by Walter Scott
CHAPTER XII: THE POLITICIAN
This is a lecturer, so skill'd in policy, That (no disparagement to Satan's cunning) He well might read a lesson to the devil, And teach the old seducer new temptations.
OLD PLAY
As Louis entered the gallery, he bent his brows in the manner we haveformerly described as peculiar to him, and sent, from under his gatheredand gloomy eyebrows, a keen look on all around; in darting which,as Quentin afterwards declared, his eyes seemed to turn so small,so fierce, and so piercing, as to resemble those of an aroused adderlooking through the bush of heath in which he lies coiled.
When, by this momentary and sharpened glance, the King had reconnoiteredthe cause of the bustle which was in the apartment, his first addresswas to the Duke of Orleans.
"You here, my fair cousin?" he said;--and turning to Quentin, addedsternly, "Had you not charge?"
"Forgive the young man, Sire," said the Duke; "he did not neglect hisduty; but I was informed that the Princess was in this gallery."
"And I warrant you would not be withstood when you came hither to payyour court," said the King, whose detestable hypocrisy persisted inrepresenting the Duke as participating in a passion which was felt onlyon the side of his unhappy daughter; "and it is thus you debauch thesentinels of my guard, young man?--But what cannot be pardoned to agallant who only lives par amours [by his love affairs]?"
The Duke of Orleans raised his head, as if about to reply in some mannerwhich might correct the opinion conveyed in the King's observation; butthe instinctive reverence, not to say fear, of Louis, in which he hadbeen bred from childhood, chained up his voice.
"And Joan hath been ill?" said the King; "but do not be grieved, Louis;it will soon pass away; lend her your arm to her apartment, while I willconduct these strange ladies to theirs."
The order was given in a tone which amounted to a command, and Orleansaccordingly made his exit with the Princess at one extremity of thegallery, while the King, ungloving his right hand, courteously handedthe Countess Isabelle and her kinswoman to their apartment, whichopened from the other. He bowed profoundly as they entered, and remainedstanding on the threshold for a minute after they had disappeared;then, with great composure, shut the door by which they had retiredand turning the huge key, took it from the lock, and put it into hisgirdle--an appendage which gave him still more perfectly the air of someold miser, who cannot journey in comfort unless he bear with him the keyof his treasure closet.
With slow and pensive step, and eyes fixed on the ground, Louis nowpaced towards Quentin Durward, who, expecting his share of the royaldispleasure, viewed his approach with no little anxiety.
"Thou hast done wrong," said the King, raising his eyes, and fixing themfirmly on him when he had come within a yard of him,--"thou hast donefoul wrong, and deservest to die.--Speak not a word in defence!--Whathadst thou to do with Dukes or Princesses?--what with any thing but myorder?"
"So please your Majesty," said the young soldier, "what could I do?"
"What couldst thou do when thy post was forcibly passed?" answered theKing, scornfully,--"what is the use of that weapon on thy shoulder? Thoushouldst have levelled thy piece, and if the presumptuous rebel didnot retire on the instant, he should have died within this very hall!Go--pass into these farther apartments. In the first thou wilt find alarge staircase, which leads to the inner Bailley; there thou wiltfind Oliver Dain [the inner bailey contained the stables and often thechapel. It communicated directly with the keep]. Send him to me--do thoubegone to thy quarters.--As thou dost value thy life, be not so loose ofthy tongue as thou hast been this day slack of thy hand."
Well pleased to escape so easily, yet with a soul which revolted at thecold blooded cruelty which the King seemed to require from him in theexecution of his duty, Durward took the road indicated; hastened downstairs, and communicated the royal pleasure to Oliver, who was waitingin the court beneath. The wily tonsor bowed, sighed, and smiled, as,with a voice even softer than ordinary, he wished the youth a goodevening; and they parted, Quentin to his quarters, and Oliver to attendthe King.
In this place, the Memoirs which we have chiefly followed in compilingthis true history were unhappily defective; for, founded chiefly oninformation supplied by Quentin, they do not convey the purport of thedialogue which, in his absence, took place between the King and hissecret counsellor. Fortunately the Library of Hautlieu contains amanuscript copy of the Chronique Scandaleuse of Jean de Troyes [theMarquis de Hautlieu is the name of an imaginary character in whoselibrary Scott declares himself to have found the memorials which formthe basis of the novel of Quentin Durward], much more full than thatwhich has been printed; to which are added several curious memoranda,which we incline to think must have been written down by Oliver himselfafter the death of his master, and before he had the happiness to berewarded with the halter which he had so long merited. From this wehave been able to extract a very full account of the obscure favourite'sconversation with Louis upon the present occasion, which throws a lightupon the policy of that Prince, which we might otherwise have sought forin vain.
