My Lord, my son. Having already sent you what I thought would satisfy you, it seemed to me that, before going to Gaillon, I should also write to you what I think necessary in order for you to be obeyed by all your kingdom. I know how much you wish to see it in the condition it was in the past, during the reigns of My Lords the Kings your father and grandfather [Henry II and Francis I].To achieve this, I think nothing will better serve you than to desire that things be well ruled and ordered. The disorders that have continued until recently because of the minority of the King your brother are well known; they prevented those things being done that one wished to do. This displeased you so much that, as soon as you had the means to remedy it, and regulate everything by the peace God has granted you, you did not lose an hour in re-establishing everything in accordance with their proper order and reason: both as it concerns the Church and our religion (which you seek to preserve and by good life and good example try to restore), and by guarding good men and cleaning the realm of evil by means of justice, thus recovering your authority and full obedience. Although all this is useful, and is the main pillar and foundation of everything, I believe that if your person and manner of living were properly regulated, and your court re-established with the honor and good constitution that I saw there in days gone by, that this would be a good example for all kingdom, and a witness to everyone of your desire and will to order everything in accordance with God and reason. In order that all may know this, I wish you to set a precise hour to get up in the morning. To please your nobility do exactly as did the late King your father. For when he took his shirt, and his clothes were brought to him, all the princes, lords, captains, Knights of the Order, gentlemen of the chamber, masters of the palace, and gentlemen serving the King also entered; and he spoke to them, and they saw him, which pleased them very much.

When he had done this, he turned to his business, and all left him except for those involved in his affairs and the four secretaries. You should do the same; that will please them very much, because it was customary in the days of the Kings your father and grandfather. And after this you should devote one or two hours to hear the dispatches and those matters of business which cannot be taken care of without your attention; and don't let ten o'clock pass without going to hear mass, for this was the custom of the Kings your father and grandfather. All the princes and lords should accompany you (rather than your going as you now do, surrounded only by your archers). After mass you should dine, if it is late, or otherwise take a walk for your health. Don't dine after eleven o'clock. And after dinner, at least twice each week, hold audience, for this is something that infinitely pleases your subjects. And afterwards, retire to my apartments or the Queen's, in order that there may be a sort of court; for the French, who are accustomed to this, find it infinitely pleasing. And having stayed thirty minutes or an hour in public, withdraw to your study, or in private, or wherever you please. And at three in the afternoon you should go for a walk or ride, in order to show yourself and to please the nobility, and pass your time with them in some honest exercise at least two or three times each week, if not every day. That will greatly content them, for they were so accustomed in the days of the King your father, whom they greatly loved. And after this, have supper with your family; and after supper, twice each week, hold a ball. For I often heard the King your grandfather say that two things were necessary for the French to live in peace and love their King; keep them in high spirits and occupied with some exercise or other. For this reason he often held tournaments; as did the King your father, along with other honest exercises by which he occupied them or had them occupied. For the French are so accustomed to exercise themselves, if there is no war, that if exercises are not provided they turn to things more dangerous. And to provide this, in times past, garrisons of men at arms were sent to the provinces, and the local nobility played at running the ring or other honest exercise; and aside from providing for the security of the country, they restrained their spirits from doing worse.

