his office of grand-master of the household, and gave it to the lord de Craon, although many persons were of opinion that sir Charles had well served the king, and done him many considerable services; more especially by his great prudence and activity in the guard of Paris, while the king was absent in the Bourbonnois; for it was observed, that had he not been as diligent as he was, the king and kingdom would have suffered much more. While the king was thus employed, he made an exchange with the count de Dammartin for a castle he had in Gascony called Blancaffort; for which he gave him in sovereignty, all the rights and royalties in the towns of Gonesse, Gournay-sur-Marne, and Crecy in Brie; and gave orders for his parliament to annex them, in perpetuity, to his said county of Dammartin. At this same time, the king commanded that the fortress of Chaumont-sur-Loire, which belonged to sir Pierre d'Amboise, lord of Chaumont, should be set on fire, and razed to the ground, which was done.

Monday, the 4th of February, Gauvain Manniel, who had been lieutenant-general of the bailiff of Rouen, was arrested in that town, and carried prisoner to Pont de l'Arche: where, by orders of the marshals, a scaffold had been erected, on which the said Gauvain was beheaded for certain crimes laid to his charge. His head was placed on a lance on the said bridge, and his body thrown into the river Seine. At the same time, the dean of the cathedral of Rouen and six of the canons were expelled the town, and banished out of the duchy of Normandy.

CHAPTER CLIV.-THE KING OF FRANCE SETS OUT FROM ROUEN TO ORLEANS.-HE SENDS
AMBASSADORS TO ENGLAND.—SEVERAL MALEFACTORS ARE EXECUTED AT PARIS.
THE DIVORCE OF SIR WILLIAM COLOMBEL FROM HIS WIFE. THE LORD DU LAU IS

MADE PRISONER.—THE KING PUBLISHES AN EDICT AT PARIS AGAINST THE ENGLISH.
-A TRUCE CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH.-MANY PERSONS LOSE
THEIR SENSES AT PARIS, AT THE BEAN-FLOWERING SEASON.

THE king now departed from Rouen for Orleans, where the queen was, and remained there a long time, making excursions to Gergeau and in that neighbourhood. While he was at Orleans, many embassies came to him from divers countries, on different matters. He also there determined to send an embassy to England, and selected for this purpose the count de Roussillon, bastard of Bourbon and admiral of France, the lord de la Barde, the duke-bishop of Langres, master John de Poupaincourt, lord of Cercelles, master Olivier le Roy, counsellor in the chamber of accounts, and others, who set out for England in April, in the year 1466.

At this time, the officers of justice in Paris arrested many poor creatures, thieves and other malefactors; some of whom, for their crimes, were hanged on the gibbet at Montfaucon, and others, less criminal, were whipped at a cart's-tail through the streets of Paris. At this time also, the damsel Isabeau de Cambray, wife to sir William de Colombel, a rich and powerful man, was confined a prisoner in the Conciergerie of the palais-royal at Paris, on the complaint and information of her husband, who charged her with the three following crimes: first, that she had abandoned him and been faithless to his bed; secondly, that she had robbed him of large sums of money; and, thirdly, that she had compounded divers poisons to compass his death. In consequence of these charges, she was long detained in prison, and put to the torture, to make her confess her guilt. At length, the court of parliament, having taken full cognizance of the evidence and her confession, declared that the said Colombel had sufficiently proved his accusations; and she was sentenced to be deprived of all community of effects and of her dower. With regard to the poisons, she pleaded an error in the suit, and paid into court six score livres parisis, as her pledge for re-appearing.

The 10th day of May, in this year, sir Anthony de Châteauneuf lord du Lau, who had had the king's pardon some time since, on certain conditions, was accidentally met by the lord de Chabesnais, and others, in the plains of Clery, near Orleans; and because that he and his

* Gergeau, or Jargeau,—an ancient town, four leagues from Orleans.