When the favourite attendant entered the Gallery of Roland, he found theKing pensively seated upon the chair which his daughter had left someminutes before. Well acquainted with his temper, he glided on with hisnoiseless step until he had just crossed the line of the King's sight,so as to make him aware of his presence, then shrank modestly backwardand out of sight, until he should be summoned to speak or to listen. TheMonarch's first address was an unpleasant one: "So, Oliver, your fineschemes are melting like snow before the south wind!--I pray to OurLady of Embrun that they resemble not the ice heaps of which the Switzerchurls tell such stories, and come rushing down upon our heads."
"I have heard with concern that all is not well, Sire," answered Oliver.
"Not well!" exclaimed the King, rising and hastily marching up and downthe gallery. "All is ill, man--and as ill nearly as possible; so muchfor thy fond romantic advice, that I, of all men, should become aprotector of distressed damsels! I tell thee Burgundy is arming, and onthe eve of closing an alliance with England. And Edward, who hath hishands idle at home, will pour his thousands upon us through thatunhappy gate of Calais. Singly, I might cajole or defy them; but united,united--and with the discontent and treachery of that villain SaintPaul!--All thy fault, Oliver, who counselled me to receive the women,and to use the services of that damned Bohemian to carry messages totheir vassals."
"My lord," said Oliver, "you know my reasons. The Countess's domainslie between the frontiers of Burgundy and Flanders--her castle is almostimpregnable--her rights over neighbouring estates are such as, if wellsupported, cannot but give much annoyance to Burgundy, were the lady butwedded to one who should be friendly to France."
"It is, it is a tempting bait," said the King; "and could we haveconcealed her being here, we might have arranged such a marriage forthis rich heiress as would have highly profited--France. But thatcursed Bohemian, how couldst thou recommend such a heathen hound for acommission which required trust?"
"Please you," said Oliver, "to remember it was your Grace's self whotrusted him too far--much farther than I recommended. He would haveborne a letter trustily enough to the Countess's kinsman, telling him tohold out her castle, and promising speedy relief; but your Highness mustneeds put his prophetic powers to the test; and thus he became possessedof secrets which were worth betraying to Duke Charles."
"I am ashamed, I am ashamed," said Louis. "And yet, Oliver, they saythat these heathen people are descended from the sage Chaldeans, whodid read the mysteries of the stars in the plains of Shinar [they liebetween the Tigris and Euphrates]."
Well aware that his master, with all his acuteness and sagacity, was butthe more prone to be deceived by soothsayers, astrologers, diviners,and all that race of pretenders to occult science, and that he evenconceived himself to have some skill in these arts. Oliver dared topress this point no farther; and only observed that the Bohemian hadbeen a bad
prophet on his own account, else he would have avoidedreturning to Tours, and saved himself from the gallows he had merited.
"It often happens that those who are gifted with prophetic knowledge,"answered Louis, with much gravity, "have not the power of foreseeingthose events in which they themselves are personally interested."
"Under your Majesty's favour," replied the confidant, "that seems as ifa man could not see his own hand by means of the candle which he holds,and which shows him every other object in the apartment."
"He cannot see his own features by the light which shows the faces ofothers," replied Louis; "and that is the more faithful illustration ofthe case.--But this is foreign to my purpose at present. The Bohemianhath had his reward, and peace be with him.--But these ladies!--Notonly does Burgundy threaten us with war for harbouring them, but theirpresence is like to interfere with my projects in my own family. Mysimple cousin of Orleans hath barely seen this damsel, and I venture toprophesy that the sight of her is like to make him less pliable in thematter of his alliance with Joan."
"Your Majesty," answered the counsellor, "may send these ladies ofCroye back to Burgundy, and so make your peace with the Duke. Manymight murmur at this as dishonourable; but if necessity demands thesacrifice--"
"If profit demanded the sacrifice, Oliver, the sacrifice should bemade without hesitation," answered the King. "I am an old, experiencedsalmon, and use not to gulp the angler's hook because it is busked upwith a feather called honour. But what is worse than a lack of honour,there were, in returning those ladies to Burgundy, a forfeiture of thoseviews of advantage which moved us to give them an asylum. It were heartbreaking to renounce the opportunity of planting a friend to ourselves,and an enemy to Burgundy, in the very centre of his dominions, and sonear to the discontented cities of Flanders. Oliver, I cannot relinquishthe advantages which our scheme of marrying the maiden to a friend ofour own house seems to hold out to us."
