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CHAPTER

CXLIX. KING HENRY EMBARKS AT CALAIS FOR ENGLAND, WHERE HE IS JOYFULLY RECEIVED ON HIS LATE SUCCESSES.-THE COUNT DE LA MARCHE GOES TO ITALY.

On the 6th day of November, when king Henry had refreshed his army in Calais, and when those prisoners who at Harfleur had promised to meet him there were arrived, he embarked for Dover. The sea on his passage was very rough, so that two vessels full of sir John de Cornewall's men were in great danger; and some of the fleet were driven to different parts in Zealand, but none of them were lost. The king of England, on his return home from such a victory, and his conquest of Harfleur, was most joyfully received by the nobles, clergy, and all ranks of men: he proceeded to London, accompanied by the French princes his prisoners. A little before this unfortunate battle, sir James de Bourbon, count de la Marche, had gone to Italy, magnificently attended, and had married queen Johanna of Naples, and thus acquired the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples: indeed, he for some time held quiet possession of them. He appointed sir Lourdin de Salligny his constable; and one of his captains was sir Here de Bruneul, lord de Thiembronne.

CHAPTER CL.-THE KING OF FRANCE AND HIS PRINCES ARE MUCH GRIEVED ON HEARING THE MELANCHOLY EVENT OF THE BATTLE OF AZINCOURT.-OF THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, AND OTHER MATTERS.

WHEN news was brought to Rouen of the unfortunate loss of the battle of Azincourt, and the deaths of so many noble persons, the king of France and the princes with him were in the utmost consternation and grief. Nevertheless, within a very few days, at a council held in the presence of the king, the dukes of Aquitaine, Berry, and Brittany, the count de Ponthieu his youngest son, and some of his ministers, the count d'Armagnac was nominated constable of France, and orders were despatched to him in Languedoc, for him instantly to come to the king.

Duke John of Burgundy was in that duchy when he heard of the defeat and loss of the French. He, like the others, was much grieved thereat, particularly for the death of his two brothers, the duke of Brabant and the count de Nevers. Notwithstanding his sorrow, he made preparation to march a large force of men-at-arms to Paris without delay; but as the report of his intentions had reached the king at Rouen, he, with the princes, hastened to return thither before the duke should arrive, and came there on the eve of St. Catherine's day. In company with the duke of Burgundy were the duke of Lorrain and ten thousand

inen.

The Parisians, suspecting the object of the duke in this expedition, sent a solemn embassy to the queen of France at Melun, where she lay dangerously ill; but, in consequence of the information she received, she caused herself to be carried in a litter to Paris, where she was lodged in the hôtel d'Orleans with the duchess of Aquitaine, daughter to the duke of Burgundy. True it is, that the Parisians, and some of the king's ministers who had been favourable to the Orleans faction, against that of Burgundy, were very much alarmed, because the duke had in his company many who had been banished France, such as sir Helion de Jacqueville, sir Robinet de Mailly, master Eustace de Lactre, master John de Troyes, Caboche, Denisot de Chaumont, Garnot de Sanction and several more. They therefore prevailed on the king and the duke of Aquitaine to order sir Clugnet de Brabant, the lord de Barbasan* and the lord de Bocquiaux, to hasten to Paris with a sufficient body of men-at-arms for its defence, and for the security of the duke of Aquitaine. The count

*Arnaud-Guilhem, baron of Barbazan in Bigorre, first, chamberlain to Charles VII., afterwards governor of Champagne and the Laonnois, &c. The king gave him the title of "Chevalier sans reproche," and permitted him

to take the fleurs-de-lys for his arms. He was seven years prisoner at Chasteau Gaillard, till delivered in 1430 by La Hire. He was killed at Belleville, ncar Nancy, in 1432, and buried with the highest honours.

d'Armagnac was again commanded to push forward to Paris as speedily as possible, and with as many men-at-arms as he could raise.

The duke of Burgundy, on his march thither, passed through Troyes and Provins, to Meaux in Brie, where he was refused admittance by orders from the duke of Aquitaine and the council, who had written to the governor on no account to suffer him to enter the town, which displeased him much. Upon this he proceeded to Lagny-sur-Marne, and quartered himself in the town, and his men in the country around, which suffered severely from them. On the other hand, many captains had raised their forces in Picardy, namely, sir Martelet de Mesnil, Ferry de Mailly, the brothers Hector and Philip de Saveuses, sir Mauroy de St. Leger, sir Payen de Beaufort, Louis de Varigines, and others. They despoiled all the country they marched through by Pont St. Mard to Lagny, whither the duke of Burgundy had summoned them. His army was so much increased that it now amounted to twenty thousand horse.

