Frederick Schiller - The Other Historical Essays

In the history books which describe the remarkable times of Francis I, Henry II and his three sons, people rarely see the name of Marshall Vieilleville. Yet, he has very closely taken part in the greatest negotiations of his era, and an honourable place close to the great statesmen and war leaders of these times is attributed to him. Among all the contemporary historians, only Brantome gives him justice, and his testimony has even more weight as both were running after the namely goals and yet, belonged to different parties.

Vieilleville was not one of those powerful natures who can overcome great hinders through the power of their genius or their passion, and through individual, outstanding enterprises which are universal, force History to talk about them. His merits consisted in avoiding the attention which the other people are seeking, and in seeking to be in peace with everyone, rather than to be admired and liked by everyone. Vieilleville was a member of the court in the highest and most dignified sense of this word, where it means taking one of the most difficult and most glorious roles on this world. He was devoted to the throne, even if he saw the persons on the same throne changing three times, without vacillating himself, observing the same perseverance; and he knew to interact so intimately with the Prince, that his dutiful devotedness showed the warmth of personal inclination toward all the successive persons on the throne. The beautiful image of the old french nobility and chivalry was again alive in him, and he exhibited to us the standing to which he belonged in such a dignified manner, that he could make us instantly understand the excesses of the same nobility and chivalry.

He was noble, brilliant, selfless up to oblivion of his own self, serviceable to all the human beings, full of a sense of honour, faithful to his word, constant in his inclinations, active for his friends, noble towards his enemies, heroically courageous, liking order up to a certain severity, and fearsome to anyone showing any liberality of morals and implacable towards the enemies of laws. He understood to a high degree the art of relating to people having personality opposed to his, without sacrificing his own character, of pleasing the honour seeking people without paying homage to them blindly, of being pleasant to the zealots without flattering them. He was never used, like the heartless and weak courtesan, to throw away his personal dignity to be a friend of his Prince; however, with a stronger soul and a more glorious self-sacrifice, he could be submitting his own wishes to the needs of his relationships. Through such character, and through an ever active intelligence, he succeeded, in a time when everyone took party, to stay impartial, without losing his active circle, and in the confrontation of so many interests, to remain friend with everyone; he succeeded a three successive throne changes without changing his own luck, and has taken to his tomb the princely favour with which he has started his career. For it must be remarked, that he died when Catherine of Medici visited him with her state court in his castle of Durestal; and he has ended his life, so to speak, in the arms of the same sovereigns at the service of whom he has devoted sixty years of his life.

However, precisely this character also explains to us in a very natural manner the silence prevailing about him. All the historians have taken a party; they were enthusiasts either for the old, or for the new teachings, and a vivid interest for their own leader have directed their feather. A person like Marshall Vieilleville whose head was too cold for fanaticism, offered to them hence nothing that could be praised or despised. He recognized himself as being part of the class of the restrained people, which sometimes is derided under the name of politician; a class of people, which, already in times of citizen unrest ,chose the destiny of displeasing both parties, because they strove to unite both. He also kept himself imperturbably attached to the King during all the storms caused by the factions, and neither the Montmorency and Guise party, nor that of Condé and Coligny could pretend to possess his loyalty.

Characters of this kind will always come short in History which tells more about what violence has accomplished than what intelligence has prevented from happening; and its attention must be more directed onto decisive actions than onto capturing the beautiful, calm development of a whole life. The more grateful, hence, are such characters for those biographers who rather chose as their hero Ulysses than Achilles.

Two hundred years after his death, the justice about Marshall Vieilleville must be fully restored. In the family archives at Durestal Castle were found memoirs about his life in ten books, written by Carloix, his secret writer. These memoirs are, in truth, written in the praiseful style which is also specific to Brantome and all the historians of this period; however, it is not the rhetorical tone of the flatterer who wants to acquire for himself a protector, but rather the speech of a grateful heart which pours itself involuntarily for a benefactor. This inclination will also not be hidden, in any way, in the account; and the historical truth differentiates itself very easily from the account which the historian only allows himself to write out of grateful preference for his benefactor. These memoirs were published for the first time in the year 1757, in five volumes, even if they have already been known earlier by some individuals and have also partly been used.

Francis of Scepeaux, Lord Vieilleville was the son of Renatus of Scepeaux, Lord Vieilleville and Margaret of La Jaille, from the House of Estouteville. His parents had a great fortune, maintained their honour and lived an exemplary life for the whole nobility of Anjou and Maine; their House was also one of the most respected and was always full of the best society. Francis of Vieilleville served, early in his life, as a page for the mother of Francis I, Regent of France, a Princess from Savoy; however, an incident which happened to him there, drove him away from this place after a four-year service. Namely, a nobleman has given him a slap as he was taking his service at midday. After lunch, the page would slip away from his court master, went to the nobleman who was the regent's first pastry master and pierced his body with a sword, after demanding him to give him back his honour. He was eighteen years old when this incident took place. As the King learned about this action which would not be totally disapproved by all the Grands and preferably by the King himself because the house officers did not have the right to mistreat the pages, he called for the young Lord Vieilleville to present him to his mother, the Regent, and to present him excuses.

However, this one has already left court and gone to his father in Durestal to obtain from this one the necessary support for a trip to Neaples where Lord Lautrec was recruiting for his beautiful army. After putting everything in order, he chose twenty five noblemen from Anjou and Brittany as his accompaniers, for he wanted to appear with decency and in accordance to his birth; he presented himself in Chambery to Lord Lautrec who received him amicably as his relative and took him under his flags. Vieilleville distinguished himself at every occasion and dared his life in front of the whole army, particularly in the capture of Pavia whereby the Frenchs in memory of the last five-year war, at the end of which their King would be taken prisoner, would be enticed to commit too many excesses, of which hence Vieilleville with two hundred men, put a halt to as best as he could.