attendants were disguised, they made him a prisoner, and carried him before the king, who ordered him and his people to be confined in a castle near Mehun*. On Wednesday, the eve of the Ascension of our Lord, master John Prevost, notary and secretary to the king, entered the Bastile, by the king's direction, in a subtle manner, and took thence one called Mare, who was lieutenant to the lord des Bordes, and lately married to the natural daughter of sir Charles de Melun, son to the lord des Bordes †. On Saturday, the eve of Whitsunday, was proclaimed through all the squares of Paris, with sound of trumpet, a summons from the constable of France, which included one from the king, to declare that he had received information of his ancient enemies the English having raised a very numerous army for the destruction of his kingdom; and that they had prepared a fleet, accordingly, to invade his coasts; that the king, being resolved to oppose such wicked attempts to the utmost of his power, had ordered his constable to make proclamation thereof in the usual places throughout the realm, that all the noble tenants of the king, as well those of fief as of arriere-fief, of whatever rank, might be properly prepared with arms, horses, and habiliments for war, on the 15th day of June next ensuing, under pain of corporal punishment and confiscation of effects. All franc-archers and others were, at the same time, ordered to be ready by the said 15th day of June.

The king displaced at this time the lord des Bordes from being governor of the Bastile of St. Anthony at Paris, and gave it to the lord de Bloc, seneschal of Auvergne, who was said to be a man of an excellent character. At this period, the lord de Montauban ‡, who had been admiral of France, grand-master of woods and waters, and the principal cause of the disturbances in Brittany, which were followed by those in France, and who had received immense sums of the public money, died at Tours, and was not much lamented. After his death, the king gave the office of lord high admiral to the lord bastard of Bourbon, who had married his natural daughter, and the office of grand-master of woods and waters to the lord de Châtillon, brother to the marshal of Lohéac.

A truce was now concluded by sea and land with England for twenty-two months, which was everywhere publicly proclaimed. At this time, for some particular cause, the king was moved to displace the count du Maine from his government of Languedoc, and give the same to the bastard of Bourbon, who also received, in consequence of his marriage with Jeanne, the king's natural daughter, the castle and town of Usson § in Auvergne, said to be the strongest place in the kingdom, together with the government of Honfleur, and other places in Normandy.

In the month of June of this year, 1466, the beans were very abundant and good, nevertheless very many persons of both sexes lost their senses at this time in Paris. In the number was a young man named master Marcial d'Auvergne ||, an attorney in the court of parliament, and notary to the Châtelet. He had been married about three weeks to one of the daughters of master Jacques Fournier, king's counsel in the said court of parliament, and lost his senses in such wise that, about nine in the morning of St. John the Baptist's day, his frenzy seized him, and he threw himself out of the window into the street, broke his thigh, and so bruised his body that he was long in the utmost danger, for his frenzy continued a long time; but at length he recovered.

There are three Mehuns,-sur Loire, sur Indre, sur Yevre. The first place of his confinement was Sully-surLoire, from whence he was removed to the castle of Usson in Auvergne. He was afterwards restored to favour, and made governor of Roussillon.

+ Philip de Melun, lord des Bordes, was governor of the Bastile, and father of Charles de Melun, the grandmaster before-mentioned. Both father and son were involved in the same disgrace. But the former, more fortunate in being less elevated, was only dismissed from

his office, while the latter was soon afterwards brought to the scaffold. The government of the Bastile was now committed to Hugh de Chavigny, seigneur de Bloc.

The lord de Montauban was of the house of Rohan; had followed the king, when dauphin, to Flanders, -was much beloved and regretted by him, but not by the people.

§ Usson,-four leagues from Brionde.

Marcial d'Auvergne-was the author of the Arresta Amorum, and several pieces now become very scarce.

CHAPTER CLV.-THE KING SENDS COMMISSIONERS TO MAKE REFORMS AT PARIS.-THEIR PAGES AND THE CLERKS OF THE PALACE QUARREL.-A MURDEROUS WAR BETWEEN THE LIEGEOIS AND THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.-A GREAT MORTALITY IN PARIS AND ITS ENVIRONS.-THE KING APPOINTS CERTAIN LORDS FOR THE GUARD AND DEFENCE OF HIS REALM.-EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AT PARIS IN THIS YEAR, MCCCCLXVI.

