er borne me, to make me now a sharer in his
death even as I have been a sharer in all his living fortunes. In this
way, while sating your unjust and cruel anger, you will give repose
to the body and soul of one who cannot and will not live without him."
Although her brother was almost distracted with passion, (4) he had
pity upon his sister, and so, without granting or denying her request,
withdrew. After weighing well what he had done, and hearing that the
gentleman had in fact married his sister, he would gladly have undone
his grievous crime. Nevertheless, being afraid that his sister would
seek justice or vengeance for it, he caused a castle to be built in the
midst of a forest, (5) and, placing her therein, forbade that any should
have speech with her.
4 John II. of Rohan was a man of the most passionate,
resentful disposition, and the greater part of his life was
spent in furthering ambitious schemes, stirring up feuds and
factions, and desolating Brittany with civil war. In 1470 we
find him leaving the service of the Duke, his master, to
enter that of Louis XI., on whose side he fought till the
peace of Senlis in 1475. Four years later the Duke of
Brittany caused him to be arrested on the charge of
murdering the Count of Keradreux, and he appears to have
remained in prison till 1484, when it is recorded that he
fled to France, and thence to Lorraine. In 1487 he leagued
himself with several discontented nobles to drive away the
Chancellor of Brittany and various foreign favourites around
the Duke, and carried civil war into several parts of the
duchy. Then for a brief space he made his peace with the
Duke, but again took up arms for the French King, fought at
St. Aubin du Cormier, captured Dinan and besieged and
pillaged Guingamp. Charles VIII. appointed him Lieutenant-
general of Lower Brittany in 1491, and he was first
commissary of the King of France at the States of Brittany
held at Vannes in 1491 and 1501. In 1507 he witnessed the
marriage contract of the Princess Claude with Francis, Duke
of Valois, afterwards Francis I. (Anselme's _Histoire
Genealogique_, vol. iv. p. 57). When Anne became Duchess of
Brittany, John II. vainly strove to compel her to marry his
son, James, and this was one of the causes of their life-
long enmity (_ante_ vol. iii. Tale XXI.) John II. died i
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