Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-02-26

length exactly all that Master Fran.
co.'s Yillon did and said and thought
during the period of his astonishing
probation, are unfortunately lost to the
Abbey of Bonne Adventure, and, in con-
sequence, to the world. No less than
six folios consecrated by the careful
pen of Dom Gregory to this memoir
able epoch have vanished from the
priceless manuscript. The custodian
of the abbey library will tell you with
tears in his eyes that these pages dis
appeared during the storm and stress
of the French revolution, but travel
ers in France are too we'll aware
of the readiness OF ecclesiastical
custodians to attribute all things evil
to the time of the great upheaval, to pay
any serious attention to this PAL ticular
allegation. However it happened, the
pages are lost, and there, as far as we
! are concerned, is an end of them
But in way we are able to piece to-
gether from Dom Gregorys later state
ments, and from certain traditions
which still linger here and there In the
highways and byways Of Poitou,
enough material to enable US to ascer-
tain with something like sufficient ac-
, curacy, what 1t was that Master Fran
co.'s Villon did accomplish as Count Of
Montcorbier in those seven days of
splendor which his hooking king ac-
corded to him. We know for certain
that the king found him an admirable
counsellor cool, wary and judicious,
and that during the period of his min
istry. Louis followed his advice with
faith which, If 1t were founded indeed
upon superstitious adherence to the
edicts of the stars, proved itself to be
thoroughly justified by his lord con-
stables common sense, foresight and
astonishing knowledge of human ma
ture. We know, too, that he proved
himself no less skilled as q soldier than
as statesman, es capable of pre-em-
inence in the arts of war as in the arts
! of peace. His knowledge Of Caesars
commentaries and his natural inclina-
ton to strs .egy, interpreted by an elo-
quent tongue fired by a ready mother
wit earned him the ear and won him
the heart of the kings great captains
and wrung from them at first re-
luctant but finally such delighted adj
herence as their sires had been COM
PEELED to surrender to the Maid of Or
leans.
Yet while our poet was playing these
two parts he managed his affairs so
deXterouSly that he seemed to the gen.
eral eye to be playing but one part, and
that the part Of the dazzling magnif-
cent courtier. If his mornings were
given to consultation with the king
81 \
Moons We're devoted to the confirming
of cdicts and the promulgations of laws
all tending to alleviate the condition
and tighten the load of the people OF
Paris his afternoons and evenings and
shining summer nights We're entirely
surrendered to the glittering pleasures
and pastimes of man of ease. We
hear of entertainment after entertain
ment, banquet and ball and masquer-
ade, pageant and play and pastime,
each one of which seemed to be the
last word of wealthy ingenuity until
1t was eclipsed by its still more splen-
did successor. And 1t was this part Of
which the Count of Montcorber chose
to make the most with very special
purpose. He caused. 1t seems, many
cmissaries of his to quit Paris and find
shelter within the Duke of Burgundy's
lines, pretending to be deserters from
the waning cause of the king, each Of
whom had the same tale to tell to the
credulous ears of the enemy; namely,
that the kings new favorite was a
wastrcl and a fool, who had no better
purpose in life than the rhyming of
madrfgals the tuning of lutes, the
draining of fagons, and the pressing Of
ladies fingers in the dance. All Of
which produced, we are assured, upon
the mind of the Duke of Burgundy the
very effect desired by Villon and led
to results which luckily we are enabled
to know more Of as Dom Gregory'S
manuscript happily resumes continuity
on the seventh day Of Master Francois
week of wonder.
| We further learn-for Dom Gregory,
l though a churchman, seems to have q
kindly spot in his heart for the ways OF
| lovers-tflat during those seven days,
| the friendship of villon and Kather-
J inc grew apace and that the whole
4 i,.41 a A6~sa
sieur Noel lie Jolys with an ever-in-
creasing fury, the growth of great
and beautiful passion. But it seems
4 that Master Villon, whether from fear
! to risk too soon or from a desire to
J leave the loveliest moment of his reign
| to the last, made no attempt directly
to declare himself or directly to learn
/ how high he stood in the Lady Rather
/ ines heart until the very day which
was the last day upon which 1t was
possible for him to assure his own SAL
/ walton.