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transferred to the Alcazar
at Madrid. On July 20, accordingly, François quitted
Benisano, accompanied by the governor of Valencia and a
great number of nobles and gentlemen, who escorted him
as far as Requeña, where he found the Bishop of Avila, who
had been deputed to convey to him the Emperor's compliments.
His journey to Madrid, which occupied three weeks,
resembled rather that of a king than a captive. At
Guadalajara, the Duke of Infantado, to whom that town belonged,
gave the most magnificent fetes in his honour; 06 and the three days which he spent there were one round of tournaments,
bull-fights, balls and banquets, while at Alcala, the whole town
came out to meet him, headed by the authorities and students
of the university.
But what a cruel deception awaited him when, on August 17,
he reached Madrid! There, after being confined for a few
days in the tower of los Lujanes, the strongest of the towers
which flanked the ramparts of the city, he was lodged in a
narrow chamber in the donjon of the Alcazar, containing onlysuch furniture as was absolutely necessary, and lighted by a
single window with two iron gratings fixed into the massive
walls, which overlooked the Manzanares, almost dry at this
season of the year, and the arid plain beyond. A company of
arquebusiers guarded the tower, and no one but the King's
gaolers and personal attendants was permitted to have access
to him. This close and galling confinement, which could
scarcely have been more rigorous had François been a State
criminal awaiting his trial on a charge of high treason, and
was, of course, designed to exhaust his powers of resistance to
the Imperial demands, soon began to have its effect upon the
health of the unfortunate monarch, and on the evening of
September 18, as Charles V was returning from hunting in the
forest of Segovia, word was brought him that his captive was
dying.
In great alarm, he immediately mounted his horse, rode,
almost without drawing rein, to Madrid, and proceeded at
once to the Alcazar. On perceiving the Emperor, who entered
his room accompanied by Lannoy and preceded by Montmorency,
carrying a torch, François painfully raised himself
into a sitting posture and bowed. Charles threw himself into
his arms, and "they remained for some time in a close
embrace, without saying a word." The King was the first
to break the silence. "My lord," said he, "you see before
you your prisoner and your slave." "No," replied the
Emperor affectionately, "but my good brother and true
friend, whom I look upon as free." "Your slave," rejoined
the King. "My good brother and friend, who will recover
his freedom," insisted the Emperor. "My most ardent
desire is your recovery; think only of that. All the rest
will be done, my lord, according to your wishes." "It
will be as you order," replied François, "for it is yours to
command, but, my lord, I entreat of you, let there be no
intermediary between us." The King then fell back exhausted
on his pillow, and Charles withdrew, having assured him that
when the Duchesse d'Alençon, who was expected, arrived,
peace and his liberty would speedily follow. 07
The following day, the Emperor again visited François and
did all in his power to console him; but the royal prisonerwas in a very weak state, spoke as though he did not expect to
recover, and besought Charles, in the event of his death, not
to be too hard upon his sons, but to take them under his
protection and defend them against those who might attempt
to despoil them. The Emperor promised that everything
should be arranged in accordance with his wishes, so soon as
his sister arrived.
While he was still with the King, a message was brought him that Marguerite
had entered Madrid and was approaching the Alcazar. Learning on the road from Barcelona of
the illness of her brother, she had travelled with all possible
despatch, and had arrived two or three days before she was
expected. The Emperor received her at the foot of the
staircase of the
at Madrid. On July 20, accordingly, François quitted
Benisano, accompanied by the governor of Valencia and a
great number of nobles and gentlemen, who escorted him
as far as Requeña, where he found the Bishop of Avila, who
had been deputed to convey to him the Emperor's compliments.
His journey to Madrid, which occupied three weeks,
resembled rather that of a king than a captive. At
Guadalajara, the Duke of Infantado, to whom that town belonged,
gave the most magnificent fetes in his honour; 06 and the three days which he spent there were one round of tournaments,
bull-fights, balls and banquets, while at Alcala, the whole town
came out to meet him, headed by the authorities and students
of the university.
But what a cruel deception awaited him when, on August 17,
he reached Madrid! There, after being confined for a few
days in the tower of los Lujanes, the strongest of the towers
which flanked the ramparts of the city, he was lodged in a
narrow chamber in the donjon of the Alcazar, containing onlysuch furniture as was absolutely necessary, and lighted by a
single window with two iron gratings fixed into the massive
walls, which overlooked the Manzanares, almost dry at this
season of the year, and the arid plain beyond. A company of
arquebusiers guarded the tower, and no one but the King's
gaolers and personal attendants was permitted to have access
to him. This close and galling confinement, which could
scarcely have been more rigorous had François been a State
criminal awaiting his trial on a charge of high treason, and
was, of course, designed to exhaust his powers of resistance to
the Imperial demands, soon began to have its effect upon the
health of the unfortunate monarch, and on the evening of
September 18, as Charles V was returning from hunting in the
forest of Segovia, word was brought him that his captive was
dying.
In great alarm, he immediately mounted his horse, rode,
almost without drawing rein, to Madrid, and proceeded at
once to the Alcazar. On perceiving the Emperor, who entered
his room accompanied by Lannoy and preceded by Montmorency,
carrying a torch, François painfully raised himself
into a sitting posture and bowed. Charles threw himself into
his arms, and "they remained for some time in a close
embrace, without saying a word." The King was the first
to break the silence. "My lord," said he, "you see before
you your prisoner and your slave." "No," replied the
Emperor affectionately, "but my good brother and true
friend, whom I look upon as free." "Your slave," rejoined
the King. "My good brother and friend, who will recover
his freedom," insisted the Emperor. "My most ardent
desire is your recovery; think only of that. All the rest
will be done, my lord, according to your wishes." "It
will be as you order," replied François, "for it is yours to
command, but, my lord, I entreat of you, let there be no
intermediary between us." The King then fell back exhausted
on his pillow, and Charles withdrew, having assured him that
when the Duchesse d'Alençon, who was expected, arrived,
peace and his liberty would speedily follow. 07
The following day, the Emperor again visited François and
did all in his power to console him; but the royal prisonerwas in a very weak state, spoke as though he did not expect to
recover, and besought Charles, in the event of his death, not
to be too hard upon his sons, but to take them under his
protection and defend them against those who might attempt
to despoil them. The Emperor promised that everything
should be arranged in accordance with his wishes, so soon as
his sister arrived.
While he was still with the King, a message was brought him that Marguerite
had entered Madrid and was approaching the Alcazar. Learning on the road from Barcelona of
the illness of her brother, she had travelled with all possible
despatch, and had arrived two or three days before she was
expected. The Emperor received her at the foot of the
staircase of the
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