the most gracious and polite manner,--and, before his return to Paris,
will request to have answers in writing from all to whom he shall have
addressed himself.
'Item, should the duke of Burgundy, or any of his partisans, say, that
those who have at present the government of the king have showered on
him, the duke, so many and gross insults that they were not longer to
be borne,--sir Aubert will reply, that supposing any of those about
the king's person should have done any thing displeasing to the duke,
that is not a sufficient reason why he should endeavour to destroy
the kingdom, as he is daily doing, nor why he should favour and give
support to the English, the king's enemies, at the expense of his own
honour and that of his posterity; for he might have expressed his
dissatisfaction in a more decent and becoming manner.
'Item, sir Aubert will beside say, that in compliance with the requests
of the late lord of Hainault, whose soul may God pardon! and from a
sincere wish for peace with the duke of Burgundy and all others, the
king had granted many considerable gifts, which ought to have been very
agreeable to the duke for they were much to his profit, and to that of
his dependants. Nevertheless, the king's hand is not so closed but that
he is well inclined to show great courtesy and favours to the duke of
Burgundy, and all others in his service, should there be occasion, and
should they perform that duty they are bounden to do.
'Item, should it be necessary, sir Aubert shall have given to him
copies in writing of the answers which the king made to the complaints
of the duke of Burgundy, and of the acts that he said had been done to
his prejudice, for him to show such answers to the barons, knights,
esquires, and others of the nobility who may be attached to, or in the
service of the duke of Burgundy.
'Given at Paris, the 2nd day of August, in the year of Grace 1417.'
'Signed by the king: countersigned, Ferrement.'
Here follows a copy of the answers which the duke of Burgundy made to
the articles of the instructions in the name of the king, and given to
sir Aubert de Canny, lord de Varennes.
'In the first place, with regard to the astonishment of the king at the
conduct which the duke of Burgundy holds in opposition to his majesty,
considering how nearly related he is to him by blood, and how very much
he has been obliged to him,--the duke replies, that he is in truth his
relation and vassal, and bound to serve him before all and against all;
and it is from his warm affection and attachment that he is so anxious
and pressing to procure a reform in the government of the realm, as
well in regard to what personally concerns the king, the queen, and his
children, as in the repairs of his palaces the maintenance of strict
justice, and a more equitable management of the public finances, as may
be clearly proved by various royal ordinances.
'These reforms have been solemnly sworn to be pursued by the
perseverance of the duke of Burgundy, in the presence of the king
holding a bed of justice; but, through the intrigues of those who now
surround the throne, and who shall hereafter be named, these measures
have not only been interrupted, and then laid aside, but the finances
of the king, his realm, and in general of all the resident subjects in
the kingdom, have been most shamefully dissipated.
'They have even attempted to destroy, in body and estate, the duke of
Burgundy, his wellwishers, and such of them as they could apprehend;
and have employed the arms of the spiritual court against them, to
effect the dishonour and damnation of his fair reputation, and of the
renown of himself, and posterity; but the duke of Burgundy did obtain
from the council of Constance a sentence in his favour, which clearly
demonstrates the upright conduct of the duke, and the wickedness and
hatred of his enemies.
'Item, with respect to what concerns the subjects of Burgundy, and
others who avow their attachment to the duke, making open war on the
king's towns and subjects, &c.--the duke of Burgundy replies, that
when he perceived those about the king's person were persevering in
their rigorous acts, and that they were unwilling to listen to any
wholesome reforms for the welfare of the state, and that insult was
added to insult upon him, by every violent means, the duke of Burgundy
found himself obliged to send notice, by letters patent of these
harsh proceedings, to many of the principal towns within the realm,
signifying, at the same time, his good intentions, and the means he
proposed to remedy them; and it was for this purpose he issued his
summonses for assembling men at arms and archers.
'Thanks to God, he had now under his command, for the service of the
king and the welfare of the kingdom, six thousand knights and esquires,
and an army of thirty thousand combatants, all wellwishers to his
majesty, his realm, and loyal subjects.
