Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Meeting

The astrologer can fully describe the meeting of the king likened to saturn meeting mars It is a fate full of bad omens and inauspiciousness. "Old Drama" It is difficult for people to judge whether this is a right of the princely position, or a punishment: in their intercourse, they are required to consider their own position and dignity, and restrain their feelings and performance according to strict etiquette.This etiquette does not allow for violent and public displays of affection.This outward politeness would be considered the greatest hypocrisy if it were not known to all to be but a request of politeness.But it is also certain that direct outbursts of anger beyond the bounds of politeness undermine their dignity before the world.This was particularly evident in the confrontation between two eminent rivals, Francis the First and Emperor Charles, as they each exposed the other and demanded that their differences be resolved by single-handed combat.

Burgundy.Charles, the most hasty, reckless, and careless king of his time, felt a magical restraint in the face of King Louis, whose books demanded the respect he owed to his suzerain; The visit gave him another great honor as a vassal of the king.Wearing the duke's dress, surrounded by ministers and prominent knights and nobles, he cleared the way with a majestic cavalry to meet Louis XI.His entourage was literally covered in dazzling gold and silver decorations.This shows that at that time, when the British court was exhausted due to the War of the Roses, and the French court was also practicing thrift because of the king's frugality, the Burgundian court was indeed the richest and most luxurious one.Louis's entourage was just the opposite, very few in number, and rather shabby in appearance.The king himself wears a battered cloak, which contrasts even more sharply with his old tall hat filled with idols.The contrast was striking when the duke, crowned and richly dressed, leaped from his great horse and knelt and held the stirrup to allow King Louis to dismount from his unhurried pony. People feel funny.

The mutual greetings of the two heads of state were, of course, superficially cordial and courteous, but underneath they were utterly insincere.However, the duke's character made it much more difficult for him to maintain the necessary decency in tone, language, and manner.King Louis, who is a typical example of hypocrisy, seems to be very handy, making it difficult for those who are most familiar with him to distinguish the truth from the fake. If there is no need to worry about tarnishing the image of the two noble heads, the most accurate comparison is to regard King Louis as a complete stranger in the habits of dogs, who for some reason wants to be with a dog who doubts him. , and make friends with the bulldog that will jump on him and bite him whenever he shows timidity or resentment.The bulldog was secretly angry, grinning with its teeth open and its bristles bristling, but it was too embarrassed to rush towards the uninvited guest who seemed amiable and trusted him very much.So the bulldog had to endure this friendly gesture which did not appease him in the slightest, and was always ready to jump at the friend's throat at the first opportunity he thought he could justify.

King Louis, seeing the duke's restrained attitude, abrupt gestures, and unnatural tone of voice, must have realized that the drama he was performing was difficult, and perhaps he regretted more than once that he should not be so self-defeating.But regret was of no avail, and all that remained was King Louis's unique knack for sleight-of-hand with anyone. King Louis's attitude towards the duke was almost as if seeking sincere forgiveness from a respected and tried friend; quickly forgotten.King Louis reproached himself for not having taken this decisive step sooner, in order to persuade his good and amiable cousin by the trust he now displayed: The courtesies he received in Burgundy made him feel that the disputes and discords between them were simply trivial.He also spoke of the good Duke of Burgundy (as Duke Charles' father Philip was called at the time), and recalled his paternal delicacy.

Cousin, he said, it seems to me that your father treats you exactly as I do.I also remember that I happened to get lost while hunting, and then I happened to see the good duke rebuking you for leaving me alone in the forest, as if you had neglected your brother's safety. The countenance of the Duke of Burgundy, which was naturally stern, looked more like a terrible grimace when he smiled politely in order to show that he agreed that the king was telling the truth. This is the number one hypocrite in the world, he said inwardly, I hope I can remind you without compromising my honor, how you repay the benefits our family has given you!

And besides, continued the king, if bonds of blood and gratitude were not enough to bind us together, we have bonds of spirit.I am godfather to your daughter Mary.I see her as my own.When the saints (blessed be their holy names!) gave me a little flower-like baby girl who unfortunately died within three months it was your father who baptized her in his arms at the holy font.The scene of its wealth and splendor really made Paris sigh.I will never forget Duke Philip and your personal generosity.All these made an indelible impression on the broken heart of my poor exile! Your Majesty, said the duke grudgingly, the words you used to thank for this trifle far outstripped the festive arrangements that Burgundy offered for the honor you bestowed on its sovereign.

