real heroine, "ho,

though meanly born, "as at least upon an eNuality

"ith him by the grandeur of her actions!

2uring the "ar, "hich "as rather tedious than

3harles 1II! HF

decisive, and the source of many miseries, there

happened another event "hich saved the kingdom of

.rance! &he duke of 5urgundy, +hilip the 4ood,

merited this name by at length forgiving the death

of his father, and Koining "ith the head of his family

against a foreign invader! 7e even carried this

generosity so far as to deliver the duke of Orleans,

the son of him "ho had been assassinated at +aris,

from his long conMnement in ondon, by paying his

ransom, "hich is said to have amounted to three

hundred thousand gold cro"ns, an eDaggeration

common "ith the "riters of those times! 5ut still

this behavior "as a proof of great virtue! &here


55/458

have al"ays been some great souls in the most cor-

rupted times! &his princes virtue, ho"ever, did not

prevent him from giving a free hand to pleasure, and

the love of "omen, "hich can never be a vice but

"hen it prompts to bad actions! It is this same

+hilip "ho, in >JHB, instituted the order of the

4olden .leece, in honor of one of his mistresses! 7e

had Mfteen bastards, "ho "ere all persons of merit!

7is court "as the most brilliant in 'urope, and the

cities of %nt"erp and 5ruges, by their eDtensive

commerce, spread plenty over the land! In Mne,

.rance "as indebted to him for her peace and gran-

deur, "hich ever after"ard continued to increase,

not"ithstanding her many adversities, and her "ars,

domestic and foreign!

3harles 1II! recovered his kingdom in much the

same manner as 7enry I1! conNuered it one hundred

H %ncient and =odern 7istory!

and Mfty years after"ard! 3harles indeed had not

that noble courage, that Nuick and active mind, nor

that heroic character "hich distinguished 7enry I1!,


56/458

but, like him, he "as freNuently obliged to keep fair

"ith his foes as "ell as "ith his friends, to Mght

skirmishes, to take to"ns, some by surprise and

some by money, till at length he entered +aris in the

same manner as 7enry I1! after"ard made his

entrance, partly by intrigue and partly by force!

&hey "ere both declared incapable of "earing the

cro"n, and they both forgave the inKuries they had

received! &hey had one common "eakness : that of

neglecting their aRairs sometimes to follo" the pur-

suit of their pleasures!

3harles did not make his entry into +aris till the

year >JHF, and it "as not till >JGB that the 'nglish

"ere totally driven out of .rance! &hey then

retained only 3alais and 4uines: and forever lost

those vast demesnes "hich their kings had been

possessed of by right of blood, and "hich they could

not secure to their posterity by the three great vic-

tories of 3recy, +oitiers, and %gincourt! &he divi-

sions in 'ngland contributed as much as 3harles

1II! to the re-union of .rance $ and 7enry 1I!, "ho

had "orn the cro"ns of both kingdoms, and had

come to +aris to receive that of .rance, "as

dethroned in 'ngland by his o"n relatives, restored

again, and again dethroned!


57/458

3harles, being no" in the peaceable possession of

.rance, established such orders and regularities in

3harles 1II! H#

that country as had never been seen there since the

decline of the family of 3harlemagne! 7e kept reg-

ular companies of Mfteen hundred gendarmes! 'ach

of these gendarmes "as to serve "ith siD horses, so

that every troop "as composed of nine thousand

horsemen! 'very captain of a hundred had seven-

teen hundred livres a year, "hich comes to about

ten thousand livres of our present currency! 'ach

gendarme had three hundred and siDty livres yearly

pay, and each of the Mve men "ho accompanied him

had four livres of the currency of those times a

month! 7e also established a body of forty-Mve

thousand archers, "ho had each the same allo"ance

of four livres a month, or about t"enty-four of the

present currency! &hus, in time of peace, these

troops cost him Mve million siD hundred thousand

livres of our money! &hings have changed greatly

since that time in 'urope! &his establishment of


58/458

archers sho"s that the use of Mrearms "as not then

much kno"n! &his instrument of destruction did

not come to be commonly used till the time of

ouis AI!

