King Jean returns to England—His death—Coronation of Charles V. and Jeanne de Bourbon—Murder of Blanche, Queen of Spain—The CÉlÉstine Church—The Abbey of Chelles—The King’s library—Magnificence of the Court—Birth and death of the second Princess Jeanne.

Four years had passed away: years a little less unfortunate for France, as although Jean was still upon the throne and passed his time in travelling about his kingdom in search of amusement instead of giving serious attention to the affairs of the State, he allowed himself to be much influenced by the Dauphin. He ceased to meddle with the value of the coinage, he recalled the Jews and forbade private wars among the nobles. There was still peace between France and England, although English subjects were frequently to be found in the ranks of the Navarrais who were continually at war with the French. The country was still in a disturbed state, and infested by troops of brigands who were always attacking the villages and chÂteaux. The Seigneur de Murs, a little castle near Corbeil, was outside his gates one day, when a party of drovers came up and complained that his servants had taken some pigs of theirs. The seigneur invited them to come inside the gates to see if they could identify any, but no sooner were they over the drawbridge than they threw off their disguise, blew a horn, drew their swords, and being joined by their companions who rushed out of a wood close by, they seized the seigneur, his wife and children, and taking possession of the castle, they made it for some time a centre from which they pillaged the whole countryside.

By the death of the Queen, Jeanne, Duchesse de Normandie, was the head of the court and of society. She was extremely popular, and her beauty the admiration of every one. Froissart in his chronicles always speaks of her as “la belle Duchesse,” or “la bonne Duchesse.” And now the time was drawing near for her to ascend the throne.

The Duc d’Anjou, second son of the King, had broken his parole and returned to France. Jean, horrified at such a breach of honour and of the laws of chivalry, declared his resolution to return to England. Of the true reasons for this journey, which was strongly opposed by his ministers and friends, many different explanations have been given. Modern historians have in many cases adopted the well-known story of his reply that if truth and honour were banished from the earth, they ought still to find refuge on the lips and in the hearts of kings. M. Dulaure,39 however, observes that this speech, which was that of Marcus Aurelius, does not belong to the fourteenth century, and has been ascribed by Paradin to FranÇois I., and by some other writer to the Emperor Charles V. And neither the writers of the “Grandes Chroniques de France,” De Nangis, nor Froissart, who were the most voluminous chroniclers of that time, make any mention of it. De Nangis says that he went to arrange for the ransom of his third son, the Duc de Berry, and his brother, the Duc d’OrlÉans. Froissart declares that he wished to see the King and Queen of England and to make excuses for the conduct of his second son. Others have attributed his persisting in this project to his love for some English lady, probably the Countess of Salisbury. M. Paulin Paris, in a note to his edition of the “Grandes Chroniques de France,” agrees with the explanation of De Nangis, and treats the idea of the English love affair as ridiculous and unlikely at the age of the King of France, who was forty-five. But this does not seem an unanswerable objection, considering the character and habits of Jean; especially if we look at the history of certain other kings at a much more advanced age—Henry IV. for instance.

But whatever might be his reasons, Jean left France according to the “Grandes Chroniques,” on Tuesday evening, January 3, 1364, embarking at Boulogne; and arrived at Dover on Thursday, whence after two or three days he pursued his way to London, was met by a great company of illustrious persons and lavishly entertained by King Edward and the English royal family, who assigned the Savoy Palace for his dwelling, where, after about three months passed in festivities and diversions of various kinds, he was taken ill and died.

The Dauphin was at Vernon, besieging his step-grandmother, Blanche de Navarre, when the news came of his father’s death. Towards her as well as his eldest sister Jeanne, Queen of Navarre, and his aunt, Jeanne d’Evreux, Charles was often placed in an attitude of hostility in which there was no personal animosity, but which arose from their relationship to and affection for his arch-enemy, the King of Navarre. Charles had no wish at all to injure or frighten his sister, of whom he was very fond, or his aunt, for whom he had the greatest respect, or his step-grandmother, who was also his cousin, and with whom he seems to have been on friendly terms when there was no particular quarrel going on about Charles of Navarre. Nevertheless this was not the first time he had been at open war with these ladies, or engaged in besieging one of their castles. He hastened to come to an arrangement with Queen Blanche, and leaving Bertrand du Guesclin in command of the troops that were actively opposing the Navarrais, he hastened to Paris, where the body of the late King was sent from England. “After the funeral at Saint-Denis,” says the chronicler, “Charles went out into a meadow of the cloister of the said church, and there, leaning against a fig tree in the said meadow, he received the homage of several peers and barons; after which he went to dinner, and spent that day and the next at Saint-Denis. And the following Thursday, the 9th May, departed the said King Charles to go to his coronation at Reims, which was to be on the day of the Trinity following.”

