In the river were the figures of six apostles, among whom was St. John, who addressed St. Peter in writing, Dominus est, Matt. xiv. St. Peter, seeing our Lord walking to him. on the water, and fearing to be drowned, said also in the roll which he extended, Domine salvum me fac, Matt. xiv. Our Saviour held out to him a roll, whereon was written, Modice fidei quare dubitasti? Matt. xiv. On this same river was a very large boat full of burning torches, and adjoining it another figure as a prophet, with a roll in his hand, pointing also to a large figure: it was written on the roll, Exultabunt omnia ligna silvarum a facie Domini quoniam venit, Psalm xv.

Facing this last prophet was a large platform, on which was erected a fortress with two small towers, on the battlements of which were suspended shields, having emblazoned on them the arms of all the countries under the dependence of the duke of Burgundy. At the gate of this castle was the personage of a giant, called Mars, and surnamed the Victorious, having a lion by his side. In front of this castle was a wood, in which were dragons, wolves, foxes, and all sorts of wild beasts, that attempted to enter the gate and gain the castle, but were always repulsed. In the centre of the gate was a man who represented the three conditions of men in the states of the duke, and was dressed, as to his head, like a priest; his right side was clothed with a long robe of cloth of silk for the gentry, and the left side was attired as the labourers in the field: there was written above him, Diligam te Domine fortitudo mea. Et nisi custodieris civitatem frustra vigilat qui custodit eam, Psalm On each side were the figures of king Solomon and the queen of Sheba, over whom was written, Major est gloria tua quam rumor quem audivi, Reg. I. c. x.

XXV.

On another part of the platform was a representation of Gideon after he had obtained the victory, and the Israelites humbly addressing him with these words, Dominare nostri tu, hic est filius tuus et filii tui quia liberasti nos, Judic. viii. Not far off was an elephant bearing a castle, in which were two men and four children, who sang melodiously a new song, the words of which were as follows:

"Long live the valiant Burgundy!
With heart and voice we loudly cry.
Henceforth no other lord we own;
But place our trust in him alone.

Long live the valiant Burgundy!
Who now from sorrow sets us free;
Whilst on his entrance thus we cry,
Long live the valiant Burgundy !"

This entry was more grand and magnificent than ever prince made before; for by the side of the duke on horseback, with his hood thrown on his shoulder, was the bastard d'Armagnac*, marshal to the lord dauphin,—and he was preceded by the ushers-at-arms, his first master of the horse bearing his sword. Immediately before him, his kings-at-arms, heralds, and pursuivants, clothed in their tabards of arms, were in great numbers; and before these heralds were from twelve to fourteen clarions and trumpets, who followed the count d'Estampes and sir Thibault de Neufchâtel lord de Blancmont, marshal of Burgundy †. These were preceded by the lords and gentlemen of the dauphin, the two sons of the lord de Croy, and the two sons of the marshal of Burgundy. Before them rode the lord Adolphus of Cleves, the lord bastard of Burgundy, and sir Philip Pol, all richly dressed, themselves and their heralds. They were preceded by the great lords of the court,—and before them other lords and gentlemen, two and two, without varlet or page: before these gentlemen were the principal burghers and gentlemen of the town in great numbers, dressed in black.

Immediately after the duke were fifty archers of his body-guard on foot, dressed in their jackets, each having a hunting-spear in his hand: behind the duke were fifteen pages and

*John d'Armagnac, lord of Gourdon, bastard son of John IV. count of Armagnac, and brother by the same mother of another John d'Armagnac, called also de Lescun archbishop of Auch. He was advanced by the dauphin after he became king, to several high offices of trust and favour, and was made marshal of France in 1461. He married Margaret, daughter of Louis I. marquis de Saluces, by whom he had one daughter, married into the house of Amboise, and died A. D. 1472.

Thibault the ninth marshal of Burgundy and bailiff

of Franche-Comté. He died in 1469, leaving by Bona of Châteauvilain his wife, Thibault lord of Hericourt, whe died without issue, and Henry lord de Neufchâtel, who was made prisoner at the battle of Nancy, and died in 1503, and he was brother of John de Neufchâtel, lord of Montagu. This lordship of Neufchâtel in Burgundy must be carefully distinguished from the county of Neufchâtel in Switzerland, with which it had no connexion whatever.

numbers of gentlemen. The horses that were at this entry were estimated at more than two hundred, without including those of the pages, varlets, and other attendants, which were already in the town. In short, it was the most triumphant entry that ever lord made into a town for these five hundred years past. The illuminations were continued on the following night; and the townsmen acted many mysteries in the town-house, expressive of the praise of their lord, and of their own ill conduct. They did the same on the Tuesday evening, but without illuminations,-for it was said that the duke had desired they might not be longer continued. One of the burghers had covered the outside of his house

with gold and silver, and had placed a great number of torches and lanterns before it. In like manner did many others in the different streets ornament their houses with rich hangings and splendid illuminations, at a great expense, during the two days the feast lasted.