5esides these troops, "ho "ere in constant service,

each village maintained a free archer, "ho "as

eDempted from the kings taD$ and it "as by this

eDemption, "hich other"ise "as peculiar to the

nobility, that such a number of persons soon claimed

the title of gentlemen, both by name and arms! &he

possessors of Mefs "ere eDempt from the ban, "hich

"as no" no longer called$ there being only an

JB %ncient and =odern 7istory!

arriere-ban, composed of the lesser vassals, "ho still

remained subKect to be called upon on these

occasions!

It has been a matter of surprise that, after so many

disasters, .rance should still have continued pos-

sessed of such a number of resources, and so much

money! 5ut a country "hich is rich in natural pro-


59/458

ductions "ill be ever so, "hile the cultivation of it

is properly attended to! 3ivil "ars, though they

shake the body of the state, do not destroy it $ for the

murders and ravages "hich ruin some families,

enrich others: and the merchants become better

versed in the arts of commerce from the necessity

there is of making use of art to protect themselves

from the general storm! ;acNues 3ceur is a strong

eDample of this! &his man had established the

greatest trade that any one private person in 'urope

had yet embarked in! 3osmo =edici is the only

one "ho, since his time, ever eNualled him in this

respect! ;acNues 3ceur employed three hundred fac-

tors in Italy and the evant! 7e lent t"o hundred

thousand gold cro"ns to the king, "ithout "hich he

"ould never have been able to retake )ormandy! 7is

industry "as more useful during the peace, than

either the valor of 2unois, or of the =aid of Orleans,

in time of "ar! It is perhaps one of the greatest

blots on the memory of 3harles 1II! that he suf-

fered so useful a member of the community to be

persecuted! /e kno" not the reason of this$ for,

3harles 1II! J>


60/458

indeed, "ho can Mnd out the secret springs of the

faults and unKust dealings of men?

&he king caused him to be thro"n into prison,

and he "as tried by the parliament! )othing, ho"-

ever, could be proved against him, only that he had

caused a 3hristian slave, "ho had betrayed and

deserted his &urkish master, to be returned to him

again, and had sold arms to the sultan of 'gypt!

.or these t"o actions, one of "hich "as allo"able,

and the other strictly virtuous, he "as condemned

to forfeit all his possessions! On this occasion his

clerks gave a proof of greater integrity than the

courtiers "ho caused his ruin: almost all of them

Koined in assisting him in his disgrace! ;acNues

3ceur after"ard retired to 3yprus, "here he con-

tinued to carry on business $ and, though recalled,

never again ventured to revisit his ungrateful coun-

try!

&he close of the reign of 3harles 1II! proved

happy enough for .rance, though very unhappy to

this prince himself, "hose latter days "ere embit-

tered by the rebellion of his unnatural son, after-

"ard ouis A


61/458

JE %ncient and =odern 7istory!

37%+&' AIA!

=%))'(, 3


62/458

artiMcers and merchants, "hose humble station had

protected them from the ambitious fury of the great,

"ere like ants, "ho dug themselves peaceable, and

secure habitation, "hile the eagles and vultures of

the "orld "ere tearing one another to pieces!

'ven in these ages of ignorance, "e meet "ith

many useful inventions, "hich "ere the fruits of

that mechanical genius "here"ith nature endo"s

certain men, independent of the helps of philosophy!

&hus, for eDample, the secret of assisting the im-

paired sight of old people, by those glasses called

6besides6 "as the production of the latter part of

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! JH

the thirteenth century! &his noble secret "as dis-

covered by %leDander (pina! /indmills are also of

the same date! a .lamma, "ho lived in the four-

teenth century, is the Mrst "riter in "hom "e Mnd

any mention of them! 5ut this "as an art kno"n

long before, both to the 4reeks and %rabians, and "e

Mnd it spoken of by the %rabian poets of the seventh

century! 'arthen"are, "hich then supplied the


63/458

place of porcelain or china, "as invented at .aenza!

