Joinville’s History of Saint Louis

JOINVILLE

FIRST PART

This holy man, King St. Louis, loved and feared God during his life above all things, and, as is very apparent, was in consequence favored in all his works. As I have before said that our God died for his people, so in like manner did St. Louis several times risk his life and incur the greatest dangers for the people of his realm, as shall be touched on hereafter.

The good king, being once dangerously ill at Fontainebleau, said to my Lord Louis, his eldest son, Fair son, I beseech thee to make thyself beloved by the people of thy kingdom; for, in truth, I should like better that a Scotsman, fresh from Scotland, or from any other distant and unknown country, should govern the subjects of my realm well and loyally, than that thou shouldst rule them wickedly and reproachfully.

The holy king loved truth so much, that even to the Saracens and infidels, although they were his enemies, he would never lie, nor break his word in any thing he had promised them, as shall be noticed hereafter. With regard to his food, he was extremely temperate; for I never in my whole life heard him express a wish for any delicacies in eating or drinking, like too many rich men but he sat and took patiently whatever was set before him.

In his conversation he was remarkably chaste for I never heard him, at any time, utter an indecent word, nor make use of the devil’s name, which, however, is now very commonly uttered by every one, by which I firmly believe is so far from being agreeable to God, that it is highly displeasing to him.

He mixed his wine with water by measure, according to the strength of it and what it would bear. He once asked me, when at Cyprus, why I did not mix water with my wine. I answered what the physicians and surgeons had told me, that I had a large head and a cold stomach, which would not bear it. But the good king replied, that they had deceived me, and advised me to add water for that if I did not learn to do so when young, and was to attempt it in the decline of life, the gout and other disorders, which I might have in my stomach, would greatly increase or, perhaps, by drinking pure wine in my old age, I should frequently intoxicate myself; and that it was a beastly thing for an honorable man to make himself drunk.

My good lord the king asked me at another time, if I should wish to be honored in this world, and afterward to gain paradise to which I answered, that I should wish it were so. Then, replied he, be careful never knowingly to do or say any thing disgraceful, that should it become public, you may not have to blush, and be ashamed to say I have done this, or I have said that. In like manner he told me never to give the lie, or contradict rudely whatever might be said in my presence, unless it should be sinful or disgraceful to suffer it, for oftentimes contradiction causes coarse replies and harsh words, that bring on quarrels, which create bloodshed, and are the means of the deaths of thousands.

He also said, that every one should dress and equip himself according to his rank in life, and his fortune, in order that the prudent and elders of this world may not reproach him, by saying such a one has done too much, and that the youth may not remark, that such a one has done too little, and dishonors his station in society. On this subject, I remember once the good lord king, father to the king now on the throne, speaking of the pomp of dress, and the embroidered coats of arms that are now daily common in the armies. I said to the present king, that when I was in the Holy Land with his father, and in his army, I never saw one single embroidered coat or ornamented saddle in the possession of the king his father, or of any other lord. He answered, that he had done wrong in embroidering his arms and that he had some coats that had cost him eight hundred Parisian lives. I replied, that he would have acted better if he had given them in charity, and had his dress made of good sendal, lined and strengthened with his arms, like as the king, his father, had done.

The good king, once calling me to him, said he wanted to talk with me, on account of the quickness of understanding he knew I possessed. In the presence of several, he added, I have called these two monks, and before them ask you this question respecting God Seneschal, what is God V Sire, replied I, he is so supremely good, nothing can exceed him. In truth, answered the king, that is well said for your answer is written in the little book I have in my hand. I will put another question to you, whether you had rather be ‘mezeau et ladre’ or have committed, or be about to commit, a mortal sin? But I, who would not tell a lie, replied that I would rather have committed thirty deadly sins than be a leper."

