Beyond Death

Louis XI (1423-1483), the king of France, ruled the country from 1461 to 1483. His reign had been a long one, but death was the last word that he would allow to be uttered in his presence. He did not want to die. During the last days of his life he went in seclusion in an enclosed fort where only selected people could enter. Around the fort was dug a deep trench so that no one could gain access to it. All of the twenty-four hours, forty archers remained on duty, over and above which forty horsemen patrolled the fort night and day. Whoever was seen making any unauthorized effort to enter the fort was arrested and executed on the spot. All kinds of luxuries were provided inside the fort so that the king never became melancholy.

Louis XI was so eager to live as long as possible that he had given orders that the word ‘death’ should never be uttered before him. An expert doctor attended him day and night. This doctor drew a monthly salary of 10,000 gold crowns. In those days in Europe no military officer earned such a salary even with forty years’ experience to his credit.

However, none of these precautions saved the king from weakness and old age. During his final days, he became so weak that he could hardly pick up his food and put it in his mouth by himself. But his will to live was indomitable. When he was told that tortoises lived for 500 years due to their possessing some life-giving properties, he dispatched three ships to Germany and Italy to bring them for him in huge quantities. These tortoises were then kept in a big pond near him so that they might pass on the gift of life to him.

Finally, paralysis attacked him on 30 August 1483; death at last conquered him. The last words uttered by him were: “I am not as ill as you people suppose.”

All his efforts went in vain. Finally the king of France had learnt that no one could conquer death.