THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY SENDS AMBASSADORS TO MANY OF THE KING'S PRINCIPAL TOWNS, TO FORM ALLIANCES WITH THEM.—THE OATHS THAT WERE MADE ON THE OCCASION.
THE duke of Burgundy sent the lords de Fosseux, de Humbercourt, and master Philip de Morviller, as ambassadors, to several of the king's principal towns, with letters patent from the duke, addressed to the magistrates and commonalty.
They first went to Montrieul, which instantly assented to his proposals, then to St Riquier, Abbeville, Amiens and Dourlens; and at each place they had their letters publicly read to the commonalty; after which master Philip de Morviller notably harangued them on the good intentions of the duke to provide for the public welfare, and with such effect that all the above towns formed alliances with the ambassadors, which they solemnly swore to maintain, and mutually exchanged the acts drawn up for this purpose.
The tenour of that of the town of Dourlens was as follows.
'To all those to whom these presents shall come; John de Fosseux lord de Fosseux and de Nivelle, David de Brimeu lord of Humbercourt, knights, and Philip de Morviller, councellors and ambassadors from the very high and puissant prince our much redoubted lord the duke of Burgundy, on the one part, and the governor, mayor, sheriffs, and resident burghers of the town of Dourlens on the other part, greeting. We make known, that we have entered into and formed a treaty of concord and amity, the terms of which are as follow.
'First, the said governor, mayor, sheriffs, and resident burghers, will aid and support the said duke of Burgundy in his endeavours to restore the king our lord to the full enjoyment of his power and liberty, so that his realm may have uninterrupted justice, and commerce an unrestrained course.
'Item, they will assist the said duke to the utmost of their power, that the king and his realm may be wisely and well governed and secured against all enemies. They will admit him and his army into their town, allowing him to have a superiority of force, and they will, for money, supply him and his men with whatever provisions or necessaries they may require, they taking on themselves the guard and defence of the town, and permitting all merchants, as well of the town as otherwise, to bring into it, without molestation, whatever merchandises they may please.
'Item, during the time the said duke shall remain in possession of the town of Dourlens, he shall not arrest, or cause to be arrested, any of the inhabitants, of whatever rank or condition, without a judicial enquiry having previously been held; and should any of the officers of the said duke commit an injury or insult on the inhabitants, he or they shall be severely punished by those to whom the cognizance of such cases belongs.
'Item, the townsmen of Dourlens, of every degree, shall have free liberty to repair to the countries of the said duke on their affairs, without let or hindrance, either personally or otherwise.
'Item, my lord the duke will support and defend the townsmen of Dourlens against all who may attempt to injure them, for having entered into this treaty in favour of the king and our aforesaid lord.
'Item, it is not the intention of our said lord the duke to place any garrison in Dourlens, nor to claim any right of dominion over the said town; but he is contented that the town shall be governed in the king's name, as it has heretofore been, to the honour of the said town, and to the advantage of the public weal.
'The said town engages, on the other hand, never to admit any garrison from the party in opposition to the said duke.
'Item, should there be any persons in the said town of Dourlens who may any way injure and attempt to retard the operations of the said duke, by speech or action, and the same be proved by legal evidence they will cause such person or persons to be most rigorously punished as it behoves them to do.
'Item, since the said town has been of late heavily oppressed in its agriculture, more especially in the harvest of this present month of August; and since many cattle have been carried away by men at arms avowing themselves of the Burgundian party, by which the labourer and poor people are much distressed, and unless a remedy be speedily applied, must quit their habitations. We, therefore, the inhabitants of Dourlens, most humbly supplicate you, my lords ambassadors, that you would, out of your goodness and discretion, remonstrate with the duke on these matters, that such remedies may be applied as the urgency of the case requires, and the people of Dourlens will pray for your present and future welfare.
'Item, for the more effectual security of the aforesaid articles, and of each of them, the said ambassadors and the said governor, sheriffs, and resident burghers of the town of Dourlens having exchanged the said articles, sealed with their seals, and signed by the sworn clerk of the shrievalty of the said town.
'We the said ambassadors, by the powers vested in us by our very redoubted lord, and we the governor, mayor, &c. have promised, sworn and agreed, and by these presents do punctually promise, swear and agree, to preserve every article of this treaty, without any way the least infringing of it, under penalty of confiscation of our goods, without the smallest diminution. In testimony of which, we have affixed our seals to these presents, in the town of Dourlens, the 7th day of August, in the year of Grace 1417.'