The Death of Francis of Guise [pp. 254-269]

THE DERATH OF FRANCIS OF GUISE.
poisoned. This method of warfare was not unknown to the
Huguenots, and was believed to have been adopted by them at
the battle of Dreux. All the efforts of medical skill to save the
illustrious victim, however, proved unavailing, and his family
had to resign themselves to see the faint hopes vanish that at
first upheld them.
When all chance of human aid failed it was proposed to call
in the service of the occult arts in which the age believed. An
adept in cabalistic science was summoned, who, in the opinion of
even the most enlightened minds of the time, could effect a cure
by the application of certain cabalistic forms and words handed
down in Jewish tradition. GLise was not in advance of his age,
and believed that his life could be saved by methods which God
and holy church condemned. But even in his terrible agony
he rejected the offer with horror. "No," he replied;" I do not
doubt your science, but your science is iabolic. Rather than
be saved by sorcery I prefer to die uprightly, as I have lived.
God is the master; be it done according to his will."
At length the hour approached when the Christian soldier
was to complete a noble life by the most heroic of deaths. The
touching simplicity and humility which had never deserted him
in all the temptations of his magnificent career remained with
him to the end, shedding a tender light on his last moments.
The Cardinal of Guise approached the bedside of his brother and
told him that he must now prepare for death.
"Ah!" the duke returned, with a glad smile, "you do me a
true brotherly turn in urging me to think of the salvation for
which I long. I love you the better for it." Then he confessed
to the Bishop of Riez and received the last sacraments from his
hands.
He had not always escaped the temptations to which his rank
and the dangers of a voluptuous court exposed himn, and, in the
final scene of all, the errors of his youth drew from him touching
expressions of repentance and regret. His fever increased during the night to such a degree that he could not expect to live
many more minutes. The duchess and her son were summoned
to hear his last words.
"My dear companion," he said to the afflicted lady, "I have
always loved and esteemed you. I do not wish to deny that bad
counsels and the fragility of youth have led me sometimes to do
things which must have offended you. But for the last three
years you know with what respect I have lived with you, carefully avroiding every occasion of causing you the least annoyance
1885.]
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