AMBASSADORS ARRIVE AT PARIS FROM ENGLAND.—THE KING OF FRANCE HOLDS A GRAND FESTIVAL.—THE PEACE IS EVERY WHERE PRESERVED.
AT this period, there came to Paris the earl of Dorset, uncle to the king of England, the lord Guy, admiral of England, the bishops of Durham and Norwich, and others, amounting, in the whole, to six hundred horse, as ambassadors to treat of a marriage between the king of France's daughter and the king of England[20]. They were lodged on their arrival at the Temple, and they carried themselves so magnificently, as well at home as when they rode abroad, that the French, and particularly the Parisians, were very much astonished.
On the 10th day of February, the king of France gave at Paris a very grand festival of eating, drinking, tilting and dancing, at which the english ambassadors were present. The king tilted with the duke d'Alençon, whom he had lately raised to that dignity. The duke of Brabant tilted in great cordiality with the duke of Orleans; and during this festival, which lasted three days, the princes of the blood conducted themselves kindly and honourably toward each other. The queen of France, the duchess of Acquitaine, and many other noble ladies and damsels, assisted at the feast.
On the 24th day of February, after many conferences with the duke of Brabant and the countess of Hainault, as well at Paris as at Senlis, and with the ministers of the duke of Burgundy, the peace was finally concluded, and proclaimed with sound of trumpet through Paris, according to royal letters of the following tenor:
'Charles, by the grace of God, king of France, to all present and to come. Whereas many acts have been done since the conclusion of the peace at Pontoise, to our very great displeasure, and damage to our subjects and kingdom; for which cause we have held our beloved cousin, the duke of Burgundy in our indignation and disfavour, and have marched a considerable body of men at arms and archers against the town of Arras. During the time, we lay before that town, our well-beloved and dear cousins the duke of Brabant and countess of Hainault came thither, accompanied by our dearly-beloved the deputies from the three estates of Flanders, as commissioners, and having full powers to treat on the part of our said cousin of Burgundy, with so much humility and obedience that we were contented therewith.
'In confirmation of the duke of Burgundy's willingness to submit himself to our obedience, they offered on the part of the town of Arras to display our banner on the walls and towers thereof, and also to place under our subjection all the towns and castles which our said cousin of Burgundy held from us. We therefore, in our abundance of affection, have received him back into our good graces.
'Our said cousins the duke of Brabant and the countess of Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders, engaged to deliver to us, or to any person whom we might depute, the castle of Crotoy, as well as the castle of Chinon; and that they would, to the utmost of their power, see that they were fully restored to us, or to any person whom we should commission to receive them. Many other matters relative to the restoring of peace were then discussed, and, in consequence, we ourselves withdrew with our army from before Arras. For the further consolidation of this agreement for peace, our said cousins of Brabant, Hainault, and the deputies from Flanders have again come to us, as ambassadors from our cousin of Burgundy, with whom, in the presence of our dearly beloved son the duke of Acquitaine, dauphin of Vienne, the preliminaries before mentioned have been confirmed.
'Know ye, that from the pity and compassion which we must feel for all who have suffered oppressions and vexations which ever ensue during a state of warfare, and which our faithful and beloved subjects have lately undergone; and that they may cease, so that tranquillity, justice, and legal government may take place within our realm; that labourers may do their work, and tradesfolk travel throughout the kingdom unmolested wherever they shall judge proper, without let or hindrance whatever. Considering also the value of peace, which is inestimable, and the great evils that ensue from war, of which we have lately had such bitter experience; and that all creatures may have better opportunities to amend their lives and turn toward their Creator, we of our own knowledge, and with full power and royal authority, by the advice of our council, and after the mature consideration of our eldest son, of many of the princes of our blood, prelates, barons and knights of our council and courts of parliament, so will, order and command, that a firm peace be established within our realm, between our subjects, and that all rancour and malice cease, forbidding all persons, whatever may be their rank or condition, under pain of our highest displeasure, to bear arms or to proceed against any one otherwise than by legal means.
