CHAP. LIX.

THE KING OF FRANCE COMES TO PARIS, AND RETURNS TO ROUEN.—THE BASTARD DE REUBEMPRÉ IS ARRESTED ON THE COAST OF HOLLAND.—THE KING GOES TO TOURS AND OTHER PLACES, AND THEN TO POITIERS, WHITHER THE PARISIANS SEND HIM A DEPUTATION RESPECTING CERTAIN OF THEIR FRANCHISES.—AMBASSADORS ARRIVE THERE FROM THE DUKE OF BRITTANY, WHO CARRY OFF THE DUKE OF BERRY.—THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.—THE DUKE OF BOURBON MAKES WAR ON THE KING OF FRANCE,—AND OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE YEAR MCCCCLXIV. OMITTED BY MONSTRELET,—AND SOME FACTS RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF THE GOOD POPE PIUS II. AND CONCERNING POPE PAUL II. MORE THAN IS CONTAINED IN THE SAID CHRONICLES.

On the 7th day of May, in the year 1464, the king of France came to Paris from Nogent le Roi,[67] where his queen had been delivered of a fair daughter. The king supped that night at the hôtel of master Charles d'Orgemont, lord of Mery, and discussed some public affairs. He left Paris for the borders of Picardy, expecting to meet there the ambassadors from king Edward of England, who did not keep their appointment: finding they did not come, the king departed thence for Rouen and other places in Normandy.

At this time, a bylander was taken off the coast of Holland, by some flemish vessels,—which bylander had on board the bastard of Reubempré, with others, who were all made prisoners. The Flemings and Picards, after this capture, published every where, that the king of France had sent the bastard de Reubempré, with an armed force to seize and carry off the count de Charolois, of which there were no proofs.

The king soon left Normandy on his return to Nogent le Roi, and thence went to Tours, Chinon, and Poitiers. At this last place, a deputation from Paris waited on him, respecting certain of their privileges; but they obtained little or nothing, except a remission of the tax on fairs, which was a trifle,—and even that they did not enjoy, although a donation had been made them of it, because the court of accounts, to whom the orders for the remission had been addressed, would not expedite the proper powers.

Nearly at the same time, ambassadors from the duke of Brittany arrived at Poitiers, with some propositions to the king, who, having heard what they had to say, assented to the greater part of their demands. On this being done, the ambassadors promised that the duke should come to Poitiers, or elsewhere, according to the good pleasure of the king, to ratify and confirm what had been agreed on and granted by his majesty. The ambassadors then took their humble leave of the king, and, on their departure, pretended to return home; but their intentions were otherwise,—for, on setting out from Poitiers on a Saturday, they only went four leagues, and remained there until the Monday, when the duke of Berry left Poitiers secretly, during the absence of his brother the king, and joined them. The ambassadors received him with joy, and made all haste to carry him with them to Brittany, fearing they would be pursued the moment the king should learn his brother's escape.

After the departure of the duke of Berry from Poitiers, many others went into Brittany; among the rest, the duke of Orleans left Poitiers; but he was, shortly after, seized with so dangerous an illness, at Châtelherault, that it proved fatal to him, and he was buried in the church of St Sauveur, in the castle of Blois.

The duke of Bourbon now declared war against the king of France and his country, and seized all the finances belonging to the king in the Bourbonnois. The duke made a pretence of arresting the lord de Crussel, who was much in the king's confidence, for passing through his territories with his wife, family and effects, without first having demanded permission. A little afterwards, the lord de Trainel,[68] late chancellor of France, and master Pierre d'Oriole, superintendant-general of the king's finances, were arrested, and detained a long time prisoner in the town of Moulins, but at length were given up by the duke to the king.

On the 15th day of May, sir Charles de Melun, lieutenant for the king, master John Balue, elected bishop of Evreux, and master John le Prevot, notary and secretary to the king, came to Paris, and read to the magistrates, assembled in the town-house, some regulations with which the king had charged them; which being done, they gave several orders, subject to the king's pleasure, for the better defence of the town,—such as the increasing of the nightly watch, additional guards at some of the gates, and walling up others, and likewise for the preparation of chains to be thrown across each street, should there be any occasion for them. Other orders were issued, but it would be tiresome to detail them all.

About this time, an inventory was made of all the effects belonging to Pierre Merin at Paris, which were seized on by the king, because the said Merin, then treasurer to the duke of Berry, held for his lord the town and tower of Bourges against the king. For this reason, the king gave to James Tête-Clerc the office of usher to the treasury, which Merin had held.