'During the march of this army, the duke approached several large
towns, the inhabitants of which, knowing his good intentions,
opened their gates to him. This army has forced many places, full
of plunderers, to surrender to him in the king's name, and he has
regarrisoned them with good and loyal subjects to the king, who are
incapable of committing any thing dishonourable to his majesty,
themselves, or their country; and this has been done with the full
approbation of these towns and the adjoining countries.
'Item, respecting the charge that has been made against the officers
of the duke of Burgundy, for having induced several towns to swear
obedience to him, and having afterward forbidden them to pay any taxes
to the king, &c, the duke of Burgundy replies, that if he has received
the oaths of allegiance from any city or town, it has been done that
they might persevere in their loyalty toward the king, and for the
good of his realm, to the confusion and disgrace of those who prevent
a peace being made, and who are the destroyers of the kingdom. Such as
may have joined the duke of Burgundy, and are obedient to him, have
been induced so to do from a knowledge of his upright intentions, and a
confidence that his love for the king and kingdom exceeds that of all
others.
'It is not true, under respect to the king, that such towns have been
forbidden to pay any of the taxes due to the crown; but it may have
been that they were ordered not to pay them to those false traitors the
present ministers, but to reserve them to be employed for the king's
service at proper times and places,--and this should be considered
as praise-worthy; for of all the immense sums they have received,
the greater part have been shamefully mismanaged, and taken from the
king to be divided among themselves and the enemies of France, to the
irreparable loss of the king, his realm and chivalry, as is well known
to all the world. The duke, however intends, when he shall be admitted
to the presence of the king, to propose the abolishing of the most
oppressive taxes, and that the good subjects of the realm may again
enjoy their ancient rights and privileges in a reasonable manner.
'Item, in regard to the charge made against the duke of Burgundy, that
his conduct has been influenced by his friendship for England, and that
what he has done has been with a view to support the English in their
invasion of France, and that the duke of Burgundy is their sworn ally,--
'The duke replies, that such an imagination could not have been formed
in the heart of any honest man. The English have formerly invaded
France without opposition, (although the same traitorous ministers
governed the king and his realm), and to the great loss of the french
chivalry. It is therefore to be supposed that since the English gained
such success from the weak administration of his majesty's ministers,
they intend to persevere in hopes of further advantages; and they have
even taken the town of Harfleur, one of the strongest sea-ports in
Normandy.
'This ought to be treasured up in the memories of all the noble
chivalry attached to the duke of Burgundy, whom these wicked traitors
wish to denounce as being disinclined to make any resistance to the
English; and, with all due respect to the king, those who shall say
that the duke of Burgundy is the sworn ally of the English, lie
wickedly and damnably.
'Item, respecting the request made to the duke of Burgundy, that he
would disband and send to their homes the troops he has assembled,
the duke replies, that now the false and disloyal conduct of these
traitors is very apparent, for every one knows that they have not
raised any powers to oppose the English; and that it is at this moment
more necessary than ever to have a sufficient force for the defence
of the king and kingdom, especially such faithful and loyal knights
and esquires as compose the duke's army, instead of disbanding and
dismissing them to their homes; and it is clear that the conduct of
the ministry tends more to favour the enemy, and oppress the king
and country. Those noble men who compose the duke's army should
particularly observe, that these traitors consider them as disloyal to
their king, and enemies to their country. The duke also declares, in
the most positive manner, for himself and his companions, that he will
not disband his army, but will continue to proceed according to the
tenour of his public letters declaratory thereof.
