Such was the situation in which France, after a reign of fifteen years and in spite of so many brave and devoted servants, had been placed by Louis XII.’s foreign policy.  Had he managed the home affairs of his kingdom as badly and with as little success as he had matters abroad, is it necessary to say what would have been his people’s feelings towards him, and what name he would have left in history?  Happily for France and for the memory of Louis XII., his home-government was more sensible, more clear-sighted, more able, more moral, and more productive of good results than his foreign policy was.

When we consider this reign from this new point of view, we are at once struck by two facts:  1st, the great number of legislative and administrative acts that we meet with bearing upon the general interests of the country, interests political, judicial, financial, and commercial; the Recueil des Ordonnances des Rois de France contains forty-three important acts of this sort owing their origin to Louis XII.; it was clearly a government full of watchfulness, activity, and attention to good order and the public weal; 2d, the profound remembrance remaining in succeeding ages of this reign and its deserts—­a remembrance which was manifested, in 1560, amongst the states-general of Orleans, in 1576 and 1588 amongst the states of Blois, in 1593 amongst the states of the League, and even down to 1614 amongst the states of Paris.  During more than a hundred years France called to mind, and took pleasure in calling to mind, the administration of Louis XII. as the type of a wise, intelligent, and effective regimen.  Confidence may be felt in a people’s memory when it inspires them for so long afterwards with sentiment of justice and gratitude.

If from the simple table of the acts of Louis XII.’s home-government we pass to an examination of their practical results it is plain that they were good and salutary.  A contemporary historian, earnest and truthful though panegyrical, Claude do Seyssel, describes in the following terms the state of France at that time:  “It is,” says he, “a patent fact that the revenue of benefices, lands, and lordships has generally much increased.  And in like manner the proceeds of gabels, turnpikes, law-fees and other revenues have been augmented very greatly.  The traffic, too, in merchandise, whether by sea or land, has multiplied exceedingly.  For, by the blessing of peace, all folks (except the nobles, and even them I do not except altogether) engage in merchandise.  For one trader that was in Louis XI.’s time to be found rich and portly at Paris, Rouen, Lyons, and other good towns of the kingdom, there are to be found in this reign more than fifty; and there are in the small towns greater number than the great and principal cities were wont to have.  So much so that scarcely a house is made on any street without having a shop for merchandise or for mechanical art.  And less difficulty is now made about going to Rome, Naples London, and elsewhere over-sea than was made formally about going to Lyons or to Geneva.  So much so that there are some who have gone by sea to seek, and have found, new homes.  The renown and authority of the king now reigning are so great that his subjects are honored and upheld in every country, as well at sea as on land.”