Nonetheless, these and succeeding edicts were virtually ignored, and tennis continued to flourish. Walled-in courts began to appear in France in 1368, and by 1600 there were two thousand indoor and outdoor courts throughout the country. Never losing sight of its royal appeal, the tennis ball itself was standardized by King Louis XI (1461-1483) of France. Balls were made of soft cloth sewn into a hard round shape. As to the construction of tennis courts, the Valois Kings François I (1515-1547) and Henry II (1547-1559) sought to outshine all their princely rivals, commissioning the celebrated French architect Jacques Androuet du Cerceau to design beautiful courts in the gardens of many French châteaux. Henry II was seen as one of the best paume-players of his age, and he liked to play before as many people as possible.