In consequence of Anthony de Chabannes count de Dammartin's escape from the bastile of St Anthony at Paris, wherein he had been confined prisoner, as is related by Monstrelet, he found means to get possession from Geoffroy Cœur, son to the late Jacques Cœur, of the towns of St Forgeiul and St Maurice, and made Geoffroy himself his prisoner, laying hands also on all his effects, which he found in these two places.

The king of France advanced toward Angers and the Pont de Cé, to learn the intentions of such as had absented themselves to join his brother in Brittany. He was attended by the king of Sicily duke of Anjou, and the count du Maine, followed by a considerable body of troops, estimated at twenty or thirty thousand combatants. The king, perceiving that much was not to be gained in that quarter, turned his march toward Berry, and to the towns of Issoudun, Vierzon, Déols, and others in that district, having with him a strong detachment from his army and artillery.

Here the two brothers, the king of Sicily and the count du Maine, uncles to the king by the mother's side, left him, and hastened, with a large force, to prevent the dukes of Berry and Brittany from entering Normandy, or from doing mischief to any other part of the kingdom. The king remained some time in Berry, and then departed for the Bourbonnois; but he would not enter Bourges, because it was well provided with a garrison of men at arms, under the command of the bastard of Bourbon for the duke of Berry.

The 14th or 15th of August, of this year 1464, pope Pius II. departed this life, as is noted by Monstrelet. He was elected pope in the year 1458; and his name was Æneas Silvius, of the city of Sienna,[69] an eloquent man, a great orator, and poet laureat. He had been ambassador and secretary to the great emperor Sigismond, and has written a notable treatise in the support of the authority of the council of Basil, with several other fine books, of good doctrine. He canonised St Catherine of Sienna, of the order of Franciscans, in the year 1461, and wrote several elegant latin epistles to many of the Christian princes, to urge them to a croisade against the infidels, as may now be seen in his book of letters. He was, in consequence, surrounded by princes and lords from divers countries, having with them large armies of men at arms, and galleys and other vessels to transport them; so, when thus assembled, they advanced with the pope as far as Ancona, where he was met by the king of Hungary and a great army. But in the midst of these grand and salutary preparations, the good pope Pius died at Ancona, the day and year above mentioned.

In the same year, Paul II. was elected his successor. Paul was a Venetian, and gave his instant approbation for the celebration of the feast of the said glorious virgin St Catherine of Sienna. He loved justice, and was desirous of amassing wealth. He commenced the building of a grand palace beside the church of St Mark at Rome.

CHAP. LX.

THE KING OF FRANCE ENTERS THE BOURBONNOIS, AND TAKES MANY TOWNS AND CASTLES.—EVENTS AT PARIS AND ELSEWHERE.—THE KING BESIEGES RIOMS, IN AUVERGNE.—OTHER INCIDENTS UP TO THE PERIOD OF THE WAR OF MONTLEHERY, OMITTED BY MONSTRELET.

The king of France now hastened to march into the Bourbonnois,—and about Ascension-day, in the year 1405, the town of St Amand[70] was taken by storm; and shortly after, the town and castle of Montluçon surrendered on terms, in which were James de Bourbon and thirty-five lances, who marched away in safety, with their baggage, having sworn never more to bear arms against the king.

At this period, arrived at Paris, the late chancellor de Trainel, master Estienne, knight, Nicholas de Louviers, and master John des Moulins, by whom the king wrote letters to his good inhabitants of Paris, thanking them for their loyalty, and exhorting them to continue and further persevere therein. He added, that he should send his queen to be brought to bed of the child of which she was now big in his city of Paris, as the town he loved in preference to all others.

It happened, that as John de la Hure, a merchant of Sens, his nephew, and others in his company, were lodging, on the last day but one of May in this year, at an inn near to a windmill at Moret in the Gâtinois, called Moulin Basset, they were attacked by a band of twenty or thirty horsemen from St Forgeiul and St Maurice, and carried away prisoners, with all their merchandise and other effects.

On the 6th day of June, a bonnet-maker called Jean Marceau, an elderly man, hung himself in his house, opposite to the sign of the Golden Beard, in the rue de St Denis. He was, when discovered, quite dead, was cut down, and carried to the Châtelet for examination,—which being over, he was carried and hung on the common gibbet at Paris. At the same time, a labourer of Aignancourt, named John Petit, cut his wife's throat.

