Marigny knew at once that something was wrong.
"Enguerrand, my dear, what has happened?" she asked. J eanne de Saint-Martin, goddaughter of the late Queen Jeanne, wife of Philip the Fair, lived in a state of perpetual admiration for the man she had married, and her devotion to him was the centre of her life.
"What has happened," replied Marigny, "is that, now the master is no longer there to hold them in check, the hounds have attacked me."
"Is there anything I can do?"
He replied that he could well look after himself so harshly that Madame de Marigny's eyes filled with tears. Enguerrand was immediately remorseful. He took her by the shoulders, kissed her forehead at the edge of her ash-blonde hair and said, "I know very well, Jeanne, that I have no one to love me but you!'
`Then he went to his study, and threw his documents on a chest.
His hands were trembling, and he very nearly dropped a candelabra. he wanted to move. H e swore, and-then walked up and down between the window and the fire, giving his anger a chance to simmer down.
"You have taken the Treasury from me, but you have forgotte n the rest. Just wait a little; you won't break me as easily as that." He rang a handbell.
"Send me four guards at once," he said to the servant who answered.
The men came running from the guardroom, holding their belilied staves in their hands. Marigny gave them their orders.
"You, go and find me Messire Alain de Pareilles, who should be at the Louvre. You, find my brother, the Archbishop, at the Episcopal Palace. You, Messires Guillaume Dubois and Raoul de Presles, and you, Messire le Loquetier. Find them wherever they may be. I shall await them here."
The messengers departed and Enguerrand opened the door of the room in which his secretaries worked. "I want to dictate, " he said.
A clerk came to him, carrying his tablet and his pens.
"Sire," began, Marigny, standing with his back to the fire, "in the con dition in which I am, now that God has called to Himself the greatest King France has ever known .. "
He was writing to Edward II, King of England, and son-in - law of Philip the Fair by his marriage to Isabella. Since 1308, the date of the union he had taken a hand in bringing about, Marigny had had numerous opportunities of rendering Edward political and private services. The marriage was not going well, and Is abella complained of her husband's abnormalities. The situation in Guyenne was still serious. . . Marigny, together with his enemy, Charles of Valois, had been selected to represent the King of France at the coronation at Westminster. In 1313 the English King, on a visit to France, had thanked the Coadjutor with a life - pension of a thousand pounds a year.
Now Marigny needed King Edward's help and was writing to ask him to intervene in his favou r. He managed to convey in his letter the benefits that would accrue to him provided the policy of France should not change direction. Those who had worked together for the peace of empires should remain united.
The clerk hastened to dry the parchment and present it for signature.
"Am I to send it by the couriers, Monseigneur: " he asked.
"No. This will be taken to its destination by my son. Send one of your underlings for him, if he is not in the house."
The secretary went out, and Marigny unclasped the collar of his robe; he felt his neck swelling at the thought of action.
"How sad for the, kingdom," he said to himself. "What a state they will bring it to, if they a re not opposed. Have I done so much only to see all my e fforts brought to nothing?"
Like all men who have exercised power for a long time, he had come to identify himself with the country, and to consider every attack made upon hi m personally as a direct attack upon the interests of the State.
As things were, he was not far wrong; but he was nevertheless prepared to act against the interests of the kingdom as s oon as its direction was taken out of his own hands.
It was in this state of mind that
"Enguerrand, my dear, what has happened?" she asked. J eanne de Saint-Martin, goddaughter of the late Queen Jeanne, wife of Philip the Fair, lived in a state of perpetual admiration for the man she had married, and her devotion to him was the centre of her life.
"What has happened," replied Marigny, "is that, now the master is no longer there to hold them in check, the hounds have attacked me."
"Is there anything I can do?"
He replied that he could well look after himself so harshly that Madame de Marigny's eyes filled with tears. Enguerrand was immediately remorseful. He took her by the shoulders, kissed her forehead at the edge of her ash-blonde hair and said, "I know very well, Jeanne, that I have no one to love me but you!'
`Then he went to his study, and threw his documents on a chest.
His hands were trembling, and he very nearly dropped a candelabra. he wanted to move. H e swore, and-then walked up and down between the window and the fire, giving his anger a chance to simmer down.
"You have taken the Treasury from me, but you have forgotte n the rest. Just wait a little; you won't break me as easily as that." He rang a handbell.
"Send me four guards at once," he said to the servant who answered.
The men came running from the guardroom, holding their belilied staves in their hands. Marigny gave them their orders.
"You, go and find me Messire Alain de Pareilles, who should be at the Louvre. You, find my brother, the Archbishop, at the Episcopal Palace. You, Messires Guillaume Dubois and Raoul de Presles, and you, Messire le Loquetier. Find them wherever they may be. I shall await them here."
The messengers departed and Enguerrand opened the door of the room in which his secretaries worked. "I want to dictate, " he said.
A clerk came to him, carrying his tablet and his pens.
"Sire," began, Marigny, standing with his back to the fire, "in the con dition in which I am, now that God has called to Himself the greatest King France has ever known .. "
He was writing to Edward II, King of England, and son-in - law of Philip the Fair by his marriage to Isabella. Since 1308, the date of the union he had taken a hand in bringing about, Marigny had had numerous opportunities of rendering Edward political and private services. The marriage was not going well, and Is abella complained of her husband's abnormalities. The situation in Guyenne was still serious. . . Marigny, together with his enemy, Charles of Valois, had been selected to represent the King of France at the coronation at Westminster. In 1313 the English King, on a visit to France, had thanked the Coadjutor with a life - pension of a thousand pounds a year.
Now Marigny needed King Edward's help and was writing to ask him to intervene in his favou r. He managed to convey in his letter the benefits that would accrue to him provided the policy of France should not change direction. Those who had worked together for the peace of empires should remain united.
The clerk hastened to dry the parchment and present it for signature.
"Am I to send it by the couriers, Monseigneur: " he asked.
"No. This will be taken to its destination by my son. Send one of your underlings for him, if he is not in the house."
The secretary went out, and Marigny unclasped the collar of his robe; he felt his neck swelling at the thought of action.
"How sad for the, kingdom," he said to himself. "What a state they will bring it to, if they a re not opposed. Have I done so much only to see all my e fforts brought to nothing?"
Like all men who have exercised power for a long time, he had come to identify himself with the country, and to consider every attack made upon hi m personally as a direct attack upon the interests of the State.
As things were, he was not far wrong; but he was nevertheless prepared to act against the interests of the kingdom as s oon as its direction was taken out of his own hands.
It was in this state of mind that
Similar Books
