The book of the ladies: Illustrious Dames: The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon RégimeBrantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
History
The book of the ladies: Illustrious Dames: The Reign and Amours of the Bourbon Régime
Brantôme, Pierre de Bourdeille
France -- Biography; France -- Court and courtiers; Queens; Women -- Biography
Reaching the cross, we found all the monks of Saint-Denis awaiting us,
and the body of the king was honourably escorted, with the ceremonies of
the Church, to Saint-Denis, where the great Cardinal de Lorraine
received it most honourably and devoutly, as he knew well how to do.
The queen-mother was very angry that the procession did not continue to
the end as she intended--save for Monsieur her son, and the King of
Navarre, whom she held a prisoner. The next day, however, the latter
arrived in a coach, with a very good guard, and captains of the guard
with him, to be present at the solemn high service, attended by the
whole procession and company as at first,--a sight very sad to see.
After dinner the court of parliament sent to tell and to command the
grand almoner Amyot to go and say grace after meat for them as if for
the king. To which he made answer that he should do nothing of the kind,
for it was not before them he was bound to do it. They sent him two
consecutive and threatening commands; which he still refused, and went
and hid himself that he might answer no more. Then they swore they would
not leave the table till he came; but not being able to find him, they
were constrained to say grace themselves and to rise, which they did
with great threats, foully abusing the said almoner, even to calling him
scoundrel, and son of a butcher. I saw the whole affair; and I know what
Monsieur commanded me to go and tell to M. le cardinal, asking him to
pacify the matter, because they had sent commands to Monsieur to send to
them, as representatives of the king, the grand almoner if he could be
found. M. le cardinal went to speak to them, but he gained nothing; they
standing firm on their opinion of their royal majesty and authority. I
know what M. le cardinal said to me about them, telling me not to say
it,--that they were perfect fools. The chief president, de Thou, was
then at their head; a great senator certainly, but he had a temper. So
here was another disturbance to make that princess say again that King
Charles, either living or dead, on earth or under it, that body of his
stirred up the world and threw it into sedition. Alas! that he could not
do.
I have told this little incident, possibly more at length than I should,
and I may be blamed; but I reply that I have told and put it here as it
came into my fancy and memory; also that it comes in _à propos_; and
that I cannot forget it, for it seems to me a thing that is rather
remarkable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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