THE QUEEN, ON HER ARRIVAL AT CHARTRES, WRITES TO SEVERAL OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS IN FRANCE.—SOME NEW ORDINANCES ARE MADE FOR THE BETTER GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM.
ON the queen's arrival at Chartres, it was resolved that she should write letters in her own name to all those towns that had submitted to the obedience of the duke of Burgundy. A copy of that addressed to the town of Amiens now follows.
'Very dear and well beloved,—you know that by the intrigues and damnable avarice and ambition of some persons of low degree, who have seized the person and government of my lord and his kingdom, unnumbered mischiefs have arisen, as well by the molestation of those of his royal family as by the destruction and loss of many parts of his realm, more particularly in the duchies of Acquitaine and Normandy, where the utmost confusion reigns, without these the present ministers any way attempting to check or prevent it,—but, on the contrary, they have conceived a mortal hatred against all that are gallant and loyal, by confiscating their fortunes, or putting them to death.
'They continue in their wickedness, though they know we are anxious to labour for the reparation of all these evils, and to procure peace to the realm; for, through the grace of God, we are competent so to do, as queen and wife to our aforesaid lord, according to the terms that had been begun on by our son and our cousin of Hainault, those souls may God receive! But they, knowing our intentions, took care to keep us at a distance, that their iniquities might be hidden, and that they might keep possession of their places.
'By such means do they daily apply to their own profit the whole amount of the revenue, without any part being allotted for the use of my said lord, or for the security and welfare of his kingdom. They have, under false pretences and most disloyally, robbed my said lord, ourself and our son the dauphin, so that we have not wherewithal to maintain our establishments, or to defray our expenses; insomuch that they have acquired so great power that all must obey their wills, and it is very probable that the government of my lord and his realm may fall into the hands of strangers, which God forbid!
'When our very dear and well beloved cousin the duke of Burgundy shall have put an end to such shameful abuses he offers peace to all who may be inclined to accept of it, by his letters patent that have been published in various parts of the realm; but those persons above mentioned having refused to accept his terms, our cousin has taken up arms, in company with a large number of knights and esquires, with the intent to drive the above traitors from the government of this kingdom. They, however, to resist the said duke, and prevent him from approaching the person of our said lord, have remanded to Paris all the men at arms from their different garrisons, thereby leaving the kingdom a prey to its ancient enemies the English.
'This conduct clearly shows their wicked intentions; but the greater part of the nobility, prelacy, and the chief towns have united themselves to our said cousin, sensible of the loyalty of his conduct, for the good of our said lord and the welfare of his realm. All who are any way related to us by blood should be warmly attached to our said cousin, for it concerns them much; and they should know, that quitting his siege of Corbeil, he came to set us at liberty, and deliver us from the hands of our late gaolers.
'We have accompanied our said cousin to the town of Chartres, as was reasonable, where we shall advise together on the most effectual means of regaining those parts of the kingdom that have been conquered, and for the preservation of the remainder, without any further dissembling, by the aid and support of all the vassals, friends, allies and subjects of my aforesaid lord.
'For this reason, therefore, very dear and good friends, we ought to have the government of this kingdom, with the advice and assistance of the princes of the blood, and for which we have the authority of letters patent irrevocably passed by the great council, and in the presence of the princes of the blood, such as uncles, cousins-german, and others related to the crown. We have also full and competent knowledge of your good and loyal intentions regarding the dominions of our said lord, and even that you are willing, in conjunction with our said cousin, to use your utmost endeavours, even to the shedding your last drop of blood, for the obtaining so necessary and desirable an object.
'We summon and require you, in the name of my aforesaid lord, and expressly command you from ourselves, that you remain steady to the orders of our said cousin, notwithstanding any letters or commands you may receive to the contrary in the name of my aforesaid lord, or in that of my son the dauphin; and also, that you do not suffer henceforward any sums of money to be transmitted to the present rulers of the realm under any pretext whatever, on pain of disobedience and disloyalty to my said lord, and of incurring the crime of rebellion toward him and toward us. In so doing, you will perform your duty, and we will aid succour and support you against all who shall attempt to injure or hurt you for your conduct on this occasion.
'Very dear and well beloved, we recommend you to the care of the Holy Spirit. Given at Chartres, the 12th day of November.'
It was afterward determined in the council of the queen and the duke of Burgundy, that master Philip de Morvillers should go to the town of Amiens, accompanied by some notable clerks of the said council, with a sworn secretary, and should there hold, under the queen, a sovereign court of justice, instead of the one at Paris, to avoid being forced to apply to the king's chancery to obtain summonses, or for any other cases that might arise in the bailiwicks of Amiens, Vermandois, Tournay, and within the seneschalships of Ponthieu, with the dependancies thereto attached. A seal was given to master Philip de Morvillers, having graven upon it the figure of the queen erect, with her hands extended towards the ground: on the right side were the arms of France on a shield, and on the left a similar shield, with the arms of France and Bavaria. The inscription around it was,—'This is the seal for suits-at-law, and for sovereign appeals to the king.'
It was ordered that the seals should be imprinted on vermilion-coloured wax; and that all letters and summonses should be written in the queen's name, and in the following terms:
'Isabella, by the grace of God, queen of France, having the government of this realm intrusted to her, during the king's illness, by an irrevocable grant made to us by our said lord and his council.'
By authority of this ordinance and seal, the said master Philip de Morvillers collected large sums of money. In like manner, another chancellor was appointed for the countries on the other side of the Seine, under the obedience of the queen and the duke of Burgundy.