Nothing could be more solemn, stately, and imposing than the ceremonial used at the coronation of the Kings and Queens of France; and it must have made a strong impression upon the religious and cultivated minds of Charles and Jeanne. By the regulations made to a great extent by Louis le Jeune in 1179, and afterwards added to and confirmed by St. Louis, the King and Queen, on their arrival at Reims, the city consecrated by the baptism of the first Christian King of France and the coronation of so many generations of his successors, were met by a procession of the canons and other ecclesiastics of the cathedral, churches, and convents of the town. On Saturday, the day before the coronation, after complines, the church was committed to the care of guards appointed by the King, with those belonging there. Then the King, in the silence of the night, came to the church and remained alone in prayer and watching.

When matins rang, at the dawning of the day, the King’s guards were marshalled to keep the great entrance, the other doors being closed. Then matins were chanted, and after them prime. And then the King arrived and the coronation began.

On the spot where Clovis was baptised stands the church of St. Remy, second only to the cathedral in beauty and grandeur. In it was always kept the ampoulle of holy oil with which the Kings of France were anointed, and to which was attached the ancient legend of its having miraculously appeared, being brought down from heaven by a white dove at the baptism of Clovis. This tradition was then firmly believed, and the ampoulle was brought in solemn procession by the monks of St. Remy with cross and candles, carried with great reverence by the Abbot of that monastery under a silk canopy borne by four of the brotherhood. The Archbishop of Reims, with the bishops and canons, came to the door, when the Archbishop received it from the hand of the Abbot with a promise to restore it, and carried it to the altar accompanied by the Abbot and four monks. It was afterwards taken back to St. Remy.

Two thrones were placed in the middle of the cathedral, joining the choir. Around the highest, which was that of the King, were ranged the peers of France, and all those whose rank and office entitled them to such places.

The Archbishop girded on his sword, charging him to keep the army of God, and defend the Church and kingdom committed to him, with the blessing of God, by the virtue of the Holy Spirit and the help of Jesus Christ the invincible Conqueror. Then with prayers and benediction he was anointed with oil from the ampoulle, the ring placed on his finger, the sceptre and hand or rod of justice in his hands, and finally the Archbishop took the crown from the altar and placed it on his head, supported by the peers of France during the prayers and solemn benediction. When the King was crowned and seated on his throne, the Queen arrived at the cathedral. She prostrated herself before the altar and was raised from her knees by the bishops. After some prayers she was anointed, but with a different oil; a smaller sceptre, and a rod of justice like the King’s were given to her, and the ring placed on her finger with these words, “Take the ring of faith, the sign of the Holy Trinity by which thou mayest escape all heresy and malice, and by the virtue given to thee call heathen nations to the knowledge of the truth.”

And never could the benediction of the Archbishop have been more fully re-echoed in the hearts of all around him than when he placed the crown on the head of Jeanne de Bourbon, saying, “Take the crown of glory, honour, and felicity, that thou mayest shine with splendour and be crowned with joy immortal.”

The Queen was conducted to her throne by the barons who supported the crown, and surrounded by the ladies of highest rank; after which the King and Queen kneeling at the altar, received the Communion from the hands of the Archbishop, who at the conclusion of Mass took off their crowns and put smaller ones on their heads, and they proceeded to the palace with a drawn sword carried before them.40

They left Reims after their coronation, and on the 28th of May, Tuesday, entered Paris. The King made his entry at one o’clock, went to the church of Notre Dame and then to the palace, and “about the hour of nine” the Queen’s procession arrived at the gate. Her beauty and grace were the admiration of the multitudes that thronged to see her as she rode into Paris, the crown on her head, her dress covered with jewels and the trappings of her horse embroidered with gold. Philippe, Duc de Touraine, the King’s favourite brother, walked by her side holding the bridle of her horse. With her were the Princess Marie de France, afterwards Duchesse de Bar, the Duchesse d’Anjou and the Duchesse d’OrlÉans, by whose horses walked princes of the blood royal, the ladies of her court with a brilliant cortÈge of nobles, chevaliers, and guards, winding through the crowded, decorated streets to the Palais de la CitÉ.

Just after the King and Queen had entered Paris there arrived in triumph from the battlefield Bertrand du Guesclin. He had won a victory at Cocherel, and had brought not only the news of his success but the famous Captal de Buch, whom he had taken prisoner, to greet the King on the opening of his reign.