&he use of glass had been kno"n long before $ but

that article "as scarce, and it "as esteemed a kind

of luDury to use it! &his art "as after"ard carried

into 'ngland by the .rench in >>B, and "as then

looked upon as an article of great magniMcence!

&he 1enetians "ere the only people in the thir-

teenth century "ho had the secret of making crystal

glass for mirrors! In Italy there "ere some fe"

clocks "hich "ent by "heels $ that at 5ologna "as

reckoned the most famous! &hat miraculous and

useful instrument, the compass, o"ed its invention

entirely to chance, and mankind had not their vie"s

suLciently advanced at that time to make a proper

use of this discovery! &he invention of paper, made

of linen rags beaten and boiled together, is of the

fourteenth century! &he historian, 3ortusius of

+adua, speaks of one +aD, "ho established the Mrst

paper manufactory in that city, above a century

before the invention of printing! In this manner

"ere the useful arts established by degrees, and

chiePy by ignorant and illiterate men!


64/458

JJ %ncient and =odern 7istory!

&here "ere fe" such cities in all 'urope as 1en-

ice, 4enoa, 5ologna, (ienna, +isa, and .lorence!

%lmost all the houses in .rance, 4ermany, 6and

'ngland "ere covered "ith stra"! &hey "ere the

same in the cities of lesser note in Italy, such as

%leDandria de la +aglia, )icaea de la +aglia, etc!

)ot"ithstanding the vast tracts of uncultivated

lands "hich "ere "holly covered "ith "ood, they

had not yet learned to secure themselves from the

cold by the help of chimneys or stoves, "hich are in

use no"-a-days in all our apartments, and "hich

serve at once for ornament and convenience! %

"hole family then "ere "ont to seat themselves

around a hearth placed in the middle of the room,

from "hence a long tunnel ran up through the top

of the roof! a .lamma, a "riter of the fourteenth

century, complains, like most inKudicious authors,

that, in his time, frugality and simplicity had given

"ay to luDury and eDtravagance! 7e regrets the

times of .rederick 5arbarossa and .rederick II!,

"hen in =ilan, the capital of ombardy, they ate

meat only thrice a "eek! /ine "as then a rarity!

&apers "ere not kno"n, and candles "ere luDurious


65/458

ornaments! &he better sort of inhabitants, accord-

ing to him, made use of pieces of dried "ood, lighted

at the Mre! &hey ate hot meat only three times a

"eek$ their shirts "ere of serge, no linen being

then "orn but by people of great distinction : and

the do"ry of a daughter of the most considerable

citizen did not eDceed at most a hundred livres!

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! JG

6 &hings,6 adds he, 6 are greately changed at pres-

ent! &hey no" "ear linen in common $ the "omen

dress themselves in silken stuRs, and some of them

are even miDed "ith gold and silver : they have no"

t"o thousand livres to their portion, and even adorn

their ears "ith gold pendants!6 %nd yet this luDury,

of "hich a .lamma complains so grievously, "as

far inferior in some respects to "hat "e no" look

upon as common necessaries for a rich and indus-

trious tradesman!

&able linen "as very scarce in 'ngland, and "ine

"as sold only by the apothecaries as a cordial! &he

houses of private persons, both at +aris and ondon,


66/458

"ere all built of "ood $ for "omen to ride in a cart

in the streets of +aris, "hich "ere then scarcely

paved and all covered "ith mud, "as looked upon as

an article of luDury, and, as such, forbidden by

+hilip the .air! 'veryone kno"s the regulation

made under the reign of 3harles 1I!, 6)emo aud-

eat dare prater duo fercula cum potagio!6 )ever-

theless, in the houses of the lords of Mefs, and the

principal prelates, there "as al"ays as great mag-

niMcence as the times could aRord! &his necessarily

spread itself among the possessors of large lands:

but the use of silver or gold plate "as in a manner

"holly unkno"n in most of the cities! =ussus, "ho

"as a native of ombardy, and "rote in the four-

teenth century, mentions silrer forks, spoons, and

cups, as very eDtravagant articles!

