THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY ARRIVES IN LONDON.—THE BROTHER TO THE KING OF CYPRUS COMES TO PARIS.—THE DEATH OF THE DUKE OF BERRY.—MANY EMBASSIES TAKE PLACE BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND.
IN the beginning of this year, the emperor of Germany arrived at London; and the king, accompanied by his princes, nobles, great multitudes of the clergy and citizens, went out to meet him. During his stay, every honour was paid to him, and he was treated with great magnificence.
A few days after his arrival, duke William of Hainault came thither also, attended by six hundred horse, to endeavour to make a peace between England and France. Ambassadors likewise arrived at London from various countries, and in the number were one hundred persons from the duke of Burgundy.
At this same time, the brother to the king of Cyprus, who was count of three cities, came to visit the king of France in Paris. The constable, Charles son to the duke of Bourbon, the provost of Paris, and many more went to meet him; and they escorted him to the presence of the king and queen, who received him most graciously.
On the 16th day of May, Jennet de Poix, Jacques de Fosseux, the lord de St Leger, Binet d'Auffeu, Hue de Sailly, master Philippe de Morvillier, Guillaume Sanguin, and others of the Burgundy faction, were publicly banished at Amiens from the kingdom of France, on suspicion of having been concerned in the late plot against the royal family.
In these days, the duke of Berry, who was now at a very advanced age, was taken ill at his hôtel de Neele in Paris, and was frequently visited by the king his nephew, at that time in perfect health, and by other princes of the blood. Notwithstanding the care of his physicians, he departed this life on the 13th day of June, without leaving a male heir,—so that the duchy of Berry and county of Poiteu reverted to the crown, and the king gave them to John de Touraine, his eldest son, and godson to the defunct.
The heart of the duke of Berry was interred at St Denis, his bowels in the church of St Pierre-des-Degrez, and his body was carried to Bourges, and there buried in the cathedral church. He left two daughters; the eldest was countess d'Armagnac, mother to Amadeus duke of Savoy, and the youngest was duchess of Bourbon. The duke of Berry had, during his lifetime, given to his nephew and godson John duke of Burgundy, the county of Estampes, on certain conditions. On the duke of Berry's decease, the king appointed his youngest son Charles, afterward Dauphin, to the government of Paris, under the management of his father in law the king of Sicily, and likewise gave him the duchy of Touraine.
The ambassadors from France, who had accompanied the emperor of Germany to England, namely the archbishop of Rheims, the lord de Gaucourt and others, now returned to the king; but, at the instance of the emperor, the bishop of Norwich and sir Thomas Erpingham, a knight of great renown, grand master of the king's household, attended by seventy horsemen, went with him to Calais, as ambassadors from king Henry. At Calais they received passports from the king of France, and went to Montrieul, thence to Abbeville and Beauvais, where commissioners from the king met and honourably received them. A negociation was opened for a truce to take place between the two kings for a certain time, and also respecting the ransoms of some prisoners who had been carried to England in consequence of the victories of king Henry; but nothing was concluded, because the constable had besieged Harfleur by sea, and would not break up the siege, in consequence of which the English ambassadors returned home.
Soon afterward the king of England sent the earl of Warwick and others, as ambassadors to the duke of Burgundy at Lille, who concluded a truce between England and the duke, from St John Baptist's day in this year to Michaelmas day in 1417, but only for the counties of Flanders, Artois and the adjacent parts. The duke of Burgundy caused this truce to be publicly proclaimed at the usual places, to the great astonishment of many who were surprised that such a truce should have been concluded independantly of France.