The king of Sicily, knowing that he was not beloved by the duke of Burgundy for having sent back his daughter, left Paris in an ill state of health, and went to Angers; but before his departure he was desirous of submitting their differences to the king and his council, provided he should be heard in his defence. The duke of Burgundy would not listen to his proposal, and returned for answer, to those who had brought the offer, that for the wrongs and disgrace the king of Sicily had done to him and his daughter, he would have his revenge when time and opportunity should serve. While he remained at Lagny-sur-Marne, he sent to the king and council at Paris, sir John de Luxembourg, the lord de St. George, and other able counsellors, to explain fully the cause of his coming, and to request that he and his men might be admitted peaceably into Paris for the security of his royal person. other reply was made to this, but that the king would shortly send an answer to their lord the duke of Burgundy. John de Vailly, president of the parliament, with others of the council, were despatched to the duke; but after various embassies and conferences, he could not prevail on the king or the Parisians to admit him into the capital. They told him, that if he would consent to enter Paris simply as the duke of Burgundy, with his usual attendants, the king and council would not object to it; but this the duke would not do, for he knew that those who governed the king were his mortal enemics, and he would not trust his person with them.

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CHAPTER CLI.-THE PARISIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS WAIT ON THE DUKE OF AQUITAINE TO PROPOSE CERTAIN MEASURES OF PUBLIC SAFETY.-THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF AQUITAINE.-THE ARRIVAL OF THE CONSTABLE IN PARIS.

THE Parisians, and principally those of the university, seeing the discords and quarrels daily increase between the princes of the blood, to the ruin and the overturning of the kingdom, and the destruction of the people, went one day in a body to the duke of Aquitaine, and, in the presence of the duke of Berry, the count de Penthievre, and several nobles and prelates, demanded an audience, and liberty to state their grievances. Having obtained this, the first president of the parliament began an oration, choosing for his text, "Domine x salva, nos perimus," from the gospel of St. Matthew, "Lord save us, or we perish." He very clearly and eloquently pointed out the various grievances the nation was labouring under, and named several evil-doers, who were endeavouring to throw the kingdom into confusion by harassing and oppressing the people. When he had ended, the duke of Aquitaine instantly swore, on the word of a king's son, that henceforth all evil-doers, whatever might be their rank, should be indiscriminately punished according to their crimes; that justice should be impartially administered, and the clergy and people be maintained in peace. On this, they departed, perfectly satisfied with the answer of the duke of Aquitaine; but he had not time to carry his intentions into execution, for a few days after he was seized with a fever, and died on the 18th of December, in the hôtel de Bourbon. His death occasioned many tears and lamentations among numbers of the nobility, and his servants; and it was reported to have been caused by poison,-for which reason, his body was kept in a leaden coffin four days at the above hotel. The different orders of clergy came thither to

pray beside it; after which, it was carried to St. Denis, and interred near to his royal

ancestors.

Eight days afterward, the count d'Armagnac, who had been sent for by the council, arrived at Paris to receive the investiture of his constableship, by receiving from the king the sword of constable, and taking the usual solemn oaths. He thanked the king for the high honour he had conferred on him. The new constable had now a force of six thousand combatants at least, including those whom he found in Paris, and very shortly despatched Raymonnet de la Guerre, with four hundred helmets, to garrison St. Denis, and defend it against any attack from the duke of Burgundy. He strengthened in like manner other towns on the Seine, and had all the bridges and ferries destroyed.

The king, at this period, filled up the vacant offices caused by the misfortune at Azincourt, and appointed Jean de Corssay, a native of Berry, master of the cross-bows of France; sir Thomas de Lersies, bailiff of the Vermandois, and the lord de Humbercourt, bailiff of Amiens; the lord d'Aunay, a native of la Rochelle, to the same office at Senlis; sir Mansart d'Asne, bailiff of Vitry, and sir Brunet de Bans to the same at Tournay, with very many others.

CHAPTER CLII.-THE DUKE OF BRITTANY ARRIVES AT PARIS.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY LEAVES LAGNY-SUR-MARNE.-THE CAPTURE OF SIR MARTELET DU MESNIL AND FERRY DE MAILLY.

THE duke of Brittany at this time came to Paris to treat with the king, that the duke of Burgundy with his army might march into Brittany, but he was unsuccessful. Before he departed from Paris, he was violently enraged against sir Tanneguy du Châtel, provost of Paris, and abused him much, because he had imprisoned in the Châtelet the minister of the Mathurins, a doctor of theology, for having, in his presence, harangued the populace in favour of the duke of Burgundy. In a few days, however, he gave him his free liberty.