6 &he master of a family,6 says he, 6 "ho has nine

JC %ncient and =odern 7istory!

or ten people to maintain, "ith t"o horses, is obliged

to eDpend nearly three hundred gold Porins a year,6

"hich "as about three thousand livres of our present


67/458

money!

=oney therefore "as eDtremely scarce in most

parts of Italy, and still more so in .rance, in the

t"elfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries! &he

people of .lorence and ombardy, "ho alone carried

on the trade "ith .rance and 'ngland, and the ;e"s,

"ho "ere their brokers, had t"enty per cent, per

annum for the common interest on their money!

'Dcessive usury is an infallible sign of public pov-

erty!

0ing 3harles 1! amassed considerable riches by

his good economy, and the prudent management of

his demesnes "hich "ere then the only revenues

of our kings and by the imposts "hich had been

devised under +hilip of 1alois $ "hich, though trivial

in themselves, caused great murmurings among an

indigent people! 7is minister, 3ardinal de 4range,

had gro"n too rich! 5ut all these treasures "ere

dispersed in other countries! &he cardinal carried

his to %vignon, and the duke of %nKou, brother of

3harles 1!, dissipated that princes money in his

unfortunate eDpedition into Italy, and .rance re-

mained miserably poor till the latter end of the reign

of 3harles 1II!


68/458

5ut it "as not thus in the beautiful and trading

cities of Italy! &here the people lived in aQuence

and ease! /ith them alone the s"eets of life seemed

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! JF

to have taken up their residence, and riches and lib-

erty inspired their genius, and elevated their courage!

&he Italian tongue "as not yet formed in the

reign of .rederick II!, as "e may perceive by some

verses of that emperor, "hich are the last remains

"e have of the oman tongue freed from the harsh-

ness of the 4erman :

6+las me el cavalier .rances

' la donna 3atalana

' ovrar 4enoes

' la danza &revisana

' lou cantor +rovensales

as man e car a a6 %ngles

' lou donzel de &oscana!6

6 I am pleased "ith the .rench cavalier,


69/458

%nd the 3atalonian dame,

%nd the "orkmanship of 4enoa$

%nd the dancing of &revisa,

%nd the poetry of +rovence,

&he hands and face of an 'nglishman,

%nd the damsels of &uscany!6

&hese remains are more precious than may per-

haps be imagined$ and inMnitely surpass all the

rubbish of the middle age, "hich is so greedily

sought after by those of an ignorant and tasteless

curiosity, as they prove beyond contradiction that

nature has ever been the same in all the nations of

"hich .rederick speaks! &he "omen of 3atalonia

are no", as in his time, the handsomest in (pain!

&he .rench gentry still have the martial air for

"hich they "ere then famous! &he 'nglish are still

J %ncient and =odern 7istory!

commonly kno"n for the nobleness and regularity

of their features, and the "hiteness of their hands!

&he young "omen of &uscany are still more agree-

able than those of any other country! &he 4enoese


70/458

have preserved their industry : and the inhabitants of

+rovence, their taste for poetry and music! It "as in

+rovence and anguedoc that the oman language

Mrst received its polish! &he +rovensals "ere mas-

ters to the Italians$ and nothing is better kno"n

to the virtuosi in these researches than the follo"-

ing verses, made on the people called 1audois, in

the year noo:

/hen a man "ill neither curse, nor s"ear, nor lie,

)or slay, nor rob, nor mount his neighbors bed,

)or take fell vengeance of his enemy,

&hey hold him a 1audois, and take his life!

&his Nuotation has like"ise its use, inasmuch as it

is a proof that the reformers of all times have

eRected a severity of manners!