My dear cousin, I remember the words you refer to, said the king with a smile, and I think they mean: My poor vagabond, only my life with my wife and my children can be given, Come to repay the kindness you have given me this day.Well, I think I have now delivered my statement quite faithfully. I don't mean to cast doubt on what your majesty is willing to say, said the duke, but But you want to ask, interrupted the king, whether my words and deeds are consistent.Well, listen to me: my baby Joachim is buried in Burgundian soil.My own personal safety I have placed at your disposal this day without reservation.As for my wife's younger brother, since so many years have passed, I don't think you may insist on me fulfilling my promise on that detail.She was born on an Annunciation day some fifty years ago. (Then he crosses himself and murmurs a prayer for me) But she's in Reims too, and if you want me to keep my promise verbatim, she can come right here and listen You dominate.

The duke of Burgundy, though annoyed at seeing King Louis adopt a nakedly friendly tone towards him, could not help laughing at the eccentric answer of the eclectic monarch.The laughter was as piercing as his usual excited and brusque voice, and it was longer and louder than was, and even now, thought the time and place would allow.At last, with the same frankness, he declared that he declined the Queen's offer of company, but was willing to accept the company of the eldest daughter of King Louis, who was distinguished by her beauty. I am so glad, brother, said the King, with one of those ambiguous smiles which he always used, that it is a good thing that you did not fancy my young daughter, Princess Jeanne.Otherwise I shall arrange a duel between you and my nephew Orleans.If it turned out badly, I would lose a dear friend on either side.

Don't you say so, my lord, said the Duke Charles, I will not interfere with the path of love chosen by the Duke of Orléans.There must be a good and honest reason for me to fight Orleans. King Louis took no offense at this rude insinuation of Princess Jeanne's physical incapacity.On the contrary, he was quite pleased to see that the Duke was willing to make the kind of crude jokes he was also very good at.This will save (according to modern people's words) a lot of emotional hypocrisy.So he quickly changed the tone of their conversation, so that although Charles could not play the role of a good friend who forgot his old grudges to his monarch because he often suffered from the king's troubles, and at present he was very suspicious of his sincerity, but it was not difficult to play. A host character who happily entertains funny guests.In this way, what is lacking in mutual goodwill is made up for in the air of joking and joking between the two friends.This atmosphere was suitable for the Duke, but also for King Louis, because the former was frank and even rough, while the latter, although he was good at acting and dealing with all kinds of social situations, was most suitable for vulgar thoughts, humor and sarcasm. .

Both kings were fortunate enough to be able to sustain a conversation of this nature at a banquet in the town hall of Peron.In this way, neither side has to fight tit for tat.King Louis also naturally saw that such a conversation would best preserve the Duke of Burgundy with that peace of mind which was so necessary for his personal safety. But he noticed with dismay that the duke was surrounded by several high-ranking, trusted, and powerful French nobles who had been driven into exile by his own harshness and injustice.It was to avoid their wrath and vengeance that he (as mentioned above) asked to live in the castle of Peron rather than in the city. The princes (three brothers) appeared before Delo, who had been imprisoned for a long time by himself, as well as Ponce de Riviere and de Hulfie. By the way, if the fate of the flashy man was not a warning to the author, then, as A historical novelist of a peculiar style, I could have introduced these characters properly into the novel while they all wore the Burgundian coat of arms, the cross of St. Andrew. Louis was so apprehensive that he unwisely demanded into the ancient castle of Peron, and thus made himself a complete captive.).Duke Charles immediately agreed to his request with a wry smile, a kind of wry smile that couldn't tell whether it was bad or good.

