THE DUKE OF BRABANT AND THE COUNTESS OF HAINAULT VISIT THE KING OF FRANCE WHEN BEFORE ARRAS, AND NEGOTIATE A PEACE FOR THEIR BROTHER THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY AND HIS ALLIES.
ON the morrow of St John the Baptist's day, the duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and some deputies from the three estates of Flanders, came to the king, to negotiate a peace between him and the duke of Acquitaine, and their brother and lord the duke of Burgundy. They arrived about two o'clock in the morning, and were graciously received by the king, the duke of Acquitaine and others. Prior to the negotiation, an armistice was agreed on between the besiegers and besieged, which lasted until the treaty was concluded.
This treaty of peace was publicly proclaimed, by sound of trumpet, in front of the king's tent, at eight o'clock in the evening of Tuesday the 4th day of September; and it was strictly ordered, that all persons, under heavy penalties, should lay aside their badges, whether of the party of the king or of the duke of Burgundy, who had worn a St Andrew's cross, which was instantly done.
On the conclusion of the peace, some lords, who were suffering under a flux, left the king's army, namely, Louis of Bavaria, brother to the queen, the lord Charles d'Albreth, constable of France, and several more. Sir Aymé de Sellebruche and an infinite number of others, had died of this disorder; and it was this sickness that had caused the king and the princes to listen to terms of peace, that they might return to France.
When the peace had been signed, the duke of Brabant and the countess of Hainault presented to the king, in the name of the duke of Burgundy, the keys of the town of Arras, promising at the same time that all the towns and castles of the duke within the realm of France should submit themselves to the obedience of the king. It was ordered by the king and council, that the count de Vendôme, grand master of the household, should enter the city of Arras, to receive the homage of the inhabitants. On his entrance, he had the king's banners placed over the gates; and having received the oaths of the townsmen, by which they promised henceforth to be good and loyal subjects to the king, he appointed the lord de Quesnes, viscount de Poix, governor of the place, saving and reserving to the duke of Burgundy the revenues, and rights of administering justice.
The king commanded, by the advice of his council, the duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and the deputies from the three estates of Flanders, to appear on a certain day, which had been agreed on, before him and his council at Senlis, to fulfil the covenants, and ratify the peace that had been made by them in the name of the duke of Burgundy.
On Wednesday, the 5th day of September, some wicked person set fire to the tents of the lord d'Alençon, about 12 o'clock at night, and the flames spread so rapidly that with much difficulty he escaped to the tents of the king. The count d'Armagnac, seeing the flames, caused his trumpet to be sounded, and ordered the rear division to stand to their arms, who, with the duke of Bar, marched out of their quarters in handsome array, and, having set fire to them, drew up in order of battle in different detachments; one in front of the gate of St Michael, another before that of St Nicholas, another in front of the gate of Haisernes; that the enemy might not take advantage of the fire, and make a sally—for though a treaty of peace had been concluded, they had not any great confidence in it.
The fire spread with such violence from quarter to quarter that it gained that of the king, and other divisions of the army, so that his majesty and the duke of Acquitaine were forced, within one quarter of an hour from its commencement, to escape in a disorderly manner, leaving behind many prisoners, and sick persons, who were burnt to death. Several warlike engines, tents, military stores, and many tuns of wine, were all, or the greater part, consumed.
The duke of Bourbon marched away from Vaudemont in a very orderly manner, with the van division of the army; and that same morning, very early, several of the lower ranks in the garrison of the town sallied forth, and seized whatever they could lay hands on, which had belonged to the army, and even robbed many tradesmen, in spite of the orders that had been given to the contrary. Those troops who had come from Burgundy were particularly active, and, quitting the town in large parties, plundered many of the king's army.
In this manner did Charles king of France march from Arras to Bapaume: he thence went to Peronne, Noyon, Compiegne and Senlis, where he and his princes remained the whole of the month of September.
The peace that had been agreed to before Arras, by the interference of the duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders, for the duke of Burgundy, was finally concluded at Senlis, through the means of Louis duke of Acquitaine, who had married the daughter of the duke of Burgundy, notwithstanding the duke had been the cause of those riots in Paris, when the duke of Bar and others, his servants, had been arrested against his will.
The Orleans party had indeed treated him in the same way, by depriving him of his confidential servants, and doing other things which were displeasing to him. He was therefore very anxious that every thing of the sort should be forgotten, and that henceforward the king and himself should be served and obeyed with unanimity by those of their blood and lineage, although he was often remonstrated with on the acts which the duke of Burgundy had committed prior to the king's leaving Paris; but he frankly replied, that he would put an end to the war, for he saw plainly, that otherwise the king and kingdom were on the road to perdition. The peace, therefore, was concluded on the terms recited in the ensuing chapter.