There was a great banquet next day at the palace, at which the Captal, who was placed on parole, dined with the King.41 And much honour was shown to Sir Bertrand du Guesclin. After dinner there were jousts in the courtyard of the palace, at which the King of Cyprus and many of the greatest nobles jousted.

On Friday, the last day of May, the King invested his youngest brother, the Duc de Touraine, with the duchy of Burgundy. It had been promised to him by his father in remembrance of the day when, as a mere child, he stood alone by his side in the battle of Poitiers. He afterwards married the heiress of Flanders and Hainault.

The Duchess-dowager, mother of Jeanne, lived a good deal at court, and her brother Louis, Duc de Bourbon, was a great favourite with the King, who extended his affection for Jeanne to every one belonging to her. Louis de Bourbon was one of the best and noblest characters of his century. When a hostage in England, he made himself so beloved that he was allowed to go about wherever he chose, and even to return to France on parole. His estates were managed during his absence by his mother.

The youngest sister of the Queen, Marie de Bourbon, was a nun at Poissy, and for her also both Jeanne and Charles had much affection.

But a constant source of anxiety and grief to them all had been the unfortunate marriage of their sister Blanche, Queen of Spain, who lingered in captivity in one castle after another in spite of the indignation and remonstrances of the Spanish people, the French King, and the royal family her relations. At last came the news that she had been poisoned by Pedro el Cruel, and her death excited the horror and execration of France and Spain against her murderer. Blanche seems to have passed these years in saintly resignation to the will of God. Her brother the Duc de Bourbon and her brother-in-law the King of France did not suffer her death to remain unavenged. Charles V. declared war upon Pedro, and sent French troops to Spain commanded by Bertrand du Guesclin, the BÈgue de Vilaine, and other officers, and after a short time he paid for his crimes with the loss of his throne and his life.

One cannot help being struck by the extraordinary discrepancy in the accounts given of the Kings of France by ancient and modern writers. According to the former, they all appear to have been models of every virtue and talent under the sun; while if one reads the descriptions of some of the latter, especially of those who are republican in principles, one finds that, with the exception perhaps of Saint Louis, no King of France ever had any good qualities at all but courage, and that, while all the misfortunes that happened were entirely his fault, any success he might have in the management of his affairs and the government of his kingdom was either the result of accident or was due to somebody else.

Charles V., however, may be said to have done considerably more to deserve his name “le Sage” than Jean did to earn that of “le Bon.” In all respects different from his father and grandfather, he set himself to try to repair the ruin and distress in which the kingdom was plunged. He was, as Sismondi remarks, the first modern King of France. His effigy on the seals is seated in a chair, not mounted on horseback. It is characteristic of his life and habits. His government was the personal government of an intelligent, prudent, and honest King, occupied with the internal and external affairs of the State.42 He found himself surrounded with dangers and difficulties. The country was so depopulated by plague and famine that in many parts the inhabitants were reduced to two-thirds and even one-third of their numbers in the beginning of the reign of his grandfather. The neighbouring countries were involved in civil wars and disturbances, into which it was difficult for France to escape being drawn. Italy was full of discord. Spain was divided between the factions of Pedro el Cruel and his brother, Enrique de Trastamare, who had risen against that tyrant to avenge the murders of his mother and brothers.

Charles found no help in his own family. His eldest sister was married to his enemy the King of Navarre, to whom she was devoted. The Duc de Bar, who had just married Marie, the second sister, was likely to be more trouble than assistance; the Visconti had paid his father a large sum of money for the marriage of Isabelle, but were too far off to have anything to do with affairs in France. Of his brothers, the two elder ones had all the faults and scarcely any of the good qualities of the Valois. They were arrogant, rapacious, violent and cruel. The Duke of Burgundy was the best of them.

Charles had always been delicate, and people said he had been poisoned when he was young by the King of Navarre. It was one of those absurd accusations heaped upon Charles of Navarre by his enemies. He could have had no object in poisoning the Dauphin, for if he had died the crown would have passed, not to him, but to the Duc d’Anjou, and there were plenty of other princes of the house of Valois whose claims would have come before his. The Dukes of Berry and OrlÉans, the AlenÇon princes, and even the Duc de Bourbon, all stood before him in the line of succession.43 But it is probable that the King firmly believed that he had been poisoned by his brother-in-law, and therefore was not likely to regard him with very friendly feelings.

