New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
FRANCIS THE FIRST.

FRANCIS THE FIRST AND Hle iiaar .,ic,,, syo
Cognet Translated BY Fanny Twemo"'
PIP 81. scrbner & Wexford
Tradition has assembled so many picturesque
ideas about Francis the First, his court anu 49,
that the modern reader is apt to pencora'e 80.
the surface with kind OF shecS' anu W -.
almost from tho dry and often grim o'no- ..,,,o
ef history respecting this chivairlo an. ~ 49,
prince 1t canno: be said that the """nO -.rov
nrcsent biography has undertaken I" poi~"
- rrnncie or his period with any approach
% rbotograph;o fidelity Tho slamor VI Vic u"
,unand,,v history has evidently prepossesseo hoi'
"a IN rotb,ng is this prepossession moro apP"ie"'
~ in bor opening chapter, which treats u So
,s.ntb century manners and CUSTOMS Ane
ground AMI the figures are here Duo Wv '"" -,
" g. ,he nleasant fiction Of the gooa Ola
,nosp renroduced We see hourlshlhg nooali"'
a snlendid court, knightly usages' . rousn O"s
contented populace, mendlcaht pfieS'nVoN
min,linc Familiarity with the people, Ourehet
class heavy OF purse jealous OF us prlViegee' anu
welding great influence ~hat we arc no'' o"'
.bould be- shown is the seamy side of the tapestry
the soualor and misery and insecurity in which
tho masses both urban and rural lived; the sell
csb tyranny. dlsloyal ambition, and readiness for
CIV, crime of fraud or violence which character
iod tho nobility: the shameless corruption ana
bcentious conduct OF the mendicant lrlars' lhe
sIoth and selfindulecnce OF the parochlal priests
III ro-,dliness and INSCRIPTIONS intrigue of which
pone wss the centre: the alienation OF the SOW
.reirn fom the people in nearly all ways
F,opcis the First recalls Bayard Pavia, and the
xearv Imprisonment of the royal capuVe' D"O
these arc merely episodes in reign whloh hiuS'
Do indeed by other standards than chlNaiIy i"i-
oisbcs and which in sober reality carried France
far on the path which led to the hcVoiuuon'
Mile Coignet describes with spirit the court IN
,ricues Of Louis the Twelfths reign, the manoeu-
vrcs Of Louise of Savoy and the crafty methous
bv which Young Francis was established. In her
accounts of the curly part of the reign, however,
shn yozcs unduly the moral looSeness Which
Louise deliberately encouraged, very much "itcr
the fashion of the Mayors OF the faace III e"iIi'i
times and the Grand Niziers OF Orental NourOs
The fact is that Francis was largely controiied oy
his strong animal passions, and Brahtone anu
others have made it clear that IN TINS respecV no
WAS far more distinguished than for hteAeo'ua'
eminence His character was really ny no nieahs d
firm one, nor can he be credited Win goou JUG
ent or even sagacity in matters Of statecraft lie
WAS no doubt brave, and always wiling ana eager
70 foht. but that kind Of capacity was common
AZ rho time. lie was not a soldier of genius like
rho Constable Bourbon. lie not clever
noliticisn or he would not have lost the Con-
stables services lie allowed his mother to inter
fere far too much in the government ana her
interferences were almost invariably misChleVoue'
She. indeed, was much worse woman IMAM ne
was a man. She was as bad as the IeasI pruuISh
member of her sons court, and 1anatcal plgot
70 boot She showed that curious ana Shocklhe
tendency 10 cruelty for It's own sake winch mas
been so frequent characteristic OF immoral, ehef
getio women trusted with irresponsible power.
1t is useless to speculate upon the prooaoic
gain 20 the France of the sixteenth century hau
Francis the First not been so infatuated ABOUT
tho conone,t of Italy. No doubt the difference
in the subsequent history of the country wouIu
have been considerable, but as a fact the Kings
lifelong Italian dream wrecked both his reign
and the prosperity of France. lie was pltted
against much ADLER man than himself. Charles
the Fifth was 4 great statesman, who knew lis
o,vr mind kent his own counsel studied his
contemporaries carefully, and laid his plans
.hrewdly. He certainly treated Francis with eX-
tresne rigor after Pavia; but in mitigation OF
his harsbness it may be said that he SO acted
beeause be knew his man, and was convinced
that personal pressure was the only way to Drlhg
the frivolous pcasure-loving King to terms.
Charles ght have harricd France without chahs-
ing the resolution of Francis but the latter
could not stand privation, confinement and the
cutting-od of his favorite amusements-and VICES
Tn the end he had to yield Burgundy, but he
solved his conscence-strangey, it may be
,boucht-by assuring himself and Louise that
no had no intention of keeping his solemn pledges.
In effect he had sooner returned TO france
than he remembered that the treaty provisions
of Madrid had been eXtOrted from him under
durcss and that they were consequently not
binding. Charles seems on this occasion to have
been self-deceived. for he plainly believed that
Francis would perform what he had sworn TO
IL, cniN- o1 fhn
character of his rival TO reach that conclusion.
The most interesting incidents in the life of
Francis are those which illustrate the liberalism
which was striking element in his character.
He did well for learning in founding the College
of France He checked the fanaticism Of the
Sorbonne He encouraged letters and the arts
Mile. Coignet has a pleasant description of his
relations with BenvenutO Celni, that singular
composite of genius and swashbucilcr. Francis
showed great patience and good temper in all
his dealings with the irasoible and vain artist
But he was at his best always in the company
of such men, and at times he exhibited o
truly regal munfccnce and spirit. Yet it was
a sign Of his fundamental inefiiciency that he
could thus throw himself into art and literary
interests while his people were suffering the
most severe trials, and mainly, if not wholly,
because of his futile dynsstc policy. France
was starving and becoming bankrupt, While the
King was posing the greatest patron of learn
ing in Europe. 1t was certainly refreshing in
those dark days to find sovereign not con-
trolled by bigotry; but Francis upon occasion
could tolerate the burning OF heretics, and was
even capable of abandoning an old personal friend
rather than bring some trouble 4nd Inconvenience
upon himself The reign was distinctly not
prosperous, and it entailed upon the country
more serious evils than il witnessed Art and
letters received a temporary shelter and patronage