[Illustration:  Fig. 286.—­The Mint.—­Fac-simile of a Woodcut in the Translation of the Latin Work of Francis Patricius, “De l’Institution et Administration de la Chose Politique:”  folio, 1520.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 287.—­The receiver of Taxes.—­Fac-simile of a Woodcut in Damhoudere’s “Praxis Rerum Civilium.”]

Charles VIII., during a reign of fourteen years, continued to waste the public money.  His disastrous expedition for the conquest of the kingdom of Naples forced him to borrow at the rate of forty-two per cent.  A short time previous to his death he acknowledged his errors, but continued to spend money, without consideration or restraint, in all kinds of extravagances, but especially in buildings.  During his reign the annual expenditure almost invariably doubled the revenue.  In 1492 it reached 7,300,000 francs, about 244,000,000 francs of present money.  The deficit was made up each year by a general tax, “which was paid neither by the nobles nor the Church, but was obtained entirely from the people” (letters from the ambassadors of Venice).

When the Duke of Orleans ascended the throne as Louis XII., the people were again treated with some consideration.  Having chosen George d’Amboise as premier and Florimond Robertet as first secretary of the treasury, he resolutely pursued a course of strict economy; he refused to demand of his subjects the usual tax for celebrating the joyous accession, the taxes fell by successive reductions to the sum of 2,600,000 livres, about 76,000,000 francs of present money, the salt tax was entirely abolished, and the question as to what should be the standard measure of this important article was legislated upon.  The tax-gatherers were forced to reside in their respective districts, and to submit their registers to the royal commissioners before beginning to collect the tax.  By strict discipline pillage by soldiers was put a stop to (Fig. 288).

Notwithstanding the resources obtained by the King through mortgaging a part of the royal domains, and in spite of the excellent administration of Robertet, who almost always managed to pay the public deficit without any additional tax, it was necessary in 1513, after several disastrous expeditions to Italy, to borrow, on the security of the royal domains, 400,000 livres, 10,000,000 francs of present money, and to raise from the excise and from other dues and taxes the sum of 3,300,000 livres, about 80,000,000 francs of present money.  This caused the nation some distress, but it was only temporary, and was not much felt, for commerce, both domestic and foreign, much extended at the same time, and the sale of collectorships, of titles of nobility, of places in parliament, and of nominations to numerous judicial offices, brought in considerable sums to the treasury.  The higher classes surnamed the king Le Roitelet, because he was sickly and of small stature, parsimonious and economical.  The people called him their “father and master,” and he has always been styled the father of the people ever since.