"Your Majesty," said Oliver, after a moment's thought, "might confer herhand on some right trusty friend, who would take all blame on himself,and serve your Majesty secretly, while in public you might disown him."
"And where am I to find such a friend?" said Louis. "Were I to bestowher upon any one of our mutinous and ill ruled nobles, would it not berendering him independent? and hath it not been my policy for yearsto prevent them from becoming so?--Dunois indeed--him, and him only, Imight perchance trust.--He would fight for the crown of France, whateverwere his condition. But honours and wealth change men's natures.--EvenDunois I will not trust."
"Your Majesty may find others," said Oliver, in his smoothest manner,and in a tone more insinuating than that which he usually employed inconversing with the King, who permitted him considerable freedom; "mendependent entirely on your own grace and favour, and who could no moreexist without your countenance than without sun or air--men rather ofhead than of action--men who"
"Men who resemble thyself, ha!" said King Louis. "No, Oliver, by myfaith that arrow was too rashly shot!--What! because I indulge thee withmy confidence, and let thee, in reward, poll my lieges a little nowand then, dost thou think it makes thee fit to be the husband of thatbeautiful vision, and a Count of the highest class to boot?--thee--thee,I say, low born, and lower bred, whose wisdom is at best a sort ofdinning, and whose courage is more than doubtful."
"Your Majesty imputes to me a presumption of which I am not guilty, insupposing me to aspire so highly," said Oliver.
"I am glad to hear it, man," said the King; "and truly, I hold yourjudgment the healthier that you disown such a reverie. But methinks thyspeech sounded strangely in that key.--Well, to return.--I dare not wedthis beauty to one of my subjects--I dare not return her to Burgundy--Idare not transmit her to England or to Germany, where she is likely tobecome the prize of some one more apt to unite with Burgundy than withFrance, and who would be more ready to discourage the honest malcontentsin Ghent and Liege, than to yield them that wholesome countenance whichmight always find Charles the Hardy enough to exercise his valour on,without stirring from his domains--and they were in so ripe a humour forinsurrection, the men of Liege in especial, that they alone, wellheated and supported, would find my fair cousin work for more than atwelvemonth; and backed by a warlike Count of Croye--O, Oliver! the planis too hopeful to be resigned without a struggle.--Cannot thy fertilebrain devise some scheme?"
Oliver paused for a long time--then at last replied, "What if a bridalcould be accomplished betwixt Isabelle of Croye and young Adolphus, theDuke of Gueldres?"
"What!" said the King, in astonishment "sacrifice her, and she, too, solovely a creature, to the furious wretch who deposed, imprisoned, andhas often threatened to murder his own father!--No, Oliver, no that weretoo unutterably cruel even for you and me, who look so steadfastly toour excellent end, the peace and the welfare of France, and respect solittle the means by which it is attained. Besides, he lies distant fromus and is detested by the people of Ghent and Liege.--No, no--I willnone of Adolphus of Gueldres--think on some one else."
"My invention is exhausted, Sire," said the counsellor; "I can rememberno one who, as husband to the Countess of Croye, would be likely toanswer your Majesty's views. He must unite such various qualities--afriend to your Majesty--an enemy to Burgundy--of policy enough toconciliate the Ghentois and Liegeois, and of valour sufficient to defendhis little dominions against the power of Duke Charles--of noble birthbesides--that your Highness insists upon; and of excellent and virtuouscharacter to the boot of all."
"Nay, Oliver," said the King, "I leaned not so much--that is so verymuch, on character; but methinks Isabelle's bridegroom should besomething less publicly and generally abhorred than Adolphus ofGueldres. For example, since I myself must suggest some one--why notWilliam de la Marck?"
"On my halidome, Sire," said Oliver, "I cannot complain of yourdemanding too high a standard of moral excellence in the happy man, ifthe Wild Boar of Ardennes can serve your turn. De la Marck!--why,he is the most notorious robber and murderer on all thefrontiers--excommunicated by the Pope for a thousand crimes."
"We will have him released from the sentence, friend Oliver--Holy Churchis merciful."
"Almost an outlaw," continued Oliver, "and under the ban of the Empire,by an ordinance of the Chamber at Ratisbon."