'Item, with regard to the dishonour and disgrace in which he, the duke
of Burgundy, will involve himself and family should he persevere in his
present line of conduct, and, according to the remonstrances of sir
Aubert de Canny, cover thereby his worthy and valiant father's memory
with infamy, who, on his death-bed, strictly enjoined him to be ever
obedient to the king and to his commands,--
'The duke replies, that his father, of worthy memory, whose soul
may God pardon! was, as it is truly said, ever loyal and faithful
to the king; and it was from his knowledge of the weak and wicked
government of France at the time of his decease, that he ordered his
son faithfully to serve the king and crown of France without sparing
his person or fortune; and it has been for this reason that the duke of
Burgundy has adopted the present measures, as the sole means for the
reformation and reparation of the king's government. These measures
have not been adopted by him of a sudden, but deliberately, and after
maturely weighing the consequences with his council; and should he now
change his conduct, he would be very justly blamed and reproached,--for
this reason, therefore, he is resolved to proceed therein.
'Item, with respect to sir Aubert de Canny remonstrating with the
lords, barons, knights and esquires attached to the duke of Burgundy,
on the above matters,--the duke replies, that the conduct he has
hitherto held and proposes to pursue, with God's pleasure, has been
with the advice and approbation of his barons, knights, esquires, and
other notable persons, and he therefore shall give full liberty for
any such remonstrances to be made to them; for the more they shall
be conversed with on these matters, the more fully will they be made
acquainted with the iniquities of those who prevent a peace, and
disturb the good intentions of the duke of Burgundy.
'Item in regard to the polite and gracious manner in which sir Aubert
de Canny is ordered to make these remonstrances, and to declare the
king's prohibitions to him and to his company, &c.--
'The duke replies, that not having any consciousness that such commands
and prohibitions were proper to be made him, knowing for a certainty
that they are not the real sentiments of the king, who on the contrary
loves him affectionately, and is very earnest to see him, having
often demanded his presence, he is aware that these false and wicked
traitors have drawn up these instructions in an underhand manner, and
that at this moment, when the enemy have landed in the kingdom, it is
not a time to obey such orders and prohibitions; but this force, as
well as the aid of all loyal subjects, ought now to be exerted in the
defence of the country. Even supposing the enemies had not effected
their invasion, the duke of Burgundy would not have suffered such false
traitors to hold the government of the kingdom.
'Item, respecting what is said of the duke of Burgundy and of others
in his company, that supposing those who have the management of the
king should have done acts displeasing to them, and added insults to
insults, these were not sufficient reasons to authorise the duke to
endeavour to destroy the kingdom, or to afford aid and advice to the
English,--the duke replies, that in addition to what he has before
said, and other innumerable instances too long to relate, it is
notorious that the present ministers namely, sir Henry de Marle the
bishop of Paris, sir Tanneguy du Châtel, sir Burel de Dammartin, master
Stephen de Mauregard, master Philip de Corbie, with several others,
have been the principal promoters, and leaders in those iniquitous
measures, disturbers of the peace of the realm, and guilty of many
other excesses and great crimes, as shall be detailed more at large
hereafter.
'The duke of Burgundy, therefore, has not assembled his forces to
destroy the kingdom, or to favour the English, but to drive the
present ministers from power, and from about the person of the king;
and he will never desist from this praise-worthy intention so long
as life may be granted him,--for they are not such persons as should
have authority, not being worthy by birth, knowledge, experience, or
loyalty; and it is become a subject of contempt and laughter that
persons of such low estate, and of so small a share of knowledge or
experience, should have intrusted to them the expulsion of the English.
'The barons and principal persons of the realm should weigh this matter
well, and not suffer themselves to be thus supplanted by persons of no
understanding or birth; for they have shewn themselves of weak capacity
in daily committing acts of the utmost cruelty on the liege subjects of
the king, under pretence of maintaining justice and order.
