THE TREATY OF PEACE CONCLUDED AT ARRAS, WHICH WAS THE FIFTH, IS READ IN THE PRESENCE OF THE DUKE OF ACQUITAINE, AND SEVERAL OTHER PRINCES OF THE BLOOD-ROYAL, AND THE OATHS THAT WERE TAKEN IN CONSEQUENCE.
THE articles of the treaty of peace which had been humbly solicited from the king, on the part of the duke of Burgundy, by the duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders, properly authorised by him, were read in the presence of the duke of Acquitaine and the members of the king's grand council, and were as follow.
'Whereas many mischiefs have been, from time to time, committed against the realm of France, and contrary to the good pleasure and commands of the king, and of his eldest son, the duke of Acquitaine, the aforesaid commissioners, duly authorised by the duke of Burgundy, do most humbly solicit and supplicate, in the name of the said duke, that all things wherein the duke of Burgundy may have failed, or done wrong since the peace of Pontois, and in opposition to the will and pleasure of the king and the duke of Acquitaine, may be pardoned, and that they would, out of their goodness, receive him again to their graces and favour.
'The said commissioners will deliver to the king, the duke of Acquitaine, or to any person or persons they may please to nominate, the keys of the city of Arras, and of all the towns and fortified places belonging to the said duke of Burgundy within the realm of France, to which the king or his son may appoint governors, or other officers, according to their pleasure, and for so long a time as they may choose, without any way infringing the said peace.
'The duke of Burgundy will surrender to the king, or to his commissioner, the castle of Crotoy, and replace it in his hands.
'Item, the duke of Burgundy binds himself to dismiss from his family all who have in any way incurred the indignation of the king or the duke of Acquitaine, and no longer to support them within his territories, of which due notice shall be given them in writing.
'Item, all the lands or possessions that may have been seized by the king from the vassals, subjects, well-wishers, or partisans, of the duke of Burgundy, of whatever kind they may have been, on account of this war, shall be faithfully restored to them.
'In like manner, all sentences of banishment that have been issued for the aforesaid cause shall be annulled; and if the duke of Burgundy have seized and kept possession of any lands or possessions of the king's subjects, well-wishers, or of those who may have served the king in this present year, they shall be wholly and completely restored.
'Item, notwithstanding the duke's commissioners have affirmed to the king and the duke of Acquitaine that he had not entered into any confederation or alliance with the English,—that all suspicions may cease on that head, they now promise for the duke of Burgundy, that he will not henceforth form any alliance with the English except with the permission and consent of the king and the duke of Acquitaine.
'Item, in regard to the reparation of the duke of Burgundy's honour, which the said commissioners think has been much tarnished by expressions made use of, and published throughout the realm and elsewhere, in different letters-patent and ordinances,—when the peace shall be fully established and the king is returned to Paris, he will consult with his own council, and with such persons as the duke may think proper to send thither, on the best means of reparation, saving the king's honour.
Item, the duke of Burgundy shall engage, on his word, that he will not, by himself or others, persecute or wrong any person who may in this quarrel have served the king personally, or under different captains, nor any burghers of Paris, or other inhabitants, by secret or open means, nor procure it to be done.
'Item,the king wills and ordains, that his subjects remain in such lawful obedience as they are bound to by the treaty of Chartres, or other treaties which may have been afterward made; and should such treaties require any amendment, he orders it to be done, and that they be faithfully observed without the smallest infringement.
'Item, for the better security of the observance of these articles by the Duke of Burgundy, the said duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault and the aforesaid deputies, shall swear, as well in their own names and persons as on the part of the prelates, churchmen, nobility and principal towns of their country; that is to say, the said duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault and the aforesaid deputies, shall swear, in the name of the said duke of Burgundy, for the whole country of Flanders, that the said duke of Burgundy will strictly observe and keep for ever this good peace, without doing himself, or procuring to be done by others, any act contrary to the true meaning and intent of it. In case the said duke of Burgundy shall, by open or secret means, do any thing against the tenour of this peace, then the aforesaid duke of Brabant and countess of Hainault do engage for themselves not to give him any advice, or assistance of men at arms or money, or in any manner whatever, seeing that the princes of the royal blood, the nobles, prelates, and capital towns in the kingdom, have taken a similar oath.