On the Tuesday, the municipal officers and principal burghers waited on the duke at his palace, to thank him humbly for having come to his good town of Ghent, and to make offer of their lives and fortunes, for which he expressed his obligations. Then, on their knees, they supplicated him that he would be pleased to sup with them, in the manner of a banquet, at the town on the following Sunday, the last day of April, which he granted. It was rumoured that this banquet would be free to all comers, like an open court, and that it would cost more than ten thousand crowns of gold. On the morrow, the managers of the feast despatched purveyors nine leagues round Ghent, to collect every delicacy they could lay hands on, so that a small chicken was sold for two patars*.

Toward the end of April, the king of France sent ambassadors to the duke of Burgundy, to signify to him that he intended to give judgment on the duke of Alençon on the 10th of the ensuing month of June, in the town of Montargis, and to summon him to attend at the above place and time with the peers of France, of whom he was one, and dean of the said peers, and also to consider on other matters touching the welfare of the realm. The duke instantly replied to these ambassadors,-" Although my lord the king, by the treaty of Arras, has no right to command me in anything, and notwithstanding I am personally exempted from my dependence on him, nevertheless I will, if it please God, be personally present at the time and place he has fixed on, to give sentence on the duke of Alençon, and respecting the matters touching the welfare of the kingdom of France."

When the ambassadors, on receiving this answer, were departed, the duke sent Golden Fleece, the king-at-arms of his order, to king Charles, to deliver a certain message he charged him with. He then had it proclaimed in all his great towns, that all who had been accustomed to bear arms, and by their fiefs and oaths were bounden to serve him, should prepare themselves to be in readiness to accompany him, the first day of June, on his journey to the king of France at Montargis, whither he had been by him summoned to attend; and it was his intention, if it pleased God, to appear there with the greatest possible force he could raise. On the other hand, the king of France had ordered the arrière-ban of his realm to hold themselves in readiness the first of June,—which made many suppose that a renewal of war was about to take place; and it was currently reported in France that these preparations were made to oppose the English, who were intending to invade France.

During this interval, those of Utrecht rebelled against their bishop, which caused the duke of Burgundy, his father, to send sir Anthony his bastard to Holland, with eight score lances, and from seven to eight hundred archers. But the rebels, hearing of this, made up their quarrel, and returned to their obedience to the bishop as before,—and this armament marched back to the duke of Burgundy.

* Patart, a Low-country coin, worth about one penny English.-COTGRAVE.

CHAPTER LXXXVIII.—THE KING OF FRANCE COUNTERMANDS HIS SUMMONS TO THE duke OF BURGUNDY, FORBIDS HIM ΤΟ COME TO MONTARGIS, AND ORDERS HIM TO SEND THITHER THREE OR FOUR OF HIS NOBLES TO CONSULT WITH THE OTHER PEERS OF FRANCE. SLIGHT MENTION MADE OF THE SENTENCE PASSED ON THE DUKE OF

ALENÇON IN THE TOWN OF VENDÔME, WITH THE RESERVATION OF THE KING'S

APPROVAL.

On the return of Golden Fleece king-at-arms, about the beginning of June, he told duke Philip his lord, that the king having learned that he intended coming to Montargis with a very, numerous army, which would unavoidably do great damage to the countries they should pass through, on that account held him excused from coming thither in person, and entreated that he would send three or four of his council to represent him. The duke immediately appointed the count d'Estampes, sir Simon de Lalain, knights, and some clerks of his council, together with Golden Fleece king-at-arms, as his proxies at the ensuing meeting. Before this, however, took place, a great meeting was held at Gravelines, between commissioners from England and others sent by duke Philip. Soon after, the count d'Estampes went under a passport to Calais, where he was grandly feasted by the English; and it was reported that a truce was then agreed on between the two countries. The king of France, considering that Montargis could not hold the numbers of people summoned to attend the judgment of the duke of Alençon, changed the place of meeting to Vendôme, where he appeared in so royal a state that it was a pleasure to see him,—and all who had been summoned were expected to come thither. On the day appointed, only the proxies for the duke of Burgundy appeared before the king, of all the temporal peers: in consequence, by royal authority, he named proxies for the duke of Bourbon, the count de Foix, the count de la Marche, and the count d'Eu, to assist the king in passing sentence on the duke d'Alençon. When the court had been thus regularly formed in the place prepared for it, master John L'Orfevre, president of Luxembourg and one of the proxies for the duke of Burgundy, arose, and besought the king that he would be pleased to hear what he had been charged by his lord to say, in defence of the duke d'Alençon. The king having granted him permission to speak, he began an harangue of some length, very well arranged and ornamented, with apt quotations from the Scriptures, containing four propositions which the duke of Burgundy had ordered him to lay before the king, to induce him to incline to a merciful sentence on the duke of Alençon, whom his lord considered as his near relative.