At this period, the bastard and marshal of Burgundy won the towns of Roye and Mondidier, as mentioned by Monstrelet.

On the Sunday following, the 9th of June, was a general procession made in Paris, which was very handsome, having the shrines of the blessed St Marcel, and of the glorious virgin St Genevieve, with other holy relics from different churches. It moved with grand solemnity to the church of Nôtre Dame, where high mass was celebrated to the virgin Mary,—after which, a sermon was preached to the people by master John de l'Olive, doctor in divinity, who declared the cause of this procession was for the health and prosperity of the king and queen, and the fruit of her womb, and likewise for peace and good union between the king and the princes of the blood, and for the welfare of the realm.

While the king was in the Bourbonnois, he went to St Pourçain,[71] whither his sister, the duchess of Bourbon, came to confer with him, and to endeavour to bring about an accommodation between him and her husband, whose quarrels had much vexed her,—but at this time she failed. While this was passing, the duke of Bourbon quitted Moulins, and went to Riom in Auvergne.

The government in Paris ordered the gates of St Martin, Montmartre, the Temple, St Germain des Près, St Victor and St Michel, to be walled up, and the drawbridges taken away, and a good guard to be kept during the night on the walls.

The town of St Maurice, now occupied by the count de Dammartin, was ordered to be besieged, by the bailiff of Sens, sir Charles de Melun, with a large body of the commonalty. Sir Anthony, bailiff of Melun, was sent to reinforce him with a body of archers and cross-bows from the town of Paris.

About this time, an unfortunate accident happened to master Louis de Tilliers, notary and secretary to the king, treasurer of Carcassonne, and comptroller of salt in Berry, and attached to sir Anthony de Châteauneuf lord de Lau. An archer was trying the strength of his bow against a door, just as master Louis was opening it to come out, and the arrow passed through his body. He was laid on a couch in his chamber, where he soon after expired, and rendered up his soul to God.

On St John Baptist's day, the 24th of June, as some youths were bathing themselves in the Seine, they were drowned; which caused a proclamation to be made in all the quarters of Paris, to forbid any one in future to bathe in the river,—and to order all persons to have daily before their doors a tub full of water, under pain of imprisonment, and a fine of sixty sols parisis, for each omission or neglect.

Orders were issued, on the morrow, for the chains to be taken down from across the streets, and to remain on the ground,—but care was to be taken to have them in a proper state for being replaced, in case of necessity, under heavy penalties for neglect. It was also ordered, that every person in Paris should provide himself with sufficient armour, according to his station in life, for the defence of the town, and should hold himself in constant readiness to oppose any attack. These orders were delivered in writing to every one of the principal inhabitants.

In this year, a large army of Burgundians, Picards, and others, under the command of the count de Charolois, son to duke Philip of Burgundy, excited by malice and ambition, marched into France, and gained the town of Pont St Maixence, through the means of one called Mardé,[72] governor of it for master Peter l'Orfevre lord of Ermenonville, who delivered it up to them for a sum of money which he received from the count de Charolois. They thence advanced into the Isle of France, under pretence that they were come for the public good, but it was not so. They marched to Saint Denis, to the walls of Paris, and to Montlehery, where a great battle was fought, as described by Monstrelet. As I have, in my first chapter, recapitulated this affair, I shall not further touch on it, but relate some events that preceded it.

The king of France now laid siege to Riom in Auvergne,—in which town were the dukes of Bourbon and Nemours, the count d'Armagnac, the lord d'Albret and others. The king's army was as handsome and well appointed as could be seen, for he had with him several renowned captains,—and the whole was estimated at twenty-four thousand combatants. During this siege, the Parisians, hearing of the rapid marches of the Burgundians towards Paris, established a numerous horse-patrole, which nightly went round the walls, from midnight until day the next morning, having for their captains, each night, men of approved valour.

On Monday, the 2d of July, master John Balue, bishop of Evreux, commanded the nightly guard in Paris: he took with him the company of Joachim Rohault, and went his rounds on the walls with trumpets and clarions sounding, which had never in those times been before done by the city-watch.