When the duke of Burgundy had remained at Lagny-sur-Marne six weeks, without having been able to prevail on the king and his council to permit him to enter Paris any otherwise than in his simple state, he marched away to Dampmartin, thence toward Rheims, and through the Laonnois, Tierrache, and Cambresis, to the town of Douay, and thence to Lille. He was, all the time, accompanied by a strong body of men-at-arms, who much oppressed the poor people on their march. On his departure from Lagny, some of the king's soldiers advanced to Pont à Vaire, and slew and made prisoners many of his men, at which he was highly displeased. From his long residence at Lagny, the Parisians, and others attached to the king, called him, in common conversation, Jean de Lagny. After some short stay at Lille, he went to visit his nephews in Brabant, namely John and Philip, sons to the late duke Anthony of Brabant, taking with him Philippe Maisne, by whom he governed that country. He appointed officers to those places in the counties of Ligny and St. Pol, that had been formerly held by count Waleran de St. Pol, maternal grandfather to these children.

When he was returned to Flanders, he ordered the lord de Fosseux, governor of Picardy, to cause his captains and their men-at-arms to retire from his territories of Artois and the adjoining lands; and, as many of these captains harassed the king's subjects, Remonnet de la Guerre, the provost of Compiegne and the lord de Bocquiaux, the king's governor of the Valois, secretly assembled, on the night of the 24th of January, a number of men-at-arms, and surprised the quarters of sir Martelet du Mesnil and Ferry de Mailly, in the country of Santerre *, where they had posted full six hundred men among the villages, who made havoc on all the country round about. Excepting such as escaped by flight, they were all slain or made prisoners: among the last were the two captains, sir Martelet du Mesnil and Ferry de Mailly, who were carried to Compiegne. On the day of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, the said sir Martelet and four other gentlemen, after having been tortured by the king's officers, were hung on the gibbet of Compiegne; but Ferry de Mailly, through the intercession of friends, obtained his free deliverance.

⚫ Santerre, a small territory, of which Mondidier is the capital.

CHAPTER CLIII.-THE BISHOP OF ARRAS CAUSES THE SENTENCE THAT HAD BEEN PRONOUNCED AGAINST MASTER JEAN PETIT TO BE REVOKED.—THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY COMES TO PARIS.

In this same year, by the exertions of Martin Poree, doctor in theology, and bishop of Arras, and some other ambassadors from the duke of Burgundy, having sufficient authorities from him, the following judgment was obtained from the council of Constance.

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"By the advice of the clergy, in whose name we issue the following sentence. We pronounce and declare, that the suits, judgments, burnings, prohibitions and executions, ordered by the bishop of Paris, against master Jean Petit, and all consequences that may therefrom have ensued, are null and void, and we now do annul and revoke the same. regard to the costs that legally attach to this cause, we shall leave them to be taxed on sufficient grounds. In which sentence, I, Jourdan bishop of Alba, I, Anthony cardinal of Aquileia, I, Francis cardinal of Florence, do heartily acquiesce."

Thus the sentence of the bishop of Paris against master Jean Petit, was reversed and condemned by the council of Constance, the 15th day of January, 1415.

Not long after this, two knights arrived at Paris from the emperor Sigismund, to prepare the lodgings he was to have in that city, and lay in his purveyances. The castle of the Louvre was given to them for this purpose; and on the following Sunday, being Shrove Sunday, the emperor arrived at Paris, attended by about eight hundred horse. The duke of Berry, the cardinal de Bar, the constable, the chancellor, the provost of Paris and of the merchants, the sheriffs, and a noble company of the citizens in handsome state, went to meet him, and he was by them conducted to the Louvre. Some days afterward, he explained to the king and council the cause of his coming, which was to establish union in the whole church he also made many offers of service to the king and his realm. A doctor of divinity, named master Guerrard Machet, then harangued him in the name of the king of France, with which he was much pleased.

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Charles, king of France, was very sensible of the honour of this visit, and the two monarchs ate frequently together. On the first Sunday in Lent, the king of Sicily and his son-in-'zw, the count de Ponthieu, came to visit the emperor at Paris; and during the emperor's ay there, the highest honour and distinctions were paid him by the king and princes. When many conferences had been holden on the state of the universal church, and on other matters, he set out from Paris on the Wednesday before Palm Sunday, and was accompanied by the king of France as far as La Chappelle, between Paris and St. Denis, where they separated. The king of Sicily, the duke of Berry, and the cardinal de Bar, attended him to St. Denis, where he was most honourably received by the abbot and his clergy. He thence rode to Beauvais the bishop of the place and the inhabitants had come out to meet him, and the bishop conducted him to his palace, where he was lodged.

