At this time was much communing, and verelie (as it appeared) it was intended,The K. in per|son purposed to passe the seas to sée the French king his brother. that the king in person would passe the sea to Calis, and there on the marches of the same, the French king and quéene to come and sée the king their brother: and for the same iournie manie costlie works were wrought, much rich apparell prouided, and much preparation made against the next spring: but death which is the last end of all things let this iournie. For before the next spring the French king died at the citie of Paris, the first daie of Ianuarie, when he had béene married to the faire ladie Marie of England foure score and two daies [whom he so feruentlie loued, that he gaue himselfe ouer to behold too much hir excellent beautie bearing then but eighteene yeares of age, Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag 684. nothing considering the proportion of his owne yeares, nor his decaied complexion; so that he fell into the rage of a feauer, which drawing to it a sudden flux, ouer|came in one instant the life, that nature gaue ouer EEBO page image 836 to preserue anie longer. He was a king iust & much beloued of his people, but touching his condition, nei|ther before he was king, nor after he had the crowne he neuer found constancie nor stabilitie in either for|tune.

For, rising from a small duke of Orleance with great happinesse to the crowne, and that by the death of Charles yoonger than he, and two of his sonnes, he conquered with a verie great facilitie the duchie of Millan and the kingdome of Naples, and almost all the residue of the regions of Italie, being gouer|ned for manie yeares by his direction: he recouered with a verie great prosperitie, the state of Genes that was in rebellion: and vanquished with no lesse glorie the armies of the Uenetians, being in person at both those victories. But on the other side, euen when he was in his youth and best disposition of bo|die,The variable|nesse of his fortune. he was then constreined by king Lewes the eleuenth to marrie his daughter that was both bar|ren and deformed; and yet could neuer get the good will nor countenance of his father in law.

And after his death, such was the greatnesse of the ladie of Burbon, that he could neuer get the in|stitution of the new king, being then in minoritie, being almost compelled to retire himselfe into Bri|taine: where being taken in the battell of saint Au|bin, he liued two yeares in the calamitie of a priso|ner. To these afflictions maie be added the siege and famine of Nauarre, the manie discomfits he had in the realme of Naples, the losse of the estate of Mil|lan, Genes, and all the townes which he had taken from the Uenetians: and lastlie the gréeuous warre he had in France against verie mightie enimies, his eies beholding into what lamentable perils his realme was brought: neuerthelesse, before he died it séemed he had conquered all his aduersities, and for|tune shewed good tokens of hir reconcilement, both for that he had defended his kingdome against migh|tie enimies, and also established a perpetuall peace and aliance with the king of England, with whome by how much his amitie was great and assured, by so much it gaue him hope to be able to reconquer the duchie of Millan.]