A.D. 1419. Count of Saint Pol, and to confirm these promises they gave him letters sealed with the seals of the town and of the heads of the trade corporations; then they wrote letters to all the good towns in the kingdom which they knew held with the party of the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy; and these all sealed like the Parisians the oaths and promises aforesaid.

On the other hand, the dauphin caused it to be published through all the large towns holding with his party that what he had done against the Duke of Burgundy was and had been on account of good and just quarrel; and set forth many reasons which had moved him to this, for his justification and exoneration, which things it would be long to explain.

Then the King of France, the Queen, and the counsellors, who were very sorry for this occurrence, in order to provide concerning it, sent royal proclamations to various places where the king was obeyed, mentioning the death of the Duke of Burgundy, and the disloyalty of those who conspired in it, commanding and forbidding the governors and defenders on pain of forfeiture in case of disobedience, that they should not give counsel, comfort, aid or favour to the dauphin, and those of his party; but should prepare themselves with all diligence to resist them, and seek after the restoration of the kingdom; and they should soon have good help.

How Duke Philip of Burgundy sent an embassy to the King of England, and how he exerted himself to avenge the death of the duke, his father. CHAPTER XXX.

DURING the days when the sad event of the Duke of
Burgundy's death was mourned in many places, his

only son Philip, Count of Charolois, was in the town A.D. 1419. of Ghent, whither the tidings were carried to him, which filled his heart with such sadness and displeasure that for some days he could not be pacified, nor did his guardians know by what means to comfort him. When the Lady Michelle of France, his wife, sister to the Duke of Touraine, the dauphin, the author of this desolation, heard the tidings, she was much troubled, and in great perplexity, fearing among other things that her dear lord and husband would on this account consider her less agreeable, and that she might be somewhat estranged from his love1; but this she had no reason to fear, for he was a prince so loving, gentle, virtuous, and wise that he never put on a worse countenance towards her, though certainly nothing could be in the case but that he should be much displeased.

Some days after the news came, Duke Philip, as is the custom of new princes to do, took possession of his towns and lands, making oath for them. Then he gathered the estates and councils to deliberate on his position, and this being done, he went to Malines, where he talked over his affairs with the Duke of Brabant, his cousin, John of Bavaria, his uncle, and his aunt, the Countess of Hainault; and from Hainault he proceeded to Lille, and from this day forward he subscribed himself Duke of Burgundy, taking all the titles which the duke, his father, had borne in his time. 2

1 which was not the case, for within a short time after, through the exhortations and admonitions which his said governors addressed to him, he was well pleased with her, and shewed her as great signs of love as he had ever done before. After this Duke Philip held counsel with the people of Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, and generally of all the good towns

of Flanders, making oath every-
where as is the rule for all new lords
to do when they take possession of
their lands and seignories. These
things done Duke Philip went to
Malines, H.

which he much increased and
augmented in his lifetime, as I
shall tell in pursuing my matter,
H.

A.D. 1419.

To the said place, Lille, there came to the young Duke Philip, offering him service, many great lords who had formerly been servants to his late father. Some of these he retained for his household; and he promised to confer great benefits on the rest. On the other hand, there came also to Duke Philip Maitre Peter de Morviller, first president of the parliament at Paris, and plenty of other distinguished people, with whom and the members of his council he concluded to write to the people of the good towns who took part with the king, certain letters of advice, in which he prayed them very kindly that as they had held loyally to the side of the duke, his deceased father, they would hold to his, telling them that he would very shortly procure for them a truce with the King of England, and besides he gave them to understand that they were to send their deputies to him in the town of Arras on the 17th of October; and that those who were sent were to have power to agree to what he should request of them.

After these things, Duke Philip, through the mature deliberation of his council, in order to strengthen himself, and help his operations against his adversaries, sent ambassadors to the town of Rouen to the King of England, in order to procure a truce for a certain space of time throughout all the lands, towns, and fortresses then subject to the King of France, in which embassy there went the Bishop of Arras, the Lord of Tholongon, Sir Gilbert de Lannoy, and some others, who, when they came thither, found there the embassy of the dauphin, which had arrived before them, to obtain treaty and alliance with the King of England by offering him the lands of the Duke of Burgundy, and their assistance in conquering them, besides the Duchy of Normandy and all the lands which he had in Guienne. But when the King of England saw that an embassy from Burgundy had come, he dis

missed the dauphinists, who went away very sorrowful A.D. 1419. and confounded, that thus they had failed to succeed in their design. On the other hand, the embassy of Duke Philip negotiated in such wise with King Henry that they obtained a truce, in the hope of working further, and forming an alliance.

During this time the dauphinists and Burgundians in every direction began war again, more bitter and venomous than ever, in which the dauphinists took Crespy-en-Lannois and the castle of Clary, by means of which capture the town of Lan and the surrounding country were held in great subjection.

1During this time, in the month of December, there came to Abbeville, to Duke Philip of Burgundy, Sir John of Luxemburg, with many captains and great lords, besides the delegates of the good towns, who, as I have said above, had been sent for. These being all together were very affectionately requested by the president of Liege, at the command of Duke Philip, and specially the captains, that as they had served his late father, they would serve him in an expedition which he intended very soon to undertake for the great benefit of the King and kingdom of France; and likewise the people of the good towns were asked to promise to keep by his party, giving him support and assistance if he needed it, which requests were freely granted, as well by the lords as by the good

towns.

This being done, the duke held a general council, at which there were present all the said lords and captains, and likewise the deputies of Paris who had been sent by the Count of Saint Pol, to know from the duke what it was his will and determination to do.

'On the eighteenth day of December there came, H.

A.D. 1419.

After this council had been settled, they were told quite frankly that within a few days the duke would make a treaty and alliance with the King of England, by consent of the King of France; and that besides, with all his might; he would seek vengeance and satisfaction for the cruel and treacherous death of his father. These and other agreeable answers being received, and determinations taken, the Parisians, having taken leave, withdrew to Paris, to report their news, in order to reassure the common people of the city and others in the neighbourhood of the Isle of France, and to keep them obedient.

This done, Duke Philip again gathered together a number of distinguished lords, ecclesiastic as well as secular, of those most faithful to him; and with these he held several close consultations to learn how he should conduct himself and manage the important concerns which had devolved upon him, especially respecting his father's death. Upon these many opinions were expressed; but finally, by the verdict of the great majority, it was determined that with the consent of the King of France, he should ally himself with the King of England as soon as possible. Upon this, ambassadors were anew sent to Rouen, that is to say, the Bishop of Arras, Sir Athis de Brimeu, Sir Roland de Utequerque, and others, who having arrived there with their commission were graciously received by the King of England and the princes of his court; for he greatly desired to have alliance with the Duke of Burgundy, because he was certain that by his means better than any other he could obtain in marriage the Lady Catherine of France, his sister-in-law, who was very pleasing to him. Therefore, when the said ambassadors of the duke had explained the reasons and points of their mission the said king was well pleased with them and answer was made to them that within a short time he would send some of his