But when the foiled envoys had left Pisa, Savonarola repaired to the
French camp, and, passing through that great host of armed men, made his
way to the King's presence. Charles, who was surrounded by his generals,
received him very kindly, and thereupon, without wasting much time in
preliminaries, the friar, in sonorous and almost commanding accents,
addressed him with a short exhortation beginning as follows: "O most
Christian King, thou art an instrument in the hand of the Lord, who
sendeth thee to relieve the woes of Italy, as for many years I have
foretold; and he sendeth thee to reform the Church, which now lieth
prostrate in the dust. But if thou be not just and merciful; if thou
shouldst fail to respect the city of Florence, its women, its citizens,
and its liberty; if thou shouldst forget the task the Lord hath sent thee
to perform, then will he choose another to fulfil it; his hand shall
smite thee, and chastise thee with terrible scourges. These things say I
unto you in the name of the Lord." The King and his generals seemed much
impressed by Savonarola's menacing words, and to have full belief in
them. In fact, it was the general feeling of the French that they were
divinely guided to fulfil the Lord's work, and Charles felt a strong
veneration for the man who had prophesied his coming and foretold the
success of his expedition. Consequently the friar's exhortation inspired
him with real terror, and also decided him to behave more honorably to
the Florentines. Thus, when Savonarola returned to the city shortly
after the other ambassadors, he was the bearer of more satisfactory
intelligence.

As the King's intentions were still unknown, fresh relays of ambassadors
were sent out to him. But meanwhile French officers and men passed the
gates in little bands of fifteen or so at a time, and were seen roving
about the town unarmed, jaunty, and gallant, bearing pieces of chalk in
their hands to mark the houses on which their troops were to be billeted.
While affecting an air of contemptuous indifference, they were unable to
hide their amazement at the sight of so many splendid buildings, and at
every turn were confounded by the novel scenes presented to their gaze.
But what struck them most of all was the grim severity of the palaces,
which appeared to be impregnable strongholds, and the towns still scarred
with the marks of fierce and sanguinary faction fights. Then, on November
15th, they witnessed a sight that