Wednesday, the 4th of July, the king of France, while he was besieging Riom, sent letters by sir Charles de Charlay,[73] his knight of the Paris-watch, addressed to sir Charles de Melun, his lieutenant in Paris, and to Joachim Rohault, thanking the good citizens for their loyalty towards him, and begging them to persevere with courage in their good intentions for the welfare of his kingdom, for that within fifteen days he would be with his whole army at Paris. He likewise sent them verbal information by the mouth of the said de Charlay, of the treaty he had concluded with the dukes of Bourbon and Nemours, and the lords d'Armagnac and d'Albret, who had each of them promised loyally to serve, and live and die for him. These lords had also promised to exert themselves to the utmost of their power to bring about a reconciliation with the other princes, and a peace between them and the king.

To accomplish this, commissioners were to be sent to the king at Paris, by these four lords, on or before the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, the middle of August next, to negotiate a general peace; and in case the other princes should refuse to listen to, or accept, terms of peace, they had promised and sworn that henceforward they would never bear arms against the king, but would live and die for him in the defence of his kingdom. The four lords had sworn to these engagements at Moissac, near to Riom; and for further security of keeping these promises, they had bound themselves, in the presence of two apostolical notaries, to submit to the severest pains of excommunication should they, jointly or individually, act in any way contrary to these said engagements.

For joy of this intelligence, the Parisians resolved to have, on the Friday following, a general procession made to the church of Saint Catherine du Val des écoliers, which was done with much devotion and solemnity. The sermon was preached that day by master Jean Pain-et-Chair, doctor in divinity.

The ensuing Wednesday, the 11th of July, a proclamation was made in all the public places at Paris, that every householder should keep a lantern and candle burning before his dwelling during the night,—and that all persons having dogs must confine them, on pain of death. On the Friday, the main body of the Burgundians arrived at St Denis, to execute their intended enterprises against Paris and the royal army at Montlehery, as has been described by Enguerrand de Monstrelet.

CHAP. LXI.

THE KING COMES TO PARIS AFTER THE BATTLE OF MONTLEHERY.—SEVERAL PERSONS ARE EXECUTED THERE.—EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED THE BATTLE OF MONTLEHERY, WHICH HAVE BEEN OMITTED BY ENGUERRAND DE MONSTRELET.

The king of France came to Paris, the 18th day of July, after the battle of Montlehery, and supped that night at the hôtel of his lieutenant-general, sir Charles de Melun,—where, according to the account of Robert Gaguin, a large company of great lords, damsels, and citizens' wives supped with him, to whom he related all that had happened to him at Montlehery.

During the recital, he made use of such doleful expressions that the whole company wept and groaned at his melancholy account. He concluded by saying, that if it pleased God, he would soon return to attack his enemies, and either die or obtain vengeance on them, in the preservation of his rights.

He, however, acted differently, having been better advised; but it must be observed, that some of his warriors behaved in a most cowardly manner,—for had they all fought with as much courage as the king, he would have gained a complete victory over his enemies.

On the 19th of July, a gentleman, named Laurence de Mory, near Mitry,[74] who had been imprisoned in the bastile of St Anthony, for having favoured the Burgundians, and for having led them to the houses of certain citizens of Paris, in the villages near that city, in order that they might plunder and destroy them, was tried by commissioners appointed for the purpose, who found him guilty of high treason, and consequently sentenced him to be quartered at the market-place of Paris,—and his effects were confiscated to the king's use. Mory appealed to the court of parliament; and, from respect to that body, his execution was deferred for a day. On the morrow, the parliament, having heard the appeal, sentenced Mory to be hanged on the gallows at Paris, which was done that same day.

This same Saturday, the 20th of July, master William Charretier, bishop of Paris, accompanied by other counsellors and churchmen, waited on the king, at his hôtel of the Tournelles, near the bastile of St Anthony, as Gaguin relates,—when the bishop addressed him in an eloquent and wise oration, tending to request, that the king henceforward would have the public affairs conducted and governed by wise counsellors, which the king promised that he would. In consequence of this, eighteen prudent men were selected to be of the king's council, namely, six from the court of parliament, six learned men chosen from the university, and six from the municipal counsellors of the city of Paris.

The king, finding that he had many enemies within his realm, considered on the means of procuring additional men at arms to those he had,—and it was calculated how many he could raise within Paris: for this purpose, it was ordered, that an enrolment should be made of all capable of bearing arms, so that every tenth man might be selected to serve the king. This, however, did not take place,—for such numbers of men at arms now joined the king that there was no need of such a measure.