King Louis inquired, as tactfully as he could, in the manner which he thought best to avoid suspicion, whether he could have his Scotch guards guard the castle during his stay at Peron, instead of the gates, as the duke proposed.As soon as he had finished speaking, Charles twirled his beard and felt for the knife (and drew it out and pushed it back into the sheath), as he was wont to do when he spoke, thereby giving rise to the stern tone and abrupt manner in which he answered the question. Even more alarming.He said: Saint Martin on top!Your Majesty, this will not work.You are now in the camps and towns of your vassals and people call me your vassals.My castle and town are yours, and my men are yours.So it makes no difference to me whether my knights or your Scottish guards guard the gates or castles.No, by St. George!The fortress of Peron is like a virgin, not to lose her reputation for chastity by any negligence on my part.My lord, if we want the virgin to continue to enjoy her good name, we must guard her carefully. of course.Good cousin, I quite agree with you, said the King, for in fact I care more about the reputation of this small town than you do Good cousin, Peron, as you know, is a town on the Somme, originally Pawned to your late father.Therefore, it can be redeemed as long as the debt is repaid.To tell the truth, I have come here as an honest debtor with the intention of paying off various accumulative debts.I've brought some mules' gold and silver to ransom this town, good cousin, enough to cover your royal expenses for three years. I will not receive a cent, said the Duke, twirling his beard, my lord, the redemption period has passed long ago.Besides, there is not much reason to exercise this right, because, you ceded these towns, my father (you all should be grateful for this luck) agreed to forget the old grudge of killing my grandfather, and not to ally with England, but with your father, and from The only remuneration received by France.St. George up!If he hadn't done so, His Majesty would not have been able to keep these towns on the Somme, nor even those on the Loire.No, I will never hand over a stone, even if you would exchange an equal weight of gold for a stone.Thank God, and the wisdom and courage of my ancestors, that although Burgundy was but a small principality, its income was sufficient to meet my state's needs.Even if a king came to visit, I need not sell the inheritance of my ancestors to maintain the dignity of my host. Come, my good cousin, the king was not in the least affected by the duke's harsh words, and replied calmly as before, I think you are too friendly to France to let go of anything that belongs to her.However, there must be an arbitrator when we formally negotiate their ownership. What do you think of Sao Paulo? Neither St. Paul, St. Peter, nor any of the saints on the calendar could have persuaded me to give up Peron.said the Duke of Burgundy. Alas, you do not understand me, said King Louis, smiling, and I mean Louis of Luxembourg, my faithful governor, Count Saint-Paul.Hey, Santa Maria of Umbrun!It was his head that we were negotiating jet lag!The best mind in France is also the one that is most helpful in restoring harmony between us. St. George of Burgundy on board!said the duke, I am surprised to hear your majesty speak so highly of a man who was unfaithful to both France and Burgundy.You know, this guy has been trying to fan the flames of our usual differences so that he can appear as an arbitrator.I swear by the badge I wear, there's no way he'll be lording over his marshes for long! Cousin, don't be angry!The King whispered with a smile, I said I wanted the Governor's head to settle our petty differences, not his body.As for his body, it would be better for him to remain in St. Quentin's Church. Ah!Ah!Your Majesty, I understand what you mean.Charles laughed loudly, the same as his reaction when he heard King Louis's previous witticism, the laughter was very harsh.Then he stamped his feet and added: In this sense, I admit that the governor's head may be good for Peron. Such conversations, in which King Louis hinted at the important issues on his mind by means of jokes, did not take place continuously, but were artfully arranged at the banquet at the Hotel Peron and later when he visited him at the ducal mansion.In short, he asks these tough questions according to the situation and timing so that doing them seems easy and natural. Although the duke's irascible character and the problems of mutual animosity between them made the possible outcome of Louis's rash adventure dangerous, no helmsman has ever been on the shore in doubt. As firm