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A.D. 1418. there were sent to them, as an embassy on behalf of the King of England, the Earls of Warwick and Kent, who were conducted by some of the Duke of Burgundy's people. On their way they were attacked by Taneguy du Chastel and others of the dauphin's party, who at first prevailed, and seized part of the Englishmen's baggage; but in the end the said Dauphinois were routed, and there remained of them forty menat-arms dead on the spot, and the rest, with the said Taneguy, retired to Meaux en Brie. The said ambassadors then proceeded to Provins, where they negotiated with the Duke of Burgundy and the council of France, and then returned to Rouen, where they reported to their lord the King of England the exploit they had performed in this journey, with which he was satisfied and pleased. So about the middle of April following he sent the same ambassadors again to the King of France and his council, whom they found this time in the city of Troyes in Champagne, in which place so much was negotiated between the two parties that a truce between the two kings was agreed on for a certain time, in the hope of carrying the business further forward together, and a day was appointed for them to meet each other quite near to Meulant. After this determination was taken the said English ambassadors returned to their lord the king at Rouen, and soon afterwards the King of France, the queen his wife, Lady Catherine their daughter, and the Duke of Burgundy, with a great military force, repaired to Pontoise. Having arrived there, according to the appointment made with the English, they prepared a large park where the said convention was to be held. It was well inclosed with good fences and trenches joining the river Seine on one side, and there were many entrances closed with three barriers. Within this enclosure tents and pavilions were erected for the lords to rest in, and some villages in the neighbourhood

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were engaged to lodge the horses of both parties; A.D. 1418. everything in good order.

Then the King of England also came to Mantes, to be near the park. And when the day came that these parties were to meet in council the King of France was in bad health; but the Queen of France, Lady Catherine, her daughter, the Duke of Burgundy, and the Count of Saint Pol, with all the council, and at least a thousand fighting men who accompanied them, set out from Pontoise, and alighted at their tents at the said appointed place near Meulant.

Soon afterwards the King of England also arrived, accompanied by his brothers the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, with those of his council, and at least a thousand fighting men. He got down into his tent as the others of the French party had done, and after their messengers had fixed the hour for entering into conference, the Queen of France on the right hand of the Duke of Burgundy, and Lady Catherine on that of the Count of Saint Pol, with their council and some married and unmarried ladies, entered the council park. And in like manner King Henry, with his two brothers and his councillors, came in by another entrance; and bowing himself he respectfully saluted the queen, then kissed her, and did likewise to Lady Catherine. Afterwards the Duke of Burgundy saluted the king, bending his knee a little, and bowing his head; him the king took by the hand and kissed him, doing him great honour. And the King of England walked about a long time hand in hand with the Queen of France, and their men-at-arms stood in order round the barriers; also the entrances were well guarded, so that none might get in except the delegates. And when they had been at the said convention a long time they took leave of each other very respectfully. So one of the parties went to Pontoise, and the other to Mantes; but the next day, and for full three weeks after

A.D. 1418. wards, they returned and met together for several days, in the same state that had been observed the first time, only Lady Catherine did not return after the first time. She had been brought that the King of England might see her; he was very desirous of having her in marriage, and he had good cause for several reasons; for besides that she had come of the most noble lineage in the world, that is, of the royal race of the fleurs de lis, she was a very handsome lady to look at, of graceful figure, and pleasing countenance.

There then, with a view of making some good treaty, various overtures were made; and be it known how they came sometimes one better attended than the other, and how though the English people and the French were lodged near each other during this time, there never was any disagreement or debate among them about anything, and they sold many commodities the one to the other. Nevertheless, these two parties could not agree together upon anything or be pacified, for the King of England made as it appeared to the council of France great and extraordinary demands with the daughter of their king, as he had done before, and as has been indicated above in more than one place.

Also during this conference, the dauphin and his council, in order to corrupt the Duke of Burgundy, sent Taneguy du Chastel to him, to signify that he, that is to say the dauphin, was ready to be reconciled to him, as the said duke had often made request for this.

Finally, then, this sumptuous convention, which had been so respectfully and gently conducted, separated without doing anything, at which the King of England was greatly provoked, because he could not gain his ends; and he was indignant at Duke John of Burgundy, for he knew him to be at this time the

principal one by whom the affairs of the kingdom of A.D. 1418. France were managed. And the last day that they were together speaking of this matter the King of England, seeing that what he demanded to have with the daughter of the King of France would not be conceded, said to the Duke of Burgundy: "Fair "cousin, we wish you to know that we will have "the daughter of your king, and with her whatever we require, or we will thrust both him and you "out of this kingdom." To which the duke replied: Sire, you say your pleasure; but before you would "have thus excluded my lord and ourselves from his kingdom, you would be very tired; of this make no doubt." With these words, and others which would be too long to repeat, they separated from each other, and returned to the busier places of their affairs.

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How the dauphin and the Duke of Burgundy met together under colour of peace near Melun, and appointed a day for its conclusion at Monterauou-fault-Yonne. CHAPTER XXVI.

A SHORT time after these unsuccessful conferences, Sir John of Luxemburg, came to the said place of Pontoise with a large body of men-at-arms which he had collected in the country of Picardy by order of the Duke of Burgundy, to attend him to Melun, to a meeting with the Duke of Touraine, dauphin and only son of the King of France, on the day and at the place which they had chosen and named for meeting in person with each other, to treat of peace between the two. To be at this meeting the dauphin came from Tours by Montargis to Melun with a large

A.D. 1418. force of men-at-arms; and likewise Duke John, accompanied by the young Count of Saint Pol, his nephew, and many other great lords, and a good number of armed men, set out from Pontoise and went that way, the Lady of Gyac, who had partly been the manager of this meeting, being in the company. Next day, which was the eleventh of June, the two above-named princes placed themselves on the field, each with his armed force, and they met each other about a short league from Melun, pretty near Poilil-le-fort, in which place there was a small bridge, and they having come within two bowshots of the said bridge made their men form in battalions, then they came out from these, each with only ten men of his party such as they pleased to select, and right in the middle between the two battalions they came to meet each other and dismounted. Then the duke, approaching the dauphin, bent himself many times very humbly and reverently, and the dauphin doing the same took by the hand the duke who was on his knees, kissed him, and wished to make him rise, but the duke would not, and said, "Monseigneur, I know well how I ought to speak to you." The dauphin raised him still bowing, and forgave him all his offences if he had committed any against him, and besides he said to him, "Fair cousin, if in the treaty made "between us and you there is anything not to your liking, we wish it to be corrected; and henceforth we wish and shall wish what you wish and shall

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wish, of this let there be no doubt." Finally, after many speeches the two princes and some of their people swore to maintain eternal peace the one towards the other; wherefore all their followers joined in one, crying "Noel!" and showing great signs of being joyful, cursing all those who should ever bear arms for such a damnable quarrel. And after they had been a while in this condition, making great mirth and

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