[Ratisbon was the seat of the German Reichstag from 1663 to 1806.]
"We will have the ban taken off, friend Oliver," continued the King, inthe same tone; "the Imperial Chamber will hear reason."
[A supreme court of appeals established in 1495 by Maximilian I: thefirst law court established in Germany.]
"And admitting him to be of noble birth," said Oliver, "he hath themanners, the face, and the outward form, as well as the heart, of aFlemish butcher--she will never accept of him."
"His mode of wooing, if I mistake him not," said Louis, "will render itdifficult for her to make a choice."
"I was far wrong indeed, when I taxed your Majesty with being overscrupulous," said the counsellor. "On my life, the crimes of Adolphusare but virtues to those of De la Marck!--And then how is he to meetwith his bride? Your Majesty knows he dare not stir far from his ownforest of Ardennes."
"That must be cared for," said the King; "and, in the first place,the two ladies must be acquainted privately that they can be no longermaintained at this Court, except at the expense of a war between Franceand Burgundy, and that, unwilling to deliver them up to my faircousin of Burgundy, I am desirous they should secretly depart from mydominions."
"They will demand to be conveyed to England," said Oliver "and we shallhave her return to Flanders with an island lord, having a round, fairface, long brown hair, and three thousand archers at his back."
"No--no," replied the king; "we dare not (you understand me) so faroffend our fair cousin of Burgundy as to let her pass to England. Itwould bring his displeasure as certainly as our maintaining her here.No, no--to the safety of the Church alone we will venture to commither; and the utmost we can do is to connive at the Ladies Hameli
ne andIsabelle de Croye departing in disguise, and with a small retinue, totake refuge with the Bishop of Liege, who will place the fair Isabellefor the time under the safeguard of a convent."
"And if that convent protect her from William de la Marck, when he knowsof your Majesty's favourable intentions, I have mistaken the man."
"Why, yes," answered the King, "thanks to our secret supplies of money,De la Marck hath together a handsome handful of as unscrupulous soldieryas ever were outlawed; with which he contrives to maintain himself amongthe woods, in such a condition as makes him formidable both to the Dukeof Burgundy and the Bishop of Liege. He lacks nothing but some territorywhich he may call his own; and this being so fair an opportunity toestablish himself by marriage, I think that, Pasques dieu! he will findmeans to win and wed, without more than a hint on our part. The Dukeof Burgundy will then have such a thorn in his side as no lancet of ourtime will easily cut out from his flesh. The Boar of Ardennes, whom hehas already outlawed, strengthened by the possession of that fair lady'slands, castles, and seigniory, with the discontented Liegeois to boot,who, by may faith, will not be in that case unwilling to choose him fortheir captain and leader--let Charles then think of wars with Francewhen he will, or rather let him bless his stars if she war not withhim.--How dost thou like the scheme, Oliver, ha?"
"Rarely," said Oliver, "save and except the doom which confers thatlady on the Wild Boar of Ardennes.--By my halidome, saving in a littleoutward show of gallantry, Tristan, the Provost Marshal, were the moreproper bridegroom of the two."
"Anon thou didst propose Master Oliver the barber," said Louis; "butfriend Oliver and gossip Tristan, though excellent men in the way ofcounsel and execution, are not the stuff that men make counts of.--Knowyou not that the burghers of Flanders value birth in other men preciselybecause they have it not themselves?--A plebeian mob ever desire anaristocratic leader. Yonder Ked, or Cade, or--how called they him?--inEngland, was fain to lure his rascal rout after him by pretending to theblood of the Mortimers [Jack Cade was the leader of Cade's Rebellion.Calling himself Mortimer, and claiming to be a cousin of Richard, Dukeof York, in 1450, at the head of twenty thousand men, he took formalpossession of London. His alleged object was to procure representationfor the people, and so reduce excessive taxation.]. William de la Marckcomes of the blood of the Princes of Sedan, as noble as mine own.--Andnow to business. I must determine the ladies of Croye to a speedy andsecret flight, under sure guidance. This will be easily done--we havebut to hint the alternative of surrendering them to Burgundy. Thou mustfind means to let William de la Marck know of their motions, and let himchoose his own time and place to push his suit. I know a fit person totravel with them."
"May I ask to whom your Majesty commits such an important charge?" askedthe tonsor.
"To a foreigner, be sure," replied the King, "one who has neither kinnor interest in France, to interfere with the execution of my pleasure;and who knows too little of the country and its factions, to suspectmore of my purpose than I choose to tell him--in a word, I design toemploy the young Scot who sent you hither but now."
