August 29

On the 29th in 1475, King Louis XI of France agreed, on the signing of the Treaty of Picquigny which ended a brief war between France and England, to pay King Edward IV of England 75,000 crowns on his signing the treaty and an additional 50,000 crowns yearly thereafter to insure that King Edward IV would not return to France. King Edward agreed and signed the treaty in spite of the fact that he already had a perfectly serviceable crown and did not really need any more of them. The signing of the treaty marks the last time that anyone had to be paid to not go to France, most people being compelled by the dictates of good taste to scrupulously avoiding going there. Of course, the modern French government still pays Jerry Lewis to come to France. The French, afflicted with an unhealthy interest in cheese, look at Lewis as a sort of god, which is a clear indication that perhaps France doesn’t take seriously the concept of civilization.