The first proposition was, that it belonged at all times to royal majesty to show mercy, and use clemency. The second, that the duke of Alençon was nearly related to the king. Thirdly, that the services which the duke of Alençon himself, and his ancestors, had rendered to the crown of France, should be well considered; and, fourthly, the weakness of mind of the duke of Alençon, which being added to the three foregoing propositions, if duly weighed by the king, might induce him to show clemency to the duke.

The cardinal de Constance answered in the king's name, that his majesty had carefully listened to all the reasons that had just been offered by the duke of Burgundy, to incline him to show mercy on the duke d'Alençon: that, in reply to the first proposition, it was true, mercy and clemency properly belonged to kings and sovereign princes, but to do justice was also an inherent right in them, and it was in virtue of this that kings reigned; for if that were neglected, their kingdoms would be devoured by robbers and thieves. As to the second point, that the duke d'Alençon was related to the king, he should answer, that so much the more was he bounden to guard the preservation and welfare of the king and his crown. As to the third point, touching the services done by the duke's ancestors to the crown of France, &c., he should say, that he had not in these instances followed their steps: and since children should not suffer for the evil deeds of their fathers, neither ought they to claim any merit from their services.

With regard to the last point, he should reply, that the lord d'Alençon had clearly shown that he was not very wise; but he was not so simple as had been stated, for he had, in the matters charged against him, proceeded with great subtlety and malice, as was apparent

and might be seen in the evidence on his trial: that it had not depended on him that his treason was unsuccessful, and that he was equally deserving punishment as if his treachery had taken effect. The cardinal concluded by saying, that the king would act in this business with the advice of the princes of his blood, and the members of his council; that the king would have been glad and was desirous of the able assistance of the duke of Burgundy, whose absence he regretted, but that he would act in such wise that the duke of Burgundy and the public should be satisfied with the sentence he would give.

CHAPTER LXXXIX. THE KING'S SENTENCE
PRESENCE WHILE SEATED ON HIS JUDGMENT-SEAT, BY HIS CHANCELLOR.

ON THE DUKE D'ALENÇON READ IN HIS

"CHARLES, by the grace of God king of France. Having been duly informed that John duke of Alençon, peer of France, has entered into a treasonable correspondence, by himself and others, with our ancient enemies and adversaries the English,- we make known, that having personally examined in our chamber of peers, and others for this business called in, the charges and evidence produced against John d'Alençon, together with his confessions, and other facts brought duly forward,-we, by the advice of the aforesaid chamber of peers, have declared, and by these presents do declare, that the said John d'Alençon is guilty of high-treason against us and our crown, for which we have deprived and do deprive him of the honour and dignity of a peer of France, and of all dignities and honours attached thereto. We have also condemned, and do by these presents condemn, him to suffer death according to law, and have declared, and do declare, all the effects of the said John d'Alençon to be confiscated to our use, and to belong to us; saving, however, any further orders or regulations we may make concerning the same."

This sentence having been publicly read, the king declared his will to be, that "the execution of the duke d'Alençon should be deferred until his further pleasure were known that in respect to the confiscation of his effects, &c., although his children ought, according to law and usage, to be deprived of every honour, prerogative, and property, and reduced to such beggary as may be an example to all others, considering the enormity of the crimes of their father, nevertheless, in remembrance of the services done by their ancestors to the kings and crown of France, and in the expectation that these children will conduct themselves toward the king as good and loyal subjects should do to their sovereign lord, and likewise out of favour to the solicitations of the duke of Brittany*, uncle to the duke of Alençon, the king, out of his grace, declares, that the effects of the duke of Alençon shall remain to the wife and children of the said duke of Alençon; but the king reserves to himself all artillery, arms, and military stores. With regard to the lands and lordships, the king retains the towns, castles, and viscounties of Alençon, Domfront, and Verneuil, as well on one side of the river Aure as on the other, with all their rights, privileges, and dependencies, which from this moment he incorporates into the domain of the crown of France. The king retains also the castlewick and lordship of St. Blansay in Touraine, together with the tolls which the said d'Alençon had and received from the bridges of Tours, to regulate at his pleasure.