Jeanne nursed and consoled Charles in his frequent illnesses, and shared and sympathised with all his tastes.44 Both were devoted to art and literature; Charles V. was the best educated and most learned prince of the fourteenth century. Almost the only existing letter written entirely by the hand of a Valois King of the direct line is by him. It is preserved at the DÉpÔt Central.45 Jeanne’s love of books caused her to interest herself in the writings and translations of the time; she was also fond of poetry. Many Greek and Latin authors were now translated into French, and by the desire of the King and Queen, Nicolas d’Oresme, Bishop of Lisieux, made a translation of the whole of the Bible, which Charles took with him wherever he went, being in the habit of reading it all through every year. It was in two volumes.

On the 24th March, 1367, Charles laid the foundation stone of the new church of the CÉlÉstins. Besides the church he gave them costly presents, amongst others a great cross of silver gilt. The Queen presented an image of the Virgin, also of silver gilt. The church was finished in 1370, and consecrated by the Archbishop of Sens. Charles lavished upon this church the most precious objects of art; chalices, missals, and ornaments of all descriptions; and especially magnificent were two chapels entirely hung with cloth of gold, one being covered with fleurs-de-lis, the other with suns and stars. The benefits and favours conferred by the King and Queen upon this convent were so great as to cause them to be considered as founders of it, and their statues were accordingly placed on the portal of the church. They spent 5,000 francs in building a dormitory, refectory, chapter-house and cloister.46

The hÔtel St. Paul, where Charles and Jeanne afterwards lived, was most conveniently near the CÉlÉstine convent. The courtiers, following their example, were always giving presents to this brotherhood. The King’s secretaries founded a confraternity in their church, and all belonged to it. The King exempted this order from all public contributions, even such as were generally paid by the clergy. They continued for several generations to enjoy such great favour and protection from the royal family that they appear to have rather presumed upon their privileges, for in time it grew into a byword, and in speaking of a conceited, arrogant person the exclamation “VoilÀ un fier CÉlÉstin” became a common figure of speech.

The CÉlÉstins, as time went on, became celebrated for the excellence of their cookery; there were especially certain omelettes for which they were much distinguished. But this was long after the time we are now considering.

One of the most fashionable convents for women was that of Chelles, near Paris. It had been founded by Clotilde, wife of Clovis I., and much enlarged by Ste. Bathilde, who dreamed that she saw a ladder raised before the altar of Our Lady, which touched Heaven, and by which she mounted in a cortÈge of angels. In consequence of this, the Abbey of Chelles bore as arms, a ladder between two fleurs-de-lis, those orders founded by Kings and Queens of France having the right to bear the lilies in their arms. The Abbesses of Chelles bore the greatest names in France, among them were Giselle, sister of Charlemagne, one of his daughters and numbers of widows, sisters, and daughters of kings.

But after a time this rich and distinguished establishment became also very worldly. Some monks built a monastery close to it, and the King had a palace on the other side of its walls. Scandals arose. The nuns got up late, went out hunting and conducted themselves much more after the fashion of the court than the cloister. They were on excellent terms with the brotherhood of the neighbouring monastery, who were mostly poor cadets of noble families. They gave parties and made confitures for these monks; and when Louis le BÈgue carried off a nun of sixteen years old over the wall of his palace, his example was so much followed by his courtiers that nearly fifty nuns had eloped in a few months. The Bishop of Paris and Abbot of St. Victor went to preach and try to carry out reforms; but on their way back were attacked in the forest and the Abbot killed.47 After Robert II. (996) the palace fell into ruins; but the evil reputation of the sisterhood went on long after. In 1358 they fled to Paris, but returned to their convent, which was besieged by the English. They escaped again with their Abbess, Alix le Passy, and were afterwards collected and reorganised by Jehanne la ForÊt.

King Jean, who was not by any means a literary character, had only possessed twenty books, but Charles delighted in collecting them and arranged his library in a tower in the Louvre, which was called La Tour de la Librairie.48 He collected nine hundred volumes, which in those days, before printing was used, made a considerable library. The catalogue of this library was made in 1378 by order of the King, and still exists.49 It was in three rooms, occupying three floors of the tower, the windows of which had iron bars and a trellis of ironwork; with glass painted. The ceilings were of cypress wood and the walls panelled with richly carved oak. Thirty candles and a silver lamp burned all night in each room so that they might be available for study night and day.

In a manuscript, “BibliothÈque du Roy,” No. 7609, are found the names of the different instruments of music of the fourteenth century, among which can be recognised several that are still in use. Here are the names of some of the books contained in the library:— “Dit de la Rose.”

“Le Livre de la Mutation de Fortune.”

“Le chemin de long estude” (translated from the Romance into French).

“La CitÉ des Dames.”

“Le Livre des trois vertus.”

“Le Livre des faits d’Armes et de Chevalrie divisÉ en quatres parties.”

