Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 7.djvu/501

 12 s. vii. NOV. 2o, 1920.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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of Jeanne d'Albret. At this epoch of malignant passions each side accused the other of the most odious crimes of the most improbable character. It is said that the statement that the king died from poison was founded upon popular and shallow rumours. It is well known, especially in the time of confusion and trouble, that the death of princes, and of great men, has been hastened by poison.

The feeble health of the king in his infancy and his bad constitution, proves, certainly, that his death was natural ;

" Nous avona nomm, au cours cle cette etude' la lesion morbide qui fut le point de depart des accidents dont la mort de^vait etre 1'aboutissant fatal : ce sont les vegetations adenoides du pharynx qui ont produit tous les desordres."

It is probable after three centuries and a half, one can not affirm anything with certainty that Francis II. died of a

" meningo-enc^phalite, consecutive a une inflam- mation suppur^e de 1'oreille gauche, liee a des vegetations adenoidiennes."

I think that the only other French king, of whom it was at one time asserted that he had been poisoned, was Charles IX. He died on May 30, 1574, from so Cabanes concludes " broncho - pleuro - pneumonie tuberculeuse. ' '

All creditable history of his time reports that Charles was not robust : he ate and drank little. Violent exercise pleased him, and towards the end of his life, he would remain on horseback 12 or 14 consecutive hours : and would follow through the forest the same beast for two or three days, taking little rest. Until 1573, he was in fairly good health. It is stated that at one time when he was bled he fainted, causing great alarm. Only Pare kept his presence of mind under the circumstance., and it is to his attention and care that the affection of the king for the surgeon is attributed.

It is certain that the Massacre of St. Bartholomew had a manifest effect on the health of the king : his need for activity became greater and his face had a singular aspect.

Sigismondo Cavalli, living at the Court, remarks that the king, when speaking to any one, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and then opened them suddenly, and, as if he suffered from this movement, he closed them again suddenly. It is said that on the evening of the Massacre, the king sent for Pare, complaining to him that he had fever and hallucinations (Sully, 'Memo ires

ou (Economies royales,' &c. Amsterdam,.

1725).

He was now taking those violent exercises which ruined his health more and more: it is said he did this to try and stifle his remorse, and chase away the horrible - visions. Fatigue commenced still more quickly to affect his health, and in October,. 1573, about the time, when his brother Henry went to Poland, he had irregular fever, followed by lung trouble, until then ignored. To this he subsequently succumbed.

From a document discovered by M. Baschet in the Record Office (Paris), ' State- Papers, France,' vol. Ivii., Dr. Cabanes quotes as follows. (He, no doubt, is re- sponsible for the italics.)

" Le Roy, par 1'indisposition de sa personne et lon- gueur de maladie, est reduit en telle maigreur et foiblesse qu'il n'a plus que la peau et les os, et les jambes et cuisses si amoindries et attenuees qu line se peust soutenir, mercredy dernier se trouva tant' failly de haleine et paroles k 1'occasion du flux du sang par la bouche qu'on en attendoit plus la mort que la vie. rnais depuis sa saignee s'est mieux trouv6 "

In the month of May, 1574, he had con- tinuous fever, which is soon transferred into "tierce, quarte, puis erratique, avec frissons." On Friday, May 28, the king summoned his first physician, and implored him to give relief, even if he could not cure. He was told that there was no hope except in Providence, and that did not promise much. Charles died, as before mentioned, on May 30 (1574), the day of Pentecost, about 3 P.M., at the Chateau of Vincennes.

The next day his body was opened in the presence of the magistrates of Paris, and others, and nothing was found which sub- stantiated the troublesome reports which were current that his brother and mother had poisoned him. (De Thou states that the same reports were 'made concerning the death of Francis II.)

Shortly after Charles died, his mother wrote a full account of the late king's illness to M. de Matignon. A rough trans- lation of her letter shows that she affirms that her son had great fever which caused inflammation of the lungs, which, it is estimated, proceeded from the "viollens exercises qu'il faictz," and having been opened after his death, all the other parts of his body were in order, so that he is seen. as a man

" bien compose, et est k presupposer, que sans les diets viollens exercises qu'il a faictz, il estoit pour vivre fort longuement."