Oliver paused in a manner which seemed to imply a doubt of the prudenceof the choice, and then added, "Your Majesty has reposed confidence inthat stranger boy earlier than is your wont."
"I have my reasons," answered the King. "Thou knowest" (and he crossedhimself) "my devotion for the blessed Saint Julian. I had been saying myorisons to that holy Saint late in the night before last, wherein (as heis known to be the guardian of travellers) I made it my humble petitionthat he would augment my household with such wandering foreigners asmight best establish throughout our kingdom unlimited devotion to ourwill; and I vowed to the good Saint in guerdon, that I would, in hisname, receive, and relieve; and maintain them."
"And did Saint Julian," said Oliver, "send your Majesty this long leggedimportation from Scotland in answer to your prayers?"
Although the barber, who well knew that his master had superstition ina large proportion to his want of religion, and that on such topicsnothing was more easy than to offend him--although, I say, he knew theroyal weakness, and therefore carefully put the preceding question inthe softest and most simple tone of voice, Louis felt the innuendo whichit contained, and regarded the speaker with high displeasure.
"Sirrah," he said, "thou art well called Oliver the Devil, who darestthus to sport at once with thy master and with the blessed Saints. Itell thee, wert thou one grain less necessary to me, I would have theehung up on yonder oak before the Castle, as an example to all who scoffat things holy--Know, thou infidel slave, that mine eyes were no soonerclosed; than the blessed Saint Julian was visible to me, leading a youngman whom he presented to me, saying that his fortune should be to escapethe sword, the cord, the river, and to bring good fortune to the sidewhich he should espouse, and to the adventures in which he should beengaged. I walked out on the succeeding morning and I met with thisyouth, whose image I had seen in my dream. In his own country he hathescaped the sword, amid the massacre of his whole family, and herewithin the brief compass of two days, he hath been strangely rescuedfrom drowning and from the gallows, and hath already, on a particularoccasion, as I but lately hinted to thee, been of the most materialservice to me. I receive him as sent hither by Saint Julian to serve mein the most difficult, the most dangerous, and even the most desperateservices."
The King, as he thus expressed himself, doffed his hat, and selectingfrom the numerous little leaden figures with which the hat band wasgarnished that which represented Saint Julian, he placed it on thetable, as was often his wont when some peculiar feeling of hope, orperhaps of remorse, happened to thrill across his mind, and, kneelingdown before it, muttered, with an appearance of profound devotion,"Sancte Juliane, adsis precibus nostris! Ora, ora, pro nobis! [St.Julian, give heed to our prayers. Plead, plead for us!]"
This was one of those ague fits of superstitious devotion which oftenseized on Louis in such extraordinary times and places, that they gaveone of the most sagacious monarchs who ever reigned the appearance ofa madman, or at least of one whose mind was shaken by some deepconsciousness of guilt.
While he was thus employed, his favourite looked at him with anexpression of sarcastic contempt which he scarce attempted to disguise.Indeed, it was one of this man's peculiarities, that in his wholeintercourse with his master, he laid aside that fondling, purringaffectation of officiousness and humility which distinguished hisconduct to others; and if he still bore some resemblance to a cat, itwas when the animal is on its guard,--watchful, animated, and alertfor sudden exertion. The cause of this change was probably Oliver'sconsciousness that his Master was himself too profound a hypocrite notto see through the hypocrisy of others.
"The features of this youth, then, if I may presume to speak," saidOliver, "resemble those of him whom your dream exhibited?"
"Closely and intimately," said the King, whose imagination, like thatof superstitious people in general, readily imposed upon itself. "Ihave had his horoscope cast, besides, by Galeotti Martivalle, and I haveplainly learned, through his art and mine own observation, that, inmany respects, this unfriended youth has his destiny under the sameconstellation with mine."
Whatever Oliver might think of the causes thus boldly assigned forthe preference of an inexperienced stripling, he dared make no fartherobjections, well knowing that Louis, who, while residing in exile,had bestowed much of his attention on the supposed science of judicialastrology, would listen to no raillery of any kind which impeached hisskill. He therefore only replied that he trusted the youth would provefaithful in the discharge of a task so delicate.
"We will take care he hath no opportunity to be otherwise," said Louis;"for he shall be privy to nothing, save that he is sent to escort theLadies of Croye to the residence of the Bishop of Liege. Of the probableinterference of William de la Marck he shall know as little as theythemselves. None shall know that secret but the guide; and Tristan orthou must find one fit for our purpose."
