The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

If, as Brigge believes, he is "destined for the worst" (132), then he knows that his expensive clothes will not help him. King Charles VI of France, he notes, was legendarily filthy and diseased but still remained the king. When King Charles VI was capable of moments of sanity, he was filled with a "benign consciousness" (134). His courtiers distracted him from actually ruling with books, games, and paintings. In this fashion, Charles VI was able to ignore the travails of popes, rival kings, and murderous lords, as these are issues that "overtaxed his mind" (134). Due to these constant distractions, the king's body and his kingdom became diminished.

Brigge finally steps out of his rooms and walks through the streets of Paris. He runs into a very tall man who seems to be in distress and decides to help. When Brigge approaches, however, the man seems threatening, so Brigge runs away down an empty street, his head filling again with stories and figures from the history of France. He imagines King Charles VI beings surrounded by shadowy figures who push him slowly outside.

In France, Brigge notes that much has changed. Thinking about the need to remove false adornments in search of authenticity, Brigge visits a Roman-era amphitheater.