When the two friars were gone away, he called me to him alone, making me sit at his feet, and said, How could you dare to make the answer you did to my last question? When I replied, Were I to answer it again, I should repeat the same thing, he instantly said,—Ah, foul musart! Musart, you are deceived for you must know there can be no leprosy so filthy as deadly sin, and the soul that is guilty of such is like the devil in hell. It is very true, he added, "that when the leprous man is dead, he is cured of that disorder; but when the man who has committed a deadly sin dies, he is not assured for certain that he had sufficiently repented of it before his death, to induce the goodness of God to pardon him for which cause he must have great fears lest this leprosy of sin may endure for a length of time, even so long as God may remain in paradise.

I therefore entreat of you, first for the love of God, and next for the affection you bear me, that you retain in your heart what I have said, and that you would much rather prefer having your body covered with the most filthy leprosy than suffer your soul to commit a single deadly sin, which is of all things the most infamous.

He then inquired if I washed the feet of the poor on Holy Thursday. On which I said, Oh, for shame, no and never will I wash the feet of such fellows. This is in truth, replied he, very ill said, for you should never hold in disdain what God did for our instruction for He who is lord and master of the universe, on that same day, Holy Thursday, washed the feet of all his apostles, telling them, that he who was their master had thus done, that they, in like manner, might do the same to each other. I therefore beg of you, out of love to him first, and then from your regard to me, that you would accustom yourself to do so.

He loved every one who, with uprightness of heart, feared and loved God; insomuch that from the great reputation he had heard of my brother Sir Gilles de Bruyri, who was not a Frenchman, for his fear and love of God, as was the truth, he appointed him constable of France.

In like manner, from the favorable report which he had heard of Master Robert de Sorbon being a courageous and discreet man, he made him one of his personal attendants, and permitted him to partake of his table. One time, as we were sitting near each other, and eating and drinking at the king’s table, we conversed together in a low voice, which the good king observing, reprimanded us by saying, You act wrong thus to whisper together speak out, that your companions may not suspect you are talking of them to their disadvantage, and railing at them. When eating in company, if you have any things to say that are pleasant and agreeable, say them aloud, that every one may hear them if not, be silent.

When the good king was in a cheerful mood, he frequently put questions to me in the presence of Master Robert and once he said, Seneschal, now tell me the reason why a discreet man is of more worth than a valiant man. Upon this a noisy dispute arose between Master Robert and me and when we had long argued the question, the good king thus gave his judgment. Master Robert, I should not only like to have the reputation of a discreet man, but to be so in reality, and your other distinctions you may keep for discretion is of such value, that the very word fills the mouth. On the contrary, added the good king, it is most wicked to take the goods of others for the surrendering of them to their rightful owners is so grievous that the pronouncing of it tears the palate, from the number of rrr’s that are in the word which rrr’s signify the rents of the devil, who daily draws to him all those who wish to give away the chattels of others they have seized upon. The devil does this with much subtlety, for he seduces the usurers and despoilers, and urges them to give their usuries and rapines to the church, in honor of God, which they ought to restore to the proper owners, who are well known to them. When thus conversing, he told me to say in his name to King Thibaut, his son-in-law that he must look well to his actions, and not overcharge his soul, thinking to acquit himself by the large sums which he gave, or should leave to the monastery of father-preachers in Provins for the discreet man, as long as he lives, ought to act like to the faithful executor of a will. First, he ought to restore and make amends for any wrongs or misdeeds done to others by the deceased and from the residue of the fortune of the dead he should give alms to the poor, in the name of God, as the Scripture plainly show.

The holy king was, one Whitsun holidays, at Corbeil, accompanied by full 300 knights, and also by Master Robert de Sorbon and myself. After dinner, the king went into the meadow above the chapel, to speak with the earl of Brittany, father to the present duke, whose soul may God receive, when Master Robert, taking hold of my mantle, in the presence of the king and the noble company, asked my opinion, whether, if the king should seat himself in this meadow, and I were to place myself on a bench above him, I should, or should not, be blamable to which I answered, Yes, most certainly. Why, then, added he, do not you think yourself blame-worthy for being more richly dressed than the king? Master Robert, replied I, saving the king’s honor and yours, I am in this respect blameless for the dress I wear, such as you see it, was left me by my ancestors, and I have not had it made from my own authority. It is you, on the contrary, that deserve being reprimanded for you are descended from bondmen, on both sides, have quitted the dress of your ancestors, and have clothed yourself in finer camlet than what the king now wears.