and composed as he is.He seems to probe the deep waters and shallows of his opponent's mind and character with the utmost deftness and accuracy.When he explored more hidden reefs and dangerous shoals and found that he could not anchor safely, he did not express doubts and fears. Finally, the day was over.It must have been a drowsy day for Louie, for circumstances demanded that he be constantly on the move, constantly on the alert, on the alert, on the alert.It was also a very restrictive day for the duke, for he had to suppress the strong emotions he always liked to vent. The duke and the king had let his pent-up anger break out as soon as they had returned to their chambers after they had exchanged their polite goodnight.Many curses and indecent epithets fell on the innocent, as his jester Le Glorier said.The heap of incantations that weighed upon his heart, which would have been too decency to give even in the absence of the King, was too many to bear and had to be brought out for the servants to bear.The Duke's anger was somewhat assuaged by the jester's jokes.He laughed loudly, and tossing the Fool a gold coin as a reward, then quietly undressed, drank a large glass of mulled wine, and fell soundly at the touch of the pillow. King Louis's sleeping situation is more interesting than Charles's, because violent and reckless emotions are not the expression of human intelligence, but closer to human animal instincts, far less interesting than the deep thinking of an energetic and active mind. Louis was escorted by the court steward and concierge of the Duke of Burgundy to his chosen residence in the castle of Peron, and was greeted by a large group of archers and warriors at the gate. When he dismounted from his horse and walked across the drawbridge over the deep and wide moat, he looked at the sentinel, and then said to the Burgundian nobleman Commin who accompanied him: They all wear the St. Andrew's cross but not mine. The kind worn by Scottish shooters. Your Majesty, you will find them equally valiant to die in your defense, said the Burgundian, whose keen ear caught in the king's voice a feeling which he no doubt tried to hide as best he could, and they wear St. Andrew's cross as my lord. Attached to the golden fleece collar patch, the emblem of the Duke of Burgundy. Don't I know?said Louie, revealing the collar he himself wore in honor of his host, a bond of brotherhood between my good cousin and myself.On cavalier sects and spiritual relations We are brothers.We are cousins ​​by family birth, and we are friends by every bond of friendship and neighborliness.Noble gentlemen, send it to this yard!I won't allow you to go any further. You are being polite enough to me. The duke bade us, said Dan Bogu, to send your majesty all the way to the residence.We trust that His Majesty will allow us to faithfully carry out our master's orders. In such a small matter, said the king, I suppose you servants always put the king's orders above those of the duke.I'm a little sick and a little tired.Great joy, like great pain, has a price.I think you'd better come back with me tomorrow and you too, Philip.Mr. Gong Ming heard that you are a contemporary Shi Chen.If we want to make a name in history, we have to say good things in front of you.People say you can write as acrimoniously as you want.Farewell, gentlemen and lords, I send you all a good night. The Burgundian nobles bid farewell.Everyone was very pleased with King Louis's gracious manner and his ingenious way of giving everyone the courtesy they deserved.Now only the king and one or two of his entourage remained, standing under the arches in the inner courtyard of Peron Castle, looking up at the huge tower that occupied a corner and was actually the main building of the castle.This is Quentin.On that moonlit night (maybe the reader still remembers) Davelt traveled from Charleroi to Peron, the dark shadows and tall buildings were clearly seen in the distance.The shape of this huge main building is very similar to the White Tower in London Castle, but its architectural style is older. It is said that its construction dates back to the era of Charlemagne.The walls of the main building are extremely thick, the windows are small, and there are iron bars on them.The monstrous shadow cast by the tower's bulky, ungainly body hung over the courtyard. I don't live there.The king seemed to feel uneasy, and said tremblingly. Of course not, replied the white-haired steward without hat who accompanied the king, God forbid!His majesty's bedroom is actually located in these low shacks.King John at the Battle of Poaktier (Note: On September 19, 1356, near