characterisation. Then he proceeds to some qualifications:

"In order to avoid the charge of flattery, I acknowledge that he
had faults. None is perfect except God. Often he was very careless
in administration, and he neglected questions of justice, of
finance, and of commerce in a way that may redound to the injury
of his house. The excuse urged is that it was his deputies who
were at fault. The answer to that is that he trusted too much to
deputies and should not be excused for his confidence. A ruler
ought to understand his business himself.

"Also he had the vices of the flesh. He pleased his heart at the
desire of his eyes. At the desire of his heart he multiplied his
pleasures. His wishes were easy to attain. What he wanted was
offered freely. He neglected the virtuous and holy lady his wife,
a Christian saint, chaste and charitable. For this I offer no
excuse. To God I leave the cause.

"Another fault was that he was not wise in his treatment of his
nobles. Especially in his old age he often preferred the less
worthy, the less capable advisers. The answer to this charge is
that, as his health failed, whoever was by his side obtained
ascendency over him and succeeded in keeping the others at a
distance. Ergo, theirs is the malice and the excuse is to the
princely invalid. In his solitude even valets used their power, as
is not wonderful.

"He went late to mass and often out of hours. Sometimes he had
it celebrated at two o'clock or even three, and in so doing he
exceeded all Christian observance. For this there is no excuse