To return to the good ordering of the court; in the days of the King your grandfather, no one was ever so rash as to dare to say anything injurious to another while at court. For if he was overheard, he would have been brought before the prevost de l'Hostel. The captains of the guard commonly walked through the rooms and the courtyard; after dinner, when the King had withdrawn to his chambers, or to the Queen, or among the women, the archers were posted in all the rooms along the stairs and in the courtyard to prevent the pages and lackeys from playing or setting up gaming tables as they ordinarily do in the castles where you are lodged, with such blameful blasphemies and swearing. You should renew the old laws, and your own, by ordering exemplary punishment, so that all will abstain. The Swiss also moved around the courtyard, and the prevost de l'Hostel and his archers around the yards and taverns and other public places to see what was being done and prevent bad things, and to punish those who had done wrong. And the prevost himself and his archers, without halbred, entered the castle court to see if there was anything to be done; and he went up to the King to find out if he wished to command anything. The porters, likewise, did not allow anyone to enter the court of the castle in a coach, on horse, or in a sedan chair except the King's children and his brothers and sisters: princes and princesses got down under the gate, the others outside the gate. Every evening, at dark, the Grand Master ordered the master of the palace to have the torches lit in all the rooms and passages, and lanterns in the four corners of the courtyard and on the stair-landings. And the doors of the castle were never opened until the King was awake, and no one, whoever he was, entered or left. Likewise, at night, when the King had gone to bed, the gates were closed and the keys were put under his pillow. In the morning when the table was to be set for his dinner or supper, the gentleman who carved in his presence went himself to get the place setting, and carried the nef (2) and the knives he was to use. Before him went the doorkeeper, and after him the officials who set the table. Likewise, when one went to get the meat, the master of the palace went himself, along with the panetier and the pages and the enfans d'honneur, without valets or anyone save the squire of the kitchen. This was both safer and more honorable. After dinner and after supper, when the King wished some refreshment, a gentleman brought him his cup, and the officials of the pantry and the wine cellars followed him. No one entered his rooms when his bed was being prepared, and if the Chamberlain or First Gentleman of the Bed Chamber was not there to watch it being prepared, one of the other principal Gentlemen of the Bed Chamber was present. And in the evening the King got undressed in the presence of those who were present in the morning when he got dressed.

I wanted to put all this in writing just as I saw it done by the Kings your father and grandfather; for I saw them loved and honored by their subjects. And they were so content with it, that I thought I could not give you better counsel than to order yourself as they did, for I wish to see you loved and honored as they were.

My lord, my son; after speaking to you about the organization of the court, and of what is required to re-establish all the orders of your kingdom, it seems to me that one of the most necessary things to make you loved by your subjects is that they know that you care for them in all matters, whether they are close to your person or far away. I say this because you have seen how ill-wishers, with their evil tongues, have spread the idea abroad that you do not care for your subjects' preservation, nor do you wish to see them. This comes from ill offices and lies of those who think they can gain by making you hated. It also comes from the great amount of business and the negligence of those to whom you give orders; very often the necessary dispatches, instead of being diligently and rapidly answered, have gone a month or six weeks without response; and the messengers sent by those you have put in charge of your provinces, unable to get replies, have departed without them. The result was that they believed true what evil men said, having seen such negligence. This makes me beg you that from now on you do not let a single day pass without taking an hour as it suits you to see all the dispatches, from wherever they come, and to hear those addressed to you. And if they concern matters that the Council can handle, sent them thence; and order your Chancellor always to take care of the things that concern the affairs of your Estate, taking an hour to dispatch them with the Masters of Requests, before the Masters go to the Council to take care of their legal business. During the reigns of the Kings, My Lords your father and grandfather, this was what my lord the Constable did, and those who belonged to the Council. In those other things that depend only on your desires, after hearing them well, dictate your replies and dispatches to the secretaries according to your wishes. And the next day, before taking up any new business, have them read and order them sent without delay. In this way nothing untoward will happen to your affairs, and your subjects will know the care you have for them, and that you wish to be well and promptly served. That will make them more careful and diligent; and they will know more how much you wish to preserve your Estate and the care you take with your affairs. And when men come to see you from the provinces, whether they have their office from you or from another, take the trouble to speak to them, to ask them of their office and, if they have none, of the place from which they come. They should know that you want to be informed what is going on in your kingdom; see that they are well treated; speak to them not just once but when- ever you find them in your rooms or elsewhere. This is what I saw the Kings your father and grandfather do, even going so far as to ask them about their families, when they did not know what else to converse about; just speak to them and let them know how agreeable it was to see them. If you do this, everyone will know what lying inventions people have discovered to disguise you in your subjects' eyes. And you will be loved and honored by them. For when these men return to their homes they will tell the truth; so that those who thought to harm you will be recognized for the evil men they are.