The king was very much distressed to get money for the pay of these troops, and great sums were wanted; for those towns which had been assigned for the payment of a certain number of men at arms, being now in the possession of the rebellious princes, paid no taxes whatever to the crown, for they would not permit any to be collected in those districts. His majesty was, therefore, constrained to attempt to borrow from some of his officers and others in the city of Paris,—but when the proposal was made to them, they refused, at least to advance the whole of the sum that was demanded. For this refusal, some of them were told, in the king's name, that they were deprived of their offices,—such as master John Cheneteau, clerk to the court of parliament, master Martin Picard, counsellor in the chamber of accounts, and several others. In the interval, other means were employed.

On Friday, the 26th day of July, the king ordered two hundred lances to remain for the defence of Paris, under the command of the bastard d'Armagnac, sir Giles de St Simon, bailiff of Senlis, the lord de la Barde, Charles des Marêts, and sir Charles de Melun, who, at the request of some prelates, of the provosts and sheriffs, was appointed lieutenant for the king of the said town of Paris.

A person, called John de Bourges, clerk and servant to master John Berard, king's counsellor in the parliament, who had been confined a prisoner, together with Gratian Meriodeau and Francis Meriodeau his brother, for having quitted Paris, and gone into Brittany to the duke of Berry, conspiring against the person of the king, was, on the 27th day of July, taken out of the bastile of St Anthony, with his fellow-prisoner, Francis Meriodeau,—and, by sentence of the provost of the marshals, they were drowned in the Seine by the hangman of Paris, in front of the tower of Billy, near to the said bastile. And on the following Monday, the 31st of July, the said Gratian, who had been king's notary in the Châtelet, was likewise taken out of the bastile and drowned at the same place, and in the same manner as the two others had been.

In like manner was drowned a poor man, a mason's labourer, whom the wife of master Odo de Bucy[75] had sent from Paris with letters to her husband, an advocate in the court of the Châtelet, and then at Estampes. Odo de Bucy was attached to the brother of the count de St Pol, and with him at Estampes, with the other rebellious lords. The labourer brought back answers to the letters, and was paid, for each day he had been out, two sols parisis. For this, however, he was imprisoned, and condemned to be drowned at the same place where the others had suffered. On the morrow, the wife of Odo was banished Paris: she went to St Antoine des Champs, where she resided until peace was made between the king and the princes of France.

The princes now advanced to St Maur des Fosses, Conflans, and before Paris, after having staid some days at Estampes, as has been related in the chronicles of Monstrelet.

On the 3d of August, the king, having a singular desire to afford some comfort to the inhabitants of his good town of Paris, lowered the duties on all wines sold by retail within that town, from a fourth to an eighth; and ordained that all privileged persons should fully and freely exercise their privileges as they had done during the reign of his late father, the good Charles VII. whose soul may God pardon! He also ordered that every tax paid in the town, but those on provision, included in the six revenue-farms, which had been disposed of in the gross, should be abolished, namely, the duties on wood-yards, on the sales of cattle, on cloth sold by wholesale, on sea-fish, and others; which was proclaimed that same day they were taken off, by sound of trumpets, in all the squares of the town, in the presence of sir Denis Hesselin, the receiver of the taxes within the said town. On this being made public, the populace shouted for joy, sang carols in the streets, and at night made large bonfires.

The next day, being Sunday the 4th of August, the reverend father in God master John Balue was consecrated bishop of Evreux, in the church of Nôtre Dame in Paris; and this same day the king supped at the hôtel of his treasurer of finance, master Estienne Chevalier.

On Tuesday, the 6th of August, according to Gaguin, was beheaded at the market-place in Paris, a youth called master Pierre de Gueroult, a native of Lusignan, and afterward quartered, according to the sentence of the provost of the marshals, he having confessed that he had come from Brittany to inform the king that some of his principal captains, though serving under him, were otherwise inclined, which was meant solely to create suspicions of them in the king's mind. He had likewise accused many notable persons in Paris of being disloyal to the king. He had also confessed that he was a spy, to see and carry back to the princes and lords that were in rebellion against the king an exact account of the state of Paris, and of the king's preparations, that they might be the better enabled to carry on their damnable enterprises. It was for these crimes that he was executed, and his effects confiscated to the king.

During this time, the Burgundians and Bretons made two attempts to cross the Seine and Yonne; but two good and loyal captains on the king's side, called Salezart and Malortie, resisted them valiantly each time with the few men they had.

