the Queen was passing, and placed a beautiful crown on her head.  After he had done this, he withdrew through the said opening by the same means, and thus appeared as if he were returning to the skies of his own accord.  Before the Grand Chastelet there was a splendid court adorned with azure tapestry, which was intended to be a representation of the lit-de-justice, and it was very large and richly decorated.  In the middle of it was a very large pure white artificial stag, its horns gilt, and its neck encircled with a crown of gold.  It was so ingeniously constructed that its eyes, horns, mouth, and all its limbs, were put in motion by a man who was secreted within its body.  Hanging to its neck were the King’s arms—­that is to say, three gold fleur-de-lys on an azure shield....  Near the stag there was a large sword, beautiful and bright, unsheathed; and when the Queen passed, the stag was made to take the sword in the right fore-foot, to hold it out straight, and to brandish it.  It was reported to the King that the said preparations were made, and he said to Savoisy, who was one of those nearest to him, ’Savoisy, I earnestly entreat thee to mount a good horse, and I will ride behind thee, and we will so dress ourselves that no one will know us, and let us go and see the entry of my wife.’  And, although Savoisy did all he could to dissuade him, the King insisted, and ordered that it should be done.  So Savoisy did what the King had ordered, and disguised himself as well as he could, and mounted on a powerful horse with the King behind him.  They went through the town, and managed so as to reach the Chastelet at the time the Queen was passing.  There was a great crowd, and Savoisy placed himself as near as he could, and there were sergeants on all sides with thick birch wands, who, in order to prevent the crowd from pressing upon and injuring the court where the stag was, hit away with their wands as hard as they could.  Savoisy struggled continually to get nearer and nearer, and the sergeants, who neither knew the King nor Savoisy, struck away at them, and the King received several very hard and well-directed blows on the shoulders.  In the evening, in the presence of the ladies, the matter was talked over, and they began to joke about it, and even the King himself laughed at the blows he had received.  The Queen on her entry was seated on a litter, and very magnificently dressed, as were also the ladies and maids of honour.  It was indeed a splendid sight; and if any one wished to describe the dresses of the ladies, of the knights and squires, and of those who escorted the Queen, it would take a long time to do so.  After supper, singing and dancing commenced, which continued until daylight.  The next day there were tournaments and other sports” (Fig. 392).

[Illustration:  Entry of Charles the Seventh into Paris

A miniature from Monstrelet the Chronicles in the Bibl. nat. de Paris, no 20,861 Costumes of the Sixteenth century.]