'The commissioners will also deliver good and sufficient bonds of security, according to the regulation of the king and his council; and they will promise, beside, to use their utmost endeavours that the nobles and others within the town of Arras shall loyally make the same oath; and likewise that all who may be at this present under the orders of the duke of Burgundy, or in his garrisons in Burgundy, Artois and Flanders, shall do the same when required by the king of France.'
When the above articles had been properly drawn up, the different parties swore to their observance. The duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and the flemish deputies, as being the friends and allies of the duke of Burgundy, first took the oath in the presence of the duke of Acquitaine, several princes of the blood, and the members of the king's council. The duke of Acquitaine then took a solemn oath to keep and preserve every article of the said peace: he then called to him Charles duke of Orleans, his cousin-german, and desired that he would take this oath; but the duke of Orleans, bowing low, replied,—'My lord, I am not bound to swear to it; for I only came, as a king's subject, to serve my lord the king and yourself.' 'Fair cousin, we beg that you will swear to the observance of this peace.' The duke of Orleans again said, 'My lord, I have not broken the peace, and ought not therefore to take the oath: I entreat you will be satisfied.' The duke of Acquitaine a third time required that he would swear,—and the duke of Orleans, with much anger, replied, 'My lord, I have not, nor have any of my council, broken the peace: make those who have broken it come hither and take the oath, and then I will obey your pleasure.'
The archbishop of Rheims, and others, seeing the duke of Acquitaine displeased at this last speech, said to the duke of Orleans, 'My lord, do what my lord of Acquitaine requires of you.' After all this, he did take the oath to maintain the peace, but it was sorely against his will, for he thought that it was the duke of Burgundy and his allies who had broken the last peace made at Pontoise. The duke of Bourbon was next called on to take the oath, who thought to avoid it, like the duke of Orleans; but the duke of Acquitaine cut him short by saying, 'Fair cousin, we beg that you will not say more about it.' The duke of Bourbon, and the other princes, then swore without further objection. The prelates did the same, excepting the archbishop of Sens, brother to Montagu, who when called upon to take the oath by the duke of Acquitaine, said, 'My lord, remember what you swore to us all, on our departure from Paris, in the presence of the queen.' The duke replied, 'Say no more about it: we will that this peace be kept, and that you swear to its observances.' 'My lord,' replied the archbishop, 'since it is your good pleasure, I will do so.'
These were the only three among the lords who attended on this occasion that made any objections to taking their oaths.
A similar oath was taken in Arras by sir John de Luxembourg and all the commonalty, and other captains and governors of towns in these parts, before the king and the princes, when they had marched from before Arras.
During the residence of the king at Senlis, many nobles and others died of the flux: among the number were, Reminion d'Albreth and his brother the lord of Hangiers: and several died from the hardships they had suffered during the march and at the siege.
When the Parisians heard that a peace had been made by the king and the princes with the duke of Burgundy, without consulting them, they were much discontented, and went to the duke of Berry, their governor, to demand how this peace had been concluded, and what had moved the king and his council to think of it without making them acquainted with their intentions, for it was proper that they should have known of it, and have been made parties to it. The duke of Berry replied,—'This matter does not any way touch you, nor does it become you to interfere between our lord the king and us who are of his blood and lineage; for we may quarrel one with another whenever it shall please us so to do, and we may also make peace according to our will.' The Parisians, on hearing this answer, returned home without further reply.
Neither the duke of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, nor the deputies came to Senlis on the day appointed for the ratification of the peace, having been advised to send ambassadors and heralds, namely, the dean of the cathedral church of Liege, William Blondel, esquire, and others, to appear for them before the king and council as their representatives, at the place and time that had been fixed on. This was done, but they could not obtain any answer to their demands and requests from the grand council, because the king was very ill, and consequently they returned to their lords without having been able to conclude any thing.