In this month of August, the franc-archers from the bailiwicks of Caen and Alençon, in Normandy, arrived at Paris, and were distributed into quarters, as follows: those from Caen, clothed in jackets, on which was embroidered the word 'Caen,' were lodged in the Temple and within its precincts. Those from Alençon dressed likewise in jackets, with the words 'Audi partem' embroidered on them, were lodged in the quarter of the Temple beyond the old gate thereof.

Proclamation was made throughout Paris, on the 13th of August, for all persons having willow-beds, or poplars, growing near to the walls, to cut them down within two days after this proclamation, or they would be abandoned to whoever would cut them down and carry them off. On this day, the count d'Eu came to Paris, as lieutenant-general for the king, and was decently received as such by the town.

Whilst the Burgundians were skirmishing before the walls of Paris, an usher of the court of Châtelet, called Cassin Cholet, had ran through the streets, crying out, 'Get into your houses, and shut your doors, for the Burgundians have entered the town of Paris,' which caused many women to fall in labour before their time, and others to lose their senses. For this cause, he was imprisoned, and, on the 14th of August, was sentenced by the provost of Paris to be flogged through the streets in which he had caused such an alarm, to be deprived of all his offices, and confined for a month on bread and water. He was tied to the tail of a filthy dung-cart, that had just been employed on its stinking business, flogged in all the squares, and then returned to prison.[76]

About this time, two hundred archers on horseback, tolerably well appointed, arrived in Paris, under the command of one called Mignon. In the number were many armed with strong cross-bows, veuglaires, and hand-culverins. In the rear of this company came, on horseback, eight wanton women, sinners, with a black monk for their confessor.

At this period, sir Charles de Melun, who had been the king's lieutenant in Paris, was dismissed from his office, and the count d'Eu appointed in his stead. The king made sir Charles, in lieu of his lieutenancy, grand master of his household, and gave him also the bailiwick of Evreux, of which place, and of Honnefleur, he appointed him governor.[77]

CHAP. LXII.

THE BURGUNDIANS AND BRETONS QUARTER THEMSELVES ROUND PARIS; ON WHICH ACCOUNT, THE CITIZENS ADD TO THE FORTIFICATIONS OF THEIR TOWN DURING THE KING'S ABSENCE IN NORMANDY.—THE KING RETURNS TO PARIS, WHEN SEVERAL SALLIES ARE MADE THENCE ON THE ENEMY, DURING THE LIEUTENANCY OF THE COUNT D'EU.—OTHER EVENTS OMITTED BY MONSTRELET.

The Burgundians and Bretons, having recruited themselves in Brie and the Gâtinois, returned, on the feast of the Assumption of our Lady, to Lagny sur Marne, and, on the ensuing Friday, fixed their quarters at Creil, and other places on the river Seine, around Paris. The Parisians were alarmed lest an attempt should be made on their town during the king's absence, as it had been rumoured among them, that one called master Girault, a cannonier of the Burgundians, had boasted that he would plant a battery on the dung-heaps fronting the gates of St Denis and St Anthony, that should destroy that part of the town, and greatly damage the walls. It was therefore ordered, that one person from each house in Paris should go, on the morrow, with shovels and pick-axes to these dung-heaps, and level them with the ground: little, however, was done,—and the heaps remained as they were. On this occasion, sheds, bulwarks and trenches, were made on the outside of the walls, not only for the better defence of the town, but for the security of the guards.

The following Saturday, a number of the principal inhabitants, and others, waited on the count d'Eu, the king's lieutenant, and remonstrated strongly with him on the necessity of concluding a permanent peace between the king and the rebellious princes, for the general welfare and comfort of the kingdom. The count replied to them, that as the king, when he made him his lieutenant, had given him full powers to act for him, and for his kingdom, in such wise as might be the most profitable for both, the which he was bounden to do,—he would employ every possible means to bring about a general pacification, and, if necessary, would go in person to the enemy's quarters. Many fair offers were made to this effect to the Parisians by the count d'Eu, and master John de Poppincourt, his adviser.[78]

The Burgundians and Bretons advanced, on the Monday, nearer to Paris; and on the following day, the count d'Eu sent the lord de Rambures to them, to learn their intentions, and if they had any propositions to make. On the morrow, the lord de Rambures returned; but little was said of what he had done in his conference with the confederated lords. On the Thursday following, the 22d of August, the Burgundians and Bretons intended to have skirmished before the walls of Paris, but a large force issued out against them. At this moment, a breton archer of the body to the duke of Berry, accoutred in brigandines, covered with black velvet, with gilt nails, wearing a hood on his head ornamented with tassels of silver gilt, struck a horse on the flanks and thighs which bore one of the king's men at arms, who wheeling about to return to Paris, his horse fell dead under him; but an archer of the count d'Eu's company, seeing what had passed, hastily advanced, and thrust a half pike through the body of the archer, who fell dead on the spot. He then despoiled him of his dress, and carried that and his horse into Paris, leaving him naked all but his shirt.

