THE DEATH OF LADISLAUS KING OF NAPLES.—HIS RIVAL KING LOUIS SENDS THE MARSHAL OF FRANCE TO NAPLES,—AND OTHER MATTERS.
In these days, intelligence was brought to the king of France, that king Ladislaus, the rival to Louis king of Sicily, was dead. The manner of his death was thus told. He had long had a passion for the daughter of his physician, who was uncommonly handsome, and had made frequent proposals to her father, that he might enjoy her; but the father had as often refused, alledging many sound reasons for it. At length, he was so much pressed by the king that, finding excuses would no longer avail, he pretended to consent, though it was against his will, as the end will shew. He went, in consequence, to his daughter, to command her to prepare to receive the king, for that he had granted his consent,—but he would give her a prescription that should secure her the king's affections for ever; and he presented her with a box of ointment, with which he ordered her to rub her body just before the king's arrival. This she faithfully did; but when the king had cohabited with her, he felt himself as it were all on fire, and the damsel was in like manner affected,—insomuch that they almost instantly died in very great torments. After this cruel deed, the physician fled the country before hands could be laid on him.
Intelligence of the event being made known to king Louis, he issued summonses for a large force to assemble and accompany him to Naples; but he sent before him the lord de Longny, marshal of France, with a considerable body of men.
During the residence of the king at Senlis, the duke of Acquitaine was appointed by him and the grand council to the whole management of the finances of the kingdom, which was very displeasing to the duke of Berry; and in consequence, he assembled the provost of merchants, the sheriffs, the citizens, the members of the university, of the chambers of parliament and of accounts, at a certain place in Paris, where he caused them to be harangued by the bishop of Chartres, and others of his friends, on the infirmity of the king, and on the youth of his eldest son, who, from that cause, was as yet incapable of holding the reins of government; and that from his near connection by blood, (for he was son, brother, and uncle to kings,) the government of the kingdom of right appertained to him and to none other; and he therefore most affectionately solicited those present to aid and support his pretensions. They replied, that it did not become them to interfere in such matters, but solely to the king and the grand council, and excused themselves to the duke for not complying with his request.
At the beginning of September, the king departed from Senlis and came to St Denis, where he remained until the fourteenth of that month, when he returned to Paris in great triumph, attended by his son the duke of Acquitaine.
He was also accompanied by the dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, Bar, duke Louis of Bavaria, the counts de Vertus, d'AlenÇon, de Richemont, d'Eu, d'Armagnac, de la Marche, de VendÔme, de Marle, de Dampmartin, and numberless other barons, prelates, knights and esquires. The duke went out of Paris to meet the king, with the provost of merchants, the sheriffs, members of the parliament and of the university, citizens and crowds of common people, who kept a continual shouting for joy on account of his majesty's return to Paris. They made great bonfires in all the principal streets and squares, during the ensuing night, eating and drinking, and shouting repeatedly, 'Long live the king, long live the queen, long live the king and his son the duke of Acquitaine!'
