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author of the homicide perpetrated on the person of A.D. 1408 the Duke of Orleans, his brother, as above has been plainly declared. At which councils it was finally concluded that Duke John should be proceeded against with all vigour according to the ends of justice, and that, if he would not obey, the king with all his power should attack him. And on the very day of this decision, at the solicitation of the Duchess of Orleans and her children, present the King of Sicily, the Duke of Acquitaine, and all the princes, King Charles revoked and altogether annulled the letter of pardon formerly given to the said Duke John touching the death, anathematising him. Of this revocation the said duchess besought letters patent for herself and her children, which she obtained. Afterwards she left Paris, and with her her daughter-in-law, wife of the young Duke of Orleans, and they went to Blois. At this time came certain letters to Paris to the king about the said victory of the Duke of Burgundy, and also the ambassadors related to him (the affair) at length from their experience in the presence of several great lords to the honour of the said Duke of Burgundy. By reason of which things some who before had been harshly inclined to the prejudice of the said duke began to soften and hold their heads less high, being of the contrary opinion and view, fearing the boldness and power of the said duke; for as they were daily hearing reported, he was fortified against all perils or fortunes which might befal him, and resolved to resist generally all who chose to show themselves his enemies or rivals. And in truth shortly after, all the conclusions before arrived at against him, as I have said, were held in suspense without any effective prosecution, and it was ordered that none of the men of war already summoned for this affair should leave their countries until further news

A.D. 1408.

About this time there came to Paris an embassy from King Henry of England to the King of France to obtain a truce between the two kingdoms for an entire year; which they obtained, and returning to the king their lord, the ambassadors heard the news of the victory of the said Duke of Burgundy over the Liegeois, and heard fully related the particulars of the battle, whereat they were greatly astonished, and on this account gave him the name of John sans Peur. At this time the said Duke of Burgundy was very desirous and careful to attract to his party all the noblemen of his countries, especially those most renowned and practised in arms, in order to be the more feared and stronger to resist his enemies, of whom he felt he had many; he held also many councils as to how he might for the best conduct and govern himself in his affairs; at which parliaments, where were his two own brothers and his two brothersin-law, Duke William and the Bishop of Liege, it was finally agreed to resist by force of arms all who should seek to injure him, save the persons of the King of France and the Duke of Acquitaine; for which they promised him aid and comfort with all their powers, as well of their own proper persons as of their people and treasure against all whomsoever, except only as was said the persons of the king and his children.

Thus as you hear went affairs in France, for the Duke of Burgundy, without showing fear of any living man came to Paris with a great force, where he was very willingly seen by the Parisians, and the affair so progressed that a certain peace was made in the town. of Chartres between the Orleans children and the said Duke John of Burgundy, which lasted but a little while; whereat the King of Fngland, his princes and barons were very joyful, for they often obtained news thence by merchants going and coming from one

country to the other.

When the ambassadors from A.D. 1408. England, who had come to France to seek for the truce as I have said, were returned to London they related to the king what they had done, and also the said victory of the Duke of Burgundy; at which the king and his barons were much astonished, saying that the Duke of Burgundy was a very powerful prince, valiant and bold beyond all the princes of France.

During these things the Duchess of Orleans, daughter of the Duke of Milan, died in the town of Blois, as was believed of vexation and displeasure because she could not carry her vengeance to extremes, nor have justice at her will for her late husband before the king and his council against the said Duke of Burgundy, for which death the Duke of Burgundy was not greatly grieved, and not without reason, for she continued very fiercely her suit against him. So there was then great regret in France at the divisions which arose therein, which the king could not help; and thus were his country and his poor people afflicted, which he could not amend.

Of some things which happened in the year fourteen hundred and nine. CHAPTER XXIII.

IN the year fourteen hundred and nine the King of A.D. 1409. France, who for a time had been overpowered by a grave malady, came to himself again, and then the Kings of Sicily and Navarre with the Dukes of Berri, Bourbon, and Burgundy returned to Paris, at which place they together made provisions for the government of the kingdom, and this done they returned each to his own country. At this time the Duke of Burgundy went to the wedding of his brother Philip Count of Nevers, who took to wife the Damoiselle de Couchy, daughter of Enguerrand de

A.D. 1409. Couchy, Count of Soissons, and niece on her mother's side to Duke Charles of Lorraine and the Count of Vaudemont; and, the wedding solemnised, the Duke of Burgundy returned to Paris. At this time also two combats took place in the said city of Paris in the square of Saint Martin des Champs, that is to say, by a Breton knight called Sir Guillaume Boutillier against an English knight named Sir William Carmien, on account of broken faith, and they struck at each other SO that the English knight was slightly wounded, although he fought very valiantly; these two the king stopped, wherefore they were separated, to the displeasure of both parties.

The other combat was by Sir John de Werchin, Seneschal of Hainault, against Sir John de Cornwall, an Englishman of great renown. These deeds of arms had been undertaken in the town of Lille in Flanders before Duke John of Burgundy, but it pleased the King of France to have them before himself. The knights appeared on the appointed day, and the Englishman was the first to enter the park bearing himself very pompously. Afterwards came the seneschal on foot, supported right and left by the Duke of Burgundy's two brothers, Anthony Duke of Brabant and Philip Count of Nevers. When both were on the field the Hainaulter mounted, and they made their salutes very well, but they were stopped by the king like the others. At this time Janus de Lusingnan, King of Cyprus, married by proxy Charlotte de Bourbon, sister of the Count of La Marche, who was afterwards King of Naples, and the nuptials took place at the castle of Melun. At this time was the truce between France and England broken. At this time were the French driven out of Genoa.

At this time

also Montagu, Grand Master of the Household of France, had his head cut off in the market place at Paris, the seventeenth day of October in the said year,

and there was appointed in his stead in the office A.D. 1409. of Grand Master of the Household Sir Guichard Daulphin.

Here it speaks of a Council which King Charles held at Paris, at which it was proposed to make war on King Henry of England. CHAPTER XXIV.

AT this time the King of France and the princes A.D. 1410. of the blood held several councils and assemblies in the hall of parliament in the palace at Paris, at which there. was erected a royal seat of great magnificence; and by order of the King of France were sent for and summoned many great lords, prelates, clergy, and other plebeians. Then the king being seated in his royal robes, and each of the princes according to his rank, it was rehearsed by the mouth of the Count of Tancarville, a man of fine speech and notable eloquence, by the king's command, in a loud and clear voice, how Richard, lately in his lifetime King of England and son-in-law of the King of France, piteously murdered by Henry of Lancaster now calling himself King of England, and his supporters, and in the time of a truce granted by the said Henry, then being Earl of Derby, as by other English people of the royal lineage of the said King Richard is sufficiently proved, had been fraudulently and traitorously killed as has been fully declared above.

Also it was rehearsed by the said count how the young King of Scotland, who was then coming to France to the king, was taken by the English in time of truce accorded to him by the said Henry of Lancaster and brought into England before this said King Henry, where he was for a long time a prisoner; and also were there many other things put forward, after which things were recapitulated, it was concluded by the said speaker that it seemed to the

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