"But in that case," s
aid Oliver, "judging of him from his country andhis appearance, the young man is like to stand to his arms as soon asthe Wild Boar comes on them, and may not come off so easily from thetusks as he did this morning."
"If they rend his heart strings," said Louis, composedly, "Saint Julian,blessed be his name! can send me another in his stead. It skills aslittle that the messenger is slain after his duty is executed, as thatthe flask is broken when the wine is drunk out.--Meanwhile, wemust expedite the ladies' departure, and then persuade the Count deCrevecoeur that it has taken place without our connivance; we havingbeen desirous to restore them to the custody of our fair cousin, whichtheir sudden departure has unhappily prevented."
"The Count is perhaps too wise, and his master too prejudiced, tobelieve it."
"Holy Mother!" said Louis, "what unbelief would that be in Christianmen! But, Oliver, they shall believe us. We will throw into our wholeconduct towards our fair cousin, Duke Charles, such thorough andunlimited confidence, that, not to believe we have been sincere withhim in every respect, he must be worse than an infidel. I tell thee,so convinced am I that I could make Charles of Burgundy think of me inevery respect as I would have him, that, were it necessary for silencinghis doubts, I would ride unarmed, and on a palfrey, to visit him in histent, with no better guard about me than thine own simple person, friendOliver."
"And I," said Oliver, "though I pique not myself upon managing steelin any other shape than that of a razor, would rather charge a Swissbattalion of pikes, than I would accompany your Highness upon such avisit of friendship to Charles of Burgundy, when he hath so many groundsto be well assured that there is enmity in your Majesty's bosom againsthim."
"Thou art a fool, Oliver," said the King, "with all thy pretensionsto wisdom--and art not aware that deep policy must often assume theappearance of the most extreme simplicity, as courage occasionallyshrouds itself under the show of modest timidity. Were it needful,full surely would I do what I have said--the Saints always blessing ourpurpose, and the heavenly constellations bringing round in their coursea proper conjuncture for such an exploit."
In these words did King Louis XI give the first hint of theextraordinary resolution which he afterwards adopted in order to dupehis great rival, the subsequent execution of which had very nearlyproved his own ruin.
He parted with his counsellor, and presently afterwards went to theapartment of the Ladies of Croye. Few persuasions beyond his merelicense would have been necessary to determine their retreat from theCourt of France, upon the first hint that they might not be eventuallyprotected against the Duke of Burgundy; but it was not so easy to inducethem to choose Liege for the place of their retreat. They entreatedand requested to be transferred to Bretagne or Calais, where, underprotection of the Duke of Bretagne or King of England, they might remainin a state of safety, until the sovereign of Burgundy should relent inhis rigorous purpose towards them. But neither of these places of safetyat all suited the plans of Louis, and he was at last successful ininducing them to adopt that which did coincide with them.
The power of the Bishop of Liege for their defence was not to bequestioned, since his ecclesiastical dignity gave him the means ofprotecting the fugitives against all Christian Princes; while, onthe other hand, his secular forces, if not numerous, seemed at leastsufficient to defend his person, and all under his protection, from anysudden violence. The difficulty was to reach the little Court of theBishop in safety; but for this Louis promised to provide, by spreadinga report that the Ladies of Croye had escaped from Tours by night, underfear of being delivered up to the Burgundian Envoy, and had taken theirflight towards Bretagne. He also promised them the attendance of a smallbut faithful retinue, and letters to the commanders of such towns andfortresses as they might pass, with instructions to use every means forprotecting and assisting them in their journey.
The Ladies of Croye, although internally resenting the ungenerous anddiscourteous manner in which Louis thus deprived them of the promisedasylum in his Court, were so far from objecting to the hasty departurewhich he proposed, that they even anticipated his project, by entreatingto be permitted to set forward that same night. The Lady Hameline wasalready tired of a place where there were neither admiring courtiers,nor festivities to be witnessed; and the Lady Isabelle thought she hadseen enough to conclude that, were the temptation to become a littlestronger, Louis XI, not satisfied with expelling them from his Court,would not hesitate to deliver her up to her irritated Suzerain, the Dukeof Burgundy. Lastly, Louis himself readily acquiesced in their hastydeparture, anxious to preserve peace with Duke Charles, and alarmed lestthe beauty of Isabelle should interfere with and impede the favouriteplan which he had formed for bestowing the hand of his daughter Joanupon his cousin of Orleans.