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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
I str^y fron? tbe treside,
of tbe one! "bo loves and
cberlsbes n#e-u$bo
mlooeo n?e "hen I an?
n?e vagrant please send
n?e bon#e-an#oi#^ n?y
brothers -on tbe book-
shelves of -
%l&'tp(%)&tl
+O+'& O.
!
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&he /O0( of 1O&%I'
'2I&IO) 2' % +%3I.I3%&IO)
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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%)3I')& %)2 =O2') 7I(&O
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%)3I')& %)2 =O2')
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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! > >
37%+&' A1I!
.%)3' %)2 ')4%)2 2
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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
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"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-
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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
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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
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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
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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!
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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!
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&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
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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!
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&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
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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
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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
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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"
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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
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assassin!
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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
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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-
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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
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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-
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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
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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-
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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
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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!
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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
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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
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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!,
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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!
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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
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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-
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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>
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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
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JE %ncient and =odern 7istory!
37%+&' AIA!
=%))'(, 3
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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
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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!
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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
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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,
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"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
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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!
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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,
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%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
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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
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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 $
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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,
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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,
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/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-
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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
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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
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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"
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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-
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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
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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
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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!
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&"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