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| March 7. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
501. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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Yesterday his most Christian King made his royal entry into this city, but although very magnificent, it was greatly inferior to the last ceremony of the same kind conducted by King Henry, his father. The Ambassadors were not present at this entry, because it is not customary for them to attend the King on such an occasion, but they will attend the Queen upon her entry, which will take place towards the end of this month. We were all invited to the supper which was served last night in the Court of the Palace of the city, and to-morrow we are to attend the ceremony, which the King will perform in his royal robes, at St. Denis' Church, in order to carry back to their proper places the bodies of the first apostles and protectors of France, namely, St. Denis, St. Rusticus, and St. Eleutherius, which, when the Huguenots were in this neighbourhood, were brought within the city for fear they should be profaned, as has been done elsewhere; but no Ambassadors were invited except those of the Pope, Spain, Scotland, and Venice, notwithstanding several other Ambassadors, including the Ambassador of England, nre at the Court. |
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Paris, 7th March 1571. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 11. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
502. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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The most Christian Queen, who is in good health, and not pregnant, as lately affirmed, will make her entry into the city on the 27th of this month. Yesterday the King made the solemn procession which is customary after a royal entry; to-day his Majesty has attended Parliament to exhort all judges to do justice, and his Majesty, according to custom, then heard a cause, and gave judgment in person. |
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Paris, 11th March 1571. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 26. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
503. Alvise Contarint, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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The coronation of the most Christian Queen took place yesterday at St. Denis. The ceremony was most imposing on account of the surroundings, the form and richness of the vestments, and the excellent order with which the whole proceedings were conducted. |
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Paris, 26th March 1571. |
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[Italian.] |
| March 31. Original Despatch, Venetian Archives. |
504. Alvise Contarini, Venetian Ambassador in France, to the Signory. |
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The most Christian Queen entered into this city yesterday. The spectacle was magnificent and most solemn. Subsequently a gorgeous festival was given by the King in the great hall of the Palace, together with tournaments, and the Ambassadors in ordinary from the Pope, Spain, Scotland, and Venice, were invited and given very distinguished places. |
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Letters from England, dated the 26th, announce the death of the Cardinal Châtillon, the brother of the Admiral, from fever. This news has been received by the Catholics with satisfaction, because the Cardinal, from his lofty and restless disposition, and from the great reputation in which he was held by the Queen of England, induced her to give material assistance to those persons who follow the new religion. By his death an ecclesiastical preferment of the annual value of 60,000 crowns has become vacant. But the King has not yet disposed of this, and it is thought that his Majesty will confer it only upon those who at present have a title to it, because during the late wars these benefices were divided between the Cardinals de Bourbon, Guise, and Pellève; but now, since the peace, the annual revenue had to be restored to Châtillon. It is also heard that the Admiral has solemnized his marriage, and consummated it in the house of M. de La Rochefoucault, with Madame d'Antramon, who he has married. |
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Paris, 31st March 1571. |
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[Italian.] |