In the month of July, many prelates, lords, knights, churchmen, and others of the king's council arrived at Paris, by the king's orders, as commissioners to inspect the courts of justice, and to reform whatever they should find irregular, having had very great powers given them for the purpose. They were twenty-one commissioners in all, and the lord John bastard of Orleans, count of Dunois and of Longueville, was their president; but no business could be transacted unless thirteen members were present, the count de Dunois being always one. They were called "the reformers of the public welfare," and opened their sittings on the 16th day of July; and, that their measures might be salutary, they commenced by hearing a fine mass to the Divine Spirit chanted in the Holy Chapel in the Palace at Paris. This was celebrated by Juvenel des Ursins, archbishop of Rheims, who had been chosen one of the commissioners. This day twelvemonth, the king met the count de Charolois at Montlehery.

On the morrow, some of the pages of the counsellors in the court of parliament, while waiting for their masters, sought a quarrel with the pages of these commissioners, and a great riot and noise ensued, because they had refused to pay their welcome-money at the Palace. This quarrel was renewed with more earnestness the next day, when their masters returned to the court, and proceeded at length to blows with fists, knives, and stones: so that many were much beaten and bruised, and some even had their eyes knocked out, and force was employed to separate them. Several said, that this was only done as an anniversary of the battle of Montlehery. This year was very moist, so that although the corn was good in some parts of France, in others it was spoiled and mildewed. There were many tempests, and storms of thunder and lightning, which did much damage in divers places of the kingdom, more particularly in the Soissonnois, where several houses were destroyed, churches unroofed, and infinite mischief was done to the vineyards and corn-fields.

A serious war now took place between the Liegeois and the duke of Burgundy, who, on this occasion, resumed his arms, and advanced to his army carried in a litter, attended by his son the count de Charolois, with all his nobles, and the whole of his artillery. He began the campaign by laying siege to Dinant, as has been amply detailed in the chronicles of Monstrelet. The heat of the weather in the months of August and September, of this year, was so excessive that it brought on a great mortality in and about Paris, insomuch that more than forty thousand persons of both sexes died. In the number was master Arnoul, the king's astrologer, a very good kind of man, wise and pleasant. Several physicians and officers of the king died; and such numbers were buried in the churchyard of the Holy Innocents, and the great hospital being full of dead and dying, it was ordered that in future all buryings should be made in the churchyard of the Holy Trinity, which church was appertaining to the town-house of Paris. This mortality continued until the month of November. Public prayers were offered up to God that it might cease, and solemn general processions were made by the different parishes, in which were carried holy relics, and the shrines of saints, and even the shrines of Our Lady, of Saint Genevieve and Saint Marcel, when the number of deaths decreased some little.

At this period there were great alarms in Paris from the number of thieves and housebreakers, who did great mischiefs during the night. Some were arrested and whipped at a cart's tail, and others hanged for these crimes on the gibbet at Paris. In this year was hanged at Paris, a large Norman, a native of Coutantin, in Normandy, for having long cohabited with his own daughter, by whom he had several children, whom they put to death as soon as born. He was hanged, and she was burned at Maigny, near Pontoise, where they resided on quitting Normandy. The shrines of St. Crespin and St. Crespinian were now brought to

Paris, in the hopes that they would stop the mortality, and also to solicit alms for the newroofing of their church at Soissons, which had been destroyed in the summer by lightning, as has been mentioned.

During this time the king and his ministers resided at Orleans, Chartres, Bourges, Mehun, Amboise, and other places, where he received divers embassies from England, Burgundy, and elsewhere. The king now determined to make war on the duke of Burgundy, and on his son the count de Charolois; and for this purpose issued his summons for the assembly of the ban and arriere-ban, in the different towns of his realm. He created a large body of franc-archers beyond their established number, and made several regulations for the more effectual defence of his kingdom. He appointed the marshal de Lohéac his lieutenant for the town of Paris and the Isle of France. To the lord de Châtillon was given the guard of Champagne. The care of Normandy was entrusted to the count de St. Pol, constable of France, who, a little before, had been the king's enemy, in conjunction with the duke of Burgundy and the count de Charolois. In the month of February, an embassy came to the king from Brittany, who, having heard what they had to say, received them well. They afterwards pursued their journey into Flanders, to wait on the duke of Burgundy and his son. The report was now current that the king and his brother had made up their quarrel, to the great joy of the nation. I should have mentioned that, prior to this, the king had sent master John Hebert and the bishop of Troyes, with others, on an embassy to the Liegeois.