Poaktier, France, Edward III of England led a British army of 8,000, defeating the French army of 60,000 led by King John of France. King John Captured.) Had slept there two nights before. snort!It's not a good omen either, murmured the King, but, old fellow, what's the matter with that tower?Why are you begging God not to let me live there? Hey, my good king, said the steward, I don't know what's wrong with the tower, but the sentinel said that he saw a light in it at night, and heard strange noises.It makes sense to say this, because in ancient times this tower was originally a national prison, and there are many legends about what happened inside. Louie asked no further, because he was more obliged than anyone to keep the prison secret.His dwelling was not as old as the Tower, but still old and gloomy.A small company of Scottish guards stood at the door.The duke, though refusing to accede to King Louis's earlier request, nevertheless called for this little bodyguard, that they might stand guard beside his master.Their leader is the loyal Duke Crawford. Crawford My faithful Crawford, said the King, where have you been all this day?Are the nobles of Burgundy so inhospitable that they ignore you, the bravest and noblest gentleman who ever comes to court?I didn't see you at the banquet. I myself declined, my king, said Crawford, I am not what I used to be.In the past, I dared to drink with the most generous people in Burgundy, and I drank wine made from Burgundy grapes.But now it only takes four pints to get me drunk.At the same time, setting an example for my subordinates in this regard is also related to the issue of loyalty to His Majesty. You are always cautious, said the king, but you don't have many people to command now, so you are not as busy as you used to be, are you?Besides, the time of the banquet does not require strict self-restraint like the hour of danger. Now that there are so few people I can command, it is all the more necessary for me to keep these guys in their place, Crawford said. Besides, God and His Majesty will definitely be better than Crawford as to whether this matter will end in joy or in battle. The old chap knew better. Presumably you didn't see any danger, did you?the king hurriedly asked in a low voice. No, replied Crawford, wishing I could perceive it, for, as old Lord Timon used to say, dangers perceived are often dangers that can be avoided.What is the password for tonight, Your Majesty? In honor of our hosts and one of your favorite wines, let Burgundy be the watchword for tonight! I don't want to have trouble with either a duke named Burgundy or a wine named Burgundy, Crawford said, as long as it's good for both.Goodbye, Your Majesty! Farewell, my faithful Captain of the Scots Guards.said the king, and went into his chamber. Le Balafrey stood guard at the bedroom door.follow me.said the king to him as he passed by.The guard followed with strides like a workman's machine into the bedroom, and stood silently, waiting for the king's orders. Is there any news about your nephew who became a wandering knight?Said the king, nothing has been heard from the young man since he sent us two captives as his first feat of chivalry after his first battle. I have heard that, my lord, said Le Baraffrey, and I hope your majesty will believe that if he is wrong, it is not according to my teaching and example, for I know myself and never dare Defeat the most prominent royals. Never mind that, said the king, your nephew is doing his duty. That's all right, said Balefrey again, I taught him, you know.Quentin, I said to him, whatever happens, you must remember that you are a member of the Scottish Guards, and you do your duty. I suppose he must have had you as an excellent teacher, said Louie, but my concern is that you answer my first question well. Have you heard from your nephew lately?Gentlemen, please step over, he added to the other gentlemen in the room who also wanted to hear, I just need to hear about it. Don't worry, your Majesty, of course I heard, said Le Baraffrey, and I saw that evening Charlotte's groom, who was sent by my nephew from Liege or some nearby castle.He said my nephew had delivered the two ladies of Croyer safely to their destination. Praise to Our Lady of Heaven!said the king, are you sure?Are you sure the good news is true? Of course I am sure, said Le Baraffrey, the fellow has also brought you letters from two ladies from Croix. Fetch the letter quickly, said the king, and give your musket to the other fellows, to Oliver, to any one.Thanks to Our Lady of Umbrun!I'll make a screen of silver around her high altar! Driven by this feeling of gratitude