Chapters 15 through 17 Summary and Analysis

Roman Emperor Charles IV makes a visit to France and Enguerrand is among those sent to welcome him. His entry into Paris is filled with ceremony though he is stricken with gout and forced to ride upon a litter until the final passage. There are eight hundred guests, all served simultaneously and who then adjourn to the Great Hall for a play. Charles addresses an assembly, recounting the decades of an ancient quarrel. He is escorted from the city by an entourage that includes Enguerrand and dies ten months later.

The Italians continue their hatred for the papacy. A member of the Pope's Legate, Robert of Geneva convinces Gregory XI to hire mercenaries. They fail in their objective—Bologna, which is key among the papal states—and suffer a number of defeats. In Cesena, Robert orders a...