law, on one side, and
Marguerite d'Alencon (afterwards Queen of Navarre) upon the other. And
for the Queen was prepared at the Portail des Libraires a special
"theatre," wherein was represented a garden, and the Virgin Mary clad
all in white damask, with a lamb beside her, feeding upon grapes and
rosebuds, at which the clever Princess Marguerite must have laughed
almost as much as at the clumsy quatrains. Every prisoner in the
dungeon of the new "Palais de Justice" and in every prison of the town
was set free, except three especially "bad cases," who were hurried to
Louviers before Francis reached Rouen, and brought back to Rouen when
he had got to Louviers. As a contrast to this unfortunate greediness
of the law, it is recorded that many persons hastened to confess their
crimes, got imprisoned just before he arrived, and were joyfully
delivered at his entry, all of which satisfied justice in 1517 very
thoroughly indeed.

Some substantial results soon began to reward the Town and the
Chapterhouse for all their loyalty, in the subscription of 10,000
livres from His Majesty (in yearly instalments) to the Cathedral Fund
for restoring the central spire which had just been burnt. Most of
what the Town Councillors desired was also granted. So that everybody
was thoroughly well satisfied with the royal visit, and some little
choir-boys were so fascinated with the royal escort that when the King
went to Louviers and Gaillon, these little runaways marched off with
Lautrec's troops, and I regret to relate that the priests caught them
at the next halt, and not only soundly flogged the truants, but took
away all their holidays as well.

[Illustration: BUREAU DES FINANCES, FROM THE PARVIS]

But it must not be thought that the King had come to Rouen merely to
delight his subjects with the sun of his presence and the favours of
his consent. He had certain business of his own to transact, of a
financial nature; and for raising the various sums he needed, both for
personal and patriotic reasons, there was already in existence certain
financial machinery which was housed in very fair quarters in Rouen.
Two of the most beautiful of the sixteenth century buildings have to
do with finance. One of them is the "Bureau des Finances" (as its
latest title ran), opposite the Cathedral at the corner of the Rue
Ampere; the other is the "Cour des Comptes," whose Eastern facade and
courtyard has just been opened to the Rue des Carmes, north-west o