'For the better preservation of this peace, and out of reverence to God, wishing to prefer mercy to rigorous justice, we from the plenitude of our power and by our full royal authority, do grant a general and free amnesty to all persons whether natives or foreigners, of whatever rank or condition they be, who shall have aided, abetted, counselled or supported our said cousin, the duke of Burgundy, contrary to our royal will and pleasure, since the said peace of Pontois until this day,—excepting, however, from this amnesty five persons, who are not noble, nor subjects nor vassals to our said cousin of Burgundy, and whose names shall be given to our cousins of Brabant and Hainault before the feast of the nativity of St John the Baptist next ensuing. We likewise except from this general pardon all who may have been banished by our courts of justice by legal processes, with the usual ceremonies and solemnities.
'For the further preservation of this peace, and to avoid all causes of sedition and dispute hereafter, we will and ordain that all persons who may have quitted their dwellings in Paris for the space of two years, shall not return nearer than within four or five leagues of our said town of Paris, reserving to ourself any favours which we may be inclined to show to the contrary. We will, however, that the said absentees may go any where throughout our realm, excepting to our town of Paris, without any molestation whatever, either in body or goods.
'To maintain our subjects in peace and to obviate any disputes of office, which, having formerly happened, may do so again, we will and order, that all offices given by us since the said peace of Pontoise, shall remain in our full disposition and power, without those who may have been deprived of them having any claim or pretence of being restored to them. With regard to the prisoners, we will do strict justice; for it is our pleasure that no lord, baron, knight, esquire, or other persons, under pretence of services not performed to us, or for services done to our said cousin of Burgundy, shall be prosecuted or molested in body or goods, but that all lands, castles, or any territories whatever, that may have been taken possession of, and held by our officers for us, on account of the late war, shall be fully and completely restored to their true and lawful owners, without any fees or charges claimed in regard to us; and we now impose silence on our attorney-general, although the different cases be not specified particularly by us, in order more effectually to put an end to all disputes and suits at law that may have arisen from the events of the late war.
'We will, order and enjoin, that our said cousin the duke of Burgundy do forbear, by himself or others for him, to disturb or any way molest, either by open or secret means, such of our subjects and vassals of every degree, as shall have served us in our warfare against him; and such of his subjects and vassals as, through fear of offending us, have not served him in conformity to the different ordinances issued by us; and that he be particularly cautious, under pain of incurring our displeasure, that this article be truly attended to, for we positively forbid our said cousin of Burgundy to take any cognizance whatever of the above acts.
'We likewise forbid all others of our blood and lineage to commit, or cause to be committed by others for them, any acts of hostility against our said vassals and subjects, as well as against those of our said cousin the duke of Burgundy; for we strictly ordain, that they do not take any cognizance of offences that may have been caused by the late warfare.
'We will and command, that our said cousin the duke of Burgundy do punctually restore all castles, lands, or fiefs that he may have taken from our vassals and subjects, as well as from his own, on account of services performed to us or neglected to have been done to him, and that he order away from him all who may be inclined to disturb the lawful owner in the possession of them.
'We in like manner enjoin all those of our blood and lineage who may have possessed themselves of any castles, lands, or other effects of any lord, baron, knight, esquire, or others, under cover of the late warfare, to restore them instantly to their proper owners, without further molestation, or making them pay any fees or charges for their restitution, in order that this said peace may be faithfully and religiously maintained.
'We likewise will and command, that all the articles of the peace concluded at Chartres, and of others which have since been made, be most particularly observed; and we strictly enjoin all those of our blood and lineage, that they do not, on any pretence whatever, form any alliances with the English, or with others, to our prejudice or to the prejudice of this peace; and should any such have been formed, we positively command that all treaties be returned and annulled, and that any person who may have concluded them do deliver to us sufficient security for the due performance of these our orders.