'Item, in respect to what relates to the king having (at the
solicitations of the count de Hainault, whose soul may God pardon!)
from a love of peace, granted to the duke of Burgundy and those who had
served him, many handsome gifts, but which the duke made light of,--
'The duke replies, that from his anxiety to preserve peace and union
in France, which he has ever felt and feels from the bottom of his
heart, he waited on my lord the dauphin lately deceased, and my
lord of Hainault, to whose souls may God shew mercy! and after much
conversation relative to a peace, the duke of Burgundy offered them
a schedule of his terms for the conclusion thereof, with all who may
be desirous of partaking of it, with the exception of king Louis of
Sicily, lately deceased, on account of disputes that existed between
them: with this proposal, the dauphin and the count de Hainault were
perfectly satisfied. For the accomplishment of which, they were to meet
at Compiegne, as every dispatch would be necessary, the sooner to put
an end to the miseries of war. However, those traitors who surround the
king, by their intrigues, protracted the business for three months, or
thereabout, without coming to any final decision.
'The count de Hainault at length went to Paris, and, by means of the
queen, procured from these traitors a sort of agreement to the offers
of peace, with which he was satisfied; but during these negotiations,
he privately learnt, that it was intended to arrest him and the queen,
and imprison them, that they might manage the dauphin as they should
please; and this information caused the count de Hainault to quit
Paris precipitately and return to Compiegne, where soon after the
dauphin was carried off from this life in a most wicked and damnable
manner, which has been before related in different letters patent from
the duke of Burgundy.
'After the dauphin's decease, the count de Hainault returned to his own
county, whither was addressed the answer of the king's ministers to the
proposals for peace, which much displeased him: he said, that since
the death of the dauphin, they had changed their minds, and totally
altered and perverted what had before been agreed upon. This answer he
sent to the duke of Burgundy, who, having maturely considered it with
his council, found it was highly derogatory to the honour and welfare
of the king and his realm, as well as to himself the duke of Burgundy,
and paid no regard to it. Instigated, however, by such conduct, he
dispatched into several parts of the kingdom a manifesto, declaratory
of the ruin of the country were the present ministers continued in
power, and his firm resolution to do every thing to prevent it, by
driving them from about the person of the king.
'This declaration he presented himself to the count de Hainault during
his last illness, who having heard the contents read, was very willing
that it should be published throughout his dominions, saying, that it
was well done of the duke of Burgundy; for the traitors that surrounded
the king were worse than imagination could form an idea of, making at
the same time an offer of his personal services, should God grant him
the grace to recover from his illness; and should sickness detain him,
he offered the duke the aid of his vassals, friends, wellwishers, and
money. He then swore, by a round oath, that if he had not suddenly left
Paris, the traitors intended to have arrested the queen and himself, as
is now notorious from their subsequent conduct to the queen; for they
laid hands on her, and took possession of every thing she possessed, to
the great disgrace of the king and of all his family.
'It is likewise true, that when the duke of Burgundy was at Lagny, the
duke of Brittany ran great risks at Paris, and was forced to depart
thence because he was desirous of procuring a peace to France. The
count de Hainault also added, with a great oath, that were the English
at one of the gates of Paris, and the duke of Burgundy at another,
they would permit the English to enter the city rather than the duke
of Burgundy. All these things did the count de Hainault say in the
presence of madame de Hainault, my lord de Charolois, my lord de St
Pol, the treasurer of Hainault, John the bastard, master Eustace de
Lactre, my lord de Champdivers, and several others.
'It is very clear that the king's ministers have no inclination
to promote the good of the realm; for they have lately caused the
declaratory letters of the duke of Burgundy to be publicly burnt in the
courts of the palace at Paris, in which the duke offered peace to all
who were willing to accept of it from him, as has been before related.
This act is but a poor revenge on their part, and a pitiful weakness
thus to burn a few skins of parchment.
'Item, to conclude; that all persons may know the will and intention
of the duke of Burgundy, he thus declares publicly that he shall
persist in his present line of conduct until he shall have had a long
audience of the king, to remonstrate with him on the enormous abuses
committed by the present government, and to lay before him the means
of reformation, which are such as must be satisfactory to his majesty,
and to every honest man in the kingdom,--notwithstanding the duke had
offered, by his declaratory letters, peace to all, but which the king's
ministers would not accept, and have persevered in their wickedness.