Also I will tell you that your great-grandfather Louis XII, had a practice that I infinitely desire you to adopt, in order to eliminate the press and importunities of the court, and to let all men know that you alone give goods and honors: you will be better served with more faithfulness. Ordinarily, he kept a list in his pocket of all those who held an office from him, whether they were near or far, great or small, of whatever rank. He also had another list containing all the offices and benefices and other things that were his to give. And he had ordered one or two principal offices in each province that when any office or benefice fell vacant or came to the king by confiscation, fine, gift, or like manner, that no one be informed about it until the officer had informed the king by special letter, which should not fall into the hands of his secretaries or anyone except himself. Then he took his list and looked up the value of the office or benefice, and using the other list in his pocket he gave it to whomever he wished; and had the dispatch made up himself and sent it to the donee without him knowing anything beforehand. And if, by chance, someone found out about it afterwards, and came and asked him for it, the king refused his request. He never gave what was asked of him, in order to eliminate the practice of importuning him. But he compensated those who served him: who neither left their offices nor came to press their demands on him at court (thus often spending more than the gift is worth).

Thus he was the best-served king of any that ever was. For his servants recognized none but him and did court to none other. He was the most loved of any. Pray God that you might do the same. For as long as you make use of placets or other inventions, people will not think they hold their gifts of you alone; I have often heard it said here where I am. I don't want you to forget one other thing that the King your grandfather did, which kept all his provinces in his devotion. He had the names of all those in the provinces who belonged to important families, and others of authority among the nobles, the clergy, the towns and the people. To keep them content, and so that they should see to it that all remained loyal to him, and so he would be warned when anything was stirred up in the provinces, whether in general or in particular, among the families or in the towns, or among the clergy, he took the trouble to keep about twelve of them in each province contented, choosing among those who had the greatest authority in the area. To some he gave companies of men-at-arms; to others he gave benefices when they fell vacant, or captaincies of forts, or judicial offices, to each according to his quality. For he wanted them to feel obliged to him so he would know whatever was happening. The recipients were so pleased that nothing was ever stirred up, among the clergy or the rest of the population, the nobility, the towns or the people, but that the king heard about it. And being warned, he brought the remedy, at least so far as his services were able, and soon enough to prevent anything from happening against his authority and the obedience owed him. I think this is the best remedy you could use to make yourself easily and promptly obeyed, and to break all other leagues, groups and subversions and put everything under your sole power.

I have forgotten another point that you should work hard to do, though it will be easy if you find it worth while. In each of the principal cities of your kingdom you should win over three or four of the principal burgesses, those who have the most power in the city, and the same number of merchants who have good credit among their fellow citizens. And, out of sight, without the others knowing anything about it or claiming that you violate their privileges, favor them to such an extent, by gifts or other means, that you win them over; so that when anything happens in the city government, or among the families, you will be warned. Also, when elections are held to choose the city magistrates in accordance with their privileges, these, with their friends and their practices, will see to it that the magistrates are devoted to you. In this way the cities will have only your will and you will have no trouble being obeyed. For, in one word, you will always be obeyed if you do this.

My lord, my son, you will see the frankness with which I have sent this, and the good path; and you will not take it ill that I have had it written by Montaigne: you will find it easier to read. This was what your predecessors did.

(1) H. de La Ferriere (ed.), Lettres de Catherine de Medicis, II, 90-95. Transl. by F. Cheyette. The translation is approximate at best, for Catherine treated grammar with royal disdain.

(2) Nef. "An elongated covered dish with a very large capacity, shaped like a ship. It was placed on the table directly in front of the lord. In it were kept, under lock and key for fear of poisoning, everything not sent up from the kitchen: spices, wine, drinking cups, spoons." (La Curne de Sainte-Palaye, Dictionnaire de l'Ancien Language Francais.)