Confessions of Louis XI.

Speaking of the History of Joan of Arc dictated by herself, and from which we propose to cite several passages, we said that Mademoiselle Dufaux had written in the same manner the History of Louis XI. This work, one of the most complete of its kind, contains precious documents from the historical point of view. In it Louis XI reveals himself the profound politician whom we know; but, beyond that, he gives us the key to several facts hitherto unexplained. From the Spiritist point of view it is one of the most curious specimens of substantial works produced by the Spirits. In this respect, two things are particularly remarkable: the rapidity of execution (fifteen days were sufficient to dictate the matter of a thick volume) and, secondly, the so precise remembrance that a Spirit can preserve of the events of earthly life. To those who doubt the origin of this work, and credit it to the memory of Mademoiselle Dufaux, we will answer that there would indeed be needed, on the part of a girl of fourteen years, a quite phenomenal memory and a talent of precocity no less extraordinary, to write, at one sitting, a work of this nature; but, supposing it were so, we ask where this child would have drawn the unpublished explanations of the nebulous politics of Louis XI, and whether it would not have been more fitting for her parents to attribute the merit to her. Of the various histories written through her intermediary, that of Joan of Arc is the only one that has been published. We make our wishes that the others may soon be so, and we predict for them a success all the greater as Spiritist ideas are more widespread today. We extract, from that of Louis XI, the passage relating to the death of the Count of Charolais: The historians, confronting the historical fact that “Louis XI gave to the Count of Charolais the lieutenancy general of Normandy,” confess that they do not understand why a king, who was so great a politician, should have committed so great a fault. [1]

The explanations given by Louis XI are difficult to contradict, since they are confirmed by three episodes known to all: the conspiracy of Constain, the journey of the Count of Charolais, following the execution of the guilty one, and, finally, the obtaining by this prince of the lieutenancy general of Normandy, a province that joined the States of the Duke of Burgundy, enemies always allied against Louis XI.

Louis XI expresses himself thus:

“The Count of Charolais was gratified with the lieutenancy general of Normandy and with a pension of thirty-six thousand livres. It was a great imprudence to increase in this way the power of the house of Burgundy. Although this digression takes us away from the sequence of the affairs of England, I believe I ought to indicate the motives that made me act thus.

“Some time after his return from the Low Countries, Duke Philip of Burgundy had fallen gravely ill. The Count of Charolais truly loved his father, despite the vexations he had caused him; it is true that his ardent, impetuous character and, above all, my perfidious insinuations, might excuse him. He cares for him with a wholly filial affection and leaves, neither by day nor by night, the head of his bed.

“The danger of the old duke had led me to serious reflections; I hated the count and believed I had everything to fear from him; moreover, he had but one daughter of tender age, which occasioned, after the death of the duke, who seemed not destined to live much longer, a minority that the Flemings, always turbulent, would have rendered extremely stormy. I could have easily seized, if not all the goods of the house of Burgundy, at least a part, whether disguising this usurpation with an alliance, or leaving him all that force has of most odious. There were more reasons than were needed to have the Count of Charolais poisoned; the idea of a crime, moreover, no longer shocked me. “I succeeded in seducing the cupbearer of the prince, Jean Constain; Italy, in a certain manner, was the laboratory of the poisoners: it was there that Constain sent Jean d’Ivy, whom he had won over thanks to a considerable sum, which was to be paid to him when he returned. D’Ivy wished to know for whom the poison was destined; the cupbearer had the imprudence to confess that it was for the Count of Charolais.

“After having rendered account of his task, d’Ivy presented himself to receive the sum promised; but, far from paying it to him, Constain covered him with insults. Furious at this reception, d’Ivy swore to avenge himself. He went to find the Count of Charolais, confessing to him all that he knew. Constain was arrested and conducted to the castle of Rippemonde. The fear of torture made him confess everything, except my complicity, perhaps hoping that I would intercede for him. He was already at the top of the tower, the place destined for the execution, and they were already preparing to behead him, when he expressed the desire to speak to the count. He then recounted to him the role I had played in this attempt. Despite the astonishment and the anger he experienced, the Count of Charolais kept silent, and the persons present could make only vague conjectures, founded on the movements of surprise that the account provoked. Despite the importance of this revelation, Constain was beheaded and his goods confiscated, but restored to his family by the Duke of Burgundy. “His denouncer experienced the same fate, owing in part to the imprudent reply he gave to the prince of Burgundy; the latter having asked, in case the promised sum had been paid to him, whether he would have denounced the plot, he had the inconceivable temerity to answer no.

“When the count came to Tours, he asked me for a private interview; in it he let overflow all his fury and covered me with reproaches. I appeased him, giving him the lieutenancy general of Normandy and the pension of thirty-six thousand livres; the lieutenancy general was no more than a title without result;

as for the pension, he received only the first installment.” [see Death of Louis XI and Poisoning of the Duke of Guyenne.]

[1]

Histoire de France: depuis l’établissement de la monarchie… - Google Books, by Velly and continuators.