'The duke of Burgundy, desirous of procuring peace to the kingdom,
which is in so great want of it, is willing to lay aside all thoughts
of revenge for the numerous insults offered him, and again proposes
peace on the same terms on which he has before done.'
When the duke of Burgundy had, as he thought, fully answered all the
charges made against him in the paper of instructions given by the
king's order to the lord de Canny, a fair copy was written thereof, and
delivered to the lord de Canny, who took leave of the duke and returned
to the king at Paris, carrying the above answers with him.
CHAP. LVIII.
THE LORD DE CANNY, ON HIS RETURN FROM HIS EMBASSY, TO PARIS, IS
ACCUSED BY THE ROYAL COUNCIL.--ORDERS ARE ISSUED AGAINST THE DUKE OF
BURGUNDY.
Previously to the return of the lord de Canny to Paris, his secretary
had given copies of the instructions, and the duke of Burgundy's
answer, to many of his friends, insomuch that they made them public
long before they were laid before the king and his ministers. In
consequence, when the lord de Canny had an audience, to make his
report of the embassy, he was told in full council, 'Lord de Canny,
you have shewn yourself very unworthy of the king's confidence, by
thus distributing copies of the king's instructions, and the duke
of Burgundy's answer, of which this is one of them, that you have
dispersed at Amiens, Paris and elsewhere, among your friends and
acquaintance, with no good intent toward the king's service.'
The copy was compared with the original, signed by the duke's own
hand, and found perfectly similar, to the great confusion of the lord
de Canny, who, in excuse, said they must have been distributed by his
secretary, who had fled from his service.
The lord de Canny was, notwithstanding, carried prisoner to the
bastille of St Anthony, where he was confined a long space of time,
even until the taking of Paris; for the ministers were very much
displeased that the duke of Burgundy's answers should have been made
public in so many places; and whatever they may have affected, they
were greatly alarmed at the duke's power, for they had been informed
that the greater part of the principal towns, and the commonalty
throughout the kingdom, were favourable to him, as well as many of the
principal lords and gentlemen.
When they found, from the duke's answers, that he was determined to
persevere in his enterprise of marching his army to Paris, to demand
an audience of the king, they were more uneasy at their situation than
before; for they knew they would be driven from their places, and many
of them, criminally punished, should he succeed in his object.
To obviate this as much as in them lay, they caused letters to be
written in the king's name, and sent to all the chief towns in France,
to command them neither to admit within their walls the duke of
Burgundy or any of his partisans, nor to pay any obedience to them.
They also placed garrisons at all the passes and other important
places; and the constable even remanded his men from Normandy for the
greater security of Paris.
Thus whilst the king of England was making good his landing in France
with an immense army, as has been said, he found no difficulties
in adding to his conquests,--and, from the effect of these internal
divisions, he met with scarcely any resistance.
CHAP. LIX.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY CONTINUES HIS MARCH TOWARD PARIS.--SEVERAL TOWNS
AND FORTS SURRENDER TO HIM, IN WHICH HE PLACES CAPTAINS AND GOVERNORS.
After the duke of Burgundy had remained some days in Amiens, and had
delegated the government of his dominions in Picardy to his eldest son
the count de Charolois, with an able council to assist him, he departed
thence and returned to Corbie, and continued his march to Mondidier.
During this time, the lady of the castle of Mouy promised that she
would no longer permit her people to make inroads on the territories
of the duke. He was accompanied to Mondidier by the young count de St
Pol, sir John de Luxembourg, and many other great barons, such as the
lord de Fosseux and his three brothers, sir Philip, sir James, and sir
John, sir Jennet de Poix, Hector, Philippe, and le bon de Saveuses,
the lord de Rambures, sir Burnel, and Louis de Varigines, and others.
He went from Mondidier to Beauvais,--in which place he was received on
certain assurances in the name of the duke of Burgundy, in like manner
as had been done at Amiens.