'And we further enjoin, for the better security of this peace, that our said cousin of Brabant, the ambassadors from our cousin of Burgundy, and the deputies before named from Flanders, in the name of themselves, the three estates in that country, and in behalf of our said cousin of Burgundy, our very dear and well-beloved cousins the counts de Charolois and de Nevers, do each of them swear and promise,—those who are now present in our hands, and those absent in the hands of our deputies,—on their faith and oath, and on the cross and holy evangelists of God, that they will loyally and honestly observe this peace, and all the articles of it; and that they will not, by open or other means any way violate or infringe the same, under pain of incurring our highest displeasure and indignation.
'And should it happen that any person, whether noble or not, do interrupt this peace, or act contrary thereto, they shall promise not to give them any encouragement, aid or advice, but shall endeavour to stifle all such attempts before they gain any head.
'Copies of these oaths and engagements shall be delivered into our chancery, signed by each party, and sealed with their seals, that a perfect remembrance may be had of this transaction.
'Similar oaths and promises shall be taken and made, under the like penalty, by our very dear and well-beloved cousins, uncle, son and nephew, the cardinal de Bar, the king of Sicily, the dukes of Berry, de Tours, d'Orleans, de Bretagne, de Bourbon, d'Alençon, and de Bar; the counts de Vertus, d'Eu, Richemont, de Dreux constable of France, de la Marche, de Vendôme grand master of the household, de Marle, le Bouteiller de France, d'Armagnac, de St Pol, de Penthievre, and de Tancarville, with all others of our blood and lineage, and the members of the three estates in their countries. Those present will take the oath in our hands, and the absent in the hands of our deputies: they will each deliver into our chancery copies of their oath and promise, signed and sealed by them, that the remembrance of it may endure for ever.
'We also ordain, that the aforesaid oath and engagement shall be taken before our commissioners, under pain of the above-mentioned penalties, by all prelates, knights, barons, captains, bailiffs, seneschals, provosts, and others our officers, vassals and subjects of all ranks, ecclesiastical and secular, noble and not noble, who shall each of them sign and seal his separate engagement, which shall be transmitted to our chancery for the aforesaid purpose.
'Item, our said cousin of Burgundy, and all the afore-mentioned princes of our blood, shall send letters to their subjects and vassals, requiring them to take their oaths in like manner. And for the better security of this peace, our said cousin of Brabant, the countess of Hainault, and the deputies aforesaid, shall exert their utmost power to prevail on our very dear and well-beloved cousins duke William of Bavaria, count of Hainault, the duke of Lorraine, the count of Savoy, the bishop of Liege, the count of Namur, and such others as they think proper, to take a similar oath and promise to observe all the articles of the peace.
'We also will and command, that should any excesses be committed which might endanger the aforesaid peace, it shall not therefore be broken; but the party who shall feel himself injured shall appeal to our courts of justice, when such reparation shall be made him as the case may legally require.
'We consequently, give it strictly in charge to our dear and loyal the constable, the chancellor, the members of our courts of parliament, the marshals of France, the master of the cross-bows, the high admiral, the provost of Paris, to all our seneschals, bailiffs, governors, mayors, sheriffs, and all others our officers whatever, to each and to all of them, that they do pay attention to the articles of of the said peace, and that they do not suffer the smallest of them to be in any wise violated or infringed; and should any thing be done contrary to their true tenour and meaning, they will cause such persons to be instantly arrested as disturbers of the public peace, and punish them as guilty of high treason toward us and toward the state, so that they may serve for examples to all others who may be inclined to act in the same way.
'We ordain that these presents be proclaimed in the most public manner in the usual places, that no one may pretend ignorance thereof; and we enjoin all persons who may hear or know of any one that shall utter words in public or otherwise against the honour of the aforesaid persons of our blood and lineage, or to the disgrace of this said peace, that they do denounce him or them to our officers of justice, that punishment may ensue according to the exigence of the case, and that they may be proceeded against as rebels to our commands and ordinances.
'That these presents may have their due weight, we have hereunto set our seal. Given at Paris in the month of February in the year of Grace 1414, and of our reign the 35th.' Signed by the king and his grand council. Countersigned, 'Estienne Mauregard.' As this peace was proclaimed throughout Paris, so was it published in divers parts of the kingdom of France.