I then took hold of his sur coat and compared it with what the king had on, saying, Now see, if I did not tell the truth. The king, upon this, undertook the defense of Master

Robert, and to save his honor as much as he could, declared the very great humility he possessed, and how kind he was to every one.

After this conversation, the good king called to him my Lord Philip, father to the king now on the throne, and King Thibaut, his son-in-law, and seating himself at the door of his oratory, he put his hand on the ground, and said to his sons, Seat yourselves here near me, that you may be out of sight. Ah, sir, replied they excuse us, if you please for it would not become us to sit so close to you. The king, then addressing me, said, Seneschal, sit down here, which I did, and so near him that my robe touched his. Having made them sit down by my side, he said, You have behaved very ill, being my children, in not instantly obeying what I ordered of you and take care that this never happen again. They answered, that they would be cautious it should not.

Then turning towards me, he said, that he had called us to him to confess to me that he had been in the wrong in taking the part of Master Robert; but, continued he, I did so from seeing him so much confounded, that he had need of my assistance you must not, however, think or believe that I did it from the conviction of his being in the right; for, as the seneschal said, every one ought to dress himself decently, in order to be more beloved by his wife, and more esteemed by his dependants. The wise man says, we ought to dress ourselves in such manner that the more observing part of mankind may not think we clothe ourselves too grandly, nor the younger part say we dress too meanly.

You shall now hear a matter of information which the good king made me to understand. When returning from Asia, we were driven near to the isle of Cyprus by a wind called Garbun, which is not one of the principal winds that rule the sea and our vessel struck with such force on a rock as frightened our sailors, who, in despair, tore their clothes and beards. The good king leaped out of his bed barefooted, with only a gown on, and ran to throw himself on his knees before the holy sacrament, like one instantly expecting death. Shortly after, the weather became calm. On the morrow, the king called me and said, Seneschal, know that God has shown to us a part of his great power for one of these trifling winds, which scarcely deserves a name, had almost drowned the king of France, his queen, children, and family; and St. Anceaune declares, they are the menaces of our Lord, as if God had said, Now see and feel that if I had willed it, you would all have been drowned. The good king added, Lord God, why dost thou menace us for the threat thou utter is neither for thy honor nor profit and if thou hadst drowned us all, thou wouldst not have been richer nor poorer thy menaces, therefore, must be intended for our advantage, and not for thine, if we be capable of understanding and knowing them. By these threatenings, said the holy king, we ought to know, that if we have in us the smallest thing displeasing to God, we should instantly drive it from us and, in like manner, we should diligently perform every thing that we suppose would give him pleasure and satisfaction. If we thus act, our Lord will give us more in this world and in the next than we ourselves can imagine. But should we act otherwise, he will do to us as the master does to his wicked servant for if the wicked servant will not correct himself, in consequence of the menaces he receives, his master punishes him in his body, and in his goods until death, or farther were it possible. In such wise will our Lord punish the perverse sinner who shall not be reclaimed by the threats which he hears and he will be the more heavily stricken in body and goods.

This holy king, and good man, took infinite pains, as you shall hear, to make me firmly believe the Christian laws which God has given us. He said, we should so punctually believe every article of the faith that for any thing that may be done against us personally we ought not to act or say any thing contrary to them. He added, that the enemy of mankind, the devil, is so subtle, that when any persons are near dying, he labors with all his power to make them depart with doubts of the articles of our faith for he knows well that he cannot deprive a man of the good works which he may have done; and that he loses the soul if the man die in the true belief of the Catholic faith. For this reason every one should be on his guard, and have such a steady belief, that he may say to the enemy when he comes to tempt him, Go thy way, thou enemy of mankind; thou shalt never take from me what I so firmly believe, namely, the articles of my religion; I had rather that thou shouldst cut off all the members of my body for I am determined to live and die in the faith. Whoever acts thus conquers the enemy with the staff with which he meant to slay