CHAP. XXXIII.
THE DUKES OF BEDFORD AND OF BURGUNDY MEET IN THE TOWN OF DOURLENS.—OTHER MATTERS.
ON the vigil of the feast of St Peter and St Paul, the duke of Bedford, the regent, accompanied by his duchess, arrived in the town of Corbie, escorted by about eight hundred horsemen. There were with him the bishop of Therouenne, chancellor of France for king Henry, the president of the parliament, and many other noblemen members of the council.
Two days after, the duke of Burgundy came thither to see the regent and his sister, when they gave each other a hearty welcome, particularly on the part of the duke of Burgundy. Soon after, this duke went to Luchen, where his cousin-german the count de St Pol resided; and on the morrow, about four o'clock in the afternoon he returned to Dourlens with the count de St Pol. He thence conducted the regent and his sister to his castle of Hesdin, where he lodged them and their attendants, and entertained them magnificently. They all remained there for six days, passing the time joyously in feasting, drinking, dancing, hunting, and in divers other amusements. At the end of six days the duke and duchess of Bedford departed with their attendants, and went from Hesdin to Abbeville, where they staid some time.
They thence went to Crotoy, where the duke d'Alençon was prisoner, whom the regent sent for into his presence, and reasoned long to prevail on him to take the oath of allegiance to king Henry of Lancaster, as then he would be released from his confinement, and all his lands and lordships restored to him, adding, that should he refuse to comply, he would run much personal danger.
The duke d'Alençon replied, that he was firmly resolved never, during his life, to take any oath contrary to his loyalty to king Charles of France, his true and legal lord. On hearing this answer, the regent ordered him from his presence into confinement, and then, passing through the country of Caux, returned to Paris.
During the time the regent was at Hesdin, the bastard de St Pol and Andrew de Humieres appeared there with silver rings on their right arms, whereon was painted a sun with its rays. They had put them on as a challenge to the English and their allies, maintaining that duke John of Brabant had a more just right to the government and possession of Hainault and the other territories of Jacquiline of Bavaria, his lady, than the duke of Glocester.
The regent was at first desirous that these rings should be taken from them by some of his men, for he had been given to understand that their wearing them was owing to another quarrel, for which they wanted to fight with the English; but, in the end, he was well satisfied with them,—and nothing farther was done in the matter.
When the duke of Glocester was returned to London, he was sharply reprimanded by the council, in presence of the young king Henry, on his expedition into Hainault, and on the manner in which he had conducted himself in regard to the duke of Burgundy, the most potent prince of the blood-royal of France: he was much blamed,—because they said from such conduct a coolness might arise between the king and the duke, the alliances between them broken, and all their conquests in France lost. The duke of Glocester was plainly told, that he would not, in this business, have any aid of men or money from the king, which very much dissatisfied him, but, at the moment, he could not remedy it.