&his Kargon unhappily continued to be used, as it

"as spoken in +rovence and anguedoc, till the

Italian language, under the pen of +etrarch, received

that force and elegance, "hich, far from degenerat-

ing, still acNuired greater perfection! &he Italian

took its Mrst form to"ard the end of the thirteenth

century, in the reign of 0ing oger, father of the

unfortunate ;oan of )aples! 2ante, the .lorentine


71/458

poet, had already adorned the &uscan tongue by his

poem called 6 3omedy $ 6 "hich, though a "himsical

performance, is full of many striking and natural

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! J#

beauties! In this "ork the author raised himself

above the bad taste of his times and his subKect$

and "e may every"here Mnd in it, passages "ritten

in all the purity and elegance of the later times of

%riosto and &asso! /e cannot "onder that the

author, "ho "as one of the chiefs of the 4hibelline

faction, and "as severely persecuted by +ope 5oni-

face 1III! and 3harles of 1alois, has in several parts

of his poem given vent to the concern he felt for the

Nuarrels bet"een the empire and the pontiMcate!

+ermit me in this place to insert a "eak translation

of one of the passages in 2ante, relating to these

dissensions! &hese monuments of the human mind

serve to amuse us after a long and painful attention

to the miseries "hich have distracted the earth!

Of old, t"o suns "ere seen to blaze

In peace profound "ith genial rays $


72/458

On mans be"ildered race to shine,

%nd point the paths to truth divine$

&he imperial eagles rights to sho",

%nd brings the lambs Kust claims to vie"!

&hose skies serene are no" no more :

One sun surcharged "ith vapors hoar,

aunched from his sphere eccentric gleams,

%nd strives to drink the others beams!

/ild anarchy her empire rears $

% lion Merce the lamb appears,

In robes usurped a tyrant lord

&o "ield the crosier and the s"ord!

&o 2ante succeeded +etrarch, born in the year

>HBJ, in %rezzo, the country of the famous 4uido

%retin $ this poet rendered the Italian tongue more

1ol! ECJ

GB %ncient and =odern 7istory!

pure, and gave it all the s"eetness of "hich it "as

susceptible! In these t"o poets, and especially in

the latter, "e meet "ith a great number of strokes

"hich resemble the beautiful "orks of the ancients,


73/458

and have at once all the vigor of antiNuity and the

freshness of novelty! It may appear rash in me to

pretend to imitate this eDcellent poet, but you "ill

forgive my presumption for the desire I have to

make you acNuainted as much as possible "ith the

nature of his style! 7ere follo"s nearly the begin-

ning of his beautiful 6 Ode to the .ountain of 1au-

cluse,6 "hich is indeed irregular, and composed by

him in blank verse to avoid the constraint of rhyme,

but "hich nevertheless is more esteemed than those

of his pieces "hich are in rhyme :

6 +ure fountain, by "hose purling stream,

&hat beauty, mistress of my heart,

/hom nature formed above the reach of art,

%voids at noon the sultry beam $

O happy tree, "hose foliage made,

/hen fanned by ephyrs "ing,

.or her a cool, refreshing shade,

e scenes that her adored idea bring,

%nd "ake the sigh that struggles "hile I sing $

e gorgeous daughters of the de"y morn,


74/458

/ho, though less fair than she, these meads adorn,

("eet Po"rets, oft beheld "ith Kealous eye,

/hile borro"ing fragrance on her breast you lie $

e nightingales "hose "arbled strain

/ould emulate her song in vain$

e breezes that more salutary play,

%s oer her charms "ith feathered foot you stray $

O blest retreat, that ages shall revereS

O plain so dreaded, yet so dear S

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! G>

/here love, "ith his all-piercing dart,

.irst triumphed oer my captive heart $

eceive these tears, these notes by sorro" sung,

/hile deaths cold accents tremble on my tongue!6

&hese little poems, "hich are styled 3anzoni, are

esteemed his masterpieces, his other "orks having

procured him much less honor : here he has immor-


75/458

talized the 6 .ountain of 1aucluse,6 his mistress,

aura, and himself! 7ad he never loved, he "ould

never have been so "ell kno"n! 7o"ever imperfect

the above imitation may be, it serves to sho" the

immense superiority the Italians had over other

nations, and I thought it much better to give you this

slight idea of +etrarchs genius, and of that s"eet-

ness and melting elegance "hich so much distinguish

his "ritings, than to trouble you "ith a repetition of

"hat so many "riters have already related of the

honors oRered him at +aris, of those conferred on

him at ome, and of his triumph in the 3apitol, in

>HJ>, "here he received that famous homage "hich

the admiration of his contemporaries paid to a

genius then unparalleled, but "hich "as after"ard

surpassed by that of %riosto and &asso! I shall not,

ho"ever, omit to mention that his family "ere ban-

ished from &uscany, and their estates conMscated,

during the dissensions bet"een the 4uelphs and

4hibellines $ and that the people of .lorence deputed

5occaccio to reNuest him in their name to come and

honor his native country "ith his presence, and enKoy

the restitution of his patrimony! 4reece, in her


76/458

GE %ncient and =odern 7istory!