It happened about this time, that three sergeants at mace of the Châtelet, of bad repute, forcibly entered, during the night, the chamber of a priest of St. Paul's church, while he was quietly asleep, and beat and mutilated him much; but not content with this, they dragged him through the streets, and, having sorely wounded him in many places, went their way. The priest prosecuted them; in consequence of which they were confined in the prisons of the Chatelet, and were sentenced to be banished France, to have their effects confiscated to the king, and to make an amende honorable. From this sentence, they appealed to the court of parliament, and the king's attorney appealed thither also against the sentence, as

being too mild for such an outrage. The court, therefore, confirmed the judgment of the provost at the Châtelet, and condemned them, in addition, to be whipped through all the squares of Paris, which was done.

CHAPTER CLVI.-THE KING APPOINTS THE COUNT OF DAMMARTIN GRAND-MASTER OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. HE GOES WITH THE QUEEN TO ROUEN, WHERE HE HAD APPOINTED THE EARL OF WARWICK TO MEET HIM.-THE DEATH OF DUKE PHILIP OF BURGUNDY.— THE KING GOES TO CHARTRES, WHITHER HE SUMMONS SOME OF THE PARISIANS, AND COMMANDS THEM TO HAVE BANNERS MADE ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS AND TRADES.—A MONK IS MURDERED IN THE TEMPLE.—THE QUEEN MOST HONOURABLY RECEIVED IN PARIS.

ON Thursday, the 22d day of April, in this same year, Anthony de Chabannes, count of Dammartin, who had escaped out of the Bastile, and had afterward done many mischiefs to the king's subjects in Auvergne and elsewhere, on his arrival before Paris with the confederated princes, was created grand-master of the royal household in the room of the lord de Croy, and letters were granted him by the king, to certify that the said Chabannes had sworn to serve him loyally and faithfully against all the world.

In the month of June, the king set out from Paris for Rouen in Normandy; and during his stay there, he sent for the earl of Warwick, who, for some cause, had been forced to leave England. The earl landed at Harfleur, and thence went in a boat, with his company, to the village of La Bouille on the Seine, five leagues from Rouen. He arrived there on Saturday the 7th of June, in time for dinner, which he found ready prepared for him; for the king was come thither to receive him, and feasted him and his company very grandly. After dinner, the earl re-embarked in his boat for Rouen, whither the king and his attendants went by land. The inhabitants of the town went out to meet the earl as far as the gate of the Quay St. Eloy, where the king had ordered all the parishes to give him a most honourable reception, with banners, crosses, and holy water presented to him by the priests in their copes. He was thus conducted in procession to the cathedral, where he made his offering, and thence went to the lodgings that had been prepared for him at the Jacobins. The queen and princesses came likewise to Rouen, and the king remained there with the earl of Warwick the space of twelve days, when the earl returned to England. On his departure the king sent with him the lord admiral, the bishop of Laon, master John Poupaincourt his minister, master Olivier le Roux, and others. During his stay at Rouen, the king made him many rich presents; such as pieces of gold plate, and a cup of gold ornamented with precious stones: the lord de Bourbon presented him also with a handsome diamond ring, and the whole of the expenses of himself and his attendants were defrayed by the king, from his landing at Harfleur to his re-embarkation. The king on his departure returned to Chartres, where he made some stay.

In the month of June, in this year, died Philip duke of Burgundy, in the town of Bruges : his body was afterward carried to Dijon, and interred at the Carthusian convent. But this has been fully described in the last chapter of the Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet. The king while at Chartres ordered the inhabitants of Paris to have banners made, for their respective professions and trades to range themselves under: each banner to have a leader and a deputy-leader, who were to have the management and care of them; and those enrolled under their governance were to be armed in jackets, brigandines, light helmets, and other sorts of offensive and defensive armour, according to their several stations, as well tradesmen as officers, nobles, merchants, churchmen, and persons of other ranks, which was done.

In this same month of June the king summoned before him at Mellay, near Chartres, some of the principal persons in Paris, among whom was master John Boulenger, president in the court of parliament, master Henry de Livres, counsellor in the said court, sir John Clerbout, master-general of the mint, Jacques Rabours, procurator of the town of Paris, master Eustache Milet, another counsellor in the aforesaid court, Nicholas Laurens, Guillaume Roger,