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A.D. 1407. and demoiselles; and generally the greatest part of the common people throughout the realm of France; but also there were enough who cared little, because he had been the cause of putting several taxes, excises, and imposts upon the common people to maintain his state, which was great. This death cost afterwards many lives of men and caused great destruction, so that this noble realm was nearly brought to total ruin, of which the traces endure to this day. After the said Duke of Orleans was dead, Duke John of Burgundy departed from Paris in haste, and came into his countries of Artois and Flanders, where he assembled his barons and knights, bishops and abbots, and all those who seemed to him useful to give counsel on his affairs which were not small, which I will leave for a space; but who wishes to know these matters in full may see the chronicles of France; there he may find at full length the manner and way in which at that time things were carried on and conducted by one party and by the other. These things happened in the year fourteen hundred and seven.

Of the truce agreed upon to last three years between the two kings and kingdoms of France and England. CHAPTER XX.

A.D. 1408. VERY soon after these things happened King Charles of France was advised to send certain lords and prelates into England to King Henry to obtain a truce between the two kingdoms to last three years, which, such as it was, was arranged; then the ambassadors returned to France. King Henry of England, who was wise and cunning in all things, assembled a great council at this time in his palace of Westminster, where were many archbishops and bishops, dukes, earls, barons,

and knights, who returned many articles touching the A.D. 1408. events lately happened in France, and they were well convinced that on account of the death of the Duke of Orleans great destruction would be caused between the French against each other, that is to say, the two parties, Burgundy and Orleans; and then King Henry warned all those who followed the exercise of arms on his side, as well on the frontiers of Calais as in Guienne, Bordelois, and other parts, and all his captains, that in the struggle of the said two parties none of them should mix himself up with, or go to aid, or favour, one or other in any manner whatsoever, under (pain of) incurring his indignation, and that there were enough of the French to destroy one another without their helping them, and that all in good time they might regain (an opportunity) of fighting them, and that they should wait to see to what end the affair would turn. In this conclusion all the English agreed well enough, and they rested awhile watching how affairs would incline. During this time that they had a truce with the French there came to London to King Henry certain deputies from the council of the city of Liege to make a request for a certain number of archers to help them against John of Bavaria, who styled himself their bishop. When the king heard the Liegois thus speak and relate to him the cause of their war, it seemed to him, and true it was, that he might well send to serve the Liegois some small number of hired archers, and with them a gentleman to conduct them, all at the costs of the said Liegois, who before they left England were paid for three months in good money; and there were a good many who would have been glad, if it had been the king's pleasure, to let them go into the service of the Liegois for the good pay which they saw and the rich country they knew there was at Liege; but the king would not give leave to more than two hundred,

A.D. 1408. so the others had to stay behind. The Liegois then

having the king's leave for two hundred archers asked leave to withdraw, and they left London, and with them the two hundred archers, and journeyed to Sandwich, where they put to sea and sailed so that they entered the Rhine, and so managed that without hindrance they came to the city of Liege, where they were very joyfully received.

How John of Bavaria, besieged at Utrecht by the Liegois, sent to the Duke of Burgundy, his brotherin-law, for aid. CHAPTER XXI.

AT this time, as has been said, there were in France. great dissensions amongst those of the blood-royal because of the death of the Duke of Orleans, whom the Duke of Burgundy had lately caused to be slain, wherefore many great lords of the realm had made a crusade against him and joined the Duchess of Orleans and her children, who sought before the King of France to have right and justice from the said Duke John of Burgundy, who they said had caused their father to be so piteously murdered by lying in wait for him, who was only brother of the King of France, which king was advised to send to Flanders to the Duke of Burgundy an embassy to inform him of the suit which the Duchess of Orleans and her children made against him, and there formed this embassy on behalf of the king, Sir Guichard Daulphin and Sir William de Tygnonville, with them the Lord of Gaucourt and Sir William de Bouratien, secretary to the king, who found the duke at Flourines, where they explained to him how they were sent there on behalf of the King of France and his great council for two reasons; the first, to the end that the Liegois and their bishop might be willing to

submit their discord to the ordinance of the said king A.D. 1408. and council; and for the second, he signified to him by his royal letters the suit which the Duchess of Orleans. and her children were making against him on account of the death of the late duke, and the replies which his said adversaries made to the excuses which the said duke had made against their accusations, and how they very urgently demanded justice and what they asked to have adjudged against him who was guilty of this death, saying that of right this ought to be so done to them, and that by no reason could the king, or ought he to, excuse himself from doing justice to which it was shortly answered on behalf of Duke John of Burgundy that he wished, so far as he was concerned, to obey the king and his command, but his brother-in-law, John of Bavaria, whose sister he had married, had asked with great urgency that he would give him aid and succour against the commons and his subjects of the country of Liege, who had rebelled against him and caused him to be besieged, and he was also so requested by Count William of Hainault, brother of the said John of Bavaria and of his wife. Wherefore as to this he could not break up his army, because whilst ambassadors were passing from one side to the other these commons might put the said John of Bavaria, their lord, into great danger, which might, finally, be an example to people of this sort and the beginning of universal rebellion, and that the king and his great council might, in his opinion, postpone such and similar requests easily and without prejudice, considering that none of the parties were subjects of the king or crown of France. As to the second point, Duke John made answer that when he returned from his present expedition and enterprise, by which they saw he was at present hindered, he would go before the king and do towards him and all others as, as a good subject and so near a relation of the king, he ought

A.D. 1408. to do. Which replies heard, the French ambassadors seeing no way which they could take more profitable to the matter of their embassy, were well enough content; so the knightly ambassadors resolved to be at the fight which Duke John was expecting with the Liegois. Meanwhile there came to him from the country of Hainault Duke William, his brother-inlaw, accompained by the Counts of Conversan, Namur, and Sallines in Ardennes, with many other notable lords, kuights, and esquires of his countries of Hainault, Holland, Zeeland, Ostrevant, and other places, to the number of twelve hundred helmets, and two thousand foot well accoutred, and from five to six hundred waggons and carts laden with provisions, artillery, and accoutrements of war. After they had held together in the said place of Flourines and in the march round about several councils to decide how they would have to behave and conduct themselves in their expeditions, they finally decided that they should proceed each at the head of his force by two different roads in approaching their enemies, and that on a certain day agreed upon between them, they should meet to fight them, if they chose to await them. So it was ordered that Duke William should go before Huy, wasting the country with fire and sword, and the Duke of Burgundy with his force should ride for some days along the Brunehault road which goes straight to Tongres and Tret, where the said Lord of Peruel and the Liegois, as has been said, were besieging their lord and bishop, John of Bavaria. And thus went the two dukes by different roads wasting the country through which they passed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and on Saturday they took up their quarters in the town of Montena (where they met), which is situated on the said road, and they camped together in one body, to conduct which there were ordained two marshals, that is to

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