and devotion, Louis took off his hat as usual, selected his favorite Madonna from among the idols adorning it, placed it on the table, knelt down to it, and repeated reverently Repeating his wish. At this time, the groom whom Darwilt had sent back from Thornwald first to deliver the letter came in with the letter.The letter was addressed to the king by two Ladies of Croix.They thanked him in cold terms for the courtesy he had accorded them at the French court, but more cordially thanked him for allowing them to leave and escorting them safely out of the country.King Louis was not angry at this, but laughed happily.He then asked Charlotte with apparent concern if they had been harassed or attacked in any way on the road.Charlotte is a goofy guy, and that's why she was chosen to be Quentin's follower.He gave a vague account of the battle in which his partner, the Gascon, had died, but said he did not know the rest.Louis asked him in detail the route the team took to Liege.King Louis looked pleased when he replied that they had taken the straight road to Liège on the right bank of the Maes when they reached Namur, and not the left bank as had been planned.He sent the fellow away with a small present.In retrospect he tried to conceal his earlier anxiety, as if it were simply a concern for the safety of La Croyer. Although the news meant the failure of one of his proud plans, the king seemed more genuinely satisfied than he could have been at a brilliant achievement.With a sigh as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart, he said a prayer of thanksgiving with the utmost reverence, raised his head, and hastened to formulate new and more certain ambitious plans. To this end, Louis ordered his astrologer Mathias.Gallio came to see him early.The master came in with his usual solemn air, with an uneasy expression on his brow, as if he doubted whether the king would receive him politely.Unexpectedly, however, he received a warmer reception than he had ever received before.Louis called him a friend, called him the scientific ancestor who guided him, and said that he was an indispensable mirror for the king to predict the future. Finally, he put a very valuable ring on his finger.Although Galiotti didn't understand what happened to suddenly raise his value in Louis' mind, but he was very proficient in his profession, so naturally he wouldn't let others notice his ignorance.So he accepted King Louis' praise with solemn humility.He said that the honor should belong to the science he practiced, and that it deserves all the more admiration because it works wonders through a man as small as himself.He came out after taking his farewell to the king.At last, for once, the two are very satisfied with each other. After the astrologer left, Louis sank into a chair, looking tired.He dismissed all the other attendants except Oliver.With a gentle and attentive expression, the fellow walked silently around his master, getting him ready for bed. But when he served the king like this, the king was uncharacteristically silent and indifferent.The attendants were naturally surprised by his unusual change of attitude.The meanest souls often contain some element of goodwill, as the bandit owes his allegiance to his bandit leader; the promoted and protected favourite feels a little genuine concern for the lord who made him great.Oliver the Devil, Oliver the Wretched (or some other moniker to show his baseness) would be no different from the Devil if he did not show some gratitude to his master in the special circumstances of his fate and exhaustion.After silently washing the king for a while, in the usual manner of servants towards their masters, he could not resist at last, taking advantage of the liberty of speech which his king would allow him on such occasions, to say: "God knows, sire, You look like you've lost a battle.But I have never seen you fight so beautifully in front of His Majesty all day long. fight!Louie looked up, his usual sneering tone and manner again, my friend Oliver said I won the fight in the bullring.Truth be told, apart from the Murcian bulls that are specially trained for bullfighting (Note: Murcia is a Spanish city.), there is no bull in the world that is more brutal, stubborn, and defiant than my Burgundian cousin Tamed.Come on, let's not talk about this anymore. I got along well with him anyway.You must be happy for me, Oliver, because my plans in Flanders, whether against the two wandering Croyet ladies, or against the city of Liège, have failed.Do you know what I mean? To tell the truth, my lord, I do not understand you.Oliver replied, I can never congratulate you on the