years the elder. It was in his household, as an equ erry, that Marigny had begun his career. The equerry had not been slow to surpass his lord, but had always faithfully dragged his old master after him in his extraordinary rise.
Fat Bouville lowered his head. He was so devoted a servant of the crown and so dazzled by royal majesty that, when the King spoke to him, he could not but approve. That The Hutin was an idiot was not apparent to him; he was The King and Bouville was prepared to lavish upon him all the zeal that he had shown towards Philip the Fair.
This servility re ceived its immediate recompense for t he Hutin decided, to everyone's surprise, that Bouville should be sent to Naples.
Moreover, there was no opposition. The Count of Valois, believing that he could arrange everything by letter, thought that a mediocre but tractable man was exactly the ambassador he required. While Marigny thought, "All right, send him then. He has as much cunning as a child of three. You'll see what the results will be."
So, blushing, the good servant found himself charged with an important mission he had never expected.
"Don't forget, Bouville, that I must have a Pope," said the young King.
"Sire, I shall have no other idea in my mind."
Louis X was impatient for his departure. He wished his messenger alrea dy upon the road:, He suddenly seemed to gain authority."
"On your way back you will pass through Avignon," he went on. "You will do your best to hasten the conclave. And since the cardinals, so it appears, are to b e bought, you will get Messire de Marigny to furnish you with sufficient gold."
"Where shall I find the gold, Sire?" asked the latter.
"Good God, in the Treasury of course!
"The Treasury is empty, Sire, that is to say there is enough in it only to cover the necessary expenses between now and the Feast of Saint Nicholas, no more."
"What do you mean, the Treasury is empty," cried Valois. "Why haven't you told us this before?"
"I wished to begin with it, Monseigneur, but you prevented me."
"And why, in your opinion, is it empty?"
"Because, Monseigneur, the revenue from taxes does not easily accrue from a starving people. Because the barons, as you will be the first to realise," said Marigny, his voice rising insolently, "refuse to pay the dues which they had agreed. Because the loan from the Lombard companies has been exhausted by the war in Flanders, the war you so strongly recommended ..."
"And which you wished to terminate upon your own authority," cried Valois, "before our knights could find an opportunity of glory and our finances of profit. If the kingdom has drawn no advantage from the peculiar treaties you went there to conclude, I imagine that that does not hold good for you, Marigny, because it is not your habit to overlook you r own advantage in any business you undertake. I know this to my own detriment. "
He was alluding in this last phrase to an exchange of lands which had taken place between them in 1310, when Valois, had asked Marigny to yield him his lordship of, Champrond against that of Gaillefontaine, and had ever afterwa rds considered himself cheated.
"Nevertheless," said Louis X, "Bouville must set out as soon as possible. "
Marigny, without appearing to pay the slightest attention to the King's last words, cried, "Sire, I would wish Monseigneur of Valois to elaborate what he has just said upon the. subj ect of the treaties of Lille or alternatively, to retract his words."
A terrifying silence fell over the, Council. Would the Count of Valois dare, repeat straight out the appalling accusations he had just brought against his brother's Coadjutor.
Monseigneur of Valois did so dare.
"I tell you to your face, Messire, as everyone says behind your back, that the Fl emish bought you to effect the retreat of our army, and that you embezzled money which should have been paid over to the Treasury."
Marigny rose to his feet. Indignation had paled his blotchy skin, and he now adopted the
Fat Bouville lowered his head. He was so devoted a servant of the crown and so dazzled by royal majesty that, when the King spoke to him, he could not but approve. That The Hutin was an idiot was not apparent to him; he was The King and Bouville was prepared to lavish upon him all the zeal that he had shown towards Philip the Fair.
This servility re ceived its immediate recompense for t he Hutin decided, to everyone's surprise, that Bouville should be sent to Naples.
Moreover, there was no opposition. The Count of Valois, believing that he could arrange everything by letter, thought that a mediocre but tractable man was exactly the ambassador he required. While Marigny thought, "All right, send him then. He has as much cunning as a child of three. You'll see what the results will be."
So, blushing, the good servant found himself charged with an important mission he had never expected.
"Don't forget, Bouville, that I must have a Pope," said the young King.
"Sire, I shall have no other idea in my mind."
Louis X was impatient for his departure. He wished his messenger alrea dy upon the road:, He suddenly seemed to gain authority."
"On your way back you will pass through Avignon," he went on. "You will do your best to hasten the conclave. And since the cardinals, so it appears, are to b e bought, you will get Messire de Marigny to furnish you with sufficient gold."
"Where shall I find the gold, Sire?" asked the latter.
"Good God, in the Treasury of course!
"The Treasury is empty, Sire, that is to say there is enough in it only to cover the necessary expenses between now and the Feast of Saint Nicholas, no more."
"What do you mean, the Treasury is empty," cried Valois. "Why haven't you told us this before?"
"I wished to begin with it, Monseigneur, but you prevented me."
"And why, in your opinion, is it empty?"
"Because, Monseigneur, the revenue from taxes does not easily accrue from a starving people. Because the barons, as you will be the first to realise," said Marigny, his voice rising insolently, "refuse to pay the dues which they had agreed. Because the loan from the Lombard companies has been exhausted by the war in Flanders, the war you so strongly recommended ..."
"And which you wished to terminate upon your own authority," cried Valois, "before our knights could find an opportunity of glory and our finances of profit. If the kingdom has drawn no advantage from the peculiar treaties you went there to conclude, I imagine that that does not hold good for you, Marigny, because it is not your habit to overlook you r own advantage in any business you undertake. I know this to my own detriment. "
He was alluding in this last phrase to an exchange of lands which had taken place between them in 1310, when Valois, had asked Marigny to yield him his lordship of, Champrond against that of Gaillefontaine, and had ever afterwa rds considered himself cheated.
"Nevertheless," said Louis X, "Bouville must set out as soon as possible. "
Marigny, without appearing to pay the slightest attention to the King's last words, cried, "Sire, I would wish Monseigneur of Valois to elaborate what he has just said upon the. subj ect of the treaties of Lille or alternatively, to retract his words."
A terrifying silence fell over the, Council. Would the Count of Valois dare, repeat straight out the appalling accusations he had just brought against his brother's Coadjutor.
Monseigneur of Valois did so dare.
"I tell you to your face, Messire, as everyone says behind your back, that the Fl emish bought you to effect the retreat of our army, and that you embezzled money which should have been paid over to the Treasury."
Marigny rose to his feet. Indignation had paled his blotchy skin, and he now adopted the
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