The Travel Journal of Antonio de Beatis through Germany, Switzerland, the Low Countries, France and Italy, 1517–8 by J.R. Hale

Author:J.R. Hale [Hale, J.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781317013440
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2021-12-24T00:00:00+00:00

October 8. From Sonzay we went to lunch and dinner at Tours, a distance of six leagues; and near the town we had to ferry across the river Loire, having chosen not to take the bridge in order to go and see the body of the Blessed François de Paule of Calabria,1 called ' The Good Man' and deeply revered by all Frenchmen. He rests in a church called after him, which is near the park of the Most Christian King. This church, which is very small, was built by Brother François himself, and it was here, in an oratory, ten years ago on the night of Good Friday, that he died aged about ninety, lying on a pallet and with a stone for a pillow. At the time of our visit he had not yet been canonized and included in the catalogue of Saints, though his rule had been approved and confirmed during the pontificate of Pope Julius II, of most holy and immortal glory.2 We saw the pallet and stone on which he died, and also, on a panel, the Good Man's portrait from life. He had a great white beard, was very thin and had a grave and most pious countenance, as may be partially appreciated from the print3 [Plate 1] placed and fastened here.

1 Francesco (1416-1507) of the village of Paola in Calabria, founder of the Order of Minims (the 'least', i.e. the humblest, of monks). He was imported in 1482 by the highly superstitious Louis XI, whose time was then spent as much as possible at Plessis-les-Tours, as a sort of talisman to quiet his fears of sickness and assassination. After Louis's death in 1483, Francesco was protected by Charles VIII (who furnished the church referred to in the next lines) and by Louis XII.

2 He was, in fact, canonized by Leo X in 1519.

3 Only in N. 1.

In the left-hand wall above the high altar is set the urn of the late-lamented King Frederick of Aragon,4 covered with a brocaded black silk cloth. From there we proceeded to lunch in the town. Our master went to Plessis, a short way outside the town, in order to see or, rather, call upon the daughter of the Most Christian King, wife (if indeed wife she ever really becomes)5 of the Catholic King, and the two daughters of Monseigneur de Laval. The King's daughter is about three years old and full of promise. Of the other two, the elder is a very young fourteen-year-old and the younger a rather plain twelve-year-old. Plessis is a royal palace of great renown, but in reality does not seem deserving of such high praise. The town of Tours is hardly inferior in size to Rouen in Normandy. It has a fine situation, lying on level ground. The Loire runs most of the way round it, and this, as I have said, is a very broad, deep river. Two smaller rivers pass the town a little further away. Like all other French towns, Tours is surrounded by suburbs.

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