CHARLES KING OF FRANCE MAKES HIS FIRST ENTRY INTO PARIS AFTER ITS REDUCTION,—THE PREPARATIONS FOR IT.
ON Tuesday the 12th of November, in this year, king Charles of France was lodged in the town of St Denis. He was accompanied by his son the dauphin of Vienne, the constable of France, the lord Charles d'Anjou, the counts de Perdiac, de Vendôme, and the young count de Tancarville, sir Christopher de Harcourt, the bastard of Orleans, and a very great number of nobles, great lords, knights and esquires. La Hire was also there in very grand state.
The provost of merchants and the sheriffs of Paris came out as far as La Chapelle to meet him, attended by the citizens, cross-bows, and archers of the town, dressed in robes similar to those of the peers. When they met the king, the provost presented him with the keys of Paris, which the king delivered to the care of the constable. The provost and sheriffs, then expanded a blue canopy, studded with flowers de luce of gold, over the king's head, and thus supported it as he proceeded.
He was next met by the governor of Paris, attended by his common sergeants, having each of them a hood half green and half crimson. After the sergeants came the notaries, attornies, advocates and commissaries of the Chastelet. Then came persons representing the seven virtues and the seven deadly sins, dressed in character, and on horseback: they were followed by the judges of the parliament, of the court of requests, the presidents and by crowds of people.
Thus nobly accompanied did the king make his entry into the city of Paris by the gate of St Denis. Three angels supported a shield bearing the arms of France over the gate above which were placed angels singing and underneath was written in large characters,
'Most excellent and noble king,
The burghers of this loyal town
To you their grateful offering bring,
And bow before your royal crown.'
At the little bridge was a fountain, over which was a pot having a flower de luce, whence spouted good hippocras, wine and water: two dolphins were playing in the fountain,—and above the whole was a terrace, vaulted with flowers de luce, which exhibited a representation of St John Baptist pointing to the Agnus Dei, surrounded with angels singing melodiously.
In front of Trinity-church was a pageant of the passion of our Lord, and how Judas hanged himself. Those who exhibited this did not speak, but acted as in a pantomime. The acting was good, and very affecting.
At the second gate were the figures of St Thomas, St Denis, St Maurice, St Louis of France, and Ste Genevieve in the middle. There was likewise a representation of the holy sepulchre, of the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, and of his meeting Mary Magdalen.
Item, at St Catherine's, in the street of St Denis, was a representation of the descent of the holy Ghost on the Apostles. Before the Châtelet was the annunciation of the angel to the shepherds, singing, 'Glory be to God on high,' &c. Suspended below the gate were represented the attributes of justice with divine law, the law of nature, and the law of man. On the opposite side, against the slaughter-houses, were exhibited the last judgement, paradise, and hell: in the centre was St Michael weighing souls in a balance.
Item, at the foot of the great bridge, behind the Châtelet, was represented the baptism of our Lord, and St Margaret issuing out of the mouth of a dragon.
When the king came to the front of the church of Nôtre Dame, he dismounted, and was shortly harangued by the members of the university. The following prelates were waiting for his arrival before the great door: the archbishop of Toulouse and of Sens, the bishops of Paris, of Clermont, of St Mangon, near Montpellier, the abbots and superior clergy of St Denis, of St Maur, of St Germain near Paris, of Sainte Magloire and of Sainte Genevieve.
The king made the usual oaths in the hands of the bishop of Paris, and then entered the church,—where had been erected three arches, like to those at Amiens the last day of the year, covered with tapers and wax lights.
When the king had offered up his prayers, he went to the palace, where he lay that night. He was escorted on his entrance by about eight hundred archers, well equipped and in handsome array, under the command of the count of Angoulême.
The king and the dauphin were dressed in plain armour, all but their heads: on that of the king was a tourmole[10] covered with silversmith's work. His horse's housing was of dark blue velvet, richly embroidered with large flowers de luce in gold, which reached to the ground. The head-piece was of polished steel, bearing a handsome plume of feathers. He was preceded a few paces by Poton de Saintraille, carrying the royal helmet on a staff supported by his thigh, having a rich crown on the top, and in the centre was a double flower de luce. His horse was led by a gentleman on foot, named Jean d'Olon,—and the canopy was all the while borne over his head. The king was followed by his pages, very richly dressed, and ornamented with silversmith's work, as well as their horses.
A little before Poton rode the constable of France, the counts de Vendôme and de Tancarville, and others of the high nobility, handsomely mounted and richly dressed. At a short distance behind the king was the dauphin, his armour covered over with silversmith's work, as well as his horse, and his pages and their horses also. He was accompanied by his uncle the lord Charles d'Anjou, the counts de Perdiac and de la Marche, and followed by the bastard of Orleans in plain armour,—but his horse's accoutrements were highly ornamented. He had on a rich scarf of gold, which fell down on the back of his horse. He commanded the king's battalion consisting of about a thousand lances, the flower of the men at arms, most handsomely dressed out, themselves and horses.
With regard to the other knights, esquires, and gentlemen present at this ceremony, they were very numerous, and richly equipped at all points, and their horses loaded with silversmith's work. Among these, but after the princes, sir James de Chabannes and the lord de Restelant had the reputation of being most handsomely dressed, themselves their attendants and horses.
The crowd of common people was so great that it was difficult to walk the streets; and they sang carols in all the squares, and other places, as loud as they could, for the welcome return of their natural lord and king, with his son the dauphin. Many even wept for joy at this happy event.
The king and the dauphin, as I have said, when the ceremonies were over, went to the palace, where they were lodged,—and the lords, knights, and others in different houses in Paris as well as they could. It was proclaimed in the king's name, by sound of trumpet, that no one, whatever his rank, should ill treat the Parisians in body or effects, on pain of instant death.
On the morrow, the king displayed to the populace, in the holy chapel, the relics of the true-cross of our Saviour, and the lance which had pierced his side while on the cross: after which, he mounted his horse, and went to lodge at the new hotel, near the bastille,—and the dauphin did the same at the Tournelles.
They remained for a considerable time in Paris,—during which, many new regulations were made for the better government of the realm: and several new offices were created at Paris, as well as in the court of parliament as elsewhere.
Some days after the king's entry into Paris, the counts de la Marche and de Perdiac (sons to Bernard count d'Armagnac, formerly constable of France, who had been basely murdered by the Parisians) went to the spot where their father had been buried, attended by many lords, as well spiritual as temporal, and had the body taken up, put into a leaden coffin, and carried to the church of St Martin des Champs, where a solemn service, attended by the members of the greater part of the colleges and university of Paris, was performed for his soul. On the morrow, the coffin was placed on a car covered with black, and conveyed out of the town with much solemnity, and thence conducted by his two said sons, and a numerous company of friends and attendants, to the county of Armagnac.