“Item, the king reserves to himself all the homage, dues, and acknowledgments, which appertained to the said d'Alençon on account of his country of Perche, on the town of Nogent le Rotrou, with all its dependencies, and all other lands belonging to the count du Maine, in right of the countess du Maine his wife.—Item, in regard to the other lands and effects immoveable, the king wills that they belong to the children of the said d'Alençon,namely, the county of Perche to be enjoyed by his only son Réné, and his heirs in lawful marriage, without, however, any dignity or prerogative of peerage. As for the other effects of the said d'Alençon, the king wills that they be divided among the younger children, who are to be under the wardship of the king until they become of an age to manage for them

* Mary, eldest daughter of John V., and sister of to John I. duke of Alençon, father of the duke here John VI. and Arthur dukes of Brittany, was married mentioned.

selves, they to enjoy these estates as their own free inheritance, and the said estates to descend to the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten in marriage, according to the usages of the countries in which those estates are situated."

When this had been finally settled, the king ordered the duke d'Alençon to confinement in the strong prison of the castle of Aiguesmortes*, not far from Avignon.

CHAPTER XC.-THE ENGLISH MAKE AN INROAD ON THE BOULONOIS FROM CALAIS. THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AN EMBASSY TO THE POPE, AND FORTIFIES HIS TOWNS AGAINST THE ENGLISH.-ARTHUR OF BRITTANY DIES, AND IS SUCCEEDED IN THE DUKEDOM BY THE COUNT D'ESTAMPES. OTHER EVENTS.

ABOUT this period, eight hundred combatants issued out of Calais and marched to Estaples+, where they found many vessels laden with wines from Poitou, which the Bretons had brought thither to sell, all of which the English made them ransom. They gained also numbers of mules, which some merchants from Languedoc had conducted thither to carry back a cargo of salted herrings: these were also ransomed, and they carried away several prisoners.

The duke of Burgundy sent this year, about Christmas, a handsome embassy to pope Pius at Rome, to do him homage for all his states, like a good son of the church, and, shortly afterward, another embassy to the king of France, to avoid a war, which everybody conjectured would ensue, because the dauphin resided with the duke contrary to the will of his father, and had refused to return to France.

The English, on the frontier of Calais, made continual inroads on the territories of the duke; and to check them he strengthened with men-at-arms the garrisons of Boulogne, Ardres, Gravelines, Fiennes, and St. Omer. They were ordered to oppose force by force, and to hang all whom they should take.

About Christmas died Arthur duke of Brittany, without leaving any male heir: he wa s therefore, succeeded in the duchy by John de Bretagne count d'Estampes, son to the brother of a former duke of Brittany by a sister of the duke of Orleans‡. Notwithstanding that he was count d'Estampes, John of Burgundy, brother to the count de Nevers, assumed the same title, but without advantage,-for the king held possession of Estampes, and gave the revenue of it to whomsoever he pleased.

At this time, peace was restored between the duke of Burgundy and the count of St. Pol, so that the count was on the same familiar terms with the duke, and as much beloved by him as before he was, likewise, in the good graces of the count de Charolois.

Nearly at this period an embassy from Greece, of about fifty horsemen, waited on the duke to request that he would personally attend, or send his proxies, to a meeting appointed by pope Pius, of all the princes of Christendom, touching the welfare of the Catholic church. The duke received them honourably, and gave them rich presents, and said that, under God's pleasure, he would send proxies to the meeting they had mentioned.

CHAPTER XCI. THE KING OF FRANCE SUMMONS THE TWELVE PEERS OF FRANCE TO THE TOWN OF MONTARGIS, TO HEAR SENTENCE PASSED ON THE DUKE D'ALENÇON. OF THE DEATH OF POPE CALIXTUS. THE KING TRANSFERS THE COURT OF JUSTICE FROM MONTARGIS TO VENDÔME.

In the year 1458 the king of France summoned the twelve peers of his realm, secular as well as temporal, and the members of his court of parliament, to assemble in the town of Montargis on the 8th day of June, in which place he intended holding a court of justice, and

* Aiguesmortes, a town in lower Languedoc, five leagues from Montpellier.

Estaples, a town in Picardy, at the mouth of the Conche, four leagues from Boulogne.

A mistake. He was succeeded by Francis II. son of

his younger brother, Richard, count of Estampes. Richard count of Estampes, who died in 1438, married Margaret daughter of Louis duke of Orleans, and Francis II. was the only son of that marriage.