The memoirs of Philip de Commines, Lord of Argenton, Volume 2 (of 2) : $b Containing the histories of Louis XI. and Charles VIII. Kings of France, and of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. To which is added the Scandalous Chronicle, or, secret history of Louis XI., by Jean de Troyes.Commynes, Philippe de
History
The memoirs of Philip de Commines, Lord of Argenton, Volume 2 (of 2) : $b Containing the histories of Louis XI. and Charles VIII. Kings of France, and of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. To which is added the Scandalous Chronicle, or, secret history of Louis XI., by Jean de Troyes.
Commynes, Philippe de
France -- History -- House of Valois, 1328-1589
Is it possible then to keep a prince (with any regard to his quality)
in a closer prison than he kept himself? The cages which were made for
other people were about eight feet square; and he (though so great a
monarch) had but a small court of the castle to walk in, and seldom made
use of that, but generally kept himself in the gallery, out of which he
went into the chambers on his way to mass, but never passed through the
court. Who can deny that he was a sufferer as well as his neighbours,
considering how he was locked up and guarded, afraid of his own children
and relations, and changing every day those very servants whom he had
brought up and advanced; and though they owed all their preferment to
him, yet he durst not trust any of them, but shut himself up in those
strange chains and enclosures. If the place where he confined himself
was larger than a common prison, he also was much greater than common
prisoners.
It may be urged that other princes have been more given to suspicion
than he, but it was not in our time; and, perhaps, their wisdom was not
so eminent, nor were their subjects so good. They might too, probably,
have been tyrants, and bloody-minded; but our king never did any person
a mischief who had not offended him first, though I do not say all who
offended him deserved death. I have not recorded these things merely
to represent our master as a suspicious and mistrustful prince; but to
show, that by the patience which he expressed in his sufferings (like
those which he inflicted on other people), they may be looked upon, in
my judgment, as a punishment which our Lord inflicted upon him in this
world, in order to deal more mercifully with him in the next, as well
in regard to those things before-mentioned, as to the distempers of
his body, which were great and painful, and much dreaded by him before
they came upon him; and, likewise, that those princes who may be his
successors, may learn by his example to be more tender and indulgent to
their subjects, and less severe in their punishments than our master had
been: although I will not censure him, or say I ever saw a better prince;
for though he oppressed his subjects himself, he would never see them
injured by anybody else.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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