At this time, the king removed the queen from Amboise to Orleans; and on the following Thursday he supped in Paris, at the house of the lord d'Ermenonville, where he made good cheer. He carried with him the count du Perche, William de Bischguiot, Durie, Jacques de Crevecœur, the lord de Craon, sir Yves du Sau, sir Gastonnet du Léon, Nuast de Mompedon, Guillaume le Cointe, and master Regnault des Dormans.—The women were, the damsel d'Ermenonville, La Longue Joye, and the duchess of Longueil: the other women of low degree were, Estiennette de Paris, Perrette de Châlons, and Jeanne Baillette.

On the 22d of this month, the king went to meet the confederated princes, with few attendants and without any guards, as far as La Grange aux Merciers; but the duke of Berry was not there. The duke of Bourbon had some conversation on the Thursday with the king, in the open space before Paris, beyond the ditch of La Grange de Ruilly. The king was that day more decently dressed than usual, for he had on a purple flowing robe, fully trimmed with ermine, that became him much more than those short dresses he generally wore.

On the following Saturday, the count de Charolois quitted his army, and had it proclaimed through his camp, that all should be ready prepared, under pain of death, to march instantly against the Liegeois, who were destroying his country with fire and sword.

On the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the duke of Berry, who was lodged at St Maur des Fossés, was attacked with fever, which lasted these three days, when he was cured.

The king had, this Monday, fires lighted, and a strict watch kept up in Paris, and the chains fastened across the principal streets, as had been always done since the re-appearance of the Burgundians.

On the Thursday, the duke of Berry, with the other princes of the blood, were lodged at the palace of Beauté, as has been told by Monstrelet; but I find in another authentic chronicle, and even in Gaguin, that he sent some of his heralds to Paris, who carried four letters,—one to the burghers and inhabitants of that town, another to the university, another to the clergy, and another to the court of parliament. The contents of all were the same, namely, that he and the other princes of the blood had assembled and come thither for the general good of France, and that the town should send to him five or six burghers of note, to hear the reasons why he and those of his kindred had thought themselves obliged to take up arms for the welfare of the kingdom.

In compliance with these letters, and that the inhabitants might learn the reasons of their conduct from their own mouths, the town delegated for this purpose, master Jean Choart, then lieutenant-civil at the court of the Châtelet, master Francis Hasle, advocate in the parliament, and Arnault L'Huillier, banker in Paris. The delegates from the clergy were master Thomas de Courcelles, dean of Paris, master John l'Olive, doctor in divinity, and master Eustache L'Huillier, advocate in the parliament. The parliament deputed master John le Boulengier, master John le Sellier, archdeacon of Brie, and master Jacques Fournier. The deputies from the university were master Jacques Ming, lecturer to the faculty of arts; master John L'Huillier, for divinity; master John de Montigny, for civil law; master Anguerant de Parenti, for physic. They were all assembled and presented to the princes by the reverend father in God master William Chartier bishop of Paris.

News arrived this day that master Pierre d'Oris,[79] superintendant of the king's finances, had left him and joined the duke of Berry.

The above-mentioned delegates having waited on the confederated princes at Beauté, returned to the hôtel des Tournelles at Paris, where they met the count d'Eu, to whom they related what had passed, and the proposals they had received from these princes.

On Saturday, the 24th of August, the university, the clergy, the court of parliament, with the municipal officers of the town, were assembled at the town-house to hear the report of their delegates, and to form resolutions thereon. It was resolved, that in regard to the request made by the princes for the assembling of the three estates of the realm, it was just and reasonable, and that a passage should be granted them through Paris, and provisions afforded them, on paying for what they should receive; at the same time, they must give good security that no riots or disorders should be committed by their men, and these resolutions were to be subject to the approbation of the king,—and the delegates were ordered to carry back this answer to the princes.