“Le TraitÉ de la Paix.”

“Le Corps de Policie.”

Charles V. and Jeanne possessed many beautiful books on parchment with exquisite miniatures and illustrations of the fourteenth century, books of hours and books of psalms, one of which had belonged to Saint Louis.

They commissioned RaÔul de Presle to translate the “City of God,” by St. Augustine, and gave him 4,000 francs a year for doing it.50

Besides books and manuscripts, they had an immense collection of magnificent objects of art. Since the days of Louis, the taste for splendour and costly decoration had spread in all classes. Every now and then laws were made to check them, but as the nobles would not obey them and could not be forced to do so, they only acted as restraints on the bourgeoisie. And so the most important of all industrial arts had come to be that of the goldsmith.

It seems extraordinary, considering the impoverished condition of the finances and the dreadful state of affairs in general when they came to the throne, that the King and Queen should have been able to spend the sums they did upon buildings, books, treasures of art, and all cultivated and intellectual pursuits. But their wise and good management was so successful in altering the disastrous state of things caused by the follies and misfortunes of their predecessors, that they were able to spend money with royal magnificence upon the aims and objects they preferred.

Jeanne was clear-headed and sensible, and the economy and order she introduced into the royal household was considered an excellent example. She sold a quantity of costly plate to help pay the troops of Du Guesclin in 1369, and so contributed to the successful result of the war with England; after which they began to collect again.

But their daily life was surrounded by magnificence, as may be seen by a list made later on by order of the King, in which appear all sorts of precious and costly things. Statuettes of gold and silver, exquisite carvings in ivory, quantities of gold dishes, plates, candlesticks, basins, salt-cellars, drinking cups, knives and spoons; very few forks—there were only three at Vincennes, of which one belonged to the Queen. Jewels and precious stones in profusion, sets of hangings for rooms—that is to say portiÈres; carpets, hangings, canopies, curtains for windows and beds, some of silk, others cloth of gold or velvet; one is mentioned as being entirely of cloth of gold, with a cross of red velvet embroidered with several coats of arms; another of green with stripes of gold. Spanish leather, richly embroidered cushions, costly tents to put over the Queen’s bath, called espreniers. One of these is described as being made of white satin, embroidered with roses and fleurs-de-lis; others were blazoned with the arms of France and Navarre.51 Every now and then some curious little incident seems to give a touch of life and interest to this old list, such as a little gold barrel and chain with the arms of Burgundy, which the King always had with him and which had belonged to his grandmother, Jeanne de Bourgogne; the gold serpents on the salt-cellars with their tongues in the salt, which were supposed to reveal the presence of any poison that might have been put in; a crown À bassinet set with jewels, probably belonging to King Jean, who was in the habit of wearing a crown on his helmet in battle, regardless of the additional danger of proclaiming his rank; and in the midst of this catalogue of splendour “item, an old mattress all torn and the pillow the same, which had belonged to King Jean.” Two banners of France covered with fleurs-de-lis and bordered with pearls, to drive away the flies when the King was at table; dog-collars of velvet and silver, green game bags embroidered with pearls, inkstands, purses, whips, leather lanterns. The contents are given of some coffers or boxes the King always took about with him and of which he kept the keys. Amongst the rare cameos, jewels, gold chaplets, &c., was the holy stone to make women have children, and another stone which cured the gout.

Different things are mentioned as having belonged to Charlemagne and St. Louis. There were also gold basins to wash in, and gold vases to put the remains of repasts to give to the poor. Bas-reliefs of gold, generally of sacred subjects, and all the things belonging to the chapels, such as chalices, crucifixes, missals, crosses, statues, hangings, reliquaries, paternosters, &c., most costly and beautiful. An immense number of crowns and coronets seem to have belonged to the King, Queen, and Princesses, and jewelled girdles, clasps, and rings are also enumerated among their possessions.

Charles and Jeanne at the beginning of their reign lived chiefly at the Louvre and at Vincennes, where he ordered four of the inhabitants of the village of Montreuil to watch against poachers every night in the forest. At Vincennes had been born on June 7, 1366, “entre tierce et midi,” another daughter to the King and Queen. She was christened four days afterwards in the chapel there and named Jeanne, her god-parents being the Duc de Berry, the two Queens dowager, Jeanne d’Evreux and Blanche de Navarre, and MarguÉrite, Countess of Flanders and Artois. But the same ill-luck seemed to pursue the children of Charles and Jeanne as had followed those of Philippe de Valois and Jeanne de Bourgogne; for this little princess also died the following December, and was buried at St. Denis, leaving the King and Queen again childless.