brightest ages, never gave nobler proofs of a taste

and esteem for great talents!

&his 5occaccio MDed the &uscan language, and is

still the best model for eDactness and purity of

style, in prose, as "ell as for the natural and the

narrative! &he Italian tongue, thus rendered perfect

by these t"o "riters, under"ent no further altera-

tion, "hile all the other people of 'urope, even the

4reeks themselves, have changed their idiom!

%fter this there follo"ed an uninterrupted suc-

cession of Italian poets, "hose "orks have all been

transmitted to posterity! +ulci "rote after +etrarch $

5ayardo, count of (candiano, succeeded +ulci $ and

%riosto surpassed them all by the fruitfulness of his

imagination! et us not forget that +etrarch and

5occaccio celebrated the unfortunate ;oan of )aples,

"hose cultivated mind "as sensible of their merit,

and "ho "as herself one of their scholars! (he "as

at that time entirely devoted to the polite arts, and

forgot in their bosom the crimes "hich had embit-

tered the moments of her Mrst marriage$ and the

change "hich "as "rought in her manners by the


77/458

cultivation of her mind, should have saved her from

the tragical end "hich after"ard befell her!

&he polite arts, "hich are, as it "ere, linked hand

in hand, and generally sink and rise again together,

Mrst began in Italy to emerge from barbarism! 3im-

abue, "ithout any assistance, became ane" the

inventor of painting in the thirteenth century! 4iotto

dre" pictures "hich are yet beheld "ith pleasure!

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! TH

&here is one piece in particular remaining of this

famous painter, "hich has since been copied in

mosaic "ork, and represents the favorite apostle

"alking upon the "aters $ it is to be seen over the

great door in (t! +eters at ome! 5runelleschi

began to reform the 4othic architecture, and 4uido

of %rezzo had long before, namely, about the end

of the eleventh century, invented notes for music,

by "hich he rendered that art more easy and gen-

erally kno"n!

/e are indebted for all these beautiful and ne"


78/458

inventions to the Italians alone! &hey called them

all into life again by the sole strength of their genius,

before the little science "hich "as left in 3onstan-

tinople had ebbed back into Italy "ith the 4reek

language, after the Ottoman conNuests! .lorence

"as at that time a ne" %thens, and, among the ora-

tors "ho "ere sent from the Italian cities to compli-

ment +ope 5oniface 1III! on his eDaltation to the

papal chair, there "ere no less than eight natives of

.lorence! 5y this "e may perceive that "e do not

o"e the revival of the polite arts to those "ho Ped

into Italy from 3onstantinople, since these fugitives

could at most but teach the Italians the 4reek lan-

guage!

It may appear astonishing that so many great gen-

iuses should have arisen in Italy in the midst of dis-

sensions and civil "ars, and eNually destitute of

protection and of models! 5ut let it be remembered

that among the omans ucretius "rote his beauti-

GJ %ncient and =odern 7istory!

ful poem upon natural history, 1irgil his 6 5ucol-


79/458

ics,6 and 3icero his books of philosophy, in the

midst of all the horrors of civil "ars! /hen once

a language begins to take a form, it becomes an

instrument "hich great artists Mnd ready prepared

to their hands, and "hich they employ "ithout con-

cerning themselves about "ho governs or disturbs

the "orld!