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The emperor there celebrated Easter, in company with the duke of Milan, uncle to the duke of Orleans, the archbishop of Rheims, and others, ambassadors from the king of France to his adversary the king of England. Leaving Beauvais, he crossed the bridge at St. Remy, and went to St. Riquier, because the townsmen of Abbeville would not admit his people, although he was in company with ambassadors going to England. From St. Riquier he went on a pilgrimage to St. Josse, where the abbot and the whole convent came out in procession to meet him, in the same state they would have done had he been king of France. After offering up his prayers, he made no present to the glorious friend of God, saint Josse. The emperor was clad in armour, having on the pummel of his saddle a Montauban hat, and over his armour a robe, on the front and back part of which was an ash-coloured upright cross, with a Latin motto round it,-"O how merciful God is!" Most of his attendants were armed, and well mounted; and from St. Josse, by way of Estaples, he went to Boulogne, but the townsfolk would not permit him to enter, at which he was so indignant that he would not accept the presents the inhabitants sent to him. After dining in the suburbs of Boulogne, he went to lie at Calais, whence the governor, the earl of Warwick, had come to meet him, accompanied by men-at-arms and archers. He was there most honourably

entertained, at the expense of the king of England, until the ensuing Wednesday, when he embarked for England.

During the time the emperor was at Paris, he one day went to the court of parliament, where the presidents and counsellors showed him every honour, and seated him, as was right, on the royal throne. The advocates then began to plead such causes as were before the court; and among others, was one of a Languedocian knight, called William Segnot, respecting the seneschalship of Beaucaire. It was claimed by two persons in right of the king's gift; but sir William proved, that no one could hold that office unless he were a knight. The emperor, hearing this, asked the esquire, in Latin, if he wished to be a knight; and on his replying in the affirmative, the emperor called for a sword, which being given him, he instantly dubbed the esquire a knight, who, by this means, obtained the office by sentence of the judges of the parliament. The king and his council, however, when they heard of this, were greatly angered against the judges of the court for having suffered it; for it seemed that this act had been done by the emperor, as having superior authority to the king of France, who, had he been present, would not on any account have permitted it. It was nevertheless passed over in silence, and no notice taken of it to the emperor.

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CHAPTER CLIV.—A HEAVY TAX IS LAID ON THE Kingdom oF FRANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT, TO THE GREAT DISCONTENT OF THE PARISIANS.-EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN CONSEQUENCE OF IT.

WHEN the emperor had left Paris, a very heavy impost was laid on all France, by those who governed the king, namely, the queen, the king of Sicily, the duke of Berry and others. The populace, more especially such as were attached to the duke of Burgundy, were very clamorous against these lords; for many of the duke's friends had remained in the city, who were day and night practising on the means of his restoration to the king's favour, and to the government of the realm. To accomplish this, they had advised him to send secretly to Paris some well-informed and prudent persons, to whom they might resort and have advice in case of need. In compliance with their request, he sent thither sir Jennet de Poix, Jacques de Fosseux, the lord de St. Leger, and Binet d'Auffeu, who brought credential letters, signed by the duke, to those whom he knew to be attached to his party.

The Parisians, having thus entered into a conspiracy under pretence of the severity of the new tax, swore to rise in a body in the afternoon of Good Friday, and make prisoners of all that should oppose them. Their first object was to seize the provost of Paris, and, if he refused to sanction their conduct, they intended to kill him and then seize and confine the king. They were afterward to put to death the queen, the chancellor of France and numberless others, with the queen of Sicily; and after dressing the king of Sicily and the duke of Berry in some old clothes of the king, and shaving their heads, to carry them through Paris on two lean bullocks, and then put them to death. The day of action was however put off by some of the conspirators, who said that many of their intended victims might escape on Good Friday, from being at their devotions in and out of Paris, or at confession in the churches, or on pilgrimages, which would prevent them being found at their houses,—and that it would be better to defer the matter until Easter-Day, when they all promised to meet for the above purposes. This conspiracy was revealed by the wife of Michel Lallier, who sent letters to her lover, Bureau de Dampmartin, advising him to Яy instantly from Paris. This he did; but, before his departure, sent information of it to the chancellor, as he was at dinner, who lost no time in hastening to the Louvre, to advise the queen and princes of the blood to save themselves by flight. His counsel was followed by all except the provost of Paris, who, arming himself and his men, to the number of fifty, suddenly took possession of the market-place, and seized some of the conspirators before they had armed themselves, in their houses, and imprisoned them in the Châtelet, which so confounded the other conspirators that an end was put to their project.

The provost, being reinforced with men at-arms, forced different houses, in which he found many gentlemen hidden, who were armed for this massacre. In the number, he seized

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