On this same Saturday, a muster was made in Paris, not only of the king's men at arms but of all others capable of bearing arms, so that it was a fine sight. First marched on foot the archers from Normandy; then the archers on horseback; then the men at arms of the companies of the count d'Eu, of the lord de Craon, of the lord de la Barde, and of the bastard of Maine, to the amount of four or five hundred well appointed lances, exclusive of infantry to the amount of sixteen hundred, all men of good courage.

This day, the king sent letters to Paris, to say that he was at Chartres with his uncle the count du Maine, and a considerable army, and that within three or four days he should come to Paris. This day also arrived at Paris the admiral de Montauban, with a large force of men at arms.

The duke of Berry, who had gone with his attendants to St Denis, returned to Beauté, fearing the king's return. Wednesday, the 28th of August, the king did return to Paris, as Monstrelet has related; but he has omitted, what I have found in another chronicle, namely, that the king was attended by the count du Maine and the lord de Penthievre and others; that he brought back the artillery he had taken with him, and a large body of pioneers from Normandy, who were all lodged in the king's hôtel of St Pol. The populace were much rejoiced at his return, and sang carols in all the streets through which he passed.

The next day, the Burgundians came to skirmish before the walls of Paris; but so great a number of the king's men at arms sallied forth, with artillery, that they were forced to return, but not without having had many of their men killed and dismounted. The following Friday, several large convoys of flour, and other provisions, arrived at Paris from Normandy: in the number, two horse-loads of eel pies of Gort were brought from Mantes, and sold in the poultry-market, in front of the Châtelet at Paris.

In the afternoon of this day, Poncet de Riviere, with his company, amounting to three or four hundred horse, made a sally, in the expectation of meeting the Burgundians or Bretons, but was disappointed, so nothing was done. On the night of this day, the Burgundians dislodged from La Grange aux Merciers, because the king's artillery were within shot of them. When they dislodged, they unroofed the building, and carried off all the wood-work, such as doors, windows, &c. to make themselves sheds elsewhere, or for fire-wood.

On this day, according to Robert Gaguin, the king banished five of the delegates who had been at Beauté from Paris: their names were, master John L'Huillier, curate of St Germain, master Eustache L'Huillier and Arnoult L'Huillier, his brothers, master John Choart, and master Francis Hasle, advocate in the parliament.

Several gallant sallies were made, on the following Saturday, from the gates of St Denis and St Antoine,—at the first of which, an archer on the king's side was killed, and on the part of the enemy many were slain and wounded. This day, the king sallied forth from his bulwark of the tower of Billy, and thence ordered three or four hundred of the pioneers from Normandy to cross the Seine, to work on the Port à l'Anglois, and opposite to Conflans, for it was said, that the Burgundians designed to throw a bridge over that part of the river,—and the king ordered a strong guard of observation to be posted there. The king followed the pioneers, and crossed the Seine by a ferry without dismounting.

On Sunday, the first day of September, the Burgundians threw a bridge over the river at the Port à l'Anglois; but the moment they were about to march over, a body of franc-archers, with others of the king's troops, made their appearance, with artillery and other engines, and attacked the Burgundians so sharply that they slew many and forced them to retreat.

While this engagement was going on, a Norman swam over the river, and cut the cables that supported the bridge, so that it fell and floated down the stream. The Burgundians were likewise forced to move their quarters further from the walls, as the king's artillery annoyed them much. The Burgundians played their artillery also against the Port à l'Anglois, by which a Norman gentleman had his head carried away by a shot from a culverin.

This day, two embassies came to the king at Paris,—one from the duke of Nemours, the other from the count d'Armagnac. A fine sally was made on the same day, by sir Charles de Melun, the captain Malortie, and their companies, who had a successful skirmish with the Burgundians. This day also, there arrived from Anjou about four hundred men, armed with large cross-bows, who were instantly marched against the enemy, when two of the king's archers were killed and one taken,—but seven Burgundians were slain, and two made prisoners.

On this Sunday, the duke of Somerset came from the confederates, under passports, to the king, with whom he had a long conversation in the bastile of St Anthony. He was then offered refreshments,—and, on taking his leave, the king, as it rained, gave him his cloak, which was of black velvet.

On Monday, the 2d of September, the count du Maine, who was lodged at Paris opposite to the king, sent to the duke of Berry two tuns of red wine, four hogsheads of vin de Beaume, and a horse-load of apples, cabbages and turnips.