5ut although this light seems to have shone only

in Italy, yet there "ere not "anting some persons

of talents in other countries! (t! 5ernard and %be-

lard, "ho lived in .rance in the t"elfth century,

may be considered as men of great genius, but their

language "as a barbarous Kargon, and their atin

"as a tribute "hich they paid to the bad taste of the

times! &he atin hymns in rhyme, "hich "ere

composed in the t"elfth and thirteenth centuries,

are the very Nuintessence of barbarism! It "as not

thus that 7orace sung the secular games! &he

scholastic divinity of those times, "hich "as the

bastard oRspring of the %ristotelian philosophy,

badly translated, and as ill understood, did more

inKury to understanding and the polite studies than

ever the 7uns and 1andals had done!

&he polite arts "ere kept alive in the 'ast, and


80/458

since the poems of the +ersian "riter (adi are still

in the mouths of +ersians, &urks, and %rabians, they

must certainly have had some merit! &his "riter

"as contemporary "ith +etrarch, and eNual to him

in reputation! It is certain that, in general, good

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! GG

taste "as far from being prevalent among the Ori-

entals! &heir "orks resemble the titles of their

monarchs, full of high-sounding epithets! &he

spirit of slavery and subKection appears to be nat-

urally dastardly, as that of liberty is nervous, and

true greatness simple! &he Orientals have no deli-

cacy, because their "omen are eDcluded from society!

&hey have no order or method, because everyone

gives freedom to his imagination in that solitude in

"hich they pass the greater part of their lives, and

the imagination of itself is al"ays unruly! &hey

have also been al"ays strangers to true eloNuence,

such as that of 3icero and 2emosthenes! .or "hom

had an eastern orator to persuade? a set of slaves!

%nd yet they have several bright gleams of scientiMc

light: they paint in speech$ and although their


81/458

Mgures are freNuently gigantic and incoherent, they

still partake some"hat of the sublime! ou may

perhaps not be displeased to see again in this place

a passage from (adi, "hich I formerly translated

into blank verse, and "hich bears a strong resem-

blance to some passages in the 7ebre" poets! It is

a description of the po"er of 4od, a common-place

subKect "ithout doubt, but "hich may serve to give

you an idea of the +ersian genius!

7e kno"s distinctly "hat is yet to come,

7is ear is Mlled "ith sounds as yet unformed!

(overeign of all, he asks no bended knee,

Immortal Kudge, he needs no "ritten la"!

5y the eternal fulness of his foresight,

%s "ith a ready pencil, he has traced

GC %ncient and =odern 7istory!

&he infant features in the mothers "omb!

5y him conducted through his bright career^

(afely the sun Kourneys from east to "est!

7e so"s the Pinty bosoms of the hills

/ith the rich ruby, and the sapphire blue!


82/458

&"o drops of "ater, in his plastic hand,

&ake diRerent forms, as suit his high behest$

&his breathes a man $ that, sinking to the deep,

ounds in its oozy bed an orient pearl!

3reation at his bidding rose to light,

%nd shall, if he commands, again retire

5ack to the immense vacuity of space $

Or if he speaks, lo S Nuicker than the "ord,

&he obedient universe once more starts forth

.rom deepest chaos, to the realms of being!

If the belles-lettres "ere thus cultivated on the

banks of the &igris and 'uphrates, it is a certain

proof that the other arts "hich minister to our

pleasures "ere very "ell kno"n! &he superPuities

of life follo" only after the kno"ledge of the neces-

saries : but this "as still "anting almost throughout

'urope! /hat did they kno" in 4ermany, .rance,

'ngland, (pain, and the northern parts of om-

bardy ? )othing but barbarous and feudal customs

eNually tumultuous and uncertain, duels, tourna-

ments, scholastic divinity, and magic!

&hey still celebrated in several churches the fes-

tival of the ass, and that of the innocents and fools!

%n ass "as brought before the altar, and the people


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sang the "hole anthem to him: 6%men, %men,

%sine$ eh, eh, eh, =r! %ssS eh, eh, eh, =r! %ss!6

% company of fools marched at the head of every

procession in plaited go"ns, hung round "ith bells

=anners, 3ustoms, 'tc! GF

and baubles, and this fashi

voltaire xxvi

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