failure of your proud plans, unless your Majesty tells me why you have changed your wishes and opinions. Not so, replied the king, and on the whole my will and my opinion have not changed.But, by God, I learned something today that the Duke of Charles never heard of in his lifetime.I remember that when the old Duke Philip was still alive, I was still the exiled French crown prince, and he was only the Count of Chaholloy. We often drank together, hunted, and took walks. We had many common adventures.At that time I had the overwhelming advantage over him that a strong personality naturally has over a weak personality.But after that he was completely changed into a stubborn, bold, arrogant, pugnacious bigot, who obviously did not hesitate to get things done, and he thought he was sure of winning.I had to steer clear of any subject that offended him, as quietly as I would a red-hot iron.I only hinted at the possibility of falling into the hands of lawless brigands at the frontier before the two disconcerting ladies of Croyet reached Liege (and to Liege, as far as I know, I have confessed).God, I just said it like I touched some kind of blasphemy, and it made him fly.I don't need to tell you what he said.Suffice it to say that I would have been in the darker head if it had been reported that your friend William the Beard's plan to improve his position through marriage, which was your good plan, had succeeded. Forgive me, Your Majesty, he is not my friend, said Oliver, he is not my friend, and that plan is not my plan. Yes, Oliver, replied the King, your plan is not to find him a bride, but to defraud the bridegroom.However, since you have modestly hinted that you are worthy of the bridegroom, you do expect the lady to marry a villain like William.But, Oliver, it was a blessing not to marry her, for my good cousin said that if any man dared to marry his vassal Countess Isabel without his duke's permission, he would be hanged, quartered, and dismembered. Eight yuan is still cheap for him. He must also be jealous of the riots in Liege?The favored minister asked. You are right.Even more than you can guess, said the king, but as soon as I decide to come here, I will send people to Liege to temporarily suppress the rebellion.My two busy and active friends, Rousslar and Pavillon, have been ordered to stay put until this cordial interview with my cousin is over. According to His Majesty, said Oliver coldly, the best outcome of this meeting is that it does not make your situation worse?It's really like the white crane stuffed its head into the fox's mouth, congratulating itself for being lucky because it didn't get bitten off.Your Majesty is probably still indebted to the wise philosopher who encouraged you in this promising gamble. You cannot be disappointed in your wager until you lose it, snapped the king, and I have reason to hope that I will not lose it.On the contrary, as long as nothing happens to provoke this vindictive lunatic, I'm sure I'll win.I am indeed indebted to this astrologer for his alchemy, for the young man he chose to be my guide to the Ladies of Chroyer was a perfect match for my own, and it turned out that because he did not do what I ordered, Taking a route that avoided the Dramak ambush got me out of a crisis instead. Your Majesty, many can be found who are doing you a favor just by doing what they want instead of what you tell them to do.Oliver said. No, no, Oliver, said Louis impatiently, the pagan poets talk of Votadiis exauditamalignis .If William.If Delamach's adventures succeed at this moment when I surrender to Burgundy, it will be the gift of the saints in their wrath.我自己算的命預見到了這一點，後來也得到了伽利奧提的肯定。當然，我並不是說我預見到德拉馬克的計劃會失敗，而是預見到那蘇格蘭射手的出使列日會給我帶來幸運的結果。事情也果然如此，儘管和我原來的計劃有所不同。要知道，星宿雖然能預言總的結局，但對於實現這一結局的手段卻諱莫如深，事實上往往和我預料的或希望的正好相反。不過，我對你奧利弗說這些幹什麼呢？你比與你同名的魔鬼還糟得多，因為他還相信上帝，以致嚇得渾身發抖，而你卻既不信宗教也不信科學，我看你不到註定完蛋的那一天，你是改不了的。而你的生辰八字和你的面相都告訴我你是註定要上絞架的！ 如果真是這樣，奧利弗以一種無可奈何的口氣說道，那麼，這也是上帝的旨意：因為我這個僕人只知感恩，毫不猶豫地執行陛下的命令。 路易又迸發出他那常見的嘲笑聲說道：奧利弗，你和我公平地交了一次鋒。聖母在上，你做得很對，是我向你挑的戰。不過，你嚴肅地告訴我，那幫人對待我們的態度中你有沒有發現有什麼怠慢不恭之嫌？ 陛下，奧利弗回答說，您和那位有學問的哲學家都向星宿和天象尋覓預兆。我是個世俗小人，只想到與我的職業有關的事。不過我覺得他們對待陛下缺乏人們對待地位比自己高得多的貴賓那種誠懇而周到的照顧。今晚公爵推說疲倦，只送陛下到街上，而讓王室的官員送您到住宅。臥室的佈置匆忙而潦草。掛毯也掛歪了有一幅掛毯，您可以看到上面的東西都是顛倒的，連樹也是根朝上長的。 Pooh!這只不過是粗心和匆忙所致，國王說道，你什麼時候看到我在乎這些無聊的小事？ 這些小事本身倒不值得注意，奧利弗說道，只是它們反映出，在公爵的王室官員們心目中陛下究竟受到公爵多大的尊重。請相信我的話，要是他真希望對您的接待各方面都周到認真，那麼他手下人的沖天幹勁可以用幾分鐘做到幾天的工作。陛下，他指著面盆和水壺補充說道，您什麼時候用過不是銀製的盥洗用具？ 嘿，國王發窘地微笑說道，奧利弗，你剛才講的有關修面用具的那句話真是三句話不離本行，任何人也辯不倒。的確，當年我逃到這兒過流亡生活時，就是這個查爾斯還認為銀器有失皇太子身分，叫人用金製器具侍候我，而現在他卻認為我這法國國王連銀製器具也沒資格用了。得了，奧利弗，讓我們就寢吧。我們下過決心，也已經把決心付諸實踐。現在只有勇敢地把開始了的賭博進行到底了。我看我這勃艮第堂弟也像別的野牛一樣，是閉著眼睛瞎撞。我只消像我們在布爾戈斯（註：一個西班牙城市。）見到的鬥牛士那樣看準時機，就可以利用他的莽撞，左右他的命運。