fe&on to you, in order to traverfe his defigns. I have every caufe to praiie the Bretons, for they have ferved me faithfully in the defence of my kingdom againft its aoemies. You will make the lord de Cliflbn conftable : every thing confidçred, I know no one fo proper for that office. Seek out, in Germany, an alliance for my fon, that our connexions there may be ftrcngthened. You have heard our ad-verfary is about to marry from thence, to increafc his allies. The poor people of my realm are much harafied and tormented by taxes and fubfidies : take them off as fpeedily as you can, for they are things which, notwithftanding I propofed them, weigh very heavy on my mind : but the great un-dertakings we have had to maintain in every part of the kingdom forced me to fubmit to them.' Many more kind words did king Charles utter, but I have pot thought it requifite to cite them fell. The king explained why the duke of Anjou was abfent ; for he fufpe&ed him %much, knowing him to be of an ambitious temper. Notwithftanding the king of France did not permit him to attend his death-bed, nor to have any part in the government of France, this duke did not keep at a very great diftance he had befides meffengers continually going be-tween Paris * and Angers, who brought him -exaft* accounts of the ftate of his brother's health. He had alfo fome about the king's perfon, who in-formed him fecredy what daily pafled » and the laft day, when the king of France departed this .life, .he JIZ& at Paris, and fo near to the k'ng's chamber 120